Pedro Alvarez and the Orioles agreed to extend their relationship beyond Alvarez’s original June 1 opt-out date, though that extension is up today, David Hall of the Norfolk Virginian-Pilot reports (Twitter link). “Anything remains possible” between the two sides, Hall writes, which isn’t a surprise given the number of moving parts within Alvarez’s situation. The slugger has only a .224/.295/.452 overall slash line at Triple-A this season, though he has been on a major hot streak over the last two weeks. Alvarez’s transition to becoming an outfielder also remains very much a work in progress, which limits his ability to find a spot on Baltimore’s 25-man roster.
Here’s more from around the AL East…
- Jacoby Ellsbury has been shut down due to a return of his concussion symptoms, Yankees manager Joe Girardi told media (including MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch). Ellsbury suffered the injury after a collision with the outfield wall while making a catch on May 24, and he has already spent more than the minimum seven days on the concussion DL. The veteran is off to a strong .281/.349/.422 start over his first 153 plate appearances, though New York has a very capable center field replacement in Aaron Hicks while Ellsbury recovers.
- Blue Jays righty Aaron Sanchez may begin throwing as soon as tomorrow, manager John Gibbons told Sportsnet’s Ben Nicholson-Smith and other reporters. Sanchez hasn’t thrown a pitch since May 19 in an effort to fully recover from the blister and fingernail problems that have plagued him all season, leading to three separate DL stints. It may still be a while before Sanchez returns to the mound, as Gibbons said the right-hander will “definitely” require a rehab assignment after he is able to begin throwing.
- Wilson Ramos is aiming to make his Rays debut in late June, after completing a 20-day minor league rehab stint, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times writes. Ramos has reportedly been making solid progress in his recovery from the ACL and meniscus tears he suffered in the last week of the 2016 season.
- Also from Topkin, Rays reliever Brad Boxberger is also looking to return from the DL late this month. Boxberger will begin a rehab assignment on Sunday that is tentatively scheduled to last for three weeks. The right-hander will require a lengthy ramping-up process after missing much of Spring Training with a lat strain, and then suffering a flexor strain in his throwing shoulder.
- Gleyber Torres has spent the bulk of his Triple-A time at third base, and the top Yankees prospect could very well get a crack at the position in the big leagues this season if Chase Headley continues to struggle. NJ Advance Media’s Brendan Kuty talks to Yankees third base coach and infield instructor Joe Espada about Torres’ defensive abilities and the challenges in moving from shortstop to the hot corner.
does Jacoby have a clause in his contract that every year he must spend time on the DL and miss a chunk of the season
who cares i rather have hicks play
Youth movement
This is a little different, concussions are a serious matter for his long-term health, not just for getting back on the field.
Ellsbury was also constantly injured before the Yankees stupidly signed him over Cano. This is 100% on them making a dumb choice.
Talk about overlying racism! If Jacoby was other then part Native American you wouldn’t feel that way!
What???? Where in any of that did you read anything about race?
Look at his posts on an earlier Soler article..I was making a point because he accused myself and others of Racism about Cuban players. Funny how he cried that junk there but didn’t answer to this.
The Yankees did not “signed him over Cano”, they refused to sign Cano to a 10 year contract, so they moved on and signed Ellsbury.
Yankee4Life27..this guy has more issues then a Rolling Stone? Oh and you’re right about Cano!
Ellsbury is a great ballplayer, too bad he is hurt so much. Hicks is doing well, very different from most of his previous minor and major league career. Wonder how he did that neat trick?
What are you trying to say?
He’s implying that he’s cheating, most likely. Why can’t Hicks resurgence be because of hard work and figuring it out finally?
Just asking the question. This can happen of course, but this is happening in his 5th year in the Majors and it happened in low A ball where he had a few short season good years, then one small sample in AAA with the Twins of high average with some power. Seems odd. Why now? Back to the weights and stretching:? Vitamins? It is not a free agency walk year, he has 2 years of arbitration control left…..
Google “mlb cult of no grounders” – it a thing hes a part of
Look at the scouting history on this players tools and it’s not like he’s got regular playing time over those years. Like Harold Reynolds said,he just needed regular at bats. The Twins were never patient enough with him and also look throughout MLB history with other players..one example JD Martinez. You act like the guy is in his thirties. You must be a Twins fan or maybe the Sox or Mets.
Very cool. APnews has a great article on it. Thanks for the suggestion. Is that what Hicks did? Wanting to and having the ability to change the swing to loft the ball are two different things. Donaldson does it, Bryant does it, but they have MVP ability, did Hicks all-of-a-sudden find that ability or did he always have it in him? I suppose time will tell. His previous Major League years say no, as well as many minor league seasons say no.
David Ortiz turn around was questionably dramatic from twins to sawx. Hicks always had talent and highly rated in farm and joe coming together.
Ortiz had high ops and slugged with the Twins too. They just didn’t want to pay the money he would get in arbitration for basically a DH.
Bro, is not like Hicks is leading MLB in homeruns ( 8 ), he made a few adjustments with his swing and batting stance and thus far is working for him. Is not like he has gone from hitting 10 homeruns per year to 30, 40 or 50 ala Ortiz or Bautista…
The GM of the twins called that decision to let Ortiz go, the worst decision of his career.
BAtting .323, hitting 8 homers with 30 RBIs with OPS+ of 169 over a larger sample size [126 games] is extraordinary for Hicks. Just saying.
He was heralded as a good draft pick for the Twins, so yes he did project to have tools for success.
This may reflect badly upon Minnesota’s’ ability to develop their prospects – their current highly, highly touted young players are very hit or miss. Sano and Berrios finally broke out this year. Jury is still out on Polanco, Kepler and of course, infamous Buxton.
There is a saying you’ll hear around baseball. It can take a prospect 1,000 professional at bats (or plate appearances depending on who you talk to) before a team understands what they have in that player. Twins did not keep Hicks nor Ortiz around long enough to see that. Sometimes it’s a matter of hedging your bets to get what value you can before you give up on a player.
Great cereal famine what are you trying to say? You blindly accused cespedes of peds
I asked the dude what he was trying to say. You’re the one regurgitating the Cespedes posts that belong their. Which I still believe by the way since you asked!
*there
He was at one time a great ball player, so Was Choo. NY was hoping that 2011 season would come every year power wise and they would get another Johnny Damon type, instead they got a guy who is always hurt, exactly like he was in Boston.
Shame cause he would have never been looked at like this had he never gone with Boras.. Schilling called it when they 1st paired up.. “pure as snow teamed with greed” think it was in ’08.
Hicks has always been considered a five tool player and it’s fortunate for the Yanks he’s putting it together for them instead on the Twins. Frazier is finally starting to put it together at Triple A,and is hitting .294 with three bombs in his last ten games.
Fowler is completely raking with excellent pop,and Wade has been consistent all year. These three are part of the next wave and Wade can be used for multiple positions. Right now Gardner is hitting pretty well but will probably slow as normal,so putting Frazier in a LF platoon with Gardner would be awesome. The future is looking bright for the Bombers and of course theirs Torres,wonderful problems to have..finding at bats eventually for everyone!
I agree with your assessments, although all those bats have to be proven at the major league level and history shows all prospects usually don’t work out. I am a little concerned over the current pitching and depth of ready starters. It wouldn’t take much for the current rotation to faulter and the entire year gets blown up. Anyone know anything about their pitching depth in the minors? I’m a Jays fan too and they got little starting pitching ready for a year or two and their rotation is hurting, barely scrape out 5 innings a starter, except for Stro and Estrada.
The Yankees in the minors have chance adams who has never had an era above 2 in the minors also chad green and luis Cessna for depth. Further down they have Sheffield in double A doing well and could be promoted soon as well as Dietrich Enns an underrated prospect as well.
With good pitching propects, the future seems bright for the Yankees.
4 errors in 12 games for Torres at 3rd. He should learn the position first.
I read somewhere that Torres said he was struggling with AAA. Why would he be ready for the bigs?
Ellsbury shut down until 2022.
Would b nice to trade off ellsbury and have Hicks play this year and get Frazier ready for left and move Gardner to center in the offseason. I want to keep Gardner for his vet leadership and toughness. Even when he starts to decline. Wouldn’t mind to trade off headley at some point this year as well.
I know trading Ellsbury isn’t practical. But it might happen for a bad contract pitcher. Rather have a vet overpaid starting pitcher then a vet oft injuried over paid ex red sox position player