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Jeff McNeil To Undergo MRI On Hamstring

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Mets outfielder/infielder Jeff McNeil departed the team’s loss to the Braves on Tuesday with an apparent left hamstring injury, per Deesha Thosar of the New York Daily News. He’ll undergo an MRI on Wednesday, Tim Healey of Newsday tweets.

McNeil already spent time on the injured list earlier in the season with a hamstring strain, which shelved him for 12 days. The 27-year-old has otherwise enjoyed a dream season, having slashed .332/.400/.529 (148 wRC+) with 15 home runs in 442 plate appearances. Along with serving as one of the majors’ premier hitters, McNeil has been a versatile defender for the Mets. He has appeared in 79 games in the corner outfield, 26 at second base and 16 at third.

The presence of McNeil is an obvious reason the Mets have saved their season over the past several weeks. Despite Tuesday’s defeat, the former bottom feeders find themselves 61-58 and a manageable two games out of a wild-card spot. At least on paper, losing McNeil would damage their chances to rally for a playoff berth. He’d also be the second keystone option to hit the IL recently for the Mets, who are without starter Robinson Cano because of a torn hamstring. However, the club does still have Joe Panik – whom it signed last week – to handle second and Todd Frazier to man third. It’s in less capable hands in the corner outfield, where Dominic Smith and Brandon Nimmo are currently on the IL.

The McNeil-less Mets would likely have to give more outfield playing time to the light-hitting Juan Lagares (who did have a 4-for-4 night Tuesday) as a complement to Michael Conforto and J.D. Davis. New York also has Aaron Altherr at the major league level, but he has endured a nightmarish season, with Dilson Herrera, Rajai Davis and Gregor Blanco among veteran possibilities in the minors. Alternatively, promoting infielder Ruben Tejada could be in the cards, according to Jon Heyman of MLB Network.

AL Health Notes: Cole, Indians, A’s, Rays, Tigers

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The Astros made right-handed ace Gerrit Cole a late scratch from his start against the White Sox on Tuesday because of right hamstring discomfort, Jake Kaplan of The Athletic was among those to report. The severity of the injury isn’t known, but it’s worth keeping an eye on considering Cole’s importance to the Astros and his status as the game’s best pending free agent. As of now, the 28-year-old workhorse is on pace for his third consecutive 200-inning season. He has given Houston 156 2/3 frames of 2.87 ERA/3.11 FIP ball with 12.98 K/9 and 2.24 BB/9 in 2019.

  • Indians righty Carlos Carrasco has been battling leukemia, which has kept him out of action since May 30, but he’s champing at the bit to return, Mandy Bell of MLB.com explains. Carrasco, who fielded grounders off the mound at Progressive Field on Tuesday, is hoping to throw to hitters Friday. Manager Terry Francona wasn’t prepared to state whether that’ll happen, saying: “That’s still to be determined. I mean, the idea that he wants to, I think is terrific. But there’s got to be some sign-off from the medical people. But the fact he feels he’s ready to do that is tremendous.” Meanwhile, fellow key righty Corey Kluber was effective over four innings during a rehab start at the Double-A level Tuesday, Bell tweets. Afterward, Kluber called it “the last big step” in his rehab (via SportsTime Ohio). The two-time Cy Young winner has been out since fracturing his right forearm May 1, but the Indians have nonetheless gone 72-47. With a half-game lead in the AL Central, they have the inside track on a fourth straight division title.
  • Athletics southpaw Sean Manaea enjoyed an encouraging rehab start with Triple-A Las Vegas on Tuesday, Ron Kroichick of the San Francisco Chronicle details. Manaea, out since last September after undergoing shoulder surgery, fired 5 2/3 innings of one-run ball and totaled 10 strikeouts. He and fellow rehabbing lefty Jesus Luzardo seem that much closer to giving playoff-contending Oakland a couple much-needed pitching reinforcements. Luzardo, also out all season (because of shoulder and lat troubles), will start for Las Vegas on Thursday, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com tweets.
  • Rays infielders Brandon Lowe and Joey Wendle are moving toward rehab assignments, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports. Lowe went to the IL on July 4 with a right shin contusion, while Wendle has been down since the end of last month with a wrist issue. The 25-year-old Lowe had been a serious candidate for the AL’s top rookie honors prior to his injury, as he slashed .276/.339/.523 with 16 home runs and 2.5 fWAR in 307 plate appearances.
  • Tigers lefty Blaine Hardy has undergone a season-ending platelet-rich plasma injection, Chris McCosky of the Detroit News reports. Hardy amassed 44 1/3 innings out of the Tigers’ bullpen this season and recorded a 4.47 ERA/5.72 FIP with 5.89 K/9, 2.64 BB/9 and a 48.5 percent groundball rate.

Minor MLB Transactions: 8/13/19

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The latest minor moves from around baseball…

  • The Pirates have reinstated right-hander Rookie Davis from the 60-day injured list and optioned him to Triple-A Indianapolis, the team announced. Davis had been out since early June with hand and forearm injuries. The 26-year-old has given up eight earned runs on 12 hits and eight walks (with 10 strikeouts) in 10 2/3 major league innings this season.
  • The Athletics have released righty Jake Buchanan, according to Kegan Lowe of Baseball America. The 29-year-old, who joined the Athletics on a minors pact last winter, struggled to a 6.16 ERA with 6.4 K/9 and 3.1 BB/9 in 99 1/3 innings with their Triple-A affiliate this season. The former Astro, Cub and Red last appeared in the majors in 2017.
  • More from Lowe, who reports the Mets recently released southpaw P.J. Conlon. The Belfast-born Conlon had been with the Mets since they used a 13th-round pick on him in 2015. Conlon, 25, threw 7 2/3 innings with the Mets in 2018 but spent far more time in Triple-A ball, where he put up a 6.71 ERA with 6.6 K/9 and 3.5 BB/9 across 122 frames in the Mets organization.
  • The Tigers announced that they’ve re-signed righty Sandy Baez to a minor league contract. The club released the 25-year-old last Friday. He has recorded a 5.59 ERA with 7.8 K/9 against 4.2 BB/9 over 116 innings with the Tigers’ Double-A team.
  • The Royals have signed righty Nick Howard to a minors contract, per Roster Roundup. Howard, the 19th overall pick of the Reds in 2014, hasn’t gotten past Double-A ball yet. The 26-year-old owns a 4.22 ERA with 5.9 K/9 and 4.2 BB/9 in 21 1/3 innings at that level.

East Notes: Scherzer, Stanton, Jays, Mets

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A look around the majors’ East divisions…

  • Nationals ace Max Scherzer came out of a 32-pitch sim game Tuesday feeling “really good,” Mark Zuckerman of MASNsports.com relays. If all goes well over the next few days, Scherzer could throw a bullpen session Thursday and then either make a rehab start or return to the Nationals’ rotation Sunday. The three-time Cy Young winner has started just twice for the team over the past month and a half – his most recent outing came on July 25 – because of back problems. Should he return this weekend, he’d be on a limited pitch count, according to manager Dave Martinez.
  • Injured Yankees outfielder Giancarlo Stanton is “up to 75 or 85 percent,” according to manager Aaron Boone (via Bryan Hoch of MLB.com). It’s unclear how close Stanton is to returning, though. The former NL MVP has been on the shelf since late July with a knee injury, and he only took 38 plate appearances before then. Somehow, though, the Yankees have thrived this season with basically no contributions from Stanton. Just about every outfielder they’ve plugged in has succeeded, including formerly unspectacular-looking pickups Mike Tauchman and Cameron Maybin.
  • The Blue Jays recalled first baseman Rowdy Tellez from Triple-A Buffalo on Tuesday. The 24-year-old forced his way back by mauling pitchers at the Triple-A level, where he slashed .366/.450/.688 with seven home runs in 109 plate appearances. Tellez wasn’t nearly that good this year in the majors before a mid-July demotion, as he hit .227/.280/.436 with 14 HRs over 286 PA. However, considering they’re looking toward the future, the rebuilding Blue Jays want to see if Tellez can continue his minor league brilliance in their uniform. His promotion could spell bad news for veteran first baseman Justin Smoak, who’s likely to lose playing time to Tellez, manager Charlie Montoyo said Tuesday (via Scott Mitchell of TSN). That doesn’t seem to bode well for the Toronto future of Smoak, a pending free agent.
  • Mets righty Jacob Rhame has undergone ulnar nerve transposition surgery and will miss the rest of the season, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com tweets. The 26-year-old only threw 27 innings between the majors and minors this season, six of which came as a member of the Mets.

Padres Place Carl Edwards Jr. On Injured List

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The Padres announced that they’ve placed right-handed reliever Carl Edwards Jr. on the injured list with a strained pitching shoulder. The club recalled lefty Robbie Erlin from Triple-A El Paso to take Edwards’ place.

San Diego just acquired Edwards from the Cubs at last month’s trade deadline. The Cubs deemed the once-outstanding Edwards expendable after a few disappointing months, and things haven’t improved since he changed uniforms. Edwards has given up six earned runs on four hits and four walks (with two strikeouts) in two appearances and 1 2/3 innings as a Padre.

Overall, the 27-year-old Edwards has pitched to an 8.47 ERA (5.75 FIP) with 10.06 K/9, 6.88 BB/9 and a paltry 24.4 percent groundball rate in 17 major league innings this season. A drop in velocity – his fastball’s down to 93.9 mph after clocking in from 94.5 to 95.2 between 2016-18 – hasn’t helped matters. That has helped contribute to a serious dip in swinging-strike rate for Edwards, who generated misses 15.4 percent of the time over the prior three seasons but has seen the number sink to 10.7 this year.

Along with his troubles preventing runs with two teams in 2019, Edwards has dealt with a minor league demotion and now a pair of IL stints. The Cubs put him on ice in mid-June with a left thoracic strain. In all, this has been a surprisingly awful season for a pitcher who came into the year with a lifetime 3.06 ERA/3.12 FIP, 12.28 K/9 against 4.92 BB/9, and a 40.4 percent groundball rate in 159 innings.

Yankees Release Dan Jennings

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The Yankees recently released left-handed reliever Dan Jennings, according to Kegan Lowe of Baseball America. Jennings just joined the organization last month on a minor league contract.

The 32-year-old Jennings only threw 1 1/3 innings with the Yankees’ Triple-A affiliate in Scranton, but his production was disastrous in that small sample. He yielded five earned runs on five hits, including three homers. Jennings was better with the Nationals earlier this season, though that isn’t saying much. He surrendered eight runs (seven earned) on eight hits and seven walks (nine strikeouts) across 4 2/3 frames in Washington, making him one of many relievers to struggle as members of the Nats this season.

Of course, it hasn’t always been so difficult for Jennings, who had been an eminently effective option with the Marlins, White Sox, Rays and Brewers from 2012-18. During that 343 2/3-inning span, Jennings recorded a stingy 2.96 ERA/3.83 FIP with 7.12 K/9, 3.93 BB/9 and a terrific 55.3 percent groundball rate. He’s only a year removed from posting a useful 64 1/3 frames in Milwaukee, where he managed a 3.22 ERA/4.09 FIP with 6.3 K/9 and 3.22 BB/9, and induced grounders at a 56.1 percent grounder clip. As has typically been the case, lefties had a tough time figuring out Jennings, who limited them to a measly .251 weighted on-base average as a Brewer. For whatever reason, though, Jennings hasn’t come close to replicating his past success this season.

Rockies Designate Chris Iannetta, Select Dom Nunez

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5:08pm: The Rockies have designated Iannetta and selected Nunez, per a team announcement.

8:07am: The Rockies are preparing to make a change behind the dish, according to MLB.com’s Thomas Harding. Veteran catcher Chris Iannetta will be removed from the MLB roster — by what immediate mechanism isn’t yet clear — in favor of youngster Dom Nunez, whose contract will be selected.

The 36-year-old Iannetta has struggled with the bat since returning to the Rockies after six seasons away. He’s slashing .222/.311/.417 in 164 plate appearances this year, which translates to a meager 69 wRC+, and his strikeout rate has shot up to a career-worst 32.9%. Iannetta is also grading poorly in the pitch-framing department, an area where he has at times excelled.

It seems rather unlikely that a contender will see fit to claim Iannetta, who is owed the remainder of his $4MM salary along with a $750K buyout on a 2020 club option. (That option includes a vesting provision that is well out of reach and therefore not a factor.) That said, the veteran backstop is sure to draw interest from clubs in need of depth. It’s conceivable he could sign right onto a big-league roster if there’s a club that prefers him to its existing reserve catcher. Otherwise, he’ll likely be looking at minor-league deals.

Iannetta had already yielded the bulk of the action behind the dish to Tony Wolters, who’ll presumably continue to function as a regular. Now, the reserve job will go to Nunez, a former sixth-rounder. Nunez has found another offensive gear this season at Triple-A. Through 257 plate appearances, the 24-year-old is slashing .244/.362/.559 with a career-high 17 home runs. Even in the offensively charged PCL, that’s good for a 114 wRC+.

Rangers Select David Carpenter, Place Jesse Chavez On IL

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The Rangers have selected right-hander David Carpenter from Triple-A Nashville and placed fellow righty Jesse Chavez on the 10-day injured list with a posterior impingement in his right elbow, the team announced. Carpenter’s addition puts the Rangers’ 40-man roster at capacity.

This is the second time this season the Rangers have selected Carpenter, whom they signed to a minor league contract over the winter. The Rangers brought Carpenter up at the end of May, only to designate him for assignment and then outright him within the next 10 days. The well-traveled 34-year-old has thrown just 2/3 of an inning in Texas this season. He has, however, registered a 1.82 ERA/3.95 FIP with 9.87 K/9, 3.12 BB/9 and a 46.0 percent groundball rate in 34 2/3 frames at the Triple-A level in 2019.

There’s no word on the severity of Chavez’s injury, but it can’t be reassuring to the Rangers to see a 35-year-old go down with an elbow problem. Chavez, whom the Rangers signed last offseason to a two-year, $8MM deal, has divided the year between their bullpen and rotation. Through 48 appearances (nine starts) and 78 innings, Chavez has pitched to a 4.85 ERA/4.41 FIP with 8.31 K/9, 2.54 BB/9 and a 41.5 percent grounder rate.

Rays Activate Jose Alvarado

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The Rays have reinstated left-hander Jose Alvarado from the injured list and optioned righty Austin Pruitt to Triple-A Durham, the team announced.

Alvarado’s back after missing over a month with a right oblique strain, which has sidelined him since July 6. It’s generally been a trying summer for the 24-year-old Alvarado, who previously missed almost all of June after going on the restricted list because of a family issue. Alvarado had been amid a solid season over its first couple months, as he held a 3.09 ERA as of June 1. While Alvarado has only taken the ball four times since then, opposing offenses have inflicted significant damage to his numbers. He’s now the owner of a 5.06 ERA through 26 2/3 innings on the year.

Alvarado, to his credit, has posted a respectable 3.78 FIP, notched 11.48 K/9 and averaged 98.5 mph on his fastball. But he still hasn’t been the force he was last year, a 64-inning campaign in which Alvarado recorded a 2.39 ERA/2.27 FIP with 11.25 K/9, 4.08 BB/9 and a 55 percent groundball rate. Alvarado’s grounder percentage has shrunk to 45.6 this season, which has helped lead to a notable increase in home runs. After allowing HRs on a meager 2.4 percent of fly balls in 2018, he’s up to 9.5 this year.

Despite Alvarado’s difficult and shortened season, the Rays continue to own a playoff spot in the American League, where they have a two-game lead on the last wild-card position. Alvarado had spent time as their closer earlier this year, but righty Emilio Pagan has been successful in that role in recent weeks.

Latest On Austin Riley, Dansby Swanson

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The partially torn right LCL that sent Braves third baseman/corner outfielder Austin Riley to the injured list last week will not require surgery, Mark Bowman of MLB.com was among those to report. Now that his season will continue, Riley’s hoping to start a minor league rehab assignment two weeks from now, according to Bowman.

The 22-year-old Riley joined the Braves in the middle of May, at which point he ranked as one of baseball’s 50 best prospects. Riley, whose promotion came in response to an injury to outfielder Ender Inciarte, began his career in excellent fashion. He owned an OPS upward of .900 as of the end of June, though Riley has come crashing to earth more recently. He’s now a .242/.294/.504 hitter with 17 home runs through his first 255 plate appearances, during which he has fanned in 35.3 percent of trips and walked in just over 5 percent.

With Josh Donaldson holding down third and right fielder Nick Markakis on the IL, the Riley-less Braves have been going with Adam Duvall in left, Inciarte in center and superstar Ronald Acuna Jr. in right. Inciarte has performed well dating back to his return July 18, while Duvall’s numbers have plummeted since a red-hot start after the Braves promoted him from Triple-A Gwinnett toward the end of last month.

The Braves’ infield, meanwhile, has been making do without shortstop Dansby Swanson since July 27 because of a heel issue. There’s still no timetable for his return, per Bowman, while David O’Brien of The Athletic adds that he’s not able to do much of anything in terms of baseball activities at this point. Doctors have told Swanson the injury isn’t something he’d be able to play through. It’s especially unfortunate considering the former No. 1 overall pick was enjoying a career season before he landed on the shelf. The 25-year-old has slashed .265/.330/.468 (103 wRC+) with 17 homers and seven steals over 431 trips to the plate.

Atlanta has replaced Swanson with a combination of Johan Camargo and Charlie Culberson. Camargo has endured a dreadful year after what looked like a breakout 2018, while Culberson’s still-impressive output has declined since he took on a greater role. Nevertheless, the Braves continue to hold a six-game lead in the National League East.

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