AL West Notes: Astros, Athletics, Rangers, Colon
A forearm strain has kept Astros right-hander Lance McCullers Jr. out of action since Aug. 4, but he’s progressing toward a return. McCullers threw a 30-pitch bullpen session Saturday, saying afterward (via Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle) that it represented “a big step,” even though he didn’t throw any curveballs. The plan is for McCullers to mix in his famous curve during his next bullpen session, which is scheduled for Wednesday. If that goes well, there may be a clearer picture regarding a potential return date for McCullers, whom the Astros are likely to use in relief when he does come back.
- More from Rome, who delves into the surprising struggles of Astros shortstop Carlos Correa. The 23-year-old has been woeful since Aug. 10, when he returned from an almost two-month layoff. Correa was on the shelf with a lower back injury, and he revealed Saturday that his back has occasionally been a problem since he came off the DL, noting that “it’s just been hard to get in a rhythm.” Correa doesn’t want to use his back as an excuse for his slump, Rome writes, but he admitted that “it definitely has played a role in the way my swing has changed a little bit and some of the bad habits I’ve acquired.” When he went on the DL, Correa was sitting on a .265/.351/.474 batting line. He’s now at .242/.326/.415 – good for an 84-point drop in his OPS.
- Athletics southpaw Brett Anderson is nearing a return from a forearm strain, per Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle. Anderson, who has been out since Aug. 28, may rejoin the A’s rotation as early as Wednesday or Thursday, Slusser reports, as the 30-year-old offered an encouraging assessment after a bullpen session Saturday. His absence, not to mention those of other injured A’s starters (including Sean Manaea), has helped steer the playoff contenders toward incorporating more bullpen games. But once Anderson returns, Oakland may cut down on those, Slusser writes.
- In an effort to evaluate their younger players, the Rangers are removing right-hander Bartolo Colon from their rotation in favor of fellow righty Adrian Sampson, Jeff Wilson of the Star-Telegram reports. Unless Texas plugs Colon back into its rotation within the next few weeks, it’s fair to wonder whether the 45-year-old has made his last major league start. Colon wants to pitch in 2019, but whether he’ll draw much interest in the offseason is in question. The estimable Colon’s effectiveness has evaporated dating back to last season, including during his 144 1/3 innings with the Rangers this year. Across 26 appearances and 24 starts, he has posted a 5.55 ERA/5.31 FIP. As a result, he may be in line to finish 2018 (and perhaps his career) as a reliever.
AL West Notes: Mariners, Deetz, Rangers
Tensions boiled over in the Mariners‘ clubhouse yesterday, as a physical altercation broke out and briefly spilled beyond the closed doors where the media waited on the other side, as Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times was among the many to report. According to Divish, Dee Gordon and Jean Segura may have been at the center of the quarrel after Gordon misplayed a ball in center field, though no players were willing to divulge any real details. Robinson Cano, one of the players who could be seen breaking up the skirmish, simply said following the incident that “Everybody’s good.”
Manager Scott Servais wasn’t in the clubhouse at the time but told reporters that such incidents are more common than most would think. “I played for 11 years in the big leagues and it’s almost every year with every team I’ve been a part of,” the manager explained. Seattle has fallen to 5.5 games back from a Wild Card spot as it attempts to end the game’s longest playoff drought. With a combined six games remaining against the Yankees and A’s, who currently hold those Wild Card spots, plus 10 games against the last-place Orioles, Padres and Rangers, there’s still time for the Mariners to turn things around.
More from the division…
- The Astros called up right-hander Dean Deetz as part of yesterday’s latest slate of September additions. The righty spoke to reporters about the 80-game PED suspension he served earlier this season, which will prevent him from being postseason-eligible this year regardless of how well he performs this month (link via MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart). Deetz still maintained that he never knowingly took a banned substance and went through a roller-coaster swing of emotions upon learning he’d tested positive. “I got a call literally three or four days after I got put on the [40-man roster],” he said. “I went from being really excited to the toughest news I ever heard.” Deetz, 24, pitched to a ridiculous 0.79 ERA in 34 Triple-A innings this season, averaging 13.2 strikeouts, 4.8 walks and 0.26 homers per nine innings pitched. This promotion will be his first exposure to big league opponents, and he figures to be in the mix for a bullpen spot in Spring Training next year.
- Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News looks ahead to the future of the Rangers’ rotation, delving into the possibility of the team adopting the increasingly popular “opener” trend in 2019 as well as the argument and reasoning for doing so. While there’s little in the way of certainty on the Rangers’ roster at present, Grant notes that veteran righty Edinson Volquez, who signed a two-year minor league contract last year, is progressing well in his rehab from Tommy John surgery and could be on the cusp of facing live hitters. Volquez is expected to vie for a starting job next year alongside Mike Minor and at least one young, internal option. Texas could opt to pursue a veteran piece who could develop into a trade chip this winter or could stick with internal options and focus on adding some relievers, depending on how aggressively Jon Daniels & Co. want to pursue the “opener” methodology.
Astros Activate Brian McCann, Select Josh James
The Astros have activated catcher Brian McCann and outfielder Jake Marisnick from the 10-day disabled list, selected the contract of right-hander Josh James from Triple-A Fresno, and recalled lefty Cionel Perez from Fresno, Ben DuBose of MLB.com was among those to report.
The most notable news here is the return of McCann, who went on the DL on July 3 with a right knee injury and then underwent surgery to repair the issue. McCann will start Saturday for the Astros, who mostly turned to Max Stassi and Martin Maldonado behind the plate in his stead.
Houston acquired Maldonado from the Angels a few weeks after losing McCann, and the defensive-minded backstop has since offered above-average offensive production in 64 plate appearances (.237/.270/.492 with three home runs). The 32-year-old Maldonado has never been much of a hitter, though, and an unsustainable power surge (.254 ISO) has been the reason for his respectable output as an Astro, helping to overshadow subpar strikeout and walk rates (23.4 percent and 3.1 percent, respectively).
Stassi, meanwhile, has come back to earth to a significant extent since a hot offensive start to 2018, but overall, he has batted a solid .234/.322/.407 with eight homers in 242 PAs. Notably, the 27-year-old has been a major asset behind the plate, as Baseball Prospectus has ranked him as the game’s best pitch framer this season.
McCann, 34, has garnered plenty of praise for his defense throughout his career, and has typically been among the majors’ premier offensive backstops. However, he struggled to a .206/.283/.323 line with five HRs and a career-worst .116 ISO in 173 PAs before undergoing surgery. As a left-handed hitter, he may well finish the season in a platoon with the righty-swinging Maldonado or Stassi. After that, it’s unclear what McCann’s future will hold, as he’s likely to hit free agency over the winter. McCann is controllable next year by way of a $15MM club option, but he won’t amass the necessary 1,000 PAs from 2017-18 for it to vest, and the Astros won’t exercise it.
While the McCann era may be winding down in Houston, James’ career with the team is just beginning. The Astros, clinging to a 1 1/2-game lead over the A’s for the AL West lead, will start the 25-year-old James against the Angels on Saturday. Houston’s turning to James, a 34th-round pick in 2014, because it’s without starters Charlie Morton and Lance McCullers Jr. – both of whom are on the DL.
MLB.com’s sixth-ranked Astros prospect, James earned his way the majors this year by posting a 3.40 ERA/3.39 FIP with a sky-high 12.92 K/9 (against 3.79 BB/9) across 17 starts and 92 2/3 Triple-A innings. James offers serious heat, per MLB.com, as his fastball sits between 95 mph to 97 mph and is capable of reaching triple digits. His repertoire also includes a promising slider and “an improving changeup,” according to MLB.com, though the outlet suggests he’s likely to be a reliever in the majors.
September Call-Ups: 9/1/18
A few call-ups were announced yesterday, but we’re likely to see far more prospect promotions and even contract selections take place today as rosters expand. We’ll use this post to keep track of those moves…
- The Marlins selected the contract of righty starter Jeff Brigham today; he’ll be among those playing in the majors for the first time ever. Brigham’s solid 3.44 ERA in Triple-A this season is muddied a bit by his 4.45 FIP, but he’s maintained solid ratios. Brigham’s 8.25 K/9 and brilliant 2.24 BB/9 give him a solid 3.69 K/BB ratio that probably looks quite nice to a Marlins club that’s hurting for serviceable major league starters. Miami has also recalled right-handers Sandy Alcantara and Nick Wittgren along with catcher Chad Wallach.
- The Athletics selected several contracts today, including that of catching prospect Beau Taylor. The lefty-hitting backstop has never played in the majors, but he’s done well for himself at the Triple-A level this season by drawing walks in 14% of his plate appearances while hitting .248. He’s even chipped in a pair of stolen bases. The biggest knock on Taylor is his lack of power; the 28-year-old owns a sub-.100 ISO and has never hit more than eight homers in a given season. Other contracts selected by the Astros today include those of lefty Dean Kiekhefer and righties Chris Hatcher and Liam Hendriks. The A’s recalled lefty Daniel Coulombe and shortstop Franklin Barreto as well.
- The Indians selected the contract of right-hander Jon Edwards today, who hasn’t pitched in the major leagues since 2015. The 30-year-old Edwards has done well for himself in the Tribe’s minor league system in 2018, though, racking up 56 strikeouts in just 39 1/3 innings while pitching to a 3.64 ERA. Though he’s exhibited extreme control issues in the past, his 2.70 BB/9 in 30 innings with Triple-A Columbus suggests there’s a possibility he’s put those problems behind him. The Tribe promoted catcher Eric Haase to the majors alongside him.
Earlier…
- The Mariners have selected the contract of Justin Grimm among their September moves, whom they signed to a minor league contract on July 25th. Grimm’s been plagued by shoulder and back issues all season and struggled to a cataclysmic 13.50 ERA in 12 2/3 innings for the Royals earlier this season, which led to his release early on in the summer. With the Mariners’ Triple-A affiliate, though, he’s put up a pristine 1.64 ERA and an even more impressive 13.91 K/9 mark. In addition to Grimm, Seattle also selected the contract of Kristopher Negron, and recalled right-handers Chasen Bradford and Ryan Cook, lefty James Pazos, catcher David Freitas.
- The Nationals have selected the contract of right-hander Austen Williams, who’ll be getting his first MLB cup of coffee this September. He’s been quite impressive in the upper minors this season, including a 0.55 ERA in 16 1/3 innings at the Triple-A level. That’s backed up by excellent peripherals, including 20 strikeouts against just four walks. Williams had pitched exclusively as a starter until this season, and it appears a transition to a relief role has catapulted him to a status as an incredibly intriguing talent. The Nats also recalled catcher Pedro Severino to fill in while Wieters is dealing with a hip/groin injury (per Jamal Collier of MLB.com).
- The White Sox promoted Caleb Frare to get his first taste of the bigs; as James Fegan of The Athletic points out, he needed to be added to the 40-man roster in order to be protected from the coming winter’s Rule 5 Draft. They’ve good reason to do so, as the lefty reliever has thrived with the organization ever since being acquired from the Yankees a month ago in exchange for $1.5MM in international bonus pool funds. He’s put up fantastic numbers in 12 2/3 innings at Triple-A Charlotte, including a 0.71 ERA and 13.50 K/9. Aaron Bummer will join him as the other White Sox player to receive a September promotion so far.
- The Royals have selected the contract of catcher Meibrys Viloria to account for the hole left by Drew Butera, who was traded to the Rockies yesterday. Fascinatingly, Kansas City decided to promote the 21-year-old Columbia native even though he’s never played above the High-A level. He’s done just fine there, though, batting .260/.342/.360 in 407 plate appearances over the course of 2018. Viriola is expected to maje his MLB debut as early as this week while mainstay catcher Salvador Perez deals with a sprained thumb.
- After a short stay in the minors, righty reliever Ray Black is back up with the Giants. He’s had a poor showing in the majors so far, allowing ten earned runs in 15 1/3 innings. He did manage to strike out 22 batters in that span, though, and owns a 2.11 FIP in 25 2/3 innings at Triple-A this season. His blistering 16.13 K/9 at that level perhaps speaks to his potential even more.
- The Cardinals recalled catcher Carson Kelly today, who’s widely considered to be the club’s catcher of the future once Yadier Molina‘s contract is complete. However, he’s yet to prove his worth at the major-league level, as evidenced by his .150/.216/.187 batting line across 118 MLB plate appearances. The Redbirds have also called up lefty Tyler Webb and righty Daniel Poncedeleon.
- The Phillies have opted to recall outfielder Aaron Altherr, who’d largely been a fixture in the club’s major-league outfield for the past two seasons prior to a late-July demotion. While his 13.3% walk rate so far this season was downright fantastic, that was about the only aspect of Altherr’s performance to be happy about; he was striking out at a 32.7% clip while hitting just .171 and slugging just .305. Philadelphia also added outfielder Dylan Cozens and righty reliever Yacksel Rios to their active roster.
- The Yankees are set to give right-hander Stephen Tarpley his first taste of major-league action after selecting his contract earlier today. Tarpley is quite an interesting arm-he’s been utilized as a multi-inning reliever at two levels of the minors this year, and to great effect. Most recently, he’s pitched to a 2.65 ERA and 10.06 K/9 across 17 appearances spanning 34 innings at Triple-A Scranton-Wilkes Barre. Infielder Tyler Wade and right-hander Luis Cessa will also join the MLB club as rosters expand.
- The Mets will give righty Eric Hanhold his first taste of major-league action, MLBTR has learned. Acquired in the 2017 trade that sent Neil Walker to the Brewers, Hanhold has apparently been quite unlucky to own his 7.11 ERA at Triple-A this season. Rather, his 3.43 FIP in 19 innings at that level produces some level of optimism that he can serve as a quality reliever in the majors. A .429 BABIP and 2.86 K/BB ratio further strengthen that case.
- The Reds are set to give shortstop prospect Blake Trahan a September call-up, as C. Trent Rosencrans of The Athletic was among those to tweet. Trahan came to the Reds by way of the club’s third-round draft pick back in 2015. He did not rank amongst MLB Pipeline’s top 30 Reds prospects in the publication’s most recent rankings, though Fangraphs ranks him 24th in that regard thanks to a 55 speed tool and a 60-grade arm. He’s also likely to be a league-average shortstop. That’s about all there is to like about Trahan at present, as he’s only hit .245/.327/.302 at the minors’ highest level.
- The Reds have also recalled Lucas Sims, who arrived in Cincinnati just prior to the non-waiver trade deadline as part of the package in exchange for sending Adam Duvall to Atlanta. Sims owns a 5.96 ERA and 7.15 K/9 in a Braves uniform, but his minors track record indicates he might have better days yet to come; the righty has managed to strike out at least ten batters per nine innings at every level of the minors post-Rookie ball, and has a sub-4.00 MiLB ERA in each of the past two seasons.
- The Twins will promote right-hander Zach Littell, according to Darren Wolfson of KSTP. Littell has but 3 1/3 innings of MLB experience, during which time he allowed seven earned runs with one strikeout en route to a demotion. His 3.57 ERA at Triple-A this season is far more palatable, albeit unspectacular.
- The Twins also announced that they’ve selected the contract of left-hander Andrew Vasquez, who’ll be receiving his first cup of coffee after pitching to a sub-1.50 ERA out of minor-league bullpens across the past three seasons combined. They’ve also selected catcher Chris Gimenez in addition to recalling outfielder Johnny Field and right-hander Tyler Duffey.
- The Red Sox have officially recalled five players, including first base/outfield type Sam Travis. After serving as a somewhat serviceable piece in 2017 (.263/.325/.342 batting line), Travis has struggled in limited major-league action this year to the tune of a 45 wRC+ and -0.1 fWAR. Boston has also promoted left-handers Bobby Poyner and Robby Scott, as well as right-hander William Cuevas and infielder Tzu-Wei Lin.
- The Tigers have recalled right-hander Sandy Baez from Double-A Erie, per a club announcement. Baez made his major-league debut back on June 4th, entering the game in relief during a double-header. He didn’t allow any runs in 4 1/3 innings, though he did walk three batters in that appearance. Aside from that, Baez has never pitched above Double-A, and owns a troublesome 5.64 ERA there on the 2018 season, in part due to command issues.
Agency Changes: Maldonado, Moya
Astros catcher Martin Maldonado has enlisted the Boras Corporation to represent him in his upcoming free agency, reports Jon Heyman of Fancred (Twitter links). Twins lefty Gabriel Moya is also under new representation, having enlisted the Beverly Hills Sports Council, per Heyman.
Maldonado, 32, is a month from his first trip to the open market after spending parts of eight seasons with the Brewers, Angels and Astros. He’s hitting a combined .222/.279/.359 in 350 plate appearances between the Halos and Astros. His power has trended up since the trade, however, as he’s hit three homers, four doubles and a triple in just 60 trips to the plate with his new club.
Maldonado has never been much of a threat at the plate but is considered one of baseball’s premier defenders behind it; the 2017 Gold Glove winner has thrown out a remarkable 40 percent of would-be base thieves (82 of 205) dating back to 2015 and regularly ranks among the game’s top pitch framers.
That profile is enough to draw strong interest. The catching market includes some fairly notable names, including a few backstops who’ll certainly draw greater interest than Maldonado. But with Tyler Flowers deciding to re-up with the Braves in advance of free agency, there’s now one less competitor.
As for Moya, 23, he’s still looking to establish himself in the majors. In 31 frames over the past two seasons, he carries only a 4.94 ERA with 8.4 K/9 against 2.9 BB/9. Still, he has put up awfully impressive numbers in the upper minors, including a 1.90 ERA with 50 strikeouts against a dozen walks in 42 2/3 Triple-A innings this year and an eye-opening 0.77 earned-run mark with an 87:15 K/BB ratio over 58 1/3 Double-A frames last year.
As always, you can find the most up-to-date agency information in MLBTR’s Agency Database.
Astros Extend A.J. Hinch Through 2022
Aug. 30: Astros owner Jim Crane and president of baseball ops Jeff Luhnow have announced Hinch’s new contract at a press conference. Hinch signed a four-year extension that is guaranteed through the 2022 season.
Aug. 29: he Astros have agreed to a contract extension with manager A.J. Hinch, reports Mark Berman of FOX 26 in Houston (Twitter link). A formal announcement of the move will come tomorrow, per the report.
While the length of the new contract is not yet clear, general manager Jeff Luhnow said earlier this summer that his hope was to “have [Hinch] here as my manager for as long as I’m here” (link via The Athletic’s Jake Kaplan). Those comments were made on the day that the organization announced an extension for Luhnow that runs through the 2023 season.
Hinch, 44, is in his fourth season at the helm of the Astros — each of which has been a winning season. After winning 86 and 84 games, respectively, in his first two seasons as the Houston manager, Hinch of course guided the Astros to a 101-win season and an eventual World Series championship in 2017. The Astros just wrapped up their 82nd victory of the season and are currently two and a half games up on the Athletics in a surprisingly competitive AL West division.
Hinch was already under contract through the 2019 season via a club option that long looked like a lock to be exercised, but the new agreement will prevent him from heading into the 2019 season with any questions surrounding his long-term standing in the organization. In all, the Astros are 353-266 under Hinch.
Hinch’s managerial career got off to a rough start when, after previously serving as the D-backs’ director of player development, he was named the team’s manager at the age of 35 in 2010. The move was widely panned at the time, given his youth and inexperience, and he lasted just 212 games with Arizona in that role before being cut loose. Hinch went on to work in the Padres’ front office as the team’s vice president of professional scouting before returning to the field as the new Astros manager following the 2014 season.
Hinch’s experience in player development, the adversity he faced in his first managerial position and his familiarity with analytics and data-driven strategies made him a fit in Houston, and it now seems that the union between the two sides will continue for several years to come. While Hinch has not yet taken home a Manager of the Year Award since being named the Houston skipper, he’s finished second in the voting (2015) and third in the voting (2017) in his short career.
Astros Place Charlie Morton On 10-Day DL, Activate Chris Devenski
The Astros announced today that righty Charlie Morton will be placed on the 10-day disabled list, as Jake Kaplan of The Athletic was among those to report (Twitter links). He’ll be replaced on the active roster by reliever Chris Devenski, who was activated from his own DL stint.
Morton is dealing with “right shoulder discomfort,” per the team’s account. That description is somewhat ominous on its own, but evidently shouldn’t be interpreted in such a manner. Fortunately, per Houston GM Jeff Luhnow, the expectation is that Morton will only miss a single start.
It certainly doesn’t see as if the AL West-leading ‘Stros feel as though this injury is cause for particular concern. While the organization still needs to hold off a pesky A’s club that’s dealing with its own, perhaps more serious pitching health troubles, the focus will surely remain on getting Morton to full health for the postseason.
The Astros have already dipped into their farm to fill in for Lance McCullers Jr., who is himself on the DL, installing Framber Valdez into the rotation. With several relievers on hand who can give innings, it may not be necessary to call another starter up to account for Morton’s absence. If the organization does look at adding another arm at some point, though, it can call upon 40-man members such as Brady Rodgers, Cionel Perez, and Reymin Guduan.
All told, there’s really no reason to anticipate that the Astros will feel particularly compelled to add another arm via trade. Indeed, Luhnow said yesterday that “there’s no clear missing piece” on the roster, as Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reported. McCullers is expected to return as a reliever rather than building out to a full starter’s workload, but the ‘Stros still have three excellent postseason starters (in addition to Morton) and can also ask for multiple innings from pitchers such as former starters Collin McHugh and Brad Peacock. Luhnow didn’t shut the door to an acquisition entirely, but there’s little reason to think that any dealmaking will be driven much by Morton’s current health situation.
AL West Notes: Springer, Iwakuma, Meyer
Some injury updates from around the AL West…
- George Springer will be in the Astros‘ starting lineup tomorrow, manager A.J. Hinch told reporters (including Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle). The outfielder made his return to the field today with a pinch-hit appearance, marking Springer’s first action after missing Houston’s previous six games due to an injury to his left quad. Between the quad problem and a DL stint due to a left thumb sprain, Springer has only appeared in four games since August 5, one of several injury absences that has contributed to the Astros’ narrowed lead over Oakland in the AL West race. Even before the injuries, however, Springer was stuck in a protracted slump; he has only a .201/.304/.346 slash line over his last 272 plate appearances.
- Hisashi Iwakuma pitched his first inning of the 2018 season, allowing one run on two hits during the frame as he began an A-ball rehab assignment (hat tip to MLB.com’s Jake Rill). It was Iwakuma’s first action of any kind since a minor league start in June 2017, as shoulder problems limited him to six Major League starts in 2017 and have continued to keep him sidelined all of this year, despite his undergoing arthroscopic surgery last September. If Iwakuma can stay healthy, Mariners GM Jerry Dipoto has suggested that the veteran righty could see some action in Seattle’s bullpen before the season is out.
- Angels right-hander Alex Meyer recently received a cortisone shot in his bothersome throwing shoulder, GM Billy Eppler told Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register and other reporters. Despite this setback in Meyer’s lengthy recovery from shoulder surgery, he is expected to resume throwing in a few days’ time. Meyer underwent the procedure to fix his torn shoulder labrum last September, and wasn’t expected to return until the 2019 season, so this setback doesn’t necessarily hint at larger problems for the 28-year-old as he tries to resume his career.
AL Notes: McCullers, Yanks, Sheffield, Tulo, Mallex
Astros right-hander Lance McCullers Jr. has been out for three weeks because of a forearm strain, and his return isn’t imminent. Manager A.J. Hinch told Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle and other reporters Sunday that McCullers won’t throw a bullpen “any time soon,” and if the 24-year-old returns this season, he’s unlikely to rejoin the Astros’ rotation. “It would be hard to get him built back up as a starter,” Hinch said, alluding to the lack of time remaining in the regular season, while general manager Jeff Luhnow added (via Rome) that he expects McCullers “to be back and ready for postseason in a relief role.” Fortunately for Houston, it does have the starting depth to survive McCullers’ absence from its rotation, and it’s worth noting he worked as a reliever at times during the team’s run to a World Series title last fall. In one of the most memorable performances of the 2017 playoffs, the curve-throwing McCullers closed out the Yankees in Game 7 of the ALCS with four scoreless innings.
- Speaking of the Yankees, Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News talked to a scout about their top pitching prospect, lefty Justus Sheffield. The Yankees have recently been using the 22-year-old Sheffield in relief at the Triple-A level to get him ready to work out of the big league bullpen in the coming weeks, though the scout expressed doubt that he’s poised to make a sizable impact in that role right now. “His pitches/approach were same as when starting, they didn’t play up at all,” the scout said after seeing Sheffield pitch in relief. “Lefties weren’t fooled at all, meaning everything was squared up, including a long home run by the eight-hole hitter.” Sheffield will face “an adjustment period” when he does come to the majors, continued the scout. Widely regarded as one of the game’s best pitching prospects, Sheffield has logged an impressive 2.66 ERA/3.21 FIP in 84 2/3 Triple-A innings this season, though he has done so without posting dominant strikeout and walk numbers (8.5 K/9, 3.83 BB/9).
- This will go down as a lost year for Blue Jays shortstop Troy Tulowitzki, who will miss the entire season on account of heel issues. Tulowitzki spoke about his status for 2019 on Sunday, telling Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet and other reporters that he expects to be Toronto’s starting shortstop. The soon-to-be 34-year-old seems unwilling to consider a position change, stating: “I just said I’m a shortstop. If someone’s better than me, I’ll pack my bags and go home.” Unfortunately for the once-elite Tulowitzki, the Jays arguably do have someone better in the fold now in Lourdes Gurriel Jr. The 22-year-old has been terrific as a rookie this season and looks as if he could be part of the long-term solution for the club. On the other hand, the injury-prone Tulowitzki was subpar when he last took the field, as he hit just .249/.300/.378 in 260 plate appearances in 2017.
- Rays outfielder Mallex Smith has been hospitalized with a viral infection, but manager Kevin Cash issued an encouraging update Sunday, informing reporters that he’s “doing considerably better” and could be released from the hospital today (via Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times). Cash added that the Rays are hopeful Smith won’t stay on the disabled list for much longer than the minimum of 10 days. Prior to this weekend’s scare, the fleet-of-foot Smith had quietly been enjoying an outstanding season. The 25-year-old leads qualified Rays hitters in OPS (.810) and has totaled 27 steals and 3.1 fWAR over 426 PAs.
Astros Activate Jose Altuve From Disabled List
The Astros announced tonight that they’ve activated reigning American League MVP Jose Altuve from the disabled list. He’d been out since July 26 due to a right knee injury. Houston also selected the contract of lefty Framber Valdez (as had already been reported) and optioned both Cionel Perez and Kyle Tucker to Triple-A Fresno.
Altuve returns amid a pivotal series against the Mariners, who sit just 3.5 games back of the Astros and the surprising Athletics in an AL West race that is vastly closer than most expected heading into the season. Prior to landing on the shelf, he was in the midst of another excellent season, albeit one that hasn’t quite matched last year’s extraordinary pace. Through 454 trips to the plate, Altuve is hitting .329/.392/.464 with nine homers, 24 doubles, two triples and 14 steals.
In Altuve’s absence, Yuli Gurriel and Marwin Gonzalez picked up much of the slack at second base. Gurriel now figures to return to first base, with Gonzalez continuing to be deployed all over the diamond in a super-utility role.