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Archives for August 2019

Phillies Place Roman Quinn On Injured List

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The Phillies placed outfielder Roman Quinn on the 10-day injured list today, following his removal from Friday’s game with the Padres. It’s a right groin muscle strain for the 26-year-old Philadelphia product, as detailed by a report from Scott Lauber of the Philadelphia Enquirer (link).

After managing a 97 wRC+ in 50 games in his rookie 2018 season, 2019 has been nothing short of a trial for the center fielder from Florida. Quinn already missed a month this season due to a similar injury, and he has only output a .213/.298/.370 slash when healthy. However, August had seen Quinn getting into a serious groove, with a .368 batting average, three homers, and four stolen bases on the month.

The pervasiveness of these lower-body injuries is especially troublesome for a player of Quinn’s profile, who bases much of his game on his 30.1 ft/sec sprint speed (6th among active players this year). In his stead, it is expected that fellow rookie Adam Haseley will receive a larger share of up-the-middle playing time.

Veteran Jared Hughes, whom the Phillies claimed off waivers from the Reds this week, was brought onto the 25-man roster to replace Quinn for the time being. The righty pitched a clean frame in tonight’s 5-3 loss to San Diego.

Rays Expected To Call Up Trevor Richards

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The Rays are expected to call up pitcher Trevor Richards to start Sunday’s game against the Tigers, according to a tweet from Juan Toribio of MLB.com (link). Peter Fairbanks was optioned to Triple-A Durham in an accommodating move.

This will be Richards’ first appearance in a Rays uni since being acquired by the club in a deadline deal. A Marlins product who started 45 games for Miami since his debut in 2018, Richards was sent to Tampa along with reliever Nick Anderson in exchange for righty Ryne Stanek and outfielder Jesus Sanchez on July 31st. While Anderson has already appeared in six games for a 72-52 Rays club, Richards has been plying his craft in Triple-A, where he has mostly been working in short spurts (5.1 innings through three minor league appearances).

Perhaps most noted for his past employment as a public school substitute teacher, Richards has been mostly passable as a major league starter thus far in his career–even if free passes have been problematic for the 26-year-old righty. In 238.1 big league innings, Richards has posited a 4.46 ERA and 4.37 FIP. His 10.2% career walk rate sits notably above the 8.3% MLB average.

Robert Gsellman To Injured List With Triceps Injury

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After being generally harangued for their win-next-year approach at July’s trade deadline, the Mets have ripped off an 11-5 record this August. At 63-60, New York sits just 2.0 games back in the NL Wild Card race. But if the Mets are going to summon a truly amazing late-season turnaround, they will be doing so, at least temporarily, without the late-inning services of reliever Robert Gsellman. As a report from Newsday’s Tim Healey intimates, Gsellman has been moved to the 10-day injured list with a tight right triceps. The 10-day IL stint is retroactive to Wednesday, so Gsellman will be eligible to return next weekend when the Mets host the Braves.

As has been noted here and in most other corners of the internet, New York’s bullpen has been entirely unreliable this year, with a 5.22 collective ERA that ranks third-worst in the majors. Gsellman hasn’t exactly helped matters with consistency, as his 4.66 ERA and 4.13 FIP through 63.2 innings would indicate. The righty had been on a good run of late though, with a 2.97 ERA in his last seven appearances dating back to July 26th.

In the immediate term, the Mets will recall Walker Lockett to take Gsellman’s space on the active roster. This is Lockett’s fourth recall of the 2019 season. Dating back to last year’s debut with the Padres, Lockett has a 8.63 ERA in 32.1 innings at the game’s highest level.

NL Notes: Kimbrel, Scherzer, Swanson

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MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian offers that the “expectation” is that Cubs closer Craig Kimbrel will be activated for Sunday’s contest with the Pirates. Signed this midseason to a 3-year/$43MM contract, Kimbrel got off to a rocky start in Chicago before a knee injury robbed him of participation in the club’s last 13 games. Through his first 14 appearances in blue pinstripes, the bearded hurler holds a 5.68 ERA across 12.2 IP. While the club is yet to announce his activation, Gordon Wittenmeyer points out that Kimbrel was on the team’s travel roster for their charter to Williamsport, Pennsylvania, and is indeed expected to be activated from the injured list in time for the third edition of MLB’s Little League Classic (link).

Wittenmeyer also relays that Steve Cishek appears as though he’ll be ready to return from the IL on Tuesday after throwing another bullpen session Saturday. Both returns would be welcome news for Cubs skipper Joe Maddon, who has been tinkering with troublesome iterations of Pedro Strop, Kyle Ryan, Derek Holland, and Brandon Kintzler in late-game situations.

More news from around the senior circuit…

  • Saturday saw sidelined Nationals ace Max Scherzer throwing his second simulated game of the week, and MASN’s Mark Zuckerman reports that the legendary righty is on track to return on Thursday. “He felt good,” manager Dave Martinez told Zuckerman. “He’s a little bit ornery, but that’s a good thing. Now we’ll see how he feels tomorrow.” It hardly counts as high-level baseball journalism to say that the Nationals are going to need Scherzer in peak form in coming weeks. Sitting atop the tightly packed NL Wild Card race, Washington will play 11 games before season’s end against the Brewers, Mets, Cubs, and Phillies–four teams currently chomping at their heels for the right to play in the postseason play-in game. When healthy, the 35-year-old righty has posted typically ridiculous numbers, with a 2.41 ERA, 2.09 FIP, 12.66 K/9, and 1.67 BB/9 in 134.1 innings this year.
  • Though the Braves lost Ender Inciarte to injury this weekend, it’s not all doom and gloom out of the Big Peach–as noted in an article from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Gabriel Burns, sturdy shortstop performer Dansby Swanson is ramping up baseball activities. The 25-year-old infielder has missed 22 games this year due to an incidental heel injury but was seen taking ground balls before Saturday’s game. Before being hurt, Swanson was putting together his most complete full-season at the plate, with 17 home runs and a 102 wRC+ in 100 games. His injury was partly responsible for the team’s signing of defensive specialist Adeiny Hechavarria, but the team would eagerly clear a place for Swanson at the team table if he were able to return by late August as currently expected. Atlanta holds a 4.5 game lead in the race for the NL East pennant.

 

Ender Inciarte Placed On Injured List

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Following a string of earlier reports regarding the hamstring injury sustained by Braves outfielder Ender Inciarte yesterday, the team has officially placed him on the 10-day injured list. Gabriel Burns of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution shares that Inciarte is expected to be out 4-6 weeks after an MRI scan revealed a strain of the Grade 2 variety (link). Outfielder Adam Duvall has been recalled from Triple-A Gwinnett to take Inciarte’s place on the active roster.

2019 has been a hard-luck season for Inciarte so far: it was just four weeks ago that the defensively gifted outfielder was activated after missing 55 games with an injury to the lumbar region in his torso. Since that activation, Inciarte had rebounded with a .293 batting average and 15 RBI in 90 plate appearances. Though his contact-and-defense profile has never been a glamorous one, Inciarte’s absence is sure to cause frustration for a Braves team already thoroughly bitten by injury bugs.

While the Braves hold a 4.5 game lead on their NL East counterparts, the team has had a hard time keeping key players on the field in recent weeks. After injuries to Nick Markakis and Austin Riley, Inciarte’s month-plus departure will reduce Atlanta’s grass patrol to Ronald Acuna Jr., Matt Joyce, Charlie Culberson, Rafael Ortega, and the just-promoted Duvall–a rather thin crew after the talented sophomore from Venezuela.

Braves fans may have hoped that an Inciarte injury would, at least on the bright side, result in the promotion of one of Cristian Pache or Drew Waters, but Atlanta will turn instead to the veteran Duvall as a depth fill-in. After being acquired from the Reds last year, the Braves tendered a $2.875MM salary to the battle-tested slugger this offseason. He’s spent the majority of 2019 in Triple-A but has been a roughly league-average hitter when called upon in 19 MLB games this year (.250/.297/.500 slash line and 99 wRC+). Inciarte’s injury will also precipitate a temporary move back to center field for Acuna Jr., per Burns’ report.


Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Headed For MRI

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Sunday: Fortunately, Guerrero won’t need an IL stint, manager Charlie Montoyo tells Mitchell (via Twitter). Guerrero’s MRI showed inflammation, but, in the words of the rookie, “nothing major.” He’ll miss only a few days and hopes to return to the lineup “very soon,” Mitchell adds.

Saturday: Heralded Blue Jays rookie Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was removed from today’s contest with the Mariners due to what the team has called “left knee discomfort”. “Vladito” exited the game after making a diving grab on a ground ball at third base in the top of the second inning, and it appears the move may have been more than precautionary–manager Charlie Montoyo informed TSN’s Scott Mitchell that Guerrero Jr. will undergo an MRI on Sunday (link).

Receiving an MRI is hardly a surefire sign that a player is going to miss significant time, but it also stands to figure that the revelation of even a minor knee issue could spell the end of the 2019 season for the talented third sacker. The Jays currently sit in development and evaluation mode as they play out the string in what will most likely be their second consecutive losing season. Guerrero Jr.–perhaps the team’s most prized prospect of the century, if not ever–would not be an asset to treat with anything less than the utmost caution.

If Guerrero Jr. does indeed make it back to action in the coming days, he will look to build on a more-than-respectable rookie campaign. His .275/.345/.465 batting line corresponds with a 114 wRC+–a mark that ties him with veterans Nolan Arenado and Eduardo Escobar for 18th among third basemen with 250-plus at-bats this year. Of course, that he was hurt on a defensive play should add some extra concern to the situation for Toronto moving forward. Listed at 6’1, 200-lb measurements of questionable veracity, there has long been speculation that Vlad Jr.’s stocky-yet-powerful frame would welcome an eventual move to DH or first base. Regardless of his long-term role with the org, Jays fans will likely wait with bated breath for news of tomorrow’s MRI results.

Red Sox Place Chris Sale On 10-Day IL With Elbow Inflammation

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6:37 pm: Ryan Brasier has been called up from Triple-A Pawtucket to fill Sale’s spot on the active roster, according to a report from the Boston Herald’s Steve Hewitt (link).

4:52 pm: It appears the issue may indeed be more serious than initially believed. Per President of Baseball Ops Dave Dombrowski (h/t to Bill Koch of the Providence Journal) the injury is “brand new” and the team will seek a second opinion from renowned surgeon Dr. James Andrews. No timetable has been set for Sale’s return.

4:34 pm: The Red Sox have placed lefty Chris Sale on the 10-Day IL with left elbow inflammation, the team reports.

The 30-year-old Sale’s performance has been much-maligned this season, though apart from his participation in the league-wide gopher-ball parade, his dominant stuff seems very well intact. Sale’s still setting down a league-best 13.32 per nine, walking a minuscule 2.26/9, and getting grounders at a league-average rate. His FIP is a full run lower than his 4.40 ERA, while his 2.94 xFIP (a metric that accounts for his career-worst 19.5% HR/FB) ranks second in the AL to Gerrit Cole.

In short, it’s still all there for Sale, provided the left-hander isn’t dealing with a more serious injury to his left elbow than initially believed. The Red Sox have fallen six and a half games behind Tampa in the team’s quest for a second wild card spot, so perhaps it’d be prudent to give the seven-time all-star all the rest he needs.

Carlos Carrasco Set For Rehab Assignment, Likely To Return As Reliever

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Indians righty Carlos Carrasco, out since late May after being diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia, is set to appear in a rehab game for AA-Akron on Monday, per The Athletic’s Zack Meisel. Carrasco will be limited to just an inning in preparation for a bullpen role upon return, per Meisel. The rotation lynchpin, who last appeared regularly in a relief role back in 2014, was “excited” about the imminent transition, according to manager Terry Francona, who offered little window into the timetable for the 32-year-old’s return.

It’s obviously an encouraging development for the surging Tribe, who’ve been stripped near to the bone of the AL’s most intimidating starting corps entering the season. Righties Corey Kluber and Danny Salazar remain on the mend, while righty Mike Clevinger, who’s now pacing the AL is park-adjusted FIP and xFIP, missed much of the season’s first half. Ascendant righties – the team seems to have a near-limitless supply – Shane Bieber and Zach Plesac have kept things afloat, though the latter’s ERA far outstrips his less-encouraging peripherals.

The bullpen has been stellar throughout, though the team’s ERA/FIP gap is the widest in the majors, and the back end, apart from  a dominant Brad Hand, is still absent the wipeout bat-missers that populate so many of the games best ’pens these days. A healthy Carrasco, who’s set down hitters at the highest rate of his career thus far, would seem to be the perfect antidote.

Before the illness, Carrasco’s 2019 season was in some ways his best: in addition to the aforementioned strikeout rate, the 32-year-old had also posted his lowest career walk rate (1.52 per nine) and a swinging strike rate that checked in among the league’s best. His homer rate was off the charts, but a 20.0% HR/FB suggests the 1.94/9 mark is hardly sustainable (though with balls continuing to fly out at record-shattering paces, expectations may need to be adjusted).

Julio Urias Suspended 20 Games

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Dodgers lefty Julio Urias has been suspended 20 games under MLB’s Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault, and Child Abuse policy, MLB.com’s Ken Gurnick reports. Per Jorge Castillo of the LA Times, the suspension includes the five games Urias served while on administrative leave. Urias will not appeal the decision and will be eligible for postseason play.

The 22-year-old Urias was arrested May 13 in Los Angeles after eyewitnesses and video reports showed the hurler “shoving a female companion to the ground.” He was placed on administrative leave the following day, during which time he missed the five aforementioned contests.

The former top prospect has enjoyed a solid 2019 campaign – mostly in a long relief role – after returning late last season from a gruesome shoulder injury that sidelined him for nearly 15 months. In 67 2/3 IP this season, the lefty’s posted a 2.53 ERA/3.59 FIP with an 8.91 K/9 against 3.06 walks per nine.

The Dodgers’ public statement on the matter reads as follows:

“While we are disappointed in what occurred and support the decision by the Commissioner’s Office, we are also encouraged that Julio has taken responsibility for his actions and believe he will take the necessary steps to learn from this incident.”

Jake Arrieta To Undergo Season-Ending Surgery

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Phillies righty Jake Arrieta will undergo season-ending surgery later this month to remove a bone spur in his right elbow, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports.

Arrieta, 33, had been pitching through the injury since early in the summer, to less-than-stellar results. The 2019 season was the hurler’s worst since his days in Baltimore: though the righty somehow maintained a fastball velocity in the 92-93 MPH range despite the injury, he again struggled to miss bats, command the baseball, and keep it in the park. Though the second half of Arrieta’s season didn’t much differ from the first – apart from his outings often being truncated upon his reaching the 75-80 pitch mark – the pain seemed to intensify, and both team and player finally pulled the plug following a disastrous Sunday outing in San Francisco in which the 2015 Cy Young Award winner was touched for five earned in just three innings pitched.

Arrieta signed a three-year, $75MM deal prior to his age 32 season in 2018. The Chicago reclamation project anchored the Cubs staff for years, but his ERA, on the back of an otherworldly Cub defense, had long outpaced his peripherals, a gap which reached a head in his 2017 walk season, where ERA estimators pegged the righty at the top end of the fourth-starter range. He’s been about that or worse in Philly, where despite steady grounder and walk rates, the former fifth-rounder has seen his strikeout rates slide to worse than eight per nine and his gopher-ball rate ascend to below-league-average totals.

Like its bullpen, the Phillies’ rotation is mostly in shambles now. It can always count on ace Aaron Nola, but it’s now Vince Velasquez, Drew Smyly, Jason Vargas, and Zach Eflin beyond, a quartet that won’t inspire much confidence as the group charges toward its first playoff appearance since 2011.

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