Doug Fister Close To Signing; Mets Not Involved
10:11am: Joel Sherman of the New York Post tweets that the Mets are not signing Fister. He characterizes the Angels as one of multiple “serious considerations” for Fister.
9:48am: Free-agent right-hander Doug Fister is close to signing with a yet-unreported team, per Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports (Twitter link). Though Fister has had interest from both the AL and NL, he’s likely to land with a National League club, per Heyman. In a second tweet, Heyman notes that the D-backs are “in the mix” on Fister, adding that he hasn’t heard much tying him to the Mets as of late. SB Nation’s Chris Cotillo tweets that the Mets, D-backs, Giants, Angels and Blue Jays have all been in the mix to varying extents.
From the listed teams, the Mets jump out as the club in most dire need of rotation reinforcements, as New York has lost Noah Syndergaard, Steven Matz and Seth Lugo to injuries already, while right-handers Matt Harvey, Robert Gsellman and Zack Wheeler have all struggled thus far in 2017. The Mets are hopeful that Matz and Lugo will be able to return in late May or early June, though there’s no guarantee that either comes back at full strength just yet. And Wheeler, of course, is on an innings limit in 2017 after missing the entire 2015 and 2016 seasons due to Tommy John surgery.
The D-backs, of course, have had their own brush with injuries, having lost right-hander Shelby Miller for the season due to a torn ulnar collateral ligament that necessitated Tommy John surgery. Arizona, though, seemingly has better depth at the upper levels of its farm, with Braden Shipley, Anthony Banda and Zack Godley among the potential rotation options currently in Triple-A (to say nothing of right-hander Archie Bradley, who is currently in the Major League bullpen but could likely start if deemed necessary).
As for the Giants, they lost Madison Bumgarner for what will likely be most of the first half of the season, if not more, due to a controversial dirtbike accident that resulted in a shoulder injury. None of the Giants’ other starters — Johnny Cueto, Jeff Samardzija, Matt Moore, Matt Cain or Ty Blach — has mustered an ERA south of 4.50 on the season. The Giants also traded one of their upper-level depth options, Clayton Blackburn, to the Rangers earlier this year. However, with Tyler Beede and Chris Stratton both in Triple-A, the Giants do possess some upper-level options should they decide to shuffle the rotation.
The Angels and Blue Jays, of course, both have plenty of cause to seek rotation help as well. However, Heyman seems to suggest that an AL club isn’t as likely, and that’s a logical line of thinking for Fister, who could likely post better numbers in the National League.
It should be noted that Fister is hardly a quick fix for any team’s rotation; the right-hander will almost certainly need a fair amount of time to ramp up before he’s ready to join a Major League rotation. And while he comes with plenty of name value, Fister’s fastball has been in the 86-87 mph range in recent seasons. Unsurprisingly, there’s been a corresponding dip in his effectiveness. Last year he proved a durable rotation piece for the Astros (32 starts) but logged just a 4.64 ERA with 5.7 K/9 against 3.1 BB/9 in 180 1/3 innings.
Injury Notes: Cespedes, Britton, Heyward, McCarthy, Chen, Leclerc
Mets star Yoenis Cespedes is nearly ready to begin baseball activities and could conceivably return within about two weeks, manager Terry Collins told reporters including MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo (via Twitter). His hamstring strain seemed fairly significant when it occurred abut ten days ago, though he seems to have bounced back fairly well in the interim. While New York has been showing some signs of life on the field, that doesn’t mean the club is any less anxious to welcome Cespedes back to the fold.
Here are some more updates on injury situations around the league:
- The Orioles received some good news on closer Zach Britton, as Dan Connolly of BaltimoreBaseball.com reports. Britton’s ailing left forearm still doesn’t appear to be related to any ligament issues, further examination showed. Noted physician Dr. Neal ElAttrache has recommended that he rest for about ten days before beginning to throw, so it’ll be a few weeks before Britton will return. It still seems concerning that Britton was forced back to the DL for a second time not long after returning, but it’s obviously also quite promising to hear that there’s still no evidence of a structural problem.
- Cubs outfielder Jason Heyward is heading to the 10-day DL with a hand injury, as Jesse Rogers of ESPNChicago.com was among those to report (Twitter link). For now, he’ll be replaced on the active roster by righty Dylan Floro. At present, there’s no reason to think that Heyward will require a lengthy rest. He’ll no doubt be anxious to get back to work at improving upon his stunningly poor 2016 season. There have been some signs of life, though Heyward is hitting just .253/.333/.364 with three home runs over 111 plate appearances.
- Also heading to the 10-day DL is Dodgers righty Brandon McCarthy, as Andy McCullough of the Los Angeles Times was among those to report. McCarthy suggested that the layoff wasn’t necessary, as his shoulder injury occurred to the non-throwing side. But the organization felt there were at least some problems with having him on the field before the shoulder was fully healed — and, perhaps, also saw an opportunity to rest McCarthy’s arm while giving innings to other pitchers and adding another reliever (lefty Adam Liberatore). “When you have five other guys who are capable, right now, to pitch and help us win baseball games, to have the benefit of some extra days to strengthen [the shoulder], to heal it — as an organization, I think it’s the right thing [to do],” said manager Dave Roberts (parentheticals via McCullough). “I understand his frustration.”
- The Marlins may be without lefty Wei-Yin Chen a bit longer than had been anticipated, as Craig Davis of the Sun Sentinel reports. When he went to the DL with an elbow issue, the hope was he’d only miss one outing. But skipper Don Mattingly said today that Chen’s elbow “seems to have taken a little bit of a back turn.” It remains to be seen just how long Chen will be out, but it’s certainly not promising to hear that his condition did not progress as hoped.
- Rangers reliever Jose Leclerc is heading to the 10-day DL with a bruised index finger, per a club announcement. He’ll be replaced by southpaw Dario Alvarez. Leclerc, 23, has been a bright spot for the struggling organization. Over 11 2/3 innings, he has allowed just three earned runs on six hits while racking up 18 strikeouts against five walks. Hopefully, he’ll return to health and have a chance to get back to continuing that strong start in short order.
Mets Designate Adam Wilk, Add Tommy Milone To Active Roster
5:21pm: New York has added southpaw Tommy Milone to its active roster, per Mike Puma of the New York Post (via Twitter). He was claimed recently off waivers from the Brewers.
5:15pm: The Mets have designated lefty Adam Wilk for assignment, according to Anthony DiComo (via Twitter). The 29-year-old had just been called up to make his first appearance for the Mets in the wake of Matt Harvey‘s suspension.
Wilk was asked to step into a tough spot after a huge amount of travel, and it showed in the results. He was tagged for five earned runs on eight hits over 3 2/3 innings. Over thirty total MLB frames, stretching back to 2011, Wilk owns a 7.20 ERA with 21 strikeouts against eight walks. Over parts of six campaigns at Triple-A, the southpaw has compiled a 4.15 ERA with 7.0 K/9 and 2.0 BB/9 over 663 frames.
NL East Notes: Cecchini, Cabrera, Nationals, Neris
The Mets will promote infielder Gavin Cecchini prior to tonight’s game against the Giants, Adam Rubin reports (on Twitter). A corresponding move for Cecchini’s recall is not yet known. Once considered one of the top prospects in all of baseball, Cecchini’s stock has taken a step back, though he still entered the season rated as the Mets’ No. 6 prospect by both Baseball America and MLB.com. In addition to making his MLB debut last season and hitting a pair of doubles in seven plate appearances with the Mets last season, the 23-year-old turned in a solid year in Triple-A Las Vegas. In 499 plate appearances there last season, Cecchini batted .325/.390/.448. He’s off to a slower start in 2017, slashing .254/.316/.369.
More from the Senior Circuit’s Eastern Division…
- Flamethrowing reliever Mauricio Cabrera was activated from the disabled list by the Braves yesterday, though he was optioned to Triple-A Gwinnett. Cabrera was one of Atlanta’s best relievers in 2016 and is touted as a potential closer, though as MLB.com’s Mark Bowman tweets, he’ll remain in Triple-A to continue to hone his control. The reasons for the Braves’ apparent concerns with his control aren’t hard to see; in six minor league innings this season (he was previously pitching on a rehab assignment), Cabrera has issued four walks, hit a batter, and thrown three wild pitches. That said, it shouldn’t be hard for Cabrera to force his way back into the mix in short order if he begins to locate his pitches more effectively. Josh Collmenter, Ian Krol and Eric O’Flaherty all have ERAs north of 5.50, and the Braves’ relief corps as a whole has pitched to a 4.99 ERA in 95 2/3 innings this year.
- The Nationals are weighing whether to keep right-hander Jacob Turner in their struggling bullpen or use him as their fifth starter, writes Jorge Castillo of the Washington Post. Turner has fired six shutout innings in the bullpen but has also impressed the team in a starting role, Castillo notes. The five-spot in the rotation comes up next on Thursday, and Washington’s other option for that outing in Baltimore is right-hander A.J. Cole. Castillo notes, however, that Cole was hit fairly hard by the Phillies this weekend despite escaping with just one run allowed. Right-hander Joe Ross, who was optioned to Triple-A last week, is slated to pitch for Syracuse tonight, so he’s seemingly not an option.
- Since surrendering back-to-back-to-back homers to blow a save against the Dodgers a bit more than a week ago, Hector Neris has once again ramped up the usage of his splitter, as Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer points out. Gelb notes that 30 of the 43 pitches Neris has thrown since that meltdown have been splitters. The Phillies have “implored” Neris to throw his splitter, which is his best pitch, with more and more frequency, Gelb adds. “The more he uses it, the more hitters have to worry about it, and they can’t sit on his fastball,” says manager Pete Mackanin. MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki notes that during Neris’ shakiest stretch this season, he was throwing 40 percent splitters against 60 percent four-seam fastballs. Neris looks to be back on track, and it doesn’t seem as if there’s any real thought in making a ninth-inning change in Philadelphia at this time. (Reminder to fantasy players: you can track all of the latest ninth-inning drama by following MLBTR’s @closernews account on Twitter.)
Mets Suspend Matt Harvey
4:22pm: It’s possible Harvey will file a grievance over the suspension, reports FanRag’s Jon Heyman. “This will end up in a grievance,” one source told Heyman. However, other sources Heyman spoke with indicated that Harvey’s unsure if he’ll contest the ban.
1:20pm: Harvey did not show up at Citi Field for the Mets’ game Saturday, per FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal, with a source telling him that Harvey had a migraine. The source also cited a potential miscommunication issue between Harvey and the Mets, but the club “evidently saw it differently,” writes Rosenthal (Twitter links).
12:47pm: Harvey’s suspension is the result of “a compilation of issues” going back to last season, report Seth Walder and Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News. Prior to Saturday’s game, Mets owner Fred Wilpon and COO Jeff Wilpon engaged in a “heated” on-field conversation that was believed to be about Harvey, an industry source told Walder and Ackert.
9:40am: The Mets have suspended right-hander Matt Harvey three days without pay for a violation of club rules, reports Anthony DiComo of MLB.com (Twitter links here). The ban began Saturday and will run through Monday, meaning Harvey won’t make his scheduled start Sunday against the Marlins.
With Harvey temporarily unavailable, the Mets have selected the contract of Triple-A left-hander Adam Wilk, who will start against Miami. To create room for Wilk on the 40-man roster, the Mets have moved injured ace Noah Syndergaard from the 10-day disabled list to the 60-day DL, which had been expected to happen.
The Mets are unwilling to reveal the reason for Harvey’s brief suspension, per DiComo, with manager Terry Collins saying, “We’ll keep it in-house, the way it’s supposed to be.”
Sunday’s development continues a less-than-ideal year-plus for Harvey, who hasn’t resembled his previous top-of-the-rotation form since the beginning of last season. Harvey logged a 4.86 ERA over 92 2/3 innings in 2016, and then underwent season-ending thoracic outlet syndrome surgery in July. In his return this season, the 28-year-old has continued to throw hard, yet his once-high strikeout rate has dropped to 5.14 per nine innings and he has posted a career-worst walk rate (3.34 per nine) over 35 frames. Thanks in part to his declining K/BB ratio and swinging-strike percentage (7.4, down from 11.7 from 2012-16), not to mention a sky-high home run-to-fly ball ratio (21.2 percent), Harvey’s ERA sits at a lofty 5.14 through six starts.
As of now, the only Mets starter who has gone through 2017 without any real issues is Jacob deGrom. Syndergaard, Steven Matz and Seth Lugo are all shelved with injuries, while Robert Gsellman and Zack Wheeler haven’t been as effective as they were previously (though it’s understandable in Wheeler’s case, as he’s returning from Tommy John surgery).
NL Notes: Braun, Harvey, Marlins, Giants
Outfielder Ryan Braun will gain 10-and-5 rights next Sunday, theoretically making it more difficult for the Brewers to trade him. That doesn’t matter to either Braun or Brewers general manager David Stearns, both of whom told Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that the six-time All-Star’s forthcoming 10-and-5 status is irrelevant. As Braun noted in his discussion with Haudricourt, he already has a no-trade clause that can prevent him from vetoing a deal to all but six teams – most of which are conveniently based in his home state of California. “There’s only a couple of teams that would be any possibility now, and there’s only a couple of teams that would be any possibility after, so it’s not going to really change anything,” said Braun. “I don’t think it will play much of a role or have any significance.” If the Brewers do shop the 33-year-old Braun, they’re not going to eat a significant portion of the ~$75MM remaining on a contract that runs through 2020 (there’s a $4MM buyout for 2021) or deal him without receiving quality prospects, per Haudricourt, whose piece contains more quotes from Braun and is worth a full read.
More from the National League:
- Suspended Mets right-hander Matt Harvey is facing a career crossroads, opines Buster Olney of ESPN. Harvey’s days as a dominant starter are likely over, posits Olney, though he contends that the 28-year-old still has time to turn back into a reliable option. Aside from improving on the mound, Harvey will have to restore a reputation that’s at an all-time low among rival evaluators, according to Olney. There are questions about the hurler’s conditioning and dedication, which, along with his on-field struggles, are red flags as his first foray into free agency nears. Harvey is scheduled to hit the open market after the 2018 season, but he could end up in a different uniform as early as this year if the Mets are out of contention around the deadline and elect to cut ties with the erstwhile ace via trade, Olney writes.
- Marlins third baseman Martin Prado missed a sizable portion of April with a right hamstring strain, and he left the team’s game Sunday with a similar issue. As a result, Marlins manager Don Mattingly expects Prado to head back to the disabled list, tweets Tim Healey of the South Florida Sun Sentinel. What’s more, another of the Marlins’ third base choices, Miguel Rojas, suffered a right thumb injury Sunday and could also require a DL stint. Fortunately for the Fish, they have another capable hot corner option in Derek Dietrich, though he has started slowly this year (.224/.348/.293 in 69 plate appearances).
- Giants shortstop Brandon Crawford, on the DL since April 26 with a right groin strain, could rejoin the team as early as Tuesday, relays John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle. Crawford will play a Double-A rehab game Monday, and if he gets through it unscathed, his first career DL stint will end.
- The Mets are debating whether to put shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera on the DL, manager Terry Collins told reporters, including Anthony DiComo of MLB.com, on Sunday (Twitter link). Cabrera “jammed up” his left thumb Saturday, per Collins, but an MRI taken Sunday didn’t reveal any ligament damage, GM Sandy Alderson told MLB Network Radio (via DiComo). Given that Cabrera’s unlikely to miss a lot of time, the Mets won’t use his injury to promote top prospect Amed Rosario, a source informed DiComo.
Mets Claim Tommy Milone From Brewers
The Mets, continuing an eventful Sunday, have claimed left-hander Tommy Milone off waivers from the Brewers, reports Marc Carig of Newsday (Twitter link). Milone had been in limbo since the Brewers designated him for assignment on Monday.
The 30-year-old Milone could step into the Mets’ injury-laden rotation immediately, replacing Rafael Montero, a source told Anthony DiComo of MLB.com (on Twitter). Ace Noah Syndergaard went down with a partially torn right lat last week and won’t return until after the All-Star break, while Steven Matz and Seth Lugo have dealt with elbow injuries, and Matt Harvey, Robert Gsellman and Zack Wheeler have produced back-of-the-rotation-caliber results this year. Moreover, quality depth has been lacking behind the Mets’ healthy starters, evidenced by the miserable spot starts Montero and Adam Wilk have turned in this week.
With a 4.21 ERA, 6.46 K/9 and a 2.23 BB/9 over 709 1/3 major league innings (135 appearances, 121 starts), Milone’s resume suggests he’ll serve as an upgrade over the likes of Montero and Wilk. However, Milone has struggled mightily to prevent runs dating back to last season, having combined for a 5.88 ERA across 90 1/3 frames with the Twins and Brewers. Nevertheless, with just over $1MM in salary remaining on the $1.25MM he signed with Milwaukee in the offseason, Milone comes at a low price for the Mets. He’s also controllable via arbitration through 2018.
Five Teams Interested In Doug Fister
A month after they first drew a connection to free agent right-hander Doug Fister, the Mets are still considering signing the 33-year-old, according to Chris Cotillo of SB Nation. New York was among four teams to watch Fister throw last week, joining the Blue Jays, Diamondbacks and Angels, reports Cotillo, who adds that the Giants also took a recent look at him.
The Mets’ rotation is in far worse straits than it was when they were eyeing Fister in early April. Ace Noah Syndergaard has since landed on the disabled list with a partially torn right lat, and he’s unlikely to return until after the All-Star break. Meanwhile, Steven Matz and Seth Lugo still haven’t pitched this year as a result of elbow problems, and Matt Harvey, Robert Gsellman and Zack Wheeler have logged subpar results. In the Mets’ view, Harvey also hasn’t been a model member of the organization behind the scenes, evidenced by the three-day suspension he’s currently serving.
The other four teams targeting Fister have also seen their rotations deal with injuries. Two of Toronto’s top starters, Aaron Sanchez and J.A. Happ, are on the DL. Arizona lost Shelby Miller to a season-ending elbow injury last month, leaving it without an obvious solution to team with Zack Greinke, Robbie Ray, Taijuan Walker and Patrick Corbin. Los Angeles is without two of its starters, Garrett Richards and Tyler Skaggs, both of whom are on the DL. Lastly, San Francisco’s ace, Madison Bumgarner, will sit out until at least midsummer thanks to a dirt bike accident, and fellow starters Johnny Cueto, Jeff Samardzija, Matt Moore, Matt Cain and Ty Blach have recorded mediocre to poor results in the early going.
Like the Giants’ starters, the soft-tossing Fister hasn’t been all that effective of late. Once a legitimate middle-of-the-rotation arm (if not more), Fister produced like a back-end type with the Nationals and Astros from 2015-16, posting a 4.48 ERA and a 4.68 FIP in 283 1/3 innings. Further, whether he signs a major league deal or a minor league pact, Fister will surely need some time to tune up at the lower levels before potentially contributing in the big leagues this season.
Injury Notes: Cardinals, B. Anderson, Cespedes, Donaldson
The Cardinals had a fair amount of concern over center fielder Dexter Fowler‘s right shoulder strain on Friday, but it seems he dodged a significant injury. Fowler missed his second straight game Saturday, though he told reporters – including Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch – that he only has “general soreness” and is ready to return to the lineup. The Cardinals are understandably taking a cautious approach with their big-money offseason signing, however. Meanwhile, another of their outfielders, Jose Martinez, suffered a groin injury Saturday and will probably head to the disabled list. If so, he’d join right fielder Stephen Piscotty on the DL, leaving the Redbirds with a banged-up Fowler, Randal Grichuk and Tommy Pham as their top outfielders. The likelihood is that the Cardinals will promote High-A outfielder Magneuris Sierra to provide another option, tweets Goold. Sierra, who’s already on St. Louis’ 40-man roster, is known for his defense, as Goold wrote in December for Baseball America when he ranked the 21-year-old as the Cardinals’ fifth-best prospect (subscription required/recommended).
- Cubs manager Joe Maddon said Saturday that he expects left-hander Brett Anderson to land on the DL, tweets Jesse Rogers of ESPNChicago.com. Maddon added that either Mike Montgomery or Eddie Butler would replace Anderson in the Cubs’ rotation, according to Patrick Mooney of CSN Chicago (Twitter link). Anderson started the Cubs’ 11-6 loss to the Yankees, recording just one out and allowing five runs on six hits, before departing with lower back tightness. Injuries are nothing new for Anderson, who missed most of last season after undergoing back surgery as a member of the Dodgers in March 2016. While Anderson has generally been effective during the healthy points of his career, he hasn’t pitched well in his first year with the Cubs. The free agent pickup has registered an 8.18 ERA, 6.55 K/9 and a 4.91 BB/9 in six starts (22 innings).
- The Mets are sending left fielder Yoenis Cespedes to New York on Monday to take a “fuller look” at why he has had recurring injuries, general manager Sandy Alderson stated Saturday (via MetsBlog).
- Blue Jays third baseman Josh Donaldson has been on the DL since April 14 with a calf injury, and it seems he’ll remain on the shelf past the originally reported four-week window. Donaldson is making progress in his recovery, though he revealed Saturday that it’s coming along “slowly” (via Jeff Odom of MLB.com). The 2015 AL MVP is currently using an anti-gravity treadmill at 60 percent body weight, writes Odom, and won’t resume running the bases until he’s at 100 percent.
Noah Syndergaard Won’t Throw For Six Weeks
Mets ace Noah Syndergaard‘s next stop could be the 60-day disabled list, reports the Associated Press. Syndergaard, who hit the 10-day DL on Monday with a partially torn right lat muscle, went to Dr. Neal ElAttrache for a second opinion earlier this week. During Syndergaard’s visit, ElAttrache told him not to resume throwing for six weeks.
If all goes well during Syndergaard’s six-week layoff, the 24-year-old could begin working his way back around mid-June, but he’d then need to go through a spring training-like program to build up his arm. Unsurprisingly, then, general manager Sandy Alderson said Saturday that “realistically it’s going to take a while” for Syndergaard to return, adding, “It’s going to be much later in the season.”
The latest news on Syndergaard essentially jibes with Joel Sherman’s report from Wednesday, when the New York Post scribe relayed that the flamethrower would miss about three months. Syndergaard is one of three Mets starters currently on the shelf, joining Seth Lugo and Steven Matz, whose respective elbow injuries have kept them out all season. As is the case with Syndergaard, neither Lugo nor Matz return imminently, which means a rotation that entered the season as a strength will be a question mark for a while.
Aside from Syndergaard and Jacob deGrom, Mets starters have left plenty to be desired this year. Matt Harvey, whose 2016 season ended in July on account of thoracic outlet syndrome surgery, no longer resembles the front-end starter he was in 2013 and ’15; Zack Wheeler has been better than Harvey, though the 2015 Tommy John surgery recipient is far from a top-tier option at this point; and Robert Gsellman has so far fallen flat in attempting to replicate last season’s unexpected brilliance. For now, filling out the team’s rotation is Rafael Montero. The 26-year-old ran up a 7.20 ERA in 16 Triple-A starts in 2016 and, in his first big league start this season, yielded five earned on seven hits and four walks in 3 2/3 innings on Friday. In spite of Montero’s poor output, the Mets erased a six-run deficit to knock off the Marlins, 8-7.
Thanks in part to their injury woes, including current DL stints for left fielder Yoenis Cespedes, first baseman Lucas Duda, catcher Travis d’Arnaud and third baseman David Wright, wins have been difficult to come by for the Mets. After posting back-to-back playoff seasons for the second time in franchise history, they’re off to a 13-15 start this year. The Mets overcame a slew of injuries to win 87 games and earn a wild-card berth in 2016, and they’re going to have to fight through similar adversity to once again earn a postseason trip this year.