Quick Hits: Machado, Cards, Herrera, Bumgarner, Yu
Although the Orioles didn’t find a Manny Machado trade to their liking over the winter, the club did believe it was progressing toward a deal with the Cardinals in December, Buster Olney of ESPN reports. St. Louis backed out of negotiations on a swap that would have sent pitching prospects and third baseman Jedd Gyorko to Baltimore, per Olney. The identities of the prospects aren’t known, though Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com reported in mid-December that the Orioles had interest in young Cardinals hurlers Luke Weaver, Jack Flaherty and Jordan Hicks. It’s hard to imagine the Cardinals parting with any of those three now, but Olney notes it’s possible they’ll circle back on Machado as the season progresses. Regardless, the Machado trade sweepstakes is likely to kick off in earnest after the June 4-6 draft, according to Olney.
More from around baseball…
- Royals closer Kelvin Herrera could emerge as one of the most sought-after players in advance of the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline, Olney observes. After an underwhelming 2017, Herrera’s amid an excellent start to the current campaign, and both that and the hard thrower’s impressive track record are among factors that should make him attractive around the league, Olney reasons. As an impending free agent on a rebuilding team, Herrera looks like a shoo-in to end up on the move, though Olney posits that KC would have leverage in trade talks because it could threaten to retain the 28-year-old and issue him a qualifying offer at season’s end.
- Giants ace Madison Bumgarner is slated to take the hill in another rehab start Thursday, but he could make his season debut in the majors on Friday instead, Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle writes. Bumgarner, who’s working back from a fractured pinky finger, was untouchable during a Triple-A rehab start Saturday, striking out eight (with one walk) over 3 2/3 hitless, scoreless innings. Bumgarner threw 47 pitches, just above the pregame goal of 45, and suggested afterward that he’s ready to slot back into San Francisco’s rotation. “I obviously didn’t know before today, but I think so,” he said. “I wouldn’t say I’d be back at midseason form, but I definitely feel I could get some outs.”
- Cubs right-hander Yu Darvish went to the disabled list on Saturday with triceps tendinitis, though it doesn’t seem as if he’ll be on the shelf for long. The team’s “not overly concerned” about the injury, manager Joe Maddon told Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune and other reporters. Indeed, it’s only believed to be a “minor” issue, a Cubs source informed Sullivan, who notes there’s a chance Darvish could ultimately miss just one start.
Trade Notes: Machado, Phils, Cubs, Yanks, Rays, Padres, M’s, Tribe
Orioles shortstop Manny Machado seems like a good bet to end up on the move this year, though it’s not “anywhere close” to happening, Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com reports. The Orioles aren’t “actively shopping” Machado right now, and they’re content to keep the soon-to-be free agent until closer to the July 31 non-waiver deadline, Kubatko writes. Kubatko goes on to list some potential Machado suitors, including the Phillies, who “left open the possibility of engaging in talks” with the Orioles when they were in Baltimore a couple weeks ago. Meanwhile, according to Kubatko, the Cubs reached out to Orioles general manager Dan Duquette to express interest in Machado, but Chicago – like Baltimore – isn’t prepared to make a major deal yet. Of course, Cubs president Theo Epstein addressed the Machado-Chicago speculation earlier this week, saying it’s “in fantasy land at this point.”
Here are more trade-related items:
- The Yankees, owners of arguably the majors’ premier offense and its second-best record (32-16), “need pitching more than anything else,” general manager Brian Cashman said Saturday (via Bryan Hoch of MLB.com). Cashman made that observation before right-hander Sonny Gray‘s latest subpar start – a 3 2/3-frame, five-run performance in a loss to the Angels. Gray has now posted a 5.98 ERA/4.78 FIP with 7.97 K/9 and 5.07 BB/9 in 49 2/3 innings this year, which wasn’t the type of production the Yankees had in mind then they acquired him from the Athletics last July. His 2018 woes – not to mention a general lack of front-end starters behind ace Luis Severino – could force the World Series hopefuls to revisit the trade market for rotation help in the next couple months.
- Tampa Bay pulled off a surprise trade Friday when it sent reliever Alex Colome and outfielder Denard Span to Seattle, and that won’t be be the end of the Rays’ moves, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times suggests. With Colome and Span gone, Topkin names Chris Archer, Wilson Ramos, C.J. Cron, Carlos Gomez, Adeiny Hechavarria, Brad Miller, Sergio Romo, Matt Duffy, Chaz Roe, Nathan Eovaldi and Jonny Venters as candidates to wind up in other uniforms.
- Padres outfielder Travis Jankowski has drawn trade interest, Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times reported before the Mariners-Rays swap. It seems the Mariners tried for Jankowski prior to landing Span, but according to Divish, the Padres didn’t show much interest in the M’s low-ranked farm system. Known mostly for his speed and defense, the 26-year-old Jankowski has gotten off to a .313/.382/.400 start at the plate in 89 attempts this season. He’s controllable through the 2021 season.
- Thanks to their bullpen’s dreadful start to the season, the Indians have been inquiring about outside help, Paul Hoynes of cleveland.com relays. It doesn’t seem as if any trades are close to happening, however, as Hoynes points out that the deadline’s still more than two months away. Cleveland’s bullpen entered Saturday last in the majors in both ERA (6.23) and fWAR (minus-0.8), and it then lost integral lefty Andrew Miller to the disabled list for the second time this season.
West Notes: Pence, Ohtani, D-backs, Hill, A’s
It’s possible Giants outfielder Hunter Pence has played his last game with the team, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports California observes. The Giants have to make a decision on Pence’s future within the next six days, when his minor league rehab assignment will end. In the event San Francisco releases Pence, who helped the club to two World Series titles as a younger player, it’ll have to eat the remainder of his $18.5MM salary. But if Pence gets another shot with the Giants, he’ll return having undergone some offensive adjustments with the help of private instructor Doug Latta – whose students also include Mac Williamson and the Dodgers’ Justin Turner – Pavlocic details. Pence feels “way better” after working with Latta, and has hit well in the minors since making the changes. The respected veteran got off to a rough start in the majors this year (.172/.197/.190 in 61 plate appearances) before going on the disabled list April 19 with a thumb issue.
More from the game’s West divisions…
- The Angels expect Shohei Ohtani to make his next start during their upcoming series against the Tigers, which runs from Monday to Thursday, manager Mike Scioscia said Saturday (via Jeff Miller of the Los Angeles Times). Ohtani had been scheduled to start Sunday against the Yankees, but the Angels elected against that as a way to manage the phenom’s workload. The pitcher/hitter hasn’t taken the mound since last Sunday, when he cruised past the Rays to record his fifth quality start in seven attempts, but has been in the Angels’ starting lineup five times this week.
- The free-falling Diamondbacks may welcome both lefty Robbie Ray and righty Shelby Miller back in mid-June, general manager Mike Hazen told reporters, including Kathleen Fitzgerald of AZCentral and Nick Piecoro of AZCentral. After getting off to a 24-11 start, the Diamondbacks have lost 14 of 16, perhaps thanks in part to the absences of Ray (strained oblique) and Taijuan Walker (Tommy John surgery) since late April. The D-backs’ banged-up rotation is hardly the primary reason for their slide (the club’s offense has only averaged two runs per game during its slump), but the returns of Ray and Miller should be welcome nonetheless. Along with Zack Greinke, Patrick Corbin and Zack Godley, Ray and Miller would help form a nice rotation on paper. Miller has been working back since he underwent a Tommy John procedure last May.
- There was optimism about injured Dodgers left-hander Rich Hill earlier this week, but manager Dave Roberts suggested to Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times and other reporters Saturday that his return’s not exactly imminent. Hill’s still “a ways away” from returning from his long-running blister issues, per Roberts. The 38-year-old went back on the DL last Sunday, when Roberts estimated he’d miss at least four weeks. Fortunately for the surging Dodgers, Clayton Kershaw seems to be nearing a return from his own DL stint, and Hill replacement Ross Stripling has been brilliant this season. In a win over the Padres on Friday, Stripling struck out 10 and didn’t issue any walks across 6 2/3 innings of six-hit, one-run ball (unearned).
- The Athletics made a series of moves Saturday, sending Santiago Casilla to the DL with a strained shoulder, optioning Josh Lucas to the minors and recalling Carlos Ramirez and Chris Bassitt. The most notable member of the group is Casilla, who ranks third among A’s relievers in innings pitched this year (21 2/3). Casilla opened his age-37 season with an appealing 3.32 ERA over that span, though he also totaled too few strikeouts and too many walks (14 in each case) and benefited from a .186 batting average on balls in play.
Central Notes: Meadows, Reds, Cards, Miggy
When the Pirates promoted outfield prospect Austin Meadows on May 18, the plan was for him to quickly return to the minors, manager Clint Hurdle told Elizabeth Bloom of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and other reporters Saturday. However, Meadows’ “performance was eye-catching,” according to Hurdle, which convinced the team to keep him around when it activated fellow outfielder Starling Marte from the disabled list Saturday. With Marte, Gregory Polanco and Corey Dickerson, the Pirates now have their starting outfield intact again, but Hurdle still sees enough opportunities for the 23-year-old Meadows to justify keeping him in the majors. “We need to continue to monitor [Corey] Dickerson’s on-field innings,” Hurdle said. “Marte’s bouncing back, we’re going to be smart with, and Polanco. So I think between the four of them, and a true fourth outfielder, we’ll be able to have the opportunity to get everybody playing time.” Meadows was out of the lineup for the Bucs’ game on Saturday, but he did collect a pinch-hit appearance. He didn’t reach base in that at-bat, dropping his line to a still-stellar .433/.433/.867 over his first 29 major league trips to the plate.
More from the majors’ Central divisions…
- Reds left-hander Brandon Finnegan tells Bobby Nightengale of the Cincinnati Enquirer that he’s displeased the team demoted him to Triple-A on May 10 to make room for Matt Harvey‘s acquisition. Finnegan noted that he’s fine either starting or relieving in the majors, saying “whatever helps the team out is what I want to do,” but he believes he made a case earlier this season to continue in the Reds’ rotation. “I felt like I had two pretty good starts up in Cincinnati,” Finnegan said. “You can’t do anything about getting taken out of the game after 70 pitches. (Reds interim manager Jim) Riggleman loves using the bullpen; that’s his thing. That part was out of my hands. Besides that, two of my five starts I had, I thought were pretty good. I was attacking guys.” Notably, Finnegan added that he has no hard feelings toward Riggleman, per Nightengale. Regardless, Finnegan didn’t exactly make a case to stay in the Reds’ rotation during his five pre-demotion starts – he logged a 7.40 ERA with 15 walks and 14 strikeouts in 20 2/3 innings – though he still expected more leeway after missing most of last season with shoulder issues. The Reds, for their part, haven’t given up on Finnegan serving as a starter in the majors, and they sent him down so he’d work out of their their Triple-A rotation rather than the big league bullpen, Nightengale writes. Finnegan, meanwhile, is using his stint in the minors as motivation and “hoping to get back” to the Reds sooner than later.
- Cardinals righty Alex Reyes will make his much-anticipated 2018 debut on May 30 in a start against the Brewers, Joe Trezza of MLB.com tweets. It’ll be the prized 23-year-old’s first MLB outing since he underwent Tommy John surgery prior to the 2017 season. Reyes tore through multiple minor league levels during his rehab stint this year, racking up 44 strikeouts against seven walks in 23 scoreless frames, and looks unlikely to work under an innings limit upon his return to the majors.
- Tigers first baseman Miguel Cabrera is making progress as he works back from a hamstring strain, as Evan Woodbery of MLive.com details, but a return date for the future Hall of Famer is still unclear. Cabrera hasn’t played since May 3, before which he seemed to be in the midst of a bounce-back campaign. After posting an uncharacteristically pedestrian 2017, Cabrera opened this year – his age 35-season – with a .323/.407/.516 line in 108 PAs. Fortunately for Detroit, first base fill-ins John Hicks and Niko Goodrum have fared respectably in Cabrera’s stead.
NL Injury Notes: Kershaw, Bucs, Panik, Mets
Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw said Saturday that he’ll be ready to rejoin their rotation in five days, though it’ll be up to the team whether that happens, according to Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times. Kershaw’s four-inning simulated game on Saturday went well enough that he may be able to avoid a rehab assignment, despite having been on the disabled list since May 7 with biceps tendinitis. The left-hander is part of a large group of important Dodgers who have missed significant time this year, thus helping to explain the reigning NL champions’ 23-27 start. LA has won seven of its past eight, however, and is within a manageable 3.5 games of first-place Colorado in the NL West.
- Pirates starter Ivan Nova has a strained ligament in his right index finger and may be headed to the DL, Rob Biertempfel of The Athletic tweets. To prepare for Nova’s potential absence, the Pirates had their Triple-A affiliate pull righty Nick Kingham from his start after just one inning on Friday, per Mason Wittner of MLB.com. The 26-year-old Kingham made the first three big league starts of his career earlier this season and held his own, with a a 3.44 ERA/2.56 FIP and outstanding strikeout and walk rates (10.31 K/9, .98 BB/9) across 18 1/3 innings. While Nova hasn’t been nearly as effective as Kingham, he has logged playable numbers over 11 starts and 61 1/3 frames (4.96 ERA/4.28 FIP, 6.86 K/9, 1.46 BB/9 and a 50.7 percent groundball rate).
- Giants second baseman Joe Panik is on track to come off the DL next weekend, Kerry Crowley of the Bay Area News Group suggests. In the meantime, he’ll open a four- or five-game rehab assignment on Monday. Panik will end up missing upward of a month after undergoing left thumb surgery in late April. He hasn’t played since April 27, and fill-in Alen Hanson has been out for two weeks, leaving the Giants with the underwhelming duo of Kelby Tomlinson and Miguel Gomez as their options at the keystone.
- Catcher Kevin Plawecki could rejoin the Mets on Monday, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com writes. Plawecki landed on the shelf with a hairline fracture in his left hand on April 13, when the Mets also announced that fellow backstop Travis d’Arnaud would undergo season-ending Tommy John surgery. New York then received terrible behind-the-plate productions from subs Tomas Nido and Jose Lobaton in the ensuing few weeks, leading it to acquire Devin Mesoraco from the Reds for righty Matt Harvey in a May 8 trade. The deal has worked out well for the Mets thus far, as Mesoraco has performed respectably enough that they’ll be able to ease Plawecki back into action when he returns, DiComo notes.
Cubs Place Yu Darvish On DL
Cubs starter Yu Darvish is headed to the disabled list (retroactive to May 23) with right tricep tendinitis, Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic tweets. The club has recalled lefty Randy Rosario from Triple-A Iowa in a corresponding move, and righty Tyler Chatwood will start in Darvish’s place Sunday.
This is already the second DL placement of the year for Darvish, who missed time earlier this month on account of the flu. Darvish’s newest issue looks like a much more alarming one for him and the Cubs, given that it’s an arm injury and the team has so much invested in him.
Darvish parlayed stardom with the Rangers and Dodgers from 2012-17 into a six-year, $126MM guarantee from the Cubs over the winter, though the free-agent signing has gotten off to a slow start in the Windy City. The 31-year-old has pitched to a 4.95 ERA/4.81 FIP with 4.73 BB/9 across 40 innings (eight starts), thus offsetting a strong strikeout rate (11.03 K/9). Darvish has continued to throw hard, however, and his most recent outing (May 20) was among his best as a Cub. He earned his first win with the team after tossing six innings of two-hit, one-run ball – with seven strikeouts and three walks – against the Reds.
The severity of Darvish’s injury isn’t yet known, but it’s worth noting that arm issues aren’t anything new for him. The 6-foot-5, 220-pounder previously underwent Tommy John surgery May 2015, causing him to miss that entire season and some of the ’16 campaign. Darvish bounced back nicely from that procedure, though, and the Cubs will hope he’s able to return in short order from his newest ailment. In the meantime, the 28-22 Cubs will continue trying to catch up to the NL-Central leading Brewers, who own a 32-20 record and a 3.5-game advantage over them in the division.
Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Betts, Astros, Yanks, Harper, Bucs, Cards, Dodgers
This week in baseball blogs…
- theScore profiles Mookie Betts and discusses the Red Sox superstar with some of his teammates.
- Astros County examines the outstanding work of Houston’s rotation.
- The K Zone researches the best ways to build a winning team.
- The Runner Sports believes the Yankees will make an attempt to sign Bryce Harper in the offseason.
- Clubhouse Corner talks with Pirates catcher Francisco Cervelli.
- Viva El Birdos details the change in approach Cardinals first baseman Jose Martinez has made this season.
- Know Hitter, Hardball Via Hardcore and Foul Territory Baseball each react to Robinson Cano‘s suspension.
- FSH Baseball delves into Matt Kemp‘s productive season thus far and predicts how he’ll fare for the rest of the year.
- SportsTalkPhilly.com asks if it would make sense for the Phillies to reacquire Cole Hamels from the Rangers.
- BP Toronto breaks down how Seung Hwan-Oh, John Axford and Tyler Clippard have altered their pitch mixes to succeed as their stuff changes, and discusses the subject with Axford and Clippard.
- The First Out At Third focuses on Brewers outfielder Domingo Santana‘s 2018 power outage.
- MLB & Fantasy Baseball Analyzed expects Ozzie Albies‘ excellent numbers to regress significantly as the season advances.
- Mets Daddy opines that the club has begun laying the foundation for a Jacob deGrom trade.
- Pinstriped Prospects chats with former outfielder Nick Swisher about his new role with the Yankees.
- Rox Pile seeks a first base bat for the Rockies.
- Motor City Bengals sees the Tigers and Mariners as logical trade partners.
- The Loop Sports explains why the White Sox need to start showing improvement in the win-loss department.
- Camden Depot wonders how much longer the Orioles can pencil the struggling Chris Davis into their everyday lineup.
- Chin Music Baseball isn’t worried about the Indians’ mediocre start.
- STL Hat Trick analyzes the difference between young Cardinals hurlers Alex Reyes and Jordan Hicks.
- Jays From the Couch advises Toronto to move on from Kendrys Morales.
- Call to the Pen (links: 1, 2) names five potential replacement for injured Nationals catcher Matt Wieters and assesses the Phillies’ starting options after Aaron Nola and Jake Arrieta.
- The Sports Banter has an outside-the-box idea for how the Mets should approach this year’s draft.
- Notes from the Sally scouts Rangers outfield prospect Bubba Thompson.
- Bronx Bomber Ball offers an update on the Yankees’ top 10 pitching prospects.
- The Point of Pittsburgh wants to know when people will start showing up again to watch the Pirates.
- RSNStats looks at the rare feat of going 6-for-6 in a game, something George Springer did earlier this month.
- The 3rd Man In profiles and interviews LSU outfielder/draft prospect Zach Watson.
- Rotisserie Duck looks back at the past 20 No. 1 overall draft picks.
- The Giants Cove sees big problems with the team’s farm system.
- The Sports Tank credits Red Sox manager Alex Cora for some of J.D. Martinez‘s success so far this season.
- Everything Bluebirds hopes the Blue Jays give more third base time to Russell Martin, thanks to fellow backstop Luke Maile‘s early season output.
- Believeland Ball lists three reasons why Indians fans should care about this year’s draft.
- The Pinch Runner writes about the rise of Tommy John surgery.
- The Runner Sports (links: 1, 2) responds to Twins catcher Jason Castro‘s season-ending injury and profiles Astros pitching prospect Joshua James.
- Rising Apple constructs a lineup of the Mets’ all-time worst hitters.
Cafardo’s Latest: Peavy, Abreu, Moose, Braves, Fish, BoSox, Rangers
Free-agent right-hander Jake Peavy was reportedly going to throw in a scouting showcase around May 1, but that hasn’t happened yet, the soon-to-be 37-year-old tells Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe. Nevertheless, Peavy is still aiming to return to the majors, where he last pitched in 2016 with the Giants. “In the next three weeks I’ll make a decision,” said Peavy, who added that he wanted to consult with his four kids before attempting a comeback. Continued Peavy: “I feel that I can help a team in the second half. My arm feels great. I’ve had a chance to rest it so I feel as strong as I’ve felt in a long time. I’ve kept in shape. I throw bullpens. So I’m hoping that once I make the decision to do it, that the interest will be there.” Notably, the onetime NL Cy Young Award winner realizes he’d “have to sign an incentive-based deal” and work his way back to MLB via the minors.
Here’s more from Cafardo:
- First baseman Jose Abreu is “likely” to be the next player the White Sox trade, Cafardo writes. Even though the White Sox are rebuilding, they’ve continued to hold on to the 31-year-old Abreu, in part because he has emerged as a key mentor to their young players. Abreu would figure to garner interest from contenders, though, considering he’s having another big offensive season (.294/.366/.518 with eight HRs in 183 plate appearances) and under wraps through 2019.
- “There’s a growing feeling among talent evaluators” that the Braves will go after Royals third baseman Mike Moustakas in advance of the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline, according to Cafardo. That may have become even more likely Sunday when the Braves ended their brief Jose Bautista experiment, though they’re bent on giving Johan Camargo a serious look at third base for the time being. Regardless, Moustakas does seem like a strong bet to finish the season outside of Kansas City, which is rebuilding and doesn’t have him under contract beyond this season (there is a $15MM mutual option, however). Moustakas is making a very reasonable salary ($5.5MM) and enjoying a terrific year at the plate, having slashed .294/.333/.528 with 10 long balls in 195 PAs.
- The Marlins expect reliever Kyle Barraclough to generate interest prior to the deadline, Cafardo reports. The 27-year-old is amid his fourth straight high-strikeout/high-walk/low-ERA season, with 11.32 K/9, 5.23 BB/9 and a 1.74 ERA through 20 2/3 innings. Adding to his appeal, Barraclough’s under control through 2021 and making just over $1.1MM this season.
- The Rangers had interest in Red Sox utilityman Blake Swihart as recently as a week ago, per Cafardo, who notes “that avenue may still be available.” A catcher by trade, Swihart’s out of options and doesn’t seem to have a place on this year’s Red Sox, which led his agent to request a trade earlier this week. Still, Boston’s unsure about parting with the 26-year-old, Cafardo suggests. If the Sox do explore a deal, though, there are other fits besides Texas, as MLBTR’s Steve Adams pointed out Wednesday.
- More on the Red Sox, who’d “likely want bullpen help and/or a prospect” in a trade for center fielder Jackie Bradley Jr., Cafardo observes. Boston spurned teams’ interest in Bradley in the offseason and has since gotten off to one of the majors’ best starts, though the 28-year-old hasn’t contributed to that as much as expected. Bradley has posted an ugly .165/.267/.252 line in 146 trips to the plate, leading Alex Speier of the Boston Globe to wonder if the Red Sox could consider demoting him despite his $6.1MM salary when second baseman Dustin Pedroia comes off the disabled list soon. While it’s a long shot, Speier concedes, a Bradley-less Red Sox team would still feature the enviable outfield trio of Mookie Betts in right, Andrew Benintendi in center and J.D. Martinez in left.
Indians Select Melky Cabrera, Designate Alexi Ogando
4:36pm: The Indians have indeed optioned Marshall, Hoynes reports. Additionally, the club has designated reliever Alexi Ogando for assignment. Ogando signed a minor league accord with the Indians during the offseason and ended up cracking their roster earlier this month. However, the 34-year-old only made one appearance – a disastrous May 4 outing against the Yankees in which he pitched one frame and allowed two earned runs on two hits and three walks. Ogando took the loss in that game.
4:12pm: Cabrera will start in right field for Cleveland on Sunday, per Zuppe. It appears the Tribe will option reliever Evan Marshall to open up a 25-man spot for Cabrera, Paul Hoynes of cleveland.com suggests.
4:02pm: The Indians are set to promote veteran outfielder Melky Cabrera to the majors, T.J. Zuppe of The Athletic tweets. Adding Cabrera wouldn’t require the Indians to make a 40-man roster move, as they currently have a vacancy.
Even though the 33-year-old Cabrera has enjoyed a successful MLB career, he was one of several notable veterans who didn’t encounter much interest on the free-agent market last offseason. In fact, he went without a contract until the end of April, when the Indians inked him to a minors pact. By making it to Cleveland, Cabrera will be in position to earn at a $1MM rate and have an opportunity to rake in extra cash via incentives.
Cleveland will be the seventh different major league destination for the switch-hitting Cabrera, who didn’t produce much in 42 plate appearances with its Triple-A affiliate (.286/.286/.381) but does bring a .286/.335/.418 MLB line across 6,852 PAs. He offered similar numbers last year between two of the Indians’ AL Central rivals, the White Sox and Royals, combining to slash .285/.324/.423 with 17 home runs in 666 trips to the plate.
Cabrera’s 2017 production was more than the Indians have gotten this year from their outfielders, who have combined for a .255/.308/.396 mark in the first month and half of the campaign. Michael Brantley and Tyler Naquin have held their own, but each of Bradley Zimmer, Lonnie Chisenhall, Rajai Davis, Greg Allen and Brandon Guyer have scuffled, and three of those players (Naquin, Zimmer and Chisenhall) are on the disabled list.
AL Injury Notes: A. Garcia, K. Davis, Bird, Astros
White Sox right fielder Avisail Garcia likely won’t return to game action until the end of June, the team announced. Garcia, who has been out since April 24 with a strained right hamstring, underwent an MRI “that revealed improvement but the continued presence of a grade 2 strain,” per the club. On the heels of a terrific 2017, Garcia looked like a potential trade chip entering this season. However, between Garcia’s lengthy absence and the fact that he opened 2018 with a .233/.250/.315 line and no walks in 76 pre-injury plate appearances, his trade value has likely taken a sizable hit this year.
- Athletics slugger Khris Davis left their game Sunday with a right groin strain, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle writes. The severity isn’t known, though Slusser points out that groin strains tend to take anywhere from two to six weeks to heal. A stint on the disabled list seems like a strong possibility, then, and that would be a tough development for the surging A’s. The club’s on its way to a 25-22 start, and Davis has certainly had a role in that with a .235/.307/.497 line and a team-high 13 homers in 205 PAs.
- Yankees first baseman Greg Bird could make his season debut during the upcoming week, manager Aaron Boone told Mike Mazzeo of the New York Daily News and other reporters Sunday. Bird hasn’t played this year on account of the right ankle surgery he underwent in late March, after missing most of last season with foot problems and all of 2016 with a torn labrum. Owners of the majors’ best record (29-13), the Yankees have gotten off to a great start without the talented Bird, thanks in part to first base fill-in Tyler Austin‘s production. The 26-year-old rookie has smacked two HRs on Sunday to give him eight on the season and raise his OPS to .930 through 100 PAs.
- The Astros have placed outfielder Derek Fisher on the DL (retroactive to Saturday) and recalled corner infielder/outfielder J.D. Davis from Triple-A, per reports from Mark Berman of FOX 26 and Jake Kaplan of The Athletic. Fisher, who has hit just .176/.222/.419 in 81 PAs, is dealing with gastrointestinal discomfort. Like Fisher, Davis hasn’t been great at the big league level this year (250/.357/.250 in 28 PAs). However, the 25-year-old laid waste to the Triple-A Pacific Coast League prior to Sunday’s call-up, slashing .415/.473/.654 in 146 tries.