Logan Morrison To Undergo Season-Ending Hip Surgery
SUNDAY: Morrison could actually require up to eight months to recover, he told Tyler Fenwick of MLB.com and other reporters. He wouldn’t return until April in that scenario, though it’s possible Morrison will need as few as four months to come back, as noted below.
SATURDAY, 10:38pm: Morrison seems to be facing a four- to six-month recovery period, per Berardino, who adds that he should be healthy in time for spring training next year.
8:45pm: Twins first baseman Logan Morrison will undergo season-ending surgery on his left hip, Mike Berardino of the Pioneer Press was among those to tweet. Morrison has a hip impingement and will head to the 10-day disabled list, according to the team. His roster spot will go to right-hander Kohl Stewart (previously reported).
The injury brings a premature conclusion to a disappointing season for Morrison, whom the Twins signed to a one-year, $6.5MM guarantee in free agency last February. The deal also includes an $8MM club option for 2019, but it seems likely the Twins will instead buy out Morrison for $1MM.
When the Twins added Morrison, who lasted longer than expected on the open market, he was coming off a career-best season in which he hit 38 home runs as a member of the Rays. At the same time, the Twins were fresh off their first playoff berth since 2011. But both sides have struggled this season, as Morrison has hit a mere .186/.276/.368 (74 wRC+) with 15 home runs across 359 plate appearances and the Twins have stumbled to a 53-62 record.
In the event Morrison returns to free agency in the offseason, he’ll do so as a 31-year-old who, 2017 aside, hasn’t produced great results in the majors. Over 3,713 PAs, the left-handed hitter has only been a bit better than league average as an offensive player, according to FanGraphs’ wRC+ metric (106). Although, for the second straight year, Morrison garnered positive reviews from Statcast, which places his expected weighted on-base average (.355) well above his actual wOBA (.284).
NL Notes: Realmuto, Mets, Brewers, Dodgers
Marlins catcher J.T. Realmuto suggested last month he’d be open to discussing a contract extension with the club, but if he’s uninterested in signing a deal over the winter, “there’s a good chance” the team will trade him, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald writes. The 25-year-old Realmuto, one of the game’s elite backstops, is controllable via arbitration through the 2020 season.
More from the National League…
- The Mets are considering Blue Jays assistant GM Tony LaCava and Rays special assistant Bobby Heck as candidates to be their next general manager, according to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe. Neither man has been a GM before, though both LaCava and Heck have a wealth of front office experience, particularly in the areas of scouting and player development. LaCava has been with the Blue Jays since 2002, when J.P. Ricciardi (now a Mets special advisor) was Toronto’s GM. Heck has been with the Rays since 2012, following lengthy stints with the Astros and Brewers that saw him play a notable role as both those clubs amassed a strong collection of young talent.
- Brewers right-hander Zach Davies hasn’t pitched in the majors since May 29, owing to shoulder and back problems, and there’s still no timetable for his return, per Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. But Davies’ absence hasn’t been crippling for the Brewers, as Haudricourt writes that they’ve “been satisfied” with the current members of their rotation. Further, after serving as a solid starter from 2016-17 (his first two full seasons), Davies came out of the gates slowly this year with a 5.23 ERA/5.29 FIP in 43 innings.
- The Dodgers’ decision to move Kenta Maeda to the bullpen may negatively affect the righty from a financial standpoint, given that he has incentives in his contract based on games started and innings pitched. However, the Dodgers and Maeda’s reps at the Wasserman Agency “have a good relationship,” tweets the Los Angeles Times’ Andy McCullough, who notes it would be sensible for both sides to change the language in his deal to include incentives for relief appearances. If the two sides do attempt to work something out, the MLBPA would have to sign off on it.
Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Eovaldi, Archer, Phillies, Rollins, A’s
This week in baseball blogs…
- theScore talks with Red Sox starter Nathan Eovaldi.
- Armchair All Americans asks how the Pirates can fix Chris Archer.
- PhilliesNation (links: 1, 2) interviews franchise icon Jimmy Rollins.
- Know Hitter writes about five potential August trade candidates.
- Chin Music Baseball identifies five hitters who have been successful this year in spite of their free-swinging ways.
- Rising Apple doesn’t want the Mets to wait until the offseason to hire a general manager.
- Notes from the Sally ranks the 10 best hitters from South Atlantic and Appalachian Leagues.
- The Sports Tank gives credit to the Athletics for acquiring Mike Fiers.
- Rox Pile notes that the Rockies’ issues go beyond their bullpen.
- Motor City Bengals lists the best September call-ups in Tigers history.
- Everything Bluebirds is optimistic about the 2019 Blue Jays.
- Bucs Dugout (links: 1, 2) offers interviews with Pirates outfield prospect Travis Swaggerty and announcer Joe Block.
- Call to the Pen (links: 1, 2) names three teams that should be aggressive with waiver claims this month and runs down starters the Phillies could use in lieu of Nick Pivetta.
- Friars On Base wonders who will close for the Padres in 2019.
- A’s Farm takes a look at the team’s late-season minor league leaders.
- Jays Journal (links: 1, 2) interviews Blue Jays prospect Maverik Buffo.
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The Pinch Runner lists starters the A’s should target during the upcoming offseason.
- Reviewing The Brew believes it’s time the Brewers make Jeremy Jeffress their full-time closer in place of the struggling Corey Knebel.
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RaysColoredGlasses proposes an all-rookie lineup for Tampa Bay.
- MetsMerizedOnline.com runs through the team’s top shortstop prospects.
- Pinstriped Prospects has a scouting report on Yankees pitching prospect Roansy Contreras.
- The K Zone revisits a past interview with righty Jacob Nix, who had an excellent major league debut with the Padres on Friday.
- The Point of Pittsburgh looks at Francisco Cervelli‘s growing injury history and what the future may hold for him.
- MLB & Fantasy Baseball Analyzed argues that it’s time to retire wins and losses for pitchers.
- Foul Territory shares a funny story involving Barry Bonds and a heckler.
- Mets Daddy criticizes Harold Reynolds of MLB Network for his NL Cy Young analysis.
- The Runner Sports details Alex Bregman‘s off-the-field generosity.
Submissions: ZachBBWI @gmail.com
NL Notes: Myers, Wright, Strasburg, Phils, Ramos, Eflin
Padres outfielder Wil Myers will play third base in a rehab game on Sunday, Dennis Lin of The Athletic tweets, and it’s “virtually certain” that he’ll start at the hot corner when he returns from a short DL stint on Monday, according to Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune. If true, it would continue a nomadic pro career around the diamond for Myers, a former catcher prospect who has primarily lined up at first base and in the outfield in the majors. It’s anyone’s guess whether the 27-year-old Myers will be able to handle third base from a defensive standpoint at the MLB level, but he does seem to have the bat for it. The third basemen the Padres have used this year rank 23rd in the majors in fWAR (0.9) and 26th in wRC+ (83).
More from the National League…
- Mets third baseman David Wright will begin a rehab assignment Sunday, and there’s optimism the long-injured captain will actually return to the major leagues. Manager Mickey Callaway told Tim Healey of Newsday and other reporters Saturday that, in his opinion, “there’s a very good chance” Wright will suit up again for the Mets. Upper body injuries have kept the 35-year-old Wright off a major league diamond since May 2016. He’s signed through 2020 on an eight-year, $138MM contract.
- The Nationals hope to have injured right-hander Stephen Strasburg back in their rotation before Aug. 21-23, a key series against division-rival Philadelphia, Jamal Collier of MLB.com writes. Strasburg, out since July 26 with a pinched nerve in his neck, threw a successful 64-pitch bullpen session Saturday.
- The Phillies announced that catcher Wilson Ramos will begin a rehab assignment at the Single-A level on Sunday. Philadelphia acquired Ramos from Tampa Bay at the July 31 non-waiver deadline, but he still hasn’t debuted with his new team. Ramos hasn’t played since July 14, in fact, as he has been dealing with a hamstring strain. The 31-year-old had been amid a quality season at the time and could be a nice reinforcement for the Phillies, who are neck and neck with the Braves for the NL East title. However, it’s not clear whether Ramos is all that close to returning. “From a results standpoint, we just want to see him healthy,” manager Gabe Kapler said (via Katie Woo of MLB.com). “One of the ways to get there is making sure he has the reps under his belt, get a little timing and rhythm at the plate, and then he’s ready to roll.”
- Sticking with the Phillies, the club optioned right-hander Zach Eflin to Triple-A on Saturday to clear 25-man roster room for newly acquired first baseman Justin Bour. Given that Eflin has been a key part of the Phillies’ rotation this year, his demotion’s only temporary, but it’s one that will cost him nearly $30K and 10 days of big league service time, Matt Gelb of The Athletic notes (subscription required). While Eflin was “professional” about the decision, according to Kapler, the hurler’s representative is unhappy about the transaction. As part of a statement issued to Gelb, agent Tom O’Connell called the move “tremendously disappointing” and added, “While the club may feel that they are doing what’s best for the organization, they also lose sight of the human element and how it will affect the player.”
Central Notes: Scooter, Encarnacion, Fulmer, Smyly
Reds second baseman Scooter Gennett was pushing for a contract extension back in May, but no deal has come together since. Nevertheless, the 28-year-old – who’s only controllable for another season – told Bill Ladson of MLB.com this week that he remains hopeful he’ll continue his career in his hometown of Cincinnati. Asked whether he’d still like an extension, Gennett said: “Yeah. For me not to have an extension — I don’t think would make a whole lot of sense for it to not to happen at some point. What I’m willing to do for this team, for the fans in Cincinnati and being from Cincinnati, it’s kind of the perfect formula for me.” Gennett spoke more about his future Saturday, saying (via Bobby Nightengale of the Cincinnati Enquirer): “I just feel like we’re kind of reaching that point where we’re going to start having talks. But like I said, when we do, I’m not going to be sharing that information.” The Reds were skeptical of extending Gennett off a career-best 2017, according to the player, though he has done his best this season to show that performance wasn’t a fluke. Overall, since the Reds claimed Gennett off waivers from the division-rival Brewers prior to last season, he has slashed an excellent .304/.352/.512 with 44 home runs and 5.8 fWAR in 961 plate appearances.
Here’s more from baseball’s Central divisions:
- Speaking with Paul Hoynes of cleveland.com and other reporters on Saturday, Indians manager Terry Francona revealed that designated hitter Edwin Encarnacion could be headed for the disabled list. Encarnacion, who’s dealing with an injured left biceps, had an MRI on Saturday and visited with a hand specialist, Hoynes writes. The 35-year-old has also battled a bone bruise in his right hand, which likely helps explain his so-so production to this point. One of the game’s biggest offensive threats from 2012-17, Encarnacion has only posted a .229/.317/.461 line (108 wRC+) this year, though he has continued to show off serious power with 25 home runs and a .232 ISO. [Update: The Indians have indeed placed Encarnacion on the DL, Hoynes tweets. The club’s recalling infielder Yandy Diaz from Triple-A Columbus in a corresponding move.]
- Tigers right-hander Michael Fulmer is closing in on a rehab assignment, per Jason Beck of MLB.com. Fulmer, out since July 20 with a left oblique strain, threw a 50-pitch bullpen session Saturday. Regardless of whether the 25-year-old returns in 2018, with the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline having passed, he no longer looks like a candidate to end up on the move this season. Fulmer had been popular in the rumor mill until hitting the DL, and if he comes back this year and performs well, he’ll surely be a target for teams over the winter.
- Cubs left-hander Drew Smyly is holding out for a September return, Jesse Rogers of ESPN.com reports. Smyly, a former Tiger, Ray and Mariner whom the Cubs signed to a two-year, $10MM guarantee in December, continues to work back from the Tommy John procedure he underwent last June. The 29-year-old hasn’t taken a major league mound since Sept. 26, 2016.
Pending FA Hitters Who Have Hurt Their Stock In 2018
Earlier Saturday, we ran down pending free-agent hitters who have enjoyed good to great years with trips to the open market around the corner. We’ll do the opposite with this list, which admittedly could consist of several more players, as evidenced by the cavalcade of underwhelming hitters set to hit the open market. However, in the interest of keeping this piece at a reasonable length, we’ll stick with prominent soon-to-be free agents who have hurt themselves with disappointing performances in 2018. As was the case before, we’ll focus on players who have accrued at least 150 plate appearances this season.
Catchers:
Jonathan Lucroy, Athletics: Long one of the majors’ elite all-around catchers, Lucroy is now in the throes of his second consecutive subpar season. The 32-year-old Lucroy, who sat on the open market for all of last winter until finally signing in mid-March, has limped to a career-worst .240/.296/.326 line (72 wRC+) with two home runs and a meek .086 ISO in 335 plate appearances in Oakland. Defensively, Lucroy’s slide from a tremendous pitch framer to a below-average one has continued.
Brian McCann, Astros: As is the case with Lucroy, McCann looks like a respected backstop whose best days are long gone. Before undergoing knee surgery in early July, McCann slashed an unappealing .206/.283/.323 (71 wRC+) with five homers and a career-low .116 ISO over 173 PAs. At the same time, the 34-year-old struggled in the pitch-framing department. Expectations are that McCann will return in 2018, but it’s doubtful the seven-time All-Star will be able to rebuild his stock to a meaningful extent leading up to free agency.
Matt Wieters, Nationals: Yet another catcher who garnered plenty of hype earlier in his career, Wieters may not even be in line for a major league contract in the offseason. The 32-year-old has been a downright terrible hitter since last season, as his 63 wRC+ across 618 PAs indicates, and Baseball Prospectus doesn’t regard Wieters as a particularly valuable pitch-framing backstop.
First basemen:
Joe Mauer, Twins: Mauer can still get on base, evidenced by his .346 OBP, but the ex-superstar’s power looks to be completely gone. The 35-year-old (36 next April) has only recorded an .087 ISO and three homers in 365 PAs this season. That’s not going to cut it for a first baseman, nor is Mauer’s overall line of .267/.346/.354 (93 wRC+). Mauer’s only a year removed from serving as a decent regular for the Twins, though, so perhaps there’s hope that the former catcher will be able to bounce back if he continues his career in 2019.
Logan Morrison, Twins: Morrison isn’t a true free agent-to-be yet, as he has an $8MM club option for 2019. But the Twins are likely inclined to buy that out for $1MM, considering Morrison has been a massive disappointment this year. On the heels of what seemed like a breakout season with the Rays in 2017, I implored someone to sign Morrison as a free agent when he remained on the market in February. In hindsight, that wasn’t the best call (excuse the colorful language here), as the 30-year-old Morrison has batted a horrid .186/.276/.368 (74 wRC+) with merely OK power numbers (15 homers, .182 ISO) during his 359 PAs with the Twins. Statcast has liked Morrison better than his actual results, per the enormous distance between his wOBA (.284) and his expected wOBA (.355), but that’s probably not of much consolation to the Twins.
Lucas Duda, Royals: Duda was a good hitter for the majority of his Mets tenure, which ran from 2010-17, but the Royals haven’t benefited from his presence in 2018. Since signing a one-year, $3.5MM contract with the Royals last winter, the 32-year-old Duda has scuffled to a .239/.309/.400 line (91 wRC+) and a replacement-level fWAR over 285 PAs. Along the way, the powerful Duda has posted a career-worst ISO (.161) and only 10 HRs. If it was hard for Duda to land a deal to his liking last winter, it should be all the more difficult for him during the upcoming offseason.
Second basemen:
Brian Dozier, Dodgers: At times, including his 42-home run season in 2016, Dozier has been one of the greatest power-hitting second basemen ever. Now, the 31-year-old’s a roughly league-average hitter (.228/.313/.421 with a 98 wRC+ in 498 PAs), albeit one who has still shown some pop in 2018 (19 HRs, .194 ISO). I took an in-depth look at Dozier’s middling season in June, and it hasn’t really gotten much better since then. Although, since the Twins traded Dozier to the Dodgers last month, he has raked in a limited sample of work.
DJ LeMahieu, Rockies: LeMahieu has been on the disabled list three times this season and hasn’t performed that well when healthy. A .300-plus hitter in each of the previous three seasons, LeMahieu has batted a toothless .271/.319/.419 (82 wRC+) in 371 PAs this year. However, the 30-year-old LeMahieu has deserved better in the eyes of Statcast, which credits him with a .349 xwOBA that far outpaces his .318 wOBA.
Logan Forsythe, Twins: Forsythe, who joined the Twins as part of the package they received from the Dodgers for Dozier, has mimicked Dozier in performing much better for his new team. The sample size is tiny, though, and overall, the 31-year-old has hit an ugly .234/.296/.315 (73 wRC+) in 243 PAs. Forsythe, who was one of the game’s steadiest second basemen with the Rays from 2015-16, has chipped in a meager two homers and an unimposing .081 ISO in 2018.
Neil Walker, Yankees: Even though he was a solid offensive second baseman with the Pirates, Mets and Brewers from 2010-17, the 32-year-old Walker had an awful time trying to find a contract last winter. He finally signed with the Yankees on a one-year, $4MM pact in March, but it hasn’t worked out as hoped for either party. The switch-hitting Walker has batted a weak .227/.300/.340 (74 wRC+) with six HRs and a .113 ISO in 277 PAs in pinstripes.
Shortstop:
Alcides Escobar, Royals: Escobar has never been much of a threat at the plate, but he’s now borderline unplayable. Among qualified hitters, the 31-year-old Escobar ranks last in wRC+ (41), having hit .202/.253/.273 in 413 PAs.
Third basemen:
Josh Donaldson, Blue Jays: One of the biggest names on this list and its most recent MVP winner (2015), Donaldson hasn’t played since May 28 on account of an injured calf. When he has taken the field this year, Donaldson has produced more like a mediocre hitter than the elite player he was from 2013-17, as he has slashed .234/.333/.423 (104 wRC+) with five homers and a .190 ISO in 159 PAs. If Donaldson makes it back this season, the soon-to-be 33-year-old will attempt to rebuild his stock in advance of free agency, but neither his age nor the injury issues he has endured will help his cause.
Adrian Beltre, Rangers: Indications are that Beltre will only play for the Rangers if he returns at all in 2019, which would be his age-40 season. Based on Beltre’s apparent unwillingness to explore the market and his meager production this season, he’s seemingly not in line to receive a large payday over the winter. The future Hall of Famer has finally looked mortal at the plate this season, having compiled a .278/.333/.398 line (94 wRC+) with seven long balls and a .120 ISO in 345 PAs.
Outfielders:
Marwin Gonzalez, Astros: Gonzalez’s performance in 2017 was among many tremendous showings for the World Series-winning Astros in 2017, though the utilityman has taken sizable steps backward this season. While the 29-year-old (30 next March) has been more average than bad, as his 99 wRC+ (.242/.326/.389) in 406 PAs proves, he’s not the 4.0-fWAR star he was a year ago. Bad timing for Gonzalez with free agency around the corner.
Carlos Gomez, Rays: When the Rays added Gomez on a one-year, $4MM guarantee last March, it looked like a steal for the club. Eight months later, it’s fair to say the minimal gamble hasn’t worked out for Tampa, for which Gomez has offered a .218/.309/.354 slash (88 wRC+) with a .136 ISO (down 73 points from 2017) in 350 PAs. It wasn’t easy for Gomez to find a deal last winter, and given that he’ll turn 33 in March and will probably be coming off an unimpressive season, the upcoming winter could be even colder for the former standout.
Hunter Pence, Giants: A three-time All-Star and a two-time world champion, Pence has had an outstanding career, but we’ve perhaps reached the point where the 35-year-old should walk away. He’s .215/.252/.289 hitter (46 wRC+) with a single homer and a .074 ISO in 159 PAs so far this season.
Matt Joyce, Athletics: Joyce was a 25-HR hitter and 2.6-fWAR player for the Athletics in 2017, the first season of a two-year, $11MM contract. This season, even though the A’s are serious contenders, he hasn’t been part of the solution. Joyce, 34, has posted a .203/.311/.359 line (87 wRC+) with only seven homers across 226 PAs, though the seismic gap between his wOBA (.297) and xwOBA (.346) suggests that he hasn’t been close to as bad as his results say.
Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Minor MLB Transactions: 8/11/18
Keeping track of the latest minor moves from around baseball…
- The Reds purchased the contract of outfielder Courtney Hawkins from the independent Sugar Land Skeeters on Friday, the Skeeters announced. Hawkins, who will report to High-A Daytona with the Reds, is best known for going 13th overall to the White Sox in the 2012 draft. Now 24, Hawkins stayed with the Chicago organization into this past April, when it released him after he failed to get past the Double-A level.
Mariners’ Sam Tuivailala To Undergo Season-Ending Surgery
Mariners reliever Sam Tuivailala will undergo season-ending surgery on his right Achilles, manager Scott Servais announced Saturday (via Greg Johns of MLB.com, on Twitter).
Tuivailala exited his outing against the Rangers on Wednesday with an Achilles injury, and it’ll prove to be his last time on the mound for a while. He only threw 5 1/3 innings this year with Seattle, which acquired him from St. Louis two weeks ago in a surprising trade. Between the two teams in 2018, the 25-year-old Tuivailila registered a 3.41 ERA/3.72 FIP with 7.3 K/9, 2.92 BB/9 and a 49.2 percent groundball rate in 37 innings.
It’s not yet clear if Tuivailala will be ready to go in spring training, but the good news for the Mariners is that he’s controllable through the 2022 campaign. Tuivailala played this year on a relatively minimal salary and will do the same in 2019, which is slated to be his final pre-arb season. In the meantime, the playoff-contending Mariners will have to make do without a capable reliever as they try to erase the division-rival A’s 1 1/2-game lead on the AL’s second wild-card spot.
Injury Notes: Wright, Trout, Altuve, Judge, Bryant
In a rare piece of encouraging news for the woebegone Mets, the team announced that injured third baseman David Wright will begin a rehab assignment on Sunday, when he’ll play five innings for the club’s Class-A affiliate in St. Lucie. It’s not clear whether the 35-year-old Wright has a real chance to return this season, but if he does come back, it would be one of the greatest triumphs of the 2018 campaign. After all, a laundry list of upper body injuries limited Wright to just 75 appearances from 2015-16 and have completely kept him out of MLB action over the past couple years. The seven-time All-Star hasn’t appeared in a major league game since May 27, 2016, or a minor league contest since Aug. 26, 2017.
Catching up on other notable injury news from around the majors…
- The Angels placed center fielder Mike Trout on the 10-day disabled list Friday, retroactive to Aug. 6, with right wrist inflammation, Maria Guardado of MLB.com was among those to report. Trout’s balky wrist has kept him out of action since Aug. 1, perhaps derailing the perennial MVP candidate’s chances of taking home his third such award in 2018.
- Speaking of AL MVPs, last year’s winner, Astros second baseman Jose Altuve, has been out since July 26 with right knee soreness. Unfortunately, Altuve will remain on the shelf at least through the Astros’ current homestand, which ends Aug. 15, per Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle. The Astros’ middle infield did get some good news Friday when shortstop Carlos Correa returned from a lower back injury that kept him on ice for six weeks.
- Continuing with the theme of injured AL superstars, Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge is getting “better and better every day,” manager Aaron Boone informed George A. King III of the New York Post and other reporters Friday. Boone added he’s “optimistic” that Judge, who has been unavailable since July 26 with a chip fracture in his right wrist, will progress to picking up a bat “in the next couple of days.” New York has struggled to replace the great Judge, evidenced by its consistent use of the underwhelming Shane Robinson in the outfield during the slugger’s absence.
- Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant, out since July 26 with left shoulder inflammation, told Patrick Mooney of The Athletic and other reporters Saturday that he “absolutely” expects to return in 2018. In order to preserve his body, Bryant noted that he “plans to alter his gameday routine,” writes Mooney, who adds that the 26-year-old would like to play until he’s 40.
Cardinals Select Patrick Wisdom’s Contract
The Cardinals announced that they’ve selected third baseman Patrick Wisdom‘s contract from Triple-A Memphis. He’ll take the place of infielder Yairo Munoz on the Cardinals’ 25-man roster. Munoz landed on the 10-day disabled list with a right wrist sprain. To make room for Wisdom on its 40-man roster, St. Louis transferred reliever Luke Gregerson to the 60-day DL.
The 26-year-old Wisdom, whom the Cardinals chose in the first round (No. 52) of the 2012 draft, is finally in position to make his major league debut. Wisdom had been among the Redbirds’ top prospects in the few seasons after they drafted him, but his production and stock fell as he climbed the minor league ranks. To Wisdom’s credit, though, he mashed 31 home runs at Triple-A last season and returned this year to hit a solid .289/.363/.479 (119 wRC+) with 14 HRs in 405 trips to the plate en route to his first MLB promotion.