Dodgers OF Andre Ethier Out 10-14 Weeks
The Dodgers announced that Andre Ethier has suffered a broken leg, as Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times tweets. The fractured right tibia will sideline the outfielder for 10-14 weeks. Luckily, the outfielder will not require surgery.
Ethier, 34 in April, slumped to a .249/.322/.370 slash line in 2014 but rebounded in a major way in 2015. Last year, Ethier slashed .294/.366/.486 with 14 homers across 445 plate appearances, primarily as a platoon bat. After he restored his value, the Dodgers received trade interest on Ethier this winter, including some bites from the White Sox. With a crowded outfield, the Dodgers probably could have afforded to part with the two-time All-Star, but Dodgers GM Farhan Zaidi shot down that talk in February, referring to Ethier as a “really important part” of the team. Indeed, after his bounce-back campaign, the Dodgers were looking forward to seeing what Ethier’s left-handed bat could do in 2016. Now, they’ll have to wait until the summer to find out.
For his career, Ethier has a strong batting line of .286/.359/.464 across ten seasons for the Dodgers. He has two years remaining on his contract and is owed $38MM, including a modest buyout on an option for 2018. Aside from Ethier, the Dodgers have outfielders Joc Pederson, Yasiel Puig, Carl Crawford, Scott Van Slyke, Trayce Thompson, and Enrique Hernandez on the 40-man roster. Ethier’s 10-and-5 rights kick in next month, but Zaidi has publicly said that he is not concerned about that happening.
NL West Notes: Arenado, Alexei, Padres, Norris, Dodgers
Nolan Arenado has quickly blossomed as arguably the best player on the Rockies, but there have been no talks of a long-term deal between the two sides to this point, tweets Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post. Soon to turn 25 years old, Arenado had a monster season in 2015, batting .287/.323/.575 and leading the NL in homers (42), RBIs (130) and total bases (354) while also earning a Gold Glove. In his first trip through arbitration this winter, the Wasserman client took home a hefty (relative to other first-time arb players) $5MM payday, and he’ll go through that process three more times due to his status as a Super Two player before hitting the open market following the 2019 season. The Rockies, then, still have plenty of time to talk extension, though the price will only escalate if Arenado keeps producing at that level.
More from the NL West…
- Padres manager Andy Green is excited by what he’s seen of Alexei Ramirez thus far in Spring Training, writes A.J. Cassavell of MLB.com. Green feels that the club could have a bargain on its hands in Ramirez, noting that Ramirez’s poor 2015 numbers were more the result of a couple of bad months to open the year than a decline in skill. “Fact of the matter is, if he hadn’t had those two months, he probably would have signed for really big dollars someplace else,” Green tells Cassavell. “The last three months of the season were classic Alexei Ramirez. We’re excited to get that guy.” Indeed, Ramirez did bat .277/.325/.432 after the All-Star break.
- San Diego general manager A.J. Preller said on Mighty 1090 AM earlier this week that he’s pleased with the direction of the Padres‘ scouting and international departments since taking over as GM nearly two years ago (via Tom Krasovic of Baseball America). “You see it in the bodies of the minor league players that are here at minor league minicamp,” said Preller. “You see it in the way our system is structured, in terms of instruction. It’s something that’s going to put us in the right spot in the future. … I think on the international scouting side, we’re definitely in position to go ahead and add players if we want to.” Multiple reports peg the Padres as big spenders on the 2016-17 international free agent market, which kicks off on July 2.
- In the wake of a report from Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News that the Rangers are interested in Padres catcher Derek Norris, Fangraphs’ Dave Cameron attempts to construct a blockbuster swap that would send Norris and right-hander Tyson Ross to the Rangers. Cameron writes that Rangers probably need another starter more than another catcher, but notes that Grant suggested payroll was too tight to add significant dollars. As such, Cameron offers a well-reasoned case for the Rangers to move Joey Gallo — a top 10 prospect that is blocked at his possible positions in 2016 — and a solid but lesser-ranked minor leaguer for Norris, Ross and enough cash to cover their 2016 salaries. Rangers fans probably recoil a bit at the notion of dealing Gallo, but Cameron’s rationale is well thought out and worth a read.
- Dodgers manager Dave Roberts called left-hander Hyun-jin Ryu‘s fairly modest goals of 20 starts and 150 innings this year “unrealistic,” writes Andy McCullough of the L.A. Times. The club has yet to establish any sort of timetable for Ryu’s return to a big league mound, he notes. Sticking with Dodgers injuries — outfielder Andre Ethier exited today’s Cactus League contest after fouling a ball off his shin, but the club has since announced that x-rays performed on his leg came back negative. Ethier is day to day with a contusion, but he appears to have avoided further injury. Also worth noting: MLB.com’s Ken Gurnick writes that the team is still optimistic that Corey Seager will be ready for Opening Day. Seager said the pain in his sprained knee is gone “for the most part,” adding that he was cleared to resume playing catch today.
MLB Will Not Suspend Yasiel Puig
Major League Baseball will not suspend Dodgers outfielder Yasiel Puig in connection to domestic violence allegations earlier this winter, reports Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times. Per Shaikin, the league found no evidence to substantiate allegations that Puig hit his sister in an incident at a Miami bar in November. Notably, no charges were filed against Puig and no arrests were made at the time. Shaikin notes that under the newly implemented domestic violence policy, players can receive discipline other than suspensions (e.g. mandatory counseling), but such discipline is not disclosed to the public. Earlier this month, ESPN’s Pedro Gomez reported that Puig was not expected to receive a suspension. Major League Baseball has since issued the following statement:
“The Office of the Commissioner of Baseball has concluded its investigation into an alleged incident involving Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Yasiel Puig and his sister in a Miami-area nightclub on November 26, 2015. The investigation included interviews of witnesses, including Puig and his sister, as well as a review of video footage from inside the nightclub at the time of the alleged incident. The Office of the Commissioner’s investigation did not uncover any witness who supported the assault allegation; both Puig and his sister denied that an assault occurred; and the available video evidence did not support the allegation. Thus, barring the receipt of any new information or evidence, no discipline will be imposed on Puig in connection with the alleged incident.”
TMZ reported in late November that Puig had shoved his sister at the bar, prompting a fight between Puig and the bouncer. However, a police spokesperson said at the time that it appeared the only physical contact came between Puig and the bouncer, and TMZ ultimately retracted its report, Shaikin notes.
The ruling from commissioner Rob Manfred comes not long after Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman was suspended for 30 games under the domestic violence policy. While Chapman, like Puig, was not arrested and did not face charges, the left-hander did acknowledge that after being shoved to the ground by his girlfriend’s brother, he discharged a firearm in his garage multiple times out of frustration. That Chapman acted in such a manner undoubtedly contributed to the league’s decision to give him a 30-game ban despite a clear lack of evidence that he physically harmed his girlfriend.
Puig and Chapman represent two of the three offseason cases for Manfred and the new domestic violence policy. Rockies shortstop Jose Reyes, accused of assaulting his wife at a Hawaii hotel in October, is the last remaining case. He has been placed on administrative leave and is set to head to trial on Opening Day. The league will not make a decision on Reyes’ discipline until after his criminal proceedings have drawn to a close.
Injury Notes: Ryu, McCullers, Lorenzen, Arroyo, Weaver, Wieters
Dodgers lefty Hyun-jin Ryu will likely not be able to get up to speed in time to participate in any spring action, manager Dave Roberts tells reporters, including Andy McCullough of the Los Angeles Times (via Twitter). Ryu had hoped to make his way back to big league action by May, but the skipper says that timetable is now “unrealistic.” Needless to say, the Dodgers were hoping that Ryu’s shoulder would respond better, and he represents one of several notable question marks for the big-budget club.
Here are some more notes on some injury situations around the game:
- Exciting young Astros starter Lance McCullers Jr. will open the year on the DL, manager A.J. Hinch said today, as Richard Justice of MLB.com was among those to tweet. He, too, has dealt with shoulder issues, though hopefully not as severe as those that drove Ryu to surgery. Houston has options to step in, including Doug Fister, Scott Feldman, and Mike Fiers, and will surely be cautious in handling the 22-year-old, who upped his career-high annual innings tally by over fifty frames last season.
- The Reds are hopeful that one of their young hurlers, Michael Lorenzen, can stave off Tommy John surgery after an MRI revealed a mild UCL sprain, Zach Buchanan of the Cincinnati Enquirer reports. Lorenzen will need to rest and almost certainly won’t open the season in the rotation, but it seems that he was rather fortunate not to find a more significant injury after experiencing soreness for some time this spring.
- Nationals right-hander Bronson Arroyo was scratched from his start today with shoulder soreness, as James Wagner of the Washington Post reports. For now, the 39-year-old will rest and see how it responds, but any absence certainly puts a dent in his hopes of beating out Tanner Roark and Joe Ross for a rotation gig. Arroyo, who signed a minor-league deal full of incentives if he makes the majors, had some work done in his shoulder when he was out for Tommy John surgery, according to skipper Dusty Baker.
- Meanwhile, Angels righty Jered Weaver dismissed any thought that he wouldn’t be prepared to open the year, as Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register reports. Recent medical evaluations don’t seem to offer many clues as to the reason for his precipitous velocity decline. Manager Mike Scioscia wasn’t quite as conclusive as the righty as to his availability out of camp, stressing that the organization was taking things one step at a time, but did suggest that Weaver will have every opportunity to try to perform on the hill.
- Orioles catcher Matt Wieters seems to be clear of any structural concerns in his right elbow, as MLB.com’s Britt Ghiroli reports. In an update to that story, Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com notes that Dr. James Andrews concurred with the organization’s doctors. For now, then, Wieters will work on eliminating any discomfort before getting back to work behind the dish.
NL Injury Updates: Seager, Freeman
Here are the latest injury updates for two key NL players:
- Dodgers shortstop Corey Seager will miss the next one to two weeks with a sprained knee, tweets Ken Gurnick of MLB.com. While this is good news for the rookie, the club had originally hoped the injury was even more minor. They opted to perform an MRI earlier today after he showed up with continued pain. Seager’s availability for Opening Day isn’t expected to be affected. Per team president Andrew Friedman, he’ll return to action “as soon as he’s asymptomatic.” The Dodgers alternative shortstops are a weakness with Enrique Hernandez atop the depth chart. Last year, in limited work at second and third base, he was well below average. That doesn’t bode well for him succeeding at shortstop, although it’s fair to note the tiny samples involved.
- Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman isn’t expected to miss any time after leaving yesterday’s game with an apparent wrist injury, reports David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Freeman elaborated on the injury, saying that it was actually on top of his right hand rather than in the wrist. He felt a “twinge” on a checked swing but felt no pain when he tested it 20 minutes later. While this particular incident looks to be a non-issue, O’Brien did share a few worrisome details about Freeman’s offseason. He felt soreness in his wrist through the end of last season. To give it rest, he didn’t take any over-hand batting practice over the winter. Given his cautious approach over the offseason and this spring, Freeman’s wrist health does appear to be a story to watch.
NL West Notes: Upton, Wood, Pederson, Dodgers, D-Backs
Padres outfielder Melvin Upton Jr. says he’s “tired of trying to live up to other people’s expectations” and intends to “work hard” and “have fun” in San Diego, Jeff Sanders of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports. As Sanders writes, the elder Upton brother has long been looked upon to deliver results befitting his talent, draft status, and contracts, and he’s obviously endured some rough years along the way. But he’s still only 31 years old and turned things around last year, posting a .259/.327/.429 slash in 228 plate appearances while profiling as a solid defender in center. While the $31.9MM left on his contract over the next two years, which the Friars took on in the Craig Kimbrel swap, still looks rather expensive, it’s certainly possible that Upton will continue that momentum and function as a valuable member of the roster.
Here are a few more notes from the NL West:
- Dodgers lefty Alex Wood missed his scheduled start today after experiencing forearm tightness, as Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reports. As things stand, though, the team is “optimistic” that the current issue is a minor one, Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times reports (Twitter links), and Wood himself says the soreness is “extremely mild.” Acquired last summer, Wood figures to be an important component of the club’s rotation depth as it deals with the extended absences of pitchers such as Brandon McCarthy and Brett Anderson, as well as the continued uncertainty surrounding Hyun-jin Ryu. It’s certainly too soon to know whether there’s cause for real concern regarding Wood, but he’s always been a player who has faced questions about his durability due to his unorthodox delivery and prior Tommy John surgery. Indeed, the statistical research of MLBTR contributor Bradley Woodrum suggested that Wood is at a heightened risk of a TJ procedure this year, as he checked in at 72% above the league average risk. While that shouldn’t be read to indicate that Wood is particularly likely to require a UCL replacement in the coming season, it does perhaps point towards cautious handling, and the club seems to be proceeding accordingly.
- The Dodgers intend to utilize Joc Pederson as the team’s regular center fielder, Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register reports. While the team is giving an extended look to Trayce Thompson this spring, skipper Dave Roberts explains that the much-hyped Pederson “looks good, much more comfortable at the plate” now than he did down the stretch and remains “a plus defender in center field.”
- J.P. Hoornstra of the Los Angeles News Group examines the Dodgers‘ extensive recent history on the Cuban market in an interesting piece. The demand for Cuban talent jumped with Yasiel Puig‘s success, Hoornstra explains, but has begun to stabilize — in player assessment, if not overall spending levels — as more and more players from the island have made their way north. While Los Angeles has continued to invest in Cuban ballplayers, GM Farhan Zaidi also explains that the organization has done more to “create a stronger assimilation program” to help ensure they’ll succeed. “I think you sort of gain information from not just players you’ve signed from that market in the past, but who other teams have signed, what kind of players have succeeded. Why they’ve succeeded,” says Zaidi. “Not just their inherent talent level, but were they given the support system that I think these guys need to succeed?”
- Speaking at the SABR analytics conference, Diamondbacks CEO Derrick Hall explained the reasoning behind the organization’s decision to part with young talent in recent months, as Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports. Arizona was prepared to deal with some criticism, and acknowledges that it hurt to give up some strong prospects to build for the present. He explained that the D-Backs will always focus on “building from within,” but nevertheless felt the time was right “to somewhat abandon that with a couple of moves that we made so that we can create that flexibility because we think we can win now.” That doesn’t mean the team will always operated that way going forward, though, he stressed. “It is a unique model and it’s not something we’re going to practice forever,” says Hall. “It’s not going to define us. We’re not always going to look that way.”
Chase Utley Won’t Serve Further Suspension For Slide
Dodgers infielder Chase Utley will not have to serve a suspension for his controversial slide into Ruben Tejada in last season’s NLDS, a source tells Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times (on Twitter). Utley was supposed to sit out two more games to round out his suspension.
During the seventh inning of Game 2 of the NLDS, Utley’s hard slide broke up a double play and broke Tejada’s fibula. In the end, the Mets bested the Dodgers and went on to the World Series, but they were subsequently without the services of their starting shortstop.
MLB’s Chief Baseball Officer Joe Torre determined that Utley made a “rolling block … away from the base” when he took out Tejada. However, there was no rule against such a slide until this winter.
The 36-year-old Utley joined the Dodgers after an August trade with the Phillies and hit just .202/.291/.363, numbers that don’t come close to his All-Star years. In December, the Dodgers and Utley reached agreement on a new one-year, $7MM deal. This year, the Dodgers might be hoping he improves somewhat offensively, making him a valuable player when coupled with his defensive abilities.
When asked for his reaction to today’s news, Mets GM Sandy Alderson said he’s just glad the sliding rule has been changed, as Adam Rubin of ESPN.com writes.
Cafardo On Orioles, Bruce, Red Sox, Maeda
In today’s column, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe wonders where James Loney might fit in with the Rays this year. The veteran is currently behind the platoon of Steve Pearce and Logan Morrison at first and he’s also blocked at DH and left field by Corey Dickerson and Desmond Jennings, respectively. With a salary of $8MM, the Rays have been unable to find a taker for Loney via trade, though they are willing to eat some of that money to facilitate a deal.
Here’s more from today’s column:
- The Orioles are still considering a deal for Reds outfielder Jay Bruce as they try to bolster their lineup in March. The O’s are also considering Austin Jackson, but Bruce could be considered the better fit thanks to his power. Bruce will make $12.5MM in 2016, plus a $1MM buyout or a $13MM option in 2017, which isn’t exactly chump change. Also, even though Bruce has some excellent campaigns on his resume, his play over the past two seasons hasn’t been all that strong.
- One NL exec says a few teams have ID’d Red Sox catcher Ryan Hanigan as a possible trade target this summer. Red Sox officials have said that it’s unlikely they would part with Hanigan due to the inexperience of Blake Swihart and fellow youngster Christian Vazquez. However, rival officials aren’t sold on that and believe that Hanigan could be more available than Boston is letting on. Hanigan has a $3.7MM salary for 2016 with an option for 2017.
- Can new Dodgers pitcher Kenta Maeda be effective in his first MLB season? One scout who watched him throw in Japan isn’t so sure. “His stuff isn’t as good as [Masahiro] Tanaka and he’s more a middle to end of the rotation type of guy,” said the scout. “I don’t know how his fastball plays in the big leagues. I think he’s got the secondary pitches, but the quality of hitters he’ll face may be a challenge at first.” The Dodgers will be without Brett Anderson for the next three to five months, so they are certainly hoping that Maeda can hit the ground running.
- Agent Randy Rowley tells Cafardo that Justin Masterson will throw a bullpen session for several teams towards the end of March.
- The trade sending John Ryan Murphy to the Twins in exchange for outfielder Aaron Hicks was “the best pure baseball deal of the offseason,” in the opinion of one official who spoke with Cafardo. That official, Cafardo notes, was not involved in the swap in any way. Hicks, a defensive specialist, posted a .256/.323/.398 batting line in 2015 and added 13 steals, numbers that made him a little more attractive to the Bombers. The Twins, meanwhile, got themselves an upgrade behind the plate in the wake of Kurt Suzuki‘s struggles.
- Free agent outfielder Grady Sizemore hasn’t received much interest to date. The veteran spent the second half of last season with the Rays.
Dodgers Notes: Seager, Maeda, Turner, Guerrero
Corey Seager has the eighth highest trade value in baseball, opines Sports Illustrated’s Jonah Keri in his annual review of the top assets in the sport. In recent years, Seager was a popular trade target for teams attempting to sell veterans to the Dodgers. For example, their decision to keep Seager rather than trade him (and others) for former Phillies ace Cole Hamels already looks brilliant. Hamels was ranked 39th last year and fell out of the top 50 this year. While nobody would argue that Seager is better than Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw (ranked 21), his superior contract situation and youth make him a superior long term bet. Top pitching prospect Julio Urias (43rd) also made the list.
Here’s more from the Dodgers:
- Japanese import Kenta Maeda made his Cactus League debut today, writes Ken Gurnick of MLB.com. His performance today (he did well) is hardly relevant, but Maeda has already taken on an important role in the team’s success. With Hyun-jin Ryu, Brett Anderson, and Brandon McCarthy set to miss chunks of the 2016 season, the Dodgers’ pitching depth will be tested. Maeda’s performance will help to determine how the favored Dodgers perform in a wide open NL West.
- Third baseman Justin Turner may return to game action as early as next week, writes Gurnick. Manager Dave Roberts would ease him back, using him as the designated hitter for a time. Turner had microfracture surgery over the offseason. A return to action next week would put him well ahead of the usual recovery timeline. Players like Carlos Beltran and Grady Sizemore had to ease back in to regular reps over a long period of time, although Turner’s specific situation may differ from theirs.
- One of Turner’s third base backups, Alex Guerrero, has been sidelined with a sore left knee, per Gurnick. The team does not believe the injury is serious, and they have not even ordered tests. The Dodgers have struggled to find Guerrero a regular role due to poor defensive chops at second base and an inconsistent bat. Should Turner and Guerrero both miss time, options to fill in at third include Howie Kendrick and Chase Utley.
NL West Notes: Sierra, Anderson, Thornton, Green
The Dodgers‘ investment in righty Yaisel Sierra will begin at $30MM, per a tweet from Jon Heyman of MLB Network, but could go up from there. Sierra will have the right to opt into salary arbitration if he becomes eligible. His contract will pay him a $6MM signing bonus and then salaries of $1MM, $2.5MM, $3.5MM, $4MM, $5.5MM, and $7.5MM, per the report.
Here’s more from Los Angeles and the rest of the NL West:
- Dodgers lefty Brett Anderson had surgery on the very same disk that was previously repaired, GM Farhan Zaidi told reporters including Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register (Twitter link). The medical experts involved say that occurs in about ten percent of cases, suggesting that Anderson and the team got a bit unlucky. Plunkett also takes a look at the competition to fill in for Anderson.
- Newly-inked Padres lefty Matt Thornton is expected to have a solid shot at earning a job out of camp, GM A.J. Preller tells Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune. “He’s done it for a long time and still has quality stuff,” Preller explained. “I think the ‘pen is pretty open, so he’s got a legit chance to make the team.” Skipper Andy Green echoed that sentiment, calling Thornton “a very established left-handed reliever” who is “very dominant against lefties [and] very successful through his career.”
- Speaking of Green, it’s well worth checking out his recent interview with David Laurila of Fangraphs. The first-year manager addressed the concept and impact of defensive shifting from every angle, including the mental components and possible counter-strategies on offense. Ultimately, he concluded: “The game is evolving, and it’s important to evolve along with it.”