Salvador Perez suffered a left hamstring strain while scoring a run in today’s 8-4 Royals victory over the Rays. Perez scored from first base on a MJ Melendez double, but the extra effort was costly for the veteran catcher, and a trip to the injured list now seems likely. The time lost will depend on the grade of Perez’s strain, and manager Matt Quartraro told MLB.com’s Anne Rogers and other reporters that the club will have more information on Monday.
An injury to Perez just adds to a nightmare of a season for the Royals, as they are a measly 27-67 after today’s win. Perez is hitting .258/.299/.444 with 15 home runs over 345 plate apperances, translating to below-average (97 wRC+) overall offense for the 33-year-old backstop. It represents a dropoff from Perez’s usual production, yet he remains one of the best bats on a Royals team that has almost entirely underachieved. Melendez and Freddy Fermin seem likely to take over catching duties in the event of Perez hitting the IL, and if you’re wondering if the injury might impact Perez’s trade value, Kansas City general manager J.J. Picollo already stated last month that Perez isn’t going anywhere.
More from the two Central divisions…
- The Brewers were expecting Rowdy Tellez back from the 10-day IL this coming Tuesday, but the first baseman suffered another injury while shagging fly balls prior to today’s game. As manager Craig Counsell told the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel’s Todd Rosiak and other reporters, Tellez was trying to make a catch when he caught his left ring finger between the seams of the outfield wall padding. The result was a broken fingertip, a torn nail, and an estimated 3-4 more weeks on the injured list. Tellez had been sidelined with forearm inflammation, and he was looking to rebound from a nasty slump that had dropped his numbers to .213/.285/.388 over 288 PA. First base/DH was already expected to be a target area for the Brewers heading into the trade deadline, and Tellez’s extended absence now only increases the club’s need for some extra corner power.
- Eloy Jimenez will be out of the White Sox lineup for at least “the next few days” due to a groin injury, manager Pedro Grifol told MLB.com and other media. Jimenez had to make an early exit from today’s game due to the injury, and testing will determine the severity or if Jimenez might be headed for the 10-day IL. The slugger already missed around three weeks earlier this season while recovering from an appendectomy, and a variety of injuries have limited Jimenez’s playing time over his five Major League seasons. Over 259 PA for Chicago this season, Jimenez has 12 home runs and a .269/.313/.463 slash line.
- In better injury news for the White Sox, Joe Kelly threw a bullpen session today and plans to return from the 15-day IL during the Sox/Mets series that begins on Tuesday, Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times tweets. Kelly was placed on the IL due to elbow inflammation on July 5, so he’ll return after a minimal stint. Secondary metrics indicate that Kelly is drastically outperforming his uninspiring 4.82 ERA, so some better bottom-line numbers over the next couple of weeks might turn Kelly into a trade chip for the White Sox at the deadline.
- The Cardinals activated catcher Andrew Knizner off the 10-day IL today, and manager Oli Marmol told reporters (including Daniel Guerrero of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch) that the club will continue to carry three catchers on the roster since it wants to see more of youngster Ivan Herrera. It remains to be seen how the Cardinals will split the playing time between Willson Contreras, Knizner, and Herrera, but Knizner was the only member of the trio to see action in the Cards’ 8-4 win over the Nationals today. In other St. Louis injury news, Tyler O’Neill might return from the IL on Tuesday if he emerges in good form after a Triple-A rehab game today.
Tyler Oneill must feel like “dead man walking” in St. Louis, since he probably knows he likely won’t be there much longer.
He knew that in April? Hey what are they gonna rename Busch Stadium to after AB goes under due to Dylan Mulvany? No one knew that in April?
Not a good look for a platform year for Oniel either… he’s a boras client so he’s gonna test free agency with one MVP vote getting year under his belt? I’d expect a prove it one year deal? Or imcentive loaded 1-3 deal
Corporations often try to force their views on those that don’t want them. Count me among the many people who won’t be crying over paper stock losses by AB.
I agree. A lot of people transitioned from Bud Light to other beers.
I’ve totally transitioned to Modelo Especial. I feel free and beautiful now.
The Conteras signing… never liked it? Watched the video of him being presented and yeah it was feel good, nothing since has been? What better way to make yadier that much more impressive
But, they held onto the legendary, iconic, internationally-known player known as Lars Nootbar. That’s what’s really important in all of this. Who needs MVP candidate Sean Murphy when you have the “untouchable” Lars Nootbar?
Otherwise known as the most overrated player in the league.
Superman, Spider-Man and Batman are “myths”. The iconic Lars Nootbar is real. Babe Ruth was once traded, but you don’t trade a “generational” talent like Lars Nootbar. He’s got a billion dollar, multi-platform candy bar deal launching soon. Look out for it.
Hey! I thought “something fierce” was a Wisconsin-ism! Lol
Tyler O’Neill has a .624 OPS at AAA. He’s a DFA if he doesn’t improve.
I would be surprised if ONeill plays another game as a Cardinal. If we put him on the roster where does he play? Can’t play left that’s where Walker plays and when you got a prospect producing negative WAR you gotta play him everyday. That’s basically a rule.
And why do the Cardinals need 3 catchers? How does that help Herrera get playing time exactly? I think Herrera gets dealt too but that will require a legit offer or player coming back.
Deals are coming. Wish the team was playing better but that ship has sailed. Ready for some trades.
Knizner gets packaged with someone else. Herrera is the catcher of the future. Near future. Trading him is an incredible mistake, but we tend to do that I suppose.
Contreras just signed a contract for 87 million dollars. Bernal is the catcher of the future. Herrera needs to be dealt.
How about admitting W.C. was a mistake signing? That he’s not really good for the team, and trading him to a playoff contender who needs to upgrade their C position? Send Willson and another player to Miami, maybe, for a starter prospect? Gotta be flexible and creative in this league.
The Contreras signing has literally played out like a couple who met in Vegas while drunk, got married that night, and are trying to keep up appearances like it was a great idea while constantly looking for a way out. The FO regretted that signing before the season even started.
Contreras isn’t the problem. Marmol is the problem. And firing him is simple unlike trying to move on from Contreras.
It doesn’t matter what the contract was, he will be incapable of catching more than half the games. Herrera is the future. The past 4 seasons he has caught over 100 games only once. This season he will also be under 100 games. He is not a work horse and never will be. As he ages, he will catch less and less and we will be overspending on a DH that will catch to give Herrera a break.
We have a DH already on the team for years to come his name is Jordan Walker.
Herrera is worth more to a team that can give him more playing time.
Contreras is a problem, he isn’t a good game manager but the Cardinals need to nutt up and make him an asset instead of a liability.
Contreras should have been eased into catching a new rotation, give him 2/5 the rotation to learn, DH and otherwise be a super utility guy. The issue is, however, the Cardinals have “depth” in the outfield and need to rotate guys through dh as well as Goldy being a guy who doesn’t take many days off.
The cardinals should have known Contreras never truly game planned, his calls were all from the dugout and he shouldn’t have been expected to handle 4/5 the rotation on a daily basis. He should have worked with the same two guys all spring and then gradually worked into a third as the season progressed.
I disagree on both statements. Walker will be a 1B, but regardless it shows the problem with Contreras that he wouldn’t even be the regular DH. That’s why you don’t trade Herrera. Contreras will play out like Fowler.
A 1b is a shade above DH.
Contreras might play out like Fowler but there is no basis for that statement yet. First year is similar but that’s not when Fowler fell apart
Contreras isn’t great but he’s not as bad as Cardinal fans make him out to be.
I know he’s not as bad as he’s made out to be, but the reality is he has durability issues behind the plate and there’s no reason to think he will improve as he ages. The way the FO saw things when signing him was that he provides an impact bat, can be behind the plate for a bit and will ultimately be utilized as a DH in the later years of his contract, while providing a day of rest here and there for the every day catcher. I believe their intention was Herrera to start splitting time, probably 60 or so games next year, and the workload would increase over time. WIll this remain the case? I guess we’ll see.
I can’t help but think if Herrera is traded, we’ll be listing him off in a few years of additional trades the Cards have blown it on.
I don’t want to see Herrera given away. Trade simulator has his value at 7 I think it’s more like 20. If it really is 7 I would keep him. But if the Marlins would do a Herrera for Max Meyer deal I am all over that.
Tigers on speed dial 😉
Nope. The Tigers don’t need one year rentals or aging veterans and they don’t have much to trade unless someone wants Eduardo Rodriguez or Javy Baez.
I meant for Herrera. Pair him with Rogers.
You play a player who just turned 21 and has a 111 OPS+ in a lost season. He’s athletic; he’ll figure out the outfield. This team isn’t playing .700 + ball for the remainder of the season. That’s what it would take to make the playoffs. Play for next year which includes putting Jordan in the outfield unless the team plans to trade Goldschmidt.
Contreras is the DH of the future. That’s why you play Jordan in the outfiedl.
Walker is terrible in the outfield.
He’ll get better. This season is lost. Let him get the time he needs playing in the outfield.
Part of the reason the season is lost is the team playing him in the outfield. The two things are directly related.
Maybe he gets better. But to quote a terrible manager this isn’t a developmental league. He shouldn’t be out there.
A lot of teams carry three catchers, especially when you have one young catcher to ease him into catching at the major league level.
There is so much that goes into catching (something Contreras never understood) that goes beyond blocking balls, throwing out runners and hitting the ball. Game planning and management is huge! Knowing your opposing hitters strengths and weaknesses and as they correlate to your pitchers strengths and weaknesses. Being able to adapt that game plan on the fly if your guy is “missing” a pitch on a particular day.
The Cubs thought they could get by with their analytical system, calling games from the dugout, which worked some but guys typically regressed under that system. The Cardinals had Molina getting the best out of all their pitchers and went to Contreras who typically has guys get negative results.
And the FO knew all this before they signed Contreras. They must have thought he’d magically transform into Molina when he donned the Cardinal uni. Strangely that hasn’t happened.
Contreras isn’t the problem. He’s not that bad. And Herrera isn’t a good defensive catcher.
Who is “we”? Do you have a turd in your pocket?
You love the constitution huh?
Must be a typo in the article. Says “better news” for the Sox. Kelly coming of the IL. Should read .. “in even worse news …”
I hear what you are saying, but Kelly has been good sometimes — just not often enough. What concerns me more is Jimenez once again injuring himself running to first base. The man does not know how to run; he is awkward. If I was the manager, I’d set him up with a track coach to teach him how to run properly and maybe the Sox could get more games from him.
It’s not Eloy’s fault. He doesn’t have the physical constitution to be professional athlete. Eloy will stay getting injured as long as he keeps playing baseball at this level. Too bad, because he could have been a top 10/top 20 hitter in the game. The Sox need to move on from him.
Yeah, anyone paying attention knows Eloy doesn’t have the constitution to play at this level. He needs to go, and so does Rick. Jerry selling the team would be epic too, but I digress.
What concerns me is the clown show that is the Sox conditioning staff.. Those clowns must be caught up on their shows by now. Frank Thomas called Eloy’s injury reason in two seconds in the post game. Eloy is not conditioning well (well, I mean most knew that already but nice to hear it confirmed by a HoFer).So if a guy watching the game could figure it out in a few seconds, why hasn’t the conditioning staff been doing their job?
About a month ago I thought the Cardinals would still win the NL Central. No longer see that happening, even though finishing just 5 or 6 games above .500 will probably get it done.
Cards need to clean house. Keep Arenado and Goldie and build around them, Walker (OF) and Masyn Winn (SS).
Probably can’t get squat in a trade for Contreras without eating a bunch of cheese. Also I’m keeping Mikolas and Montgomery. SP is too difficult to find.
Probably could get a contender interested in Gallegos. Might even consider trading Edman since Donovan is almost his clone.
Montgomery doesn’t want an extension. He’s gone by the deadline.
I guess it’s a matter of time before Herrera is sent back to Memphis. That’s a shame. He made the best of his limited opportunities. I’d rather see him playing every day at Memphis than sitting on the bench in St. Louis.
Who exactly backs up Winn at SS next year if Edman gets traded?
And, I’d say trade Willson and eat some cheese. Cards can pay $7M annually for 4 years on WC’s contract since they’ll have two cost-controlled C’s on the roster in Herrera and Kniz. No problemo, but for Moe, that’s kinda complicated.
Are you assuming they will trade Edman, DeJong, and Donovan? Counting Winn, the Cardinals have 4 players capable of playing short.
Donovan doesn’t belong at shortstop. And Edman is having a down year so I really wouldn’t trade him. The guy to trade in a big move is either Donovan or Gorman.
Brewers need to bring back Hiura now with Tellez news. They are ridiculous for not giving him another shot. Ask Arcia and Segura. They need to get over their hang ups. Don’t mortgage from our weak farm for some marginal rental stiff
I’m for that. Absent a trade, why wouldn’t they bring Hiura up?
Lack of defense, maybe?? He cut down on his kick and better k rate. Seems like they’re holding him hostage down there. Maybe they are hoping he has some trade value left where he is.
He may not be as strong at 1B as Rowdy. I see at AAA Hiura has started 13 games at 1b and 22 games in LF.
Maybe get him more playing time at 1B?
I think he’s getting the Lindblom treatment now. Just let him play out the year in the minors and he’s gone.
4.26.22-Rick Hahn, who met the media for 20 minutes Tuesday, said he caught wind of “lazy analysis” characterizing Jiménez as such.“Couldn’t be further from the truth in terms of the fact he’s missing significant time this year and last year,” Hahn said, “that’s the extent of you can call the guy injury prone.”—
Eloy’s Jimenez Injuries-
DATE INJURY
7/16/23 Groin
6/8/23 Leg
5/6/23 Appendix
4/5/23 Hamstring
9/1/22 Leg
8/23/22 Elbow
8/19/22 Hamstring
7/13/22 Leg
4/23/22 Hamstring
4/13/22 Ankle
9/7/21 Knee
7/28/21 Groin
3/29/21 Pectoral
10/1/20 Foot
9/24/20 Foot
7/26/20 Light-headedness
8/22/19 Hip
7/16/19 Elbow
4/26/19 Ankle
You’ve been Rickrolled.
Lol, nice summary. They should just trade bill for winter they can get, they have plenty of DH options.
Imagine if the Sox had a conditioning staff worth a damn, I mean Eloy would still have injuries, but a lot less of them. Specifically all those ‘soft tissue’ ones just should not occur if you are an athlete on a professional ball club.
Kind of hilarious how both the OPS+ and WAR of Salvador Perez (102, 0.3 in 322 AB) and Freddy Fermin (100, 0.9 in 105 AB) are so deceiving.
Nobody could possibly make the argument that the two are comparable in effectiveness or value to the team, except baseball’s nebulous modern stat categories.
Most modern statisticians would say that 112 major league at bats is too small a sample size to draw long term conclusions.
It’s quite amazing how well those nebulous modern stat categories do when ranking hall of fame players.
Not making any long term conclusions, current value, season to date. Overvalue of defense by modern eye-grading metrics is an issue, particularly among positions like catcher where it seems to fluctuate much more than a little from season to season.
Framing is a perfect example, where an eye grade is arbitrarily translated into “saved runs” and somehow made journeymen like Jonathan Lucroy or Russell Martin into a 7+ WAR player for a few seasons. But yeah, maybe being a backup catcher is like being a backup QB.
However, my point is If a stat category works over a 20-year HOF career but not half or a full season, there’s ample reason to question its validity as average and median MLB careers are not 20 years long.
No statistics work with a small sample size. Not the old ones and not the new ones.
PS – Russell Martin made $118M in salary over his career, despite having RIch Gedman and Darrell Porter similarities!