The Twins announced Thursday that they’ve reinstated Miguel Sano from the disabled list after a 24-game absence due to a hamstring strain. Outfielder Jake Cave, whom the team acquired in a spring swap with the Yankees, has been optioned back to Triple-A Rochester to clear a spot on the active roster for the slugging third baseman. Sano played a five-game rehab assignment in Rochester and homered twice, showing the club enough to bring him back to the big league roster. Eduardo Escobar has filled in ably at the hot corner (.261/.313/.478 in Sano’s absence), though by plugging Sano back into the lineup, Escobar can shift back over to shortstop and push light-hitting defensive specialist Ehire Adrianza (.220/.287/.297 this year) back into a utility role. Minnesota is three games below .500 but sits just two games out of first place in what has been a feeble AL Central division so far in 2018.
More from the division…
- The White Sox aren’t giving much consideration to sending Lucas Giolito to the minors despite his substantial struggles to this point in the year, manager Rick Renteria told reporters after today’s loss (link via Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times). “He’s just a young man who’s gotta continue to minimize the emotional aspect of crossing from preparation into the game and staying focused, relaxed, and hammer the zone with strikes,” Renteria said of the struggling Giolito, who was rocked for seven runs in 1 1/3 innings earlier today and now has a 7.53 ERA with more walks (34) than strikeouts (27) in 47 2/3 innings. Renteria said he doesn’t consider the struggles of Giolito and recently optioned teammate Carson Fulmer to be similar, noting that Giolito has been able to pitch into the sixth and seventh innings with greater frequency.
- The Tigers did well in finding bargain minor league free agents in an offseason in which the front office was limited by budgetary restrictions, writes Chris McCosky of the Detroit News. McCosky notes that AGM David Chadd, in particular (with help from the scouting and analytics staffs), was tasked with identifying some six-year minor league free agent pickups, leading to acquisitions of players like right-hander Louis Coleman and infielder Niko Goodrum, each of whom has contributed in the Majors so far. As the 32-year-old Coleman explains to McCosky, he was uncertain he’d even get a chance to play this offseason after receiving little interest, and he ultimately had to earn a spot on the Triple-A roster after signing a minor league deal that didn’t have an invite to big league camp. Coleman allowed just four runs with a 15-to-5 K/BB ratio and eight saves in Triple-A before being added to the big league roster, and he’s since turned in seven shutout innings in the big leagues. Goodrum, meanwhile, isn’t getting on base much (.308) but has shown unexpected pop and filled in around the diamond at multiple positions. While the success of each player has come in a small sample of work, they, along with a slate of veterans in Triple-A Toledo, are ably holding down roster spots and performing fairly well while the organization’s younger players progress toward the system’s upper levels and, eventually, the Major Leagues.
WSox can afford to have Giolito work through his struggles in a year designed to get another top 5 draft pick. That said, he continues to lack command and hopefully less touted arms like Jordan Stephens can make up for guys like him and Fulmer being foreseeable duds.
Wouldn’t surprise me if pitchers such as cease, Stephens, and Hansen end up better than giolito. It’s disappointing because I had high hopes for giolito after what he did late last season but oh well
Coleman’s been a nice surprise although he’s not been up with the big club for long. Goodrum has been solid with some pop. He’s better IMO than Andrew Romine was in the same role.
“Better…than Andrew Romine.” That is High Praise, indeed.
I’m all for letting a guy learn from his struggles in the big league, but Giolito has no clue where the ball is going when it leaves his hand. In that sense he’s exactly the same as Fulmer, and belongs in AAA for now.
What’s the difference if he works on that issue in the bigs or the minors? Service time isn’t an issue here. Neither is results.
1. I know the White Sox are tanking, but it’s kind of an embarrassment watching him pitch when he’s this bad. He’s not the only guy to ever run at 8 ERA at the big league level, but his K/BB ratio is historically bad and indicative of a guy who has no clue what he’s doing.
2. I believe it’s better to be down in AAA so a player can be laser focused on his improvement (which is what AAA is for). In MLB you’re on the big stage, and though I did already reference that the Chi Sox suck, there’s still significant pressure to perform and win. The Charlotte Knights don’t get any games on WGN.
Renteria himself said: “…[he’s gotta] minimize the emotional aspect of crossing from preparation into the game and staying focused, relaxed, and hammer the zone with strikes”
It’s not easy to do that on this stage.
Theres ZERO pressure to win for the WSox
The White Sox are tanking?? Maybe they’re just truly bad.
When you have a huge budget and still hardly sign any free agents, you might be tanking…
Hamstring strain huh? Didn’t his case get wrapped recently?
Sano is a walking hamstring strain. Can’t have that much of a high ceiling if you can’t play.
What does that have to do with his injury?
The Tigers success so far is all Gardenhire. If we only have him 4 years ago! Dammit Ausmus
Giolito will likely be down in the minors once Rodon is ready, and both Giolito and Fulmer should be dropped to A ball to teach them a lesson