Quick Hits: Morales, Relievers, Archer, Leon
Kendrys Morales set a new Blue Jays team record Sunday by homering in his seventh consecutive game. With one more long ball on Monday against the Orioles, Morales will tie the MLB record of an eight-game homer streak, shared by Ken Griffey Jr., Don Mattingly, and Dale Long. The streak highlights a rather remarkable turnaround to Morales’ season, one that seems directly tied to his decision to stop wearing the glasses he donned for the first six weeks of the 2018 campaign. After posting a .499 OPS over his first 109 plate appearances, Morales has quietly been one of baseball’s hottest hitters, with a .308/.380/.560 slash line over his next 284 PA. There aren’t any AL contenders with a glaring need for a DH-only player like Morales at the moment, so while a trade before the end of August is unlikely, Morales’ revival could give Toronto at least some hope of moving him in the offseason, even if the Jays have to eat some of his $12MM 2019 salary.
Here’s more from around baseball as we wrap up Players’ Weekend…
- Relievers were the only position group that seemed immune to last offseason’s stalled free agent market, as several bullpen arms scored lucrative multi-year contracts. Looking ahead to this winter, however, the New York Post’s Joel Sherman wonders if the bullpen market could also begin to suffer, in no small because so many of the relievers who signed those big contracts last offseason have struggled in the first year of their deals. This year’s free agent is headlined by such names as Craig Kimbrel, Andrew Miller, Zach Britton, and Cody Allen, though the latter three have seen their value diminish due to injuries or ineffectiveness.
- Chris Archer allowed six runs in four innings in the Pirates‘ loss to the Brewers today, and the right-hander now has a 6.45 ERA over five starts in a Pittsburgh uniform. Needless to say, this isn’t what the Bucs were hoping for after landing Archer for a hefty prospect package at the trade deadline, though Archer himself doesn’t feel he’s that far off his usual form. Archer told reporters, including The Athletic’s Rob Biertempfel, that he thinks his struggles are “based on some minor things here and there that are easily adjustable.” Pirates pitching coach Ray Searage feels Archer needs to pitch inside more often and move his fastball around the strike zone, though the bottom line is, as Archer said, “I just have to be better, period.”
- As of Saturday, Red Sox pitchers had a 3.08 ERA when Sandy Leon was catching, compared to a 3.84 ERA with another catcher. Leon’s game-calling and defensive abilities have made him a favorite of the Sox rotation, Jason Mastrodonato of the Boston Herald writes, and the team hasn’t lost a beat with Leon taking the bulk of playing time with Christian Vazquez on the DL. Mastrodonato’s piece also delves into Leon’s early development as a player, and how his quick grasp of English helped him easily learn how to work with pitchers.
MLB Weekend Roster Roundup: Manaea, Posey, Sanchez, Schebler, Smith
ROSTER MOVES BY TEAM
(August 25th-August 26th)
NATIONAL LEAGUE
- ATLANTA BRAVES | Depth Chart
- Promoted: 3B/1B Rio Ruiz
- Designated for assignment: C Chris Stewart
- CINCINNATI REDS | Depth Chart
- Activated from 10-Day DL: OF Scott Schebler
- Schebler played RF and batted 1st on Saturday and 5th on Sunday.
- Optioned: OF Aristides Aquino
- Role change: P Sal Romano and P Robert Stephenson have been moved to the bullpen.
- Cody Reed is a leading candidate to move into the rotation.
- Activated from 10-Day DL: OF Scott Schebler
- LOS ANGELES DODGERS | Depth Chart
- Activated from 60-Day DL: P Julio Urias
- Urias was optioned to High-A.
- Transferred to 60-Day-Day DL: RP Josh Fields
- Activated from 60-Day DL: P Julio Urias
- PITTSBURGH PIRATES | Depth Chart
- Promoted: RP Nick Kingham
- Optioned: RP Clay Holmes
- Activated from 60-Day DL: RP A.J. Schugel
- Schugel was outrighted off the 40-man roster.
- SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS | Depth Chart
- Placed on 10-Day DL: C Buster Posey (hip impingement)
- Posey will undergo season-ending surgery on Monday. His recovery time is expected to be 6-8 months.
- Promoted: C Aramis Garcia
- Placed on 10-Day DL: C Buster Posey (hip impingement)
- ST. LOUIS CARDINALS | Depth Chart
- Activated from 60-Day DL: RP Dominic Leone
- Placed on 10-Day DL: RP Mike Mayers (shoulder inflammation)
- Released: RP Ryan Sherriff
—
AMERICAN LEAGUE
- BALTIMORE ORIOLES | Depth Chart
- Promoted: SP Jimmy Yacabonis
- Yacabonis was the 26th man for Saturday’s double-header. He started Game 1.
- Promoted: SP Jimmy Yacabonis
- DETROIT TIGERS | Depth Chart
- Promoted: RP Josh Smoker
- Optioned: SP Ryan Carpenter
- LOS ANGELES ANGELS | Depth Chart
- Activated from 10-Day DL: RP Hansel Robles
- Optioned: RP Deck McGuire
- NEW YORK YANKEES | Depth Chart
- Promoted: RP Luis Cessa
- Cessa was the 26th man for Saturday’s double-header.
- Promoted: RP Luis Cessa
- OAKLAND ATHLETICS | Depth Chart
- Placed on 10-Day DL: SP Sean Manaea (shoulder impingement)
- Promoted: SP Chris Bassitt
- TAMPA BAY RAYS | Depth Chart
- Placed on 10-Day DL: OF Mallex Smith (viral infection)
- Promoted: RP Andrew Kittredge
- TEXAS RANGERS | Depth Chart
- Placed on 10-Day DL: INF Hanser Alberto (strained hamstring), RP Nick Gardewine (strained forearm)
- Gardewine had to be recalled from Triple-A before being placed on the DL.
- Promoted: C Carlos Perez (contract purchased)
- Placed on 10-Day DL: INF Hanser Alberto (strained hamstring), RP Nick Gardewine (strained forearm)
- TORONTO BLUE JAYS | Depth Chart
- Activated from 60-Day DL: SP Aaron Sanchez
- Designated for assignment: P Jaime Garcia
—
FUTURE EXPECTED MOVES
- CHC: SP Mike Montgomery will be activated from the 10-Day DL on Thursday August 30th, according to Carrie Muskat of MLB.com.
- DET: OF JaCoby Jones will be activated from the 10-Day DL on Monday August 27th, according to the team.
- WSH: RP Ryan Madson could return as early as Monday August 27th, according to Jorge Castillo of the Washington Post. He could jump back into the closer’s mix if Kelvin Herrera, who left Sunday’s game with a foot injury, misses time.
Giants Notes: Samardzija, Posey, Bart, Catching
The latest from San Francisco…
- Jeff Samardzija will get a second opinion on his bothersome throwing shoulder, The Athletic’s Andrew Baggarly reports (Twitter link). Samardzija has been out of action since mid-July with shoulder inflammation, and he most recently suffered a setback in his rehab process. Shoulder issues also required Samardzija to serve another DL stint earlier in the year, and given the lack of time remaining in the season, the Giants could very well decide to simply shut the right-hander down. The injuries have surely contributed to Samardzija’s poor numbers (6.25 ERA over 44 2/3 IP) in what has become a lost season for the veteran.
- There aren’t many past instances of a catcher undergoing hip labrum surgery, as Fangraphs’ Jay Jaffe explores, so the Giants can’t really be sure of what to expect from Buster Posey going forward after the longtime star returns from his imminent procedure. Undergoing this surgery could certainly help Posey regain some of his power, though since he’s entering his age-32 season, Posey might be due for something of a natural decline in any case. The Giants can’t explore a full-time move to first base for Posey due to Brandon Belt‘s presence, and because Posey’s defense behind the plate is such a big plus for the team, Jaffe explains.
- The long-term answer for the Giants at catcher, of course, looks to be second overall pick Joey Bart. In a subscription-only piece for The Athletic, Baggarly looks at the prospect’s first pro season, which has already been an impactful one. Bart has already been promoted to low-A ball, and has a combined .306/.367/.589 slash line over 199 PA at the rookie league and low-A levels. It wouldn’t be a shock to see San Francisco aggressively promote Bart in 2019, given that Posey himself took a quick route to the majors (drafted fifth overall in 2008, made his big league debut in 2009). If Bart keeps up his progress, it will be interesting to see how the Giants manage the situation, given that Posey and Belt are both signed to big-money contracts through the 2021 campaign.
AL West Notes: Springer, Iwakuma, Meyer
Some injury updates from around the AL West…
- George Springer will be in the Astros‘ starting lineup tomorrow, manager A.J. Hinch told reporters (including Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle). The outfielder made his return to the field today with a pinch-hit appearance, marking Springer’s first action after missing Houston’s previous six games due to an injury to his left quad. Between the quad problem and a DL stint due to a left thumb sprain, Springer has only appeared in four games since August 5, one of several injury absences that has contributed to the Astros’ narrowed lead over Oakland in the AL West race. Even before the injuries, however, Springer was stuck in a protracted slump; he has only a .201/.304/.346 slash line over his last 272 plate appearances.
- Hisashi Iwakuma pitched his first inning of the 2018 season, allowing one run on two hits during the frame as he began an A-ball rehab assignment (hat tip to MLB.com’s Jake Rill). It was Iwakuma’s first action of any kind since a minor league start in June 2017, as shoulder problems limited him to six Major League starts in 2017 and have continued to keep him sidelined all of this year, despite his undergoing arthroscopic surgery last September. If Iwakuma can stay healthy, Mariners GM Jerry Dipoto has suggested that the veteran righty could see some action in Seattle’s bullpen before the season is out.
- Angels right-hander Alex Meyer recently received a cortisone shot in his bothersome throwing shoulder, GM Billy Eppler told Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register and other reporters. Despite this setback in Meyer’s lengthy recovery from shoulder surgery, he is expected to resume throwing in a few days’ time. Meyer underwent the procedure to fix his torn shoulder labrum last September, and wasn’t expected to return until the 2019 season, so this setback doesn’t necessarily hint at larger problems for the 28-year-old as he tries to resume his career.
Athletics Place Sean Manaea On DL
6:50PM: Manaea’s problem only arose today while the southpaw was playing catch, manager Bob Melvin told the San Francisco Chronicle’s Susan Slusser and other media. Manaea will undergo an MRI, and has already left the A’s on their road trip to head back to Oakland for further examination.
12:41PM: The Athletics have placed left-hander Sean Manaea on the 10-day disabled list with a shoulder impingement and recalled reliever Emilio Pagan from Triple-A Nashville, per a team announcement.
It’s unknown if Manaea will miss any time beyond the 10-day window, though it’s clear the location of the injury is alarming, and it likely helps explain his recent dip in velocity. This development is all the more troubling for the Athletics given both Manaea’s importance to their rotation and the fact that they’re fighting for a playoff spot. Oakland will enter play Sunday four games up on AL West rival Seattle for the league’s second wild-card spot and just 1 1/2 behind the division-leading Astros.
A good portion of the A’s unexpected success this season has come thanks to the 26-year-old Manaea, who easily leads the team in starts (27) and innings (161 2/3). Along the way, Manaea has pitched to a 3.59 ERA/4.25 FIP with 6.05 K/9, 1.79 BB/9 and a 44 percent groundball rate. His DL placement continues a run of poor injury luck in the A’s starting staff, which is also without Jharel Cotton, A.J. Puk, Andrew Triggs, Kendall Graveman and Paul Blackburn and has seen Trevor Cahill and Brett Anderson miss extended periods of time. As a result of that slew of injuries, Manaea had been the last man standing from Oakland’s season-opening staff, as Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle points out.
Despite its myriad injuries, the A’s patchwork rotation – which currently includes Cahill, Anderson, Mike Fiers, Edwin Jackson and Chris Bassitt – has fared decently this year. Oakland’s starters have managed to bridge the gap to a quality bullpen, ranking 16th in the majors in both ERA (4.04) and fWAR (7.7). Fiers has made positive contributions to those numbers since the A’s added him in a trade with the Tigers on Aug. 6, and his acquisition now looks all the more timely in the wake of Manaea’s injury.
Nationals Notes: Herrera, Harper, Trades
Kelvin Herrera had to be removed from the field on a cart after suffering a potentially serious left foot injury in the ninth inning of the Nationals’ 15-0 win over the Mets today. Herrera took a bad step while fielding a ground ball, and fell down on the ground after completing the out at first base. Manager Davey Martinez told MASNsports.com’s Mark Zuckerman and other reporters that Herrera’s foot was the issue, not the right-hander’s Achilles. Results aren’t yet known from x-rays taken on Herrera after the game, though he was seen in the clubhouse on crutches and wearing a protective boot. Herrera ranked sixth on MLBTR’s recent list of the top 20 August trade candidates, though today’s unfortunate news may make it unlikely that Herrera returns to the field at all this season. [UPDATE: X-rays were negative, Jorge Castillo of the Washington Post reports. Herrera will undergo further tests tomorrow to check for any ligament damage.)
Here’s more D.C. baseball chatter…
- Reports indicated that the Dodgers‘ claim of Bryce Harper was meant to block other NL contenders from obtaining the star outfielder, though ESPN’s Buster Olney reports that the Dodgers “also placed some expensive veterans on the waiver wire” when they put in their claim for Harper. Clearly, L.A. had to prepare itself for the possibility, however remote, that the Nationals might’ve simply let Harper go on waivers without a trade, which would’ve left the Dodgers over the luxury tax threshold. Since the Nats seemingly had no intention of parting ways with Harper, though, it ended up being a moot point. While it isn’t unusual for teams to put most, or even all, of their players on waivers as a matter of procedure in August, it is interesting to speculate who the Dodgers could’ve tried to deal or simply let walk on a waiver claim if they had been forced to make room for Harper — Yasiel Puig or the slumping Matt Kemp come to mind, given that Harper would’ve stepped into an everyday outfield role.
- Also from Olney’s column, he takes a broader look at the Nationals’ disappointing season, and speculates about the club’s unusual transaction strategy over the last month. If the Nats weren’t going to sell at the trade deadline, it would’ve made more sense for Washington to buy, particularly to address a bullpen that has been a season-long issue. When the team did decide to sell (i.e. the trades of Daniel Murphy and Matt Adams), rival executives were reportedly curious about the timing, since there’s still time before August 31 and the Nationals aren’t totally out of the race. Beyond the past month, however, Olney also believes the Nats have a bigger-picture issue to solve, as “it would be helpful if they work to figure out why so many players have left the organization speaking of an unusual and sometimes counterproductive clubhouse culture.”
AL Notes: McCullers, Yanks, Sheffield, Tulo, Mallex
Astros right-hander Lance McCullers Jr. has been out for three weeks because of a forearm strain, and his return isn’t imminent. Manager A.J. Hinch told Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle and other reporters Sunday that McCullers won’t throw a bullpen “any time soon,” and if the 24-year-old returns this season, he’s unlikely to rejoin the Astros’ rotation. “It would be hard to get him built back up as a starter,” Hinch said, alluding to the lack of time remaining in the regular season, while general manager Jeff Luhnow added (via Rome) that he expects McCullers “to be back and ready for postseason in a relief role.” Fortunately for Houston, it does have the starting depth to survive McCullers’ absence from its rotation, and it’s worth noting he worked as a reliever at times during the team’s run to a World Series title last fall. In one of the most memorable performances of the 2017 playoffs, the curve-throwing McCullers closed out the Yankees in Game 7 of the ALCS with four scoreless innings.
- Speaking of the Yankees, Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News talked to a scout about their top pitching prospect, lefty Justus Sheffield. The Yankees have recently been using the 22-year-old Sheffield in relief at the Triple-A level to get him ready to work out of the big league bullpen in the coming weeks, though the scout expressed doubt that he’s poised to make a sizable impact in that role right now. “His pitches/approach were same as when starting, they didn’t play up at all,” the scout said after seeing Sheffield pitch in relief. “Lefties weren’t fooled at all, meaning everything was squared up, including a long home run by the eight-hole hitter.” Sheffield will face “an adjustment period” when he does come to the majors, continued the scout. Widely regarded as one of the game’s best pitching prospects, Sheffield has logged an impressive 2.66 ERA/3.21 FIP in 84 2/3 Triple-A innings this season, though he has done so without posting dominant strikeout and walk numbers (8.5 K/9, 3.83 BB/9).
- This will go down as a lost year for Blue Jays shortstop Troy Tulowitzki, who will miss the entire season on account of heel issues. Tulowitzki spoke about his status for 2019 on Sunday, telling Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet and other reporters that he expects to be Toronto’s starting shortstop. The soon-to-be 34-year-old seems unwilling to consider a position change, stating: “I just said I’m a shortstop. If someone’s better than me, I’ll pack my bags and go home.” Unfortunately for the once-elite Tulowitzki, the Jays arguably do have someone better in the fold now in Lourdes Gurriel Jr. The 22-year-old has been terrific as a rookie this season and looks as if he could be part of the long-term solution for the club. On the other hand, the injury-prone Tulowitzki was subpar when he last took the field, as he hit just .249/.300/.378 in 260 plate appearances in 2017.
- Rays outfielder Mallex Smith has been hospitalized with a viral infection, but manager Kevin Cash issued an encouraging update Sunday, informing reporters that he’s “doing considerably better” and could be released from the hospital today (via Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times). Cash added that the Rays are hopeful Smith won’t stay on the disabled list for much longer than the minimum of 10 days. Prior to this weekend’s scare, the fleet-of-foot Smith had quietly been enjoying an outstanding season. The 25-year-old leads qualified Rays hitters in OPS (.810) and has totaled 27 steals and 3.1 fWAR over 426 PAs.
Central Notes: Tribe, Ramirez, Votto, Cubs
Here’s the latest from MLB’s Central divisions:
- Cleveland has come up as a speculative trade destination for Toronto’s Josh Donaldson, and if the Indians acquire him or another third baseman this month, it would mean shifting Jose Ramirez from the hot corner to second base. However, manager Terry Francona threw some cold water on a potential in-season position change for Ramirez on Sunday, telling Jordan Bastian of MLB.com: “I know it sounds good on paper and it even sounds good to me on paper. There’s other things you have to think about other than just numbers.” Francona added that Ramirez hasn’t worked out at second base this season, which he posited may make the superstar more susceptible to an injury, and suggested switching positions at this juncture could throw Ramirez off track during an MVP-caliber season. Nevertheless, it’s worth noting Ramirez did rack up significant experience at the keystone last year, when he appeared in 71 games at the position. Incumbent second base starter Jason Kipnis has appeared in 118 games there this season, but he has limped to a .216/.305/.345 line in 493 plate appearances, leading to the possibility of the Tribe upgrading at that spot.
- The right knee contusion that sent Reds first baseman Joey Votto to the disabled list on Aug. 17 is “way worse” than the team originally thought, manager Jim Riggleman told Matthew Martell of MLB.com and other reporters Sunday. As such, Votto may not be ready to come off the DL when he’s first eligible, per Riggleman, though he did add that the 34-year-old has made notable progress since he landed on the shelf. Votto incurred the injury on a hit by pitch from Nationals reliever Ryan Madson.
- Beginning Friday, the Cubs will employ a six-man rotation, at least temporarily, manager Joe Maddon said Sunday (via Bruce Levine of 670 The Score). Alec Mills will stay among the starting staff after turning in a solid outing against Cincinnati this past Friday, and lefty Mike Montgomery will soon come off the DL – where he has been since Aug. 17 because of shoulder inflammation – to rejoin the group. With the Cubs amid a stretch in which they’re playing 23 straight games without an off day, the decision will provide a respite for top starters Jon Lester, Cole Hamels, Kyle Hendricks and Jose Quintana as the playoffs approach.
Juan Nicasio To Undergo Season-Ending Knee Surgery
Mariners reliever Juan Nicasio is scheduled to undergo season-ending knee surgery, Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times tweets. It seems the procedure will be “cleanup surgery, nothing catastrophic,” Corey Brock of The Athletic adds.
Nicasio has dealt with right knee issues throughout the season and endured multiple stints on the disabled list as a result. The 31-year-old last pitched Aug. 2, when he allowed two earned runs in two-thirds of an inning in a loss to Toronto. He’ll wrap up his season with a hideous 6.00 ERA across 42 innings, though FIP (2.99), xFIP (3.17) and SIERA (2.58) suggest Nicasio deserved far better in the run prevention department. Nicasio logged excellent strikeout and walk rates (11.36 K/9, 1.07 BB/9), to his credit, and he was victimized by an unusually high batting average on balls in play (.402) and an abnormally low strand rate (58.1 percent).
Assuming Nicasio returns at full strength in 2019, the Mariners will hope he experiences some positive regression during what will be a contract year. Seattle signed Nicasio to a two-year, $17MM guarantee in free agency last winter, but the deal obviously hasn’t panned out thus far for the club.
Giants Promote Aramis Garcia
SUNDAY: Both Garcia’s promotion and Posey’s DL placement are now official, Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic was among those to tweet.
SATURDAY: The Giants are expected to promote Aramis Garcia to the major-league club, as Robert Murray of The Athletic was first to report. The move will likely come tomorrow, according to Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle.
News of Garcia’s first call-up to the big leagues coincides with the news that franchise icon Buster Posey is scheduled to undergo season-ending hip surgery on Monday. Though Posey is presumably available to pinch-hit in today’s game, the Giants are all but out of the playoff hunt and have accepted the fact that they need to turn an eye towards the ensuing seasons. That means making sure Posey has a shot at returning in time for Opening Day 2019, and as such there’s a void to fill behind the plate beside current backup Nick Hundley.
It wouldn’t be fair to expect Garcia to perform to Posey’s level, or even the watered-down version we’ve seen this year. After all, he’s not exactly lighting the world on fire at Triple-A so far this season. The former second-rounder has hit .237/.286/.263 in 41 plate appearances at that level so far, and even at Double-A this year he only managed a wRC+ of 88 to go along with a .682 OPS. On the other hand, he showed a bit more potential last season when he posted a 116 wRC+ with 17 homers across two levels of the minor leagues.
MLB Pipeline ranked Garcia as the Giants’ 15th-best prospect in their most recent update, citing his strength and the loft in his stroke as reasons to be optimistic about his power potential. There’s plenty of reason to be concerned about his floor, though; the publication believes he’s becoming too aggressive at the plate and will need to tighten up his strike zone in order to have a shot at success against major-league pitching. His defensive skills are merely average as well.
Despite the concerns about him, the Giants aren’t exactly white-knuckling it in regards to hopes that Garcia can become an everyday catcher. Rather, he’ll only need to develop into a serviceable backup in order to fill a future organizational need. Posey will likely return in time to play most if not all of 2019, and San Francisco has their catcher for the future in the form of this past draft’s number two overall pick, Joey Bart. Still, Garcia can win himself a major-league job as a part-time player if he makes good use of his 2018 audition.