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Predict The NL West Division Winner

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With final roster decisions in the books and the 2020 season underway, it’s time to make some predictions. We’re polling the MLBTR readership on each of the game’s six divisions — though plenty more teams will crack the postseason under the rather inclusive new playoff qualification system. We’ve already surveyed the AL East, AL Central, AL West, NL Central, and NL East landscapes, so it’s time to wrap things up with the National League West.

The Dodgers have owned this division for some time now and are perhaps more laden with star-level talent than ever with Mookie Betts on board. Then again, they may be more vulnerable than ever in a short-season format. There’s a nice assembly of talent on the Diamondbacks roster, which includes an elite young player in Ketel Marte and a sturdy slate of veterans now highlighted by intra-division transferee Madison Bumgarner. Then again, you could argue that the Padres have the greatest capacity to surprise with their own budding legend in Fernando Tatis Jr., still-youthful star Manny Machado, and a potential-laden rotation. The Rockies have an excellent core unit in their own right and perhaps have more upside than is generally recognized. And while the Giants don’t really appear primed to compete, they managed to do so last year and still have a lot of players with lofty established performance ceilings at the game’s highest level — even if it has been a few years.

Which team do you think is going to take the division title? (Poll link for app users.)

East Notes: Mets, Rays, Red Sox

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Mets right-hander Marcus Stroman is making progress in his recovery from the left calf tear he suffered last week. Stroman has returned to throwing “full tilt” bullpen sessions, manager Luis Rojas said (via Deesha Thosar of the New York Daily News). Pitching coach Jeremy Hefner added that Stroman is still unable to sprint, so it remains unclear when he’ll be in line for his season debut. The sooner the better for the Mets, for whom Stroman is a must-have complement to ace Jacob deGrom. From his own standpoint, Stroman’s in for a rather important season with his first trip to free agency scheduled for the winter.

  • One of Stroman’s Mets teammates, fellow righty Jared Hughes, has been on the injured list since July 15. The team didn’t announce a reason for the move at the time, though it turns out he tested positive for the coronavirus, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports. Hughes was symptomatic for roughly 10 days, per Rosenthal, but he’s now healthy and pitching at the team’s alternate training site. Prior to his bout with the virus, Hughes appeared as if he’d earn a season-opening roster spot after the Mets signed him to a major league contract.
  • The Rays have gotten good news on a couple of their outfielders who, because of their own positive COVID tests, have missed the season so far. Star Austin Meadows engaged in baseball activities on Wednesday, Juan Toribio of MLB.com relays (Twitter links). Manager Kevin Cash indicated Meadows could return sometime during the Rays’ Aug. 4-9 homestand. Meanwhile, Randy Arozarena was cleared to rejoin the team and resume baseball activities, per Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. He started a rehab assignment at the Rays’ alternate training site Wednesday.
  • The Red Sox, having gotten poor production from their patchwork rotation thus far, will give righty Zack Godley an opportunity as a starter, Jason Mastrodonato of the Boston Herald tweets. Godley, whom the Red Sox signed to a minor league contract this month, will make his first start with the club on Saturday against the Yankees. The former Diamondback and Blue Jay was an effective starter just a couple years ago before falling off dramatically last season. Godley had an extremely encouraging long-relief appearance Monday, though, as he tossed four scoreless, four-hit innings with seven strikeouts against no walks in a loss to the Mets.

60-Man Player Pool Additions: Orioles, Rays

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A couple of American League East teams have made new additions to their 60-man player pools. Here are the latest updates:

  • One of the Orioles’ top prospects, right-hander Grayson Rodriguez has joined their player pool, the team announced. The 20-year-old isn’t far removed from going 11th overall to the Orioles in the 2018 draft. He made his Single-A debut last year and turned heads with a 2.68 ERA, 12.4 K/9 and 3.4 BB/9 in 94 innings. Rodriguez currently ranks among the league’s best farmhands – FanGraphs (No. 29), MLB.com (36) and Baseball America (37) are among the prospect outlets that are quite bullish on him.
  • The Rays have added catcher/outfielder Brett Sullivan, who will head to their alternate training site, Juan Toribio of MLB.com tweets. Sullivan was a 17th-round pick of the Rays in 2015 who has since climbed to Double-A ball. He batted an impressive .280/.333/.459 (127 wRC+) and hit 10 home runs with 21 stolen bases in 403 plate appearances last season.

Latest On MLB’s Coronavirus Response

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With the coronavirus ravaging the Marlins, who haven’t played this week and won’t do so again until at least Monday, Major League Baseball is changing its COVID-19 protocols in an effort to keep the season running, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

The league still won’t force players or staff to quarantine when they’re on the road, but it is encouraging them to stay in their hotel rooms and socially distance from one another when they’re not at the ballpark. Additionally, they’ll have to wear surgical masks – not cloth masks – and each team must bring a compliance officer on the road. That individual’s purpose will be to make sure that teams follow the league’s coronavirus protocols, including arranging seating charts on team buses, according to Passan.

Less than a week into the season, it’s up in the air whether the Marlins will even play a 60-game schedule (or, for that matter, whether any other team will). The Marlins have seen a combined 18 players and staff test positive, knocking their season off the rails in the early going, and their health issues have affected other clubs’ schedules. The Phillies, who hosted the Marlins last weekend, had been slated to play a four-game home-and-home set versus the Yankees, but that was postponed. Additionally, their game against the Blue Jays on Friday was pushed to Saturday.

Despite a less-than-ideal start to the season, commissioner Rob Manfred said Tuesday, “We think we can keep people safe and continue to play.” Clearly, the league’s hope is that the changes to its protocols will increase the chances of that happening.

Predict The AL West Division Winner

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With final roster decisions in the books and the 2020 season underway, it’s time to make some predictions. We’re polling the MLBTR readership on each of the game’s six divisions — though plenty more teams will crack the postseason under the rather inclusive new playoff qualification system. We’ve already surveyed the AL East, AL Central, NL Central, and NL East landscapes, and now we’ll turn to the American League West.

The Astros entered this season off three straight division titles, though they’ve undergone some major changes since winning the AL pennant in 2019. A sign-stealing scandal cost them general manager Jeff Luhnow and skipper A.J. Hinch, whom they replaced with James Click and Dusty Baker, respectively. On the field, they said goodbye to co-ace Gerrit Cole and Wade Miley in free agency. Their rotation suffered yet another massive blow this week when they placed reigning AL Cy Young winner Justin Verlander on the injured list with a forearm strain. He’s one of many injured Astros pitchers, and to make matters worse, the club has been without slugger and 2019 AL Rookie of the Year Yordan Alvarez because of the coronavirus.

Despite all the issues they’re facing, the Astros at least still boast an above-average roster. They don’t look like a juggernaut in their current state, though, and that could give a division rival a chance to pounce.

The Athletics, winners of 97 games in each of the prior two seasons, boast an eminently talented roster that seems as if it’ll present the greatest challenge for Houston. The Rangers and Angels look more like wild-card possibilities than teams capable of upending the Astros, though a 60-game season could make it more likely for either to pull off an upset. Probably not the case for the Mariners, who are retooling and have gotten to a 1-4 start. While five games isn’t enough of a sample size to bury or crown anyone, the M’s have gotten crushed in three of their defeats and entered Wednesday with the majors’ worst run differential at minus-21.

Which team do you think is going to take the division title? (Poll link for app users.)

Giants Expect To Activate Brandon Belt, Evan Longoria

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The Giants expect to welcome back their missing corner infield duo, manager Gabe Kapler told reporters including Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area (via Twitter). Barring a surprise, Brandon Belt and Evan Longoria will be back in action tomorrow.

It’s generally promising not only that both players are now ready to roll but also that they only required the minimum necessary stay on the injured list. Belt has been working through a heel issue while Longoria is nursing a mild oblique problem. It seems in both cases the team has nipped things in the bud.

While the Giants aren’t expected to make much noise in 2020, it’s easy to overlook how important the season is with respect to these players in particular. Both have been highly productive players in the past, which is why they’re earning so much now.

Belt is under contract for $16MM annually in 2020 and 2021. Longoria is earning at a $15MM rate this year before successive $18.5MM and $19.5MM salaries (as well as a 2023 club option that can be bought out for $5MM, which the Rays will pay down by $3MM).

The Giants will obviously be in much better shape to the extent that these two one-time sluggers can regain some of their former glory. That said, it may be be tough to move a significant portion of these contracts even in the best-case scenario.

White Sox Outright Cheslor Cuthbert

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The White Sox have outrighted infielder Cheslor Cuthbert, James Fegan of The Athletic was among those to cover on Twitter. He has cleared waivers after recently being designated for assignment.

The 27-year-old Cuthbert had hoped to carve out a role in Chicago after parts of five seasons with the division-rival Royals. But he’ll now have to earn his way back after taking a lone plate appearance on the 2020 season. He will remain with the organization as part of the 60-man player pool.

Cuthbert’s peak to this point came in a 2016 season in which he took 510 plate appearances for a competitive Kansas City outfit that was then seeking to defend a World Series title. He popped a dozen home runs and finished with a .274/.318/.413 slash, good for a just-below-average 95 OPS+, but has struggled badly with the bat ever since.

Mets Place Jake Marisnick On IL, Select Ryan Cordell, Designate Jordan Humphreys

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The Mets have announced a series of roster moves. Outfielder Ryan Cordell is headed onto the 40-man and active roster, MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo reports on Twitter, taking the place of injured outfielder Jake Marisnick.

Marisnick is headed to the injured list with a hamstring strain. To create a 40-man spot, righty Jordan Humphreys was designated for assignment.

Humphreys, 24, was added to the 40-man in advance of the 2019 Rule 5 draft. But he obviously wasn’t seen as a critical part of the team’s immediate or future plans.

Cordell has appeared in each of the two prior MLB campaigns, compiling a cumulative .205/.267/.335 batting line over 287 plate appearances. He’ll help fill in for Marisnick, though it may be tough for him to hang onto a roster spot thereafter.

MLB Suspends Joe Kelly, Dave Roberts

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Major League Baseball has issued suspensions in the wake of last night’s bench-clearing action between the Dodgers and Astros. Los Angeles righty Joe Kelly was suspended for eight games and manager Dave Roberts received a single-game ban.

Kelly will appeal his suspension, so it’s not going into effect right away. Roberts will go ahead and sit out this evening’s game. His counterpart, Astros skipper Dusty Baker, will be fined for what went down between the two clubs.

In Kelly’s case, the league made several factual determinations that drove the decision. Kelly was deemed to have thrown “in the area of the head” and also to have “taunted” in a manner that spurred the clearing of the benches. The statement also noted that he had previously been suspended for such an incident.

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