An MRI revealed a small fracture in Mike Leake’s left wrist, though the veteran right-hander told reporters (including Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic) that he is still hoping to be part of the Diamondbacks’ Opening Day roster. Since his pitching arm wasn’t affected, Leake said he will play catch (without return throws) over the next two weeks to keep his right arm loose while his left wrist heals. In keeping with the annual Spring Training tradition of players suffering injuries under unusual circumstances, Leake said he injured his wrist while chasing after one of his dogs, as Leake slipped and fell on his basketball court while in pursuit of the disobedient pet.
After being acquired from the Mariners in a trade deadline deal last July, Leake posted a 4.35 ERA and 3.38 K/BB rate over 60 innings (10 starts) for Arizona, though with a 4.1 K/9 and a whopping 2.3 HR/9. Leake is tentatively penciled into the fifth starter role for the D’Backs this season, as the club hopes that he can provide his usual durability at the back of the rotation — the 32-year-old has averaged 188 innings pitched over the last nine seasons.
Some more from the desert….
- Stephen Vogt talked to Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle (Twitter link) about Vogt’s decision to sign with the Diamondbacks, with the catcher citing both logistical and contractual reasons. Vogt liked being able to spend eight months in Arizona for both Spring Training and the season itself, and the D’Backs separated themselves from the Giants in contract talks by offering Vogt a vesting option for the 2021 season. The Giants offered Vogt more in guaranteed money than the $3MM Vogt will receive from the D’Backs, though if his option vests and Vogt hits his contract incentives, he can earn up to $7MM over the two-year span.
- Archie Bradley’s arbitration hearing has been set for February 18, MLB.com’s Steve Gilbert reports. Bradley is seeking a $4.1MM salary for the 2020 season, while the D’Backs filed for a $3.625MM number. The 2019 season saw Bradley increasingly deployed as a closer, as he recorded 18 saves after having only four saves on his career ledger heading into the year. Players haven’t had much luck going to hearings this year, as arbiters have ruled in favor of teams in five of the six arbitration hearings that have already taken place this month; the Dodgers’ Pedro Baez is the only player who has won his arb hearing. You can follow along with all the results in MLBTR’s Arbitration Tracker.
Nice
Klentak go and buy low on Leake
Aren’t you a Phillies fan? You can’t possibly want Leake pitching in that bandbox.
better than whoever else we’d be running out as the 5th starter.
I had to read “play catch without return throws” about 4 times before I got it. He is actually throwing without receiving any throws that have to be caught. Ok
Same as quarterbacks
I know right? Would have been easier to just say “throwing”
Thanks for explaining, I was wondering the same thing. I thought return throws meant he would be returning the ball to whoever he caught it from. He’d essentially be playing throw instead of catch.
Oh my hot plate!!! I only had two payments left!
SF is freezing on most weekday night games. i’d play for Arz anyday.
San Francisco weather not a detractor in my opinion as I have never heard of a player rejecting the cool San Francisco Summers to the sweltering heat and thunderstorms that many other teams face.
Arizona is where many players live in the offseason so they like that team as a club to play for to spend more time at their homes.
Trade the Leake to Kansas City, they can actually use him in the rotation.
Hahaha, Phillies, KC and other teams’ fans think the Dbacks are trading Leake. The Dbacks are not trading any of their 10 starting pitchers. Specifically Leake has a no-trade clause in his contract and he lives and went to school in Phoenix, and likes it here. He’s not going anywhere.
I love the posters on these boards who salivate like a lap dog over every single player they read about and want their team to trade for each one, whether or not it makes any sense at all.
Who is salivating over Mike Leake? Batting practice?
Look, the player ALWAYS wins.