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Dodgers To Promote Walker Buehler

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The Dodgers will promote top pitching prospect Walker Buehler for his first taste of the majors on Wednesday, manager Dave Roberts told reporters including J.P. Hoornstra of the Southern California News Group (Twitter link). Los Angeles will need to open a 40-man spot to make the addition.

Buehler, 23, starred at Vanderbilt before the Dodgers took him with the 24th overall pick of the 2015 draft. He underwent Tommy John surgery just after becoming a professional, but has steadily raised his stock since finally taking the hill late last year.

Prospect analysts were already excited by Buehler before the 2017 season, as he entered some top-100 lists despite a track record that went just five innings deep. Buehler has rewarded that and then some so far in his first full campaign as a pro.

Buehler opened the year at the High-A level, but quickly earned a promotion after overwhelming the competition there. He then turned in 11 quality starts at Double-A, recording a 3.49 ERA with 11.8 K/9 and 2.8 BB/9.

By the time Buehler was nearing a move to the highest level of the minors, he was streaking up the mid-season prospect charts. Baseball America listed him 17th among all prospects leaguewide, with ESPN.com’s Keith Law tabbing him the 11th-best pre-MLB player.

Los Angeles has slowed things down a bit as Buehler nears one hundred frames on the season. He has moved to a relief role at Oklahoma City — where he hasn’t been quite as dominant — and will remain in the pen upon reaching the majors.

Whether or not this stint will be more than an opportunity for Buehler to dip his toes in the water remains to be seen, though it’s perhaps not inconceivable that the talented youngster could force his way into postseason roster consideration. Regardless, now that he’s taking up residence on the 40-man roster, it’s clear that he’ll factor into the team’s pitching plans for 2018 (and well beyond). Since he’ll only pick up about 25 days of service, Los Angeles will still be able to manage his accumulation of service time moving forward to the extent that the club wishes to delay his entry into arbitration and free agency.

Quick Hits: Verlander, Marlins, Angels, Dodgers

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Right-hander Justin Verlander met with reporters Sunday and explained his decision to waive his no-trade clause to go from the Tigers to the Astros in a stunning Aug. 31 trade.  Given that Verlander had been in the Detroit organization since it drafted him second overall in 2004 and evolved into a Tigers icon, it was understandably difficult for him to leave.  “At one point I was kind of pacing back and forth in my living room — it was just [fiancée] Kate [Upton] and I — and I’m going, ’Trust your instincts, trust your instincts. What are your instincts telling you?'” Verlander said (via Brian McTaggart of MLB.com). “I was just so caught in between with emotion and excitement of a new ballclub, and ultimately, it came down to winning and joining an organization that’s set up to win for a long time.”

For the teams involved, the Verlander deal was a tough one to work out, as Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press details in a fascinating piece.  The Tigers rejected multiple proposals from the Astros on Thursday, when the trade ultimately went down late at night, and it looked as if the sides would table talks until the offseason.  The clubs finally agreed on a return, and Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow called Tigers GM Al Avila around 11:30 p.m. ET to inform him that Houston would pick up $16MM of the remaining $58MM left on Verlander’s contract.  Then, the Tigers dispatched two baseball operations officials to Verlander’s house so he’d provide a signature agreeing to waive his no-trade rights.  Verlander did, of course, but he initially had reservations about going to the Astros.  While Fenech reports that the 34-year-old never rejected a trade to Houston, he had concerns about shifting to their ballpark.  Discussions with Astros owner Jim Crane and manager A.J. Hinch did enough to assuage Verlander, however, and the longtime ace then called Avila to inform him he’d accept the trade, paving the way for a blockbuster that came in barely before the 11:59 p.m. ET waiver deadline.

More from around the game:

  • It doesn’t appear that the Marlins’ low-spending ways will change when their new ownership group takes over, but their fate would have been different had local businessman Jorge Mas purchased the team, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald tweets. Unlike owners-to-be Bruce Sherman and Derek Jeter, Mas would not have planned to slash payroll had he put forth the winning bid for the franchise.  Mas finished as the runner-up to Sherman and Jeter, who are at the helm of a faction that agreed last month to buy the Marlins from Jeffrey Loria for $1.2 billion.
  • Not long ago, it looked as though the Angels were going to continue wasting Mike Trout’s presence, but both the present and near future suddenly look bright in Anaheim, Joel Sherman of the New York Post observes. Having traded for all-world shortstop Andrelton Simmons and big-hitting left fielder Justin Upton during his two-year run as the Angels’ general manager, Billy Eppler has given Trout a pair of quality position player complements who, like the center fielder, are under contract through 2020, Sherman notes (though Upton may well opt out after the season). The Angels could add to that group with a free agent like Eric Hosmer or Mike Moustakas during the offseason, writes Sherman, who also names Alex Cobb as a potential offseason target for their rotation. Additionally, Sherman lauds Eppler for improving a farm system that was nearly barren upon his arrival.  Regardless of whether the playoff-contending Angels qualify for the postseason in 2017, then, they’re beginning to look like a team that could capitalize on having Trout before his contract expires.
  • The Dodgers plan to recall outfielder Joc Pederson sometime this season, manager Dave Roberts told reporters, including Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times, on Sunday (Twitter link). “I would expect Joc back. Nothing is set in stone,” Roberts said of Pederson, whom the Dodgers optioned to Triple-A Albuquerque on Aug. 19. The 25-year-old has batted a shockingly poor .158/.222/.281 in 63 minor league plate appearances, continuing a disappointing sseason that has seen him hit .215/.329/.418 in 295 PAs with the Dodgers. P ederson’s major league line this year has been average, not bad, but it still represents a clear drop-off from his production during the prior two seasons.

Dodgers Designate Jordan Jankowski For Assignment

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The Dodgers have announced that they’ve designated righty Jordan Jankowski for assignment. The move clears space on the 40-man roster for righty Wilmer Font, whose contract the team selected today. The Dodgers also promoted Font and righty Brock Stewart to the big leagues.

The Dodgers added Jankowski on a waiver claim from the Astros less than two weeks ago. The 28-year-old has a 5.61 ERA, 11.4 K/9 and 5.8 BB/9 in 43 1/3 innings of relief at the Triple-A level this season. He also debuted with the Astros earlier this year, giving up six runs in 4 1/3 innings.

The 27-year-old Font, meanwhile, was named the PCL Pitcher of the Year after a remarkable season for Triple-A Oklahoma City in which he posted a 3.42 ERA, 11.9 K/9 and 2.3 BB/9 over 134 1/3 innings. The former Rangers farmhand signed a minor-league deal with the Blue Jays after a stint in independent ball last season, then headed to the Dodgers on another minor-league pact last winter.

Dodgers Designate Brett Eibner, Luis Ysla

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The Dodgers have designated outfielder (and partially converted pitcher) Brett Eibner and lefty Luis Ysla for assignment, per a club announcement. With Grant Dayton heading to the 60-day DL after undergoing Tommy John surgery, the club cleared the way for several September promotions.

As expected, top prospect Alex Verdugo and veteran Andre Ethier will both make their way onto the active roster. The former will be joined by first baseman/outfielder O’Koyea Dickson in appearing in the majors for the first time. Ethier is headed back to the bigs for the first time this season after an extended DL stint.

Meanwhile, Los Angeles also announced that Clayton Kershaw has been activated from the 10-day DL. Outfielder/first baseman Rob Segedin — like Dickson, a potential righty bench bat — has also been recalled from optional assignment.

Dodgers To Promote Alex Verdugo

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The Dodgers will promote top outfield prospect Alex Verdugo to make his Major League debut, tweets J.P. Hoornstra of the Southern California News Group. The 21-year-old will need to be added to the 40-man roster, though the Dodgers could create space for that move simply by moving lefty Grant Dayton to the 60-day DL. (Dayton had Tommy John surgery recently.)

Alex Verdugo | Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY SportsNotably, Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register tweets that Joc Pederson will not immediately be called up when rosters expand tomorrow. Pederson, unlike Verdugo, will remain in Triple-A for the time being — likely until the minor league season comes to a close, according to Plunkett.

Verdugo is batting .314/.389/.436 with six homers and nine steals through 495 plate appearances in Triple-A Oklahoma City this season. He’s currently ranked as the game’s No. 22 prospect, per Eric Longenhagen of Fangraphs. Jim Callis and Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com rated him 28th on their summer top 100, while Baseball America pegged him 35th.

The free report from Callis and Mayo praises the former second-round pick as an “extremely advanced hitter for his age,” noting that contact comes so easily for Verdugo that some wonder if it will cut into his walk rate. Verdugo uses the opposite field well and has average speed with the instincts to handle center field, the MLB.com duo adds.

Verdugo’s name has been oft-mentioned in trade rumors over the past year, though never in the sense that the Dodgers were shopping him or even willing to move him. To the contrary, teams such as the Twins, Tigers, Rangers and Orioles have all reportedly eyed Verdugo when marketing established veterans to the Dodgers, but president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman and his staff have steadfastly refused to make Verdugo available in talks.

Given the timing of his promotion, the earliest that Verdugo could qualify for arbitration would be upon completion of the 2020 season. He’s controllable through at least the 2023 season for the Dodgers, though those timelines could both be delayed if the team ultimately decides that Verdugo requires further minor league refinement and gives him some more work at Triple-A in 2018.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Injury Notes: Wright, Cueto, Kershaw, Wood, Ethier, Sano, Ramirez, Bailey

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Though he is now dealing with yet another setback and has not appeared in the majors since May of last year, Mets third baseman David Wright is not considering retiring, a source tells Mike Puma of the New York Post. A lingering shoulder injury is the most immediate problem limiting Wright, though he has also dealt with significant neck and back issues that he’ll continue to battle in the future. With three years and $47MM left on his contract, Wright will evidently keep trying to make it back to the majors, though at present it is unclear what course he’ll take in trying to overcome his maladies.

Here’s more on some other injury situations from around the game:

  • Giants righty Johnny Cueto said he feels ready to return to the majors, as Alex Pavlovic of CSN Bay Area writes. He has taken two rehab starts in his bid to return from a flexor strain that has kept him out of action since mid-July. That injury seemingly makes it quite likely that Cueto will elect not to opt out of the remaining four years and $84MM of his contract this fall. Cueto seemingly acknowledged that, saying that his “whole mentality has been for me to stay here,” though he also noted that’ll be a decision that’s made in consultation with his agent at season’s end.
  • The Dodgers are set to welcome back a pair of key southpaws later this week, as Andy McCullough of the Los Angeles Times reports (Twitter links). Clayton Kershaw is scheduled to pitch Friday, with Alex Wood taking the ball on Sunday. Kershaw has been out since late July, making for the second-straight year in which he has missed significant time due to back issues. Wood’s DL stint has been of a shorter duration, with the belief being that his SC joint inflammation is something that can be managed rather than a symptom of a more significant problem. Needless to say, both are critical to the team’s ever-rising postseason expectations. The Dodgers are also awaiting a return from yet another starter, righty Brandon McCarthy, who has been out with a finger blister. As Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register tweets, the right-hander’s scheduled rehab start this week has been bumped, so his status is unclear at the moment.
  • Also nearing his return to the Dodgers is veteran outfielder Andre Ethier, as Plunkett further reports on Twitter. The club will make a move after rosters expand at the start of September. The 35-year-old faces an uncertain playing-time situation, to be sure. Los Angeles just added a left-handed-hitting veteran outfielder in Curtis Granderson and now features Adrian Gonzalez as a southpaw-swinging bench bat. Ethier has missed the entire season to date with a herniated disc in his back. He’ll almost certainly hit the open market after this year, receiving a $2.5MM buyout if (likely, when) the team declines a $17.5MM club option. Despite his many recent medical problems, there ought to be some market if Ethier can show he’s healthy in September; after all, as recently as 2015 he was a productive hitter (.294/.366/.486 over 445 plate appearances).
  • While the Twins are currently pacing the pack for the second American League Wild Card spot, the team has gone without key slugger Miguel Sano. While he does seem to be improving from what has been called a “stress reaction” to his left shin, writes MLB.com’s Rhett Bollinger, Sano still hasn’t begun running or fielding. Manager Paul Molitor says things are “moving rather slowly” for the third baseman. Sano, 24, has turned in 475 plate appearances of .267/.356/.514 hitting with 28 home runs on the year, meaning the team is going without a middle-of-the-order bat that isn’t really replaceable. Given the nature of his injury, though, there’s likely not much that can be done but hope that he responds to treatment.
  • The Angels are awaiting news from a re-examination of right-hander J.C. Ramirez after he underwent a platelet-rich plasma injection in his right elbow, Pedro Moura  of the Los Angeles Times tweets. Ramirez, 29, had settled into a starting role for the club, providing 147 1/3 innings of 4.15 ERA ball to a rotation that badly needed it. That sets him up fairly well as a possible Super Two candidate; it remains to be seen whether Ramirez will qualify for arbitration after entering the year with 1.139 years of service. Given that he only just underwent that injection, though, it seems optimistic to expect that he’ll make it back to the mound in 2017.
  • Meanwhile, fellow Angels righty Andrew Bailey is giving up any attempts to return in the present season, Moura further reports on Twitter. He will, however, attempt to get his shoulder back to health in order to return in 2018. Bailey had shown well for the Halos in a late-season stint last year and re-signed with the club for $1MM over the winter, but has managed only four major-league frames on the year. He’s set to return to the open market at the end of the season.

NL West Notes: Dodgers, Rockies, Giants

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The Dodgers brought Yu Darvish off the disabled list Sunday to start against the Brewers and placed reliever Josh Fields on the 10-day DL with a lower back strain in a corresponding move. Darvish missed the minimum amount of time after going on the DL retroactive to Aug. 17 with lower back tightness. Before that, the trade deadline acquisition from Texas made three starts with his new club and allowed just five earned runs over 18 innings, with 22 strikeouts against four walks. He and ace Clayton Kershaw should form an elite tandem into the fall. Kershaw has been out since late July with a more severe back injury than the one Darvish dealt with, but the left-hander will start for the Dodgers next weekend, manager Dave Roberts announced Sunday (Twitter links via Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times). The team could use a six-man rotation with Darvish and Kershaw back in the fold, Roberts suggested.

  • Rockies manager Bud Black gave slumping closer Greg Holland a vote of confidence earlier this week, but after another rough outing Saturday, his hold on the ninth-inning job seems weaker. Black told reporters, including Thomas Harding of MLB.com, on Sunday that the Rockies will “navigate” the ninth while Holland works to fix his slider and “simplify some things when it comes to basic pitching mechanics.” Holland allowed two earned runs in a third of an inning Saturday, the fifth time in 10 appearances this month that he has yielded multiple ER. His ERA is now up to 4.05 after sitting at 1.56 on Aug. 4, and failing to turn things around over the next several weeks would seemingly increase the likelihood of Holland exercising his $15MM player option for 2018 in the offseason.
  • Speaking of players with big offseason decisions ahead, Giants manager Bruce Bochy said Sunday that there’s a “good chance” right-hander Johnny Cueto will return to their rotation next week (Twitter link via Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area). Cueto hasn’t taken the mound since July 14 on account of a flexor strain. The injury, Cueto’s underwhelming 2017 performance before landing on the shelf and his age (32 in February) will make it difficult for the longtime ace to opt out of the remaining four years and $84MM left on his contract after the season. Regardless of what he chooses to do over the winter, Cueto’s comeback in 2017 won’t affect righty Chris Stratton’s place in San Francisco’s rotation, Andrew Baggarly of the Mercury News writes. Stratton has racked up 24 1/3 innings of 2.59 ERA ball as a starter this season, though his strikeout and walk rates don’t offer as much hope (5.94 K/9, 4.5 BB/9).

Quick Hits: Ziegler, Young, Buehler, Dodgers

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Here’s the latest from around baseball…

  • “It appears” as if Marlins closer Brad Ziegler has cleared August trade waivers, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe writes.  This means that Miami would be free to deal Ziegler to any team.  Ziegler is owed roughly $1.25MM remaining this season and $9MM in 2018, and prior to the trade deadline, the Marlins were reportedly willing to eat a large portion of that contract.  Ziegler, however, has only allowed runs in two of his last 22 appearances and he has pitched especially well since taking over as Miami’s closer.  Given that the Fish are now within striking distance of an NL wild card berth, it also isn’t clear if the team is still in selling mode.
  • Also from Cafardo’s piece, Chris Young is hopeful of re-signing with the Red Sox this winter but he implies there hasn’t been much talk about an extension.  “It’s been a good relationship but I’m not sure about their plans,” Young said.  The veteran outfielder is in the final year of a two-year, $13MM deal with Boston signed in the 2015-16 offseason, and after a strong 2016 season, Young has actually delivered slightly below-replacement level production (-0.2. fWAR) thanks to an offensive and defensive dropoff.  Young has long been known as a lefty-masher, though he has only a .614 OPS against southpaws this year (though, curiously, an .833 OPS against righties).  Young turns 34 in September but will probably get consideration from the Red Sox and several other teams for a backup or platoon outfield role.
  • Walker Buehler’s last six appearances for Triple-A Oklahoma City have come as a relief pitcher, adding to the widely-held speculation that the top Dodgers prospect will make his big league debut in September to help the team’s bullpen down the stretch (and perhaps in the postseason).  Manager Dave Roberts, however, tells Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times and other reporters that the team that Walker’s future has yet to be determined.  “He’s transitioning to this new role.  We’re very sensitive to having guys here who fit a certain role and have a purpose, and we haven’t made that decision with Walker,” Roberts said.
  • From that same DiGiovanna piece, Cody Bellinger reported “no pain” in his sprained right ankle after going through workouts and batting practice.  The star rookie’s injury was thought to be mild when he hit the DL on last Tuesday (with a back-dated placement to August 20), and Bellinger indeed looks on pace to return when first eligible on Wednesday.  In other Dodgers injury news, Brandon McCarthy made his first rehab start on Friday as he looks to return from a month-long DL stint due to a blister problem.  According to Roberts, McCarthy is still “multiple rehab starts” away from returning to the Dodgers rotation.

Grant Dayton To Undergo Tommy John Surgery

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Dodgers lefty Grant Dayton is set to undergo Tommy John surgery, Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times reports (Twitter link). That will obviously bring his season to a close and will likely keep him out for most or all of the 2018 campaign as well.

Dayton emerged late last year as a force in the Dodgers pen. After years of toiling in relative anonymity, he posted preposterous numbers in the upper minors and then continued to shove at the game’s highest level. Over his first 26 1/3 MLB innings, Dayton worked to a 2.05 ERA with 13.3 K/9 (on a  15.0% swinging-strike rate) and 2.1 BB/9.

That remarkable showing — driven by Dayton’s powerful spin rate and excellent command — seemingly made the southpaw one of the game’s most intriguing relief assets. While he turned 29 not long after his sparkling rookie campaign, Dayton was controllable through at least 2022 and had shown signs of sustainable dominance.

Things simply haven’t gone that way in 2017, however, as Dayton has gone backward in basically every regard. Though he was never a pure velocity guy, Dayton has lost nearly 1.5 mph on his average heater. His vaunted four-seamer spin rate has fallen off. The results followed: Dayton’s swinging-strike rate dropped below ten percent and he posted a 4.94 ERA with a very pedestrian 7.6 K/9 and 4.6 BB/9 over 23 2/3 MLB innings.

Neck issues and an intercostal strain had limited Dayton and could help explain some of his struggles. The elbow trouble, though, apparently cropped up only recently, as Dayton was warming up for a rehab appearance. Because he was on the 10-day DL when the injury occurred, he will continue to accrue MLB service time for the duration of the recovery period for the upcoming procedure.

Injury Notes: Wood, Bellinger, Price, Gallo, Correa, DeSclafani

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The Dodgers have placed both Alex Wood and Cody Bellinger on the DL, the team announced Tuesday. Wood is once again dealing with inflammation in his SC (sternoclavicular) joint, though the breakout southpaw is targeting a return for the first weekend of September against the Padres. As for Bellinger, he’s been slowed recently by a right ankle sprain that has been called mild in nature, but he’s already been out of the lineup for two games, allowing the Dodgers to backdate the move by two days. That’d put Bellinger on track to be eligible to return from the DL as soon as next Wednesday. Manager Dave Roberts told reporters today that top prospect Walker Buehler and rehabbing ace Clayton Kershaw are not candidates to start for the Dodgers in place of Wood this weekend (all Twitter links via Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register). Rather, a bullpen game started by Ross Stripling seems the likeliest course. In corresponding roster moves for Wood and Bellinger, the Dodgers have recalled righties Brock Stewart and Josh Ravin.

More injury news from around the game…

  • The Red Sox are no closer to determining a return date for left-hander David Price, manager John Farrell said in an appearance on MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM today (Twitter link that includes audio). Farrell said it’s still too early to consider bringing Price back in a bullpen capacity, as he’s yet to progress to throwing off a mound. Once he’s able to do that, the Red Sox will be able to gauge a conceivable timeline and weigh their options. Evan Drellich of CSN New England tweets that Price has thrown from 90 feet on flat ground and is slated to throw again tomorrow. It’s now been exactly one month since Price’s last start, as the former Cy Young winner has been battling inflammation in his left elbow.
  • Joey Gallo has been placed on the 7-day concussion disabled list, the Rangers announced today. Gallo suffered a nondisplaced nasal fracture in a recent collision with teammate Matt Bush (who landed on the 10-day DL as a result) and has also been dealing with concussion-like symptoms. Texas had hoped that he could avoid the DL, but he’ll now be sidelined until at least next Tuesday as a result of today’s move. Gallo was on an otherworldly power binge at the time of his injury, having launched 10 homers in his past 18 games (73 plate appearances) in the month of August. Infielder Phil Gosselin is up from Triple-A Round Rock to take Gallo’s roster spot.
  • Carlos Correa told reporters today that while he’s not yet certain exactly when he’ll embark on a minor league rehab assignment, he thinks he’ll need about a week’s worth of at-bats in the minors before he’s ready to return (Twitter link via Jake Kaplan of the Houston Chronicle). Correa cited a target of 20 to 30 at-bats before he’d be back up to speed. It’s been just under five weeks since the Astros announced that Correa would miss six to eight weeks with a torn thumb ligament.
  • Reds right-hander Anthony DeSclafani received a second opinion on his injured right elbow, per Zach Buchanan of the Cincinnati Enquirer. After an initial MRI revealed that there was no ligament damage in his ailing right elbow, DeSclafani sent his scans to Dr. Keith Meister for a second look, and Meister confirmed as much. DeSclafani is on a throwing program and hopes to ramp up quicker than usual to “really be able to test the ligament and get back on the mound,” but Buchanan notes that time could be starting to run out for DeSclafani to take the mound in a Reds uniform this season. DeSclafani has not pitched for the Reds this season due to a sprained UCL in his right elbow and this latest bout of inflammation.
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