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Willy Adames Leaves Game Due To Quad Injury

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Brewers shortstop Willy Adames left tonight’s game prior to the seventh inning due to what manager Craig Counsell told reporters (including Tom Haudricourt of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel) was a re-aggravation of Adames’ nagging quadriceps injury.  According to Counsell, Adames hurt himself while avoiding Cardinals first baseman Paul Goldschmidt on a pickoff attempt in the fifth inning.

Adames has missed a few games due to this lingering quad problem over the last couple of weeks, but between taking that time off and serving as a DH during a pair of interleague road games against the Twins, it seemed as though Adames was back to good health.  Today marked his fifth straight game back at his normal shortstop position, and Adames didn’t look any worse for wear until this evening’s incident.

As per Haudricourt, Counsell “sounds as if [Adames] could miss more time,” though the manager said Adames would be re-evaluated tomorrow.  Counsell said earlier this week that the Brewers planned to rest Adames more often down the stretch, so given this latest injury flare-up, a 10-day injured list trip wouldn’t be out of the question to get Adames completely healed up and ready for the postseason.  This assumes that his quad injury isn’t anything more serious, though in that regard, it is at least a good sign that Adames was able to play for another inning before eventually departing.

The Brewers already have a healthy lead in the NL Central, due in large part to Adames’ sterling performance since being acquired from the Rays on May 21.  Adames entered today’s game hitting .288/.370/.525 with 17 home runs over his first 362 plate appearances with Milwaukee, though perhaps due to his quad issues, his bat has cooled off over the past two weeks.

Luis Urias is the likeliest candidate to shift over to shortstop if Adames does have to miss time, and trade deadline pickup Eduardo Escobar and utilityman Jace Peterson will probably split time at third base.  Kolten Wong will return to his customary second base spot once he returns from the paternity list.

Reds Notes: Castellanos, Winker, Brach, Senzel

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Nick Castellanos figures to be one of the offseason’s most sought-after free agency commodities, as there doesn’t appear to be much doubt that the outfielder will opt out of the final two years and $34MM of his current Reds contract.  Such talks, however, are to be saved for the offseason, as Castellanos told The Detroit News’ Chris McCosky and other reporters that he is only thinking about the Reds’ playoff race.

“Any speculation about free agency is nothing that’s come from my mouth,” Castellanos said.  “Right now, the only thing that’s next for me is focusing on winning here.  We have a chance to win here.  I’m not going to squander that opportunity by thinking about something that’s after the season.”

Castellanos entered today’s action with 26 homers and a .321/.377/.578 slash line over 478 plate appearances, a performance that earned the first All-Star nod of his career.  As he approaches his age-30 season, Castellanos looks well-positioned to land a much heftier deal than two years/$34MM, though playing for a winning team is his chief priority.  The Reds will have to come up with a big offer to keep Castellanos in the fold, but their case of providing Castellanos with a winning environment will be bolstered if they can reach the postseason for the second consecutive year.

A healthy Jesse Winker would greatly help Cincinnati’s chances of landing the second NL wild card berth, as the slugger has been on the 10-day injured list since August 16 due to an intercostal strain.  Reds manager David Bell told reporters (including MLB.com’s Mike Petraglia) that Winker could start a minor league rehab assignment next weekend, “on the very positive, optimistic end of things.”  While there is clearly a lot of caution baked into Bell’s statement, he noted that Winker is “definitely progressing,” with an increased amount of baseball activity expected for this week.

Brad Brach, meanwhile, has already started a rehab assignment at Triple-A Louisville and is on pace to be back in Cincinnati’s bullpen sometime this week.  Brach went on the 10-day IL on August 8 due to a right shoulder impingement, after posting a 5.59 ERA over his first 29 innings in a Reds uniform.

The outlook is much less clear for Nick Senzel, however.  Bell told MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon and other reporters that Senzel recently had a second opinion about his surgically-repaired left knee, and “It seems that it’s going to take a while for him to get back and healthy.  I don’t know what that means for the rest of the season, but it didn’t sound like it was going to be any time real soon.”

Senzel underwent the arthroscopic procedure in late May and was supposed to miss only 4-6 weeks, though he was eventually moved to the 60-day IL.  The Reds activated him in mid-August, only to send Senzel back to the IL after fluid was discovered in his knee.  Senzel is currently rehabbing at the Reds’ Spring Training facility in Arizona, hoping to make a return and salvage something from what is unfortunately looking like a lost season.  The second overall pick of the 2016 draft has been hampered by multiple injuries during his brief career, limiting him to 163 games (and a .246/.308/.396 slash line) and 616 PA since the start of the 2019 season.

Mets Place Brandon Nimmo On 10-Day Injured List

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8:34PM: “In my heart of hearts, I really do think I’m going to be back this season,” Nimmo told MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo and other reporters.  Nimmo also noted that his hamstring injury impacted his muscle, rather than a tendon.

5:28PM: Prior to the second game of their doubleheader with the Nationals, the Mets have placed outfielder Brandon Nimmo on the 10-day injured list due to a right hamstring strain.  Travis Blankenhorn has been called up to take Nimmo’s roster spot.  Nimmo made an early exit from the first game, leaving in the second inning after going 2-for-2 with a stolen base during his brief time on the field.

Nimmo is now hitting .302/.420/.415 with five home runs over 320 plate appearances this season, continuing his outstanding work out of the leadoff spot in New York’s lineup.  Nimmo has basically done nothing but hit over his six MLB seasons, though staying healthy has been a consistent problem.  This season alone, Nimmo missed close to two months due to a finger ligament issue.

Kevin Pillar and Albert Almora figure to get most of the center field duty while Nimmo is out.  Michael Conforto is the everyday right fielder and Dominic Smith and Jeff McNeil have been increasingly platooning in left field (Smith is currently on the bereavement list).  While the Mets do have personnel in place to weather Nimmo’s absence, losing one of their best hitters for even the minimum 10 days is obviously a major blow for an offensively-challenged team in the thick of a pennant race.  The severity of the strain isn’t yet known, so it is possible that Nimmo’s 2021 campaign could be in jeopardy with only a month remaining of regular-season action.

Giants Place Alex Dickerson On 10-Day Injured List

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Alex Dickerson has been placed on the 10-day injured list, as the Giants announced that the outfielder is suffering from a right hamstring strain.  Mauricio Dubon has been called up from Triple-A in the corresponding move.

This is the third time Dickerson has visited the IL this year, with slightly more than the minimum amount of time missed due to an upper back strain and a right shoulder impingement.  The Giants are surely hopeful of another brief absence since the team will want all hands on deck in the battle with the Dodgers for the NL West crown.  Considering the timing, however, anything more than a minor strain could threaten to sideline Dickerson for the remainder of the season.

These cumulative injuries could explain Dickerson’s struggles this year, after batting .286/.350/.529 with 16 homers over 360 plate appearances in 2019-20.  This year, Dickerson is hitting only .235/.303/.426 with 13 homers in 304 PA, with much less hard contact and dropoffs in both his strikeout and walk rates.  After tearing up right-handed pitching in the previous two seasons, the left-handed hitting Dickerson has managed just a .719 OPS in 278 PA against righties in 2021.

The Giants do have outfield depth to make up for Dickerson’s loss, as Kris Bryant could see more time as a corner outfielder now that Evan Longoria is back from the injured list and ready to assume third base duties.  With LaMonte Wade Jr. and Mike Yastrzemski toggling back and forth between center and right field, the Giants could also shift Wade to left field duty, or use Austin Slater or Darin Ruf.  The versatile Dubon’s return also adds a bit more infield help considering that Donovan Solano and Wilmer Flores are both still on the IL.

Latest On Jacob deGrom

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Mets ace Jacob deGrom is roughly 10 days away from beginning bullpen sessions, a team official tells MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo.  With this timeline in mind, deGrom’s best-case scenario would be a return in late September, though perhaps for only a game or two at the most.  “Even then, it’s likely only to be in abbreviated spurts,” DiComo writes, so deGrom could be something of a glorified opener more than a proper starting pitcher.

Mets pitching coach Jeremy Hefner updated reporters (including Mike Puma of The New York Post) on deGrom’s current work, saying that the former NL Cy Young Award winner has been playing catch at 75 feet.  Once deGrom reaches 125-130 feet, a bullpen session can be considered.

In short, there still isn’t much clarity about whether or not deGrom could return to the mound at all this season.  It is fair to say that the Mets’ place in the standings will play a factor, as if the Mets aren’t in the playoff race, the team could decide to just shut deGrom down.  That said, Hefner noted that “It just depends on how he reacts to the throwing.  It’s no different than if we were in April.  The timeline doesn’t change because we are in September.  Obviously we want him to pitch, but we have to go through the necessary steps to make sure that he’s not only healthy this season, but he’s also healthy for the rest of his career.”

DeGrom last appeared in a game on July 7, as he was placed on the injured list due to forearm tightness and elbow inflammation.  This 10-day IL stint was extended to a 60-day placement following a setback in his rehab, so deGrom isn’t eligible to return until September 15, though it appears he won’t be back when first eligible.

This long absence has spoiled an all-timer of a season for deGrom, who posted a 1.08 ERA over his first 92 innings of the season.  While a lack of hitting has been the biggest problem for the Mets this season, it isn’t hard to imagine that a healthy deGrom could have carried New York into a playoff position, considering the Mets entered the day four games back in both the NL East race and the wild card race.

Red Sox Claim Geoff Hartlieb From Mets

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The Red Sox announced that right-hander Geoff Hartlieb has been claimed off waivers from the Mets.  Hartlieb has been assigned to Boston’s Triple-A affiliate in Worcester.

New York designated Hartlieb for assignment earlier this week, after the righty posted a 14.54 ERA over his 4 1/3 innings in a Mets uniform.  This marks the second time Hartlieb has changed teams via waiver claim within the last two months, as the Mets acquired him from the Pirates in early July.  For the season as a whole, Hartlieb has an 11.00 ERA over nine combined frames with New York and Pittsburgh.

A lack of control has been the main culprit for Hartlieb’s struggles this season, as he has walked 11 batters over those nine innings.  The right-hander also had as many walks (19) as strikeouts (19) over 22 1/3 innings with Pittsburgh in 2020, though Hartlieb managed to evade damage and post a respectable 3.63 ERA.

Hartlieb becomes the latest player acquired by the Red Sox in recent days as the team has sought to rebuild its depth following a widespread COVID-19 outbreak.  Beyond just being an extra arm on standby, Hartlieb also offers some interesting potential.  Though he has yet to show much over his three MLB seasons, Hartlieb has a 3.18 ERA over 62 1/3 career innings at the Triple-A level, with a 28.73% strikeout rate and very high grounder rates.

AL Notes: Mariners, Lewis, Castillo, Misiewicz, White Sox, Giolito

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The Mariners were hopeful that reigning Rookie of the Year Kyle Lewis would begin a rehab assignment on Friday, but those plans were dashed by soreness in his surgically-repaired right knee, per The Athletic’s Corey Brock. Lewis went under the knife in June after just 147 plate appearances. His offense was down a little to a .246/.333/.392 triple slash line, but even ignoring the small sample caveat, that’s still good for a 107 wRC+.

Lewis’ delay is unfortunate, especially given the struggles of Jarred Kelenic in center.  Jake Fraley and Taylor Trammell have helped out in center as well, but Fraley is on the injured list and Trammell is in Triple-A. Somewhat improbably in the playoff hunt, the Mariners could certainly use better than the 50 wRC+ that Kelenic is providing, but given this latest setback for Lewis, any improvement will likely have to come from Kelenic himself. In other news…

  • The Mariners expect bullpen reinforcements soon. Diego Castillo and Anthony Misiewicz are on their way back from the injured list, per Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times (via Twitter). Misiewicz has been one of their more reliable relievers on the season, and Castillo was intended to take over the closer role when he was acquired at the deadline. Paul Sewald has claimed that job for now, so it will be worth watching where manager Scott Servais chooses to work Castillo back into the mix. [UPDATE: the Mariners have officially reinstated Castillo and Misiewicz from the IL.]
  • Lucas Giolito’s hamstring strain may ultimately be a good thing for the White Sox righty. A short stint on the injured list will allow him to reset and adjust some of his mechanics, per Bruce Levine of 670 The Score. On finishing his delivery, Giolito said, “When my finish gets violent, I am recoiling on the pitch and my leg stiffens out. It’s almost like I am falling backwards. I don’t want to be there. It’s a bad habit. When I am strong on my front leg, even with a little bend, it allows me to get through the pitch, which leads to more extension going forward. I feel I am more consistent when I am more athletic and stronger through my finish.”

Tigers Select Drew Carlton

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The Tigers have selected the contract of Drew Carlton from Triple-A. When he appears in a game, it will be his Major League debut. The Tigers 40-man roster still has two spots open.

The 25-year-old was a 32nd round draft pick out of Florida State back in 2017. Since then, the unheralded righty has done nothing but shove. His 3.12 ERA in Triple-A this season is his highest such mark at any level of the minors.

In a piece last December from Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press, Carlton spoke about his arsenal, saying, “I really take pride in my command of all three of my pitches. They’re not good by themselves, but with the command, they are pretty good. I’ve had to really work my tail off to produce the numbers I have. That’s the only way I’m going to be able to get up there (to the majors).”

Carlton has made it now, and he’ll have the chance to prove himself again while pitching out of the Tigers’ bullpen. Hard to say how long his stay will be in the Majors, but hopefully Carlton at least gets in a game during this stint. Regardless, he’s on the 40-man roster now, which is in and of itself a positive sign that suggests Carlton will get a chance at the Major League level.

Blue Jays Activate Jake Lamb, Option Kirby Snead

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The Blue Jays have activated recently acquired third baseman Jake Lamb in time for today’s ballgame. In a corresponding move, Kirby Snead was optioned to Triple-A, per Shi Davidi of Sportsnet (via Twitter).

Davidi also notes that Cavan Biggio took batting practice today. That could mean a short stay for Lamb, given that Biggio has been Toronto’s regular third baseman when healthy. Biggio can move around the diamond, of course, so there might be room for both on the roster. Kevin Smith and Breyvic Valera will also be candidates to lose their roster spot when Biggio returns.

Lamb showed some versatility himself during his stint with the White Sox. He appeared at a couple of games at first and third, but mostly, he was used in the outfield corners. He was a league-average hitter in that time, slashing .212/.321/.389 in 131 plate appearances.

Snead’s time in the Majors was short, but productive. He posted a 2.35 ERA across seven appearances totaling 7 2/3 innings. He gave up seven hits, but walked just two while striking out seven.

Pirates Activate JT Brubaker, Option Kyle Keller

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The Pirates activated JT Brubaker to start today’s game against the Cubs. To make room on the roster, Kyle Keller was optioned to Triple-A, per Kevin Gorman of Tribune-ReviewSports (via Twitter).

The 27-year-old Brubaker has started a career-high 23 games for the Pirates, pitching to a 5.27 ERA/5.23 FIP in 121 1/3 innings. Brubaker may not be considered a long-term piece for Pittsburgh, but he has eaten valuable innings this year and will probably have the opportunity to do so again next season. He has a 23.7 percent strikeout rate, 6.9 percent walk rate, and 43.1 percent groundball rate, all of which are close to league average.

Keller has made 23 appearances out of the bullpen, pitching to a 7.13 ERA/7.62 FIP. The 28-year-old has suffered from wandering command, walking 16.1 percent of batters while only striking out 22.3 percent of opponents.

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