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Josh Jung To Undergo Thumb Surgery

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Rangers’ rookie third baseman Josh Jung will undergo surgery to stabilize a fracture in his left thumb, reports Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News (Twitter link). He’s expected to miss roughly six weeks.

Jung broke his thumb when he knocked down a Jorge Soler line drive in last night’s win over Miami. The Rangers placed him on the 10-day injured list today, recalling Jonathan Ornelas for his big league debut in his place. With the injury requiring surgical repair, Texas loses one of its top bats well into next month.

The six-week timetable leaves open the possibility of Jung returning during the regular season. If everything goes well, he could be back for the final two to three weeks of the schedule. Given how tightly contested the AL West is, it’s quite possible that stretch of play could determine the Rangers’ playoff standing. Texas leads the Astros by 2.5 games; they’re in strong position to at least secure a Wild Card berth, but the division would come with the added bonus of a first-round bye (since the AL Central winner is almost certain to be the third seed).

It’s a third straight season with a notable injury for Jung. After a broken foot in 2021, he injured his left shoulder in a weight room accident headed into 2022. That kept him from making his MLB debut until last September and probably contributed to a lackluster .204/.235/.418 showing in his first 26 games. After a healthy offseason, Jung has broken through as a middle-of-the-order presence in Arlington.

The former eighth overall pick owns a .274/.323/.489 line over 461 trips to the dish. While his strikeout and walk marks are middling, he has popped 22 homers. He leads American League rookies in longballs, putting him in strong consideration for Rookie of the Year. That’ll be far more challenging now.

As Ethan Hullihen points out (Twitter links), that could deal another hit to the team. Jung met the prospect criteria — appearing on at least two preseason Top 100 lists at Baseball America, MLB Pipeline and ESPN (he made all three) — for the Prospect Promotion Incentive. The Rangers carried Jung on the active roster from the start of the season. If he were to win Rookie of the Year, he’d net Texas an extra draft choice — as Julio Rodríguez did for the Mariners last season. That isn’t out of the question, but the injury reduces Jung’s chances of nabbing the award.

The more immediate concern, of course, is how to replace Jung at the hot corner. Ezequiel Duran figures to get the bulk of the playing time there. Duran, who has slumped since the All-Star Break following a stellar first half, is hitting seventh and manning third base tonight against Oakland southpaw Ken Waldichuk.

Yankees Designate Deivi Garcia For Assignment, Place Carlos Rodon On Injured List

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The Yankees announced a slate of roster moves prior to tonight’s game, most notably designating one-time top pitching prospect Deivi García for assignment and placing lefty Carlos Rodón on the 15-day IL with a strained hamstring. New York also reinstated Jonathan Loáisiga from the 60-day injured list — hence the need for a 40-man spot — and recalled lefty Nick Ramirez from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

García was once viewed as a potential mid-rotation arm. The 5’9″ righty appeared among Baseball America’s top 100 prospects going into both 2020 and ’21. He debuted with six starts during the shortened campaign, posting decent strikeout and walk numbers despite an ERA pushing 5.00. At the time, it seemed he was in line for a permanent rotation spot in the near future. At the very least, his high-octane stuff was expected to play out of the bullpen.

Things didn’t play out that way. García was tagged for a 6.85 ERA at Triple-A in 2021. He only made two MLB appearances that season. He followed up with a 6.89 ERA between Double-A and Triple-A the following season. The Yankees abandoned hopes of García as a starter this year, using him in relief for all but one of his 28 minor league appearances.

It hasn’t translated to markedly improved results. The 24-year-old owns a 5.67 ERA through 46 frames with the RailRiders. His 20.5% strikeout percentage is a few points below average and he’s walking almost 15% of batters faced. After three seasons of subpar production in the upper minors, the Yankees no longer feel they can keep giving him opportunities to figure things out.

Since the trade deadline has come and gone, New York will have to place García on waivers. It’s no sure thing he’ll be claimed at this point, though it wouldn’t be a surprise if another club takes a flier on his former prospect status. García still has a reasonably live arm, averaging 94.9 MPH on his heater during a pair of big league appearances this summer. There are clearly significant command issues he’ll need to iron out if he’s to emerge as even a solid middle reliever. García is in his last option season; if another team claims him, they could keep him in Triple-A for the rest of the year but would have to carry him on next year’s big league roster (if he holds a 40-man spot all offseason).

While García’s DFA marks a painful concession by the organization that he hasn’t developed as hoped, the loss of Rodón is clearly a bigger impact in the short term. Fortunately, it’s not expected to be a serious issue. Manager Aaron Boone told reporters it’s a low-grade strain that isn’t expected to keep him out for much longer than the minimum (relayed by Greg Joyce of the New York Post).

Rodón has had a frustrating first season in the Bronx. The two-time All-Star dealt with forearm and back issues that cost him the first half of the year. Since returning, he’s been ineffective through six starts. He owns a 7.33 ERA with a notably decreased 20.5% strikeout rate and lofty 14.8% walk percentage over 27 innings. His velocity remains at the same level as it was when he was dominating hitters with the White Sox and Giants the last two years. The injuries have clearly kept him from finding any kind of consistency to this point in his Yankee tenure though.

Loáisiga has missed over three months after surgery to remove a bone spur from his throwing elbow. He’s been limited to three appearances on the season. When healthy, the 28-year-old righty is one of New York’s better relievers. He racks up huge grounder rates and has a 3.53 career ERA.

MLB Issues Suspensions Following Guardians/White Sox Brawl

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Per a league press release, Major League Baseball has suspended White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson for six games and Guardians third baseman Jose Ramirez for three games following the benches-clearing brawl between the two teams over the weekend. The league also announced one-game suspensions for Cleveland closer Emmanuel Clase, manager Terry Francona and third base coach Mike Sarbaugh. White Sox skipper Pedro Grifol was also suspended for one game. Guardians infielder Gabriel Arias and White Sox righty Michael Kopech were both fined an undisclosed amount.

Anderson and Ramirez are both appealing their suspensions, which will be held in abeyance until the appeals process has been completed. Clase will serve his suspension tonight, as will both managers. Sarbaugh will serve his suspension tomorrow.

The suspensions stem from a Saturday altercation on a slide at second base. Ramirez dove headfirst into the bag and felt Anderson applied a tag attempt to the head with too much force. Ramirez claimed after the game that his issues with Anderson predate Saturday’s contest, and he also alleged that Anderson was the aggressor and instigator of the fight (link via The Athletic). Anderson has not yet commented publicly.

Guardians Claim Ramon Laureano

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The Guardians announced that they’ve claimed veteran outfielder Ramon Laureano off outright waivers from the A’s. He was designated for assignment by Oakland over the weekend.

As a reminder, Major League Baseball did away with revocable August trade waivers five years ago. Laureano was claimed off (irrevocable) outright waivers. He’s now under Guardians club control through the 2025 season, and Cleveland will pick up the remainder of this year’s $3.55MM salary. The Guards currently have MLB’s tenth-worst record, indicating that the eight non-A’s clubs ahead of them — Royals, Rockies, White Sox, Cardinals, Nats, Tigers, Mets, Pirates — all passed on putting in a claim.

Just two years ago, the notion of Laureano being placed on waivers would’ve seemed difficult to fathom. From 2018-21, the now-29-year-old Laureano was a core piece in Oakland, batting a combined .263/.335/.465 (119 wRC+) and coupling that production with strong baserunning, respectable glovework in center and plus defense in right field.

Laureano, however, was hit with an 80-game PED suspension midway through the ’21 campaign and has never regained his footing. He was suspended for the final couple months of play in 2021, and that ban lingered into the 2022 season. He’s since missed time with oblique, groin and hamstring strains, as well as a fractured hand. Since returning from that PED suspension, Laureano has four IL trips and a collective .212/.285/.371 batting line in 158 games/629 plate appearances — effectively one full season’s worth of games.

The A’s have surely had varying levels of trade interest in Laureano over the past couple years, but they’ve understandably opted against selling low on a player whose value was once considerable. Unfortunately for the club, they’ll now lose Laureano for nothing more than the $1.07MM in salary relief they’ll gain with Cleveland claiming the outfielder and his contract. It’s a sub-par outcome that’ll draw ire from fans and criticism from pundits — particularly given the lackluster results of the current rebuilding effort. Laureano would likely have been non-tendered rather than given a raise this winter, so once a trade failed to materialize prior to the deadline, the A’s apparently shifted gear and simply looked to recoup some of salary obligation.

The final two months of the season will serve as an audition for Laureano in Cleveland, where outfield production is a near-annual concern. Guardians outfielders are batting a combined .248/.310/.342 this season, and the resulting 81 wRC+ (i.e. 19% worse than the MLB-average hitter) places the Cleveland outfield 29th of all 30 teams, leading only the last-place Royals. Steven Kwan is the only Guardians outfielder with even average offensive output at the plate this season, so the chance to buy low on Laureano for a cost of just over $1MM is a sensible roll of the dice for the team.

Laureano will at the very least provide a right-handed-hitting complement to lefty-swinging Will Brennan in right field, but the production (or lack thereof) from Brennan and center fielder Myles Straw is glaring enough that there ought to be an opportunity for Laureano to claim a larger role if the change of scenery proves beneficial.

Cole Hamels Retires

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The Padres announced Friday that veteran left-hander Cole Hamels, who’d signed a minor league deal in hopes of working his way back to the Majors in San Diego, has ended that comeback bid and retired.

Hamels, 39, was drafted by the Phillies with the No. 17 overall pick out of San Diego’s Rancho Bernardo High School back in 2002. By the time he’d wrapped up his first professional season — with 101 innings of 1.34 ERA ball — he’d vaulted up prospect rankings, checking in as the game’s No. 17 farmhand on Baseball America’s top-100.

While many first-round picks and top prospects fail to live up to those billings, Hamels shattered expectations and went on to become one of the generation’s finest pitchers. Despite being drafted out of high school, he reached the Majors less than three years after his selection, debuting with five shutout innings against the Reds in May 2006. Hamels posted a modest 4.08 ERA in 132 1/3 innings as a rookie but broke out with an All-Star season that saw him finish sixth in NL Cy Young voting the following year.

From 2006-15, Hamels starred for the Phillies. He and teammates Chase Utley, Ryan Howard and Jimmy Rollins became synonymous with the Phillies organization during their halcyon days, serving as the foundation that ultimately brought a World Series title to the city in 2008. Hamels was sensational that season, firing 227 1/3 innings of 3.09 ERA ball, but he saved his best work for the postseason. On the game’s biggest stage, Hamels pitched 35 innings with a 1.80 ERA, compiling a 4-0 record and taking home MVP honors in both the National League Championship Series and in the World Series.

Hamels helped the Phils back to the postseason in each of the following three years. They repeated as NL champs in 2009 before dropping the World Series to the Yankees. Hamels had a relative down season in ’09 but rebounded to fire 208 2/3 frames of 3.06 ERA ball the next year. He secured his second All-Star nod and a fifth-place Cy Young finish with a 2.79 ERA over 216 frames in 2011.

The Phillies’ run of team success came to a close after that season. Philadelphia wouldn’t make the playoffs again until last year’s club took home another pennant. The down stretch of Philadelphia baseball was no fault of Hamels. He reached 30 starts each season from 2012-14 and posted an ERA below 3.60 in every year. Hamels secured another All-Star nod in 2012 and down-ballot Cy Young votes in two of those three years.

Midway through the 2012 campaign, the Phils signed him to a $144MM contract extension. While Hamels more than lived up to that investment, the team’s descent into a rebuild eventually led them to put him on the trade market. At the 2015 deadline, Philadelphia sent Hamels to Texas for a prospect package including Jorge Alfaro, Nick Williams and Jerad Eickhoff.

The young talent never really panned out for the Phils, but Hamels kept producing in Texas. He’d throw 546 2/3 frames of 3.30 ERA ball as a Ranger, securing a fourth All-Star nod in 2016 and helping Texas to a pair of playoff berths. At the 2018 deadline, a then-rebuilding Texas club shipped him to the Cubs. Hamels provided Chicago with 12 starts of 2.36 ERA ball for the stretch run. The Cubs brought him back on a $20MM club option; he’d pitch to a 3.81 ERA over 27 starts the following season.

Hamels signed with the Braves over the 2019-20 offseason. Shoulder injuries limited him to one 3 1/3 inning appearance during the shortened schedule — which would unfortunately prove his final MLB outing. Shoulder injuries have derailed subsequent comeback attempts with the Dodgers and San Diego over the last three years.

While injuries robbed Hamels of his final couple seasons, he was one of the sport’s most durable and effective pitchers for well over a decade. The southpaw had 10 years in which he reached at least 190 innings, including eight seasons of 200+ frames. Only Justin Verlander logged a higher workload between 2006-19. Hamels posted a sub-4.00 ERA in 11 of his 14 seasons (excluding his one-start 2020), a remarkable stretch of consistency.

All told, Hamels threw just under 2700 innings while allowing 3.43 earned runs per nine. He won 163 games, struck out 2560 hitters and threw 17 complete games. He had a 3.41 ERA over 100 1/3 career postseason frames — highlighted by the aforementioned 2008 run to a title and World Series MVP. MLBTR congratulates Hamels on a fantastic career and wishes him the best in retirement.

Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.

Padres Shut Down Joe Musgrove With Shoulder Inflammation

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The Padres are shutting down starter Joe Musgrove for three weeks after an MRI revealed inflammation in the capsule of his throwing shoulder, the team informed reporters (including Dennis Lin of the Athletic). While the club is hopeful he’ll be able to return at some point this season, he doesn’t figure to be back until well into September at the earliest.

San Diego placed Musgrove on the 15-day injured list before today’s matchup with the Dodgers. Trade pickup Rich Hill takes his spot on the active roster. San Diego also reinstated Eguy Rosario from the 60-day injured list and optioned him to Triple-A. The Friars cleared a 40-man spot by designating Brent Honeywell for assignment a couple days ago.

Musgrove began the season on the IL after breaking his toe in a Spring Training weight room accident. He was back on the Petco Park mound by late April and has again been one of the sport’s better starters. Over 17 appearances, the righty has tallied 97 1/3 innings of 3.05 ERA ball. He’s striking hitters out at a 24.3% clip against a tidy 5.3% walk rate.

It’s the kind of production the Friars have come to expect from the 30-year-old righty. Musgrove has an ERA of 3.18 or better in each of the past three seasons. He posted a career-low 2.93 mark over 30 starts last season. Midway through the year, the San Diego native signed a $100MM extension — seemingly sacrificing some earning upside to stick with his hometown club.

It doesn’t seem the Friars were aware of the seriousness of Musgrove’s injury at the deadline. The club scratched him from his scheduled start Wednesday morning but initially hoped he’d return to the mound next week. That won’t happen but makes their Tuesday acquisition of Hill all the more important. The former Pirate will assume a rotation role behind Blake Snell, Yu Darvish, Seth Lugo and perhaps Nick Martinez. Righty Michael Wacha is also on the shelf with a shoulder issue.

Rosario, 23, debuted with seven games for the Friars last season. He’d missed the first four months after breaking his ankle over the offseason.

Mariners Release Kolten Wong

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The Mariners announced Friday that infielder Kolten Wong has cleared waivers and been released. Seattle had designated the veteran second baseman for assignment in the waning hours before the trade deadline.

That DFA officially ended a disappointing Seattle tenure. The M’s acquired Wong from the Brewers last offseason, sending Jesse Winker and Abraham Toro to Milwaukee in a change-of-scenery deal that hasn’t worked for anyone involved. Wong opened the season as the M’s second baseman but played his way to the bench with a career-worst showing.

Over 67 games, the veteran hit .165/.241/.227 with just a pair of home runs. His walk and strikeout numbers each went in the wrong direction, while his rate of hard contact plummeted by ten percentage points. Wong’s bat-to-ball skills and strike zone awareness remained slightly above-average, but he rarely made an impact when he put the ball in play.

While power has never been Wong’s strong suit, he’s topped double-digit homers on five occasions — including each of his two years in Milwaukee. He’s stolen only one base after swiping 17 last season. The Mariners have turned to rookie José Caballero as their primary second baseman of late and acquired left-handed hitting Josh Rojas as a versatile infield piece in the Paul Sewald deal.

Wong’s defense has also dropped over the past couple seasons. A two-time Gold Glove winner, he was one of the sport’s top keystone defenders at his peak. Public defensive metrics rated him well below-average last season, however. Wong said late in the year he’d been playing through a leg issue that sapped some of his mobility. That offered some hope for a defensive rebound that hasn’t really materialized. Wong logged 513 1/3 innings at second base for Seattle. Defensive Runs Saved pegged him five runs below par, while Statcast estimated him one run worse than average.

In the immediate aftermath of Wong’s DFA, reports suggested the Red Sox had engaged the M’s in trade talks. No deal came to fruition by the deadline, making a release an inevitability. Wong long surpassed the five-year service threshold which allows players to refuse a minor league assignment while retaining the guaranteed money on their contract.

Wong is playing on a $10MM option, which the Brewers had exercised before trading him. Seattle took on that money in the deal. He is due around $3.12MM through season’s end. The M’s will pay virtually all of that sum. Any team that signs Wong would owe him the prorated $720K minimum rate for time spent on the big league roster, which comes out of Seattle’s obligations.

Rays To Promote Curtis Mead

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The Rays are planning to call up top infield prospect Curtis Mead for his Major League debut today, reports Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. He’ll take the roster spot that was vacated when ace Shane McClanahan was placed on the injured list yesterday. Mead is already on Tampa Bay’s 40-man roster.

Mead, 22, came to the Rays in what originally looked like a minor swap with the Phillies but could end proving impactful for both clubs. Tampa Bay sent lefty Cristopher Sanchez to Philadelphia back in November of 2019, and while he’s has reached the Majors and contributed quite nicely this season (2.66 ERA in nine starts), Mead is widely regarded as one of the game’s most advanced hitting prospects. He checks in at No. 31 on MLB.com’s ranking of the sport’s top 100 prospects and also checks in at No. 67 over at Baseball America and No. 20 at FanGraphs. The Australian-born infielder has spent time at third base, second base and first base throughout his time in the minors, with many scouting reports on him pegging him as a long-term second baseman due to questions about his arm strength at third base.

There’s little questioning Mead’s hit tool, however. He’s punched out in just 12.8% of his plate appearances at Triple-A and just 15.7% of his minor league plate appearances overall. He’s hitting .291/.379/.453 this season, albeit with just three home runs on the year. He’s tacked on 16 doubles and a pair of triples as well, and his impressive 12.8% walk rate couples with that high-end hit tool to drive that strong on-base percentage.

Despite the meager power output in 2023, scouts still give Mead anywhere from above-average (55) to plus (60) raw power on the 20-80 scale. He missed the second half of the 2022 season with an elbow strain and he also missed time earlier this year after being plunked on the wrist. It’s quite possible those injuries have tamped down his power somewhat this year; he swatted 13 home runs in 331 plate appearances last season before hitting the injured list.

FanGraphs’ Eric Longenhagen calls Mead “one of the more dangerous hitters in the minor leagues,” touting his simple swing, his all-fields power and a rapidly improving approach at the plate that makes him a more complete hitter. Jim Callis and Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com credit him with a hefty 65-grade hit tool on the 20-80 scale and peg him for an eventual 20 to 25 home runs on an annual basis. Baseball America is even higher on the offensive profile, tabbing him with a 70 hit tool and projecting 25-plus homers per year. All three outlets raise concerns about his throwing strength and his eventual position, but there’s a strong consensus that Mead’s bat will make him a productive everyday player regardless.

As with just about any Rays prospect, Mead’s exact role with the big league team probably will be difficult to peg. Tampa Bay has Yandy Diaz at first base, Brandon Lowe at second base and Isaac Paredes enjoying a breakout season at third base. There are certainly at-bats to be had at designated hitter, where the team has used a rotating cast of characters — Harold Ramirez chief among them. Manager Kevin Cash will probably work Mead into the mix at various positions for the time being, while Mead’s ongoing defensive development will determine where he lands on the diamond in the long-term.

As things currently stand, Mead can be controlled all the way through the 2029 season and won’t be arbitration-eligible until after the 2027 campaign, although future optional assignments can alter those timetables.

Yankees Place Domingo Germán On Restricted List Due To Alcohol Abuse

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August 3: Germán’s entry into a treatment program was preceded by an incident in the Yankees’ clubhouse, reports Lindsey Adler of the Wall Street Journal. According to the report, the pitcher was apparently intoxicated when he entered the clubhouse in preparation for the Yankees’ game on Tuesday. Adler writes that Germán argued with teammates and manager Aaron Boone and flipped a couch amidst those confrontations. He eventually went into the stadium nap room while the rest of the team prepared for the game.

August 2: “Domingo Germán has agreed today to voluntarily submit to inpatient treatment for alcohol abuse,” the Yankees said in a press release today. “He will be placed on the restricted list for the time that he is away from the club. It is critical that Domingo completely focuses on addressing his health and well-being. We will respect his privacy as he begins this process.”

General manager Brian Cashman met with reporters this evening (relayed by Bryan Hoch of MLB.com and Andy Martino of SNY). The GM said Germán has battled alcohol issues in the past and had an incident — about which he declined to go into detail — yesterday. As the team did in its statement, Cashman expressed that his foremost concern is for Germán and his family. The right-hander will not return to the playing field this season.

Germán, 30, has pitched for the Yankees since 2017. He was suspended for the entire shortened 2020 schedule after violating the MLB – MLBPA domestic violence policy the preceding September. He returned to the club in ’21 and has worked mostly out of the rotation in the three years since then. Germán etched his name into the history books six weeks ago, throwing a perfect game in Oakland on June 28.

Altogether, Germán carries a 4.56 ERA through 20 appearances on the season. Players on the restricted list aren’t paid or credited with MLB service, so Germán will forfeit what remains of this year’s $2.6MM salary (roughly $838K). He’d been on track to surpass five years of service this season but seems likely to now fall a bit shy of that mark. He’ll be eligible for arbitration again during the upcoming offseason.

Rays Place Shane McClanahan On Injured List

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6:40pm: Tampa Bay has officially placed McClanahan on the IL, Topkin tweets. The club said they are “in the process of gathering further information” and will provide updates when they become available.

6:13pm: The Rays plan to place Shane McClanahan on the 15-day injured list, tweets Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. The two-time All-Star felt some soreness on the outside of his forearm during yesterday’s start against the Yankees.

Tampa Bay sent McClanahan for imaging this morning. Topkin that the Rays still don’t have a set diagnosis from initial testing. The 6’1″ left-hander is slated for further evaluation in the coming days but will need at least two weeks on the shelf.

Until there’s more clarity on the issue, the overall timetable remains unknown. Yet even a best-case scenario for the Rays sees them lose arguably their best pitcher for a couple weeks while they battle for a division title. Tampa Bay has gone 26-27 since the start of June, a couple months of average play after their league-best performance through May. As a result, they’ve dropped two games back of the Orioles in the AL East.

They’re still in great shape to secure a playoff spot. The Rays sit three games clear of the second-best Wild Card team and 7.5 up on the top non-playoff club. They’ll need to track down Baltimore to snag a first-round bye, though, and any extended absence from McClanahan would only make that more challenging.

The 26-year-old was on a Cy Young pace last year before a late-season shoulder impingement knocked him to sixth in the voting. He hasn’t been quite as good this season but remains one of the top pitchers in the sport. Through 115 innings, McClanahan carries a 3.29 ERA with a strong 25.8% strikeout rate. He missed a couple weeks earlier in the season with back tightness but returned not long after a minimal stay on the shelf.

Pitching injuries have been an all too familiar occurrence for Tampa Bay this year. The Rays were without Tyler Glasnow early and lost Jeffrey Springs and Drew Rasmussen to season-ending surgeries midway through the season. They dealt top first base prospect Kyle Manzardo to Cleveland for Aaron Civale to fortify the starting staff. That acquisition could take on even more importance if McClanahan misses a notable chunk of time. Tampa Bay optioned rookie Taj Bradley to Triple-A after acquiring Civale; he’d seem the likeliest candidate for a recall to take McClanahan’s active roster spot.

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