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David Wright Shut Down For Six To Eight Weeks

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11:04am: The news on Wright is considerably worse than the prior four-to-six week barometer, as the Mets have announced that he’ll rest for six to eight weeks without any form of baseball activity. Following such a lengthy layoff, he’ll of course need to embark on a minor league rehab assignment, which would mean that an absence of more than two months is certainly in play. Wright has been placed on the 15-day disabled list, with Matt Reynolds recalled from Triple-A to fill his roster spot.

JUNE 3, 7:44am: Wright will be out for at least four to six weeks, tweets Rosenthal.

JUNE 2, 9:43pm: Wright will not undergo surgery on his neck, at least “in the short term,” but it remains an option in the future, according to Rubin (via Twitter).

8:11pm: Mets third baseman David Wright is expected to miss an “extended period” with his recently-diagnosed neck ailment, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (via Twitter). It appears that the club will call up Matt Reynolds to take his roster spot, per Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com (via Twitter).

Wright had received a cortisone shot in hopes of avoiding a DL stint for a herniated disk, but that evidently did not resolve the issue. It remains to be seen whether surgery will be required. The veteran was already attempting to play through a significant back condition that required constant care and preparation. Today’s news raises renewed concerns for a club that’s already dealing with the absence of first baseman Lucas Duda (who has been replaced for the time being with James Loney).

The 33-year-old Wright had been a sturdy contributor out of the gates this year, even if he is no longer able to match his prime-level production. Over 164 plate appearances, he’s carrying a .226/.350/.438 bating line and has swatted seven long balls. On the other hand, defensive metrics have not been kind to the one-time star.

Wright’s health was always a major question for New York, and it seems that some of the worst fears could be coming to fruition. The club does have some depth built around him, starting with Wilmer Flores and extending into a minor league system with numerous infielders on the rise. But none of the team’s internal options have anything approaching Wright’s record of success in the majors.

Truth be told, the Mets had little choice but to roll the dice on Wright, who’s owed $20MM this year and another $67MM over the four seasons to come. Adding infielders Asdrubal Cabrera and Neil Walker helped boost the overall talent level in the infield, but losing both Wright and Duda will strain the organization’s resources.

NL Notes: Padres, Cards, Reds, D-Backs

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The Padres had a chance to add righty Michael Fulmer from the Mets at last year’s trade deadline, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Instead, San Diego held onto Justin Upton and recouped a draft pick via the qualifying offer, which the club will put to use alongside many other early picks in a few weeks. Fulmer, of course, ended up with the Tigers when New York cashed him in for Yoenis Cespedes. The jettisoned Carlos Gomez trade had already provided an interesting set of alternative history scenarios, and this deal-that-never-was only adds to the intrigue.

Here’s more from the National League:

  • The breakout performance of Aledmys Diaz has the Cardinals looking for ways to adapt the rest of the roster to a new full-time shortstop, as Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. St. Louis has had discussions with both Jhonny Peralta and Matt Carpenter about occupying more versatile roles — something in the mold of, but less dramatic than, Ben Zobrist’s old position-less situation with the Rays. Both Peralta and Carpenter have played multiple positions in the majors already, but it seems that the variety and day-to-day volatility may increase somewhat. Meanwhile, GM John Mozeliak said that he has high expectations for Diaz. “[G]iven what you’re seeing out of Diaz at his age [25], you really need to see him develop at shortstop,” said the veteran executive. “When you look at what he’s been able to do, seeing him hold that spot for the next five or six years is reasonable to think.”
  • Reds president of baseball operations Walt Jocketty says that his organization has not been fielding calls on possible trade pieces, MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon reports. Jocketty says his expectation is that trade chatter won’t really pick up until late June. “It’s really hard to say,” said Jocketty. “I don’t think anything will happen much until after the Draft. That’s usually when it starts to happen, a couple of weeks after the Draft.” Of course, that’s not to say that there isn’t any action in the month of June; I recently looked back at some notable trades in recent years and we just saw a swap yesterday involving a veteran reliever.
  • Over at Fangraphs, Dave Cameron suggests that the Diamondbacks ought to consider what might be their boldest move yet: dangling the just-signed Zack Greinke in trade talks this summer. While the organization is committed to near-term contention, says Cameron, it may not have the flexibility it needs to address its many concerns over the winter. Dealing Greinke this summer in a market that looks light on arms would offer an opportunity to big-budget contenders to add a premium pitcher in advance of a free agent class that falls well shy of last year’s crop of talent. While Greinke hasn’t been as sharp as last year, and has posted far worse results, he’d certainly still draw interest, even if his huge salary would require some serious negotiating. All told, the scenario seems rather unlikely — as Cameron acknowledges — but is interesting to consider.

Injury Notes: ERod, d’Arnaud, Carrasco, Sano, Pennington

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The Red Sox received a highly promising start from southpaw Eduardo Rodriguez last night, as Evan Drellich of the Boston Herald reports. While Rodriguez wasn’t quite up to the top velocity he showed last year, he was working comfortably at 93 mph and said he expects to see gains in that department as he continues to build up. The youngster made his 2016 debut just one day before the calendar flipped to June after a prolonged absence due to a knee injury. Boston will surely hope that Rodriguez can provide a boost to a rotation that has had its share of concerns over the season’s first two months.

Here are a few more injury notes from around the game:

  • Mets catcher Travis d’Arnaud could head out on a rehab assignment this weekend, Rubin reports. His return could provide a big boost to a New York club that has suffered some notable health issues of late. Fellow young receiver Kevin Plawecki has struggled at the plate in d’Arnaud’s stead and could end up being demoted, per Rubin, who says that the team is pleased with what it’s getting from veteran Rene Rivera behind the dish even if he, too, isn’t hitting much.
  • There was good news also for the Indians, who expect to start righty Carlos Carrasco on Thursday, as Ryan Lewis of the Akron Beacon Journal tweets. It seems that Carrasco will be limited to around eighty pitches in his first outing back, but will obviously be expected to ramp up from there. The 29-year-old allowed just six earned runs in his first 22 frames on the year before suffering a hamstring injury.
  • The Twins will place third baseman Miguel Sano on the 15-day DL after he suffered a left hamstring strain. As MLB.com’s Rhett Bollinger reports on Twitter, Sano is hopeful that he won’t be out any longer than the minimum, though we’ve certainly seen hamstring issues linger and the organization will want to ensure it doesn’t turn into a bigger issue. Prospect Max Kepler will return to the majors to take his roster spot.
  • The Angels appear to have lost infielder Cliff Pennington to an aggravation of his own left hamstring injury, as Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register reports, with a DL stint seemingly likely. That could means that Kaleb Cowart or Brendan Ryan will be headed back to the big league club, though the former was just sent down and the latter requires a 40-man spot.

Mets Designate Jeff Walters For Assignment

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The Mets have designated righty Jeff Walters for assignment, per a team announcement. His 40-man spot will go to James Loney, who is joining the club for today’s action.

Walters is a 28-year-old reliever who has yet to crack the majors. He showed promise with a strong effort at the Double-A level last year, earning a repeat bid at the highest level of the minors. But over 22 1/3 frames this year at Las Vegas, Walters has coughed up 9.27 earned runs per nine. He has permitted 38 hits, including five long balls, with just 14 strikeouts against 18 walks.

New York will get its first look at Loney in tonight’s action. He’s set to start at first base and take the sixth spot in the lineup. Infielder Eric Campbell was optioned to clear room on the active roster.

David Wright Diagnosed With Herniated Disk In Neck

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Mets third baseman David Wright has been diagnosed with a herniated disk in his neck, he told reporters including Mike Puma of the New York Post (Twitter link). His outlook remains uncertain, though he suggested that he’ll know more tomorrow.

Wright has been battling through spinal stenosis in his back all year. That condition limited him to 38 games a season ago, but he’s just one shy of that number already in 2016. He’s no longer one of the game’s very best hitters, but he’s still managed to compile a .226/.350/.438 batting line with seven home runs and three stolen bases over his 164 plate appearances thus far.

The neck issue appears to be a new one, and it’s certainly concerning to see another variable introduced for the 33-year-old. His back condition is expected to require intensive care, conditioning, and periodic rest for the rest of his career. It certainly seems fair to wonder whether it also leaves him somewhat more susceptible to other ailments.

For now, it’s not clear whether a DL stint is in order. New York is already dealing with the loss of Lucas Duda for an unknown stretch with his own back problems, with James Loney expected to fill in. The hope might have been that Wilmer Flores could also see time at first, in addition to providing support in the middle infield, but he may now be leaned on to fill in (or at least spell) Wright at the hot corner.

The Mets do have some infield options within the organization who could help shoulder the load. Dilson Herrera and Gavin Cecchini are both hitting well at Triple-A, and could perform utility roles, though only Herrera is on the 40-man roster. Matt Reynolds is another 40-man infield possibility; he was just sent down to make way for Flores, but could be recalled without waiting the usual ten days if the move is required due to an ensuing DL placement.

All told, it’s far too soon to know whether Wright’s neck injury is a significant new cause for concern. It’s impossible to know his individual prognosis, given that he and the team have yet to learn of it, but one data point that’s worth noting is that of Nick Markakis. The outfielder underwent offseason surgery after signing with the Braves to address his own, seemingly similar condition, and was able to recover within six weeks or so in order to begin a full spring with his new organization.

Wright remains a critical piece of the puzzle for the Mets, who not only need him to contend this year but are also obligated to him for $67MM over four seasons in the future. Given his preexisting issues, this new malady rates as a topic to watch for the time being.

NL Notes: Braun, Loney, Shields, Pomeranz, Vargas

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Brewers outfielder Ryan Braun may be generating trade buzz with his huge offensive numbers, but he’s also now dealing with a new malady, as MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy reports. While back issues have limited early, with prior wrist and thumb problems also posing some long-term concern, Braun has most recently been limited by a stiff neck. He’s now missed the starting lineup in eight of fourteen games, though GM David Stearns says that the organization expects to manage the injury (and his lingering back trouble) without the need for a DL stint. The general manager acknowledged a “level of interest” in the slugger from other organizations, but also said that the team “fully anticipate[s] Ryan is going to be a Brewer for a very long time.”

Here’s more from the National League:

  • The Mets are expected to activate just-acquired first baseman James Loney for action on Tuesday, manager Terry Collins told reporters including Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com (Twitter link). Acquired yesterday from the Padres, the veteran is expected to help fill in for injured first baseman Lucas Duda.
  • Padres righty James Shields addressed the recent trade chatter surrounding him, as Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune writes. The veteran hurler says that he’s used to the rumors. “I don’t really think about that kind of thing too much, to be honest with you,” said Shields. “I’ve been in the game long enough to where these things get thrown out there. I think my name gets thrown out there every single year. I don’t really put too much emphasis on it.”
  • A prospective deal that would send Shields from the Padres to the White Sox would make sense for both organizations, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports opines. While Shields certainly doesn’t profile as an top-of-the-line starter any longer, Rosenthal says he’d unquestionably help the pitching-needy South Siders.
  • Rosenthal notes that other Padres arms, including southpaw Drew Pomeranz, have drawn interest as well. Pomeranz had his worst outing of the season today, though he still managed to set down nine hitters via strikeout in just five innings of work. The 27-year-old is an interesting player to watch, as he comes with two more years of cheap control and has turned in the most promising work of his career thus far for the Pads.
  • Meanwhile, the Padres learned that they will be without right-handed starter Cesar Vargas for a stretch, Lin also reports. Elbow soreness is the culprit, and it remains unknown how long he’ll miss. Vargas had been a nice surprise in the early going, though he was hit hard yesterday as his elbow flared up. The Friars are expected to bring back fellow righty Colin Rea to step into Vargas’s rotation spot. He had been optioned in order to limit his innings and maintain his availability for the rest of the season.

Quick Hits: Mets-Dodgers, Cutch, Lincecum, Brantley

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The Mets and Dodgers are locked in an unusual feud, reports FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal. New York contacted Major League Baseball on Friday after finding out that Los Angeles wanted to mark prearranged defensive positions in the Citi Field outfield, according to Rosenthal. The league is cognizant of the fact that the Dodgers used a laser rangefinder before the game to mark positions, but that’s only a violation of MLB rules if it’s done during the game. Further, given that the Dodgers actually informed the Mets’ grounds crew of their plans, there wasn’t any subterfuge on LA’s part. Nevertheless, the grounds crew notified their superiors after the Dodgers told them their outfielders would dig holes in the grass with their cleats if the markers were taken out, leading to this battle between the two sides.

The Dodgers, by the way, evened the teams’ three-game weekend series Saturday in a 9-1 rout. Notably, the game featured third-inning ejections of Mets starter Noah Syndergaard and manager Terry Collins after the ace threw behind LA second baseman Chase Utley. A hated rival thanks to both his time with the division-rival Phillies and, more recently, his slide that broke the leg of then-Met Ruben Tejada in last year’s NLDS, Utley went on to belt two homers and drive in five runs.

More from around the majors:

  • Pirates center fielder Andrew McCutchen has struck out in a career-worst 23.4 percent of plate appearances this year, which concerns the five-time All-Star. “I’m a guy that has a good feel for the zone, and when I get good pitches to hit, normally I hit them. But more times than not lately, I’ve been getting them and I’ve been missing them,” he said (via Dave Sessions of MLB.com). “I’m getting to two strikes more and having to battle. When I’m on and I’m feeling good, I get a pitch to hit, I hit it.” As McCutchen mentioned, he has been missing more pitches this year – his swinging strike and contact rates (13.3 percent and 72.2 percent, respectively) are easily at personal-worst levels. It’s no surprise, then, that McCutchen’s numbers have declined this season, though his production (.258/.341/.463 line with nine home runs in 214 PAs) is still well above average.
  • Right-hander Tim Lincecum is on track to make his Angels debut June 12 against Cleveland, reports Pedro Moura of the Los Angeles Times. The two-time Cy Young Award winner threw 75 pitches in an extended spring training game Saturday and regularly clocked in at 89 mph with his fastball – up from 87 mph last season. “Now that my velo’s just a couple ticks up from where it was last year, I feel like that can make a huge difference,” said Lincecum, who admitted that he’s “not going to blow the doors off” opposing hitters. Lincecum regularly did that during his heyday with the Giants, but his velocity decreased over the years and his numbers declined significantly.
  • Indians left fielder Michael Brantley went on the disabled list nearly two weeks ago with shoulder inflammation, but there’s currently no timetable for his return, according to The Associated Press. Brantley missed most of April after undergoing offseason shoulder surgery and then appeared in a mere 11 games before heading back on the DL. Brantley said Saturday that he doesn’t think he rushed his previous return. “I was ready. We talked about it. We had a great process laid out. Everything went smoothly. It was just a bump in the road.”
  • In his latest mock draft (Insider required), ESPN’s Keith Law has the Phillies taking Florida left-hander A.J. Puk first overall. Puk is one of five realistic possibilities for the club, per Law, who notes that the majority of scouts and executives he spoke to this week acknowledged there’s still plenty of uncertainty in general going into next month’s draft.

New York Notes: Harvey, Pineda, Duda

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The Mets think they found a flaw in the delivery of struggling right-hander Matt Harvey, whose command is suffering because his arm is pausing/stopping, tweets FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal. Mets assistant general manager John Ricco expressed confidence Friday that Harvey’s on the right track mechanically. In his latest start, a loss to the Nationals on Tuesday, Harvey struck out only one batter while allowing eight hits (including three home runs), five earned runs and two walks across five innings. The 27-year-old was one of baseball’s premier starters from 2012-15 (2.53 ERA, 9.46 K.9, 1.98 BB/9 over 427 innings), but the 2016 version has gone the opposite direction. Harvey’s 6.08 ERA through 53 1/3 frames ranks fourth worst among the league’s qualified starters, while his strikeouts have notably declined (7.43 K/9) and his walks have increased (2.87 BB/9).

More from the Big Apple:

  • Michael Pineda, another righty amid a surprisingly subpar season, might not continue to have a spot in the Yankees’ rotation if his troubles continue. Pineda’s ERA ballooned to 6.92 Saturday after he gave up nine hits and six earned runs in a loss to the Rays, and pitching coach Larry Rothschild didn’t close the door on demoting him, per Brendan Kuty of NJ Advance Media. “We’d like to get him through this but our eyes are open with what goes on,” he said. “To win games is the most important thing for the team. So, in jeopardy, I don’t know. But we realize what’s going on.” The decision will ultimately rest with general manager Brian Cashman, whom manager Joe Girardi and Rothschild speak with on a daily basis.
  • Even if the Yankees do wish to use Pineda’s remaining option and send him to the minors, they’re not exactly overflowing with candidates to replace him, as George A. King III of the New York Post points out. The Bombers already had to demote the similarly disappointing Luis Severino, for whom they also had high hopes entering the season. For his part, Pineda doesn’t think his issues are related to health. “I feel strong. I feel good,” he said Saturday. Pineda’s velocity would seem to agree with that, and his K/9 currently sits at a career-best 9.96.
  • It was previously unclear how much time Mets first baseman Lucas Duda would miss after landing on the disabled list Monday with a stress fracture in his back. Mets general manager Sandy Alderson clarified Saturday, telling reporters – including ESPN’s Adam Rubin (video link) – that Duda should be out in the four- to six-week range. Thanks to Duda’s injury, the Mets acquired fellow lefty-swinging veteran James Loney from San Diego on Saturday to help fill the void at first.

Injury Notes: Darvish, Perez, Cain, Wright

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As expected, the Rangers have announced that they’ve activated Yu Darvish from the disabled list. To clear space for him on the active roster, they shipped slugger Joey Gallo to Triple-A Round Rock. Darvish will start tonight in his first appearance since undergoing Tommy John surgery and missing the entire 2015 season. Previously, of course, Darvish was one of the game’s most dominant starters, leading the AL in strikeouts (277) and K/9 (11.9) and finishing second in Cy Young balloting in a brilliant 2013 season before succumbing to injury. It will be interesting to see how he fares tonight in his first regular-season action since August 2014. Here are more notes on injuries.

  • Catcher Salvador Perez left the Royals’ game against the White Sox today after colliding with third baseman Cheslor Cuthbert, Rustin Dodd of the Kansas City Star reports. He had to be helped off the field. Via Dodd on Twitter, manager Ned Yost says Perez has a quad contusion and that there’s no structural damage to his knee, although he’ll have an MRI tomorrow. Losing him for an extended period would be tough for the Royals — his offense this season (.282/.314/.503) has provided plenty of value even independent of the work he does with the Royals’ pitchers, and the Royals also recently learned that another key player, Mike Moustakas, would be out of the season after tearing his ACL.
  • The Giants have announced that they’ve placed starter Matt Cain on the 15-day DL with a hamstring strain and recalled fellow righty Chris Stratton to take his place on the active roster. 2016 has proven to be yet another frustrating season for Cain, who currently has a 5.20 ERA, 6.4 K/9 and 2.2 BB/9 in 53 2/3 innings this year after struggling through an injury-riddled 2015 campaign. For now, Stratton will likely serve as a long reliever, as Andrew Baggarly of the Mercury News suggests. Stratton, the 20th overall pick in the 2012 draft, was pitching in the rotation at Triple-A Sacramento, where he’d posted a 6.02 ERA, 6.2 K/9 and 2.6 BB/9 in 52 1/3 innings.
  • David Wright is out the lineup Saturday due to neck pain, and the Mets have at least some concern about the situation, ESPN’s Adam Rubin writes. The concern might be that the issue could be related to Wright’s chronic spinal stenosis, although Mets GM Sandy Alderson won’t speculate about the matter until he knows more. Wright has collected 164 plate appearances this season and has generally been effective, batting just .226 but with a solid on-base percentage (.350) and seven home runs.

Mets Acquire James Loney From Padres

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The Mets have acquired first baseman James Loney from the Padres for cash considerations, the Padres have announced. Loney had an opt-out in his minor-league deal with the Friars, although the move that brings him to New York is a trade. The bulk of Loney’s $8MM 2016 salary will be paid by the Rays, who signed him to a three-year deal prior to the 2014 season and then released him in early April.

MLB: Spring Training-Tampa Bay Rays at Toronto Blue JaysThe Mets were on the lookout for a first baseman with Lucas Duda out for a significant stretch due to a stress fracture in his back. Loney was an obvious potential target, and many speculated from the beginning that the Mets could pursue him. That appears to be exactly what they did. Earlier this week, the New York Post’s Joel Sherman reported that the Mets had at least some degree of interest.

Loney was hitting .342/.373/.424 with the Padres’ Triple-A affiliate in El Paso. He previously played in ten MLB seasons, spending time with the Dodgers, Red Sox, and Rays, while compiling a career .285/.338/.411 line. While he’s mostly retained his ability to hit for average as his career has progressed, though, his power numbers have dwindled — he once regularly hit ten to 15 home runs a season, but last year with the Rays he hit just four while posting a .357 slugging percentage. Once a plus defensive first baseman, his fielding numbers have taken a tumble as well, with both UZR and DRS marking him as significantly worse in the last two seasons than he was in 2011 through 2013.

Given the Mets’ need, though, and the fact that the cash return the Mets will send the Padres is presumably nominal, it’s no surprise that the team pursued him despite his flaws. He’s a longtime starter who has experience and some level of on-base ability. The team can also potentially protect the lefty hitter by using Eric Campbell at first against lefty starters.

Adam Rubin of ESPN reported that Loney was headed to the Mets and that the deal was a trade (Twitter links). Jon Heyman tweeted that the Padres would receive cash considerations in return.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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