Even though he’s facing a six- to nine-month recovery from his torn left ACL, Nationals center fielder Adam Eaton isn’t abandoning hope on playing again this season. “I’m going to work my butt off and give myself the best-case scenario to play,” Eaton told reporters, including Jamal Collier of MLB.com. “This year would be great, and if that is the case, that means we are playing in October, that is for sure.” Cubs left fielder/catcher Kyle Schwarber suffered multiple torn knee ligaments last April but was able to suit up again in late October for the World Series, of course, so it’s not impossible to imagine Eaton returning if the Nats get that far. However, Schwarber got hurt in early April, giving him a three-week head start on Eaton; further, unlike Eaton’s game, Schwarber’s isn’t predicated largely on either speed or defense. It’s also worth noting that Schwarber was not healthy enough to play the field during the Fall Classic, instead serving as a pinch-hitter in Chicago and a designated hitter in Cleveland.
When announcing Eaton’s injury Sunday, Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo mentioned that he’s confident in the team’s in-house center field options. Right fielder Bryce Harper and shortstop Trea Turner, both of whom have center field experience, are not among the possibilities to grab the reins from Eaton, according to manager Dusty Baker. When asked Sunday if he’d consider using either Harper or Turner in center, Baker responded (via Eddie Matz of ESPN.com): “No. Leave my team alone.”
For Washington on Sunday, life without Eaton began with a 23-5 drubbing of the NL East rival Mets. Harper hit a home run and reached base four times, but his performance paled in comparison to Anthony Rendon’s. The third baseman had an afternoon for the ages, going 6 for 6 with three homers and 10 RBI. In the process, Rendon became the 13th player in major league history to knock in double-digit runs in a single game.
Here’s more from the NL:
- The Diamondbacks project Archie Bradley as a long-term starter, but the right-hander won’t go back to the rotation in the wake of Shelby Miller’s season-ending elbow injury, manager Torey Lovullo announced Sunday (via Barry M. Bloom of MLB.com). “He will remain in our bullpen,” Lovullo said of Bradley. “The way we look at it is he’s been pretty dominant in the bullpen.” With a 1.20 ERA, 10.8 K/9 and 1.8 BB/9 in 15 innings, the 24-year-old Bradley has indeed been almost untouchable as a reliever this season. Bradley wasn’t nearly as good as a starter from 2015-16, a 177 1/3-inning stretch in which he recorded a 5.18 ERA, 8.42 K/9 and 4.52 BB/9. While it’s a certainty that he’ll stay in the bullpen, it’s unclear who will take Miller’s spot in the rotation. “Those are the discussions we’re having,” Lovullo stated. “And within the system there are a variety of options for us. So, we’ll hammer that out. That’s a discussion we’ll be having as a group over the next few days.”
- Dodgers outfielders Joc Pederson and Franklin Gutierrez are nearing returns from the disabled list, relays Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times (Twitter links here). Pederson, who hit the DL with a groin injury this past Monday, will begin a rehab assignment at Single-A on Wednesday. The Dodgers’ hope is that he’ll be ready for activation Friday. Gutierrez, down since April 12 with a hamstring strain, started a rehab assignment of his own at Class-A on Saturday. With those two coming back, top prospect Cody Bellinger will likely return to Triple-A. The 21-year-old homered twice in the Dodgers’ improbable win over the Phillies on Saturday, contributing significantly to the excellent .316/.409/.632 line he has posted across his first 22 major league plate appearances.
- It seems Cardinals third baseman Jhonny Peralta’s DL stint is largely the result of a bad reaction to medication, as Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch writes. Peralta began taking pills toward the end of spring training in an effort to combat an upper respiratory infection, but they only worsened his condition and left him feeling “dizzy” and lethargic. Manager Mike Matheny took notice. “We watched him throughout most of spring and it was, ‘Hey, he’s really moving well, he looks strong.’ And then something hit a point and I started asking the medical guys, ‘Is there anything going on?’ Yeah, he has some upper respiratory stuff. But let’s look into this. It just doesn’t look right. Jhonny was really good about being honest about how he was feeling and not doing the, ‘I’m just going to grind and go.’” Peralta is now on the right track, fortunately, having stopped taking the medication. He could rejoin the Cardinals as early as May 8, per Goold.
Cranky old man syndrome from Dusty makes me laugh.
Right? Was he joking when he said this? Asking about realistic cf options should get this kind of response from someone who has been around the media this long.
I don’t care what the intent was in his statement. It was hilarious with or without any agendas.
Get off my lawn!
What. Kyle schwarber did is one in a billion.
The wonders of PED’s!
The wonders of idiotic comments.
More than they have.
Yep!
Oh you have proof?? Why haven’t you said anything yet to MLB?? Oh wait, what’s that, you don’t have any proof?? Well alrighty then, how about instead you just shut up??
If only the Cub players and coaches had the same attitude towards Eric Thames. Baseless accusations are baseless.
Continue living like a mushroom skipster!
A little sensitive over one comment don’t you think?
Wonder what Herrera and Cain would cost?????
One word: a lot.
Doubt the royals sell early and if its a sellers market it will take a lot to get both.
But, with margot, cordero, renfoe, dickerson, and all their inf of options padres might consider trading jankowski.
I could see raudy reed and carter keiboom in a deal for jankowski and maurer later on.
Simple answer: a lot
But someone like jankowski who is a true center fielder packaged with maurer could be had in a package for carter kieboom and someone like raudy reed. Jankowski can easily stay in center when harper leaves and move eaton to RF. 2+ years of maurer and 4+ years of jankowski.
Padres have surplus of OF and pen options.
Padres doesn’t need another Catcher/3B. Dodgers have access OF who can play CF and would open the Door for Cody to stay when Joc returns even Gutierrez when returns,
But they dont have the closer available. Dodgers arent trading jansen.
Maurer and jankowski will be cheaper than acquiring both a CF and closer separately.
Jankowski is hurt and has been absolutely awful this season. He just can’t hit.
There’s no rule the Nats have to acquire a CF and closer in the same deal.
Trading for a CF and a closer separately will be more expensive than trading for them in a package. Separately will cost more prospects especially if they wait until the deadline to get a CF in one deal and a closer in another, if they even go that route.
Jankowski/Eaton to replace Bryce Harper….something does not seem right here.
Wonder if they will finally cough up some “top prospects” (in the Nats’ minds) for Andrew McCutchen?
Why would they give up top prospects for a guy who is just continuing to show that he’s not what he was?
He would be the Nats’ best player after Harper.
please learn baseball before commenting about it.
no he wouldn’t
Defensive metrics say he isn’t really a center fielder.
LOL
Yes, your comment was dumb enough to warrant an LOL.
Its Anthony Rendon’s world and were just living in it
Seriously, have a month, Anthony!
Would Bellinger need to get sent down though? He can obviously hit, get on base, get deep in a count and needs seasoning. Keep him up and designate Kike or somebody else. The kid belongs.
I’ve noticed lots of organizations almost do things based on “principle” like saying guys need to put in their time, regardless if they need the guy on the team or how good he is. I’d love to see him stay, he works for the team.
He can obviously hit that’s never been the question. He’s certainly been impressive and you can see the hit tool. It’s clear though Bellinger still needs to make certain adjustments. And yes he could still use some seasoning at AAA. Plus if they can get away with pushing him the extra 20 days to save the super 2 they will take full advantage of that. That’s just the reality of the situation.
Kikè and Taylor do what they are brought in to do play multiple positions to give guys days off. Kikè, Taylor, and Barnes(in his short 1-2 starts a week) have been somewhat the productive end of the bench. Utley’s that veteran presence. So really the ones that should be in real danger of losing their jobs are SVS
And Hatcher.
Bellinger is going to be a very good player. He’s going to be a corner replacement player down the stretch, assuming health. The question becomes whether or not Puig and/or Toles have the ability to continue to make adjustments and produce. They’ve both had their moments and rough patches, but can they sustain consistency? Being a Dodgers fan though it’s exciting to see what at the door.
I don’t think Kiké is the issue. He has played plus defense all over the field, and has even had a bit of pop. Scott Van Slyke is taking up a spot and hasn’t been providing much, I think he goes before Kiké.