NL West Notes: Belt, Lamb, Rockies, Hoffman, Chatwood
Giants first baseman Brandon Belt and Angels right-hander Jaime Barria carved out a unique spot for themselves in baseball history on Sunday, as the two set a modern-day record with a 21-pitch plate appearance. The epic battle finally ended with Belt lining out to right field, though the accumulation certainly took its toll on Barria and the Angels bullpen — Barria, making his second career MLB start, lasted just two-plus innings in the game on 77 pitches. The historic at-bat was just one noteworthy moment of a big day for Belt, who went 3-for-5 with a home run in the Giants’ 4-2 victory.
Some items from around the NL West…
- An MRI revealed that Jake Lamb has tendinitis in his right elbow, and Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo told reporters (including Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic) that the third baseman will be shut down for a few days. Lamb appeared in just four games before hitting the disabled list due to a sprained AC joint in his left shoulder, and the Snakes were hopeful that he could return to action this week before this new injury cropped up. Deven Marrero and Daniel Descalso have served as a third base platoon in Lamb’s absence.
- The Rockies announced that right-hander Jeff Hoffman will not be optioned to Triple-A, and will instead remain on the 10-day DL and pitch at Triple-A on a rehab assignment. (MLB.com’s Thomas Harding was among those to report the news.) The former top prospect has been sidelined with a shoulder problem, though Hoffman has managed 11 innings in the minors as he works his way back from the injury.
- The Rockies didn’t make Tyler Chatwood an offer last winter, which didn’t come as much surprise to the right-hander, as he tells The Athletic’s Nick Groke (subscription required). “Toward the end of the year, the writing was on the wall that I wasn’t coming back. I think the feeling was mutual,” Chatwood said. A change of scenery certainly seemed likely for Chatwood given his very rough career numbers at Coors Field; he mentioned to Groke that his two-seam fastball was particularly ineffective in the thin air. The general belief around the game was that Chatwood could flourish in a less hitter-friendly environment, which made him a hot commodity in free agency and led to a three-year, $38MM deal with the Cubs. His first three starts for Chicago have been mixed to say the least, as Chatwood has a 4.60 ERA and an ungainly 14 walks (against 18 strikeouts) over 15 2/3 innings.
D’Backs Acquire International Bonus Slot From Mariners For Righty Edwin Quezada
The Diamondbacks have acquired a 2017-18 international bonus slot from the Mariners, as per press releases from both teams. Seattle will get minor league right-hander Edwin Quezada back on their end of the swap. The amount of money changing hands isn’t yet known, though international pool money can only be dealt in $250K increments.
The Mariners actively looked to add to their bonus pool during the current international signing period as the team pursued Shohei Ohtani. The M’s added roughly $2.5MM in additional international funds in trades with the Marlins, Twins, and White Sox over the offseason, though once Ohtani chose to sign with the Angels, the Mariners reversed course and began to unload some of that excess cash. GM Jerry Dipoto added two arms to the system in the form of southpaw Anthony Misiewicz (while sending $1MM in pool money to the Rays) and right-hander Shawn Armstrong from the Indians for $500K, and now the Mariners have added another pitcher in Quezada.
The 21-year-old was signed out of the Dominican Republic last year and he made his pro debut in the Dominican Summer League, posting a 1.74 ERA, 2.71 K/BB rate, and 46 strikeouts over 41 1/3 innings of work. Quezada appeared as a reliever in 12 of 15 games.
NL Notes: Bautista, Reds, D-backs, Phillies
Third baseman Jose Bautista, whom the Braves signed to a minor league contract this week, could join the team during its upcoming road trip, Mark Bowman of MLB.com writes. The Braves will be out of Atlanta from April 23 through May 3, and Bautista will begin that period at Triple-A Gwinnett. A longtime superstar outfielder with the Blue Jays, Bautista has looked good at third with the Braves thus far, according to infield instructor Adam Everett. The 37-year-old played a bit of third in 2017, though he hasn’t lined up there on any kind of regular basis since 2011.
Here’s more from the NL:
- Reds legend Barry Larkin “has always coveted” their managerial job, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe writes. Now that the team has fired previous skipper Bryan Price and is currently going with an interim option in Jim Riggleman, it’s possible Larkin will emerge as a candidate when the Reds’ search for a full-time skipper begins in earnest. Larkin, a Hall of Fame shortstop with the Reds from 1986-2004, currently works with the team as a special assistant. Former major league skipper and ex-Red Buddy Bell is also under Cincinnati’s employ (as a senior adviser), but the 66-year-old is uninterested in managing the club, John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer reports on Twitter.
- The Diamondbacks are tentatively planning to activate third baseman Jake Lamb from the disabled list on Tuesday, though Arizona manager Torey Lovullo told reporters (including Richard Morin of the Arizona Republic) that Lamb would need one final evaluation from the team training staff. Lamb hasn’t played since April 2 due to a shoulder injury, though his absence hasn’t seemed to faze the Diamondbacks, who have gone 13-5 without him. Third base fill-ins Daniel Descalso and Deven Marrero have struggled, however.
- We’re in an era in which batters are attempting to hit the ball in the air, so Phillies pitchers are trying to combat that by throwing up in the zone, Matt Gelb of The Athletic explains (subscription required). The plan has worked so far for Philadelphia, whose pitchers entered Sunday having allowed the majors’ fewest home runs (11) and its second-lowest slugging percentage against (.320). “A huge focus in spring training was pitching at the top of the strike zone,” said catcher Andrew Kapp. “We were doing a really good job of that. And these guys are just hitting their spots. All we’re doing behind the plate is just suggesting: ‘Hey, this is where we think we should go.’ But they have to hit the spot at the end of the day.” Phillies pitchers hit the spot once again Sunday, yielding just two runs and seven hits in an 11-inning win over the Pirates.
Diamondbacks Agree To Minor League Deal With Brian Ellington
The D-backs are in agreement on a minor league contract with right-hander Brian Ellington, reports Zach Buchanan of The Athletic (Twitter link). The MVP Sports client was released by the Marlins earlier this month. Buchanan notes that he’s working his way back from a biceps injury and, as such, as not yet been assigned to a minor league affiliate with the Snakes.
Ellington, 27, is one of the hardest-throwing relievers in baseball, having averaged a blistering 98.1 mph on his heater in 77 2/3 innings from 2016-17 with Miami. Control has been a longstanding issue for the former 16th-round pick, however, as he’s walked 64 batters, hit 10 more and uncorked eight wild pitches in 102 2/3 innings at the big league level.
Early in his career, Ellington’s strikeout rate didn’t match up with what one might expect from a pitcher with that type of velocity, though his ability to miss bats has trended upward over the past couple of seasons. Last year, he averaged 9.7 K/9 in 44 2/3 innings to go along with a hearty 12.6 percent swinging-strike rate, but he also averaged 7.1 walks per nine innings pitched.
About three quarters of Ellington’s offerings are fastballs, with only occasional deviations from the heater for a curveball and an even more seldom-used changeup. Last year’s uptick in strikeouts was accompanied by a massive spike in walk rate and a significant dip in his chase rate, but if Ellington (once healthy) can cut his walks back to 2016 levels (4.4 BB/9) and maintain any of the gains he made in terms of missed bats, he’d seemingly be a nice bullpen piece. That’s easier said than done, of course, and the immediate focus for both team and player will be more on his health than anything else.
Taijuan Walker To Undergo Tommy John Surgery
The D-backs were hit with a significant blow on Wednesday, as manager Torey Lovullo revealed to reporters that right-hander Taijuan Walker has a partial tear of the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow and will require Tommy John surgery (Twitter link via Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic). Walker will be out for the remainder of the 2018 season.
Clearly, it’s a huge loss for a D-backs team that watched Walker, long heralded as one of MLB’s most promising pitching prospects, break out with a 3.49 ERA, 8.4 K/9, 3.5 BB/9, 0.97 HR/9 and a 48.9 percent ground-ball rate in 157 1/3 innings last season. The 25-year-old Walker has averaged 27 starts per season over the past three years between the Mariners and D-backs, but Arizona was counting on him taking an even more pivotal role in 2018, joining Zack Greinke, Robbie Ray, Patrick Corbin and Zack Godley in what looked to be one of the National League’s more formidable starting quintets.
[Related: Arizona Diamondbacks depth chart]
Matt Koch will start in Walker’s place on Friday, tweets Zach Buchanan of The Athletic, but he tossed just 56 innings last season and doesn’t have any sort of big league track record. Arizona thinned out its rotation depth in the March trade that saw left-hander Anthony Banda — a largely MLB-ready rotation piece — head to the Rays in the three-team Steven Souza / Brandon Drury swap. Former first-rounder Braden Shipley is still on hand in Triple-A as a potential option, as is recent waiver claim Troy Scribner.
Walker’s injury will now put the recovery of right-hander Shelby Miller under even more of a microscope. The embattled righty struggled through a catastrophic first season in the Diamondbacks organization but looked to be in the process of righting the ship in 2017 before he, too, suffered a UCL tear that necessitated Tommy John surgery. The 27-year-old Miller has yet to pitch in the minors as he continues rehabbing from his own operation, performed early last May, but he could emerge as a viable fifth starter for a talented D-backs rotation at some point in June or July.
The D-backs still control Walker through the 2020 season, and given his reasonable $4.825MM salary as a second-time arbitration player (with Super Two status), the ligament replacement procedure is unlikely to spell the end of his time with the D-backs. Walker’s limited workload in 2018 — he made just three starts and totaled 13 innings — should limit him to a minimal raise in arbitration this offseason. The D-backs will be able to hang onto him for something in the vicinity of $5MM, and while Walker almost certainly won’t be ready to take the hill until at least next May, if not early summer, that’s an eminently reasonable price to pay — especially when considering that he could still be controlled for one year beyond the ’19 campaign.
Taijuan Walker Diagnosed With “UCL Injury”
Diamondbacks starter Taijuan Walker has been diagnosed with a “UCL injury,” skipper Torey Lovullo told reporters including MLB.com’s Steve Gilbert (Twitter links). The severity of the issue — including whether there’s a tear to the ligament — is not yet known.
For the time being, all that’s really known is that Walker will head out for a second opinion before deciding on a course of treatment. The options on the table at the moment are not clear, but it seems reasonable to hope there is still a possibility he’ll avoid the worst-case outcome.
In certain situations, damage to the ulnar collateral ligament requires Tommy John surgery, which comes with a rehabilitation protocol of a year or more. In some cases, though, UCL problems can be approached with rehab, stem cell and/or platelet-rich plasma treatment, and/or less-invasive surgical approaches.
The news comes as a major shock to a D-Backs club that has paced the NL West in the early going. Even if Walker is able to avoid surgery, he’ll quite likely require a substantial DL stint before he’s able to return to the hill.
Any missed time will be problematic, to say the least, though the Arizona organization does have some options to fill in. Former top prospect Braden Shipley, recent waiver claimee Troy Scribner, and fellow righty Matt Koch are the top possibilities on the 40-man roster. Kris Medlen, Jake Buchanan, and Tyler Pill represent the slate of pitchers with MLB experience that are also in the organization (though the latter two have been knocked around in their first outings at Triple-A).
It’s even more concerning news from Walker’s perspective. The long-hyped 25-year-old finally turned in a full and productive season in 2017, when he pitched to a 3.49 ERA with 8.4 K/9 and 3.5 BB/9 along with a 48.9% groundball rate over 157 1/3 innings. He had seemed in typical form to open the current season, though he was getting less swings and misses than usual (in a limited, 13-inning sample).
Walker is earning $4.825MM this year, his second season of arbitration eligibility after qualifying as a Super Two player in 2017. The Diamondbacks control him for two additional seasons beyond the present one.
Diamondbacks Place Taijuan Walker On DL
The Diamondbacks have placed right-hander Taijuan Walker on the disabled list with inflammation in his pitching shoulder, per a team announcement. In a corresponding move, they recalled righty Silvino Bracho from Triple-A Reno.
The severity of Walker’s injury isn’t yet known, evidenced by the fact that he’ll undergo an MRI on Monday (via Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic). Walker had to leave his Saturday start against the Dodgers after just two innings because of forearm tightness, which often portends major injuries for pitchers.
Arizona’s left to hope it’s nothing serious for the 25-year-old, especially considering its depth issues behind the impressive starting quintet of Zack Greinke, Zack Godley, Robbie Ray, Patrick Corbin and Walker. Other potential starters on their 40-man roster include Braden Shipley, Matt Koch and Troy Scribner, though no one from that trio is remotely established at the major league level.
Conversely, Walker has served as a quality big leaguer for the majority of his career, which began as a high-end prospect with the Mariners in 2013. Seattle ended up trading Walker to Arizona in a November 2016 blockbuster that also featured the likes of Jean Segura, Mitch Haniger and Ketel Marte. Walker has since amassed 170 1/3 innings of 3.49 ERA ball while posting 8.19 K/9, 3.49 BB/9 and a 48.4 percent groundball rate.
Injury Notes: T. Walker, Brewers, S. Perez, DeShields
Here’s the latest injury news from around the majors:
- Diamondbacks right-hander Taijuan Walker left his start against the Dodgers on Saturday with forearm tightness, Arizona announced. Walker departed after throwing two innings, during which he experienced a drop in velocity, per Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic. While the severity of Walker’s injury is not yet clear, forearm tightness often leads to more serious elbow troubles. The D-backs are left to hope this isn’t a major issue for Walker, who impressed with them last year – his first with the club – and has begun 2018 with 13 innings of 3.46 ERA pitching.
- Brewers outfielder Christian Yelich is eligible to come off the disabled list Sunday, but the club won’t activate him then, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com tweets. Yelich, who suffered an oblique injury last week, isn’t yet 100 percent, McCalvy notes. Meanwhile, fellow corner outfielder Ryan Braun left Saturday’s game against the Mets with back tightness, Adam Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel was among those to report. Whether it’s problematic enough to lead to a DL stint isn’t yet known. Braun, of course, missed 58 games last year while dealing with various injuries.
- Royals catcher Salvador Perez could make his 2018 debut during the team’s next homestand, which runs from April 24-29, Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com writes. Perez, who suffered a Grade 2 MCL tear in his left knee on March 28, began a rehab assignment at the Double-A level on Saturday. The Perez-less Royals have gotten terrible offensive production early this year from behind-the-plate fill-ins Drew Butera and Cam Gallagher, who combined for a .175/.227/.250 line entering Saturday. Thanks in part to their struggles, Kansas City’s a woeful 3-10.
- Rangers center fielder Delino DeShields could come back earlier than expected from the broken left hamate bone he suffered March 31, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News relays. DeShields was slated to miss four to six weeks at the time of the injury, but he’s aiming for an April 23 return – which would be three weeks. The Rangers’ reserve options, Drew Robinson and Carlos Tocci, haven’t exactly stepped up during DeShields’ absence. Robinson has hit a meek .167/.255/.262 in 47 plate appearances, while Tocci has collected only one hit in 10 trips to the plate.
Rays Acquire Jeremy Hazelbaker From Diamondbacks
The Rays have acquired outfielder Jeremy Hazelbaker from the Diamondbacks in exchange for cash, the teams announced. To clear a spot on the 40-man roster, Tampa Bay has transferred right-hander Jose De Leon to the 60-day disabled list.
Hazelbaker, whom the D-backs designated for assignment late last week, will head to Triple-A Durham. De Leon underwent Tommy John surgery during Spring Training, so he’ll be out for the entirety of the 2018 season.
The 30-year-old Hazelbaker will give the Rays some depth across the board in the outfield, as he’s plenty experienced in center and in both outfield corners. The left-handed-hitting Hazelbaker was the talk of MLB two years ago when he broke camp with the Cardinals and posted an absurd .317/.357/.683 slash in the month of April. However, he cooled off considerably over the remainder of the season and was ultimately waived by St. Louis and claimed by Arizona.
Last year with the D-backs, Hazelbaker logged 61 plate appearances and again posted some eye-popping numbers, hitting .346/.443/.577 with two doubles, two homers and two triples. In all, Hazelbaker is a .258/.327/.500 hitter in in 285 MLB plate appearances, and he owns a .277/.336/.452 slash in parts of seven Triple-A seasons.
Injury Notes: Rizzo, Kiermaier, Mariners, Wieters, Odor, Morales, Martinez
Anthony Rizzo‘s back issues have forced the Cubs to place him on the 10-day DL, as Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Tribune tweeted and has since been announced. But it seems there’s little reason to anticipate a lengthy absence for the first baseman, who nearly avoided a stint on the shelf altogether. The move was backdated to Friday the 6th, so Rizzo — who has averaged 154 games annually since the start of the 2013 season — is already less than a week away from being eligible to be reactivated.
Here’s more on the injury front from around the game:
- Rays outfielder Kevin Kiermaier has avoided significant damage to his foot, as Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports. He has spent some time in a walking boot while the swelling goes down after ending up on the receiving end of a foul ball, but has been cleared of any broken bones. Indeed, Kiermaier now says he’s preparing to work out today with hopes of getting back in game action as soon as tomorrow, as Topkin adds on Twitter.
- Likewise, the Mariners are seeing positive signs from a variety of key players, as Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times reports (Twitter links). DH Nelson Cruz, catcher, Mike Zunino, and outfielder Ben Gamel could also be on the active roster by the end of the coming weekend, with the former seemingly furthest along. That’s certainly good news for the M’s, who have watched the division-rival Astros and Angels set a fast pace to open the new season.
- Likewise, the Nationals are nearing the activation of catcher Matt Wieters, as Mark Zuckerman of MASNsports.com reports. The veteran will take at least a brief rehab assignment but will likely be ready to go shortly thereafter. With Pedro Severino showing well in the chances he has received early on, it’s quite possible he’ll remain on the roster even when Wieters is back. Skipper Dave Martinez says “there’s a good possibility we keep three catchers” for a stretch, with Miguel Montero rounding out the anticipated trio.
- The needle has moved in the other direction for Diamondbacks outfielder Steven Souza. As Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports, an MRI showed fluid in the region of Souza’s pec injury, so he’ll require a few more days of rest. It had been anticipated that he could be ready to be activated by the end of the week. A new timeline isn’t really yet evident, but clearly the Snakes will have to wait a bit longer for their primary offseason trade acquisition.
- The Rangers announced that second baseman Rougned Odor left his club’s game today with a left hamstring strain. We’re still awaiting word on a full assessment, but it certainly seems as if the organization is anticipating a DL stint. Likewise, Blue Jays DH Kendrys Morales has received a diagnosis of a grade 1 hammy strain, per a club announcement. That said, skipper John Gibbons struck an optimistic tone after the game, as Gregor Chisholm of MLB.com reports (Twitter link). Cardinals first baseman Jose Martinez also had to depart after a collision with Brewers outfielder Lorenzo Cain. While it seems the latter will be just fine, the former has been diagnosed with a right Achilles tendon contusion, per the club. Hopefully, that ends up representing the extent of the injury.