Jose Suarez will receive an MRI after leaving today’s game in the third inning due to discomfort in his left shoulder. The Angels starter was rocked for seven runs over 2 2/3 innings, with Suarez telling reporters (including MLB.com’s Brian Wright) that he first started feeling the shoulder soreness during the second inning but he tried to keep going.
Between the Angels’ six-man rotation and an off-day on May 11, Suarez could get over a week of recuperation time before he is next needed to pitch, so it’s possible he might avoid the injured list if the MRI comes back clean. However, it seems more likely that the IL might be in order to get Suarez feeling better, and to perhaps act as a reset button on the left-hander’s season. After posting decent results as a swingman for Anaheim in 2021-22, Suarez has a 9.62 ERA over 24 1/3 innings in 2023.
More on other pitchers around baseball…
- Reds southpaw Reiver Sanmartin left today’s game due to elbow soreness, and he told reporters (including Bobby Nightengale of the Cincinnati Enquirer) that a trip to the 15-day injured list is likely in order. Sanmartin said his elbow issue has been bothering him “for a couple of weeks now. I’ve tried to pitch through it….I don’t feel like I have full control of where I want to put it in the zone.” The lingering injury probably explains Sanmartin’s lack of results, as he has an ungainly 7.07 ERA over 14 appearances and 14 innings for the Reds this season. Sanmartin is in his third MLB season, and had very strong numbers as a reliever in 2022 (despite a 6.35 ERA over 57 innings that was inflated by four disastrous starts). Assuming Sanmartin hits the IL, Alex Young will be the only left-hander in the Reds’ bullpen.
- Alex Wood began a Triple-A rehab assignment today, allowing two runs (one earned) over 3 2/3 innings of work. It’s probably safe to assume that Wood will make one more rehab outing before returning to the Giants’ rotation, unless the club wanted to bring him back in a limited capacity or perhaps in piggyback situation with Ross Stripling. Either Stripling or Sean Manaea seems like the odd man out when Wood does return at full health, and it already seems like Wood will beat the much longer initial timeline given when he first went on the IL with a hamstring strain on April 18. Wood was off to a nice start, posting a 1.80 ERA of his first three games and 10 innings this season.
- While not exactly an injury update, Braves manager Brian Snitker told reporters (including MLB.com’s Mark Bowman) that “we’re just going through some things right now” in regards to when staff ace Max Fried might make his next start. Fried won’t pitch against the Red Sox as initially scheduled on Wednesday, and Snitker also didn’t say whether or not Fried might be available to face the Blue Jays on Friday. Since Atlanta has off-days on both Monday and Thursday this week, it’s possible the Braves are figuring out how to align its rotation, especially since Kyle Wright’s injury has left the club with just four starters. That said, Snitker’s rather vague comment created some doubt about Fried’s status. While nothing was reported health-wise following Fried’s last start on Friday, he did have a rough outing in allowing seven runs (five earned) over six-plus innings against the Orioles.
As a fan of Firefly, I hope Reiver does well.
Eep, not a fan of Reavers. Them dudes is scary
With as important as this season is for the Angels, Suarez should have been removed from the rotation 2 starts ago. But with Nevin, it’s business as usual. Here’s a classic quote from Nevin yesterday about Detmers’ horrible start:
““I don’t think the ERA and the numbers are indicative of really what his stuff has been this year and how well he’s pitched,” said Nevin.”
Huh? The numbers are exactly indicative of what his stuff has been this year. If not, why keep track of numbers at all. Different manager, same mantra year after year.
Suarez always makes me nervous, but if it’s an injury issue, I ain’t mad. And also, it’s a manager’s job to back up his players. But yeah, Suarez has not been good this season
Oh it’s an injury issue alright…Suarez is hitting the IL due to swelling of the ERA and WHIP. He’s awful
Prov356 – that’s how I have felt about Suarez (i.e., needed to be removed from the rotation a couple of starts ago); and replaced with Silseth or Davidson. I like how Barria and Davidson have pitched in mop up roles and Suarez might benefit from a similar role.
Re: Detmer’s so-called “horrible” start. I disagree. He looked solid for 3 innings, then had one bad inning where he gave up 3 runs. He was removed after 4 innings. Had he been able to go 1 or 2 more innings, then 3 runs over 5 or 6 innings isn’t so bad.
And this leads me to one of my biggest frustrations with Nevin. His lack of faith in the starting rotation and how he will automatically remove a starting pitcher once they hit around 88 pitches or after they get through 5 innings (whichever comes first), regardless of how they’re doing. Even if they’re pitching a shutout, if the leadoff runner gets on base in the 6th inning and God forbid the pitch count is around 88, then it’s nearly an automatic hook instead of showing some faith and allowing the pitcher to get out of his own “jam”. And almost always, the pen will allow that inherited runner to score.
It seems they, the powers that be above Nevin are managing instead – following the BS algorithm crap with out looking with your eyes and allowing the manager to manage. PM needs to stop doing it.
Yeah I agree with AF6 above that it’s the front office that’s dictating the moves. So there’s plenty of blame to go around.
I was fortunate to play through college and I can tell you even our worst pitchers “knew” not to groove 0-2 pitches down the plate. Yet Detmers left 0-2 and 1-2 pitches way too often over the plate. Detmers needs to start there: work on how to get the hitters to swing at “your” pitch.
Suarez needs to shake everyone’s hand and thank them for the experience. I’m sorry, but that dude is not a MLB pitcher.
Reading Angel fans complain about Nevin less than a year after wanting to get rid of a guy who took two historically-bad franchises to a world series–even winning one–makes me chuckle. Enjoy Nevin. You deserve him. You had a great manager whose team did not play well for a few weeks, so you had to get rid of him. LOL enjoy another banner year.
redwine – seeing trolls generalize fan groups is also LOL-able. I didn’t agree when Maddon was fired and I thought they should have re-hired him instead of extending Nevin for this year.
“You had a great manager whose team did not play well for a few weeks, so you had to get rid of him.”
I don’t work for the Angels.
A Suarez (Ranger) for a Suarez (Jose).
Make the trade.
In Juarez.
Just need to DFA Suarez, and the Angels team will start to come together, since Loup is out to.
That is after his IL stent.
Well, just cutt bait with both.
Things need to get way better for Suarez to continue his spot in the rotation. I’d rather see Baria get a shot to finally be a consistent starter. Switch the two and you may get better results. If anything it wouldn’t hurt and would put another righty to balance out the strong lefty rotation… either way pitching needs to improve to get where we want to go this season.
Man, things have been really rough for the Braves rotation so far this year, yet somehow they’ve managed to put up some pretty good numbers…
Now, with Wright and Fried back out again it sounds like they’re going to have to call up Dodd and maybe Shuster again..
Soroka was doing really well at first to start the season, but his last two starts he’s been getting hammered and been getting singled to death…
Tanner Gordon started the year in AA, and he was doing some amazing work. He just recently got promoted to AAA, and let’s just say his first start is one he’d like to forget..I think his ERA was like 60.00 or something along those lines..lol
With all of that being said, especially after his last excellent start, it looks like really their only option other than Dodd is to also bring up Shuster. Just have to hope he has worked out some of the issues that got him in trouble during his last two starts..
I think the Braves might have had some plans of bringing up Muñoz and using him as a multi-inning opener or simply as a long relief weapon put of the pen, but ever since he’s been promoted to AAA, he too has struggled with his control and really hasn’t looked very good..Hopefully, he’s able to turn it around, because when Muñoz is on, he has an electric two-pitch mix that could be a valuable weapon for the Braves eventually..Was hoping he might be able to replace Matzek, and kind of fill that type of role for the Braves, but it looks like we are going to have to be more patient with Muñoz, because he clearly isn’t ready and needs more time.
In terms of some of the Braves other talented arms and pitching prospects, Smith-Shawver had been pitching lights out in High A, but after his promotion to AA, he wasn’t quite as dominant as he had been. He pitched okay, but hopefully it was just some first time jitters, and he can go back to dominating like he was previously. Smith-Shawver really has TOR type of upside, and if he continues on this same trajectory he could be an option for the Braves at some point next season.
JR Ritchie has some of the most dominant stuff in the system, and he has an extremely bright future ahead of him. So far this season, Ritchie has been nothing short of incredible, with just one little hiccup, and racking up strikeouts left and right. Unfortunately though, he recently had to leave his last start due to something wrong with his shoulder…So, that doesn’t sound like very good news, and he could be out for awhile. It very well could be a major setback for Ritchie, who was looking like more and more like a dominant future TOR type of starter.
Former first rounder, Owen Murphy has been pretty good overall, but lately he’s been a little up and down and has been struggling a but with his command. Hopefully he’s able to bounce back, right the ship, and continue on looking like a future fixture in the Braves bullpen.
Cole Phillips, their talented 2nd Round High School arm, just pitched in a simulated game today for the first time since he was hurt, and apparently was touching 99mph, struck out the side in the 1st Inning, and then proceeded to collect two more Ks in his second and final inning of work. Either way, that’s some excellent news for Phillips, and the report came from his Dad’s Twitter, with a short video, so it sounds like a pretty trustworthy source..lol
Maier has been out with no word of what is going on, and Burkhalter is out for the year with TJ surgery..Other than that Keller and Shoemaker both have looked really good, and have done well for themselves so far this season..The Braves also have a few other younger pitcher’s that are trying to make names for themselves that were international signings, but I’m not as familiar with those prospects, so anyone still reading this is on their own as far as those guys are concerned…lol
Brevity is an art!
The Braves 2022 #1 draft pick has been used exclusively as a starter in his very short career. Think you’re prematurely selling him short by claiming that Murphy will “…..continue on looking like a future fixture in the Braves bullpen.” The Braves probably didn’t draft a high school rh pitcher #1 because they believe his ceiling is in the pen. It’s too early to label an athletic, 19 yo #1 pick w/4 average or better pitches a reliever.
Braves are in a world of hurt from a starting pitching standpoint. AA is going to have to get a rental player at the deadline or maybe sooner. The status of uncertainty surrounding Wright’s shoulder…cant rule out the possibility he could get shut down for the year. Cant rely on two rookies and Soroka to carry 1 or 2 rotation spots all season.
Thanks for not resigning Stripling says all Blue Jays fans
Hey, his ERA may be 6.66, but his FIP is only 6.63.
AA gonna need some pixie dust to cover over what the Braves are lacking. JMHO, but might to way too early to trade for a SP. Gotta hope the depth in the system can hold back the flood waters until Fried, Wright and maybe Soroka are ready.
However, they need to address LF. Don’t see a platoon of Ozuna, Pillar and Rosario helping. They match up well with St. Louis in terms of being trading partners. Cardinals need a SP and have way too many outfielders. A solid SP prospect like Schuster might get them Tyler O’Neill (IL) who seems to be out of favor with his manager. But the guy hit 34 HR and stole 14 bags while batting .282 in 2021. Hurt off and on last year, he still managed 14 HR and 15 SBs in limited at bats. Hey, maybe if we give them a really good SP to whet their appetite, they might even take Ozuna off our hands!
Rosario playing well below his career numbers really isnt helping the situation. Need some addition by subtraction when TDA returns to the club.
While you’re not wrong about what each team has in its organization, you can’t expect the Braves to trade a pitcher to the Cardinals in the same day Snitker is shuffling the rotation due to multiple injuries affecting things. Maybe in a few weeks it becomes a more viable plan to match up the Braves & Cards in a deal, but not now.
As long as Atlanta is winning not sure they will make any huge moves. As long as everything is looking good Atlanta will just run the line up out and see if someone can get hot.
I do think later in the summer that Vaugh Grissom could be used as a trading piece as he doesn’t appear to have the defense for shortstop or the power for the outfield. He could headline a nice package for some help.
The great thing about Atlanta is basically they only have a shortstop question and a left field question for the next few years baring any injuries
Agree often w/you Benjamin, but I don’t see why teams would have much interest in the player you described. “He doesn’t appear to have the defense for shortstop or the power for the outfield.” Imo, Grissom has very little trade value because he’s very much the player you described.
Explains why Sanmartin is good one appearance and awful the next so far this season.
I cringe when I see pitchers say it’s been bothering them for weeks and they thought they could pitch through it though. Not a good way to avoid serious injury. You know the difference between arm fatigue and something else if you have pitched any time at all.
Fried won’t pitch against the Red Sox as initially scheduled on Wednesday
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This is usually where the RS luck out and miss an ace, and some kid named TBD gets promoted and shuts us out for 5 innings.
With 3 off days upcoming in the next 11 days the braves are reshuffling their SP rotation. Tough stretch of games for the braves next 3 weeks. BOS, TOR, TX, SEA, LAD, PHL
The weekly “horrible pitcher update”.
Sorry to say I saw Soroka pitch on Sat and the Knights pretty much had their way with him. Based on that and his stats so far I think we’re dreaming to expect him to help the Braves any time soon, unfortunately.