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Jerad Eickhoff

East Notes: Eickhoff, Phillies, Cora, Gsellman, Lugo

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28-year-old righty Jerad Eickhoff gave the Phillies a feel-good story yesterday by tying a club record during his first MLB start in 13 months, as Joe Bloss details in a piece for MLB.com. Eickhoff managed to strike out seven consecutive Braves (eight overall) before allowing a homer to Johan Camargo and a single to Ozzie Albies, prompting an early hook by manager Gabe Kapler. Though Eickhoff was only allowed to throw 54 pitches, he recorded eight of his ten outs via the strikeout and didn’t walk a batter.

It stands to reason that a strong 2019 spring performance on the part of Eickhoff could have him back in the conversation for a rotation spot next year, though he’s likely to face some stiff competition. A rotation featuring Aaron Nola, Jake Arrieta, Nick Pivetta, Vince Velasquez and Zach Eflin has done well in 2018, and each has accumulated at least 2.0 fWAR to date. That’s to say nothing of any potential offseason rotation additions, which the Phillies could certainly afford to purchase given their massive budget and relatively low 2019 payroll commitments. Still, Eickhoff made an intriguing opening statement to support his case last night.

More off the coast of the Atlantic…

  • Speaking of the Phillies and their big winter budget, Scott Lauber opens an article for Philly.com by bluntly stating that John Middleton is “ready to make it rain.” With less than $70MM in salary commitments for the 2019 season, Lauber echoes the oft-heard sentiments that Philadelphia is firmly in the mix to sign Bryce Harper or Manny Machado (if not both). With that in mind, he embarked on a quest to discover who a panel of experts would prefer to sign. The criteria mentioned in Lauber’s excellent journalistic endeavor operates upon a slew of criteria including pure talent, durability/longevity and organizational fit.
  • Alex Speier of the Boston Globe recently wrote about how manager Alex Cora has changed the organizational culture of the Red Sox in regards to analytics. According to Speier, some front offices last year weren’t on the lookout for authority figures to serve as their club’s skippers as the were trying to identify someone who could “serve as a conduit for data-driven analysis”. Cora’s been able to do just that, as evidenced in a recent defensive shift detailed in Speier’s piece, though that’s far from the only example. “He’s kind of reformed the culture of how we’re going to integrate data into decision-making,” assistant GM Eddie Romero said of the rookie manager.
  • The Mets have elected to shut down right-handers Seth Lugo and Robert Gsellman for the season, per a report from Anthony DiComo of MLB.com. The decision comes as a result of workload concerns, as the two relievers have combined for 181 1/3 innings on the season. Mickey Callaway offered his thoughts on the subject. “”We feel that those guys have had outstanding years,” he explained. “They both finished with a save, on a strong note. They’ve probably done more than we could have ever asked to this point. And we felt these last three games, we’re going to give these younger guys a shot to go out there and nail down the games for us. We feel this is taking care of them heading into the offseason, so they can come back and be even better next year.”

 

Phillies Notes: Santana, Franco, Hoskins, Eickhoff

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The Phillies have started Carlos Santana at third base 10 times down the stretch and received a total of 70 innings of play from him there, and Jim Salisbury of NBC Sports Philadelphia explores the possibility of Santana shifting to the hot corner on a full-time basis in 2019. Doing so would allow the Phils to move Rhys Hoskins from left field back to first base, dramatically improving the outfield defense. Santana, 32, tells Salisbury that he’s open to the idea, while manager Gabe Kapler adds that it’s something the Phils will evaluate after the season. Philadelphia’s expected run at Manny Machado figures to have an impact on their left-side infield alignment, and Salisbury speculates that the team could again explore the trade market for Maikel Franco this offseason.

Defensive metrics have actually given a favorable review to Santana’s minuscule sample of innings, but it still seems unlikely that he’d turn in quality results over a full season. I’d add, however, that he’d be replacing another below-average defender in Franco; if the Phillies believe the difference between Franco and Santana at third base is more or less negligible, then they could overwhelmingly bolster the rest of their defense by moving Hoskins to first base in favor of an average or better defender in left.

More out of Philly…

  • Speaking of Hoskins, the 25-year-old chatted with The Athletic’s Matt Gelb about his recent decision to hire agent Scott Boras (subscription required). Part of the thinking, per Hoskins, was actually about his desire to improve his defense in the outfield. Gelb notes that Boras has 10 trainers and a pair of fitness facilities, which appealed to Hoskins as he seeks to improve his performance in the outfield. “There’s only so many different drills you can do,” said Hoskins. “Jump rope, ladder, whatever. But some guys just have a different way of communicating that or they focus on different things within the movement.” He added that he heard “nothing but good things” from the players he spoke to about using Boras’ trainers. Gelb writes that Boras has expressed an openness to discussing a contract extension for Hoskins this offseason, though historically his clients have typically not gone that route.
  • It’s been an injury-ruined season for Jerad Eickhoff, but Kapler told reporters that he’s a candidate to start one of the final games of the season after rejoining the team as a reliever earlier this month (link via Matt Breen the Philadelphia Daily News). Eickhoff met with numerous specialists to evaluate nerve damage that was leading to numbness in his hands this summer and, at one point when doctors were having a difficult time making a diagnosis, wondered whether his career could be in jeopardy. “I don’t know if there’s a guy that the clubhouse pulls more for than Jerad Eickhoff,” said Kapler. “I think he’s pretty deeply cared for and he worked his butt off to get back to this position.”

Phillies Activate Jerad Eickhoff, Designate Ben Lively

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The Phillies have activated right-hander Jerad Eickhoff from the 60-day disabled list and designated fellow righty Ben Lively for assignment, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com tweets.

Eickhoff’s finally in line to pitch after going down in mid-March with a lat strain, an injury that was only supposed to shelve him for six to eight weeks. The 28-year-old ended up missing nearly six months, though, as he suffered multiple setbacks during his recovery and was even checked for thoracic outlet syndrome along the way. Fortunately, Eickhoff dodged that injury – often a catastrophic one for pitchers. He also pitched well in the minors during the rehab process, including at Triple-A Lehigh Valley, where he logged a 2.90 ERA with 6.7 K/9 and 3.8 BB/9 in 18 2/3 innings.

Prior to what has essentially been a lost 2018 for Eickhoff, he held his own at times with the Phillies from 2015-17, combining for a 3.87 ERA/4.10 FIP with 7.99 K/9 and 2.58 BB/9 over 376 1/3 frames. Eickhoff started in all 65 appearances during that span, but he may work as a reliever upon his return. The Phillies’ rotation has been among the majors’ best, after all, as Aaron Nola, Jake Arrieta, Zach Eflin, Vince Velazquez and Nick Pivetta have each done respectable to exemplary work over 20-plus starts apiece.

Lively, a Phillie since they acquired him from the Reds for outfielder Marlon Byrd in a 2014 trade, may be on his way to his third organization. The 26-year-old cracked the Phillies’ season-opening rotation and struggled across five starts before succumbing to a back injury, as he posted a 6.85 ERA/5.14 FIP and a 27.5 percent groundball rate over 23 2/3 innings. But Lively did log a solid strikeout rate (8.37 per nine), and he’s only a year removed from providing a passable 4.26 ERA/4.97 FIP in 15 starts and 88 2/3 innings with the Phillies. Plus, Lively has excelled at the Triple-A level this season, with a 2.42 ERA/3.21 FIP and 8.13 K/9 against 2.6 BB/9 in 52 frames.

Phillies Notes: Merrifield, Eickhoff, Int’l Scouting

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Here’s the latest from the City Of Brotherly Love…

  • The Phillies have interest in Royals utilityman Whit Merrifield, MLB.com’s Jon Paul Morosi reports.  Merrifield has mostly played second base in K.C. this season, though he has also seen time at first base, center field, and right field, plus he’s seen time in left field and third base in past seasons.  As Morosi notes, this makes him an ideal fit on a Phillies team that values multi-position players.  The Royals have already begun trading veterans prior to the deadline, though Merrifield would command a noteworthy price tag since he’s under team control through the 2022 season.
  • Jerad Eickhoff experienced more numbness in his fingers during a throwing session, NBC Sports Philadelphia’s Jim Salisbury reports (Twitter link), and is undergo more tests to try and determine the problem.  Eickhoff’s last set of examinations “ruled out a lot of bad stuff” in the words of Phillies GM Matt Klentak, though it obviously isn’t a good sign that Eickhoff’s problems are continuing after another month.  Eickhoff has yet to pitch this season, initially beginning the DL due to a lat strain before his rehab was shut down by the numbness issues.
  • The Phillies have put a lot of focus on expanding their international scouting operations, including going beyond the usual set of countries to find players, The Athletic’s Meghan Montemurro writes (subscription required).  The piece includes a look at some of the international names in Philadelphia’s farm system, including Russian left-hander Anton Kuznetsov, New Zealander right-hander Kyle Glogoski, and Australian lefty Josh Tols.

NL East Notes: Strasburg, Syndergaard, Phillies, Braves

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Nationals right-hander Stephen Strasburg left his start Friday after two innings with “a little inflammation” in his pitching shoulder, manager Dave Martinez told Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post and other reporters. Strasburg revealed that the issue began bothering him a few starts ago, and he’ll undergo an MRI on Saturday. Injuries have long been a concern for the 29-year-old Strasburg, though he has always delivered terrific results when healthy. He has once again offered high-end production this year, having notched a 3.46 ERA with 10.6 K/9 and 2.12 BB/9 in 80 2/3 innings. The Nats can ill afford to lose Strasburg as they seek a third straight division title, then, especially with fellow starter Jeremy Hellickson currently on the disabled list with a hamstring strain.

More injury notes from the NL East…

  • Mets righty Noah Syndergaard won’t come off the DL to make his scheduled start against the Yankees on Sunday, per Anthony DiComo of MLB.com. Syndergaard, who has been out since May 26 with a strained finger ligament, experienced a setback after playing catch this week. It’s unknown how much more time Syndergaard will miss, but with him unavailable, the Mets will start fellow righty Seth Lugo on Sunday.
  • Phillies left fielder Rhys Hoskins could return from the DL on Saturday, Matt Breen of Philly.com reports. That would represent a quick comeback for a player who suffered a fractured jaw May 28. In other positive news for the Phillies, the club has ruled out the possibility of thoracic outlet syndrome for injured righty Jerad Eickhoff, general manager Matt Klentak announced. Still, even though the Phillies have “ruled out a lot of bad stuff” for Eickhoff, according to Klentak, they’re unsure what’s causing the numbness in his fingers. Both that problem and a strained lat have shelved Eickhoff for the entire season thus far.
  • Braves third base prospect Austin Riley is set to miss “several weeks” after suffering a sprained PCL in his right knee, David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution tweets. The promising 21-year-old had been faring nicely in his first action at Triple-A, where he has slashed .284/.345/.431 in 113 plate appearances (with a 33.6 percent strikeout rate, however). It’s possible Riley’s injury could affect his chances at a major league promotion this season and influence the Braves’ trade deadline plans. Atlanta’s top two options at third are Johan Camargo and Ryan Flaherty, but both players’ numbers have fallen off as the season has progressed. In the event the Braves seek a veteran upgrade at the hot corner over the summer, there should be some proven commodities available, as MLBTR’s Jeff Todd and Steve Adams pointed out Friday.

Phillies Select Mitch Walding, Transfer Jerad Eickhoff To 60-Day DL

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The Phillies announced that they’ve selected the contract of infielder Mitch Walding from Triple-A Lehigh Valley and created a spot on the 40-man roster by shifting righty Jerad Eickhoff from the 10-day DL to the 60-day DL. Walding will step into the spot that had been previously occupied by Pedro Florimon, who has been placed on the 10-day disabled list. Florimon sustained a broken bone last night when he fouled a ball into his foot.

Walding, 25, has played third base almost exclusively in the minors, so he won’t be able to replicate Florimon’s ability to handle shortstop. But he’ll bring a productive Triple-A bat to the table, having slashed .271/.379/.484 through 182 plate appearances so far in his first crack at the Triple-A level. Though Walding’s 29.7 percent strikeout rate and .372 BABIP in Lehigh Valley suggest that his overall line is likely to regress, he’s also walked at a 14.3 percent clip and largely continued the uptick in power he displayed at the Double-A level in 2017, when he smacked a career-high 25 homers.

As for Eickhoff, the move is largely a procedural one. The right-hander was placed on the 10-day disabled list at the beginning of the season due to a strained lat muscle, and the team recently halted his rehab program after he experienced some numbness in his fingertips. Eickhoff wouldn’t have returned by the 60-day mark of the season anyhow, and the move to the 60-day DL doesn’t reset his DL “clock,” so to speak, meaning he’ll still be eligible to be activated whenever the Phillies deem him healthy enough to embark on and complete a new minor league rehab assignment. That said, it’s not clear at all just when Eickhoff might be medically cleared to do so.

Phillies Shut Down Jerad Eickhoff’s Rehab Program

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The Phillies received some troubling news on rehabbing right-hander Jerad Eickhoff, as he experienced numbness in his fingers during his most recent rehab appearance (Twitter link via Jim Salisbury of NBC Sports Philadelphia).

As Todd Zolecki of MLB.com further notes, Eickhoff experienced a similar sensation in his hand last August and ultimately did not pitch again in 2017 (due to nerve irritation). His rehab has been shut down for now, and he’ll be reevaluated. Eickhoff has yet to pitch in the Majors this season after opening the year on the DL due to a lat strain.

It’s a discouraging outcome for a hot Phillies team that has gone 7-3 in its past 10 games and currently sits 1.5 games out of first in the National League East with an overall record of 26-18. Though the 27-year-old Eickhoff struggled in 2017, he’s been a fairly consistent fixture in the Philadelphia rotation since being acquired as an unheralded piece of 2015’s Cole Hamels blockbuster. In 65 starts since being acquired in late July that season, Eickhoff has given the Phillies 376 1/3 innings of 3.87 ERA ball, averaging 8.0 K/9, 2.6 BB/9 and 1.22 HR/9 with a 39.2 percent ground-ball rate along the way. He was particularly impressive in 2016, logging 197 1/3 innings over 33 starts and turning in a 3.65 ERA.

[Related: Philadelphia Phillies depth chart]

Eickhoff had been expected to rejoin the Phillies’ rotation immediately upon being activated from the disabled list, but with him on the shelf indefinitely, pending reevaluation, the Phils will continue to shuffle arms through the final spot in their rotation in hopes that someone cements himself in that position.

Ace Aaron Nola and free-agent signing Jake Arrieta are currently joined by emerging righty Nick Pivetta in the top 60 percent of the Phils’ rotation. Meanwhile, righty Zach Eflin has impressed in three starts since coming up from the minors in hopes of laying claim to a permanent starting job. Mercurial right-hander Vince Velasquez has, at times, flashed brilliance at the big league level but has also been maddeningly inconsistent for the organization. Other options for the Phillies include Drew Hutchison (currently in the ’pen) and Triple-A hurlers Jake Thompson, Ben Lively and Mark Leiter Jr. Top prospect Sixto Sanchez is viewed as a potential building block as well, though the 19-year-old is still a ways from big league readiness.

NL Notes: Grandal, Mets, Leiter, Straily

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While it seemed at one point he profiled as a trade candidate, Yasmani Grandal will enter the season expected to receive the bulk of the playing time behind the dish for the Dodgers, skipper Dave Roberts tells reporters including Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times (via Twitter). Grandal, 29, had been bypassed late last year by Austin Barnes, who turned in a breakout campaign in his first season of significant MLB action. Grandal still put up a quality overall season with the bat and has raked this spring, while Barnes has struggled at the plate in Cactus League action. Regardless, the organization seems to have an excellent tandem to work with.

Here’s more from the National League:

  • Tim Britton of The Athletic (subscription link) examines the Mets’ pitching plans, focusing on the multi-inning capabilities of anticipated relievers Seth Lugo and Robert Gsellman. Skipper Mickey Callaway explains that “to put a [starter] in the bullpen and all of a sudden start using him like a traditional reliever would be a mistake,” so there are elements of both need and opportunity in the approach that the organization seems to be lining up. The practicalities will also impact the precise way the staff is deployed, as Britton explores in detail, with Callaway emphasizing that it’ll ultimately be a process that unfolds as the season goes on with “constant communication” between coaches and pitchers.
  • We’re still awaiting further word on the health of Phillies hurler Mark Leiter. As Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com was among those to tweet yesterday, the 27-year-old has experienced forearm tightness, which can be a symptom of a worrying elbow issue. Leiter, who turned in 90 2/3 innings of 4.96 ERA ball in his debut season of 2017, is all the more important to the Philadelphia staff with Jerad Eickhoff sidelined to open the year.
  • The Marlins are taking a look at a notable arm of their own, as Craig Mish of Sirius XM tweets that righty Dan Straily has been diagnosed with a “slight elbow strain.” In a subsequent announcement, the team called it “mild right forearm inflammation” and said Straily won’t throw for five or six days. (H/t MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro, via Twitter.) That said, Straily — who the Marlins held onto despite moving other veteran assets over the winter — may not be ready to open the season, which would leave a big hole in an already-patchworked Miami rotation. The Fish also announced today that young righty Sandy Alcantara has been optioned, so he’s evidently not in the plans for the early-season rotation. Roster Resource now predicts that Jacob Turner will claim a roster spot out of camp.

Jerad Eickhoff Out Six To Eight Weeks With Lat Strain

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The Phillies received some bad news on their rotation today, as Jim Salisbury of NBC Sports Philadelphia reports (via Twitter) that right-hander Jerad Eickhoff has been diagnosed with a strained lat muscle and will be sidelined for the next six to eight weeks. Eickhoff had been projected to occupy a rotation spot behind newly signed Jake Arrieta and top incumbent starter Aaron Nola. Now, he’ll open the season on the disabled list.

The 27-year-old Eickhoff was considered a secondary or tertiary piece when he was traded from the Rangers to the Phillies in the blockbuster that sent Cole Hamels and Jake Diekman to Texas. However, he quickly emerged as a viable big league starter and has since provided the Phils with 376 1/3 innings of 3.87 ERA ball, averaging 8.0 K/9 against 2.6 BB/9 with a 39.2 percent ground-ball rate along the way.

Last season was Eickhoff’s worst in the Majors, as he limped to a 4.71 ERA thanks largely to an uncharacteristic spike in his walk rate (3.7 BB/9). Injuries likely played a part in his substandard control, as he missed time in June with a back strain and would again go on the DL in late August with nerve irritation in his hand — an injury that ultimately ended his season. Certainly, it’s not hard to see how either of those injuries could significantly diminish his control; Eickhoff, for context, averaged just 2.0 walks per nine innings through his first 248 1/3 MLB frames.

The initial estimate for Eickhoff’s absence would leave him out of action until at least the end of April and possibly up through mid-May, depending of course on how he responds to treatment and how his rehab progresses. Salisbury adds in a followup tweet that he’s currently being examined back in Philadelphia, which could give a clearer picture of how his rehab will be laid out.

Eickhoff’s injury improves the chances for fellow rotation hopefuls such as Vince Velasquez, Nick Pivetta, Ben Lively, Jake Thompson, Zach Eflin, Mark Leiter and non-roster invitee Drew Hutchison in Philadelphia. Obviously, as that group of names suggests, the Phils aren’t short on replacement options with some degree of MLB experience. It remains to be seen, though, if the injury will embolden the front office to make a move from outside the organization.

At first glance, this wouldn’t seem to make such a move especially more likely. GM Matt Klentak has previously suggested that the signing of Arrieta likely concluded his team’s offseason spending, and while Eickhoff was one of the team’s more reliable sources of innings, the injury is relatively short-term nature in nature.

East Notes: Happ, Dickey, Mets, Price, Phillies

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It’s already known that the Blue Jays pulled right-hander Marco Estrada back from waivers after he was claimed (reportedly by the Yankees) earlier this month, and FanRag’s Jon Heyman reports that the Jays also pulled left-hander J.A. Happ back off revocable trade waivers at some point in August. As such, he’s ineligible to be traded before tomorrow night’s deadline for postseason eligibility. Happ, 35 in October, is in the second season of a three-year, $36MM contract and is owed the balance of a $13MM salary (about $2.2MM) plus another $13MM in 2018. Toronto’s decision to pull him back is consistent with their reluctance to listen on other assets controlled beyond ’17 (e.g. Josh Donaldson). By all accounts, the Blue Jays seem intent on fielding a contending club in 2018, and Happ is likely viewed as an important part of that. He’ll join young right-handers Aaron Sanchez and Marcus Stroman in next year’s rotation, though the Toronto front office will likely have some work to do in the offseason.

A bit more out of the game’s Eastern divisions…

  • Braves righty R.A. Dickey sat down with Gabriel Burns of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution to discuss the team’s young core of pitchers as well as his own future. Dickey, 42, spoke with Burns about the lessons that he’s tried to teach younger arms like Mike Foltynewicz, Sean Newcomb and others, as well as the influence of other veterans like Freddie Freeman and Brandon Phillips. Asked about his own future in light of a recent run of strong starts, Dickey tells Burns that there’s “no doubt in his mind” that he’s physically capable of continuing his career, but the decision will be made collectively with his wife and four children following the 2017 season. The Q&A is well worth a full read-through — especially for Braves fans, of course.
  • The Mets provided a series of health updates on their many injured players once again today (h/t: James Wagner of the New York Times, on Twitter). Right-hander Matt Harvey tossed a bullpen session today and is on track to make a return to the big league mound this Saturday against the Astros. Fellow righty Noah Syndergaard will set out on a minor league rehab assignment that same day, tossing an inning for the Mets’ Gulf Coast League affiliate. Meanwhile, Michael Conforto has received a second opinion on his shoulder, but there’s no update of a diagnosis or treatment plan. Infielders David Wright and T.J. Rivera are set for further exams in New York.
  • Red Sox manager John Farrell said in an appearance on WEEI’s Dale, Holley & Keefe that the team cannot rule out the possibility of David Price returning as a reliever this season (via WEEI’s Ryan Hannable). Farrell acknowledged that the team’s decision-makers are cognizant of the limited time Price has to build his strength back up after being on the disabled list with an elbow injury since late July. Price threw off a mound today but was limited to just fastballs, per Farrell. “When he is able to get back to game speed or full speed and then see what the best role and the most realistic role is for him and how do we make sure we do what is right by David and not over stressing the number of pitches in an outing,” said the manager.
  • Phillies right-hander Jerad Eickhoff exited today’s start with a nerve issue in his right hand, writes MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki. Manager Pete Mackanin suggested that the injury came “out of the blue,” as Eickhoff had not given any prior indication of discomfort. As Zolecki points out, though, Eickhoff’s average fastball velocity in 2015-16 was 91.5 mph, but he averaged just 89.4 mph in his first five August starts and only 88 mph on Wednesday.

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