Cubs Designate Randy Rosario
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.
Minor MLB Transactions: 9/9/19
We’ll track Monday’s minor moves from around the game here…
- Cubs outfielder Mark Zagunis has been outrighted off the 40-man roster, per the league transactions log at MLB.com. Zagunis, 26, was designated for assignment last weekend and went unclaimed on outright waivers. Once considered to be among the organization’s better prospects, Zagunis has had an ugly season in 2019. While his .294/.361/.475 batting line through 285 plate appearances in Triple-A appears sound, that was actually barely above the league average in this year’s explosive offensive environment (102 wRC+). Beyond that, Zagunis punched out in a third of his plate appearances and saw his offensive production buoyed by a .439 average on balls in play, suggesting that he’s highly unlikely to maintain that level of offense. A third-round pick in 2014, Zagunis has now appeared in parts of four Triple-A seasons and has typically handled himself well, but he’s a .200/.313/.273 hitter in a tiny sample of 64 Major League plate appearances and has fallen considerably down the organizational depth chart in the outfield.
Cubs To Promote Nico Hoerner
The Cubs are set to call up top infield prospect Nico Hoerner, tweets MLB Network’s Jon Heyman. Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune suggested earlier this morning that Hoerner could be in line to get the call with both Javier Baez and Addison Russell dealing with injuries. The Cubs will need to make a 40-man roster move in order to accommodate the promotion.
Hoerner, 22, was the No. 24 overall selection in the 2018 draft and is widely considered to be among the game’s 100 best prospects. The Stanford product hit .284/.344/.399 with three home runs, 16 doubles, three triples and eight steals through 294 plate appearances in the pitcher-friendly Double-A Southern League this season. Beyond the leaguewide hitting environment, Hoerner’s production in Double-A is all the more impressive when considering that he played in just 14 games below the Double-A level before being rather aggressively promoted there by the Chicago organization. He did turn in an outstanding .337/.362/.506 showing through 94 plate appearances in last year’s Arizona Fall League as well.
Currently, Hoerner ranks 40th on Baseball America’s top 100 prospects list. He also checked in 47th on the midseason re-rank at MLB.com and 51st over at Fangraphs. He’s an extremely high-contact hitter, having fanned in fewer than 10 percent of his professional plate appearances, and he draws praise for his above-average speed as well. There’s some debate as to which middle-infield position Hoerner will ultimately play at the MLB level, but the Cubs have given him quite a bit more time at shortstop early in his minor league career.
Hoerner didn’t need to be added to the 40-man roster to be protected from the Rule 5 Draft this winter, so the Cubs are being more aggressive with his service clock than they have with previous prospects (most notably Kris Bryant). Chicago, though, saw Russell go down with a potential concussion yesterday and lost Baez to a hairline fracture in his thumb a day prior. The Cubs are 4.5 games back of the Cardinals for the NL Central lead and suddenly have a mere 1.5-game lead over the scorching Diamondbacks for the second Wild Card spot in the National League, giving them even greater reason for urgency.
It seems unlikely that Hoerner will simply be in the big leagues to stay from this point forth. He’s barely a year removed from being drafted and has yet to suit up for a single game of activity at the Triple-A level. An assignment to Iowa to begin next season would make sense, though now that he’s on the 40-man roster, Hoerner has at least put himself in a position to try to force the team’s hand and keep him in the Majors. Should he indeed play his way into a long-term spot on the roster, he’d be controllable through at least the 2025 season and become arbitration-eligible in the 2022-23 offseason. That said, it still seems likelier that he’ll get some Triple-A time next season, and he’d only need to spend about five weeks there for the Cubs to push his path to free agency back to the 2026-27 offseason.
Addison Russell Evaluated For Concussion-Like Symptoms After HBP
In a scary moment in Milwaukee, Cubs shortstop Addison Russell exited the game after he was hit in the face by a pitch from the Brewers’ Adrian Houser. In a post-game update, Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune reports that Russell suffered a nasal bruise on the play and is under evaluation for concussion-like symptoms.
Russell remained on the ground for several minutes after sustaining a fastball to the face. He was tended to by members of the training staff, though he ultimately remained in the game. Immediately after taking first base, he stole second and would later come around to score. However, when the Cubs took the field in the bottom half of the inning, Russell was replaced defensively.
The incident could hardly come at a worse time for the Cubs, who just yesterday received news that Javier Baez could miss the remainder of the season after suffering a hairline fracture in his thumb. Russell, the Cubs’ best shortstop option behind Baez, was set to take over for the injured Cubs star; however, the Cubs may well find themselves down another infield piece should Russell’s injury require a sustained absence.
While Russell is far from the offensive powerhouse that Baez is, he at least represents a capable backup and a defensive difference-maker at the shortstop position. However, if Russell misses time, Chicago will have to dig even deeper for a replacement shortstop. David Bote, who took over for Russell in today’s game, is perhaps the best choice; he’s played sparingly at the position in his two years of big-league experience, though he’s far from a traditional shortstop. Otherwise, it might be too much to ask one of Tony Kemp, Ian Happ, and Robel Garcia to try their hand at the position—all three have experience at the keystone but have never suited up at shortstop.
Javier Baez Has Hairline Fracture In Thumb, Timeline Unclear
An MRI today revealed that Cubs shortstop Javier Baez has a hairline fracture in his left thumb, per Jesse Rogers of ESPN. He’ll visit a specialist on Monday for further evaluation. Though the Cubs have yet to release a timeline for his return, it’s possible that this could mean the end of the season for the star infielder.
Baez has missed the last four games after suffering the injury while sliding into second base on September 1. Initial X-rays came back negative and Baez sought to return to the lineup on Thursday, but the persistence of discomfort during batting practice forced him to sit out as the team scheduled a follow-up MRI. Saturday night’s matchup with the Brewers will mark the fifth consecutive game without Baez in the lineup.
Though any injury this late in the season spells trouble for a playoff-hopeful club, this feels especially devastating for the Cubs. Baez has rightfully garnered a reputation as the lifeblood of the Cubs, not only as a mainstay in the middle of the batting order, but as one of the finest defensive infielders in baseball. By Baseball-Reference’s measure of WAR, he has been the most valuable Cub this season, a repeat of last year’s breakout.
Without Baez, Addison Russell is next in line to man the shortstop position. While his defensive talent at the position rivals that of Baez, it’s undebatable that his offensive production leaves much to be desired. If the Cubs, who find themselves in the heat of a contested playoff race, are to overtake the first-place Cardinals, Russell and the rest of the Cubs will need to pick up the slack. If indeed Baez is forced to miss the remainder of the season, it’s an injury that could have a significant impact on the National League Wild-Card chase.
This season, Baez has slashed .281/.316/.532 and has slugged 29 home runs, doubling down on the power surge that carried him to a second-place MVP finish a year ago. On defense, he’s tallied 15 DRS and earned a 9.6 Ultimate Zone Rating, both of which place him among the three best defensive shortstops in baseball.
Cubs To Promote Danny Hultzen, Designate Taylor Davis
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.
Cubs Injury Updates: Baez, Darvish, Kimbrel
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.
Cubs Place Craig Kimbrel On Injured List
The Cubs have placed closer Craig Kimbrel on the injured list due to inflammation in his right elbow, tweets Jesse Rogers of ESPN Chicago. President of baseball operations Theo Epstein told reporters that the team performed a precautionary MRI on Kimbrel, which came back clean and did not reveal any structural damage (Twitter link, with video, via Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune). Kimbrel’s placement is retroactive to Monday, and he’ll be eligible to return next Thursday. The move allows the Cubs to recall David Bote from Triple-A Iowa before the 10-day optional assignment minimum.
It’s been an up-and-down season for the 31-year-old Kimbrel, who sat out the first two months to shed the burden of draft pick compensation before ultimately signing a three-year, $43MM contract with the Cubs. Kimbrel had a rough couple of outings early in his Cubs tenure but rebounded with eight consecutive scoreless appearances. Most of Kimbrel’s outings have been clean, but he’s also allowed three earned runs on three separate occasions, leaving him with a bloated 5.68 ERA in 19 total innings since signing.
Kimbrel’s 96.3 mph average fastball velocity is down from last year’s 97.1 mph average, although his heater has gained some life as the summer has worn on. Like his velocity, Kimbrel’s K/9 rate (12.3) and swinging-strike rate (14.6 percent) are better than the league average but are both down relative to his elite standards. The biggest struggle, though, has been control — or lack thereof. Kimbrel has walked 11 batters and plunked another two in just 19 innings of work (5.2 BB/9), and his ability to locate the ball within the zone has clearly diminished. He’s already served up six home runs in those 19 innings — a mark that is only one shy of last year’s career-high seven homers allowed.
The extent to which the lengthy layoff early in the season has contributed to Kimbrel’s control issues can’t be known, but a return to form will be critical for the Cubs’ immediate playoff chances and their long-term outlook. Kimbrel would hardly be the only free agent who has struggled in the wake of a shortened (or, in his case, completely missed) Spring Training, but he also displayed some red flags late in 2018 — particularly in the postseason. If this proves to be the start of a pronounced decline, Kimbrel’s $16MM salary in each of the next two seasons will become particularly burdensome.
Cubs Activate Willson Contreras
Catcher Willson Contreras and left-hander Derek Holland have been activated from the 10-day injured list, the Cubs announced Tuesday. Contreras had been out since early August due to a hamstring strain, while Holland has been out since Aug. 25 owing to a wrist contusion.
Contreras will return to a different catching mix than he left, as the Cubs quickly scooped up veteran Jonathan Lucroy to help cover for Contreras’ absence. Lucroy has hit just .232/.302/.282 through 43 plate appearances since joining the Cubs, though he’s served primarily as a backup to hot-hitting Victor Caratini. In 79 plate appearances since Contreras was placed on the IL, the switch-hitting Caratini put together an impressive .271/.354/.471 output with four long balls and a pair of doubles.
Productive as Caratini may have been, Contreras should assume the lion’s share of playing time behind the dish if he’s at full health. Contreras, 27, made his second All-Star team in 2019 and has posted a .275/.365/.525 batting line through 340 plate appearances over the life of 87 games. Between him and Caratini, it seems that playing time for the veteran Lucroy could be scarce moving forward.
As for Holland, he’s allowed five runs on eight hits and three walks with eight punchouts in 9 2/3 innings with the Cubs since they picked him up from the Giants. He’ll give manager Joe Maddon another left-handed option out of the bullpen as the Cubs look to close a three-game deficit to overtake the NL Central-leading Cardinals.
Cubs To Activate Willson Contreras
The Cubs will activate catcher Willson Contreras and install him in tonight’s lineup, skipper Joe Maddon (h/t Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune, via Twitter). Veteran Ben Zobrist is also set to return to action for the first time since early May.
Contreras has been sidelined for about a month, leaving the team without a key regular. Jonathan Lucroy was added to partner with Victor Caratini and hold down the fort, but the club is well shy of full strength without its first-choice receiver.
The Cubs obviously feel that Contreras has recovered fully from the hamstring strain that forced him to the sideline. Otherwise, he’d presumably remain on ice. The club can ill-afford an aggravation of the malady, which might risk Contreras’s postseason availability. At the same time, he’s certainly needed to help the club as it attempts to chase down the Cardinals and hold off Wild Card contenders over the final month of the season.