The Brewers’ decision to designate Luis Jimenez for assignment was mostly the result of Jimenez’s poor fit for the team’s current situation, MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy reports. The team had hoped to use Jimenez as a late-inning defensive replacement for the aging Aramis Ramirez, but there turned out to be few situations in which he came in handy. “Unfortunately, we thought the season would go differently so far and I would use him in a different role,” says manager Ron Roenicke. “Because we’re always behind, his role hasn’t become important.” Here’s more from the NL Central.
- The Reds have announced that outfielder/first baseman Donald Lutz has had Tommy John surgery after sustaining an elbow injury last week. The 26-year-old Lutz was hitting .190/.292/.262 in 48 plate appearances for Triple-A Louisville and struggled in brief stints with the Reds in 2013 and 2014, although he’s generally hit for good power in the minor leagues. He remains on the Reds’ 40-man roster.
- The Cubs are having pitching prospect C.J. Edwards (a key component of the 2013 Matt Garza deal) begin his season in the bullpen, Gordon Wittenmyer writes for Baseball America (subscription-only). The Cubs still could use Edwards as a starter in the future, however. “We certainly in no way, shape or form have given up on him as a starter, but we also realize we’ll probably have to manage his innings a little bit this year,” says GM Jed Hoyer. Edwards pitched only 53 2/3 innings last season while dealing with a shoulder issue (although he added 15 innings in the Arizona Fall League), and his innings will be limited again in 2015. Having him begin his season in the bullpen will allow the Cubs to determine later in the season whether to move him back into a starting role. Edwards has struggled so far at Double-A Tennessee, striking out 11 batters but walking ten in 9 2/3 innings.
Pitching prospects are such a crap shoot.
Mr. Wilmoth,
C.J. Edwards is now being called by his legal name Carl Edwards Jr. per Justin Rocke, the Tennessee Smokies’ Senior Broadcast and Media Assistant. Just FYI
Wrong Luis Jimenez.
That’s exactly what Boston should be doing with Matt Barnes at both Pawtucket when he’s not on the Sox 25 man roster.. Being used as a reliever. Teams need to be more proactive with getting kids ready for the pen than using up the 4y of protected status as SP. Boston already wasted 3y on Pat Light as a failed SP prospect before moving to the pen and 3y with Simon Mercedes same way. 3 kids who have 1 pitch that works well, a upper 90’s FB that has touched 100mph before and will be rule 5 eligible this winter.
Teams are more than willing to take these types now with that draft, kids with just that pitch are what they want and Boston was a slow learner in moving them away from SP early and protecting the losing 2 the last 2 drafts.
Roenicke sure sounds defeated. If that is the attitude the manager has it’s easy to see why the team is playing the way they are.
Yes because they would no doubt have won 10 more games if Roenicke denied what was actually occurring