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Injury Notes: JV, McCullers, Hoskins, Moronta, Chafin

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Justin Verlander has continued to progress in his late-season comeback effort, as Jake Kaplan of The Athletic writes. The veteran hurler isn’t yet ready to return to the Astros rotation, of course, but he has now faced live hitters in a two-inning sim game. It’s still unclear how things will progress from here. The club would surely like to get JV a regular-season appearance before the season concludes, but it’s also possible he’d make his first start in the postseason. Meanwhile, the ’Stros have now welcomed back fellow right-hander Lance McCullers from his own stay on the injured list, as Mark Berman of FOX 26 was among those to tweet. It turned out to be a brief stay for McCullers, who had a procedure to relieve neck nerve irritation. He’ll look to improve upon a 5.79 ERA through his first eight outings.

Here are some more injury notes from around the league …

  • Phillies first bagger Rhys Hoskins is still in limbo as he deals with an elbow/foream issue. As Jim Salisbury of NBC Sports Philadelphia reports on Twitter, the burly slugger is holding out hope of a return even while the threat of a season-ending surgery hangs over his head. When and how this situation will be resolved isn’t yet clear. Losing Hoskins would represent a big dent to the Phils’ lineup. He has to this point of the season turned in a productive .245/.384/.503 slash line with ten long balls.
  • It seems the Giants could yet get a bullpen boost from right-hander Reyes Moronta. He’s ready for competitive mound action at the team’s alternate training site, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area notes on Twitter. Moronta has been building up after undergoing shoulder surgery, so the club won’t want to push him too hard. But it’s enticing to imagine adding another postseason weapon, particularly since Moronta is said to be showing typically strong velocity. Jeff Samardzija is also nearing readiness, with a five-inning set scheduled. It’s unclear what role may await for the veteran once he’s deemed a full go. He coughed up 15 earned runs in 13 2/3 innings over his first three starts on the year.
  • The Cubs haven’t yet received a contribution from recently acquired southpaw Andrew Chafin, but that may soon change. The 30-year-old reliever, who was nursing a finger sprain when he was dealt at the trade deadline, is close enough that he could be activated over the next few days, skipper David Ross indicated to reporters including Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune (Twitter link). Chafin had struggled to open the year in Arizona, but he’d represent a notable addition to a bullpen that has had its share of issues, especially from the left side.

Latest On Kevin Gausman

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SEPT. 15: Gausman’s MRI came back clean and he could start this weekend, Baggarly tweets.

SEPT. 13: The Giants scratched Kevin Gausman from today’s scheduled start against the Padres with elbow tightness, per various reporters (including Andrew Baggarly of the Athletic). He’ll head for an MRI as a precaution, per Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle (Twitter link), but he’s not going on the injured list at this point. Gausman initially felt some discomfort playing catch a few days ago and woke up with some soreness this morning, relays Schulman.

Surely, the hope is that Gausman will avoid a serious problem and return in short order. The stakes are quite high for both player and team, though. At 23-22, San Francisco holds the seventh seed in the National League, with a two-game cushion on the Rockies for the final playoff spot. The Giants’ surprisingly solid performance is to some credit of Gausman, who has turned in 46.2 innings of 4.05 ERA/3.54 FIP ball this year. Quietly, the former Oriole has racked up strikeouts at a 32% clip, the eleventh-highest rate among qualified starters. Certainly, he has more than made good on the club’s buy-low $9MM investment this offseason. A healthy Gausman would be a part of the Giants’ playoff rotation if they hang on to a postseason spot.

It’s also highly important for Gausman personally to finish the season at full strength. He will return to the open market this winter in advance of his age-30 season. Between his strong platform year and youth, he’d be well-positioned in a market thin on high-end starting pitching.

Logan Webb will slide up in the rotation in Gausman’s place this evening. The 23-year-old has a 5.23 ERA/3.68 FIP in nine starts this year.

NL Injury Notes: Arenado, Matz, Senzel, Gott

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Rounding up some injury news from around the National League:

  • Rockies’ star third baseman Nolan Arenado was held out of the lineup today with a left shoulder injury, per the Athletic’s Nick Groke (via Twitter). Colorado is hoping he’ll avoid an injured list stint, says Groke. Arenado’s obviously of immense importance if the 21-24 Rockies are to erase a game and half deficit and get into the postseason.
  • The Mets activated lefty reliever Steven Matz from the injured list this afternoon. He’s been out about two weeks with discomfort in his throwing shoulder. It has been a disappointing season for Matz, who got bumped from the rotation after five poor starts before leaving his first relief appearance with the aforementioned injury.
  • Reds’ center fielder Nick Senzel has been on the injured list for undisclosed reasons since August 19. He’s nearing a return, manager David Bell told reporters, including Bobby Nightengale of the Cincinnati Enquirer (Twitter link). Indeed, it’s possible Senzel returns for tomorrow’s doubleheader against the Pirates. The 25-year-old is hitting .244/.327/.489 in 53 plate appearances this year.
  • The Giants are placing right-handed reliever Trevor Gott on the 10-day injured list with right elbow inflammation (via Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle). It has been a nightmarish season for the 28-year-old. After seemingly breaking out in 2019, Gott has allowed 13 runs (all earned) in 11.2 innings with eight strikeouts and walks apiece.

Giants-Padres Series To Resume On Sunday

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SEPTEMBER 13, 10:19 am: Major League Baseball has officially confirmed today’s doubleheader. Given most recent test results, the league has determined that the test which triggered the initial postponements, reported by Jon Heyman of MLB Network to be that of San Francisco outfielder Alex Dickerson, was a false positive.

SEPTEMBER 13, 9:06 am: Indeed, the teams are scheduled to return to play a doubleheader today, reports Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune. As Acee notes, the clubs’ other missed contest figures to be made up when they conclude the season against one another September 25-27.

SEPTEMBER 12: The Giants and Padres could potentially return to the field Sunday for a doubleheader, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reports (Twitter link).  The player who originally tested positive for COVID-19 has since had two negative test results, and if other tests are passed tonight, the Giants could be cleared to return to action.

SEPTEMBER 11, 8:49pm: The league announced that it has also postponed Saturday’s game “out of an abundance of caution and to allow for additional testing and contact tracing to be conducted.”

8:29pm: The Padres-Giants game in San Diego on Friday was postponed after one of San Francisco’s players tested positive for the coronavirus, Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

“Tonight’s game was postponed due to a positive COVID test within the Giants organization,” the Padres stated. “MLB will announce additional information regarding the status of our series with San Francisco as soon as possible.”

The two teams played Thursday and are scheduled to end their series with a game Sunday, but it’s now unclear whether they’ll be able to take the field over the weekend. There are just two-plus weeks left in the season, and with the Padres and Giants vying for playoff spots, significant changes in their schedules could prove detrimental. Nevertheless, the league will have to make a decision that abides by health and safety protocols. MLB has already seen the virus force notable changes to its schedule, especially for the Marlins and Cardinals.

Giants Place Pablo Sandoval On Release Waivers

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1:00pm: The Giants announced that Sandoval has been placed on release waivers.

12:32pm: The Giants are designating infielder Pablo Sandoval for assignment today, Jon Heyman of MLB Network reports (Twitter links). The move will create space for fellow veteran Justin Smoak, who signed with the Giants yesterday.

Sandoval, 34, lasted just two and a half seasons in Boston under an ill-fated five-year deal but surprised many with a resurgent showing upon returning to the Giants after being cut loose. From 2018-19, Sandoval tallied 548 plate appearances over 200 games with his original club, hitting .259/.311/.466 with 23 homers, 33 doubles and a triple. The pendulum swung in the opposite direction in 2020, however, as Sandoval has logged a miserable .220/.278/.268 slash through 90 trips to the plate.

The 33-year-old Smoak hasn’t exactly fared well in 2020 himself, hitting just .186/.262/.381 in 126 plate appearances with the Brewers before being released. Even amid those struggles, however, Smoak has shown much more power at the dish and a better walk rate. He’s been more prone to strikeouts than Sandoval but gives the Giants a better defensive option at first base and more pop on days he serves as designated hitter or a late-game pinch-hitter.

With Sandoval hitting well in 2018-19 and Hunter Pence returning after a resurgent year with his hometown Rangers, Giants fans might’ve had visions of one last productive run from the fan-favorite duo that fueled so much of their “Even Year” dynasty from 2010-14. Both Pence and the Panda struggled mightily in what now looks to have been their San Francisco farewell tours, however, leaving their futures within the game somewhat up in the air.

Had the Giants been languishing in the NL West cellar, perhaps they’d have kept Sandoval around to close out the season. San Francisco, though, has rattled off five straight wins to surge back to current possession of the No. 7 playoff seed in this year’s expanded postseason format. It’s in some ways reminiscent of last year’s July hot streak. Last year’s club wasn’t able to sustain the pace and convert that hot streak into a playoff berth, but the 2020 Giants will look to parlay their current 8-2 stretch into the organization’s first playoff berth since 2016.

NL Injury Notes: Pham, Smyly, Turner, Pirates

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Padres outfielder Tommy Pham is less than a month out from a broken hamate bone, but he’s making rapid progress. Pham resumed live on-field batting practice today, Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports on Twitter. The 32-year-old had been off to a sluggish start to the year but will still have some time to make his presence felt as the Pads try to angle for postseason position.

More injury updates from the National League …

  • The Giants are preparing to welcome back southpaw Drew Smyly tomorrow, manager Gabe Kapler tells reporters including John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle (via Twitter). It’ll be interesting to see what the veteran hurler can deliver down the stretch. Though he hasn’t been available for many innings, he turned in a few interesting outings that hinted at a resurgence.
  • While there’s little reason to rush, the Dodgers are close to activating rehabbing third baseman Justin Turner. Manager Dave Roberts told reporters including Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register (Twitter link) that Turner still hasn’t put his tender hamstring through the full paces. Nevertheless, the club expects to have him active within the week, though Turner could initially function as a DH.
  • The Pirates provided a few pitching rehab updates, some more promising than others (via MLB.com’s Adam Berry, on Twitter). Mitch Keller (side injury) and Jameson Taillon (Tommy John) are each throwing sim games, while reliever Keone Kela is now participating in mound work. It’s still unclear how much MLB action each of those hurlers will be capable of late this year, but that’s generally encouraging news. The situation is different for fellow righty Yacksel Rios, who remains sidelined by shoulder woes. He was shut down after symptoms flared up.

Giants Sign Justin Smoak

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1:35PM: The Giants have announced the signing, noting that Smoak signed a minor league deal and has been added to the 60-man player pool.

1:01PM: The Giants have agreed to sign free agent first baseman Justin Smoak, MLB Network’s Jon Heyman reports (Twitter link).  Smoak was released by the Brewers yesterday.

Smoak came to Milwaukee on a one-year contract worth $5MM in guaranteed money ($4MM in salary, and $1MM on a buyout of a $5.5MM club option for 2021).  Over 126 plate appearances this season, Smoak simply never got on track, hitting .186/.262/.381 with five home runs and eventually becoming an expendable piece.  The Brewers will eat the remainder of the salary owed to Smoak this season, minus the prorated minimum salary that will be paid by the Giants for however much time Smoak sees in the big leagues over the final two-plus weeks.

The 22-21 Giants are currently in possession of a wild card berth, in part due to major contributions from such unheralded acquisitions as Mike Yastrzemski, Donovan Solano, and Alex Dickerson.  2020 numbers aside, Smoak has more of a proven track record, and was an All-Star as recently as the 2017 season.  His numbers have been on the decline since that breakout year, though his pedestrian 2019 statistics were underlined by some very impressive Statcast numbers that have generally not carried over to this season.

A change of scenery could perhaps be what Smoak needs to spark his bat, and on paper, a revived Smoak would help the Giants replace the production they expected from Hunter Pence — another veteran who had a tough 2020 season and was recently released.  Smoak could occasionally spell Brandon Belt at first base and also see some time at DH.  Since Mauricio Dubon has now essentially become San Francisco’s full-time center fielder, it creates a bit more room for Smoak to join Pablo Sandoval as the team’s primary backup infielders, with Belt, Solano, Brandon Crawford, and Evan Longoria starting around the diamond and Wilmer Flores also seeing a good chunk of time at first base, second base, and DH.

Giants Considering Move To The Bullpen For Jeff Samardzija

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When the Giants signed Jeff Samardzija following the 2015 season, his durability was a driving factor for the then-defending champs. The Shark put up 411 innings over his first two seasons, but the back three years of the deal have been marred by persistent injury. After just 44 2/3 innings in 2018, Samardzija did manage to rebound for 181 1/3 innings as a 34-year-old last season with a 3.32 ERA/4.59 FIP. This season it’s been more injury woes for the Hoosier.

Now that his contract is set to run out at the end of this season, the Giants are still working to get Samardzija back into uniform, but they’re running out of time. The veteran righty made just 3 starts this season before being put on the injured list with a shoulder impingement. Samardzija threw 50 pitches in a simulated game on Saturday, and while he could return to the rotation, the Giants are considering a move to the bullpen, per Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle. Given the shortened timeline for this season, and the lack of traditional avenues for rehab starts, the bullpen might be the only way Samardzija pitches again in a Giants uniform.

It wouldn’t be the first time Samardzija worked out of the pen. He began his career as a reliever for the Chicago Cubs way back in 2008. He would throw one inning in relief for the Cubs in the postseason that year while getting swept out of the playoffs by the Dodgers. It wasn’t until 2012 that he would establish himself in the rotation with 28 starts and a 3.81 ERA/3.55 FIP. And it wasn’t until 2016 that he’d find himself in the postseason again, this time with the Giants – facing the Cubs. Chicago would run him after two innings and defeat the Giants on the way to breaking their World Series drought.

All these years later, there would be some poetry to Samardzija finding himself back in the bullpen for a Giants squad fighting to make the postseason. When healthy, Samardzija has continued to be a useful arm, and he’ll be an interesting free agent at season’s end, if a low-cost one. The Shark may no longer be at the top of the food chain, but if he can return to help  the Giants’ pen, Samardzija might be able to circle the free agent waters for one last payday.

Injury Notes: J. Ramirez, Hosmer, Stanton, A. Dickerson

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Indians third baseman Jose Ramirez exited their win over the Royals on Monday with left thumb discomfort, Mandy Bell of MLB.com relays. The Indians replaced Ramirez, who Bell notes has been dealing with the issue for weeks, with Mike Freeman. Whether Ramirez will miss any more time remains to be seen, but the Indians can only hope he won’t, as he has played an important role in their 26-15 start. The 27-year-old Ramirez has followed up a so-so 2019 (by his standards) with a .248/.350/.478 start and nine home runs in 183 plate appearances this season.

  • Padres first baseman Eric Hosmer departed their game Monday against the Rockies with a left finger injury, AJ Cassavell of MLB.com tweets. San Diego plugged in the just-acquired Mitch Moreland in place of Hosmer, who’s in the third season of an eight-year, $144MM contract and has easily enjoyed his best campaign as a Padre. Thanks in part to an increase in fly balls, Hosmer has slashed .291/.346/.547 (a career-high 138 wRC+) with eight home runs in 127 plate appearances. Hosmer’s rebound from a couple of mediocre seasons has contributed to the Padres’ 25-17 start.
  • Yankees designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton “ran bases, hit off a machine and threw today,” Bryan Hoch of MLB.com tweets, but it remains unclear when or if he’ll return in 2020. Even if Stanton does play again this year, it will go in the books as the second straight injury-ruined season for the ex-NL MVP, as he missed almost all of 2019 with health issues and has been on the IL since Aug. 9 with a left hamstring strain. The Stanton-less Yankees have struggled over the past few weeks and are now fighting for their playoff lives.
  • Giants outfielder Alex Dickerson had to leave their game against the Diamondbacks on Monday after fouling a ball off his right leg (video via Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area). The Giants called on Darin Ruf to take over for Dickerson. There’s no word on Dickerson’s status, but he’s someone the Giants can ill afford to go without for an extended stretch. They’re surprisingly in playoff contention, and Dickerson has followed up last season’s solid showing with a .264/.342/.528 line and seven home runs this year, making him one of the Giants’ most valuable players [UPDATE: Dickerson’s X-Rays came back negative. He has a knee contusion, Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic relays].

Giants Release Abiatal Avelino; Latest On Drew Smyly

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The Giants have released infielder Abiatal Avelino, John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle reports. He had been part of the Giants’ alternate training site.

The 25-year-old Avelino – whom San Francisco acquired from the Yankees in a 2018 trade centering on Andrew McCutchen – had brief stints with the Giants in each of the previous two seasons, during which he totaled five hits (all singles) in 19 plate appearances. Avelino has garnered far more experience in Triple-A, though he also hasn’t been a world-beater there, evidenced by his .266/.302/.402 slash with 15 home runs  across 873 trips to the plate.

In other Giants news, manager Gabe Kapler announced to Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area and other reporters that the team could activate left-hander Drew Smyly from the injured list on Wednesday or Thursday. Smyly, whom the Giants signed to a $4MM guarantee in the offseason, has only made three appearances this year and hasn’t pitched since Aug. 1 on account of a strained left index finger. Before that, the 31-year-old threw 8 1/3 innings of three-run ball with 11 strikeouts and four walks, and he averaged a career-best 93.4 mph on his fastball. Two of Smyly’s three outings this season have come as a starter, but it’s unclear whether he’ll return to the playoff-contending Giants’ rotation when he comes back.

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