Lance McCullers To Have Elbow Examined
Houston’s the only team in the majors that has used the same five starting pitchers all season, but that may be on the verge of changing. Right-hander Lance McCullers Jr. left his start against the Dodgers on Saturday in the fifth inning with discomfort in his pitching elbow, the team announced. McCullers will head back to Houston on Sunday for a medical examination, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com was among those to report.
McCullers cruised during his abbreviated outing Saturday in what proved to be a rout for the reigning champion Astros, who rolled to a 14-0 victory over their World Series opponent from 2017. The 24-year-old tossed four innings of scoreless, two-hit ball, also notching five strikeouts against two walks. But McCullers was unable to throw a single pitch in the fifth, and he told reporters after the game that there was “some abnormal soreness and stiffness” around his forearm.
Forearm issues often serve as a precursor to Tommy John surgery, a procedure McCullers hasn’t undergone to this point. The fourth-year man hasn’t been the picture of durability in the majors, though, having dealt with elbow and shoulder troubles in 2016 before going on the disabled list twice on account of back problems last year. He has only gone past the 125-inning mark twice in a season, including his career-best 126 frames in 2018.
Despite his injuries, McCullers has always posted strong production, which has continued this year with a 3.93 ERA/3.57 FIP, 9.86 K/9 and 3.57 BB/9 and a 54.8 percent groundball rate. That type of output won’t be easy for the Astros to replace if McCullers does land on the shelf, though the team’s rotation would still be a loaded group without him, evidenced by the unit’s league-leading ERA (3.00) and fWAR (16.2). Statistically, McCullers has been the worst of the Astros’ starters this year, but that’s less a knock on him than a compliment to the work Justin Verlander, Gerrit Cole, Charlie Morton and Dallas Keuchel have done.
Now, if Houston does lose McCullers, it’s unclear how the team would fill out its rotation. Fellow Astros righties Collin McHugh and Brad Peacock each bring plenty of starting experience, but they’ve been entrenched in bullpen roles all season and, with a few exceptions, have typically worked a maximum of two innings per appearance. Other 40-man options include Triple-A starters Brady Rodgers and Francis Martes, though neither looks ready for the big leagues right now. Rodgers has struggled in his first action since undergoing TJ surgery last year, and Martes is on the mend from elbow issues of his own.
At the Double-A level and not on the 40-man roster, the Astros have one of the premier pitching prospects in baseball in towering righty Forrest Whitley. However, he’s also working back from an injury (a strained oblique) and has only amassed 35 2/3 innings above the Single-A level since 2017. Astros manager A.J. Hinch did suggest last week that Whitley could garner consideration for a September promotion, though (via Christian Boutwell and Alyson Footer of MLB.com). In the meantime, Houston’s hope is that McCullers won’t miss any time – let alone a substantial amount – as it continues trying to maintain or build on its five-game lead over the Athletics in the AL West.
Rangers To Sign Drew Hutchison To Major League Deal
The Rangers and right-hander Drew Hutchison have agreed to a major league contract, according to an announcement from Texas. Hutchison, an ACES client, will start the Rangers’ game against the Orioles on Sunday.
The Rangers are the third major league organization of 2018 for Hutchison, who inked a minors pact with the Phillies in February and did well enough in camp to earn a season-opening roster spot. The 27-year-old worked out of the Phillies’ bullpen, making 11 appearances and tossing 21 1/3 innings of 4.64 ERA ball, before the club designated him for assignment in late May.
Hutchison, who went on to reject an outright assignment to Philly’s Triple-A affiliate, then caught on with the Dodgers on another minor league contract. He did not return to the majors with them, though, and after posting a terrific 2.14 ERA in 42 innings (nine appearances, seven starts) with their Triple-A club, opted out of his deal this past Tuesday in favor of free agency.
Returning to the open market proved to be a wise move by Hutchison, who will now get a chance as part of a thin Rangers rotation. Texas, which is well out of contention, has seen its starters log the majors’ second-worst ERA (5.28) and third-worst fWAR (2.3) this season. Hutchison has generally been more successful than that at preventing runs, though he has only combined for three starts since 2017. He’s best known for his run with the Blue Jays from 2012-16 – a 76-appearance, 73-start stretch in which he put up a 4.92 ERA/4.23 FIP with 8.28 K/9, 2.84 BB/9 and a 38.7 percent groundball rate over 406 1/3 innings. Hutchison also racked up at least 150 frames in two individual seasons (2014-15) during that span.
While Hutchison had his moments as a Blue Jay, he has fallen off the radar somewhat since they dealt him to the Pirates at the trade deadline in 2016. Hutchison wound up spending all of last season with the Pirates’ Triple-A affiliate. Now, Hutchison will get his best major league shot in a while, and if he performs well down the stretch, he could emerge as a multiyear find for Texas. The pitching-starved Rangers will have an opportunity to control Hutchison via arbitration for up to three years.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Latest On Yu Darvish’s Recovery
Although Cubs president Theo Epstein suggested last month that the team can’t rely on the injured Yu Darvish to finish 2018 on a high note, it appears the right-hander will factor in for Chicago in the coming months as it pursues another World Series title. Darvish, who has been out for over two months with triceps and elbow issues, threw a 55-pitch side session Saturday and then took an optimistic tone when speaking with Bruce Levine of 670 The Score and other reporters.
“Yeah, certainly [this is the best I’ve felt]. I think all my pitches, velocity-wise were up there at the highest and then I was able to follow through with my arm motion,” Darvish said through an interpreter.
Darvish went on to reveal that he dealt with “pain and discomfort” until “about 10 days ago,” when he “switched from treating the elbow to the spine,” continuing: “That triggered a more positive flow. Everything in this whole process is better from the beginning until the end.”
As Levine notes, Darvish wasn’t referring to a new injury to his back or spine. Rather, Levine writes that the hurler “was talking about using more of his whole body in his delivery.”
Now, barring a setback, Darvish could be within three or four days from throwing a simulated game, per Levine. It’s unclear how long it would take Darvish to return to the Cubs thereafter, though it’s not a slam dunk that he will. After all, Darvish already seemed to be on the comeback trail several weeks ago, only to suffer a setback in late June. The 31-year-old hasn’t taken the ball for the Cubs since May 20, when he made one of his best starts with the team. During that game, a win over the Reds, Darvish logged six innings of one-run, two-hit ball, struck out seven and issued three walks.
Starts like the one Darvish posted against the Reds have been atypical this season for him, which wasn’t what he or the Cubs expected when the two sides agreed to a six-year, $126MM guarantee in February. At that point, Darvish was an established star who had stood out with the Rangers and Dodgers. But in his first action with the Cubs, Darvish has endured two DL stints (including one for the flu) and posted a career-worst ERA/FIP/xFIP (4.95/4.87/4.24) over 40 innings and eight starts. He has also issued a personal-high 4.73 walks per nine, somewhat offsetting a typically outstanding strikeout rate (11.03 K/9).
Thanks in part to Darvish’s lack of availability so far, the Cubs made an attempt to bolster their rotation prior to the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline by acquiring one of his former Rangers teammates, left-hander Cole Hamels. Like Darvish, Hamels hasn’t been anywhere close to his best this season. However, he did show well in his Cubs debut in a win over the division-rival Pirates this past Wednesday.
Including Hamels’ victory, the Cubs have registered a 64-46 record, giving the back-to-back NL Central champions a 1 1/2-game lead over the Brewers in the division. Some of the Cubs’ success has come on account of lefty swingman Mike Montgomery, who has offered respectable production in Darvish’s absence and relegated another struggling offseason signing, righty Tyler Chatwood, to a bullpen role. Should Darvish return, he’d presumably join Jon Lester, Kyle Hendricks, Jose Quintana and Hamels in the Cubs’ rotation, which means Montgomery would work in relief if the club sticks with a five-man starting staff.
East Notes: Mets, Bautista, Rays, Hechavarria
The latest on a pair of East Coast franchises…
- Even if the Mets trade Jose Bautista this month, it’s “likely” they’ll attempt to re-sign the soon-to-be free agent prior to next season, Mike Puma of the New York Post hears (Twitter link). Signing Bautista, whom New York added May 22 shortly after the division-rival Braves released him, is one of the few moves that have paid off in a disastrous season for the Mets. The Blue Jays legend has slashed a useful .215/.364/.390 with six home runs in 214 plate appearances during his two-plus-month run with the Amazins. If he does continue his career in 2019, Bautista – who has primarily lined up in the outfield with the Mets after a short-lived third base experiment with the Braves – will play his age-38 campaign.
- The belief is Rays shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria has cleared waivers, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times tweets. If true, the Rays could trade Hechavarria to any team. Tampa Bay designated Hechavarria this week after watching the 29-year-old offer his usual blend of weak offense and strong defense in 2018. Hechavarria hit just .258/.289/.332 in 237 PAs, but he did total four Defensive Runs Saved in the field. He’s due around $1.9MM for the rest of the season, Topkin notes.
- Back to the Mets, who are in the midst of increasing catcher Kevin Plawecki‘s playing time as they look toward 2019, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com writes. Plawecki started for the fourth time in five games Saturday and, per DiComo, is a lock to return to the Mets next season. The only question is whether the 27-year-old will start or serve as a backup. Current starter Devin Mesoraco is set to hit free agency in the offseason, meaning he’ll cede playing time to Plawecki down the stretch. The Mets can still control catcher Travis d’Arnaud for another season via arbitration, but injuries have long haunted the 29-year-old – including in 2018, which ended for him in early April on account of a UCL tear in his right elbow. Shortly after, the Mets lost Plawecki to a hairline fracture in his left hand, but he was able to return in late May. Injury aside, this has been a decent offensive season for Plawecki, who has slashed .231/.345/.372 in 142 PAs. Plawecki is scheduled to go through his first of four potential trips through arbitration over the winter.
Dodgers Place Alex Wood On DL
The Dodgers announced that they’ve placed left-hander Alex Wood on the 10-day disabled list with left adductor tendonitis. To take his roster spot, the team reinstated fellow southpaw Zac Rosscup from the DL.
It’s unclear exactly how much time Wood will miss, but his absence will clear the way for righty Ross Stripling to return to the Dodgers’ rotation in the near term, Ken Gurnick of MLB.com tweets. Stripling had been a revelation for the Dodgers this year until struggling to prevent runs in July, when he pitched to a 4.73 ERA despite excellent strikeout and walk rates (10.13 K/9, 1.01 BB/9) across 26 2/3 innings and five starts. The 28-year-old went on the DL on the last day of the month because of a toe injury, though it’s obvious he’s not dealing with a serious ailment.
Wood, 27, hasn’t been highly durable during his career, but this marks his first DL stint of the season. Thus far, Wood has racked up 22 appearances (all starts) and logged a 3.58 ERA/3.55 FIP with 7.81 K/9, 2.19 BB/9 and a 47.3 percent grounder rate over 123 1/3 frames, thereby continuing a career of above-average production. Losing him is an unfortunate development for an LA team which is tied with Arizona for the NL West lead, but the Dodgers should still boast a quality rotation with Stripling slated to rejoin Clayton Kershaw, Kenta Maeda, Walker Buehler and Rich Hill.
Twins Interested In Retaining Fernando Rodney
Considering the Twins are out of playoff contention and soon-to-be 42-year-old closer Fernando Rodney isn’t signed for guaranteed money past this season, he may be a logical August trade candidate. However, the Twins are interested in picking up Rodney’s option for 2019, according to the Star Tribune’s LaVelle E. Neal III, who writes that the team would only move him this month for “a very nice offer.”
Rodney is due another $1.3MM this year, which is an affordable figure, as Neal notes. Contenders in the market for relief help (perhaps including the Red Sox, who showed interest in Rodney last month) may claim him if he ends up on trade waivers, then, though the Twins aren’t in a position where they have to jettison the veteran. Rather, the Twins could retain Rodney this year and exercise their $4.25MM option over the right-hander in the offseason, as opposed to buying him out for $250K, and either keep him for next season or shop him over the winter.
When the Twins signed Rodney to a $4.5MM guarantee last December, they were coming off a playoff-bound campaign and had designs on another postseason trip in 2018. Eight months later, Minnesota has stumbled to a 50-58 record and a nine-game deficit in the AL Central, though its struggles haven’t exactly been Rodney’s fault. For the most part, Rodney has made good on his deal by pitching to a 3.24 ERA/3.91 FIP with 10.15 K/9, 3.89 BB/9 and a 44 percent groundball rate in 41 2/3 innings. Never the most trustworthy game-ending option, Rodney has saved 23 of 29 opportunities this year, giving the journeyman a 79 percent success rate that slightly trails his career mark (82 percent, 323 saves on 395 tries).
Should the Twins bring the hard-throwing Rodney back in 2019, it would give them one fewer area to address in the offseason. The Twins’ bullpen may nonetheless be a focal point for chief baseball officer Derek Falvey and general manager Thad Levine, though, given that the unit has posted the majors’ seventh-worst ERA in 2018. Minnesota’s relief corps has fared much better in terms of K/BB ratio (fifth) and fWAR (18th), though Ryan Pressly and Zach Duke played a role in that, and the team traded both hurlers prior to the non-waiver deadline on Tuesday. Thanks in part to those moves, Rodney clearly ranks as one of the best relievers who’s on track to return for the Twins next season.
40-Man Moves: D-backs, Dodgers, Indians, Mets, Mariners, Cubs, Marlins, O’s
This has been a trade-packed day across Major League Basbeall, meaning there are plenty of corresponding smaller moves that have been announced over the past couple of hours as teams make today’s agreed-upon deals official. Here’s a look at the DFAs, contract selections and other 40-man transactions that came along with today’s action…
- The Diamondbacks designated left-handed reliever Jorge De La Rosa to make room for newly added southpaw Jake Diekman, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic tweets. De La Rosa, a longtime Colorado starter who’s in his second season in Arizona, switched to a full-time relief role upon changing teams and hasn’t produced inspiring results. The 37-year-old has logged a 4.38 ERA/4.98 FIP with 7.51 K/9, 4.17 BB/9 in 86 1/3 innings since joining the D-backs. On the bright side, De La Rosa has posted a 48 percent groundball rate and been tough on left-handed hitters. Considering he’s only owed the balance of a $2.25MM salary, perhaps a team will be interested in taking a flyer on De La Rosa.
- The Dodgers designated righty Ariel Hernandez for assignment to open a spot for John Axford, per the MLB.com transactions page. Hernandez, 26, scuffled through his first MLB action last year with the Reds and hasn’t made it back since. Over fifty frames this year in the upper minors, he’s carrying an appealing 2.52 ERA, but has also handed out 29 walks to go with his 49 strikeouts.
- The Indians announced that they’ve designated outfielder Johnny Field for assignment. His spot on the 40-man will go to newly acquired outfield prospect Oscar Mercado, whom Cleveland acquired in a rare all-prospects trade with the Cardinals (full details here). Field, 26, only recently landed with the Indians himself after spending most of the year (and his entire professional career to that point) with the Rays. Field posted a meager .213/.253/.373 batting line in his first 179 MLB plate appearances, all accumulated earlier this season.
- The Mets announced today that they’ve claimed infielder Jack Reinheimer, who was designated for assignment last week, off waivers from the Diamondbacks. A former fifth-round pick, Reinheimer received a cup of coffee with the D-Backs last year but hadn’t done much to force his way back to this point in 2018. In his fifty games at Triple-A, Reinheimer owns a .237/.312/.353 batting line. Additionally, outfielder Matt den Dekker cleared waivers and was sent outright to Triple-A Las Vegas. He’ll have the right to elect free agency now or at season’s end.
- Outfielder Isaac Galloway is on his way to the Majors to make his MLB debut with the Marlins, the club announced. It’s a long time coming for an eleven-year pro who has never before tasted the majors. Through 356 plate appearances this year at Triple-A, Galloway carries a .262/.315/.429 triple-slash.
- Galloway’s contract was selected following the trade of Cameron Maybin to the Mariners, who opened a spot for Maybin by moving right-hander Dan Altavilla from the 10-day DL to the 60-day DL in yet another 40-man move. Similarly, Cubs righty Justin Hancock was transferred to the 60-day disabled list in order to open a spot for Brandon Kintzler, who was acquired from the Nationals today.
- The Orioles are selecting the contract of right-handed reliever Cody Carroll, who will step into the roster spot of Kevin Gausman following today’s trade to Atlanta. Carroll landed with the Baltimore organization in the recent swap that sent reliever Zach Britton to the Yankees.
- First baseman Ryan O’Hearn had his contract selected by the Royals, per a team announcement. Infielder Cheslor Cuthbert moved to the 60-day DL to open a spot. It’s the first crack at the majors for O’Hearn, who’ll get the call despite tepid results (.232/.322/.391) this year at Triple-A.
- Righty Warwick Saupold cleared waivers and was sent outright to Triple-A by the Tigers. The Aussie hurler threw 34 1/3 innings of 4.46 ERA ball this year in Detroit, but managed only 16 strikeouts and a 6.1% swinging-strike rate in that span.
Red Sox Place Chris Sale On DL
The Red Sox announced that they’ve placed left-hander Chris Sale on the disabled list, retroactive to July 28, with mild inflammation in his pitching shoulder. The team recalled righty Brandon Workman from Triple-A Pawtucket to take Sale’s roster spot.
Fortunately for Boston, expectations are that Sale will only miss one start, Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe tweets. Assuming that proves true, this won’t be a catastrophic occurrence for Boston, which has seen Sale continue to serve as an elite starter since acquiring him from the White Sox entering 2017.
Dating back to his change in Sox, Sale has worked to a tremendous 2.56 ERA/2.31 FIP with awe-inspiring strikeout and walk rates (13.04 K/9, 1.92 BB/9) across 355 1/3 innings. Last season was the third straight 200-plus-inning campaign for Sale, who has logged a 2.04 ERA/2.08 FIP with 13.21 K/9 and 2.11 BB/9 over 141 frames this year to once again put himself in Cy Young contention. Thanks in part to the 28-year-old Sale’s brilliance, Boston has registered the majors’ best record (75-33) en route to a six-game lead in the AL East.
Whether he misses one start or more, Sale will count as the third BoSox starter on the DL, joining Eduardo Rodriguez and Steven Wright – each of whom are seemingly dealing with more severe injuries. For now, the Red Sox will continue with Rick Porcello, David Price, the just-acquired Nathan Eovaldi and Drew Pomeranz in their rotation, and they’ll utilize lefty Brian Johnson as a starter to cover for Sale’s absence. However, in the event Sale’s injury proves more serious than expected (and if Rodriguez and Wright still aren’t back), perhaps Boston will end up on the lookout for yet another trade pickup prior to the end-of-August waiver deadline.
Red Sox Pursued Trade For Kelvin Herrera
Although the Red Sox didn’t add to their bullpen prior to Tuesday’s non-waiver trade deadline, they were connected to several relievers in recent rumors. Add the Nationals’ Kelvin Herrera to the group of relievers who landed on the Red Sox’s radar, as Alex Speier of the Boston Globe and Rob Bradford of WEEI tweet that the team had been after the right-hander.
Herrera would have been a significant pickup for Boston and a major loss for Washington, the latter of which has disappointed this year but still didn’t make any huge moves leading up to the deadline. The Nationals did deal reliever Brandon Kintzler to the Cubs, though they otherwise kept their 52-53 team intact and will continue trying to make up a 5 1/2-game deficit in the NL East. Herrera will be part of that group, but the 28-year-old hasn’t performed as well as hoped since the Nats acquired him in a headline-grabbing trade with the Royals on June 18.
When the Nationals picked up Herrera, he had worked to a near-spotless 1.05 ERA with 22 strikeouts against a mere two walks in 25 2/3 innings. Since then, the 28-year-old has logged a still-solid 3.29 ERA with 12 punchouts and six walks in 13 2/3 frames. Given that Washington’s general manager, Mike Rizzo, continues to hold out hope the club will rally this year, he wasn’t willing to flip Herrera for anything other than a compelling return.
Despite their subpar season thus far, the Nats didn’t view dealing Herrera as a must. However, they could now lose the pending free agent for nothing in the offseason. Because he was already part of a trade this season, Herrera won’t be eligible to receive a qualifying offer over the winter. Perhaps the Nationals will try to deal Herrera in August if they continue to stumble, then, but his track record and reasonable salary (the rest of a ~$7.93MM commitment) mean he may not clear waivers. If a team does claim Herrera, the Nationals would only be able to work out a trade with that club.
The Red Sox, meanwhile, may keep seeking bullpen upgrades over the next month, and it should help that they’re unafraid to incur the penalties that come with exceeding a $237MM payroll. Whether they truly need help is up for debate, though. Boston owns the majors’ best record (75-33) and a six-game lead in the AL East, thanks in part to a relief corps that ranks fourth in the majors in fWAR, sixth in ERA and 10th in K/BB ratio.
Latest On Adam Jones’ Future
5:15pm: The Orioles “have had places to send” Jones, tweets Joel Sherman of the New York Post, but Sherman echoes Kubtako’s sentiments in reporting that Jones, to this point, does not want to waive his no-trade protection.
Specifically, Fancred’s Jon Heyman tweets that “there was a chance to go to Philly,” though it’s not clear if the two sides had firmly agreed on a deal that Jones vetoed or if he simply nixed the idea while the O’s and Phils were negotiating. Heyman cites Jones’ family, friends and charity works in the Baltimore community as reasons for Jones preferring to remain with the O’s, even at the cost of a potential playoff race in the season’s final couple of months.
11:43am: Orioles center fielder Adam Jones has been popular in the rumor mill as Tuesday’s non-waiver trade deadline looms, but it doesn’t appear he’ll be part of a deal in the coming days. As a guest on 105.7 The Fan on Sunday, Orioles general manager Dan Duquette revealed that Jones is likely to stay with the team through the the deadline (via Steve Melewski of MASNsports.com).
“I do. I believe he’ll be an Oriole on Wednesday,” Duquette said. “These veteran players it’s a tough, tough decision. Rest assured that we have wrestled with that decision.”
As Duquette alluded to, Jones has a major say in his future, given that the pending free agent is a 10-and-5 player. Jones would be able to veto any trade as a result, and so far, he has told the Orioles that’s what he plans on doing, Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com tweets.
Jones’ situation could change, Kubatko notes, but as Dan Connolly of The Athletic (subscription required) explained earlier this weekend, he may not be in position to waive his no-trade rights in the middle of the season. Not only is the 32-year-old a Baltimore institution who has ongoing charitable endeavors in the city, but Jones also has a young family — one he may not want to uproot with a couple months left in the season. Of course, Jones told Melewski earlier this week that he’d like to play for a winner, which isn’t going to happen if he stays in Baltimore through 2018. The Orioles are competing for the No. 1 pick in next year’s draft, not a playoff spot, whereas teams interested in Jones are pushing for postseason berths. To this point, Jones has reportedly landed on the radars of the NL East-leading Phillies, the AL Central-leading Indians and even the below-.500 Giants, per Kubatko, who adds that Philly was “making a strong push” to acquire the veteran.
In the event he’s not dealt this month, Jones could still have a change of heart and end up on the move in August, when his pricey salary (he’s currently owed roughly $7.2MM of his remaining $17MM) would make him a candidate to clear trade waivers. Jones may not be a significant upgrade for many teams at this stage of his career, though, and between that and his salary, he’s unlikely to bring back much in a trade. The five-time All-Star has only offered league-average offensive production thus far in 2018, having batted .281/.307/.431 with a 98 wRC+ in 424 plate appearances. Worse, Jones has endured a third straight rough season in center, where he has accounted for minus-15 Defensive Runs Saved, a minus-10.1 Ultimate Zone Rating and minus-8 Outs Above Average. Unsurprisingly, all of those figures rank toward the bottom of the majors.
While Jones has fallen off in center, he’s nonetheless primed to finish the year at the position should he stick with Baltimore. Otherwise, Jones could move to a corner if a trade occurs this season or at least vacate center heading into 2019. For now, the question will continue to be whether Jones will close the year as a member of the Orioles – with whom he has played since 2008 – or a World Series hopeful.