It’s “very unlikely” outfielder Alex Verdugo will return for the Dodgers’ National League Division Series matchup, manager Dave Roberts told Ken Gurnick of MLB.com and other reporters Friday (Twitter links). The rookie originally landed on the injured list Aug. 6 with a right oblique strain, but a back injury has slowed him of late. Meantime, southpaw Rich Hill – who’s dealing with a strained left MCL – will undergo an MRI on Monday. It seems iffy at best that Hill will avoid a lengthy absence, as a strained left MCL previously shelved him for the first month of the season. The injury-prone 39-year-old then missed almost two months with a forearm problem. His start Thursday, when he recorded just two outs, was his first since June 19.
Here’s more from the National League…
- Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel provided a couple injury updates Friday on the Brewers, who are now a game behind the NL’s second wild-card position (Twitter links). Top starter Brandon Woodruff is still on track to return in the next week, but it’s unclear whether he’ll start or relieve. Woodruff will throw a bullpen session Saturday as he continues working back from the oblique strain he suffered July 21. And catcher Manny Pina, out with a concussion since Sept. 5, isn’t recovering as quickly as the team hoped he would, according to manager Craig Counsell. The Brewers have “to stack some good days in a row” for Pina before he’s capable of returning, Counsell said. Milwaukee has been in fine shape behind the plate without Pina, of course, as it boasts one of the game’s elite catchers in Yasmani Grandal.
- The Cubs promoted executive Jason McLeod to senior vice president of player personnel, which could keep him in their front office for at least a little while longer. But McLeod said this week that his goal is to run a team’s baseball department, per Patrick Mooney and Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic (subscription required). “I do aspire to someday lead an organization,” said McLeod, who has been on GM-needy clubs’ radars in the past. He interviewed for that position with the Giants last year, though they instead went on to hire Farhan Zaidi as their president of baseball operations.
- Padres rookie Chris Paddack will make at least one more start this season, AJ Cassavell of MLB.com tweets. Shutting Paddack down for the year looked like a possibility after he threw six scoreless innings against the Cubs on Wednesday. The rookie standout, 23, has now racked up 135 2/3 innings this season, easily surpassing the previous professional high of 90 he set in 2018 as a minor leaguer.
Chris P. Will be drafted 1st or 2nd round by a smart fantasy gm next season
Drafting a young pitcher early is foolish as they get hurt a lot better to draft position players early
Is Rich Hill done?
I ask this question honestly.
I can see someone signing him to a one year incentive laden major league deal.
It’s up to him. In his opinion I would say no. In my perspective yes.
Thanks guys!
Hill’s career has been a great story but unfortunately this may be the end. Maybe he gets a minor league deal or incentive heavy contract but I wouldn’t mind seeing him retire. Maybe he can go another year or 2 strictly as a reliever. Loved that curveball and leg kick.
Rich Hill is such a good dude. They’ll always be a place for him on an MLB team.
Speaking of the Dodgers, Noah Syndergaard accused the Dodgers of cheating. Finally, this is catching on. Been saying it since the break!
Noah Syndergaard says a lot of questionable things.
Wait we’re discussing something from May lmao. Haha you mean advanced scouting reports that clearly fell into a pattern. Hard in, change away. It’s kind of funny, because if you have an modicum of baseball understanding you can clearly see what was unfolding during ABs, and what the Dodgers hitters were attempting to do. You act as those they were swinging out of their shoes in spots they shouldn’t have indicating they knew what was coming or barreling up balls.
Last time I checked approach and 2 strike approach is nothing new, esp 2 strike. Same as it’s always been taught, battle, be on fb timing and trying to spoil breaking balls/off speed unless they’re up. If they are mistakes, adjust in your legs and punish mistakes. Is this some sort of top secret cheat code? When you can only locate two pitches that day, are you expecting a team to not to try to get around on a fb? It’s not even like balls were barreled Bellinger got jammed, Beaty barely got hands through, Seager punished a hanging change up, and Verdugo slapped a seeing eye single on a change up.
You are allowed to make adjustments in baseball especially if a guy keeps pounding lhh in, and the pattern remains clear. But hey what do I know? I guess that’s the reason that I’m not an advance scout. Maybe they decided to take a cheating day off against DeGrom today. Never mind they are cheating, Seager just poked a change up that was left up in CF. There goes that whole argument lmao.