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Danny Farquhar Discharged From Hospital

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The White Sox announced this afternoon that right-hander Danny Farquhar has been discharged from RUSH University Medical Center. He’s resting at home with his family, per the update. While that’s tremendous news in and of itself, the Sox’ press release also indicates that while Farquhar will not pitch again in 2018, his neurosurgeon expects that he’ll be able to return to pitching in the future.

Farquhar, 31, endured one of the most frightening medical ordeals in recent memory when he collapsed in the dugout following a relief appearance last month. He was rushed to the hospital, where it was determined that he’d suffered a brain hemorrhage due to a ruptured brain aneurysm. Best wishes to Farquhar in his continued recovery, and here’s hoping for a return to the mound in the future.

White Sox Place Yoan Moncada On 10-Day DL

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The White Sox have placed young second baseman Yoan Moncada on the 10-day DL, per a club announcement. He’ll be replaced by fellow infielder Jose Rondon.

At the moment, it does not seem as if there’s much reason to expect a lengthy absence for Moncada. He has been diagnosed with hamstring tightness, an issue that has forced him out of two recent ballgames. But Moncada said yesterday that he felt he’d only need a few days off, as James Fegan of The Athletic tweeted.

It’s certainly understandable that the Sox would take a conservative course with Moncada, who’ll turn 23 later this month. He’s off to a strong start, turning in 132 plate appearances of .263/.359/.509 hitting with six home runs and four stolen bases. Moncada has also graded as a positive overall with the glove and on the bases.

That output does come with a worrisome 37.1% strikeout rate for a player who’ll probably always swing and miss a fair bit. Though he’s also walking in 12.9% of his plate appearances, Moncada surely won’t maintain a .407 batting average on balls in play. Of course, it’s certainly worth noting as well that he’s legitimately stinging the ball when he does make contact, with a 95.0 mph average exit velocity that’s among the best in baseball.

The 24-year-old Rondon, meanwhile, will get his second crack at the majors after a brief call-up with the Padres in 2016. He has been off to a nice start at Triple-A, turning in a .290/.347/.473 slash, though he’s also striking out at a significantly higher rate (24.8%) than he has in prior seasons as a professional. Rondon came to Chicago in a swap with the Friars in January of this year.

AL Central Notes: Farquhar, Romero, Goody, Soler

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Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports shares details of the long road ahead for White Sox reliever Danny Farquhar after the right-hander suffered a recent brain aneurysm. The incident occurred in the Sox dugout just under two weeks ago following an outing against Houston, and caused Farquhar to be hospitalized in what was a scary few hours. As Passan notes, 40% of people who suffer a brain aneurysm don’t survive them, while half of those who survive end up with resulting disabilities. He adds that success in the early stages afterwards is measured in small improvements. Farquhar’s agent says he’s been progressing and has a positive outlook. It’s fair to think it’ll be a significant amount of time before Farquhar is able to pick up a baseball again, but the early signs are encouraging for the right-hander’s health. Passan’s lengthy piece also details some historical precedents for aneurysms in baseball players, as well as the adversity Farquhar has already overcome in his seven-year MLB career. We at MLBTR are relieved to hear that Farquhar is stable, and wish him the best of fortunes in the road to recovery.

Other items from around the AL Central…

  • Speaking of close calls, Mike Berardino of the Pioneer Press has a story from Twins rookie Fernando Romero’s past, when the right-hander almost drowned in a hotel pool. It took a while for Romero to gradually overcome his fear of swimming, but he now uses it as a conditioning method to strengthen his shoulder for pitching purposes. Berardino also tells the tale of how Romero nearly went unsigned for an entire international period, failing to receive an offer from any of the 50 scouts in attendance at a showcase. The main knock on him was lack of a “major league body”, and a perceived likelihood that he’d get hurt. Ultimately Romero found his way to the Perfect Game Tournament, where several more scouts were in attendance, and while the Astros made a strong run at him, he ultimately went to the Twins for a signing bonus of $260K.
  • According to Terry Francona (via a tweet from Jordan Bastian of MLB.com), it’s best-case scenario outcome for Indians reliever Nick Goody, who left the first game of Thursday’s doubleheader with an elbow injury. Tests have revealed no structural damage; it’s thought that Goody’s pain was the result of hyperextending his elbow. He’ll reportedly be shut down for a week and then re-evaluated. It’s a sigh of relief when considering the worst-case scenarios in an elbow-fearing pitching climate; it’s well-known that ligament injuries can result in 12-18 month absences. Goody’s a vital part of a Tribe bullpen that’s recently shuffled through a few low-upside relievers; they’ve designated both Matt Belisle and Jeff Beliveau for assignment in the past week and before that lost Andrew Miller to the DL with a hamstring injury.
  • Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com tells readers about the plate discipline improvements made by Royals outfielder Jorge Soler. In stark contrast to last season, he’s already drawn 18 walks and has seen 4.46 pitches per plate appearance. His .309/.429/.526 slash line on the season is exactly what Kansas City envisioned when they acquired him from the Cubs prior to last season in exchange for closer Wade Davis. Manager Ned Yost credits the improvements to the fact that Soler is “not chasing much of anything”, though it’s certainly worth noting that his chase rate this year is in line with his typically low figures the past few seasons and therefore not indicative of any major changes. I’d add, though, that Soler is certainly seeing more pitches per plate appearance than he did during his injury-riddled 2017 campaign; he’s seen 4.26 PPPA so far, up from 3.99 last season.

White Sox Select Dylan Covey’s Contract

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The White Sox have selected the contract of right-hander Dylan Covey, whom they outrighted off their 40-man roster over the winter. Covey will start against the Royals tonight, and he’ll take fellow righty Gregory Infante’s place on the club’s 25-man roster. Infante’s headed to Triple-A Charlotte.

Covey, 26, joined the Chicago organization as a Rule 5 pick from the Athletics in December 2016. He ended up spending nearly all of last season as a major leaguer with the White Sox, though he struggled to a 7.71 ERA/7.20 FIP with 5.27 K/9, 4.37 BB/9 and a 48.5 percent groundball rate across 70 innings (18 appearances, 12 starts).

While Covey has posted a terrific 2.95 ERA and an outstanding 58.6 percent grounder rate in 21 1/3 innings (four starts) at the minors’ highest level this year, he managed less encouraging strikeout and walk rates before his promotion. Covey has logged 6.75 K/9 against 5.48 BB/9 thus far, helping lead to an ugly 5.15 FIP.

Minor MLB Transactions: 4/26/18

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Here are Thursday’s minor moves from around the game…

  • The Pirates have traded minor league outfielder Todd Cunningham to the White Sox, per a club announcement. John Dreker of PiratesProspects.com first broke news of the trade (via Twitter). The Bucs will receive a player to be named later in return. The 29-year-old Cunningham spent parts of three seasons in the Majors with the Braves (2013, 2015) and Angels (2016) but struggled to a .207/.256/.264 slash through 130 plate appearances. He’s off to a rough start in Triple-A this season but turned in an excellent .284/.404/.414 batting line in 358 plate appearances between the Cardinals’ and Dodgers’ top affiliates in 2017. In all, the 2010 second-round pick is a career .274/.356/.372 hitter in nearly 2200 Triple-A plate appearances.

White Sox Outright Casey Gillaspie

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The White Sox have outrighted first baseman Casey Gillaspie, per a club announcement. That opens a spot on the 40-man roster that has yet to be filled.

Gillaspie, a former first-round pick of the Rays back in 2014, was acquired last summer in the deal that sent Dan Jennings to Tampa Bay. The South Siders placed Gillaspie on the 40-man roster over the offseason to protect him from the Rule 5 draft.

Since the start of 2017, however, the switch-hitting Gillaspie has mostly struggled. He is off to a miserable .214/.263/.229 start at the plate this year at Triple-A Charlotte, with 29 strikeouts and no home runs through 76 trips to the dish.

White Sox Place Avisail Garcia On 10-Day DL, Promote Daniel Palka

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9:36pm: White Sox GM Rick Hahn classified the strain as “mild to moderate,” tweets Bruce Levine of CBS Chicago. While it seems that Garcia has at least avoided a significant injury, Hahn added that he’s not sure how much time Garcia can be expected to miss at present.

11:21am: The White Sox have placed outfielder Avisail Garcia on the 10-day DL with a strained right hamstring, per a club announcement. He’ll be replaced by Daniel Palka, who gets his first call to the majors.

Garcia, 26, left last night’s contest in visible pain, so it’s no surprise to see this placement. The severity of the strain is not yet known; his anticipated timeline could vary quite a lot depending upon the particulars.

The time on the shelf will come after a brutal start to the season for Garcia, who is hitting just .233/.250/.315 and has yet to draw a walk in 76 plate appearances. That’s particularly disappointing after a 2017 season in which he had finally broken through with a .330/.380/.506 slash and 18 home runs after years of showing hints but never fully coming around.

Last year’s output came with a caveat, to some extent, as Garcia rode a .392 batting average on balls in play. Though he has long fared well in that department, it was obviously an unsustainable level.

That said, whatever good fortune he benefited from in 2017 has thus far been repayed with bad luck. Sustaining top-end production without drawing many walks will always be a challenge, but there ought to be some positive regression to come. Garcia has struck the ball well in 2018 despite the poor outcomes, with a .345 xwOBA that lags his actual .244 wOBA by a yawning margin.

While the White Sox await Garcia’s return — hopefully, in time to present as a potential trade candidate this summer — they’ll take a look at Palka, who was claimed off waivers from the division-rival Twins last fall. He’s off to a good start at Triple-A, where he’s slashing .286/.384/.476 with three home runs over 73 trips to the plate.

White Sox Place Miguel Gonzalez On 10-Day DL, Transfer Danny Farquhar To 60-Day DL

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The White Sox announced on Monday that they’ve placed right-hander Miguel Gonzalez on the 10-day DL and selected the contract of right-hander Chris Beck from Triple-A Charotte. Right-hander Danny Farquhar, who was hospitalized over the weekend in a terrifying scene after collapsing in the dugout due to a brain aneurysm, has been moved from the 10-day disabled list to the 60-day disabled list in order to open a roster spot for Beck.

The health and well-being of Farquhar, at present, is the greatest concern in the otherwise small sequence of roster moves. USA Today’s Bob Nightengale wrote over the weekend that Farquhar is in stable but critical condition after undergoing multiple surgeries this weekend, adding that the right-hander will be hospitalized for at least the next three weeks following the career-threatening medical emergency.

We pointed our readers to Nightengale’s column last night, but it’s well worth a look for those who have yet to read. It’s filled with quotes from current and former teammates of Farquhar and some harrowing details on the past 72 hours for a right-hander who, by all accounts, has been beloved in each clubhouse of which he’s been a part. I’ll echo sentiments from other members of the MLBTR staff in sending best wishes to Farquhar and his family as the baseball world hopes for a full recovery.

Turning to the shorter-term roster moves in today’s announcement, Gonzalez will be out for at least the next week (the move is retroactive to April 19) due to inflammation in his right rotator cuff. The Sox didn’t provide any sort of timeline on his injury, though there’s no indication at present that the injury is serious.

Beck, 27, will get another look with the ChiSox after previously being outrighted off the 40-man roster. A second-round pick back in 2012, he’s seen time in the Chicago bullpen in each of the past three seasons but never logged an ERA south of 6.00. Beck throws hard, averaging 95 mph on his fastball in 64 innings last year, but that hasn’t translated to much in terms of strikeouts in the Majors. In 96 big league frames, he has a meager 42-to-34 K/BB ratio. He’s off to a fast start in Triple-A this year, however, with just two runs allowed and a 13-to-3 K/BB ratio in nine innings pitched.

White Sox Notes: Farquhar Update, Adolfo

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White Sox right-hander Danny Farquhar will remain in hospital for at least the next three weeks after undergoing surgery last night to relieve swelling around his brain, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reports.  Farquhar is in critical but stable condition as he recovers from a ruptured aneurysm, suffered on Friday when he was in the team’s dugout following a pitching appearance.  A team source tells Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune that specific information about the treatment isn’t being released at the request of Farquhar’s family.  Both pieces from Nightengale and Sullivan contain much praise and best wishes for Farquhar from several teammates past and present, a testament to what a popular and respected figure Farquhar has been over his 11 pro seasons.  We here at MLB Trade Rumors join the rest of the baseball world in wishing Farquhar and his family all the best in the recovery process.

  • White Sox prospect Micker Adolfo will soon receive another MRI to check on his UCL sprain and a flexor tendon strain, MLB.com’s Scott Merkin reports.  The results could still potentially require a season-ending surgery, even though Aldolfo has been playing (only as a DH) and hitting well despite the injuries, carrying a .328/.392/.552 slash line over his first 74 PA for Chicago’s high-A ball affiliate.  “I don’t feel anything [sore] when I’m hitting or lifting weights. Hopefully that’s a good sign that it’s getting better,” Adolfo said.  The 21-year-old was originally diagnosed with the injury in February and missed much of Spring Training, though the missed time hasn’t kept him from a hot start to the season.

Quick Hits: Farquhar, Machado, Cardinals, Duffy

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White Sox reliever Danny Farquhar has been placed on the 10-day disabled list after passing out in the club’s dugout. According to Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune, the sudden collapse was caused by a brain aneurysm. He was immediately hospitalized following the incident, and is currently in stable but critical condition. We at MLBTR will be keeping Farquhar in our thoughts during what is certainly a scary situation.

More notes from around MLB…

  • Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports suggests that the White Sox could be a team to watch in the upcoming Manny Machado sweepstakes this offseason. A rival GM tells Heyman that the Sox could be a “dark horse” to sign the superstar shortstop. Concurrent with this rumor, via Heyman, is the pattern of owner Jerry Reinsdorf being occasionally willing to make a big splash in the free agent market (though I’d like to point out that they’ve never made a splash of anything close to this size).
  • A pair of Cardinals relievers are making progress in their returns from injury, which would provide a welcome cavalry to the club’s bullpen. Left-hander Ryan Sherriff is scheduled to throw a live bullpen session on Wednesday at Triple-A Memphis, according to Joe Trezza of MLB.com. He’s currently still wearing a metal shank in his shoe under the fractured toe in order to protect it. Meanwhile, Trezza adds, righty Sam Tuivailala threw two bullpen sessions this week, and will throw a third one tomorrow. The downside of these imminent returns is that the Cardinals will be facing a difficult roster decision when they decide to activate these two relievers.
  • Bill Chastain of MLB.com tweets that Rays third baseman Matt Duffy is “cautiously optimistic” that he’ll be able to be activated from the 10-day disabled list when he’s first eligible on April 27th. He did some soft-toss hitting yesterday along with a few throwing drills, and is progressing nicely in an attempt to return quickly from a hamstring injury suffered in Monday’s game.
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