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Archives for August 2020

Orioles Place Austin Hays On 10-Day Injured List

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The Orioles announced that outfielder Austin Hays has been placed on the 10-day injured list due to a non-displaced rib fracture.  Outfielder Cedric Mullins was recalled from the Orioles’ alternate training site, and righty Jorge Lopez will also join the team after being activated from the injured list (Lopez was undergoing intake testing for COVID-19 after being claimed off waivers from the Royals last week).

O’s manager Brandon Hyde told MASNsports.com’s Roch Kubatko and other reporters that Hays may have suffered the injury after crashing into the wall while making a catch in a game during the Orioles’ series with the Phillies last week.  Hays was already dealing with some sore ribs after being hit by a pitch earlier in the season, though Hyde believes the outfielder will require only the minimum 10 days off.

The injury continues that has been a rough 2020 season for Hays, who has batted only .203/.273/.246 through his first 77 plate appearances.  Long a top prospect in Baltimore’s farm system and even a top-100 ranked prospect in all of baseball prior to the 2018 campaign, the O’s were hopeful that Hays could establish himself as an everyday player this season.  Expectations were high after Hays hit .309/.373/.574 over 75 PA during a September call-up in 2019.

Mariners Designate Bryan Shaw, Place Nestor Cortes On 10-Day IL

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The Mariners announced a series of roster moves today, including the news that right-hander Bryan Shaw has been designated for assignment and left-hander Nestor Cortes Jr. is going to the 10-day injured list due to an elbow impingement.  Replacing the two hurlers are southpaw Taylor Guilbeau and righty Ljay Newsome, with Newsome making his first appearance on a Major League roster after his contract was selected.

Shaw signed a big league contract with Seattle just prior to their season opener, and he has an ugly 18.00 ERA over six innings pitched.  He was briefly sent down to the Mariners’ alternate training site last week but Shaw had another rough outing last night, giving up two earned runs over 1 2/3 innings.

Given these results, it’s fair to wonder if the M’s could potentially release Shaw if he isn’t claimed off waivers.  There wouldn’t be much of a cost associated with a release, as the Mariners are only paying Shaw a prorated league minimum salary.  The Rockies are paying the rest of the prorated $9MM salary Shaw was guaranteed this season, as Colorado released the veteran reliever in mid-July.

Cortes has also begun his season in disastrous fashion, allowing runs in all five of his appearances en route to a 15.26 ERA over 7 2/3 innings.  The lowlight came last night, as Cortes had to make an emergency start after Yusei Kikuchi was a late scratch, and Cortes proceeded to allow seven earned runs in just one-third of an inning against the Astros.  The 25-year-old has yet to break out at the big league level, having posted a 5.80 ERA over 71 1/3 IP with the Orioles and Yankees in 2018-19.  Seattle acquired him in a trade with New York last November.

Newsome, 23, was a 26th-round pick for the Mariners in the 2015 draft, and is ranked by MLB.com as the 29th-best prospect in Seattle’s farm system.  Newsome has started 91 of his 99 career games in the minors, with a 4.11 ERA, 8.5 K/9, and a very impressive 7.63 K/BB rate over 499 2/3 innings — with only a 1.1 BB/9, Newsome has displayed excellent control.

Astros Place Michael Brantley On 10-Day Injured List

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The Astros have placed Michael Brantley on the 10-day injured list due to right quad discomfort, according to Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link) and other reporters.  Brantley’s placement is backdated to August 12.  A roster replacement won’t be announced until prior to the Astros’ game tomorrow.

An IL stint may have been inevitable for Brantley, who has been bothered by leg problems since he stepped on Joe Kelly’s foot during a play at first base back on July 29.  Brantley has been used exclusively as a DH or pinch-hitter over his last 10 games, and he also missed Houston’s last two contests due to his quad.

Despite being less than 100 percent, Brantley has still been his usual productive self, hitting .286/.375/.446 with a home run over 64 plate appearances.  His absence is yet another blow to an Astros team that has been hit hard with injuries this season, though at least in this case, Houston has something of a ready-made DH replacement since Yordan Alvarez was just activated off the IL yesterday.  An ideal scenario for the Astros would see Brantley return from the injured list recovered and ready to play the outfield, to avoid a designated hitter timeshare with Alvarez since the younger slugger has already been slated for DH-only duty.

Braves Place Ronald Acuña Jr. On 10-Day IL

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The Braves have placed outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. on the 10-day injured list (retroactive to Wednesday) due to left wrist inflammation, according to Gabe Burns of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The hope is that he’ll be ready to return to the team next weekend. Next Friday will mark the first day he’s eligible to come off the IL. Right-handed pitcher Chad Sobotka was recalled, taking Acuña’s spot on the active roster.

Acuña has been dealing with discomfort in his wrist since Tuesday, when he was scratched from a game against the Yankees. He hasn’t played since then, and traveled back to Atlanta while his team will embark on a weekend series in Miami.

Initially, Atlanta hoped that Acuña would be ready to rejoin the team’s starting lineup by Monday, but after his soreness persisted into this weekend, it became apparent that he’d require a stint on the IL.

Of course, Acuña’s absence will lead many to speculate whether the door has opened for highly-touted outfielder Cristian Pache—just 21 years old—to make his Major League debut. While he hasn’t gotten the call yet, he may still be due for a promotion; Sobotka may simply be needed to give Brian Snitker another available bullpen arm for the next day or two.

Sobotka has been up-and-down for the Braves throughout this season, making three bullpen appearances for the team. He’s yet to surrender an earned run, striking out one batter and walking two. For his career, he’s averaging 11.7 K/9 with a 4.47 ERA.

Reds Claim Nick Williams

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The Reds have claimed outfielder Nick Williams off waivers from the Phillies, as first reported by Jim Salisbury of NBC Sports and confirmed by Matt Breen of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Williams will join his new club at the Reds’ alternate training location.

Williams, who played in 140 games for the Phillies just two years ago, has quickly been pushed out of favor in Philadelphia, thanks in part to the additions of Bryce Harper and Andrew McCutchen. Last year, he made just 112 plate appearances for the Phillies and largely failed to deliver, compiling a disappointing .151/.196/.245 batting line.

Nonetheless, Williams managed solid production in his first two big-league seasons: Between 2018 and 2019 (which he played at ages 23 and 24), he hit 29 home runs in 720 at-bats, posting a .269/.330/.446 slash line. He’s not far removed from that encouraging start to his career, and could certainly benefit from an expanded role with a new team.

Unfortunately, though, there’s no guarantee that such an opportunity will come in Cincinnati. As mentioned, he’ll begin his Reds career at the alternate training site and serve in a depth role, but with several existing corner outfield options, playing time might be scarce for Williams. Between Nicholas Castellanos, Jesse Winker, Aristides Aquino, and others, it’s already a crowded mix, so we’ll have to wait and see just how Williams fits into the picture in his new environment.

C.J. Cron To Undergo Season-Ending Knee Surgery

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August 15: Cron has indeed elected to undergo knee surgery, manager Ron Gardenhire told reporters, including Jason Beck of MLB.com. That will end Cron’s season, and likely his Tigers tenure, prematurely. With Cron no longer available, Jeimer Candelario is poised to step in at first base for the remainder of the year.

August 12: Tigers first baseman C.J. Cron hit the injured list due to a left knee sprain yesterday, and the outlook on the slugger doesn’t appear good. Cron spoke with Tigers beat reporters today, revealing that surgery to repair a ligament in his knee will likely be required (Twitter links via Evan Woodbery of MLive.com and Jason Beck of MLB.com). Cron’s hope, however, is that he can strengthen the ligament enough to return to play this summer and undergo any necessary procedure in the offseason. For now, he’s in a brace and gathering more information while the swelling goes down.

The play that caused the injury saw Cron drop to one knee to field a sharp one-hop grounder (video link). The first baseman explained that during his crouch, he sustained damage to a stabilizing ligament in his left knee that caused his kneecap to pop out of place. Cron was helped off the field by manager Ron Gardenhire and athletic trainer Doug Teter. He did not appear able to put any weight on his left knee.

“It’s kind of just floating around in there, so it could pop out at any time really,” Cron said of his kneecap (Twitter link via Beck). “That’s why, if we do this, we’re going to have to be super smart about taping it, bracing it and trying to keep that kneecap as stable as possible.”

It’s a tough blow for both Cron and the Tigers. The 30-year-old is playing the 2020 season on a one-year, $6.1MM contract and had hoped to position himself for either a raise or a multi-year deal as a free agent this winter. He was hitting just .190 through his first 52 plate appearances, but that was largely a function of a fluky .182 average on balls in play. Cron had belted four home runs and already drawn nine walks — he walked just 29 times in 499 plate appearances a year ago — resulting in an overall .190/.346/.548 slash. He ranked among the league leaders in terms of walk percentage and (per Statcast) barreled-ball percentage in the season’s early stages.

For the Tigers, meanwhile, they’re now left with a hole at first base for the foreseeable future. Gardenhire said yesterday that he doesn’t expect Miguel Cabrera to return to first base with regularity, though he may get an occasional start there. For now, it sounds as though the plan is for Jeimer Candelario to line up at first base with Dawel Lugo seeing regular reps at third base. That figures to represent an offensive downgrade for the surprising Tigers, who’ve gotten out to a 9-6 start on the season.

Speculatively speaking, it seems possible that the Tigers could look outside the organization for some alternatives at first base. Veteran Logan Morrison and promising-but-oft-injured Greg Bird were both designated for assignment this week and could make some sense. As far as in-house options go, first baseman Frank Schwindel is already in Detroit’s player pool. Fans may clamor to turn things over to 2020 top overall pick Spencer Torkelson, but starting his service clock the same year he was drafted seems both unlikely and sub-optimal from a developmental standpoint.

Tigers Place Ivan Nova On Injured List

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Detroit Tigers’ starter Ivan Nova is headed to the 10-day injured list with right triceps tendinitis, the team announced. Right-hander Anthony Castro has been recalled to fill the roster spot.

Nova, 33, was brought in this winter to provide a veteran and reliable presence in the rotation. The Tigers are flush with rotation prospects – Matt Manning, Tarik Skubal, Casey Mize, among them – but in the near-term, Detroit wanted to reliability to join with injury-bitten and/or inconsistent arms like Jordan Zimmermann, Daniel Norris, and Michael Fulmer. Nova is off to a rough start, going 1-1 with a 8.53 ERA/6.34 FIP through four starts.

It’s not yet clear who will step into Nova’s spot in the rotation. Dario Agrazal is not likely to be the guy, per Evan Woodbery of MLive.com. The Tigers aren’t likely to need to name a replacement until Tuesday or Wednesday’s game. Fans and pundits alike will be hopeful that Mize gets the call here, but the Tigers have shown a reluctance to bring up their top rotation prospects.

Pitcher Notes: Chatwood, Yates, Hirano

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The Chicago Cubs have pushed Tyler Chatwood’s start after the right-hander experienced tightness in his back, per Tim Stebbins of NBC Sports. Colin Rea will trot in from the bullpen to start on Saturday in his stead (technically, Alec Mills started for Chatwood on Friday, and Rea will start in Mills’ place). Chatwood has continued his streaky tenure this season in Chicago, though the good has outweighed the bad through three starts. The 30-year-old Chatwood put the Northside aflutter with a pair of quality starts in which he yielded 12 2/3 innings, two wins, 19 strikeouts, and just a single earned run. He gave it all back with 8 earned runs in just 2 1/3 innings in his third start against the Royals. The Cubs have a twin bill with the Cardinals scheduled for Monday where Chatwood will step back into the rotation, per Russell Dorsey of the Chicago Sun-Times (via Twitter).

  • Bad news could be on the horizon for the San Diego Padres. Closer Kirby Yates has been scheduled for an MRI to investigate recent elbow discomfort, per Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune. The late-blooming Yates has developed into arguably the game’s best closer over the past two seasons. He’s not been himself through 5 appearances this year. He’s currently rocking a cumbersome 10.38 ERA/5.62 FIP with 7 hits and 4 walks to 7 strikeouts over 4 1/3 innings. He does have 2 saves and a hold. An injury would certainly be a blow to a San Diego bullpen already down Andres Muñoz and Trey Wingenter. Even so, the Friars are flush with potential replacements: Emilio Pagan and Drew Pomeranz are likely next in line to secure W’s in San Diego.
  • Yoshihisa Hirano is finally on his way back to the diamond after testing positive for COVID-19 early in training camp, per MLB.com’s Greg Johns (via Twitter). After some tune-ups at the alternate site, Hirano could find himself in the Seattle Mariners’ bullpen shortly. Hirano, 36, joined the Mariners this offseason after two years with the Arizona Diamondbacks. He proved himself a reliable arm in the Dbacks’ pen. He owns a 3.47 ERA/3.85 FIP in the states after a successful career in Japan.

Leury Garcia To Undergo Surgery

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Leury Garcia of the White Sox is headed for surgery after severing his thumb ligament during Monday’s game against the Tigers, per MLB.com’s Scott Merkin. He will be out until October at the earliest.

Danny Mendick will see a majority of time at second in the near-term while Nick Madrigal remains on the injured list. Ryan Goins can also fill in at second. Mendick, 26, has appeared in 13 games this season, slashing .250/.318/.325 across 44 plate appearances. The former 22nd-round draft selection put together a strong audition reel last season in Triple-A with a triple slash of .279/.368/.444.

Garcia, 29, held a significant role in the early going for the Southsiders. He started the year at second before sliding to short to cover for Tim Anderson’s IL stint. Across 16 games, the veteran Garcia answered the call with a triple slash of .271/.317/.441. The injury is unfortunate for Garcia, who held the line for the White Sox during their extensive rebuild, only to miss the rest of this season as they finally attempt to enter the (expansive) playoff picture.

The White Sox acquired Garcia from the Rangers way back in 2013 after just a sampling of playing time in the bigs back. Garcia was the player to be named later in a mid-season trade for Alex Rios. Rios finished 2013 strong with the Rangers, hitting .280/.315/.457 the rest of the way. The Dominican-born Garcia, meanwhile, has appeared in every season since the deal, earning a semi-regular role for the Pale Hose as a utility player over the last three seasons.

Reds Player Tests Positive For Coronavirus

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SATURDAY: Games scheduled for today and tomorrow between the Cincinnati Reds and Pittsburgh Pirates has been postponed after a Reds’ player tested positive for COVID-19. There have been no more positive tests beyond the one for the Reds, per MLB Insider Jon Heyman (Twitter links). Given potential exposure during yesterday’s game, there’s more than enough reason to push tonight’s game at the very least.

MLB issued a press release announcing the cancellations, which read: “Following a positive test for COVID-19 by a Cincinnati Reds player, tonight’s scheduled game, as well as tomorrow afternoon’s contest, between the Reds and Pittsburgh Pirates at Great American Ball Park have been postponed to allow for additional testing and to complete the contact tracing process.  Major League Baseball will continue to provide updates as they become available.”

FRIDAY: An unidentified Reds player has tested positive for the coronavirus, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic tweets. As a result, the likelihood is that the league will postpone their game against the Pirates on Saturday, Jeff Passan of ESPN reports.

Positive COVID-19 tests across the majors have thrown a wrench into the league’s plans early this season, and it’s now up in the air when the Reds and Pirates will return to action. So far, the teams have split the first two contests in a four-game set, but it appears they’ll have to make up at least one game at a later date.

The virus already impacted both Cincinnati and Pittsburgh before Friday. The Reds’ Matt Davidson tested positive last month, though he has since returned to action, while Mike Moustakas and Nick Senzel missed time after exhibiting symptoms.

Meanwhile, the Pirates have seen the likes of Gregory Polanco, Keone Kela and Ke’Bryan Hayes sit out because of COVID (Polanco and Kela are now back on the MLB roster). Furthermore, Pittsburgh’s three-game series against the Cardinals this week was postponed because of the outbreak that has taken a toll on the St. Louis club.

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