Despite Ian Happ’s alarming struggles at the plate — he’s hitting .233/.282/.384 with a mammoth 46.2 percent strikeout rate through 78 plate appearances — Cubs skipper Joe Maddon says the team is not discussing the possibility of optioning the young switch-hitter to Triple-A Iowa (link via Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times). Per Maddon, the 23-year-old is frustrated by his lack of contact but handling the struggles quite well. Maddon acknowledges that it’s difficult to get all of his young hitters into the lineup but maintains that the best place for Happ to right the ship at the plate is with the big league club for the time being.
More from the division…
- Jung Ho Kang has reported to the Pirates’ Spring Training facility in Bradenton, Fla., writes Bill Brink of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Manager Clint Hurdle explains that the plan for Kang is to get him into game shape over the course of the next month — he’ll remain on the restricted list and won’t be paid or accrue service time during that period — as he prepares for in-game action. “There will be no game activity until we get his arm in shape, his legs in shape, get him swinging, get our people to look at him and evaluate him and then go from there,” says Hurdle. Kang is preparing for a return to the Pirates after sitting out the 2017 season upon being convicted of a third DUI in his native South Korea and subsequently being unable to acquire a work visa.
- Given Greg Holland’s disastrous start to the 2018 season, Cardinals manager Mike Matheny confirmed today that Bud Norris is his closer for the time being, as Rick Hummel of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch writes. “It’s Bud’s game right now,” said Matheny after effusing praise for the manner in which the veteran Norris has performed in high-leverage spots while ascending to the ninth-inning role. “But we’re going to have to have other people to pitch the end of the game. There are going to be times when Bud’s down and times when we need to put Bud in a little earlier and he needs help.” There’s no indication as to when Holland might be given another try in save situations, though with Norris boasting a terrific 1.72 ERA and 22-to-2 K/BB ratio through his first 15 2/3 innings of the season, he’s likely earned himself a reasonably lengthy leash in the the ninth inning.
- The fate of the Reds’ rebuild is in the hands of a group of starting pitchers that have yet to prove capable at the big league level or even, in some cases, in the upper minors, writes John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer. As Fay notes, the Reds have a fairly promising group of position players in the big leagues (plus an elite prospect on the cusp in Nick Senzel), but none of their pitching prospects have established themselves. As Brandon Finnegan, Luis Castillo, Tyler Mahle and Sal Romano endure struggles in the Majors, alternatives such as Robert Stephenson, Cody Reed and Jackson Stephens are floundering in the minors. Fay notes that the organization’s plan had been to expand payroll next offseason and fill some holes via free agency as the nucleus of the next contending Reds team emerged, but that of course won’t have any impact if the team can’t overcome an increasingly problematic inability to develop starters.
- The Brewers announced tonight that righty Zach Davies is going on the 10-day disabled list due to some inflammation in his right rotator cuff. However, with two off days coming in the next week, the team added that it only expects Davies to miss one start. A corresponding move will be made tomorrow. The 25-year-old Davies has started off the 2018 season with a 4.24 ERA, 6.6 K/9, 3.2 BB/9, 1.32 HR/9 and a 48 percent ground-ball rate through his first 34 innings. His placement on the DL is retroactive to April 30, so he can be activated in a week’s time.
How often do starters throw between outings? It seems like the Reds’ young pitchers don’t develop much during the season or at least they haven’t over the last couple years.
John Fay is an idiot. The starters have been good the last few weeks. H.e is an absolute hater. Robert Stevenson has an era of less than 4. the guys never written a good word about the Reds
So you want him to flat out lie and write good things about the team?
When a team sucks this bad for this long, hard to find good words about the team when Joey votto isn’t the one being talked about.
The starters have been passable the past few weeks, but certainly not “good”. The reality is that we have had no starters emerge as a consistent option for the rotation. I believe Mahle and Castillo could be those guys, but even they have been inconsistent this year so far. Fay is a hater, but that is because the team sucks and the organization hasn’t given its fan base a solid reason to believe the pitching will turn it around.
Milwaukee clearly copying Dodgers manipulation of the 10-day DL thing. Karma hitting the Dodgers hard for bastardizing the rule a year ago. Get back to the 15- day DL and end that charade.
Time for the brewers to sign clay buckholtz
Have another Schlitz!
The Holland signing had Matheny’s stank all over it. Bud Norris has been insanely good and should be the highest leverage guy right now. The closer isn’t usually the highest leverage point in the game anyway. Matheny had to be willing to have a quick hook for Holland because he’s not right at all. Basically, long story short, Matheny is stifling the progress of what should be a very productive roster and minor league depth. He’s complete garbage as a tactician.
New England should give Bucholtz a chance
So much for all that Happ hype out of spring training. What a brutal start.
Sophomore slump
Ha. Babe Ruth had slumps
The real Babe Ruth? Or the one playing in Chicago now?
Ha! You mean that lummox that’s pretending to play LF ? If you see the way he’s playing the position again today , then you’ll know why he should never be in the OF ever again! LoL
Ha! Ha! You mean the lummox pretending to play LF ? If you saw him out there today , then you would know why he should never play another inning in the OF ever again!
Kang is back. Stay off the roads in Bradenton, FL
You should stay off the sidewalks as well….
Don’t worry KP, Danny isn’t allowed outside without his helmet.