After signing a one-year, $13MM contract with the Braves last week, left-hander Dallas Keuchel made his first minor league tuneup with their Single-A affiliate Monday. Unsurprisingly, the accomplished Keuchel looked too advanced for the level, throwing seven shutout innings and 77 pitches of one-hit, one-walk ball with nine strikeouts. The soft-tossing 31-year-old’s fastball sat in the high 80s and maxed out at 89, per Tim Tucker of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Afterward, Keuchel suggested he could return to the majors following one more minor league start. Braves manager Brian Snitker said that “we’ll talk to [Keuchel] to see where he’s at” after he takes the mound one more time. Barring setbacks, though, Keuchel does seem likely to end up in Atlanta after that outing.
More from around the majors…
- Red Sox pitching prospect Darwinzon Hernandez will make his first career start Tuesday against the Rangers, Christopher Smith of MassLive.com relays. MLB.com ranks the southpaw as the Red Sox’s best pitching prospect and No. 3 overall farmhand. The 22-year-old Hernandez got his first taste of the majors earlier this season with 2 1/3 scoreless innings out of Boston’s bullpen. Hernandez has been a mixed bag in 2019 at the Double-A level, where he has averaged a hefty 13.17 strikeouts per nine but has offset that with an untenable walk rate (7.14 BB/9) and a 5.13 ERA in 40 1/3 frames.
- White Sox third baseman Yoan Moncada left the team’s game Monday with upper back tightness, James Fegan of The Athletic was among those to tweet. Moncada’s day-to-day, though he seems optimistic it’s not any kind of serious injury (via Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times). The 24-year-old has arguably been the White Sox’s foremost position player this season, having slashed .295/.348/.506 (128 wRC+) with 12 home runs and 2.1 fWAR in 274 plate appearances.
- With the Tigers out of contention and their top hitter, Nicholas Castellanos, not signed past this season, he has largely checked out from a leadership role, Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press observes. However, that doesn’t mean Castellanos isn’t working hard. As Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic explains (subscription required), Castellanos has made a real effort to ameliorate his much-maligned defense. A former high school shortstop, Castellanos struggled at the outset of his big league career at third and has continued to have difficulty since moving to the corner outfield in 2017. Castellanos’ defense still isn’t a plus, as Stavenhagen notes, but the metrics have liked the 27-year-old’s work better during his platform season. So has manager Ron Gardenhire, who told Stavenhagen, “He’s on a mission to become a good outfielder, and I think he’s made a ton of improvement.”
4am sneak by the mods…classic.
I thought you were trying to say “meds”
Just don’t see Keuchel being a difference maker for the Braves in the NL East this year. I think it’s $13M wasted.
The 89 mph fastball agrees with you
It’s the 1 walk I’m worried about
Hi, it’s Jamie Moyer. Just have for a second to call and say hello. 89, is fine.
The Braves don’t need someone to come and carry the team to the playoffs, Keuchel doesn’t need to do much to put them over the Phillies, assuming they don’t make any major moves, which of course they will try to do.
Nobody wants Castellenos because he works hard, they want him because his value exceeds a bucket of muddy baseballs. Oh, wait…
sigh. I’m sure you’re the best on the planet at your job. just completely unnecessary to insult like that- sad
Wait? What? Castellanos is playing the outfield? I thought MLBTR’s said Castellanos was “unplayable” in the field? That’s why he had to be traded to an AL team. That’s why the game should be watched and not looked at as a bunch of numbers in a stat line.
Just because he’s playing in the outfield, doesn’t mean he is good at it. An AL team is more likely to give up something of value for him because they can DH him.
Yeah but you know they say that about Krash Davis. When he was in Milwaukee all I ever saw was a guy who did nothing but work harf
The Tigers’ luck, Castellanos will go on the IL in July and be untradable.
no. with the Tigers Luck, he will be healthy but they still wont be able to get anything for him that we’ve heard of. Maybe we can collect a whole herd of Dawel Lugo’s.
Re: Moncada…
Balky backs and third basemen are an unsettling combination. Veteran (ok, old) White Sox fans can’t help summoning up memories of the premature declines of players like Bill Melton and Joe Crede.
Calm down, lower backs and third basemen is when you have to worry. Moncada is an upper back tightness and likely muscular in nature.
I wonder, where are all the cubs and red sox fans calling Moncada a bust. Tim Anderson too. Your silence is palpable.
The whole damn organization is a bust.
This from a lowly cubs fan. I can’t take anything you say seriously.
Wrong again peppermint-Patty
@ChiSoxCity
I don’t think anyone could take Bocephus seriously. Of course it’s hard to take seriously a 15-year-old who’s giggling with his high school buddies making stupid posts while they otherwise dream about spending the next 20 to 25 years in their respective parents’ basements.
Living large in grandmas basement. free WiFi, endless supply of Fanta, walk-in shower tub, and your mom on call. God is great.
Moncada is no all-star. He has a very long way to go, as a defender at 3B.
Sox try to hype him as a candidate for AS game – exactly what they did for Harold Baines as a HOFer.
Barnes not even close to being a deserving HOF. It’s just another example of Reinsdorf whining about something and getting his way.
@Dogbone
So you’re saying just because he has a long way to go as a defender at 3B, that excludes him from being an All-Star? I agree he’s not an All-Star, but not for that silly logic. And he doesn’t need to be an All-Star, if he just keeps doing what he’s currently doing, he’ll be fine.
Funny thing is, his defense at 3B isn’t that bad. He’s not Brooks Robinson at 3B, but he’s a lot better there than he ever was at 2B. From what I’ve seen, he’s fine defensively at 3B. Could he stand to improve? Certainly, but he’s not a liability at 3B defensively.
P.S. Really? You think Baines got in the HOF because Reinsdorf whined about it and got his way. I guess I was quick to give the Idiotic Comment of the Day award to bheath33. Oh well, I have faith that you will win this award several more times this year, Doggybone.
That’s funny because he has a positive dWAR and is just outside of the top 10 for Fangraphs def rating at 3B.
And if you actually watch him play 3B, you can see he’s not that far away from being a very good defender. Pretty much all of his problems come from his throws, and 90+% of those issues are from when he has too much time and gets lazy with his footwork and/or arm slot. And seeing as he’s used to throwing the ball from second base, he probably is going to take a little bit of time to get used to the new angle.
Bottom line – he has nowhere near as far to go as you think.
In the terms of what he should be at 24, and 4 years in the big leagues.. He is a bust
How can a 24 year old ranked among the top 25 offensive players in the league be a bust? Explain this spurious logic to me. What about Tim Anderson? I know, I know… there are no words to explain your stupidity. Labeling guys a bust because of the jersey the wear just makes you look like a complete #ss.
I’m a Tribe fan and I’ve been rooting for Moncada and Anderson to be busts ever since they arrived on the south side. But much to my chagrin, I’m forced to admit they are likely to be a thorn in our side for many years to come.
If critics can’t see the progress–along with Lucas Giolito, dammit–that’s their problem. Wishful thinking doesn’t make for a bust, lousy play does. And some of these young Sox kids are growing up.
Fortunately, that rotation is still in shambles. But even there, long term hope exists.
Care to substantiate your claim with stats?
Moncada is on pace for:
185 H
30 HR
99 RBI
68 XBH
96 R
13 SB
~5.1 WAR
The only thing that’s a bust about Moncada is your logic.
Let’s see how that pace is going in August
Gotta love the “on pace” gurus. They’re the same ones claiming the division win in June.
This is his second full year in the big leagues. He only played 8 games in 2016 and 54 in 2017.
Ya lol idk where this guys getting 4 years from . Bheath33 you’re a bust
Moncada has just over 1,000 career at bats so not even 2 full years really. Also on pace to be a 5 WAR player . The back issues are concerning tho, remembering Crede .
@therula34: Crede, like many other third basemen with back issues had issue with their lower back.. Moncada has a muscular (not disk) issue.in his upper back, he will likely be fine and that is more a conditioning issue than anything else.
@bheath33
Congratulations! You win the Idiotic Comment of the Day!
4 years. That’s by far the dumbest thing I’ve read on this site in a long time, and that’s saying a lot. He played 8 games in 2016 and 54 in 2017. He hasn’t even had 2 full years worth of at-bats, and he’s on pace for a ~5 WAR season. I really, really hope you’re just a troll.
I’m neither a Cub nor Red sox fan. One year neither a bust or success make. Either could pull a A. Garcia, and slip right back into their coma next year. I have more faith in Moncada than Anderson..
I agree that one year doesn’t make a bust or success, but Avi isn’t really a good example. He played through nagging injuries all last year, and he has been raking again this year.
I can find nothing about Craig Kimbrel only a Sam Kimbrel.
Why are you spreading unsubstantiated rumors??? So you can “appear” to be some sort of a “hero” by forming a “prayer circle”??? That’s so very narcissistic of you!!!