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Mets To Resume Play On Tuesday

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10:47am: Major League Baseball announced, via press release, that the Mets will host the Marlins for a doubleheader tomorrow, which will make up for last Thursday’s postponement. The upcoming weekend Subway Series against the Yankees will indeed include doubleheaders on Friday and Sunday, as Sherman previously reported.

8:10am: The Mets have not had any further positive Covid-19 tests since a player and coach tested positive last Thursday, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports (via Twitter). The team is expected to resume play Tuesday with a three-game series against the visiting Marlins.

Last week’s series finale against the same Marlins club was postponed due to the initial tests, so it’s possible there will now be a doubleheader baked into this upcoming three-game set in order to make up for that lost contest.

This past weekend’s scheduled Subway Series against the Yankees was also wiped out, although the two sides should be able to make up those three games, assuming continued negative tests. The Mets are slated to play a three-game series in the Bronx beginning Friday. Sherman further tweets that the current plan is for the Yankees and Mets to play doubleheaders both Friday and Sunday this coming weekend, with an additional makeup game set to fall on Sept. 3, when both clubs had an off-day scheduled.

 

Quick Hits: Pence, Acuna, Anderson, Yankees, Andujar, Kazmir

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After being designated for assignment by the Giants earlier today, Hunter Pence’s second stint with the club has likely come to an end, and the longtime fan favorite wasn’t shocked by the news after hitting only .096/.161/.250 through 56 plate appearances.  “I think I’ve been in the game long enough to know that no matter what, what I was producing on the field, you’ve got to bring a little bit more to the table than that.  I completely understood,” Pence told Henry Schulman and John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle.

Pence said he would “stay open” to the possibility of continuing to play should an opportunity arise, though he acknowledged that retirement might be on the horizon, describing the last “couple of years” as “the bonus rounds” of an outstanding career.  If this is indeed it for Pence, he’ll hang up his glove after 14 years of Major League ball that included four All-Star appearances, a league-wide reputation as a clubhouse leader, and a place in the hearts of all San Francisco fans for his contributions to two World Series championships.

More from around the game…

  • Tuesday could be a big day for the Braves, as their game with the Yankees could mark both the return of Ronald Acuna Jr. from the injured list and the big league debut of pitching prospect Ian Anderson.  MLB.com’s Mark Bowman was among those to report the news that Acuna took batting practice on the field tonight, a day after being cleared to take swings.  A wrist injury has sidelined Acuna since August 10, though assuming he is pain-free and feels ready to go come Tuesday, one would imagine the Braves would be eager to get the superstar oufielder back into the lineup as soon as possible.
  • As for Anderson’s status, manager Brian Snitker gave a hint to Bowman and other reporters in saying that Tuesday’s starter wouldn’t be impacted by pitching usage in Atlanta’s game tonight against Philadelphia.  Pundits rank Anderson within at least the top 45 prospects in all of baseball, with The Athletic’s Keith Law citing Anderson’s “real No. 2 starter upside” as one of the reasons for a 27th place ranking on Law’s preseason prospects list.  An early display of this potential would be a huge boost to a Braves team that has been short on consistent starting pitching year apart from Max Fried.
  • While Yankees fans consistently speculate that the team could or should trade one of their younger players for a more proven talent, George A. King III of the New York Post pours some cold water on the idea of Miguel Andujar, in particular, being dealt.  An injury-plagued 2019 season and a slow start in 2020 has seen Andujar produce only an .118/.141/.118 slash line over his last 71 MLB plate appearances, and King feels the Yankees aren’t going to move such a promising slugger when his trade value is so low.  It remains to be seen where Andujar will fit into New York’s future plans given the emergence of Gio Urshela as the everyday third baseman, but that isn’t a decision the team has to make any time soon.
  • Could a return to the majors be in the cards for Scott Kazmir?  The left-hander is scheduled to pitch Tuesday for the Sugar Land Skeeters, and ESPN’s Buster Olney writes that this outing “will probably be his last start” for the independent club.  Kazmir hasn’t pitched in the big leagues since 2016 or in affiliated ball since 2017, though the 12-year MLB veteran was known to be planning another comeback attempt.  It isn’t known how many Major League teams have gotten a first-hand look at Kazmir given how the pandemic has altered normal scouting procedures, but Kazmir would be something of a low-risk flier to see what he could potentially contribute (probably as a reliever) at age 36.

Latest On Mets’ COVID-19 Testing

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TODAY: According to a press release from the team, all Mets players and personnel who returned to New York from Miami have registered negatives on tests taken both Thursday and Friday.  “Test results of close contacts for those that remained in Miami also came back negative,” the statement said.

AUGUST 20, 6:52pm: A Mets position player and a coach tested positive, according to Mike Puma of the New York Post.

5:08pm: Most Mets will fly out of Miami tonight, Andy Martino of SNY first reported. Only the two members of the organization who tested positive and those who aren’t delayed by contact tracing will stay behind. The belief is that the Mets did not violate protocols on the road, per Martino.

4:07pm: A Mets player and a staff member have tested positive for the coronavirus, per Jon Heyman of MLB Network and Tim Healey of Newsday. As a result, their road game against the Marlins tonight has been postponed, as has their matchup against the Yankees on Friday.

This is the latest COVID-related setback in a season chock-full of them for Major League Baseball, which has seen numerous games postponed as a result of the illness. The Marlins and Cardinals have been hit especially hard so far, and the league has tightened up its protocols of late in an effort to prevent outbreaks and make sure each team completes its 60-game regular-season schedule.

For now, it’s unknown how Thursday’s development will affect these three teams’ schedules. Thursday was supposed to be the last Mets-Marlins game in Miami this year, but they’ll have to make it up at a later date. The Mets are slated to host the Yankees on Saturday and Sunday, so there could be a doubleheader on one of those days. However, the Mets will have to receive clearance to return to the field first.

Yankees Place Gleyber Torres On Injured List

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AUGUST 22: Torres will miss “at least a couple weeks…probably [in] that two to three week range,” manager Aaron Boone told the New York Daily News’ Kristie Ackert and other reporters.

AUG. 21, 3:41pm: The Yankees announced that they’ve placed Torres on the IL with Grade 1 strains of his left quad and hamstring.

3:22pm: Torres will “likely” require an IL stint, Marly Rivera of ESPN.com reports.

AUG. 20, 3:43pm: Torres will likely go for an MRI, though manager Aaron Boone doesn’t believe the injury is serious, Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News relays (Twitter links).

2:30pm: The Yankees announced that shortstop Gleyber Torres left their game against the Rays on Thursday with a tight left hamstring. He’s being evaluated.

It’s too early to say how severe this injury is, though hamstring iissues often lead to fairly long absences. That would be an especially troubling development for a Yankees team whose offense is already shorthanded. Torres’ double-play partner, second baseman D.J. LeMahieu, has been out since last weekend with a thumb injury, and he won’t return for at least a couple more weeks. Slugging outfielders Aaron Judge (calf) and Giancarlo Stanton (hamstring) have also sat out for roughly half of August, though the former could return in the coming days.

Torres hasn’t gotten off to the prolific starts that LeMahieu, Judge and Stanton have, as he has batted just .231/.341/.295 with one home run in 91 plate appearances. That’s highly disappointing from someone who masheed 38 homers during an All-Star 2019. Nevertheless, there’s no debating that the 23-year-old is an integral part of their roster and someone far more qualified than the rest of the shortstops the Yankees have on hand.

After Torres went down, the club subbed in Thairo Estrada at second and shifted Tyler Wade from the keystone to short. Notably, the Yankees did just sign veteran middle infielder Jordy Mercer, whom they could call on if Torres has to miss time.

AL Injury Notes: Simmons, Yankees, S. Perez, Astros

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The Angels reinstated Andrelton Simmons from the 10-day injured list and placed catcher Max Stassi (right quad strain, knee bruise) on the IL, the team announced. Simmons is back after a three-plus-week absence because of a sprained left ankle. It could be an interesting upcoming 10 days for Simmons, a soon-to-be free agent whom the non-contending Angels may choose to move before the Aug. 31 trade deadline. Regardless, the 30-year-old Simmons will spend the next month-plus trying to boost his stock before he reaches the open market for the first time in his career. He dealt with injury issues (including to his ankle) during a down season in 2019, and he has hit a mere .188/.188/.250 in 16 plate appearances this year.

  • Yankees manager Aaron Boone issued updates Friday on a few of their key players who are on the IL, telling WFAN (via Marly Rivera of ESPN.com) that right fielder Aaron Judge is “likely” to be in the Yankees’ lineup for their next game (that won’t be this weekend, as their series with the Mets was postponed). Judge has been down for a week with a mild calf strain. Meanwhile, second baseman DJ LeMahieu is doing “significantly better” as he recovers from the left thumb sprain that sent him to the IL last weekend. And reliever Zack Britton, whom the Yankees shelved Thursday with a strained left hamstring, should recover “on the shorter side.”
  • The Royals announced that they’ve placed catcher Salvador Perez on the IL, retroactive to Aug. 18, with left eye central serous chorioretinopathy and recalled left-hander Randy Rosario. Perez’s issue has bothered him since last weekend and hampered his vision, though it’s not believed to be a long-term problem. After missing all of last year because of Tommy John surgery, Perez was enjoying a strong return season with a .307/.326/.511 line, four home runs and a 25 percent caught-stealing percentage prior to going to the IL.
  • Astros outfielder Michael Brantley is eligible for activation Saturday, but manager Dusty Baker told Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle and other reporters he’s “not real optimistic” that will happen. It seems Brantley will need a bit more time to recover from a right quad injury that has kept him out since Aug. 11. Baker also suggested (via Rome) that yet another Astro – right-hander Josh James – will probably go on the IL. James suffered a hip injury and had to be helped off the field in Colorado on Thursday. That continued a nightmare of a season for James, who has surrendered 13 earned runs on 12 hits and 14 walks (with 13 strikeouts) in 10 2/3 innings.

Yankees Place James Paxton On Injured List

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Aug. 21, 3:43pm:: The Yankees have placed Paxton on the IL with a Grade 1 flexor strain.

12:53pm: Paxton’s official diagnosis is a flexor strain, Heyman tweets. He’s likely to be placed on the injured list.

12:08pm: MLB Network’s Jon Heyman tweets that Paxton received relatively good news on the MRI. His injury is believed to be muscular in nature, as opposed to a structural issue with a ligament.

Aug. 20: Yankees left-hander James Paxton is dealing with forearm discomfort and will undergo an MRI, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.

Paxton started the Yankees’ loss to the Rays on Thursday and performed decently, throwing five innings of one-hit, three-run ball with eight strikeouts against four walks. In all, though, it certainly hasn’t been a great platform season for the oft-injured 31-year-old, who entered Thursday with a 7.04 ERA and a below-average 4.97 FIP in 15 1/3 innings. And though Paxton did begin his latest start with excellent strikeout and walk numbers (10.57 K/9, 1.76 BB/9), his average fastball has clocked in just under 93 mph – well below the 95-96 area he sat in from 2016-19.

While Paxton clearly hasn’t had a banner season, a long-term absence – which forearm troubles often lead to – would be more unwelcome news for an injury-plagued, starter-needy New York club. Even after a sweep at the hands of the Rays, Yankees are still 16-9 and in wild-card position. However, their only reliable starter to date has been Gerrit Cole, while Masahiro Tanaka and Jordan Montgomery have joined Paxton in failing to provide a front-end complement to Cole. As such, whether or not Paxton’s injury proves to be serious, the Yankees could be in the market for rotation help as the Aug. 31 trade deadline approaches.

Yankees, Phillies Swap David Hale For Addison Russ

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2:03pm: The Phillies have formally announced the trade.

12:30pm: The Yankees are sending right-hander David Hale to the Phillies, per Ken Rosenthal and Matt Gelb of The Athletic (Twitter link). Hale was designated for assignment earlier this week but has consistently posted solid numbers in the bullpen for the Yanks.

In 54 1/3 frames wearing Yankee pinstripes, Hale owns a 2.98 ERA and 3.54 FIP with averages of 6.0 strikeouts, 1.8 walks and 0.7 home runs allowed per nine innings pitched. The righty generates grounders at an above-average rate and has proven plenty capable of pitching multi-inning stints, so he should provide a boost to a Phillies bullpen that has far and away been the worst in baseball this season.

12:26pm: The Phillies have traded minor league right-hander Addison Russ to the Yankees, ESPN’s Jeff Passan reports (via Twitter). The 25-year-old will head to the Yankees’ alternate training site for now. The Phillies’ return isn’t yet clear.

A 19th-round pick of the Phillies back in 2017, Russ spent the 2019 season in Double-A, where he pitched to a 2.54 ERA with 12.9 K/9, 3.2 BB/9, 0.79 HR/9 and a 44.9 percent ground-ball rate in 56 2/3 innings of work. He wasn’t considered to be among the Phillies’ top tier of prospects despite those solid numbers, however. Baseball America ranked him 24th in the system, while MLB.com omitted him from its top 30 and FanGraphs had him outside the top 40.

Russ was in the Phillies’ 60-man player pool, so the trade to New York opens a spot for them, unless of course they receive a 60-man player in return. For the Yankees, they’ll add a bullpen prospect with decent minor league success, providing a bit of depth in the wake of injuries to Tommy Kahnle and, more recently Zack Britton.

Mets/Yankees Weekend Series Postponed

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This weekend’s series between the Yankees and Mets has been postponed due to the recent positive Covid-19 tests within the Mets organization, Major League Baseball announced in a press release. Newsday’s Tim Healey reported minutes beforehand that the league would be taking this step (Twitter link). Last night’s game between the Mets and Marlins was also postponed.

There have been some degree of cancellations stemming from positive Covid-19 tests each weekend in MLB since the Marlins played in the wake of a few positive tests on opening weekend. That led to a team outbreak which ultimately resulted in a reported 18 cases for the Marlins, and the league has since been more diligent and proactive in postponing games in an effort to avoid similarly widespread instances of the virus. While the Cardinals had an outbreak of their own, the Reds and Mets are the only other clubs to have had positive tests during the season. The Reds only saw three games postponed, and the hope here is obviously that the Mets will see a similarly brief stoppage of play.

When the game against the Marlins and the series against the Yankees will be made up isn’t yet determined, although the East-centric nature of this year’s schedule gives ample opportunity for doubleheaders and other makeup games. The Mets are scheduled to play at Yankee Stadium from Aug. 28-30, and they’re slated to host the Marlins at Citi Field from Aug. 25-27. The Athletic’s Tim Britton points out that Aug. 24, Sept. 3 and Sept. 14 are all mutual off-days for both the Mets and Yankees.

Yankees Place Zack Britton On Injured List, Option Miguel Andujar

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The Yankees have placed lefty Zack Britton on the 10-day injured list due to a strained left hamstring and optioned infielder/outfielder Miguel Andujar to their alternate training site, per a club announcement. Right-handers Ben Heller and Miguel Yajure are up from the alternate site in a pair of corresponding moves.

Britton, 32, appeared to sustain the injury while covering first base last night. He had an MRI earlier this morning that confirmed the strain prior to the team’s announcement. Presumably, manager Aaron Boone will have more information on the severity of the strain and the expected recovery timeline when he next addresses reporters.

It’s a tough loss for a Yankees club that hoped to have its bullpen back to full strength after welcoming Aroldis Chapman back from the IL. Britton pitched quite well as the interim closer for the Yanks, yielding just two runs on six hits and four walks with nine strikeouts through nine innings. He’s picked up eight saves in 2020, and while his ground-ball rate is “down” to 60 percent this year, that still rates well above the league average.

This marks the second time in 2020 that Andujar, 25, has been optioned to the minors. The 2018 Rookie of the Year runner-up went 1-for-7 with a single and a walk in his latest brief stint at the big league level. Shoulder surgery wiped out what would’ve been Andujar’s second full season in the big leagues, and the club has struggled to find opportunities for him now that he’s healthy. The Yanks have gotten Andujar some reps in the outfield, but their lineup is crowded with quality options that have relegated him to more of a depth option at the moment (even with a few key position players injured).

The Yankees currently have Aaron Judge, DJ LeMahieu and Giancarlo Stanton on the injured list. In their absence, Mike Tauchman is seemingly in line for regular outfield work, hot-hitting Clint Frazier logging action at DH and Tyler Wade shouldering the workload at second base. Andujar will need to be down for at least 10 days unless he’s recalled as the corresponding move for placing another player on the injured list.

Yankees Sign Jordy Mercer To Minors Contract

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The Yankees announced infielder Jordy Mercer has been signed to a minor league contract and assigned to the club’s alternate training site.  Mercer and minor league catcher Wynston Sawyer have both been added to New York’s 60-man player pool, with Sawyer joining Mercer at the alternate camp.

Mercer appeared in three games for the Tigers this season before deciding to become a free agent rather than accept an outright assignment on August 6.  He’ll now join a Yankees team in need of some second base depth since DJ LeMahieu’s is expected to spend two or three weeks on the injured list due to a sprained left thumb.  Tyler Wade and Thairo Estrada are New York’s current second base options on the active roster, and it isn’t out of the question that Mercer could also serve as a backup shortstop to Gleyber Torres.

Best known for his long stint as the Pirates’ starting shortstop, Mercer has a .257/.315/.387 slash line over 3276 career MLB plate appearances with Pittsburgh and Detroit.  Fielding metrics have taken a dim view of Mercer’s shortstop glovework in recent years, though that could be a moot point if he ends up playing second base for the Yankees.  (For what it’s worth, Mercer has a +4.4 UZR/150 and +3 Defensive Runs Saved as a second baseman, though only over 286 2/3 career innings at the position.)

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