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Cody Anderson To Undergo Tommy John Surgery

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Indians right-hander Cody Anderson will undergo Tommy John surgery and miss the 2017 season, the team announced (Twitter link via Jordan Bastian of MLB.com). Anderson made the decision after a second opinion confirmed both a sprain of the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow and a mild flexor strain.

The unfortunate news for Anderson comes as an unexpected development, as manager Terry Francona indicated earlier this month that the 26-year-old would likely avoid surgery. Instead, Anderson will undergo the second procedure on his elbow since November, when he had arthroscopic surgery.

Anderson would not have cracked an Indians rotation that’s set to feature Corey Kluber, Carlos Carrasco, Danny Salazar, Trevor Bauer and Josh Tomlin. However, he likely would have factored into the equation this year as either starting depth and/or in a long relief role. He made 19 appearances, nine of which were starts, for the American League champions last year and pitched to an unsightly 6.68 ERA in 60 2/3 innings, though he encouraged with his K/9 (8.01), BB/9 (1.93) and swinging-strike rate (12.2 percent). Anderson also saw his average fastball velocity jump from 92.1 mph in 2015 to 93.5 mph last year. That came after a 2015 debut in which Anderson pitched to a sparkling 3.05 ERA in 91 1/3 innings and 15 appearances (all starts), albeit with worse numbers in the other categories (4.34 K/9, 2.36 BB/9 and 7.8 percent swinging-strike rate).

Anderson, who’s in his penultimate season of pre-arbitration eligibility, will lose a year of service time as he spends 2017 recovering on the disabled list. Meanwhile, more opportunities could come this season for any of Hoby Millner, Mike Clevinger or 2016 postseason hero Ryan Merritt, among others (depth chart).

In another less-than-ideal development for the Indians, second baseman Jason Kipnis is roughly four to five weeks from returning to major league action. Kipnis went for a second opinion on his bothersome right shoulder, and Dr. Keith Meister concurred with Indians doctors that he’s dealing with inflammation. If the Kipnis-less Indians don’t venture outside the organization for help at the keystone, they could turn to in-house options Erik Gonzalez, Michael Martinez or Ronny Rodriguez. Alternatively, Francona said this week that third baseman Jose Ramirez could head to second, which would leave the hot corner to Gonzalez, Giovanny Urshela or Richie Shaffer (Twitter link via Bastian).

On a positive note, Michael Brantley will make his spring debut on Monday and play left field. An integral cog from 2014-15, when he slashed an outstanding .319/.382/.494 with 35 home runs and 38 steals across 1,272 plate appearances, Brantley totaled just 11 PAs last year on account of shoulder troubles. The 29-year-old underwent shoulder surgery in November 2015 and again last August.

Central Notes: Tigers, Cabrera, Carrasco, Brantley, Broxton, Brewers, Twins

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The Tigers are continuing to scan the market for center field upgrades, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweets. Detroit has been looking around for more options throughout camp, though perhaps the time isn’t quite ripe to make a move with other organizations holding onto their depth until their own situations are resolved. Rosenthal notes that JaCoby Jones has shown most impressively thus far among the in-house competitors with a .346/.393/.615 batting line. Alex Presley has also hit well this spring, though he has spent most of his time in the majors in a corner spot, while fellow competitors Tyler Collins and Mikie Mahtook have each struggled at the plate in game action.

Here’s more from the central divisions:

  • Miguel Cabrera left yesterday’s WBC action with back tightness, but Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said he’s not concerned with his star’s health, as Evan Woodberry of MLive.com reports. Team Venezuela skipper Omar Vizquel, who’s also a member of the Detroit coaching staff, notified Ausmus that it’s nothing more than a minor issue.
  • The Indians received positive health updates on two critical players, as MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian reports. Carlos Carrasco is ready to begin throwing again, with the organization expressing optimism that his elbow soreness was little more than a blip. Meanwhile, outfielder Michael Brantley “feels good” after a five-inning appearance on the minor-league side of camp. His shoulder health remains a major variable for the defending American League champs.
  • The Brewers pulled center fielder Keon Broxton from the team’s game today after he experienced soreness in his surgically repaired wrist, as Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reports (Twitter links). Fortunately, though, it’s just a minor bone chip that’s said not to represent a significant concern. Broxton impressed in his limited time in the bigs last year and is hitting a scorching .395/.489/.737 in 14 games this spring, so the club is undoubtedly relieved that it can still look forward to a full season from the 26-year-old.
  • Of course, the Brewers are also hoping that another wave of young outfielders will push Broxton and others before long. The organization plans to field a Triple-A outfield of Lewis Brinson, Ryan Cordell, and Brett Phillips, Haudricourt further writes. That’s at least somewhat surprising in the case of Phillips, Haudricourt notes, given his rough 2016 campaign at Double-A.
  • Twins GM Thad Levine spoke with MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand about a variety of topics in his first spring with his new organization. He says the Twins are hoping to avoid the lengthy rebuilding processes that some other organizations have pursued in recent years, citing the “wealth of young talent” the club will field at the major league level. The 103-loss 2016 campaign was something of an anomaly, he suggests, given the talent level. While the hyped Minnesota position players are well known, Levine also suggests there’s some cause for optimism in the pitching staff. He suggests there’s “some burgeoning pitching talent” on hand and also notes that he expects better health — and results — from Phil Hughes and others. There’s plenty more to digest from the interview for the Twins’ faithful.

Central Notes: Brantley, Rosenthal, Brewers Catchers, Haley

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Indians outfielder Michael Brantley partook in a live batting practice session yesterday, which seems to have gone as hoped. The resulting optimism was still guarded, however, given his history. As Jordan Bastian of MLB.com tweets, skipper Terry Francona heaped praise upon Brantley while remaining wary of how things will proceed. “I mean, if this ends up where he’s not healthy, there is nothing more that he could have done,” said Francona. “He has worked his [tail] off. I’ve been proud of him. Now, I’m starting to get excited for him, because he’s getting closer. But, I think you have to temper it … .”

Here’s more from the central divisions:

  • There was a bit of a scare for the Cardinals when righty Trevor Rosenthal went in for an MRI after experiencing discomfort in his shoulder and back, but as Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch writes, the news was good. The hope is he’ll be ready to begin throwing again by the end of the week, though GM John Mozeliak noted the hurler will begin “preventative care” right away. It’ll hopefully be little more than a blip, but the time off does impact Rosenthal’s effort to work as a starter in camp. Whether he’ll move back to relief work upon his return isn’t yet known.
  • The Brewers are pushing their trio of catching competitors hard in camp, Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel writes. Manager Craig Counsell says that’s by design, as the club seeks to find out just what it has in backstops Manny Pina, Andrew Susac, and Jett Bandy. With the Brewers still haven’t tipped their hand as to which will make the roster and how the time will be shared, but Counsell says he’s pleased with how things have gone thus far. “As young players, we’re putting a lot of responsibility on them, also,” he said. “We’re all pleased with how they’ve accepted that responsibility.”
  • Twins Rule 5 pick Justin Haley is impressing the organization with his attitude in camp, Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer-Press writes. Skipper Paul Molitor praised the righty’s quiet competitiveness, which seems to be by design. “I’ve definitely made it a point, to kind of put it crudely, to shut up and listen,” Haley explains. “I came over here with open eyes and open ears.” Haley will be looking to carve out a role in the pen, but could still factor as a starter if he’s able to stick on the roster. He split his time last year between Double-A and Triple-A, combining for 146 2/3 innings of 3.01 ERA ball with 7.7 K/9 and 2.8 BB/9.

AL Notes: Romney, Brantley, Hamilton, O’s, Frazier, Red Sox

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After moving on from a potential effort to buy the Marlins, Mitt Romney and his family are eyeing the purchase of a share of the Yankees, according to Jon Heyman of Fan Rag. In this case, though, the high-profile politician and businessman would only be looking at obtaining a small portion of the franchise’s highly valuable ownership stake.

Here’s more from the American League:

  • There’s ongoing concern in the Indians organization regarding the health of outfielder Michael Brantley, Heyman futher reports. Though Cleveland is expressing at least some degree of optimism publicly, the most important steps remain to be taken. Hopes that Brantley could be ready to take the field on Opening Day “have waned just a tad,” says Heyman, though clearly the most important issue isn’t so much when he’s ready as it is ensuring that there isn’t another major setback when he does return to action.
  • It seems that Josh Hamilton will be able to resume his quest to crack the Rangers roster, as he T.R. Sullivan was among those to tweet that a knee exam yesterday revealed no new structural damage. For the time being, it seems, the discomfort will slow him down somewhat, though presumably he’ll be back in action as soon as the oft-injured joint allows.
  • The Orioles continue to receive positive signs on two key pitchers who are dealing with some early-spring health questions, as Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com reports (Twitter links). Though Zach Britton still has “a little discomfort in [his] left side,” he says it’s getting better. And starter Chris Tillman says that his right shoulder “feels great” as he continues to throw long toss. It’s not yet clear when the two hurlers will get back on the mound.
  • White Sox third baseman Todd Frazier, meanwhile, is dealing with what he describes as a minor oblique issue, as Dan Hayes of CSN Chicago reports. Frazier, who is considered day-to-day for the time being, says he’ll likely just sit for a few days while the tightness hopefully subsides. “It’s something I’ve dealt with before,” says Frazier, who remains a potential trade chip in his final year of team control. “But at the same time, from what I’ve heard they’re not anything to mess with. So let’s take a couple days and see how it is after a couple days and go from there.”
  • As the Red Sox have moved to cash in prospect assets for talented major leaguers since the arrival of president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski, the remaining young players have seemingly taken on added importance to the club’s future. As Rob Bradford of WEEI.com writes, the Sox refused to part with third baseman Rafael Devers in the deal that ultimately netted Chris Sale. He and first baseman Sam Travis — who missed a significant chunk of 2016 due to knee surgery — aren’t expected to head north with the club out of camp, but could play a major role not long from now. As Dombrowski observes: “The best clubs are constantly breaking in young players on a consistent basis, year in, year out. And you also need it from a cost basis perspective.”

AL Notes: Brantley, Jackson, Latos, Jays

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Hopes are riding high for the Indians, but the health of Michael Brantley remains a major wild card for the organization. Paul Hoynes of the Plain Dealer reports on where things stand as camp opens. As was the case last year, Cleveland intends to proceed cautiously as Brantley ramps up from shoulder surgery. This time, though, there’ll be even more caution given the setbacks he experienced in 2016. Swinging the bat in game conditions seems to have caused Brantley’s problems last time around, Hoynes explains, so the team is taking the long view in helping the injured star to find a way to compete without aggravating his damaged joint.

Here’s more from the American League:

  • The Rangers watched veteran righty Edwin Jackson throw yesterday but decided against offering him a contract, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News reports on Twitter. Jackson, 33, struggled in stints last year with the Marlins and Padres, working to a cumulative 5.89 ERA with 6.5 K/9 and 4.4 BB/9 over 84 innings. He exhibited a notable velocity drop, delivering a career-low 91.7 mph average fastball, though he did still manage a 9.4% swinging-strike rate that landed in range of his career norms.
  • The Blue Jays also showed some interest, per Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca (via Twitter), but appear to have moved on after adding Mat Latos. As Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi further reports, Latos says he’s “willing to do whatever I need to do,” expressing a willingness to work from the rotation, out of the pen, or even at Triple-A. “I’ve got a lot of earning I need to do,” he said, “and I need to earn everything as it comes.” GM Ross Atkins, meanwhile, says he’s “excited” to bring Latos into camp, noting that the organization is hopeful he’ll earn a MLB job and wasn’t motivated to try to stash him in the minors.
  • Indeed, the Blue Jays now seem largely set with their roster more generally, as Atkins further told Davidi. Per the general manager, the organization is still looking into trade opportunities, but sees additional signings as “unlikely.” Toronto also doesn’t appear inclined to further bolster its rotation mix, with Atkins calling it “a tough sell” to add a starter given the team’s existing stock.

AL Central Notes: Brantley, Encarnacion, O’Brien, Tigers

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After missing nearly the entire 2016 season due to shoulder surgery and undergoing a second shoulder operation in August, Michael Brantley began some non-contact swinging drills over the holidays, per MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian. Indians president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti has maintained this offseason that Brantley is in the team’s plans to be the Opening Day left fielder in 2017, Bastian continues, although it’s worth noting that Cleveland offered similar optimism last offseason, penciling Brantley in for a late April/early May return. While Brantley did indeed make his season debut in that window, he was limited to just 11 games all season and didn’t produce when on the field. The amount that Brantley will be able to contribute in 2017 will be crucial for Cleveland, although the Indians will get a nice boost to the lineup in the form of Edwin Encarnacion. Cleveland announced tonight that they’ll host a press conference tomorrow at 10:15am ET “regarding a potential new member of the organization,” thus indicating that Encarnacion passed today’s physical.

More from the AL Central…

  • New Royals acquisition Peter O’Brien will head to Spring Training and compete for at-bats as the team’s designated hitter, general manager Dayton Moore tells MLB.com’s Jeffrey Flanagan. Moore added that the Royals’ front office has long held some level of interest in O’Brien and has tried to deal for him in the past without success. However, as Flanagan points out, O’Brien has minor league options remaining and as such could serve as a depth option at Triple-A. Cheslor Cuthbert, on the other hand, is out of minor league options and might not have a better path to regular playing time than the team’s DH slot, which could give him the inside track. Kansas City will also use its DH slot to rest some position players, including Mike Moustakas, who is returning from an ACL tear.
  • FanRag’s Jack Magruder writes that O’Brien has gone from virtually untouchable in the Diamondbacks’ eyes to expendable in the eyes of the new Arizona regime. Both the Royals and Mariners expressed some interest in O’Brien at last year’s trade deadline, per Magruder, but talks never progressed beyond the preliminary stage in either case.
  • Though it looked like the Tigers would move at least one veteran, if not more, earlier this offseason, MLB.com’s Jon Morosi writes that there’s now a strong chance that Detroit will open the season with a nearly unchanged roster. Ownership never mandated a payroll reduction from GM Al Avila, Morosi continues, so the general manager was only ever going to move players like J.D. Martinez and Ian Kinsler if a team offered an enticing package of near-MLB-ready talent, but those types of scenarios never surfaced. The Tigers could still move short-term veterans like Martinez and Kinsler this summer if they’re not contending, of course. Morosi does note that right-hander Jordan Zimmermann is throwing from 180 feet and expects to be ready for the start of Spring Training. A return to form for last year’s $110MM signing would go a long way toward the Tigers making a run in 2017.

Latest On Michael Brantley’s Shoulder Injury

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There were some conflicting indications today about what the Indians can expect from outfielder Michael Brantley in 2017. Jon Heyman of Fan Rag cited sources who suggested that Brantley was at risk of “miss[ing] significant time next year” after undergoing shoulder surgery, but that’s not quite how the team sees it.

Both Brantley and Cleveland president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti contested the idea that such a scenario was likely, as Paul Hoynes of the Plain Dealer reports. “I’m out again?” Brantley queried. “Maybe he knows something I don’t.”

Antonetti reiterated, as he had to Heyman, that the team has not learned anything that would change the initial timeline. Doctors have indicated that the star outfielder would need four to five months to recover from his mid-August surgery date, which would leave him ready to go for Spring Training.

Of course, there still seems to be a fair bit of uncertainty in Brantley’s situation. After all, it had been expected that he’d return to full health for the majority of the 2016 campaign, but the 29-year-old appeared in only 11 games. While it seems there’s hope that the full scope of his shoulder troubles have been identified and addressed, he isn’t exactly dealing with a straightforward issue.

Cleveland has rather remarkably succeeded without Brantley, arguably the team’s best position player, but that doesn’t make him any less important moving forward. He is guaranteed just one more season under his previous extension, with the Indians also possessing a $11MM option (with a $1MM buyout) over his 2018 campaign.

Michael Brantley Undergoes Shoulder Surgery

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AUG. 16: The Indians announced today that Brantley underwent a 45-minute operation, commonly referred to as “bicep tenodesis,” to correct chronic biceps tendinitis in his right shoulder. Surgeons Keith Meister and Mark Schickendantz confirmed that Brantley’s surgically repaired labrum is still intact and projected a four-month recovery for Brantley following this operation (Twitter link via MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian).

AUG. 13: Indians manager Terry Francona says outfielder Michael Brantley will have season-ending surgery on Monday, MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian and other reporters have tweeted. The specifics of the surgery have yet to be announced, and the timeline of his recovery isn’t yet clear, but Brantley had been dealing with shoulder and biceps issues and already appeared unlikely to return in 2016.

Brantley had shoulder surgery last November and began the season on the disabled list, then had persistent problems with the shoulder throughout the season. He was also diagnosed with biceps tendinitis in June, and he had surgery last month to remove scar tissue from his biceps tendon.

In the midst of all that, Brantley has collected just 43 plate appearances this season, batting a mere .231/.279/.282. That’s a far cry from the numbers he posted in his healthy 2014 and 2015 seasons, when he hit a combined .319/.382/.494 and rated among the American League’s best players. The Indians have fared quite well in the outfield without Brantley, getting very strong performances from a patchwork group of outfielders led by Rajai Davis, Tyler Naquin, Lonnie Chisenhall and Jose Ramirez. It is, however, hard for a team not to miss a player of Brantley’s caliber.

As Francona explained today (via Cleveland.com’s Paul Hoynes on Twitter), the timing of Brantley’s surgery now is geared toward getting him healthy for next season and presumably beyond. Brantley remains under contract with the Indians for 2017, and his contract contains a team option for 2018.

Michael Brantley Suffers Setback In Shoulder Rehab; Surgery A Possibility

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Indians outfielder Michael Brantley looked to be moving toward a return to the field, but the Indians announced tonight that Brantley has suffered “a recurrence of right shoulder symptoms while progressing through hitting activities late last week.” Dr. Stephen O’Brien of the Hospital of Special Surgery in New York City examined Brantley yesterday and determined that his symptoms are consistent with chronic biceps tendinitis, per the team. Cleveland is gathering additional information and weighing its options, and president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti said today that surgery is a possibility (Twitter link via MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian).

The 2016 campaign is looking more and more like a lost year for Brantley, who emerged as one of the game’s best all-around players with a breakout 2014 campaign and delivered a similarly excellent season in 2015.  Late last season, however, he injured his shoulder while making a diving attempt at a ball hit to the left-center gap in Minnesota, and he ultimately required offseason surgery to repair a tear in his labrum. Brantley came back a bit ahead of schedule, debuting in late April, but he appeared in just 11 games before landing back on the disabled list due to shoulder fatigue. Bastian tweets a timeline of the various setbacks and treatments Brantley has encountered in his quest to get back on the field, but another setback significantly reduces the likelihood that he’ll make a contribution to the club’s playoff push. Certainly, surgery would figure to take him out of the picture for the remainder of the 2016 season.

That Brantley has only played in 11 contests this season makes Cleveland’s current three-game lead on the AL Central all the more impressive. The Indians entered the season with one of the murkiest outfield mixtures in all of baseball but has received a tremendous breakout from former first-rounder Tyler Naquin as well as one of the finest seasons of Rajai Davis’ big league career, thus helping to soften the blow of losing Brantley — arguably the team’s best player. A healthy Brantley would only make Cleveland all the more imposing as the playoffs approach, but the perhaps surprising production they’ve gotten from their current outfield alignment lessens the need for Antonetti and his staff to seek outfield upgrades from outside the organization, even if Brantley doesn’t suit up again until 2017.

Deadline Rumors: Yankees, Schwarber, Cubs, Rays, Rangers, Dodgers, Indians

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Holding two game-changing trade chips puts the Yankees in an enviable position, and Tyler Kepner of the New York Times argues that the organization should exercise every bit of leverage it possesses. There’s plenty of demand for the southpaw relief duo of Andrew Miller and Aroldis Chapman, and New York is perhaps uniquely well-suited to sit back and wait for someone to overwhelm with an offer. (After all, the club is within striking distance of contention, can utilize the qualifying offer or extend Chapman, and still controls Miller for two seasons.)

Here’s more on some major trade deadline storylines:

  • We’ve seen rather clear indications that the Cubs won’t be parting with Kyle Schwarber, whether for Miller or anyone else, but that hasn’t stopped the idea from being batted around. Bob Nightengale of USA Today looks at the concept, noting that president of baseball operations Theo Epstein continues to be clear that he has no intentions of moving Schwarber — but also that he is letting teams know that the ballclub is looking for an impact addition. For those interested in all of the dimensions of the Cubs’ decisionmaking on their injured young slugger, this piece is worth a full read.
  • With the Cubs looking at any number of possible means of upgrading at the deadline, GM Jed Hoyer says to “expect the unexpected,” as Patrick Mooney of CSNChicago.com writes. Hoyer noted that “you can’t have untouchables and you have to be willing to explore bold ideas,” but also suggested the organization will be hesitant to part with certain assets. “We really like our core and I think that’s something that we plan to build around,” he said.
  • We’ve heard plenty of chatter surrounding the Rays, potentially involving just about any player on their roster. They’ve been tied, in particular, to the Rangers (see here and here). But the two clubs have “nothing brewing at the moment,” per Crasnick (via Twitter).
  • One league executive tells ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick (Twitter link) that the Dodgers are “big-game hunting,” indicating that the organization is primarily interested in the kind of “elite-level players” that president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman has cited previously. Meanwhile, MLB.com’s Jon Morosi says that the Dodgers and Rays have been in trade talks of late, though it’s not clear where the focus lies in those discussions. (Morosi seemingly suggests that Evan Longoria is of interest to Los Angeles, but says there’s no real chance of him changing hands this summer.)
  • Though the Indians aren’t generally the type of organization to engineer major deadline swaps, that could change this year. As MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian reports, president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti suggested that budget constraints won’t be a problem. “I don’t think economics will have an impact on which players we acquire,” he said. “I think we’ll have the flexibility that we need to acquire a player. I think our difficult decisions are going to come down to what level of talent are we willing to part with to acquire players, and whether or not there’s the right fit out there.” That’s certainly an interesting point to keep in mind as Cleveland works to bolster its roster, as the team might be inclined to take on a somewhat more expensive player than might normally be expected if it helps avoid the loss of significant prospect assets.
  • Antonetti also suggested that the Indians aren’t necessarily particularly focused on their bullpen. Instead, he said, the club is open to improving everywhere but the rotation — where a stacked group is hardly in need of change. Though the relief corps still seems the biggest area of concern, the recent news on Michael Brantley could increase the need for a lineup boost, with Antonetti acknowledging that could be a factor in his approach over the next ten days.

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