Cafardo’s Latest: Yanks, Rays, BoSox, Dodgers
Surprisingly, Yankees left-hander CC Sabathia has revived his career to the point that he might actually have value in a trade, according to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe. The soon-to-be 36-year-old has bounced back from multiple underwhelming seasons in a row to post an excellent 3.17 ERA in 76 2/3 innings in 2016, through his strikeout and walk ratios per nine innings (7.16 and 3.52) are each below average and he’s on a $25MM salary through 2017. In addition to Sabathia, hot-hitting 39-year-old right fielder/designated hitter Carlos Beltran, left fielder Brett Gardner, catcher Brian McCann, third baseman Chase Headley, and starters Michael Pineda and Nathan Eovaldi are Yankees who could have value around the deadline (not to mention their much-ballyhooed relievers, of course). The only member of that group who’s set to become a free agent at season’s end is Beltran. As Cafardo points out, it’s currently up in the air whether the playoff hopeful Yankees would move any of these players, though he wonders if clinging to postseason dreams is the right course for the 39-41 club.
More inside stuff from Cafardo:
- Led by former Rays general manager and current president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman, the Dodgers are in pursuit of Tampa Bay right-hander Chris Archer. The Rays aren’t planning on moving the 27-year-old as of now, though, which backs up FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal’s report from Saturday.
- The presence of senior vice president of baseball operations Frank Wren, formerly the Braves’ GM, could lead the Red Sox to go after Atlanta right-hander Julio Teheran. Wren – who’s high on Teheran – is Red Sox president Dave Dombrowski’s right-hand man, Cafardo notes, and could push him toward putting together a package for the 25-year-old.
- If they’re unable to swing a deal for Teheran, the Red Sox might turn their attention to Rays southpaw Matt Moore – in whom they’re interested. Moore, who has three more years of team control left via club options, also intrigues the Astros, Dodgers, Orioles, Royals, Yankees and previously reported Rangers.
- With the possible exception of right-handed reliever Zach McAllister, the Indians aren’t going to give up pitching to augment their offense. Further, the organization has a reputation for keeping its payroll low and avoiding big-money acquisitions, which could take it out of the running to pick up a well-compensated trade chip. Athletics third baseman Danny Valencia, who’s on an affordable $3.15MM salary this season and has another trip through arbitration scheduled, is a potential target for Cleveland.
- Hard-throwing Diamondbacks lefty Robbie Ray, who’s eighth in the majors in K/9 (10.42), is drawing interest from teams looking for starters. The 24-year-old has thrown 214 innings of 4.00 ERA ball dating to 2015 and won’t even become eligible for arbitration until after 2017, meaning he has four full seasons of club control remaining.
- The Marlins are aggressively pursuing pitching, as evidenced already by their acquisition of reliever Fernando Rodney and reported interest in starters Drew Pomeranz and Jake Odorizzi. However, the Fish might not have the prospects to land a significant arm for their rotation, writes Cafardo.
- Blue Jays scouts are keeping a close watch over the Astros’ system, so the two AL playoff contenders could have some kind of deal in the works.
Indians Designate Michael Martinez For Assignment
The Indians have announced that they’ve designated utilityman Michael Martinez for assignment. The move clears space on the team’s active roster for lefty Shawn Morimando and on their 40-man roster for righty Joe Colon. The team selected Colon’s contract and optioned him to Triple-A Columbus. Morimando’s exact role with the team has yet to be announced, although it’s reasonable to assume his promotion has something to do with the Indians having played a 19-inning game against the Blue Jays yesterday and needing a fresh arm for today.
The veteran Martinez has batted .283/.306/.383 in 63 plate appearances for the Indians this season, playing second, third and all three outfield positions. That’s a considerably better offensive showing than he’d previously shown in his six-year big-league career, in which he’s batted just .199/.244/.272.
Notable Draft Signings: 7/1/2016
Here are the day’s notable draft signings, with pre-draft scouting reports coming courtesy of Baseball America, ESPN.com, and MLB.com:
- Infielder Nolan Jones has signed a $2.25MM deal with the Indians, Matt Mullin of the Philly Voice reports. He was taken with the 55th overall selection, which comes with a $1,159,200 bonus allocation; clearly, it took something extra to draw the high-schooler from his commitment to the University of Virginia. Jones rated as a top-twenty prospect on all of the draft boards linked to above, with the ESPN.com team placing him highest at No. 11. The consensus is that he’ll move to the third or second as a pro, with a good enough glove to be a useful fielder. The real draw, though, is a well-rounded offensive arsenal that includes projectable power.
- The Nationals have agreed with compensation first-rounder Dane Dunning on a just-under-slot $2MM bonus, MLB.com’s Jim Callis tweets. That’s just $34,600 shy of the allocation for the 29th selection. Dunning landed outside of the top fifty on both the BA and MLB.com boards, but checked in at No. 25 on ESPN.com’s version. They credit the University of Florida righty with the potential to start despite spending his time in the pen on a crowded staff. He’ll need to polish his change to accompany a strong fastball-slider combination to reach his upside, though.
- Fellow Gator Buddy Reed is heading to the Padres for an as-yet-unreported bonus, Callis tweets. Taken with the 48th pick, which came with a $1,317,800 allocation, Reed was further down the ESPN.com list but landed in the low-thirties for both MLB.com and Baseball America. Reed is said to be an excellent athlete, with questions remaining about his hitting ability at the next level.
AL Central Notes: Twins, Davidson, Indians, Fulmer
The Twins are baseball’s most disappointing team at 25-53, but owner Jim Pohlad voiced continued confidence in manager Paul Molitor when speaking to Sid Hartman of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune in a recent interview. “I would say ‘no’ to that definitely,” said Pohlad when asked if Molitor’s job was in danger. Pohlad told Hartman that Molitor will return for the 2017 season, though Hartman notes that there slightly more open-ended answer when asked about GM Terry Ryan. “…I mean we have to figure out what we’re doing wrong, what we’re doing wrong in the system,” said Pohlad. “If that points to the need to change personnel, I guess I would have to say we’d look at everything. But there has been no identification of anything like that. We’re beginning to discuss the process of how we examine doing things throughout our system.” While those comments certainly don’t indicate that the GM is on the hot seat, they’re a bit less firm than recent reports indicating that the team is “100 percent committed” to Ryan. Pohlad went on to emphasize that money isn’t an issue for the Twins despite a number of underperforming veterans and expressed frustration and disappointment that top prospects Byron Buxton and Jose Berrios have struggled so greatly upon reaching the Majors after dominating Triple-A.
More from the American League Central…
- The White Sox called up third base prospect Matt Davidson to make his debut with the team yesterday, and the former top 100 prospect (originally acquired from the D-backs in exchange for Addison Reed) experienced awful luck when he suffered a fracture in his foot while running the bases, as CSN Chicago’s Dan Hayes writes. The seemed to occur when Davidson was going from first to third on a J.B. Shuck double, with manager Robin Ventura telling the media that the injury was apparent when he was between second and third base. Davidson was a highly touted prospect when the ChiSox picked up up prior to the 2014 season in the aforementioned trade, but he struggled terribly with Triple-A Charlotte from 2014-15 before rebounding with a .268/.349/.444 slash in 75 Triple-A contests this season. It’s not yet clear how much time Davidson, who collected his first big league hit since September 2013 in yesterday’s game, will spend on the disabled list.
- Via MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian, Indians GM Mike Chernoff said yesterday that while the club has looked to fill holes in its outfield at various times — most notably when Michael Brantley was injured and when Abraham Almonte was suspended — the team is hopeful that it can patch its outfield internally (Twitter link with screen cap of Chernoff’s full quote). Chernoff praised the recent play of Tyler Naquin and said the team is optimistic about the recent progress of Michael Brantley, whom Chernoff labels the “highest-impact ‘acquisition’ [the Indians] could make.” Brantley has scarcely played this season, though Chernoff points out that the current alignment of Rajai Davis, Naquin, Lonnie Chisenhall and Jose Ramirez are all playing well. Naquin’s success is largely fueled by a .462 BABIP, of course, but even if there’s regression around the corner, there’s no denying that he’s bridged the gap nicely if the club is indeed seeing positive signs out of Brantley. Reports yesterday indicated that Jay Bruce would be willing to waive his no-trade clause to go to Cleveland (or any contender), but the outfield may not be as big of a need as it once looked to be with the recent performances of internal options.
- The Tigers are carefully monitoring Michael Fulmer‘s innings to preserve his arm for the long haul, as MLB.com’s Jason Beck writes. Fulmer hasn’t started in eight days and will make two more starts before the All-Star break, and he’ll then wait until July 19 when the Tigers first need a fifth starter after the break. That’ll give him nearly two weeks between starts, after which he’s tentatively scheduled to remain in the rotation on regular rest but with the occasional quick hook to avoid further arm fatigue. Per Beck, the Tigers have discussed a 25 to 30 percent increase over Fulmer’s total of 124 1/3 innings from the 2015 season, which would put him in the range of 155 to 165 innings this season. Fulmer, the centerpiece of last summer’s Yoenis Cespedes trade, has somewhat quietly had a brilliant debut with Detroit thus far, pitching to a 2.40 ERA with 8.5 K/9, 3.4 BB/9 and a 48 percent ground-ball rate in 63 2/3 innings.
Jay Bruce Willing To Waive No-Trade Clause In Deal To Contender
Reds outfielder Jay Bruce has a limited no-trade clause, but doesn’t intend to use that to hold up a deal to a contending club this summer, MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon reports. Bruce sits at the top overall spot on MLBTR’s most recent top trade candidates list.
The NTC would let Bruce reject deals to the Yankees, Red Sox, Athletics, Rays, Marlins, Twins, Indians and Diamondbacks. Jon Heyman of todaysknuckleball.com repored earlier today that Bruce would quite likely be willing to go to Cleveland, and it appears that he’d also be amenable to other hypothetical landing spots. Rumblings have connected Bruce to a variety of clubs, including the Dodgers, Giants, White Sox, and Royals since the start of the season.
Bruce, 29, tells Sheldon that he’s willing to “consider waiving the no-trade clause for all types of reasons,” with “no blanket reason I wouldn’t.” The veteran said he’d need to take each situation as it comes, with agent Matt Sosnick saying that such a choice has yet to be brought to their attention.
Bruce continued on to emphasize that he’d be quite interested in an opportunity to join an organization that has designs on contending. “If I am moved, which has seemed likely for the last year and a half, I’d like to go where the team is mostly likely to win,” he said. “Teams that want me are likely seeking somebody to help them win.”
Notably, Sosnick suggested that Bruce won’t necessarily be looking to utilize the clause for leverage with regard to his contract. “We’re not setting in stone any financial qualifiers,” he said. “If the deal is good for Jay and good for the Reds, he would consider anything — including waiving the no-trade. … There is no team that he would unequivocally not go to.”
Bruce has increasingly cemented his status as a premium trade piece, as he is once again hitting like the All-Star-caliber player he was from 2011 through 2013. The two intervening seasons are easier and easier to forget, as he carries a .279/.325/.568 slash with 17 home runs and a league-leading six triples into July. Bruce’s early-career extension is another asset: he’s earning $12.5MM this year and can be controlled for $13MM in 2017, which is particularly appealing with a dearth of young sluggers on the upcoming free agent market.
Quick Hits: Mets, Yankees, Pirates, Tribe
The Mets are unlikely to trade shortstop prospect Amed Rosario at this year’s deadline, reports Marc Carig of Newsday, with a source close to the team telling Carig that the 20-year-old “is going nowhere.” The 40-34 Mets haven’t involved themselves in any significant trade talks yet, according to Carig, who notes that Rosario would probably have to go in order to land the club a high-end player (Brewers catcher Jonathan Lucroy, for instance). Rosario, who has spent most of the season at the High-A level and slashed .309/.359/.442 with three home runs and 13 steals in 290 plate appearances, entered the campaign as ESPN Keith Law’s 42nd-ranked prospect (Insider required). Baseball America (58th) and MLB.com (70th) also regard Rosario highly.
More from New York City and two other major league destinations:
- The Yankees sat designated hitter Alex Rodriguez against Twins right-hander Tyler Duffey on Sunday, which could be the start of the Bombers only deploying the 40-year-old versus southpaws, writes George A. King III of the New York Post. In a minuscule sample size of just 55 plate appearances, Rodriguez has posed a legitimate threat this year versus lefties, against whom he has hit .275/.327/.510. Conversely, in 123 trips to the plate against righties, Rodriguez’s line is an unusable .200/.236/.348. Whether this is the beginning of the end of A-Rod’s long tenure in pinstripes is unclear, though releasing him could be an option eventually, according to ESPN’s Andrew Marchand (Twitter link). Rodriguez, who’s on a $20MM salary this year and has another $20MM coming to him in 2017, is sitting on 695 home runs – 350 of which have come in a Yankees uniform. Thus, it’s hard to imagine the club moving on from A-Rod before he joins Barry Bonds, Hank Aaron and Babe Ruth in the 700 club.
- Pirates ace Gerrit Cole is making progress in his recovery from a strained right triceps, but it’s still unknown when the right-hander will return, per Adam Berry of MLB.com. Cole landed on the disabled list retroactive to June 11 and could have come back as early as Sunday, but he just threw off a mound for the first time since going on the DL on June 14. Cole could rejoin the Bucs’ rotation sometime in July, according to Berry, though it might not happen until after the All-Star break. With Cole unavailable, Chad Kuhl is a good bet to remain in the Pirates’ starting five. The 23-year-old righty made his major league debut Sunday against the Dodgers and threw five innings of three-run ball, striking out five and giving up four hits and four walks.
- Winners of eight straight, the Indians own the third-best record in the American League (44-30) and are five games ahead in their division, but they still must make multiple additions to ensure a playoff berth for themselves, opines Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain-Dealer. Specifically, the Indians need to augment their offense – perhaps by picking up an outfielder – and bullpen, Hoynes contends. Unsurprisingly, Hoynes doesn’t expect the Indians to move either of their top prospects, outfielders Bradley Zimmer and Clint Frazier, for a rental; however, he doesn’t dismiss the possibility of the Tribe dealing one for a player who’s under control for multiple years beyond 2016.
Cafardo’s Latest: Valencia, Royals, Liriano, Melancon, Santana
Here’s the latest hot stove buzz from Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe…
- The Royals and Indians are among the teams looking at Athletics third baseman Danny Valencia. Kansas City has a void at third base with Mike Moustakas out for the season, and Valencia is a known quantity, having played for the team in 2014. The Tribe have also received below-replacement level production at the hot corner all season, though Jose Ramirez has played well splitting time between third and left field. Valencia could perhaps be a better fit for Cleveland in left given his rough defensive metrics (-13 Defensive Runs Saved, -26.9 UZR.150) at third base this season, though his bat certainly plays for either the Indians or Royals. Valencia is hitting .333/.381/.552 with 11 homers over 218 PA for the A’s, though that comes with the caveat of a .373 BABIP. The Mets are another team known to have interest in Valencia, though their subsequent signing of Jose Reyes may have addressed their infield needs.
- While Valencia is a right-handed bat, Cafardo notes in another item that “the Royals seem to be in on every left-handed hitter.” K.C. has posted middle-of-the-pack offensive statistics against righty pitching this year and is lacking in lineup balance, though the return of Alex Gordon from the DL should help on both counts. Cafardo implies that Padres outfielder Jon Jay (a left-handed hitter) could be a Royals trade target.
- The Marlins “possibly” have interest in Pirates southpaw Francisco Liriano. The lefty is having a down year, though the Fish could see Liriano as an answer to their pitching search due to the presence of Miami VP of pitching development Jim Benedict (who was credited with getting Liriano on track when the two were in Pittsburgh).
- Speaking of Pirates arms, closer Mark Melancon is also drawing attention from teams in need of bullpen help. Cafardo cites the Astros, Giants, Mets and Red Sox as teams who could be potential fits. Melancon is a free agent at the end of the season and thus could be a logical trade candidate if the Bucs decide to become deadline sellers. Melancon has a 1.53 ERA through 29 1/3 IP this season, though advanced metrics indicate that this is the weakest of his four seasons as a Pirates. Melancon has a 2.93 FIP, 4.18 xFIP and 3.88 SIERA, while experiencing drops in his strikeout and grounder rates (and an increase in BB/9).
- Ervin Santana “is seen as perhaps the most viable trade deadline pickup on the market,” with one AL assistant GM describing the Twins veteran as “the one guy out there who could be a sure thing in the middle of the rotation.” Santana has a 4.64 ERA, 6.37 K/9 and 2.39 K/BB rate over 77 2/3 innings this season, with ERA indicators backing up his unimpressive ERA. I would guess Minnesota would have to eat a fair amount of money in a Santana trade, as the righty is owed roughly $33.8MM through the 2018 season (plus a $14MM club/vesting option for 2019).
- Even a mid-tier arm like Santana could draw trade interest, however, as Cafardo predicts that little pitching will be available at the deadline. Teams may focus more on offense, and Cafardo lists 15 position players who could be targeted as we approach August 1. Many of the names have already cropped up in trade rumors, though Cafardo speculates that some unlikely names as Joe Mauer or Khris Davis could also get some attention.
AL Central Notes: Sale, Perkins, Park, Bauer, Almonte
Chris Sale‘s name has long been one that the most optimistic of fans will bandy about in trade scenarios involving various combinations of top prospects, but if the left-hander had things his way, he’d never wear a uniform other than his current White Sox jersey, he tells Evan Drellich of the Boston Herald. Moreover, Sale says he can’t envision the team’s front office dealing him. “I plan on being here forever,” said Sale of the ChiSox. “I don’t think they would trade me. … I mean, at the end of the day, it’s a business. I understand you got to do what you got to do, what’s best for the team and what not. I have a hard time believing that I would be traded and I really don’t want to (be).” Sale is earning $9.15MM this season and is one on of the game’s more appealing contracts, as the Sox owe him a total of $38MM from 2017-19 (with the latter two seasons being club options).
More from the AL Central…
- Yesterday’s surgery to repair the torn labrum in Glen Perkins‘ shoulder revealed that the left-hander’s labrum had completely separated from the bone and needed to be reattached, as La Velle E. Neal III of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports. Had there been no detachment, Perkins’ recovery could have been completed in a “few months,” but cases such as this one often require an eight-month timeline, per Neal. Perkins told Neal in a text message only that, “It’s going to be awhile.” Even an eight-month timeline could have the Twins’ closer healthy in time for the early portion of Spring Training next season.
- Also from Neal’s piece, the Twins could option struggling DH/first baseman Byung Ho Park to Triple-A Rochester when Miguel Sano is activated from the disabled list. While this is an arbitrary endpoint, Park was hitting a very strong .257/.339/.578 as recently as May 17, but over his past 27 games/109 plate appearances, he’s struggled to a .135/.220/.260 batting line with 35 strikeouts. “I think how he was able to start originally maybe raised a lot of people’s expectations on how fast his transition was going to be,” said manager Paul Molitor. “It’s just been more where we’re kind of back to how we thought it might be.” Molitor said he hasn’t changed his opinion on Park’s long-term value to the club whatsoever, firmly believing that the investment will prove to be a valid one in the end even with Park’s recent struggles.
- The Indians‘ acquisition of Chris Gimenez was hardly a heralded move but had a significant impact on the club, writes Ryan Lewis of the Akron Beacon Journal, as Gimenez has been extremely beneficial to surging right-hander Trevor Bauer. As Lewis writes, Bauer has a wide variety of pitches/grips which he employs (as many as seven), and Gimenez is familiar with expansive sets like that from his work with Yu Darvish in Texas. Gimenez explains to Lewis how he’s helped Bauer to tone down the number of offerings he utilizes, encouraging him to focus on the pitches that best complement each other. Manager Terry Francona says that Bauer is pitching in a more “conventional” manner of late and stresses that he means that as a compliment. Bauer’s results have been brilliant; over his past 10 starts (each caught by Gimenez), Bauer has posted a 2.74 ERA with a 61-to-20 K/BB ratio in 69 innings of work.
- Indians outfielder Abraham Almonte has begun a rehab assignment at the Triple-A level as he nears the July 3 date on which he can be reinstated from his 80-game suspension for a failed PED test, writes Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. Cleveland is woefully thin in terms of outfield depth right now thanks to suspensions for Almonte and Marlon Byrd as well as Michael Brantley‘s questionable health status, and the return of Almonte could provide some needed depth.
Heyman’s Latest: Vizcaino, Outfield Market, Chapman, Padres
Jon Heyman of todaysknuckleball.com has another lengthy report full of trade rumors and rumblings. Among the highlights:
- Closer Arodys Vizcaino is drawing “intense” interest and is receiving more attention on the trade market than any other Braves player, according to Heyman. A high level of interest in Vizcaino should come as no surprise; the 25-year-old boasts a 1.83 ERA dating back to Opening Day 2015 and is earning just $897,500 this season after avoiding arbitration for the first time as a Super Two player this past winter. He can be controlled through the 2019 season, so the Braves would assuredly have a considerable asking price for three and a half years of Vizcaino.
- The Indians continue to monitor the market for outfield help, and they’re also in the market for some bullpen reinforcements, though they have competition on that front. The health of Michael Brantley will impact how aggressive Cleveland is in its search for outfielders, though there’s yet to be any definitive word on how long Brantley will be sidelined.
- The Royals, too, are on the lookout for outfield help, and Heyman lists Jon Jay and Melvin Upton Jr. as possibilities, though he does so in a fairly speculative manner. Heyman further splashes some cold water on the Yordano Ventura trade rumors from earlier this month, quoting an anonymous Royals exec: “With starting pitching at a premium, of course we aren’t trading him.”
- Aroldis Chapman‘s name continues to come up in speculation, but Heyman writes that the Yankees haven’t ruled out signing the lefty to an extension as opposed to entertaining trade offers. Heyman adds that the Yankees have yet to even have internal discussions about selling off parts of their MLB roster.
- If the Athletics end up selling — which they aren’t yet prepared to do — the team will consider anything, per Heyman. But GM Billy Beane is least interested in parting with Sonny Gray and Sean Doolittle, both of whom come with extended, cheap control.
- Across the bay, the Giants are still willing to consider acquiring a starting-level outfielder even though Hunter Pence appears on track to return before the end of August. The idea would be to move Angel Pagan into a reserve role, it seems.
- Derek Norris is available on the trade market, but the Padres players receiving the most interest at this time are Jon Jay and Fernando Rodney, per Heyman. He adds that the Padres are open to trading anyone, but an early deal for Wil Myers shouldn’t be expected due to the fact that he’s the team’s official All-Star Game ambassador in San Diego this season. Beyond that, a “Padres-connected” source told Heyman the team would expect four top-tier prospects to part with the controllable Myers, who is having a breakout season at the plate.
- The Mariners are set to shop for starting pitching this summer, per Heyman, though they could also aim for relief help. It’s not unusual for depth issues to creep up in a pitching staff, but Seattle is probably less than enthused with the fact that Felix Hernandez is now in the midst of an extended DL stint after a less-than-promising start to the season (despite his strong results).
- Multiple clubs are trying to buy low on Francisco Liriano, but the Pirates aren’t inclined to sell at this time. The Orioles, it appears, are one such team, as MLB.com’s Jon Morosi reported yesterday that Baltimore has interest in the underperforming southpaw.
- The Angels “are officially out” on Cuban third baseman Yulieski Gurriel, according to Heyman. The 32-year-old figures to command a significant multi-year deal, and adding another eight-figure average annual salary to the ledger would severely impede the Halos’ ability to avoid continual luxury tax penalization. Heyman also notes that Tim Lincecum could eventually become trade bait for the Angels if the team continue to struggle and if Lincecum performs well.
Injury Notes: Lambo, Harris, Pearce, Mahtook, Brantley, Bautista, Duffy, Richard, Ottavino, Walker
The Athletics announced that outfielder Andrew Lambo underwent surgery recently to treat testicular cancer. Lambo, 27, has seen limited action in four MLB seasons. He has played mostly at Triple-A over the last four years, posting a strong .264/.332/.467 batting line. MLBTR joins all those around the game wishing him the very best as he recovers; we hope to see him back on the field soon.
Here are some injury notes from around the league:
- Cardinals righty Mitch Harris required significant elbow surgery to reattach his ulnar collateral ligament, he announced on Instagram. The 30-year-old cracked the majors last year for St. Louis, providing 27 innings of 3.67 ERA pitching. MLBTR wishes the best of luck to the former Naval officer, who has one heck of a back story.
- The Rays got some more news on the injury front today, as Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports (Twitter links). Steve Pearce will hit the DL with a hamstring injury, and could miss around three weeks. Fortunately, it doesn’t sound like the type of hammy issue that is terribly likely to require a truly lengthy absence. Meanwhile, outfielder Mikie Mahtook‘s broken hand will not need surgery, meaning that he could return within six weeks — which is better than had been feared.
- The Indians were relieved to find that outfielder Michael Brantley‘s latest discomfort is only a bout of biceps tendinitis, Paul Hoynes of the Plain Dealer reports on Twitter. There had been some concern that his surgically-repaired shoulder was showing further signs of trouble.
- Blue Jays star Jose Bautista will need “a couple weeks” in a walking boot after being diagnosed with turf toe, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca tweets. That’s largely what was expected when Bautista hit the DL; Toronto will hope that rest and a brief rehab build-up will allow the slugger to return in short order.
- The Giants may be without Matt Duffy for a bit longer than had been hoped, per Andrew Baggarly of CSN Bay Area (on Twitter). He’s expected to wear his own boot for three weeks, and it would seem likely that he’ll need a bit of a build-up from that point on.
- Cubs lefty Clayton Richard hit the DL with a blister issue, per a team announcement. Chicago also optioned righty Adam Warren to Triple-A, where he’ll stretch out as a starter for an upcoming heavy stretch of play. Righty Spencer Patton and lefty Gerardo Concepcion will head up to the big league club to fill in. Of course, it’s fair to wonder how long the Cubs will continue to roll with Richard, who has struggled quite a bit thus far after a solid 2015.
- Adam Ottavino‘s rehab has moved to the Triple-A level for the Rockies, Nick Groke of the Denver Post reports on Twitter. That’s good news for the righty as well as the team; Ottavino was emerging as a force in the pen before undergoing Tommy John surgery last year.
- The Mariners announced that righty Taijuan Walker‘s foot issue is only tendinitis. He likely won’t require a trip to the DL, as Bob Dutton of the Tacoma News Tribune reports.