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Bo Bichette Back, Teoscar Hernandez And Rowdy Tellez Hopeful To Return Before Playoffs

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The Toronto Blue Jays have pushed their contention window up with a strong first two-thirds of the season. At 24-20, Charlie Montoyo’s club sits half a game ahead of the Yankees for second place in the AL East. If the season ended today, Toronto would find themselves in the playoff bracket for the first time since back-to-back ALCS appearances in 2015 and 2016.

The Blue Jays have remained competitive despite a number of injuries to their offense. Bo Bichette is their biggest absence to date, but he’s back in the lineup for tonight’s game, per Shi Davidi of Sportsnet (via Twitter). They may have other reinforcements on the way as well. GM Ross Atkins sounds hopeful that Rowdy Tellez can return soon, though his language suggests a playoff return is more likely, per Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca (via Twitter). Said Atkins, “Hopefully Rowdy becomes an option for us if not by the end of the season, hopefully by the playoffs.”

Tellez hit the injured list just a couple days ago with a knee strain. For the first 35 games of the season, the Blue Jays featured Tellez prominently as the big first baseman slashed .283/.346/.540 with 8 home runs and 23 RBIs while splitting his time between first base and designated hitter.

Teoscar Hernandez could return to the lineup even sooner, per Nicholson-Smith. The 27-year-old has enjoyed a breakout campaign as his contact and on-base skills have – at least in the small sample of the season – caught up with his considerable power. Over the previous two seasons, Hernandez posted a triple slash of .235/.304/.470 with 8.7 BB%, 32 K%, and a .235 ISO. This season, slight improvements in strikeout rate (28.3 K%) and a robust display of power (.329 ISO) have led to a .308/.358/.637 line with 14 home runs across 159 plate appearances this season for the right fielder. Of course, a .352 BABIP, perhaps brought on a by rising 56.9% Hard Hit percentage, hasn’t hurt his cause either. Per Nicholson-Smith, Hernandez’s recovery has thus far gone better than expected.

Minor League Owners Await Next Steps

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The expiration of the Professional Baseball Agreement between MLB and MiLB arrives in 18 days, at which point MLB is expected to slice a huge segment of affiliated minor league ball clubs from the development pipeline. MLB’s plan to take 120 teams under their governance in a new, streamlined minor league system was viewed as a worst-case scenario for a time, but as the realities of this pandemic-cancelled season have come to pass, minor league clubs are focused more on creating ways to recoup some of their lost revenue.

The biggest hurdle minor league owners are eagerly hoping to clear is the creation of a schedule for the 2021 season, writes Josh Norris of Baseball America. Minor league clubs have already lost a tremendous amount of earning potential through the loss of the 2020 season, which for many teams would have at least provided a last hurrah before elimination, writes Norris.

For most of these clubs, their biggest asset is the facility itself, but with each passing day, opportunities to secure rentals and alternative entertainment options potentially fall by the wayside. Until the schedule for 2021 is set, these minor league clubs don’t know the availability of their buildings, severely limiting any strategic advantage they might have gained through planning and forethought. Essentially, these minor league clubs are preparing to become franchisees of the MLB brand, but right now they don’t know what they’re allowed to put on the menu.

With Pat O’Connor, the President of Minor League Baseball, retiring at the end of the year, there’s little standing in the way of MLB’s restructure plan. But until a schedule for the 2021 season is down on paper, those businesses are stuck in limbo.

White Sox Injury Updates

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The Chicago White Sox are right in the thick of a three-headed teeth-clenching battle for the AL Central division lead. Their 28-16 record – good for a .636 winning percentage – not only has them on pace for 103 wins over a full 162-game season, but it places them a game ahead of the Twins for the division crown with a 2 1/2 game cushion over the Indians.

When it became clear that Luis Robert would start the season with the big league club, expectations rose for the southsiders, but few expected them to make a run for the division lead. Robert, as the brightest star in a shimmering youth movement, has done his part to rise the club’s profile and competitive level with a triple slash of .260/.324/.526 with stellar and eye-catching defense in center.

But beyond the youth movement, Chicago has enjoyed relatively sound health this season from their core producers. Dallas Keuchel’s back issues have put a bit of a damper of that storyline, but he’s hoping to return to start Thursday’s game. Carlos Rodón, however, has been a perennial injured list denizen since making his big-league debut in 2015. The 27-year-old made it back to the bump for two rusty outings early this season before returning to the training room with shoulder soreness. Soreness in his back and ribcage area has kept him out further, but he’s nearing full health.

Rodón plans to throw off a mound as early as Monday in the hopes of returning to the active roster this season, per The Athletic’s James Fegan (via Twitter). This late in the season, especially after such a prolonged absence, means that Rodón is unlikely to reclaim a spot in the rotation. Lucas Giolito has his rotation spot on lock, and Keuchel will be right behind him if he can stay healthy. Dylan Cease, Dane Dunning, Gio Gonzalez, and Reynaldo Lopez are all auditioning to make the playoff rotation. There may be space for Rodón in the bullpen, however.

Manager Rick Renteria may soon have a couple more southpaws at his disposal. After establishing himself as one of the premier worm killers in the game last season, Aaron Bummer has made just 7 appearances this season – strong as they may be. Bummer holds a 1.23 ERA/1.55 FIP over 7 1/3 innings with an absurd 78.6% groundball percentage. It’s a small sample but Bummer also struck out 12 batters in that span, good for 14.73 K/9. Bummer has twice been placed on the injured list with a left biceps strain, but his recovery remains on track. If all continues as planned, Bummer should be able to join the team in time for their final road trip that takes them through the state of Ohio for series with the Reds and Indians, per MLB.com’s Scott Merkin (via Twitter).

A’s Daulton Jefferies To Debut Saturday

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Athletics right-hander Daulton Jefferies will make his major league debut with a start in Game 1 of a doubleheader against the Rangers on Saturday, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle tweets. Jefferies is already on the A’s 40-man roster, so they won’t have to make a corresponding move in that regard.

Jefferies, a California native who attended UC Berkeley, is in his fifth season with the A’s organization. The club spent the 37th overall pick on Jefferies in 2016, but his progress was slowed the next season when he underwent Tommy John surgery. Jefferies rebounded in 2019, though, with 79 innings of 3.42 ERA ball and great strikeout and walk numbers (10.6 K/9 versus 1.0 BB/9) between the High-A and Double-A levels. The 25-year-old is now the A’s fourth-ranked prospect at Baseball America and their No. 6 farmhand at FanGraphs.

It remains to be seen whether Jefferies will last with the A’s beyond their Saturday doubleheader, but he may stick around with an impressive performance. The A’s are running away with the AL West, but their rotation certainly hasn’t offered elite production so far. Sean Manaea, Jesus Luzardo and Chris Bassitt have been their best starters in a rotation that hasn’t gotten a lot from Frankie Montas, Mike Fiers or trade deadline acquisition Mike Minor.

Orioles Designate Mason Williams For Assignment

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The Orioles announced that they’ve designated outfielder Mason Williams for assignment.

Now 29 years old, Williams was a first-round pick of the Yankees in 2010 who hasn’t established himself in the majors. He’s only a .272/.309/.370 hitter across 252 plate appearances, including 52 with the Orioles since 2019. Williams went 2-for-18 with nine strikeouts this season before the Orioles before Friday. They previously DFA’d Williams on Sept. 1 and then outrighted him Sept. 4, only to bring him back for a short period.

Ronald Acuna Jr. Exits With Apparent Foot Injury

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7:19pm: The Braves look to have dodged a bullet. They announced that Acuna underwent X-rays that didn’t reveal a fracture. He’s day-to-day.

6:33pm: Braves star outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. exited their game Friday with an apparent left ankle/foot injury, Mark Bowman of MLB.com was among those to report. Acuna departed after fouling a ball off his foot, and he had to be helped off the field. The Braves replaced him with Ender Inciarte.

The severity of Acuna’s injury isn’t known yet, but anything requiring an absence would be worrisome for the Braves at this late stage in the season. They hold a three-game lead in the NL East, but it’s fair to say they’ll need a healthy Acuna in the fold if they’re going to make a serious run at a World Series in the next couple months.

Acuna missed time earlier in the year with a left wrist injury, but he has been better than ever when he has taken the field. The 22-year-old has slashed a career-best .286/.440/.667 (184 wRC+) with 11 home runs and a personal-high 20.2 percent walk rate in 134 plate appearances.

Red Sox Select Domingo Tapia

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The Red Sox have selected right-hander Domingo Tapia’s contract, Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe tweets. They also placed southpaw Josh Taylor on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to Sept. 8, with left shoulder tendinitis and shifted righty Colten Brewer to the 45-day IL. Brewer’s season is now over.

The 29-year-old Tapia began his professional career as a member of the Mets, with whom he was a decently ranked prospect on multiple occasions (Baseball America placed him in the team’s top 20 three times). But Tapia didn’t get past the Double-A level with the Mets through 2016, his final season with the organization, and topped out in Triple-A ball with the Reds from 2017-18. He spent all of last year with the Red Sox’s Triple-A affiliate, posting a 5.18 ERA/5.31 FIP with 7.09 K/9 and 4.36 BB/9 in 66 innings.

The Red Sox were counting on Taylor to fill  an important role in their bullpen when this season began, but his year has been a nightmare. While Taylor had a very good rookie season last year, his 2020 was a delayed as a result of a positive coronavirus test. Taylor debuted Aug. 17, but he has since surrendered eight earned runs on seven hits and five walks (with seven strikeouts) in 7 1/3 innings.

Reds Outright Matt Davidson

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The Reds have outrighted infielder Matt Davidson, the team announced. Davidson accepted the assignment and will remain part of the organization. Meanwhile, the club placed right-hander Tyler Thornburg on the 10-day injured list with a right elbow sprain and recalled righty Jose De Leon.

The Reds designated Davidson for assignment on Sept. 8, which came after the two-time 20-home run hitter batted .163/.234/.295 with three homers in 47 plate appearances. He also saw a bit of time on the mound, throwing 3 1/3 innings of two-earned run ball.

The elbow problem represents yet another troubling injury for Thornburg, who was a premier reliever with the Brewers in 2016 but has fallen off since the Red Sox acquired him entering 2017. Thornburg missed all of that season, during which he underwent thoracic outlet surgery, and has only totaled 49 2/3 innings in the majors since. The 31-year-old has performed decently in his first season with the Reds, though, having struck out 10 and yielded three earned runs on six hits and five walks.

Blue Jays Announce Several Roster Moves

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The Blue Jays announced several roster moves on Friday, including the activation of reliever Ken Giles from the 45-day injured list. They also promoted catcher Alejandro Kirk, designated outfielder Billy McKinney and backstop Caleb Joseph, recalled righty Jacob Waguespack and optioned righty Sean Reid-Foley.

Giles made just two appearances this year (on July 24 and 26) before landing on the IL with a right forearm strain. It’s the second consecutive season limited by arm injuries for Giles, but when he’s right, he’s dominant. The 29-year-old was among the league’s best relievers last season, when he threw 53 innings and registered a 1.87 ERA/2.27 FIP with 14.09 K/9, 2.89 BB/9 and 23 saves in 24 chances. Giles’ production didn’t help lead to contention for the Jays then, but they’re 24-19 this season and in possession of a playoff spot. Therefore, if Giles is able to revisit his 2019 form, he could be an enormous down-the-stretch addition for Toronto.

Kirk, 21, has done nothing but hit in the minors over the past couple years. Even though he only reached the High-A level before this promotion, Kirk should be in line to at least back up Danny Jansen right now. He ranks as one of the top Blue Jays prospects at Baseball America (No. 5), MLB.com (No. 6) and FanGraphs (No. 6), with BA writing that Kirk “has an innate ability to barrel baseballs consistently, along with a good sense of the strike zone.”

Kirk will take over for Joseph, a former Oriole whom the Blue Jays signed to a minors pact in the offseason. Toronto selected Joseph back on Sept. 5, but it’s now booting the light-hitting 34-year-old from its roster after less than a week.

McKinney, along with the recently outrighted Brandon Drury, was part of the Blue Jays’ return for left-hander J.A. Happ in a deal they made with the Yankees in 2018. McKinney was effective after the Jays picked him up, as he hit .252/.320/.470 with six home runs in 118 plate appearances, but he didn’t come close to that production last year and hasn’t been part of Toronto’s plans this season. The 26-year-old totaled just three PA in 2020 before the Jays designated him.

Cardinals Place Giovanny Gallegos On 10-Day IL

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The Cardinals announced that they’ve placed right-hander Giovanny Gallegos on the 10-day injured list with a right groin strain. They recalled righty Nabil Crismatt from their alternate training site in a corresponding move.

The loss of Gallegos is a significant one for the Cardinals, considering what he has meant to their bullpen since he broke out in 2019. He posted a 2.31 ERA/3.05 FIP in 74 innings then in his first season as a Cardinal and has continued to be a key member of their relief corps this year, having tossed 11 1/3 frames of 3.97 ERA/2.65 FIP pitching with 11.12 K/9 and 2.38 BB/9.

Along with notching strong bottom-line results, Gallegos leads the playoff-contending Cardinals with four saves. Andrew Miller is the only other Cardinal with more than one save (two). Miller and John Gant, St. Louis’ best reliever this year, could be next in line for save chances now that Gallegos is out. It’s unclear how much time Gallegos will miss, but with so little time left, it’s possible he won’t return to the Cardinals this regular season.

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