The Brewers dropped a big contest but escaped an injury scare tonight, as MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy was among those to cover on Twitter. Infielder Mike Moustakas departed after being hit on the wrist while trying to make a play in the field. Fortunately, x-rays after the game were negative. Though he’s expected to take at least one day off, it seems Moustakas has avoided serious injury. That’s good news for a Milwaukee team that’s struggling to keep pace with the two leaders in the NL Central race.
About those two front-runners …
- It seems the expectation remains that the Cubs will bring Ben Zobrist onto the active roster once rosters expand on September 1st, per Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune. That’s still far from official, and Sullivan notes that the team still likely wants to give the veteran more reps before activating him. It remains a mystery just how this unusual situation will play out. The 38-year-old Zobrist is a treasured presence in the dugout but wasn’t in top form before taking personal leave earlier this year. Through a dozen rehab games — spread out to enable him stretches of time to be with his children — Zobrist is hitting .189/.333/.405.
- Cubs prospect Jeremiah Estrada announced today that he underwent Tommy John surgery (h/t Eric Longenhagen of Fangraphs, via Twitter). The young righty had been in notable position on the Chicago prospect chart, in the evaluation of the Fangraphs prospect team. A recent over-slot sixth-rounder, Estrada missed all of 2018 and only threw 10 2/3 innings this year before going under the knife. It’s unlikely he’ll pitch competitively in the 2020 season, though there’s still plenty of time for the twenty-year-old to blossom.
- Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch held an interesting chat with Cardinals owner Bill DeWitt Jr. that’s well worth a full read for fans of the club. Pressed on the club’s decisionmaking after three-straight seasons without a postseason appearance, DeWitt did not cede any ground. He rejected any view that the club went cheap this summer, saying the organization remains among the higher-payroll outfits in the league. As for the current front-office leadership group, DeWitt did not seem inclined at all to consider significant change in leadership. “There is always accountability,” he said. “But keep in mind, we’ve had a pretty nice run of success under the current regime with 11 consecutive winning seasons, and when we have missed the playoffs it has been by a very small number of games.” As things stand in the 2019 race, the Cards have a strong chance of breaking their string of playoff absences. But the pressure will increase significantly if that doesn’t come to pass.
I’m thoroughly convinced now that the PCL could compete in the NL Central. Some AA teams too. It’s horrible.
To be perfectly honest when I read the name Estrada I immediately thought, alright they’re going to reboot the old TV show C.H.I.P.S! Reading further reassured me that I couldn’t be farther from the truth. Saddened both by the kid having to deal with TJ surgery and there’s not going to be a C.H.I.P.S reboot.
What happened to Mrs. Z? Did she walk away so he has the kids?
I just got caught up on these comments and understood about half of them. Is there some inside stories behind some of these responses I’m not privy to?
Zobrist and his wife are tangled up in a messy divorce. From what I’ve read she’s a true POS! He’s taken time off this year to stay close to his children to keep them from being adversely effected by their divorce. Really classy move for Ben, family is much more important than baseball. He’s made millions so he really isn’t losing anything except the cherry on top of the pudding.
Zobrist is known for his clutch hitting in the postseason. If they bring him back in September, would he be eligible for the playoffs? Maybe if he were to have a good September could someone else get “hurt” and he take their spot?