Headlines

Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

NL Notes: Thor, Mattingly, Panda, Padres

By | at

Though he has remained adamant about his desire to remain with the Mets, that doesn’t mean Noah Syndergaard is content with every aspect of his relationship with the team. Joel Sherman and Kevin Kernan of the New York Post reported today that the big righty has been displeased all season with throwing to primary catcher Wilson Ramos, preferring instead reserve Tomas Nido (or perhaps third-stringer Rene Rivera). Thor’s wrath has spawned a full-blown BatteryMateGate involving lengthy internal meetings and multiple engagements with the media. Ultimately, Mets manager Mickey Callaway and GM Brodie Van Wagenen explained that the club has to take into account more than the preferences of a given pitcher. In addition to being highly compensated and well-respected, Ramos is one of the team’s best hitters. While none of the organizational leaders cracked the whip on the star hurler, they didn’t indicate any inclination to bend on the topic. Callaway put it in particularly blunt terms: “You can’t make everybody happy and it’s not about making guys happy. It’s about winning at this point.” Whether this matter will carry over into the future, if not even impact Syndergaard’s long-term status in New York, remains to be seen.

More from the National League …

  • Expectations of a rough season for the Marlins have been fulfilled in full, though there have been some bright spots along the way. With relatively few trade pieces in the stable, it may be a fairly quiet offseason in Miami. But one area that is sure to receive attention is the coaching staff. Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald provides some updates on the status of skipper Don Mattingly, who still hasn’t received any indication of the organization’s intentions. It seems that there’s a legitimate chance Mattingly will be retained, though the team may not want to pay him at or over his current $2.5MM salary. Plus, as the veteran baseball man notes, it’s not just a one-way street. Mattingly says he expects discussions to occur with some rapidity.
  • It seems that Giants infielder Pablo Sandoval will have more to recover from than your standard-issue Tommy John procedure. As Hank Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle reports (Twitter link), Sandoval says that his doctors found damage beyond what they anticipated when they opened his elbow. The precise details of the work that was done, and how it’ll impact his recovery, aren’t yet known. Sandoval will head to the open market at the conclusion of the season. The 33-year-old’s season-ending procedure will limit his marketability, but he did turn in a strong showing with 296 plate appearances of .268/.313/.507 hitting and 14 home runs.
  • The Padres continue to feature numerous possibilities and numerous questions in their outfield mix, as AJ Cassavell of MLB.com writes. The certainties? Per Cassavall, Manuel Margot and Hunter Renfroe can be written into the lineup for 2020 … on the short side of the platoon, at least. Needless to say, that’s not exactly a ringing endorsement of stability. Wil Myers, Josh Naylor, Franchy Cordero, Travis Jankowski, and Nick Martini represent options, but only that. It’s possible to imagine any number of possible roster maneuvers over the course of the coming winter; it’s equally plausible that most or all of the existing slate of candidates will simply do battle in camp.

Tony Watson Diagnosed With Fractured Wrist

By | at

Giants southpaw Tony Watson has been diagnosed with a slight fracture in the wrist of his pitching hand, per a club announcement (via MLB.com’s Maria Guardado, on Twitter). He’ll be sidelined for at least ten days, with the remainder of his season in jeopardy.

With the San Francisco organization falling precipitously in the standings, it’s no big deal to go without Watson the rest of the way. That said, it’s still a suboptimal development — particularly given that it’s the latest in a run of changes to what was once a high-quality relief unit.

Watson, 34, has thrown 54 innings of 4.33 ERA ball this year, with 6.8 K/9 against 2.0 BB/9. His 12.7% swinging-strike rate is right in the same range it usually is, as is his 93.5 mph average heater.

If there’s an oddity to Watson’s season statistics, it’s his struggles against lefties. While he has never been a pure LOOGY, Watson has historically performed better when facing same-handed hitters. This year, opposing southpaw swingers have tuned him up for a .359/.414/.500 slash — though that’s only a 71-batter sample.

The injury will not have an impact on earnings, at least directly. Watson’s unusually structured contract included loads of bonuses, topping out at his 55th appearance. Having already reached that mark, he’s slated to take home an extra $4MM on top of his $6.5MM base salary (itself boosted by his effort in 2018).

Ending the campaign on the injured list could conceivably increase the allure of the $2.5MM player option that Watson holds, though it still seems reasonably likely he’ll instead take a $500K buyout and re-test free agency. He might have boosted his open-market stock with a strong final month, though Watson does have a long track record to stand on.

Javier Baez Unlikely To Return In September

By | at

The Cubs announced today that Cubs shortstop Javier Baez likely won’t be able to return to the field of play this month, with ESPN.com’s Jesse Rogers among those covering the news on Twitter. He’s planning to rehab his hairline thumb fracture in hopes of being ready for some or all of the postseason.

The news is obviously disappointing, if not unexpected given recent developments. That said, it’s promising that the examination by a specialist did not result in the identification of any damage to thumb ligaments.

Going without Baez undoubtedly hurts the Cubs, who are still trying to chase down the Cardinals in the NL Central while holding off challengers for the final Wild Card spot. With Addison Russell also sidelined, the club was forced to dip into its minor-league system and call up top prospect Nico Hoerner today.

While Baez won’t be able to help the Cubs make it into the postseason, it seems there’s still hope he’ll return to action if they do qualify. His progress, therefore, remains of keen interest even though it doesn’t seem there’s any cause for long-term worry.

Cubs Designate Randy Rosario

By | at

The Cubs have designated Randy Rosario, per a club announcement (h/t Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune, on Twitter). That’s the corresponding move for the previously reported promotion of top prospect Nico Hoerner.

In other news, the club has recalled James Norwood and optioned fellow righty Adbert Alzolay. Indications are that the club decided that Alzolay had thrown enough innings — just over eighty at all levels — on the heels of an injury-limited 2018 season. While there was no need to utilize the option to create active roster space, that’ll hit pause on Alzolay’s service clock.

Rosario, 25, had turned in good results for the Chicago organization in 2018, albeit with less-than-promising peripherals. The groundball-oriented southpaw ended up spending the bulk of the present campaign at Triple-A. Through 59 2/3 total innings at the MLB level, Rosario carries a 5.13 ERA with 6.3 K/9 and 4.1 BB/9 along with a 53.6% groundball rate.

Mike Trout Day To Day After Foot Procedure

By | at

6:07pm: Trout isn’t likely to be sidelined for more than a few days, but may require further offseason medical care to address the foot issue, per skipper Brad Ausmus (via Jeff Fletcher of the Southern California News Group, on Twitter). There’s no concern that playing out the year will cause greater harm.

5:52pm: Angels superstar Mike Trout has undergone a cryoablation procedure on his right foot to “address a neuroma,” per a club announcement. He’s considered day-to-day.

In plain English, the procedure froze some nerve tissue that had been causing pain in or around Trout’s right toe. It is not entirely clear at this point how long the center fielder will be sidelined, but it seems that his own pain tolerance will largely dictate the recovery schedule.

All indications are that this non-invasive approach will not be much of a short or long-term limitation on the game’s greatest player. Medical literature suggests it can take a full month for such a procedure to be fully effective, but that full resumption of activity is possible within a few days.

The Halos will surely exercise caution, lest their franchise icon somehow come down with a more significant malady. Barring a surprise development, the procedure shouldn’t even ding Trout’s chances at securing an American League MVP award. (It’s no surprise that he’s easily pacing all of baseball with 8.7 fWAR to this point.)

Rays To Activate Tyler Glasnow

By | at

Sunday: Glasnow has officially been activated from the injured list to start this afternoon’s game against Toronto.

Friday: The Rays will activate righty Tyler Glasnow to take the ball to start Sunday’s game, manager Kevin Cash told reporters including MLB.com’s Juan Toribio (Twitter link). Glasnow, who has been sidelined for much of the season with a forearm injury, is expected to be limited to two or three innings of work.

While Glasnow isn’t going to step right back into a full starting role, that was never the expectation. For one thing, he’s returning without the benefit of a lengthy minor-league rehab schedule. For another, he is needed in the majors as soon as possible with the Rays engaged in a closely fought battle for Wild Card position.

It’s hard to predict how the situation will unfold. Glasnow could perhaps build his arm strength up while working as an opener. Perhaps that’ll morph into something more akin to a typical starter’s workload as the postseason approaches.

Glasnow, who recently turned 26, is a key piece (in the present and the future) for a Tampa Bay organization that is hoping to return to full health in the pitching department at just the right time. Fellow hurlers Blake Snell and Yonny Chirinos are also trying to work back to the MLB bump. In eight starts to open the year, Glasnow pitched to a 1.86 ERA in 48 1/3 innings.

Roenis Elias Suffers Hamstring Strain

By | at

TODAY: The MRI revealed a Grade 1 strain, Martinez told MASNsports.com’s Byron Kerr and other reporters.  Elias will miss some time, though a Grade 1 is the least-serious level of strain, and Martinez noted that the reliever is “a little less sore than” he was during his previous hamstring injury.  More will be known about a recovery timeline when Elias meets with team doctors.

THURSDAY: Nationals reliever Roenis Elias exited tonight’s contest after experiencing discomfort while delivering a pitch. Manager Dave Martinez said after the game that Elias has “tweaked his hamstring” (video link via MASN’s Twitter account).

Worryingly, the injury occurred to the same muscle that had forced Elias to the injured list not long after he was acquired. The southpaw is likely to undergo an MRI tomorrow to survey the damage. Martinez did indicate that muscle tightness, rather than a pop or other more concerning indication, led to Elias’s removal.

At this point, it’s impossible to know how significant an issue this’ll be for the Nats. Elias was added to serve as the team’s lefty setup option. At the moment, closer Sean Doolittle is the only southpaw in the bullpen. Sam Freeman and Matt Grace are both in the organization but would need to be added to the 40-man roster to come up.

Cubs To Promote Danny Hultzen, Designate Taylor Davis

By | at

Sept. 7: Hultzen’s contract has officially been selected. In order to clear a spot on the 40-man roster, the Cubs have designated Taylor Davis for assignment.

Sept. 6: It has been a long and winding road for former first-round draft pick Danny Hultzen, but the path will finally pass through the majors. The Cubs southpaw has received his first MLB promotion, according to Brett Taylor of Bleacher Nation (via Twitter).

Hultzen, 29, was the second overall pick of the 2011 draft after excelling at the University of Virginia. He was seemingly breezing through the Mariners farm system when a spiraling series of injuries completely derailed his career.

It seemed like a longshot that Hultzen would be able to get back to functioning on the mound, let alone thriving. But he has opened eyes in 14 1/3 innings this year at Triple-A, allowing just two earned runs on a paltry four hits while racking up 23 strikeouts against nine walks.

Calling up Hultzen will require the Cubs to clear a place on the 40-man roster. The corresponding move isn’t yet known.

Latest On Corey Kluber

By | at

The Indians don’t seem to have much hope of getting veteran starter Corey Kluber back at any point in the 2019 season. As Ryan Lewis of the Beacon Journal recently reported, Kluber is still limited to doing aquatic exercises as he works to recover from an oblique injury.

That status hasn’t changed in the past few days, leading MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian to tweet that it’d be a surprise to see Kluber back in the regular season. Perhaps a postseason return can’t be ruled out entirely — remember Kyle Schwarber? — but it feels quite unlikely.

Trouble is, there just isn’t much time for Kluber to rebuild his arm strength even if he can get past the oblique issue. As skipper Terry Francona put it, “He’s got a ways to go.” Given that Kluber was already working back from a forearm fracture when he suffered the new injury, it’d be difficult to justify an aggressive build-up.

If indeed Kluber is done pitching for the year, it would mean the Indians won’t have a chance to glean further information before deciding on his club option. On the one hand, given Kluber’s still-recent history of dominance, it’s hard to imagine the team passing on the $13.5MM price tag in favor of $2MM in total buyouts. That’s particularly true with another option year still to come for 2021. On the other, the 33-year-old struggled even before he went down and will now be working back from a completely lost campaign. And the cost is far from insignificant to the budget-watching Cleveland organization.

Cubs Injury Updates: Baez, Darvish, Kimbrel

By | at

Cubs skipper Joe Maddon provided updates on an important trio of players today, with MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian among those covering the news. (Links to his Twitter account unless otherwise noted.)

  • Star infielder Javier Baez is going to undergo an MRI on his thumb tomorrow. There’s still no cause for alarm, but it’s certainly suboptimal to hear that he’s not recovering promptly after getting three games off. Initial x-rays came back negative, but the club is obviously interested in making sure there isn’t some other injury lurking in the digit. Deep as the Cubbies are in position players, Baez — who owns a .281/.316/.532 slash line with 29 home runs on the year — is all but irreplaceable. Baez certainly won’t be in the lineup until Sunday, at the earliest. The organization’s hope is that it won’t be long thereafter before he’s ready to return. Obviously, a significant injury would be devastating at this time of year.
  • Issues in or near the elbow are always a red flag for a pitcher, so it was at least somewhat worrisome to learn that righty Yu Darvish has experienced forearm tightness of late. But it seem he isn’t terribly concerned about it, having already managed things since early July — and thrived over that same span. The veteran says he won’t need to miss any further action after being skipped in his last scheduled start. He’ll pitch tomorrow. Maddon said Darvish looked great in his latest pen session and is “ready to roll,” as Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune tweets.
  • Speaking of ailments in the elbow region, the Cubs were holding their breath when closer Craig Kimbrel went in for an MRI. He says that the results were quite promising and that he hopes to be ready to return when first eligible on Thursday. That said, the veteran hurler hasn’t yet resumed throwing after spending some time on ice to let his inflammation subside. As he acknowledged, the precise course of action will depend upon how it goes once he does get back on the bump.

MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

hide arrows scroll to top