Padres manager Bob Melvin told reporters today (including Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune) that right-hander Joe Musgrove “tweaked” his shoulder in his most recent rehab start, and could have his next rehab start pushed back by a day or two as a consequence of this. Musgrove opened the season on the injured list due to a fractured toe he suffered during Spring Training. In Musgrove’s absence, the club has opted for a six-man rotation with Yu Darvish and Blake Snell being followed by Michael Wacha, Seth Lugo, Nick Martinez, and Ryan Weathers.
An All Star in 2022, Musgrove has blossomed into a top of the rotation arm since being traded to the Padres ahead of the 2021 season. Over the past two campaigns, Musgrove has posted a 3.06 ERA with a 3.64 FIP while notching 387 strikeouts in 362 1/3 innings of work. Those numbers put him among the more durable starters in the game today in addition to his quality run prevention numbers and above-average strikeout rate. 2023 is the first year of Musgrove’s five-year, $100MM extension that he signed with the club last summer.
More from around MLB’s western divisions…
- Per Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com, Angels manager Phil Nevin told reporters today that right-hander Chris Rodriguez suffered a setback in his rehab from shoulder surgery. While Rodriguez is still throwing, but he is stepping away from facing live hitters as the Angels plan to take his rehab process slowly. Rodriguez hasn’t pitched since he made his major league debut in 2021, impressing with a 3.64 ERA and 3.14 FIP in 29 2/3 innings of work. When healthy, Rodriguez figures to be in the mix alongside Griffin Canning and Tucker Davidson for a swing role on the major league pitching staff.
- Dodgers manager Dave Roberts provided some clarity on the club’s preferred bullpen usage yesterday, telling reporters (including Jack Harris of the LA Times) that right-hander Evan Phillips is his preference to hand the ball to in the ninth inning if everyone’s available. That being said, Roberts stopped short of properly anointing Phillips the closer, leaving the door open for Phillips to be used in other roles in certain situations. Teams have moved away from having a designated closer in recent seasons, preferring to try and maximize performance by playing matchups, though given Phillips’s 1.41 ERA in 76 1/3 innings since joining the Dodgers in 2021, it’s no surprise he’s Roberts’s preference for save situations over other back-end options like Brusdar Graterol and Alex Vesia.
- The Rangers have announced that right-hander Josh Sborz has started a rehab assignment in Triple-A as he looks to return from a sprained ankle that sent him to the injured list to open the season. Sborz struggled badly in 2022 while dealing with elbow issues throughout the season, posting a 6.45 ERA in 22 1/3 innings of work, though his 32% strikeout rate did leave reason for optimism headed into the season. Once healthy, Sborz could factor into the Texas bullpen in a middle relief role currently held by the likes of Ian Kennedy and Taylor Hearn.
Say it ain’t so no-no Joe
Great game today with Blue Jays vs Anaheim. Might end up being the most exciting game of the regular season and that’s the kind of game that completely deflates the losing team. Ohtani is gone after this season- GONE. Meanwhile, the Dodgers are much worse than they were 2 years ago, are aging quickly, have very little in the pipeline, and have the upcoming free agencies of Urias (imminent, this year) and Buehler (next year). The Dodgers’ time of being a great (regular season) team is over. Padres: Juan So-so is underwhelming again this year and is once again proving what a lopsided trade it was.
Tell me you know nothing about baseball without telling me you know nothing about baseball. The Dodgers core is young: Vargas, Outman, May, Buehler, Urias, Will Smith, Evan Phillips, etc. While their farm is top 5 in the league (if not #1). Also, why did you say that this is not the Dodgers of 2 years ago, when last year they won a franchise best 110 games? You just hate the Dodgers. That’s it. You have zero factual things to say.
Evan Phillips is 28 already and has a career ERA of 3.92. Vargas has not proven anything at the MLB level. Outman is already 26 in less than a month, has 50 MLB PA, and didn’t rip things up in the minor leagues, to say the least. He was just good as a minor league player and could still very easily be an underwhelming or failed MLB player. May has been a reliever- doesn’t mean much unless he proves himself as a successful SP. Buehler is a free agent after next season. Urias is a free agent after this season and has shown zero interest in a contract extension with the Dodgers and is probably already gone mentally. Will Smith is 28 and is just a good Catcher- he’s no star and he has never posted more than 4 WAR in a season. He’s a good player but he’s just a piece and he has no youth left as a MLB player. Also consider that Clayton Chokeshaw (terrible choking performer when it really matters but at least still a good regular season pitcher when he is no injured) could retire at any time. Betts is in his 30s, could fall off in a major way at any time- same for Freeman. They had a great regular season run but it’s over- they’re no longer a great (regular season) team and the exit of multiple key players over the recent years proves that they are not all that attractive.
1. Lolz 2. 28 is old? And did you really use career ERA to try and prove something? He was one of the most dominant RP in the league last year 3. Outman did “rip things up” in the minor leagues last year (.978 OPS). And this year he already has a 0.8 WAR this year. You just make things up as you go along 4. So because Buehler is a free agent soon he doesn’t count? And I’m glad you texted Urias and he told you he’s checked out… 5.Dustin May has been in 39 major league games, and 27 he has started. Again, you are making stuff up 6. Take away the Astros cheating in 2017 (and probably Boston in 2018) and Kershaw post season ERA is in the 3’s (because I know you like ERA) 7.. You’re right, Betts is in his 30’s – he’s literally 30… It’s fun to debate knowledgeable fans. But you, without out a doubt, are the most clueless fan I’ve ever come across
28 is middle aged by MLB standards and it’s a point where improvement can no longer be expected.
Yes, ERA matters
At one level he was great, the same year in another level, he was just good. He was not a superstar minor leaguer and the fact that he’s already 26 is bad because that’s around when players typically peak- yet he hardly has any MLB experience
They have tried to give an extension to Buehler and same for Urias and it has gone nowhere with either of them- this is well known
May has never pitched more than 56 innings in a season, which is nothing. He has not proved himself as a successful SP
Pure conjecture from you about “Clayton Kershaw’s” (Clayton Chokeshaw’s) phantom, imaginary performance and Chokeshaw’s playoff choking was established before the Astros situation, anyway
That’s right- 30 is in the 30s- glad you caught that. And Freeman is 33 (already the beginning of old age by MLB standards)
You can try to contort yourself through whatever convoluted mental gymnastics you want to- the fact is that the Dodgers have had a top 3 payroll (often the #1 payroll) for years and years and years and yet all they have to show for it in terms of Championships is the watered down, ridiculous bubble season with no fans, highly altered season structure (and that was only 60 games), wannabe “World Series” title.
“You can’t fix stupid”
Hahaha right, predictable. All you have to respond with is your pathetic personal attacks. You’re a real message boarder, I will give you that. But hey, ‘ERA doesn’t matter!’, right? Right? Wrong.
Did you seriously try to use WAR for 3 series?
Yes. already having 0.8 WAR in only 3 series is actually amazing. What don’t you understand?
@Ace you already lost when you said the Dodgers have zero in the pipeline. If you don’t think so, please elaborate on that thought
Fraudgers were also cheating in 2018, & most likely in years before & since. Their sanctimonious fans deserve all the heartbreak that’s come their way.
@neon one thing I know about cheaters is that they love to deflect. “Yes, we cheated…but so did you!”
You’ve been owned throughout this thread. Just take the L & move on. Your team is going nowhere…
@Neon you strike me as a guy that won’t know what to do with life after TikTok is banned
You routinely get verbally punk-slapped on these threads. Great entertainment. All the best!
I know what I’d do. Cripple a few unsuspecting dweebs with my KikKok.
You haven’t been owned.
But you frequently get rented.
Just take the 25c and move on. Your posts are going nowhere.
^^^^^Long-winded gasbag alert!^^^^
Your use of a stat that needs about 130 games of data to be an accurate measure of performance is a little puzzling. People that understand the stat would never do that. WAY too small of a sample size to have any meaning. They only talk about full seasons or longer when using it.
Try learning what the stat means and its usage to measure performance before commenting. A good place to start is reading what Jay Jaffe, Mitchel Lichtman, and Tom Tango have had to say about WAR.
This is a great book about it and other sabermetrics. The Book: Playing The Percentages In Baseball
Wow. You are getting cattle-prodded by kewldood! ZAP!
Thank God San Diego didn’t already extend him like the Mets did with Lendor only to regret very soon after! Same with Yelich in Milwaukee!
#Ace_
Valid points
…and the Angels are suddenly hovering around their usual .500 thanks to the bullpen. Same story different year: we need pitching. And Nevin excused today’s horrible performance away by saying the Jays did it on soft contact and luck. Nevin is a horrible manager and should never have been extended a contract.
“Still, Nevin brushed aside a postgame question about whether he is concerned about the bullpen, which currently sports a 4.45 ERA. The manager instead pointed out that the Blue Jays’ rally in the seventh mostly came on weakly hit balls off Ryan Tepera and Aaron Loup.”
Ridiculous.
That 6 run inning was quite something. I’m surprised that MLB.com had the 2-run triple in that inning as more impactful than the grand slam in increasing winning probability. I assumed the Angels lost after seeing the score heading into the bottom of the 9th. I was right, but it somehow went to extras.
The bullpen needs improvement and Tepera and Loup got BABIPed to death. Both can be true. In the 7th, Guerrero’s and Chapman’s hit were both had exit velos in the 60s and Merrifield’s ground ball wasn’t even hit 80mph. Jam shots and weak grounders that were hit in no man’s land.
Should the Angels have swept the series with an above-average bullpen? Yes. But it’s stupid to complain about “hovering around .500” when they’re tied for the division lead after playing two series against teams a lot of pundits expect to storm into the playoffs
The Astros and Mariners had to screw up big-time for that to even happen.
The Angels screwed up big time in a third of their games as well
Most teams are around .500 right now. After playing 2 division foes on the road and 2 playoff contenders, 5-4 isn’t great, but acceptable.
The good news is the Angels aren’t the only one in the division blowing saves. The Angels and Astros both have 3 BS and the Mariners have 4 BS. The difference is the Ms and Astros have legitimate closers. The Angels don’t. Estevez doesn’t appear to be the answer.
The Angels bullpen hopefuls Torres and Joyce were part of a combined no hitter the other day. A combined no hitter where they lost 7-5. Torres and Joyce combined for 5 walks and 4 hit batters. Seven runs on a no hitter, a feat that could only be pulled off by my favorite organization.
Sam Bachman is probably the best option. His stuff is electric and he has the control. Only problem is can he stay healthy.
69 – In a vacuum I would agree with you. But the Angels storyline is the same every year. But that’s not really what bothers me. It’s the casual explanations given by the organization. They sound like politicians. A loss is a loss…it doesn’t matter how we got there or who is to blame.
Houston and Seattle will right their ships.
the LAA of A will be bailing out their boat and making excuses.
And sinking… sinking…sinking…
That will be true, bronx, unless they address the bullpen in a drastic way like they should have over the winter.
I listened to that game yesterday. All the way through. Even as a neutral fan, that was painful, in a slow water-torture kind of way.
In another time, Ohtani might have been a good option for the BP. Think about it. He DH’s all game, so he sits when he’s not hitting/running. Then you bring him in late. I think LAA gets a bigger bang for the buck.
But Ohtani calls the shots, and figuring out what the LAA need from him is not one of them.
So far Nevin has over managed the bullpen and when his moves blow up his response is I refuse to over use my pen! A manager who ALWAYS switches out a reliever for the lefty lefty or righty righty matchup when the current reliever is on a roll shows his lack of feel for the game! How many times does the Angel manager bring in someone else and the new reliever gets hit hard immediately! This was the same issue with Madden! U can’t always manage by the book! So far Nevin is a big disappointment!
I’ve never been a fan of playing matchups based solely on lefty-righty statistics. If a guy is shutting it down, leave him in. I think Nevin is only there to facilitate in-game moves called in from upstairs. He will be the reason we lose the season and Ohtani.
They barely won 2 of 3 from the Mariners and Oakland is basically a triple AAA team and 1 and 5 since the Angels left! Blowing a 6-0 lead in the 6th yesterday and a 2 run lead in the 7th on Friday reminds us of the last 8 years of “Here We Go Again”
Alas, your assessment seems on point.
Everything else isn’t bad, the bullpen needs a shakeup. Time to bring up Joyce.
estevez is exactly as expected.
A 2.25 ERA and 7 SO in 4 IP over 4 games? I would say that is better than expected.
I’m hoping Griffin Canning can be decent. But we do need help in the bullpen badly.
How long until Joyce is called up?
Websoulfsurfer; Joyce was a reason the other day the Angels AA team threw a no-hitter and still lost. He has great velocity, but his command isn’t there. So, it could take a few months, possibly June when he is called up with possibly Bachman.
Would you rather have 105 mph working with a minor league coach or a major league coach?
Why would Bachman come up to pitch out of the pen? He has never had a relief outing as a pro. Angels will need him in the rotation soon enough.
Eric Torres and Luke Murphy have shown much better command.
Torres is a lefty who could easily supplant Loup. Just hopefully before Loup blows too many games.
Torres replaced Joyce in the game I mentioned. Maybe in a few months Torres can “easily” supplant Loup. But, for now these prospects need more time.
Torres was great all of last year. He had a bad game over the weekend. Over the long haul he’s been much better than Joyce.
And my comment is really more about how bad Loup has been lately.
Torres is a lefty with no plus pitches. He sits 90 mph. That is not a typo. He had 42 outings in 2022 at AA and he is repeating the level. That tells you all you need to know about the Angels plans for him.
Chapman walked 41 in 50 IP in his first full season in the majors. He followed that up with 5 straight seasons of at least decent command.
If the guy can do what few others in the world can, namely throw 104-105 mph, get him working with the best pitching coach in your system asap. That would be the guy sitting in the dugout with your major league squad.
Not necessarily, surf.
A lot depends on the stage of the young pitcher. If the kid is still teachable…receptive to coaching, and the MiLB coach is a good instructor, that pairing could be better. You’re not going to ‘coach’ an Ohtani or a Kershaw the same way you would a kid you’re trying to develop.
If it was a normal prospect, I would agree with you. 105 mph is not normal. The Angels have the former director of Driveline as their pitching coach. Get that kid into his coaching system ASAP.
I’m not as enamored with radar gun readings as you are.
Trout might not make the playoffs again..
…and if we miss the playoffs again, we lose Ohtani.
Hitting weak dribblers with the game on the bases didn’t help.
Whiffing in the 9th with the game on the bases didn’t help.
How about old man Nelson Cruz tonight?! Good to see him hitting well again.
He’s on pace for 144 RBIs, 32 HRs in just 320 ABs
Arte will sign him next year. To replace Ohtani at DH.
Padres have a monster lineup. Their issue, like the Angels, has been middle relief.
And lack of depth. Suarez and Pomz not back soon. I’d prefer Martinez or Weathers to toss Snell’s 6-7 innings instead of starting and lasting only 4 innings when they do.
Snell is pretty brutal on a 6 man rotation with a 7 man bullpen. If you have a guy who is consistently not making it through 5 innings, and you need to cover 4+ innings with whoever is available to throw out of your 7 BP arms, you’re always walking a tight rope around his starts.
Wilson and Honeywell each picking up 2 innings on Thursday and Friday saved them this weekend when Snell and Martinez couldn’t go 5. A healthy Musgrove should give some more length from the rotation, but I think they’re going to need to go back to a 5 man rotation soon because they need another arm in the pen in these situations.
Agree. The 6 man rotation worked best in first half last year when Manaea (before his downward spiral) and Gore regularly gave bullpens some rest. Martinez needs to figure out SP soon, or return to his super piggybacker role/ or set up man, where he had greater value.
The Angels BP has been comic relief.
Must’ve stopped by another anti aging clinic.
When does Ohtani or Trout get traded?
Never and never. Trout has a full no trade clause and we will lose Ohtani to free agency, not a trade.
Never a Branch Rickey around when you need him.
Angels blew it again… snatched defeat from the jaws of victory.