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Injury Notes: Conforto, Russell, Anderson, Keuchel, Meadows

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Here’s the latest on some developing injury situations around the game…

  • X-rays were negative on the left hand of Michael Conforto after the Mets outfielder was hit by a Matt Moore pitch today (the SNY MetsBlog has the details).  Conforto remained in the game after being hit but was replaced in the field during the next half-inning.  Conforto is day-to-day with a hand contusion and he said he feels he’ll be able to play by Tuesday, when the Mets next play.  Needless to say, losing Conforto the DL would be yet another major blow to the injury-riddled Mets, as Conforto is in the midst of a big breakout year, entering today with 14 homers and a .288/.406/.553 slash line in 266 PA.
  • Addison Russell left Sunday’s game due to “sharp, pinching pain” in his right shoulder, as he told CSN Chicago’s Patrick Mooney and other reporters.  The Cubs shortstop has been bothered by shoulder problems since Spring Training, which could be a reason for his below-average wRC+ (83) and his .232/.300/.408 slash line through 250 PA.  It isn’t yet known if a DL stint is required to give Russell an opportunity to fully rest the injury, as manager Joe Maddon described the problem as “kind of a nagging thing” that has “never been debilitating.”
  • Rockies southpaw Tyler Anderson was forced to leave during the third inning of today’s start due to an apparent injury to his left knee, MLB.com’s Thomas Harding was among those to report.  This was Anderson’s first start back since hitting the DL in late May due to inflammation in that same knee, though he made a one-inning relief appearance earlier last week.  Advanced metrics indicate that Anderson has pitched better than his 6.11 ERA would indicate, as he has been plagued by home runs (a whopping 25% homer rate) and bad BABIP luck (.337) over his 63 1/3 IP this season.
  • Astros ace Dallas Keuchel isn’t likely to return from the disabled list until after the All-Star Break, Jake Kaplan of the Houston Chronicle writes.  The left-hander was placed on the DL on June 8 due to neck discomfort, the second time Keuchel has been sidelined this season due to neck problems.  The team was known to be taking a very conservative approach to Keuchel’s rehab, and he has yet to begin throwing off a mound, though he has doing some long-tossing at a 120-foot distance.  As Kaplan notes, there isn’t any huge rush to get Keuchel back given the Astros’ big AL West lead, as the team obviously wants to ensure its star lefty is fully recovered and ready for the postseason push.
  • Top Pirates prospect Austin Meadows will miss up to four weeks after receiving a PRP injection for a torn hamstring, Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports (Twitter link).  The injury compounds what has already been a difficult season for Meadows, who has hit just .248/.313/.358 over 281 PA at the Triple-A level in 2017.  There had been speculation that Meadows could make his MLB debut sometime this year (possibly if Andrew McCutchen was traded), though that seems less likely in the wake of his lengthy absence and his lack of Triple-A production.  Of course, Meadows still just 22 years old and is regarded as one of the game’s better prospects, so there isn’t any reason yet for long-term concern.

Minor MLB Transactions: 6/25/17

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Here are the latest minor moves from around baseball, with the newest transactions at the top of the post…

  • The Brewers have optioned Lewis Brinson and Jett Bandy to Triple-A, manager Craig Counsell told reporters, including Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel (Twitter links).  Bandy has been in a major slump at the plate, and his demotion was expected after the Brewers claimed catcher Stephen Vogt off waivers earlier today.  Brinson, one of the game’s top prospects, hit just .100/.206/.167 over 34 PA in his first taste of Major League action, so it isn’t surprising that Milwaukee felt he needed some more Triple-A seasoning.  Brinson’s spot on the roster is expected to be filled by Ryan Braun, as the star outfielder is slated to be activated from the DL before the Brewers take the field again on Tuesday.
  • The Mets have promoted Tim Tebow to High-A affiliate in St. Lucie, the team announced.  Mets GM Sandy Alderson told MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo and other reporters that the team has been intrigued by Tebow’s power and exit velocity, as well as off-the-field intangibles like his clubhouse leadership.  On the field, of course, the former Florida Gators star quarterback has yet to deliver much in the way of results, entering today with a .222/.311/.340 slash line and three homers in 241 PA at Low-A ball.

MLBTR Originals

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Here is the week’s original content from the MLB Trade Rumors team…

  • Jeff Todd’s latest edition of the Top 50 Trade Deadline Candidates featured several changes from the previous list, published just over a week ago, as various players have entered and exited the rankings based on their teams’ fortunes.  One constant has been White Sox closer David Robertson, who has topped all three of Jeff’s Top 50 rankings.
  • Trevor May is providing MLBTR readers with a running diary of his rehabilitation process from Tommy John surgery.  In his latest entry, the Twins right-hander deals with the complications of having both a balky right arm and left leg (the tissue used to repair May’s UCL was taken from his left knee’s gracilis tendon).
  • In the latest three installments of the Taking Inventory series, Connor Byrne explored possible trade chips on the Reds and Tigers rosters, while Jeff looked at who the Braves could shop in the lead-up to the trade deadline.

Quick Hits: Seager, Rangers, Young, Morse

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Corey Seager won’t be in the Dodgers starting lineup for what could be several games due to a mild right hamstring strain, as reported by Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times and other media.  Seager suffered a Grade 1 strain, the lowest level of hamstring injury, and the team is hopeful Seager can avoid a DL stint; Seager said that this current issue isn’t nearly as bad as hamstring injuries he has suffered in the past.  Manager Dave Roberts suggested Seager could be available for key pinch-hitting situations, and the team will wait until Tuesday or Wednesday before deciding if the disabled list is necessary for the star shortstop.

Here’s more from around baseball….

  • Relief pitching will be a deadline priority for the Rangers at the deadline, though the team is still committed to Matt Bush as the closer, MLB.com’s T.R. Sullivan writes.  “We’ve got to continue to develop Matt in that spot.  One of the challenges is finding him consistent work in different situations,” manager Jeff Banister said, noting that Bush is still pretty new to pitching in his professional career.  The Rangers also want to see what they have in Ernesto Frieri and Tanner Scheppers before deciding on their specific deadline needs for the bullpen.
  • Veteran right-hander Chris Young tells MLB.com’s Jeffrey Flanagan that he intends to continue his career after being released by the Royals.  “Physically, I feel good,” Young said. “My arm feels good. I don’t foresee this being the end. I’m still capable of competing at a high level. Possibly a change of scenery might help.”  Young, who turned 38 last month, has suffered through a pair of rough seasons in 2016-17, posting a 6.52 ERA over 118 2/3 IP.  Young also praised the K.C. fans and the Royals organization, noting that GM Dayton Moore told him the news of his release in person.
  • Mike Morse is still suffering from lingering symptoms almost a month after going on the seven-day concussion DL, the veteran slugger tells Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle.  Morse has openly talked about this stint with the Giants being something of a last ride in his career, though what could potentially be his final season has been hampered by a hamstring injury and now this concussion.  Morse has a .556 OPS over 40 PA for the Giants this year, and he isn’t sure when he’ll be healthy enough to return to action.

Phillies Notes: Franco, Neshek, Galvis

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Here’s the latest from the City Of Brotherly Love…

  • Maikel Franco is “more than available” in trade talks, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe reports.  Franco is struggling through a terrible 2017 season that has seen him hit just .224/.284/.371 over 285 plate appearances — between Franco’s subpar hitting, fielding and baserunning, he has delivered below replacement-level (-0.6 fWAR) production.  A trade would be surprising given that Franco was seen as a potential building block piece for the Phillies less than two years ago, though it’s worth noting that he was also a below-average hitter (92 wRC+) in 2016, his first full season in the majors.  Franco’s age (24) and past status as a well-regarded prospect would net him some trade interest, though Philadelphia would definitely be selling low on the third baseman.
  • The Phillies have already received a “standing offer” for Pat Neshek, CSNPhilly.com’s Jim Salisbury reports.  The veteran reliever is expected to draw wide interest in the weeks leading to the trade deadline and as Salisbury notes, the Phils must believe they can do better than the current offer on the table.  It’s hard to predict who the Neshek suitor is, given the widespread need for bullpen help across the league (though feel free to speculate on the #MysteryTeam in the comments section!)
  • The Adeiny Hechavarria trade buzz could be of interest to the Phillies as a gauge on what Freddy Galvis could net on the open market, Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes.  Galvis is seven months younger than Hechavarria, also a free agent after the 2018 season and is better known for his glove than his bat, though Galvis did manage 20 homers last year.  Over their careers, Galvis has been worth 5.1 fWAR over 2059 PA as compared to Hechavarria’s 1.7 fWAR in 2402 PA.  Gelb reasons that a team who fails to land Hechavarria could turn to Galvis as an alternate plan.

AL East Notes: Osuna, Rutledge, Rusney, Duda, Rays

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Blue Jays closer Roberto Osuna told Sportsnet’s Arden Zwelling and other reporters that he has been dealing with anxiety issues in recent days and is unsure as to when he’ll be back on the mound.  “I don’t really know how to explain it. I just feel anxious. I feel like I’m lost a little bit right now,” Osuna said via an interpreter. “This has nothing to do with me being on the field. I feel great out there. It’s just when I’m out of baseball. When I’m not on the field, I feel just weird and a little bit lost.”  This is the first time the 22-year-old has experienced such feelings, he said, noting “I’m just not myself right now.”  The organization’s head of mental performance, Paddy Steinfort, has been working with Osuna during this period and declined a interview on Osuna’s status.

Here’s some more from around the AL East…

  • The Red Sox placed Josh Rutledge on the seven-day concussion DL today, calling up Tzu-Wei Lin from Double-A to take his spot on the roster.  [Updated Red Sox depth chart at Roster Resource]  Troublingly, Rutledge may have originally suffered this concussion in late May, and it was only detected within the last couple of days.  Boston was already thin at third base with Pablo Sandoval, Marco Hernandez, and Brock Holt also on the DL, and Rutledge’s absence will only increase the likelihood of the Sox pursuing third base help at the deadline.
  • Rusney Castillo is playing well at Triple-A but isn’t a likely candidate for a return to the majors for contractual reasons, the Boston Globe’s Alex Speier writes.  Thanks to changes made in the new collective bargaining agreement, the Red Sox would have the average annual value of Castillo’s contract (around $10.4MM) counted on their luxury tax calculations through the end of the outfielder’s deal in 2020, even if they called up Castillo for even just one day or dealt him to another deal and ate part of the salary obligations.  Between this financial cost and the Sox already being pretty set in the outfield, Castillo may not have a clear path back to the bigs at all for over three years.
  • The Yankees and Mets are hardly frequent trade partners, though Newsday’s David Lennon suggests that Lucas Duda could be the answer to the Yankees’ need at first base.  With Tyler Austin and the still-injured Greg Bird both unproven commodities at first, Lennon argues that Duda is a proven slugger that can help fill that positional need for the Bronx Bombers, and he could be available if the Mets are indeed open to moving veteran players.  After an injury-plagued 2016, Duda has rebounded to hit .253/.365/.565 with 13 homers over 200 PA for the Mets.  As a free agent after the season, Duda also wouldn’t represent a long-term roadblock for Bird or Austin at the position.
  • The Rays are closing in on a winning record at the season’s halfway point, and the Tampa Bay Times’ Marc Topkin lists ten solid decisions made by the club both last winter and during the season that have positioned the Rays for playoff contention.

Rosenthal’s Latest: Cueto, Puig, Adams, Blevins, Chatwood

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Some hot stove buzz from FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal, courtesy of two Full Count videos (link one, link two)…

  • A rival general manager describes Johnny Cueto’s potential trade value as “lower than a rental’s” due to the added complication of Cueto’s opt-out clause, which could make it hard for the Giants to find a trade partner.  If a team were to acquire a normal pending free agent at the deadline and that player got injured or performed poorly, the two sides would likely just part ways after the year.  If such a scenario happened to Cueto, however, he might not opt out, so the new team would be taking on a potentially diminished asset for the remaining four years/$84MM on Cueto’s contract.
  • The offseason trade buzz about Yasiel Puig has died down since he is playing well, so it doesn’t seem like the Dodgers would move the controversial outfielder unless they get full value in return.  Interestingly, Rosenthal notes that Puig’s clubhouse reputation is still a work in progress, as “many” Dodgers teammates view Puig “as an annoyance.”
  • Matt Adams is drawing trade interest, which isn’t a surprise given how he has been crushing the ball since joining the Braves.  Whether Atlanta looks to move Adams or not will depend on whether Freddie Freeman is capable of playing third base, thus allowing Adams to stay at first base.  Moving Adams into a corner outfield spot is problematic since the Braves would then have to deal Matt Kemp or Nick Markakis, not to mention the defensive shortcomings Adams displayed while playing the outfield for the Cardinals earlier this season.
  • While the Mets are reportedly open to dealing veterans, Rosenthal says that Jerry Blevins is maybe the least likely of those players to switch teams.  Blevins is enjoying his second consecutive excellent year in the Mets bullpen, and since the team plans to contend again in 2018, exercising the $7MM club option on Blevins would be a good way to lock up some reliable left-handed relief.
  • A Tyler Chatwood trade “would be difficult for the [Rockies] to make,” a source with knowledge of the team’s thinking tells Rosenthal.  If anything, Colorado will be looking to add pitching rather than move a solid rotation arm.  Chatwood has a 4.08 ERA, 7.4 K/9 and a very strong 57.6% ground ball rate over 90 1/3 IP this season.  He is a free agent this winter and he has a strong track record (career 3.10 road ERA) away from Coors Field, plus he may not be a prime candidate for a long-term deal given that Chatwood has twice undergone Tommy John surgery.  Despite those factors, Chatwood probably has more value to the Rockies as a player than as a potential trade chip as the team battles in the competitive NL West.

Duquette: Orioles Looking To Add Pitching, “Premature” To Consider Selling At Deadline

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Even with the Orioles in a tailspin over the last six weeks, executive VP of baseball operations Dan Duquette said it was “a little premature” to consider whether or not his team will be sellers at the trade deadline, Jon Meoli of the Baltimore Sun writes.  If anything, the O’s are still considering making an upgrade to their struggling rotation.

“Our pitching hasn’t been up to standards,” Duquette said. “We’re going to keep our eye out and try to get our pitching back to a competitive level, and see if we can make some additions to the team and see where we are in terms of contending for a playoff spot.”

The Orioles held the top spot in the AL East for much of the early part of the season, and had a 22-10 record after a victory on May 9.  Since that date, however, Baltimore has just a 13-28 mark.  Some notable injuries (Zach Britton, Chris Davis, Darren O’Day) have been a factor, and top hitters like Manny Machado, Adam Jones and Mark Trumbo have been below-average contributors at the plate.

The Orioles’ biggest weakness, however, has been a lack of reliable starting pitching.  Baltimore starters have combined for the second-worst fWAR (1.6) and ERA (5.79) in all of baseball, ahead of only the Reds in both categories.  Orioles starters aren’t missing bats (6.69 K/9, third-lowest of any rotation in the league) while also posting a league-high 4.13 BB/9.

The O’s have acquired the likes of Wade Miley, Scott Feldman and Bud Norris in deadline trades under Duquette’s time running the front office, and the summer trade market is flush with pitching options for teams looking for rotation help.  On the other hand, as Meoli notes, the Orioles’ farm system is thin on major trade chips for opposing teams.

Of course, there won’t be any buying at the deadline if the Orioles don’t turn things around in fairly quick fashion.  Welington Castillo will only return in 2018 if he exercises a player option, so the Orioles could consider moving him as a rental for other teams.  For bigger-picture moves, Meoli points out that Machado, Jones, Britton and Brad Brach are all free agents after 2018.  While dealing Machado or Jones would portend at a larger rebuild, it’s possible Baltimore could explore trading one of the relievers for prospects and then keeping the other as the closer for next season (when the team would presumably be looking for a quick return to contention).

One bright side for the Orioles is a crowded American League table, so Baltimore entered today’s action six games behind the Red Sox in the AL East and just 3.5 games out of the second wild card spot.  The question would be how much the O’s want to invest in midseason trades when a best-case scenario might be the one-game playoff, though for Duquette, the wild card is still an attractive target.

“If we get a little bit more time, maybe the second wild card gives a lot of teams hope,” Duquette said.  “And once you get into that playoff situation, a lot of teams have advanced from that wild-card spot and done well in the playoffs. There’s more baseball to play, and our aim is to try to get back to playing the kind of baseball that fans are used to from the Baltimore Orioles.”

Injury Updates: Chapman, Felix, Iwakuma, Gonzalez, Shields

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Here’s the latest on some notable names joining and departing the disabled list…

  • The Yankees have announced that closer Aroldis Chapman has been activated from the 10-day DL, with catcher Kyle Higashioka going down to Triple-A in a corresponding move.  Chapman spent over a month on the DL due to inflammation his left rotator cuff,
  • Felix Hernandez will start for the Mariners on Friday, while Hisashi Iwakuma will start on either Saturday or Sunday, manager Scott Servais told MLB.com’s Greg Johns and other reporters.  Hernandez hit the DL in late April due to right shoulder bursitis, and a projected 3-4 week absence for the Mariners ace has ended up stretching to almost two full months.  Iwakuma will return within the original 4-6 week timeframe projected when he was placed on the DL due to shoulder inflammation.  While no determination has yet been made about who will be leaving Seattle’s rotation, the most obvious candidates might be Christian Bergman (the original probable starter for the M’s on Friday) and Sam Gaviglio (who starts on Saturday).
  • The White Sox have placed right-hander Miguel Gonzalez on the 10-day DL (retroactive to June 15) due to inflammation in his throwing shoulder’s A/C joint.  After a solid first season in Chicago in 2016, Gonzalez has struggled this year, posting a 5.49 ERA, 5.1 K/9 and 1.73 K/BB rate over 78 2/3 innings.  In a corresponding move, James Shields was activated from the DL to start today’s game against the Blue Jays after being out of action for almost two months due to a lat strain.

NL East Links: Marlins, Kelley, Adams, Braves

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There have been reports that the Marlins could consider dealing such major names as Christian Yelich, Marcell Ozuna or J.T. Realmuto at the deadline, though Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald writes that the Fish thus far “haven’t shown an inclination” to make a big roster shakeup.  A source tells Jackson that the Marlins are still a couple of weeks away before deciding on trading some players, including closer AJ Ramos.  Much is still in flux due to the potential sale of the team, of course, as Jackson notes that the front office would need to talk to both the new ownership group and Major League Baseball before exploring a big-ticket trade involving Giancarlo Stanton.

Here’s more from around the division…

  • The Nationals placed righty Shawn Kelley on the 10-day DL with a right trapezius strain.  The placement is retroactive to June 17 and A.J. Cole has been called up from Triple-A in a corresponding move.  This is Kelley’s second DL stint of the year, as he also missed some time with a lower back strain.  Kelley’s struggles have been a big contributor to Washington’s bullpen problems this season, as the veteran right-hander has a 7.00 ERA and a whopping nine homers allowed over 18 innings.
  • The Braves will go to a six-man rotation when Bartolo Colon returns from the disabled list next week, David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes.  The Braves want a longer look at rookie Sean Newcomb while they’re also not ready to release the struggling Colon, who is owed a little over $7MM for the rest of the season.  It remains to be seen how long Atlanta will deploy the six-man rotation, though things could return to normal if a starter (such as Jaime Garcia) is dealt at the trade deadline.
  • Matt Adams has done nothing but mash since joining the Braves, though the first baseman knows he could be on the move again once Freddie Freeman returns from the DL, Adams tells Rick Hummel of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.  While he enjoys playing in Atlanta, “whenever Freddie comes back, wherever the next spot may be…I either finish out the season with Atlanta or go somewhere else,” Adams said.  “I’m open to anything right now. I’m taking it day by day.”  The interview is well worth a full read, as Adams discusses his time with the Cardinals and his reaction to being dealt last month.  Adams has a whopping 1.013 OPS and nine homers over just 114 plate appearances in a Braves uniform, making him a very attractive potential trade chip if Atlanta indeed does look to swap him again at the deadline.

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