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Dodgers Place Joe Kelly On Injured List

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The Dodgers announced that right-handed reliever Joe Kelly has been placed on the 10-day injured list due to inflammation in his right shoulder. No timeline for his return was provided. The Dodgers have recalled lefty Adam Kolarek in his place.

Kelly is still facing an eight-game suspension after throwing a fastball near Alex Bregman’s head and swapping verbal jabs with Carlos Correa, all of which eventually led to bench-clearing confrontation. He’s in the process of appealing the punishment, and a hearing on that front is set for today, tweets Bill Shaikin of the L.A. Times.

The 32-year-old Kelly had a rough first season in L.A., pitching to a 4.56 ERA in 51 1/3 frames after inking a three-year, $25MM deal in the preceding offseason. He was hit hard in the playoffs as well. This year, he’s rattled off 6 1/3 shutout innings to begin the shortened campaign, although the five walks he’s yielded in that time are still a red flag. Kelly’s 97.1 mph average fastball in 2020 is still well above the league average, but it’s down about two miles per hour from its 2017 peak and down nearly a mile per hour off last year’s mark.

With Kelly out until at least next week, the Dodgers will lean move heavily on fellow righties Blake Treinen, Pedro Baez and Brusdar Graterol to set up for closer Kenley Jansen. Kolarek will give the club a fourth southpaw option to match up with opposing lineups, joining Caleb Ferguson, Scott Alexander and Jake McGee.

Quick Hits: Verlander, Seager, Soroka

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Astros manager Dusty Baker told reporters including the Houston Chronicle’s Chandler Rome that ace Justin Verlander is “not progressing as quickly as he’d like” in his recovery from a forearm strain. Of course, Verlander holds himself to extremely lofty standards, so that could mean any number of things. Verlander went to the injured list on July 27th after just one six-inning start. The Astros are as eager as Verlander to have their ace return – they’re in the middle of the pack, record-wise, and awaiting the return of a number of key players, including Yordan Alvarez and Jose Urquidy. In the meantime, they recently shuffled their rotation in the hopes of providing a spark from a new line of starters.

  • Corey Seager had a back scan last night, but the results showed nothing to be concerned about, per MLB.com’s Ken Gurnick. The discomfort Seager has been feeling is not related to the back injury that he suffered during the 2017 playoffs, adds J.P. Hoornstra of the Southern California News Group. That’s very encouraging news for the Dodgers. Seager has started hot this season (.340/.389/.600) after a so-so season in 2019 dimmed his star (to some) just a bit. He’s day-to-day for now, with Chris Taylor captaining the infield in his stead.
  • Mike Soroka’s surgery to repair his right Achilles tendon yesterday was successful, the team announced. The first step in a long recovery process is now in the books for the Braves’ ace. There’s no sugarcoating the severity of Soroka’s injury, though a number of people have made a point to say that Soroka has the temperament and work ethic to weather this storm and return to acedom. With a bevy of young pitching candidates in a much-hyped system, Soroka has stood out among the field, quickly becoming the ace of this Braves contender. In 29 starts last year, he went 13-4 with a 2.68 ERA/3.45 FIP, finishing 2nd in Rookie of the Year voting and 6th for Cy Young.

 

Injury Updates: Seager, Bummer, Senzel, Strop

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The latest on four notable players who left last night’s action due to potential injuries…

  • Corey Seager left the field during the third inning of the Dodgers’ 7-2 victory over the Giants due to what the club described as lower back discomfort.  As manager Dave Roberts told MLB.com’s Ken Gurnick and other reporters, Seager will evaluated and likely won’t be in Saturday’s lineup.  The shortstop suffered the injury the inning prior while diving for a ground-ball single off the bat of Chadwick Tromp, and was pulled an inning later after Seager was slow to cover second on the first out of the frame.  Seager has been one of baseball’s hottest hitters early in the 2020 campaign, batting .340/.389/.600 with three homers.
  • White Sox left-hander Aaron Bummer left during the seventh inning of Chicago’s 2-0 win over Cleveland due to left biceps soreness.  After tossing a pitch to Jose Ramirez, Bummer called the trainer to the mound and then departed the game.  Bummer “just felt what he thought was a cramp in his biceps,” White Sox manager Rick Renteria told the Chicago Tribune’s LaMond Pope and other reporters.  “Hopefully it’s no extended period of time but we are going to be careful with him.”  Bummer’s departure came after 1 2/3 innings of scoreless ball, which dropped his ERA down to 1.23 through 7 1/3 frames of total work this season.  The southpaw has quietly been a sturdy bullpen force since debuting in the 2017 season, which inspired the White Sox to sign Bummer to a five-year extension last February.
  • Both Nick Senzel and Pedro Strop left the Reds’ 8-3 victory over the Brewers with groin injuries.  Senzel departed the game before re-taking his position in center field in the bottom of the fourth inning, while Strop left four pitches into an eighth inning at-bat against Brock Holt.  Both players are day-to-day.  Senzel already missed a few games this season for precautionary reasons (he tested negative for COVID-19 after experiencing symptoms) and he has been plagued with injuries throughout his young career, so the Reds are surely hopeful he can avoid another trip to the injured list.  Strop has a 3.86 ERA through 2 1/3 innings in a Cincinnati uniform, after the veteran right-hander signed a one-year contract with the Reds last winter.

Poll: Big-Budget Long-Term Payrolls

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Looking at long-range payroll commitments, there’s a fairly sizable gap between the top-five spenders and the number six club (the Padres, at a total of $396MM). Here’s that top-five:

Rank Team Total
1 Angels $651.00
2 Yankees $612.00
3 Dodgers $533.36
4 Nationals $488.68
5 Phillies $488.50

That list isn’t remotely surprising. Some other deep-pocketed teams have pared back or simply not yet agreed to blockbuster extensions with existing stars. The handful of teams listed above have each recently agreed to monster contracts with one or more superstars.

Looking at a team’s future outlook involves quite a bit more than its contractual commitments. We’d want to consider controllable young talent, the prospect pool, and a wide variety of business factors in assessing which organization is best-situated for the long haul.

Here, though, we’ll just focus on the deals that are already locked in. First, I’ll re-list each of those five teams’ eexisting commitments. Then, you will vote for the one that you’d most prefer to have were you operating a large-budget franchise. (Click on the links to expand the image.)

The Angels feature two mid-prime superstars, including the greatest player of this generation.

The Yankees have an ace, a former MVP who could still return to his former glory, and a group of quality players.

The Dodgers had only limited future commitments until they struck a bold deal to keep one of the game’s best players.

The Nationals are all-in on high-grade rotation pieces.

The Phillies spent big to pluck high-end talent from division rivals.

Which is the best slate of contract commitments? (Poll link for app users; response order randomized.)

Dodgers Promote Zach McKinstry

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The Dodgers have promoted utilityman Zach McKinstry to the active roster, per a club announcement. He’ll take the roster spot of southpaw Victor Gonzalez, who was optioned down.

It’s quite an achievement for the 25-year-old McKinstry, who entered the professional ranks as a 33rd-round draft pick back in 2016. He’ll give the Dodgers yet another versatile position player to plug in as game situations warrant.

McKinstry obviously wasn’t seen as a significant prospect when he was selected out of Central Michigan, where he showed excellent contact ability and plate discipline but little in the way of power. That profile shifted last year, as he turned in a cumulative .300/.366/.516 batting line with 19 long balls over 479 plate appearances between the Double-A and Triple-A levels.

Latest On Mookie Betts

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6:23 pm: Betts’ finger has some swelling, but x-rays fortunately came back negative, manager Dave Roberts told reporters, including Ken Gurnick of MLB.com (Twitter links). He’s day-to-day.

5:41 pm: Mookie Betts was lifted for a pinch hitter in the seventh inning of this afternoon’s game against the Diamondbacks. The club since announced (Twitter link) that he is dealing with soreness in his left middle finger.

There’s no indication there’s particular cause for alarm, but it’s eye-opening whenever a player of Betts’ caliber leaves a game for health reasons. The superstar hasn’t played at quite his typical level to start his Dodger career, but there’s no questioning his importance to the organization both short and long term.

For now, the hope is surely that Betts will return to the field in short order. The Dodgers are in position to exercise all due caution given the strength of their roster. Edwin Ríos replaced Betts in the lineup today, perhaps indicating he’d be first in line for extra playing time should Betts need some time off.

Dodgers Activate Clayton Kershaw

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The Dodgers have officially activated LHP Clayton Kershaw ahead of today’s game, the team announced. Right-hander Mitch White has been optioned to create a spot on the active roster. Kershaw is set to take the mound for the Dodgers this afternoon against the Diamondbacks.

Kershaw will make his season debut after missing his scheduled Opening Day start due to back tightness. He’ll be a timely addition to the Dodgers’ rotation not long after Alex Wood was forced to the 10-day injured list with a shoulder issue.

The three-time Cy Young Award winner is entering his age-32 season and is coming off a 2019 campaign that saw his end-of-year ERA climb above 3.00 for the first time since his rookie year in 2008. It’s a testament to Kershaw’s sheer dominance throughout his prime, and we mustn’t forget that even a slightly lesser version of Kershaw is still one of the best pitchers in baseball.

Last year, he garnered an eighth-place Cy Young finish after notching 189 strikeouts in 178 1/3 innings of work. As alluded to, he finished with a 3.03 ERA (a career year for plenty of pitchers), and his 2.1 BB/9 was the highest it’s been since 2012.

Dodgers Option Tony Gonsolin, Recall Mitch White

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The Dodgers have made a change to their pitching staff, optioning right-hander Tony Gonsolin and recalling Mitch White from the team’s alternate training site, as reported by J.P. Hoornstra of the Orange County Register. White is poised to make his Major League debut.

White, a 25-year-old right-hander and former second-round selection, will likely get his first crack at the Major Leagues as a reliever after being brought up primarily as a starting pitcher. The California product was regarded by multiple outlets as a top-100 prospect in baseball prior to the 2018 season. Since then, he’s produced mixed results in the upper minors. After a down year in 2018, he spent last season between Double- and Triple-A, posting a cumulative 5.09 ERA. In 93 2/3 minor-league innings last year, he struck out 105 batters. In Triple-A, he appeared in 3 games as a reliever, a role in which he continued during the Arizona Fall League.

Gonsolin is yet another young, bright arm in the Dodgers organization. He started last night’s game against the Diamondbacks, tossing four scoreless innings and allowing just one hit. He’ll likely be given plenty of chances to pitch for Los Angeles this year, but the current roster was simply short one in the bullpen after Josh Sborz was optioned yesterday. Gonsolin was impressive as a rookie last year, posting a 2.93 ERA in his first 40 innings as a big leaguer. He’s been deployed both as a starter and reliever for the Dodgers.

Dodgers To Activate Clayton Kershaw

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The Dodgers will activate star lefty Clayton Kershaw, manager Dave Roberts told reporters including MLB.com’s Ken Gurnick (Twitter link). He’ll make his season debut on Sunday.

Kershaw had been sidelined to this point with back tightness. That’s not necessarily a major concern in and of itself, but the surefire future Hall of Famer has had particular troubles in that area over the years.

Thankfully, it seems this flare-up was a minor one. Kershaw, 32, has rather clearly declined in recent years. He was nevertheless capable of spinning 178 1/3 innings of 3.03 ERA ball in 2019.

Injury Notes: Simmons, Odorizzi, Kershaw, Bowman

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There’s still no official timeline on Andrelton Simmons’ return from his latest ankle injury, but the Angels shortstop said Thursday that his injury isn’t as bad as the ankle issue that cost him more than a month of his 2019 season, per Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register. The slick-fielding shortstop hasn’t undergone an MRI to this point and noted that his range of motion is already improving.

Simmons had two separate IL stints for problems in the same ankle last year and limped to a .264/.309/.364 slash line in 424 plate appearances. However, his 2017-18 numbers with the Angels had seemed to indicate an upward trajectory with the bat: .285/.334/.419 in 304 games. A strong 2020 output might cause teams to view the 2019 season as an outlier for Simmons, a free agent this winter, but the recurrence of ankle troubles shortens his window to perform and serves as a red flag for interested clubs. Obviously, it’s also a critical loss for an Angels club that spent significantly this winter and hopes to return to the the postseason in this year’s expanded format. Simmons is among this generation’s most gifted defenders and leads all MLB players, regardless of position, with 192 Defensive Runs Saved since his 2012 debut. (Kevin Kiermaier is second … at 115.)

Some more injury updates from around the game…

  • Jake Odorizzi threw a bullpen session yesterday and feels that his lower back strain has healed, La Velle E. Neal III of the Minneapolis Star Tribune writes. However, the right-hander will still face some live hitters at the Twins’ alternate training site over in St. Paul before he’s activated from the injured list. Odorizzi tabbed Monday as a potential date to face hitters. Right-hander Randy Dobnak could get another start as Odorizzi finalizes his rehab. The 30-year-old Odorizzi enjoyed a career year with the Twins in ’19, pitching to a 3.51 ERA with 10.1 K/9, 3.0 BB/9 and 0.91 HR/9 in 159 innings. He accepted a one-year, $17.2MM qualifying offer last November and will be a free agent again this winter.
  • Clayton Kershaw could join the Dodgers’ rotation as soon as Sunday or Monday, manager Dave Roberts told reporters Thursday evening (link via Ken Gurnick of MLB.com). The three-time Cy Young winner and five-time NL ERA leader was scratched from his Opening Day start just hours before first pitch due to back tightness and replaced by rookie Dustin May. Since Kershaw hit the IL, the Dodgers have also lost Alex Wood, prompting them to bring up another young right-hander, Tony Gonsolin, to take the ball in tonight’s game. Kershaw tossed a bullpen session yesterday, and all indications right now are that his IL stint will be rather brief.
  • The Reds announced yesterday that they’ve reversed their option on right-handed reliever Matt Bowman and instead placed him on the 10-day injured list due to an elbow sprain. That’s both an ominous diagnosis for the 29-year-old Bowman and important distinction with regard to service time. Because Bowman was determined to have an injury that existed prior to being optioned to alternate camp, he’s been brought back up and placed on the Major League injured list, where he’ll receive MLB service time and MLB pay. The Reds didn’t offer a potential timeline for Bowman, who tossed 32 frames for them a year ago and recorded a solid 3.66 ERA with 25 strikeouts against 13 walks (three intentional) with just two homers allowed.
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