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Angels Claim Blake Wood

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The Angels have claimed righty Blake Wood off waivers from the Reds, per a club announcement. Right-hander Matt Shoemaker was shifted to the 60-day DL to make way for the acquisition.

Wood had been designated recently by Cincinnati after a pair of dreadful outings. But he certainly has a big arm and some track record of success in the majors.

The Halos will hope that Wood becomes the team’s latest reclamation success — perhaps helping to make up for the absence of David Hernandez, who was dealt away at the deadline. Since, the Angels have managed to climb into the thick of the AL Wild Card race.

Wood, 32, carried a 3.69 ERA until he was lit up on August 11th. Now, just two weeks later, that figure has ballooned all the way to 5.65. But he does still have solid-enough peripherals, with 9.7 K/9 against 4.6 BB/9 along with a 53.6% groundball rate, and still works in the 97 mph range with his heater.

If Wood can prove his worth in Los Angeles, the club may also consider retaining him for the future. He’s earning $1.275MM this year and can be tendered arbitration once more this fall.

Matt Shoemaker Undergoes Season-Ending Forearm Surgery

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Aug. 8: Shoemaker’s operation went as expected, and the team expects him to be ready the 2018 season, tweets Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register.

Aug. 6: Angels right-hander Matt Shoemaker will undergo surgery Tuesday to release the radial nerve in his right forearm, the team announced (via Twitter).  The usual recovery timeline for such a procedure is an estimated 12-14 weeks, so Shoemaker will miss the rest of the 2017 season.

Shoemaker hit the disabled list in mid-June with a strained extensor muscle in his right forearm.  While initially considered to be less serious than most forearm-related injuries, Shoemaker suffered a setback in his rehab process and was diagnosed with posterior interosseous nerve syndrome last month.  The Angels announced on Friday that Shoemaker was considering surgery to correct the problem.

In 77 2/3 innings for the Angels this season, Shoemaker posted a 4.52 ERA, 2.46 K/BB rate and 8.0 K/9.  He suffered increases in his walk rate (3.2 BB/9, up from his career 1.9 BB/9 prior to 2017) and hard-hit ball rate (36.2%, above his 31.5% career rate), though perhaps most importantly for the injury-ravaged Angels staff, Shoemaker was still able to serve as a capable innings-eater prior to his own DL stint.  It was good seeing Shoemaker back on the mound at all, given that his 2016 season was prematurely ended after the righty suffered a skull fracture and a hematoma after being hit in the head by a Kyle Seager line drive on September 4.

Despite the pitching injuries and a general lack of offense beyond Mike Trout and Andrelton Simmons, the Halos have nevertheless stuck around in the AL wild card race.  The team is sitting three games behind the Royals for the last wild card slot, albeit with a 55-57 record.  It may still be a tall order for L.A. to leapfrog the pack within the crowded American League, though the Angels still get some late-season rotation reinforcements in the form of Andrew Heaney, Tyler Skaggs and potentially Garrett Richards.

Matt Shoemaker Considering Surgery

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Angels righty Matt Shoemaker is now considering a surgical option as he “continues to experience progressive symptoms related to radial nerve compression,” the club announced today.

Obviously, a decision on the course of treatment has yet to be made. And it’s not entirely clear just what procedure — and what sort of outlook and timeline for a return — is under contemplation. Shoemaker had been building back toward the majors after a rest period, but was forced to halt a pen session today, according to Pedro Moura of the Los Angeles Times (via Twitter).

The 30-year-old righty last appeared for the Halos in the middle of June, and it seems increasingly likely that he may not make it back to the majors this year. He hadn’t exactly been at his best before that, with a 4.52 ERA over 77 2/3 innings on the year, but was at least giving Los Angeles much-needed innings as they deal with a barrage of pitching injuries.

Rather remarkably, the Angels have stayed in the AL Wild Card picture despite questionable work from the rotation, which has produced middle-of-the-pack results that outpace the peripherals. But the promise of late-season returns from Shoemaker and others — Tyler Skaggs, Andrew Heaney, and Garrett Richards — has held out hope of a real push for a postseason berth.

Shoemaker’s new status certainly doesn’t improve the picture, though there’s optimism still regarding the others. Both Skaggs and Heaney are due back soon. As for Richards, he was able to throw twenty pitches off of a mound today, Moura tweets, and says he has no doubt he’ll return this year as well.

Matt Shoemaker Receives Cortisone Shot, Halts Rehab

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The Angels got some bad news on key righty Matt Shoemaker, announcing that he has been diagnosed with “posterior interosseous nerve syndrome.” Shoemaker received a cortisone shot for treatment and was “formally returned from his rehab assignment,” per the club’s statement.

We’ll have to wait to learn more about the outlook — clearly, that’s not a run of the mill injury diagnosis — but the team did say Shoemaker will not pick up a baseball for at least the next seven to ten days. “Once his symptoms subside,” says the club, “he will be cleared to begin a throwing progression.”

Shoemaker has already missed about three weeks with a forearm strain, and it seems this newer development will extend his absence. Even assuming he’s able to begin working back at the earliest possible time, it seems reasonable to anticipate that Shoemaker won’t be back in the majors “for at least 3-4 weeks,” Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register tweets.

With the Halos’ rotation already dealing with numerous long-term injuries and vast uncertainty, this is most unwelcome news. On the other hand, it likely doesn’t substantially impact the organization’s approach to the trade deadline. Bolstering the staff was and is a priority, no doubt, but it’s also still rather difficult to see a path for the organization to line up a major trade involving the rotation. Greater uncertainty surrounding Shoemaker does increase the  rotation need, but also downgrades the team’s outlook somewhat. But the key considerations here — thin prospect talent, big long-term contract commitments, and the upside of only a Wild Card berth — remain unaffected.

Injury Notes: Orioles, Angels, Twins, Braves

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The Orioles activated closer Zach Britton on Wednesday, when he was first eligible to come off the 60-day disabled list. The left-hander had been on the shelf since early May with a forearm strain. Britton has been on the DL twice this year on account of forearm issues, which has limited him to just nine appearances. He took the mound Wednesday for the first time since May 4, working around a single and a walk to toss a scoreless inning.

More of the latest injury updates from around the majors:

  • Angels center fielder Mike Trout began a Single-A rehab assignment Wednesday, Maria Guardado of MLB.com was among those to report (on Twitter). The 25-year-old superstar has been out since he tore the ulnar collateral ligament in his left thumb at the end of May, forcing him to undergo surgery. The Trout-less Angels have only gone 17-18, but that has been enough to keep them in the wild-card picture in the American League. They’re just 2.5 games out of a playoff spot, and Trout should return right after the All-Star break.
  • One of Trout’s Angels teammates, reliever Huston Street, joined him on the 10-day DL on Wednesday (retroactive to Monday) with a right adductor/groin strain. The Angels recalled righty Eduardo Paredes to take his place. The Halos just activated Street from the DL on June 22, which came after he missed the first two-plus months of the season with a strained right lat muscle. Street, 33, fared nicely during his short-lived healthy period, throwing four scoreless innings and allowing two hits and a walk, though another DL trip won’t do him any favors in what’s likely a contract year. The former closer has a $10MM club option for 2018, but the Angels are sure to pay him a $1MM buyout instead.
  • Righty Matt Shoemaker, yet another member of the Angels, has suffered a setback in his recovery from a forearm strain, writes Pedro Moura of the Los Angeles Times. Shoemaker, out since mid-June, experienced soreness during a rehab start Tuesday. Now, Shoemaker will have to undergo more tests on his forearm. “He had some of the same symptoms crop back up,” said manager Mike Scioscia. Shoemaker has recorded a 4.52 ERA, 8.0 K/9 and a 3.24 BB/9 across 77 2/3 innings this season.
  • The Twins sent left-hander Hector Santiago to the 10-day DL on Wednesday for the second time in a month and recalled righty Alan Busenitz, tweets Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com. Santiago, who’s dealing with upper back pain, first went on the DL on June 7 with a shoulder strain. He returned to make two starts, the latest of which came Sunday. Overall, Santiago has struggled to a 5.63 ERA, with 6.53 K/9, 3.97 BB/9 and a 30.2 percent ground-ball rate, over 70 1/3 frames.
  • The Braves have placed reliever Arodys Vizcaino on the 10-day DL with a strained right index finger, per Michael Cunningham of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.  Atlanta recalled righty Matt Wisler to take the spot of Vizcaino, who has produced excellent results this season. The 26-year-old has posted a 2.38 ERA, 10.32 K/9 and 3.18 BB/9 in 34 innings.

Injury Notes: Heyward, Sabathia, Warren, Shoemaker, E-Rod, Dahl

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The latest on some DL situations around the league…

  • The Cubs have activated Jason Heyward from the 10-day DL.  Infielder Jeimer Candelario and righty Felix Pena were optioned to Triple-A, while left-hander Jack Leathersich was called up in corresponding moves.  Heyward has missed two weeks due to a left hand abrasion, his second DL stint of the season after missing time due to a sprained finger in May.  The injuries haven’t helped Heyward’s goal of regaining his former offensive consistency, as the outfielder has a .258/.315/.399 slash line over 217 PA this season.  [Updated Cubs depth chart at Roster Resource]
  • The Yankees have activated C.C. Sabathia and Adam Warren from the disabled list, and optioned right-handers Domingo German and Bryan Mitchell to Triple-A in corresponding moves.  Sabathia will start today’s game against the Blue Jays, his first outing since hitting the DL with a Grade 2 hamstring strain in mid-June.  The veteran southpaw is looking to continue a strong campaign that has seen him post a 3.46 ERA over 75 1/3 innings.  Warren was also enjoying a very good season (2.23 ERA, 8.4 K/9, 3.33 K/BB rate) in 32 1/3 IP out of New York’s bullpen before being sidelined with shoulder inflammation for the last three weeks.
  • Matt Shoemaker is scheduled for a minor league rehab start today, Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register tweets.  The righty will need at least one more rehab game after today before returning to the Angels roster.  Shoemaker went on the DL with forearm tightness in mid-June, though that ominous-sounding injury was related to his extensor muscle, and an MRI revealed no structural damage.  Shoemaker has a 4.52 ERA, 2.46 K/BB rate and 8.0 K/9 over 77 2/3 IP for the Angels this year and he has had trouble keeping the ball in the park, with 15 home runs allowed.
  • The Red Sox will won’t bring Eduardo Rodriguez back to the rotation before the All-Star break, Tim Britton of the Providence Journal tweets.  Rodriguez hasn’t pitched since June 1 due to a partial right kneecap dislocation, the latest in a series of knee injuries the left-handed has dealt with in his young career.  The Sox could give Rodriguez another rehab start in the minors or activate him from the DL for use as a reliever next weekend, Britton writes.
  • David Dahl has been pain-free for over a month, the Rockies outfielder tells Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post as Dahl continues to recover from a stress fracture in his ribcage.  There isn’t yet a timetable for a rehab assignment or Dahl’s return to Colorado’s roster, and it is likely both he and the team want to be as certain as possible given the lingering nature of the injury, which has plagued Dahl since very early in Spring Training.

AL West Notes: Street, Shoemaker, Astros, Vogt

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The Angels announced today that right-hander Huston Street has been activated from the disabled list. The 33-year-old Street has been out all season with a strained right lat muscle — an injury that initially led to just a two- to three-week shutdown in Spring Training but ultimately cost him more than a third of the season. The remainder of the season will be key for Street, who struggled throughout the 2016 campaign due in part to a knee injury and now has roughly three months to prove his health before the guaranteed portion of his contract ends. While his $10MM club option seems very likely to be bought out for $1MM at present, a strong finish to the year could still position him nicely as a free agent.

More from the American League West…

  • Angels righty Matt Shoemaker, currently on the disabled list due to tightness in his forearm, underwent an MRI that didn’t reveal any structural damage, GM Billy Eppler tells reporters (via Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register). Shoemaker has played catch twice this week and is hoping to return on Sunday, but skipper Mike Scioscia suggested that the Angels will proceed fairly cautiously to avoid worsening the issue. Shoemaker is fourth on the Angels in innings pitched and third in starts made, though he’s sitting on a pedestrian 4.52 ERA through 77 2/3 frames.
  • The Astros are seeing the fewest four-seam fastballs of any team in recent history but are also throwing the fewest number of four-seamers as a team, observes Eno Sarris of Fangraphs. Houston players such as George Springer, Brad Peacock, Brian McCann and Josh Reddick all chatted with Sarris about the trend, offering potential explanations for the manner in which they’ve been pitched. Peacock, who is having a breakout season, described his deviation from the four-seamer as “playing keepaway,” and Sarris points out that Mike Fiers’ season turned around sharply when he began incorporating a sinker into his fastball mix. Springer suggested to Sarris that the move away from four-seamers is a league-wide trend — the Angels, for one team, have been moving away from four-seamers — while McCann suggests that perhaps the trend is merely part of the natural ebb and flow of pitching trends that takes place throughout the league every few years. It’s an interesting read with very good insight from several players that’s well worth a full look.
  • The decision to move on from Stephen Vogt was an immensely difficult one for the Athletics organization, writes Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle. Vogt was beloved by his teammates, the coaching staff, front office, media and fans in Oakland, but the return of the younger Bruce Maxwell from an oblique injury and Vogt’s struggles at the plate forced the issue. Slusser reports that GM David Forst actually informed Vogt prior to yesterday’s game that it was likely to be his last with the team. “That’s what he deserved,” Forst tells Slusser. The GM adds that the move was so difficult “entirely because of who Stephen is.” Lefty Sean Doolittle calls Vogt the “unquestioned captain” of the A’s, and a number of teammates lauded his contributions to the team over the years.

Injury Updates: Hendricks, Trout, V-Mart, McCullers, Segura

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The right hand tendinitis that has kept Cubs starter Kyle Hendricks out since June 8 will likely shelve him for a while longer, reports Gorden Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times. Thanks to the setback he suffered Tuesday, Hendricks’ absence “will be measured in weeks,” not days, writes Wittenmyer. Hendricks is “sore,” said manager Joe Maddon, who added that his injury is “awkward” and “just not going away.” Like most of his Cubs teammates, Hendricks has taken steps backward this year on the heels of a magical 2016. After contending for the NL Cy Young last season, when he logged a 2.13 ERA, 8.05 K/9 and 2.08 BB/9 over 190 innings, the soft-tossing 27-year-old has experienced a velocity drop and recorded a 4.09 ERA, 7.44 K/9 and 3.08 BB/9 over 61 2/3 frames in 2017.

The latest on several other notable major leaguers dealing with injuries:

  • The top player in the game, Angels center fielder Mike Trout, will resume swinging next week and travel with the Halos during their visits to New York and Boston, relays ESPN.com. Trout, who underwent surgery on torn left thumb ligaments May 31, hopes to return before the six- to eight-week recovery timeline and play in next month’s All-Star Game. “It would be pretty cool just to, hopefully, be back by then,” Trout said. “Before the All-Star break, right at the All-Star break, just depending on how it goes.”
  • Tigers designated hitter Victor Martinez, diagnosed with an irregular heartbeat this week, was released from a Detroit-area hospital on Saturday, according to Jason Beck of MLB.com. It’s unclear whether Martinez will come off the disabled list when he’s first eligible on June 27, per Beck. For now, “the thought process is probably a week of rest,” said manager Brad Ausmus.
  • Astros manager A.J. Hinch announced Saturday that righty Lance McCullers will come off the DL during the upcoming week (via Brian McTaggart of MLB.com). McCullers just hit the DL on Monday with discomfort in his lower back, so his stay will end up as a short one. He’s one of four Astros starters on the DL – Dallas Keuchel, Charlie Morton and Collin McHugh are the others – and arguably the best of the bunch. McCullers has been superb over his first 76 2/3 innings this season, having posted a 2.58 ERA, 10.45 K/9, 2.7 BB/9 and a 63 percent ground-ball rate. His teammate Morton, out since May 25 with a lat strain, also seems to be progressing toward a return. Morton is set to make a two-inning rehab start for the Astros’ Triple-A affiliate on Thursday.
  • After a high ankle sprain forced Mariners shortstop Jean Segura to the DL on June 2, general manager Jerry Dipoto suggested he could miss two months. However, fortunately for the Mariners, it appears Segura will return much sooner than that, perhaps as early as next week if a Triple-A rehab assignment goes well, relays Greg Johns of MLB.com. Segura batted .341/.391/.462 in 198 plate appearances before his injury, which helped convince the Mariners to sign the offseason trade acquisition from Arizona to a five-year contract extension.
  • The Angels have placed righty Matt Shoemaker on the DL, retroactive to Friday, with a forearm strain and activated reliever Cam Bedrosian, per Kaelen Jones of MLB.com. Forearm injuries are scary for pitchers, but Shoemaker’s tightness is in his extensor muscle, making it less likely to be related to his elbow. Still, even if Shoemaker’s only out for a little while, the Angels are in the unenviable position of having a full rotation on the DL with him, Garrett Richards, Andrew Heaney, Tyler Skaggs and Nick Tropeano. On the other hand, Bedrosian’s return is welcome news for the Angels, whose bullpen has been surprisingly effective without him. Bedrosian dominated over 6 2/3 innings before a groin strain forced him to the DL in late April, and the 25-year-old was also a lights-out option in a breakout 2016 campaign.

Los Angeles Notes: Bellinger, Gagne, Angels, Shoemaker

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Dodgers top prospect Cody Bellinger is now being represented by agent Scott Boras, reports Robert Murray of FanRag Sports (Twitter link). While the highly touted Bellinger has yet to make his big league debut, he checked in among the game’s top 30 overall prospects in the estimation of ESPN’s Keith Law (No. 6), Baseball America (No. 7), MLB.com (No. 12), Baseball Prospectus (No. 26). Bellinger joins Dodgers superstar Corey Seager and another high-ceiling talent, Julio Urias, among young Dodgers represented by the Boras Corporation — as can be seen in MLBTR’s Agency Database, which houses representation info on more than 2,500 Major League and minor league players.

A few more notes on the Dodgers and Halos…

  • Former closer Eric Gagne turned some heads with the news that he’s attempting a surprise comeback. Though he hasn’t thrown in the bigs since way back in 2008, Gagne has already pitched in the presence of the Dodgers front office and is readying to showcase for other organizations, per Jon Heyman of Fan Rag (via Twitter). He’ll be repped by Scott Leventhal of All Bases Covered Sports Management, who tells Heyman that his client is willing to showcase for teams “on back-to-back days,” presumably to show his readiness to handle a reasonably significant workload at 41 years of age.
  • While it seems that the Angels’ first base situation is ripe for a platoon, Maria Guardado of MLB.com writes, GM Billy Eppler is planning to watch the candidates closely this spring to see how the playing time should be divvied up. “It’s not something that we have to decide until the very end,” he said. “I’m very pragmatic with decisions. I like to wait until the 11th hour all the time, so we’ll just see how it goes. You’ll see plenty of Luis Valbuena, C.J. Cron and Jefry Marte, and a little sprinkle of Matt Thaiss early on. You’ll see all those guys, but ultimately we’ll save that decision for the last possible minute.” While there was some chatter at the time of Valbuena’s signing that Cron could be on the trade block, that never seemed terribly realistic given the relative lack of demand for limited sluggers and the Halos’ own roster needs with Albert Pujols working back from foot surgery.
  • Angels righty Matt Shoemaker pitched off a mound for the first time since suffering a truly terrifying skull fracture last September, writes Pedro Moura of the L.A. Times. The 30-year-old underwent emergency surgery to halt bleeding in his skull after he was struck in the head by a 105-mph liner off the bat of Kyle Seager late last season. Shoemaker has been using a carbon-fiber headguard in an effort to protect him in the event of similar instances in the future, Moura notes, though he may experiment with other types of headgear during Spring Training games as well.
  • Moura also notes in his column that potential closer Cam Bedrosian is a bit behind schedule as he battles a groin strain that he suffered on Tuesday. While not a significant cause for concern, Bedrosian’s general health is a key factor for the Halos this season after the righty’s season was cut short by a finger injury and then a blood clot in his right arm which required surgical repair. Prior to his injury, the 25-year-old was somewhat quietly one of baseball’s most dominant relievers in 2016, pitching to a 1.12 ERA with a 51-to-14 K/BB ratio in 40 1/3 innings. Bedrosian will compete with Huston Street and Andrew Bailey for the closer’s role with the Halos, as MLBTR’s Jason Martinez recently outlined when breaking down the Angels’ upcoming spring training battles.

Quick Hits: Heyward, Cubs, Tigers, Angels, WBC

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The Cubs won their first World Series in 108 years last season, but they did it without any major contributions at the plate from outfielder Jason Heyward. After signing an eight-year, $184MM deal with the Cubs last winter, the normally above-average hitter posted the worst offensive season of his career with a .230/.306/.325 line and seven home runs in 592 plate appearances. As a result, the 27-year-old has been working to restore his swing with Cubs hitting coach John Mallee and assistant hitting coach Eric Hinske this offseason, as Jesse Rogers of ESPN.com details. “It’s easier said than done trying to do it in season,” said Heyward. “The offseason allows you to slow things down and focus on all the little things.” Ideally, Heyward would like to return to the form he displayed in 2012 during a 27-homer campaign with the Braves. “He’s trying to mirror the swing he had then,” Mallee said. “Right now the path is not the same it was then. It’s not making a change. It’s getting him back to who he was.”

More from around the majors:

  • While Tigers general manager Al Avila is not under orders to decrease payroll, one major league executive told Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe that the franchise is nonetheless aiming to do that. “The Tigers are a willing trade partner because they’re trying to get rid of payroll,” the executive commented. It’s possible Detroit’s alleged motivation to cut spending will lead to a trade involving second baseman Ian Kinsler, whom the Dodgers could target. “Kinsler is still a top player and he only has two years remaining on his deal,” observed the exec. The 34-year-old is due $11MM next season and, barring a $5MM buyout, another $10MM by way of a club option in 2018.
  • The 2016 season ended prematurely for Angels right-hander Matt Shoemaker, who exited a Sept. 4 start after taking a line drive to the head and didn’t pitch again. The damage from that liner, which came off Mariners third baseman Kyle Seager’s bat at 105 mph, forced Shoemaker to undergo surgery to repair a small skull fracture and stop the bleeding on his brain. Fortunately, Shoemaker hasn’t felt any ill effects this offseason, he told Jason Beck of MLB.com. “The nice thing is mentally, I think I’m in a good state where I don’t think about it,” Shoemaker said. “It’s like it’s just something that happened. I’m thankful the recovery has been great, able to be back and ready to go.” To help guard against another potentially disastrous injury in the future, Shoemaker is considering wearing protective headgear in 2017. “I know a lot of stuff is being developed. For me, everybody cares about how they look a little bit, but I don’t really care how the look is as much as the feel and the comfort,” he stated. “Like, when I’m pitching, I don’t want to think about it. So if that can be achieved with something, if something works, I’m willing to try it.”
  • Former major league hurlers Ryan Dempster and Eric Gagne are planning on pitching for their native Canada in this year’s World Baseball Classic, reports Shi Davidi of Sportsnet (Twitter links). “I was putting up some really good numbers in beer-league softball,” quipped the 39-year-old Dempster, who pitched to a 4.35 ERA in 579 appearances and 351 starts from 1998-2013. Gagne, 41, has been off the radar for much longer, as his last majors action came in 2008 with the Brewers. Of course, the ex-closer is best known for his work as a member of the Dodgers, with whom he converted a record 84 straight saves from 2002-04 and won the National League Cy Young in 2003.

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