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Dodgers Promote Gavin Lux

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Sept. 2: The move is official. Lux’s contract has been selected from Oklahoma City, with Tyler White (whose season is over) moving to the 60-day injured list to open a 40-man roster spot. The Dodgers also announced that they’ve reinstated lefty Julio Urias from the 60-day injured list and recalled right-hander Josh Sborz from Triple-A.

Sept. 1: The Dodgers are calling up star prospect Gavin Lux, manager Dave Roberts told reporters (including Jorge Castillo of the Los Angeles Times).  Lux will make his MLB debut tomorrow, starting at second base for the NL West leaders.

Max Muncy’s wrist fracture could have been the catalyst for the beginning of Lux’s time with the Dodgers, as Roberts said at the time that the club would “be more aggressive” with its September promotions if Muncy’s injury proved to be serious.  While Muncy is only expected to miss around two weeks with his relatively minor fracture, that was still enough for L.A. to decide that more depth was required at second base.

Of course, it’s not as if Lux himself didn’t do everything he could to force the Dodgers’ hand.  Lux has been nothing short of spectacular at Triple-A Oklahoma City this season, hitting .392/.478/.719 with 13 homers over 232 plate appearances.  Even accounting for the extremely hitter-friendly conditions of the Pacific Coast League, the numbers were still astounding, and far from out of nowhere given Lux’s already-strong prospect status.

Selected as the 20th overall pick of the 2016 draft, Lux appeared on top-100 prospect lists (ranked 40th by Baseball America, 70th by MLB.com) prior to this season and zoomed up the various rankings as he continued to shred Triple-A pitching — the updated midseason ratings from Fangraphs, MLB.com, and BA all list Lux as the ninth-best prospect in baseball.  As cited by the Fangraphs and MLB.com scouting reports, Lux’s hitting potential has been unlocked in the minors (even prior to 2019) by a number of swing changes, including more lift in his swing, as well as incorporating his hands and legs into his action at the plate.

Lux has played the majority of his games as a shortstop, but he also saw a lot of action at second base in preparation for fit into the lineup alongside stalwart Corey Seager in Los Angeles.  It’s safe to assume that Lux will get the bulk of time down the stretch, as the Dodgers have the NL West long since wrapped up, and are now merely making adjustments for the playoffs.  It certainly isn’t out of the question that Lux could force his way onto the postseason roster if he plays well in September, giving the Dodgers an embarrassment of depth once Muncy returns to their already-stacked roster.

Seager, Cody Bellinger, Justin Turner, and rookie catcher Will Smith look to be the only true everyday players on a Dodgers team that prizes versatility.  A.J. Pollock is more or less the regular center fielder and Muncy will presumbly return to regular duty at second or first base when he returns.  Beyond those names, Los Angeles boasts the likes of Chris Taylor, Joc Pederson, Enrique Hernandez, Matt Beaty, David Freese, the currently-injured Alex Verdugo, Jedd Gyorko, Kristopher Negron, and now Lux to rotate into the starting lineup and as late-game subs to maximize their chances in various matchups.

Beyond just what Lux can do this season, of course, he also represents a major building block for the future.  The Dodgers resisted all trade offers for Lux both this season and in past years, and it’s fair to guess that L.A. has him penciled in at second base for years to come.

Twins, Marlins Complete Sergio Romo Trade

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TODAY: Per Craig Mish of FNTSY Radio, the trade has been finalized with the Marlins sending cash considerations to the Twins. It had been previously reported that Minnesota would receive a player to be named later in addition to Romo and Vallimont.

JULY 27, 8:21pm: Both teams have announced the trade.

7:48pm: Righty Chris Vallimont is the minor league pitcher going to Minnesota, per Mark Feinsand of MLB.com. They’re also getting a player to be named later, Jon Morosi of MLB.com reports.

7:33pm: Romo is indeed going to the Twins, Jon Heyman of MLB Network tweets. The Twins are also getting a minor league pitcher, Joel Sherman of the New York Post relays. The Marlins will acquire first base prospect Lewin Diaz, according to Betsy Helfand of the Pioneer Press.

7:28pm: The Twins are “deep into talks” to acquire Marlins reliever Sergio Romo, Jeff Passan of ESPN reports. A deal’s likely to be completed.

The 36-year-old Romo served his purpose for the rebuilding Marlins, who signed him for $2.5MM in free agency last winter with the intent of eventually trading him. A former Giant, Dodger and Ray, the three-time world champion continued his effectiveness in Miami, where he notched a 3.58 ERA/3.88 FIP with 7.88 K/9 against 3.11 BB/9 in 37 2/3 innings. Romo also converted 17 of 18 save attempts.

Romo’s velocity maxes out in the mid-80s, making him one of the game’s least imposing hurlers, and he only induces ground balls at a 36.4 percent clip. However, Romo has long shown a penchant for forcing a boatload of infield pop-ups, having done so 14 percent of the time this season, and generating a large amount of soft contact. Romo ranks near the top of the league in hard-hit rate and exit velocity against, according to Statcast, which credits him with an even better expected weighted on-base average against (.276) than the .282 wOBA hitters have mustered off him this year.

Based on his career production and the numbers he has totaled this season, Romo should be a welcome pickup for the Twins, who’ve been in the market for bullpen help for weeks. And his addition shouldn’t preclude them from finding more late-game aid in the coming days. The Twins’ bullpen entered play Saturday ranking better than average in K/BB ratio (ninth) and FIP (11th), but the unit’s closer to middle of the pack in ERA  (14th). Moreover, the Twins have jettisoned a handful of notable relievers – Mike Morin, Matt Magill, Adalberto Mejia and Blake Parker – since last week. Those four combined for just over 100 innings of work as part of Minnesota’s relief corps this season. Of their remaining arms, only closer Taylor Rogers and setup man Ryne Harper have recorded easily above-average numbers over a large sample of work.

In Diaz, 22, the Twins are parting with a player they originally signed out of the Dominican Republic for $1.4MM in 2013. Baseball America (subscription required) just ranked Diaz as the Twins’ 10th-best prospect earlier this month. BA lauds Diaz’s defensive ability at first, though it’s worth pointing out he has also excelled on the offensive side in 2019. After opening the season on a tear at the High-A level, Diaz advanced to Double-A for the first time and has since slashed .309/.348/.602 (165 wRC+) with six home runs in 135 plate appearances.

Also 22, Vallimont joined the Marlins as a fifth-round pick just last year. Back then, BA highlighted Vallimont’s fastball – which can hit 96 mph – and “wipeout slider.” More recently, the outlet rated as him as Miami’s 27th overall prospect. Vallimont has produced terrific results this year between the Single-A and High-A levels, where he has combined for a 3.16 ERA with 10.4 K/9 against 3.2 BB/9 in 105 1/3 innings.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Indians Activate Carlos Carrasco, Dan Otero

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In heartwarming, if expected, news, the Indians announced today they have activated Carlos Carrasco from the 60-day injured list. The club also activated right-handed reliever Dan Otero.

It has been a trying season for Carrasco, who was shut down indefinitely in May after being diagnosed with leukemia. While he hasn’t had time to ramp up to a starter’s workload, he’ll be available in short stints for Cleveland’s postseason push. They’ve had to weather a number of injuries, but they still sit half a game up on Tampa and Oakland for the AL Wild Card. They’re also within shouting distance of the Twins in the AL Central, sitting 4.5 games out with a month to play.

Otero has been out since May 31 with right shoulder inflammation. The 34 year-old is amidst his second straight trying season, sporting just a 9.5% strikeout rate in 23.2 innings. He’s no longer an integral part of a strong Cleveland bullpen.

Tyler Naquin Suffers Torn ACL

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Indians outfielder Tyler Naquin will miss the remainder of the season after an MRI revealed that he has a torn right ACL, writes Paul Hoynes of cleveland.com. The injury was initially announced as a knee sprain, but today the Indians learned that it was in fact as bad as it looked, with Naquin carted off the field after a violent collision with the outfield fence at Tropicana Field. With Naquin heading to the injured list, the Indians have recalled Jake Bauers to take his spot on the active roster.

It is yet unknown if Naquin will opt to undergo surgery to repair the ligament, and while a 2019 return is out of the question, a more precise timeline is likewise unknown. However, it stands to reason that Naquin could miss a significant portion, if not the entirety, of next season.

It’s a devastating break for the Indians and Naquin, 28, who has emerged as a critical part of his team’s second-half success. He had been enjoying his best offensive season since his rookie year in 2016, along with much-improved performance in the outfield, where he has graded out as an above-average defender. His bounce back from a pair of disappointing seasons has been crucial in revitalizing the Cleveland outfield, which stood out as perhaps the club’s most pressing need on Opening Day.

The progress that Naquin, Oscar Mercado, and Yasiel Puig have made will now hit a roadblock, which could hardly come at a worse time for the Indians, who have already lost one of their stars, Jose Ramirez, and find themselves in the thick of the American League playoff race. The team is still within range to overtake the Twins for the AL Central, and while they still own the first Wild Card spot, they’ll need to fend off a pair of strong teams in Oakland and Tampa Bay.

In light of today’s news, though, they’ll have to do so without Naquin, who will likely give way to a combination of Bauers and Greg Allen in left field. That pair has netted roughly replacement level production; while not unplayable in the outfield, there’s little doubt that they come in a step below Naquin, a difference that is magnified in significance for a team in Cleveland’s position. Allen, like Naquin, saw his offensive output jump forward in July, though he’s regressed noticeably in August. For his part, Allen has stood out as a defensive left fielder, though the same can’t be said for Bauers, who has spent the last month in the minor leagues after the arrival of Puig and Franmil Reyes.

Between Naquin, Ramirez, and a slew of pitchers including Corey Kluber, Carlos Carrasco, and Mike Clevinger, the Indians have had their playoff hopes tested by health-related absences to some of their most important contributors. Though they have thus far managed to succeed in the face of those injuries, the season’s final month will no doubt be a considerable challenge, and unexpected contributors will need to emerge if the club is to reach the postseason for the fourth consecutive season.

Angels Exercise 2020 Option Over GM Billy Eppler

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The Angels have exercised a club option over general manager Billy Eppler for the 2020 season, according to Fabian Ardaya and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic (Twitter link). His original contract came with a four-year term, with the club option for another.

That decision leaves the front office under Eppler’s guidance for at least one more campaign. Unless further contract talks take place, however, he won’t enjoy a longer-term commitment.

Eppler, who was previously one of Yankees general manager Brian Cashman’s top lieutenants in New York, took over the Angels’ front office in October 2015. The franchise hasn’t achieved ideal on-field results since Eppler grabbed the reins, though, as it has finished below .500 in each of his years at the helm. At 64-71 in 2019, the Halos are on their way to another disappointing campaign in the standings, and they’re sure to extend their playoff drought to a half-decade.

Of course, it would be unfair to place the Angels’ current struggles solely at Eppler’s feet. The sudden passing of quality starter Tyler Skaggs back on July 1 has been among the reasons the Angels’ season has come off the rails. Most teams likely would’ve had difficulty carrying on in the wake of such a tragedy.

Skaggs looked like a long-term building block for the Angels’ rotation – a group that’s lacking in that department. Consequently, upgrading the team’s starting staff will perhaps be the chief objective for Eppler during the upcoming offseason. Eppler swung and missed in that category last offseason with the short-term signings of Matt Harvey (one year, $11MM) and Trevor Cahill (one year, $9MM). Harvey’s no longer on the club, which released him last month, while Cahill lost his starting job earlier in the season and hasn’t exactly been a lights-out reliever. Eppler acknowledged a few weeks ago that there are some strong starters set for free agency, so he may well go that route to ameliorate his roster.

Regardless of whether Eppler reels in any prominent free agents in the coming months, the return of right-hander Shohei Ohtani in 2020 should go a long way toward bettering the Halos’ rotation. Eppler’s signature free-agent signing to date, Ohtani hasn’t been able to pitch this year after undergoing Tommy John surgery last October. Ohtani, Andrew Heaney and Griffin Canning (a second-round pick of the Eppler regime in 2017) are among a few promising starting options for the Angels going forward.

The 25-year-old Ohtani’s also indispensable to the team’s offense, which makes the hurler/DH arguably the most unique player in baseball. He’s among a few excellent offensive complements to the top player in the sport, center fielder Mike Trout, whom Eppler inherited. However, it’s obviously a feather in Eppler’s cap that he was able to extend the future Hall of Famer to a record 10-year, $360MM contract prior to the season. The Angels haven’t capitalized on Trout’s presence yet, but considering he’s now in line to finish his career with the organization, there’s plenty of time for that to occur.

Trout could be joined in the Angels’ outfield next season by young outfielder Jo Adell, who’s among the majors’ elite prospects. Adell, the 10th overall pick of the Angels in 2017, is the face of a farm system that has made notable improvements during Eppler’s tenure. Eppler inherited a group of farmhands that ranked near the bottom of the league, but FanGraphs recently placed it 11th in the game.

There have clearly been hits and misses during Eppler’s run in Anaheim, but at least for now, deep-pocketed owner Arte Moreno believes the good outweighs the bad. It remains to be seen, though, whether the Angels will exercise the same patience with Eppler a year from now if there isn’t legitimate progress in the win-loss department.

Owner David Glass Reaches Agreement To Sell Royals

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4:17pm: The Royals have issued a press release confirming the agreement.

11:31pm: Royals owner David Glass has agreed to sell the team to Kansas City businessman John Sherman for a sum of one billion dollars, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reports (via Twitter). Sherman, currently the vice chairman of the division-rival Indians, will divest himself from the Cleveland organization once the agreement is ratified by the other 29 ownership groups in November. Talks of a potential sale were first reported by Ken Rosenthal and Jayson Stark of The Athletic earlier this week.

Nightengale tweeted yesterday that the sale of the Royals was motivated by health reasons for Glass, 83. The former CEO of Wal-Mart, Glass purchased the Royals for the sum of $96MM back in 2000. He was responsible for appointing Dayton Moore as the club’s general manager — a decision that resulted in a lengthy rebuild but ultimately culminated in consecutive World Series appearances, including the team’s drought-breaking World Series win over the Mets in 2015.

Sherman, 64, purchased a minority stake in the Indians back in 2016 and has since upped his share of the club. As Terry Pluto of the Cleveland Plain Dealer explored last year, Sherman was a Royals season-ticket holder at the time who’d made a fortune in starting natural gas and energy companies (LPG Services Group, Inergy L.P.) and selling them to larger entities. Indians majority owner Paul Dolan referred to Sherman as his “partner” in that interview with Pluto, underscoring his prominence in that ownership group. Suffice it to say, today’s reported agreement has ramifications for both organization — the specifics of which remain to be seen.

The Royals, under Glass and Moore, have been in the midst of a rebuild over the past couple of seasons. The organizational hope has been that by targeting near-MLB-ready players in trades and prioritizing college players (pitchers, specifically) in the past couple of drafts, that retooling can progress at a considerably more rapid pace than Kansas City’s prior rebuilding effort. The Royals have cut payroll by nearly $50MM in that time and figure to see further dollars stripped from the books this season with Alex Gordon’s four-year, $72MM contract coming off the ledger.

As with any ownership change, the effects could be far-reaching. Recent examples of team sales highlight but a fraction of the possibilities. The Padres, for instance, hired new front-office leadership (headed by GM A.J. Preller) and embarked on an aggressive, win-at-all-costs approach in the first season that the group led by Ron Fowler and Peter Seidler took over the club. When that boom or bust approach fell well short, the Friars embarked on a lengthy rebuilding effort that has yet to reach its terminus.

More recently, Jeffrey Loria sold the Marlins to a group led by billionaire Bruce Sherman and future Hall of Famer Derek Jeter. While Sherman and Jeter added some new front office personnel — most notably, longtime Yankees exec Gary Denbo — their group also retained president of baseball operations Michael Hill and manager Don Mattingly. A long-term approach headlined by the trades of Giancarlo Stanton, Christian Yelich and Marcell Ozuna was nevertheless put into motion in the Sherman/Jeter group’s first season in place.

What the sale of the club remains for the Royals, of course, can’t be immediately known. Moore is not only among the game’s longest tenured baseball operations leaders, he’s also widely respected by colleagues and peers alike. His contract reportedly runs through the 2020 season. Manager Ned Yost, meanwhile, is signed only through season’s end. There’s been plenty of speculation about the 65-year-old Yost’s future, particularly in the wake of a near-fatal accident last offseason in which he shattered his pelvis upon falling out of a deer stand while hunting. The general belief has been that Yost is in excellent standing with the organization, but the skipper himself has previously hinted that he may not manage beyond his current contractual agreement.

Payroll mandates and the corresponding roster-construction implications for both the Royals and the Indians that stem from the ownership change will play crucial roles in steering both organizations’ immediate futures.

Royals’ Owner Discussing Sale Of Team

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Aug. 28: MLB Network’s Jon Heyman tweets that “barring something unforeseen,” the sale from Glass to Sherman “will happen.” That certainly moves the ball forward from yesterday’s uncertainty regarding the seriousness of the talks, although it also suggests that no firm agreement is in place. Sherman, notably, would need to be approved by the other 29 ownership groups in the league and by MLB itself, though Heyman adds that Sherman is viewed as a “sure thing” for approval from the league (as one would expect from an executive who is already an established minority owner of another franchise).

Aug. 27, 6:20pm: The Royals have issued the following statement on the matter:

“The Kansas City Royals are not in a position to make any comments on the published speculation regarding any potential sale of the ball club. The Royals will make no further statements at this time.”

5:35pm: Royals owner David Glass is discussing a potential sale of the club with Kansas City businessman John Sherman, Ken Rosenthal and Jayson Stark of The Athletic report (subscription required). ESPN’s Jeff Passan tweets that the two are discussing a price worth north of $1 billion. Glass purchased the Royals in 2000 for a reported sum of $96MM.

Sherman, 64, is currently the vice chairman of the division-rival Indians, having purchased a minority stake in the team back in 2016. As Terry Pluto of the Cleveland Plain Dealer explored last year, Sherman was a Royals season-ticket holder at the time who’d made a fortune in starting natural gas and energy companies (LPG Services Group, Inergy L.P.) and selling them to larger entities. Sherman would, unsurprisingly, divest himself from the Indians organization if a sale is indeed agreed upon (per Passan).

There’s no indication that the two parties are close to an agreement, nor is there any indication that Glass is exploring other sale possibilities in the event that a deal with Sherman cannot be brokered. Asked about the report, general manager Dayton Moore told MLB.com’s Jeffrey Flanagan (Twitter link) that commenting on any potential sale of the club would be “inappropriate.” Glass has not publicly acknowledged the reported negotiations.

Under Glass and Moore, the Royals emerged from irrelevance to appear in consecutive World Series, culminating in a 2015 championship achieved by the core of Salvador Perez, Eric Hosmer, Mike Moustakas, Lorenzo Cain and Danny Duffy. But the Royals have faded from contention in the American League Central in recent seasons and acted to cut payroll in each of the past two offseasons. Though the team was reportedly willing to sign Hosmer to a nine-figure deal to lead the club through the current rebuild, he took a more lucrative offer in San Diego while other stalwarts of that 2015 club have signed elsewhere in free agency or been traded.

The Royals’ Opening Day payroll in 2017 reached the unprecedented (for them) peak of $143MM, but since that time the figure has plummeted rapidly. Kansas City opened the 2019 season with a payroll a bit greater than $96MM, and with Alex Gordon set to come off the books, they have just $59MM in guaranteed salary on next year’s payroll. Offseason trades involving veterans such as Duffy, starter-turned-closer Ian Kennedy, quiet superstar Whit Merrifield or breakout slugger Jorge Soler could further reduce that commitment, though it’s not yet clear how motivated the Royals will be to make any such moves.

Moore has been targeting near-MLB-ready assets in trades and college pitchers in the draft in hopes of architecting a quick turnaround, though certainly a sale of the club could impact not only the offseason direction of the team but the very composition of the front office and the field staff. Flanagan reported within the past week that the Royals are nearing a new television contract with Fox Sports Kansas City, which would more than double their annual rights fees (albeit from an average of $20MM per year to $48-52MM per year), and such an agreement would obviously impact the financial evaluation of the franchise and its baseball operations directives as well.

Indians Likely To Activate Carlos Carrasco This Weekend

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In an eminently welcome development, Indians manager Terry Francona announced today in an appearance on MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM that his club plans to activate right-hander Carlos Carrasco from the injured list when rosters expand on Sunday (Twitter link, with audio). Carrasco has been sidelined since late May after being diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia.

Carrasco, 32, still has to come through one more bullpen session before the club makes the move, per Francona, but the organization’s plan is to reinstate him Sunday. He’ll be utilized out of the bullpen over the season’s final month and into the postseason, should Cleveland qualify.

A return to a general state of well-being for Carrasco obviously supersedes the potential on-field benefit he brings to the club, but the impact of a healthy Carrasco also can’t be understated for the Cleveland organization. Carrasco wasn’t anywhere near his typical form earlier in 2019 but still posted excellent K/BB numbers through 12 starts before stepping away from the game due to his medical situation. He’ll now join the back end of Francona’s bullpen as a potential bullpen weapon with an opportunity to make a significant impact on the Indians’ postseason race; Cleveland currently sits 3.5 games behind Minnesota in the AL Central and holds a half-game lead over Oakland and Tampa Bay in the Wild Card race.

Looking beyond 2019, Carrasco will surely be a focal part of the pitching staff so long as he remains in good health. The right-hander inked an extension last offseason and is signed through the 2022 season at a total of $37.25MM. The Indians also hold a $14MM club option on him for the 2023 season.

Giants Release Scooter Gennett, Select Tyler Rogers

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The Giants announced a flurry of roster moves on Tuesday, most notably requesting unconditional release waivers on second baseman Scooter Gennett. San Francisco also promoted infield prospect Mauricio Dubon (as had been previously reported), selected the contract of right-hander Tyler Rogers (the twin brother of Minnesota closer Taylor Rogers) and recalled outfielder Joey Rickard. Furthermore, Abiatal Avelino was optioned to Triple-A, while righty Trevor Gott was placed on the 10-day injured list due to a right elbow strain.

Gennett, 29, enjoyed a pair of excellent breakout seasons with the Reds in 2017-18, hitting a combined .303/.351/.508 with 50 homers in 1135 plate appearances, but his 2019 campaign has been a forgettable one. Gennett began the season on the injured list due to a severe groin strain and, after an absence of nearly three months, struggled to regain his footing in Cincinnati.

A deadline trade sending him to the Giants in exchange for a player to be named later didn’t prove to be a spark, either. In 139 plate appearances, he’s posted an ugly .226/.245/.323 batting line with an enormous spike in strikeout rate (19.6 percent in 2018; 29.5 percent in 2019) and a significant dip in walk rate (6.6 percent in ’18; 1.4 percent in ’19). With Gennett and the recently released Joe Panik out of the picture, Dubon (covered at greater length earlier today) will quite likely be in line for regular work at second base.

While another club could technically claim Gennett off release waivers, there’s almost no way to fathom that outcome. Gennett’s two excellent seasons in Cincinnati bolstered his salary to $9.75MM, and he’s owed the balance of that sum — about $1.78MM — between now and season’s end. Any claiming team would be on the hook for that amount. By contrast, signing Gennett after he clears would only cost Gennett the prorated league minimum — about $95K as of this Thursday (when he’d formally clear waivers).

Turning to the 28-year-old Rogers, this’ll be the first call to the big leagues for the former 10th-rounder. While he’s watched his twin brother rise to prominence as one of the game’s top lefty relievers, he’s been biding his time in Triple-A for parts of four seasons. In that time, the right-handed Rogers has worked to a 3.27 ERA with 6.8 K/9, 3.6 BB/9 and a whopping ground-ball rate north of 64 percent.

The sidearming Rogers features a funky delivery that has at times made him unhittable by opposing righties. While he’s not in the midst of his best season — what pitcher in the supercharged offensive environments in Triple-A is? — he held righties to a putrid .161/.239/.238 line through 159 plate appearances in 2018. For a Giants team that figures to have some extensive bullpen turnover moving forward, it’s worth getting a look at an intriguing righty who could be a piece in future seasons.

Jose Ramirez Out Five To Seven Weeks

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Aug. 27: Ramirez is expected to miss five to seven weeks recovering from the surgery, the Indians announced. That almost certainly puts an end to Ramirez’s regular season while still leaving open the possibility of a postseason return, should the Indians qualify.

Aug. 25: 10:08am: As is typical with fractured hamates, Ramírez needs to undergo surgery, tweets Zack Meisel of the Athletic. He’ll undergo the procedure tomorrow, at which point there’ll be a further update on his recovery timetable.

8:54am: The Indians announced today they’ve placed José Ramírez on the 10-day injured list with a fractured hamate bone in his right hand. Yu Chang has been recalled from Triple-A Coulmbus to take his place on the 25-man roster.

It’s dreadful news for a Cleveland club in the thick of the postseason mix. The Indians sit two and a half back of the Twins in the AL Central and are just one game clear of the Rays and A’s in a tight wild card race. They’ll now have to make that push without their second-best player.

The 26 year-old Ramírez got off to a stunningly bad start in 2019, but he’d started to come along the past few months. Since June 1 (an admittedly arbitrary cutoff date), Ramírez had hit .286/.332/.571 with 16 home runs in 292 plate appearances. Even that hot streak wasn’t quite at the superstar levels Ramírez had shown the past two seasons, but he again looked like an impact bat who continues to dazzle both on the basepaths and defensively. Unfortunately, an apparently long-simmering wrist discomfort came to a head yesterday, when Ramírez left the game in the first inning after a painful swing.

The Indians didn’t announce a timetable for Ramírez’s return, although we’ve seen recent hamate fractures come with an initial four to six week timeline. Cubs catcher Víctor Caratini missed four weeks with a hamate fracture back in April, while Rangers outfielder Joey Gallo has yet to return from a July 25 hamate injury of his own. To be clear, though, there’s no indication as of yet whether Ramírez’s injury is equally, more, or less severe than those sustained by Caratini and Gallo.

With Ramírez down, the Indians will again turn to the 24 year-old Chang. The Taiwanese infielder gets solid-average tools grades across the board from scouts and ranks as Cleveland’s #10 farmhand at Fangraphs. Chang impressed last year in the Arizona Fall League, but he’s been a bit underwhelming this season at Columbus. In 282 plate appearances as a Clipper, he’s slashed .254/.323/.429 with nine home runs, failing to take advantage of the introduction of the MLB baseball to Triple-A the way some other hitters have. He’ll nevertheless give the Indians a capable defensive option on the dirt.

This will be Chang’s second MLB promotion. He was up for two games while Ramírez was on paternity leave in late June. He and Mike Freeman, who replaced the injured star yesterday, each started one game at the hot corner in Ramírez’s absence then, so it’ll be interesting to see how Terry Francona juggles playing time down the stretch.

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