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Nate Pearson Undergoes MRI For Elbow Injury

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Aug. 20: Pearson underwent an MRI, general manager Ross Atkins tells reporters (Twitter link via Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet). The team is “not initially overly concerned,” per Atkins. They’ll get official results and provide additional information later today.

Aug. 19: In an ominous bit of injury news, the Blue Jays have placed top pitching prospect Nate Pearson on the 10-day injured list due to “tightness” in his right elbow, manager Charlie Montoyo tells reporters (Twitter link via Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet). Pearson, who alerted the Jays to some discomfort following last night’s start, is being sent for some testing but did say he’s feeling better this morning.

Lauded as one of the game’s top 10 overall prospects entering the year, Pearson’s debut effort was excellent. The righty flashed a power fastball and hurled five shutout frames against the Nationals, punching out five batters along the way. Things have been rough since that time, though, particularly in his two most recent outings. Pearson has yielded a dozen earned runs with more walks (10) than strikeouts (9) in 11 1/3 frames — all while serving up a whopping five long balls. Pearson seemed to avoid his fastball last night, throwing it just 40 percent of the time after leaning on it at a 53 percent clip through his first three outings.

The hope for both the Jays and baseball fans in general, of course, is that Pearson is dealing with a minor ailment and can quickly bounce back to health. He’s missed time as a prospect, but never due to elbow or shoulder woes. (An intercostal strain and fractured forearm have previously suppressed his workloads.) Scouts seem to agree that the 23-year-old Pearson carries legitimate top-of-the-rotation talent, and he’s viewed as a critical core component for an up-and-coming Jays club.

For the time being, Jacob Waguespack is up from the alternate training site to take Pearson’s spot on the roster. The Jays are will also activate righty Trent Thornton off the injured list to make a start in tomorrow’s doubleheader. That pair gives the team some rotation depth, and the Jays also have Sean Reid-Foley, T.J. Zeuch, Thomas Pannone and Sam Gaviglio at their alternate site.

Yankees Place Zack Britton On Injured List, Option Miguel Andujar

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The Yankees have placed lefty Zack Britton on the 10-day injured list due to a strained left hamstring and optioned infielder/outfielder Miguel Andujar to their alternate training site, per a club announcement. Right-handers Ben Heller and Miguel Yajure are up from the alternate site in a pair of corresponding moves.

Britton, 32, appeared to sustain the injury while covering first base last night. He had an MRI earlier this morning that confirmed the strain prior to the team’s announcement. Presumably, manager Aaron Boone will have more information on the severity of the strain and the expected recovery timeline when he next addresses reporters.

It’s a tough loss for a Yankees club that hoped to have its bullpen back to full strength after welcoming Aroldis Chapman back from the IL. Britton pitched quite well as the interim closer for the Yanks, yielding just two runs on six hits and four walks with nine strikeouts through nine innings. He’s picked up eight saves in 2020, and while his ground-ball rate is “down” to 60 percent this year, that still rates well above the league average.

This marks the second time in 2020 that Andujar, 25, has been optioned to the minors. The 2018 Rookie of the Year runner-up went 1-for-7 with a single and a walk in his latest brief stint at the big league level. Shoulder surgery wiped out what would’ve been Andujar’s second full season in the big leagues, and the club has struggled to find opportunities for him now that he’s healthy. The Yanks have gotten Andujar some reps in the outfield, but their lineup is crowded with quality options that have relegated him to more of a depth option at the moment (even with a few key position players injured).

The Yankees currently have Aaron Judge, DJ LeMahieu and Giancarlo Stanton on the injured list. In their absence, Mike Tauchman is seemingly in line for regular outfield work, hot-hitting Clint Frazier logging action at DH and Tyler Wade shouldering the workload at second base. Andujar will need to be down for at least 10 days unless he’s recalled as the corresponding move for placing another player on the injured list.

Pirates President Travis Williams Tests Positive For Covid-19

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The Pirates announced Thursday that team president Travis Williams has tested positive for Covid-19. The club has conducted contact tracing to identify the potential for infections elsewhere in the organization, but Williams was not in contact with players, coaches or support staff leading up to his positive test, as the the team on the road. In a press release, Williams offered the following statement:

I have recently tested positive for COVID-19 after feeling the onset of symptoms on Monday evening. Fortunately, however, I followed the critical health and safety protocols that we have put in place, including wearing a mask as required, maintaining safe social distance and, upon the onset of symptoms, immediately isolating myself and getting tested which has prevented further impact to others. We have also conducted a thorough contact tracing procedure to identify anyone who I may have possibly been in contact with, which does not include any of our players, members of our coaching staff, or our baseball operations support staff as the team had been on the road. At this time, we have no known additional positive tests within our organization.

I am on the road to recovery. In the meantime, I wanted to use my diagnosis as another reminder that we are all susceptible. It is critical we all follow CDC guidelines and state mandates, and have a heightened sense of self awareness in order to protect each other. We all must do our part to get through this pandemic together.

The Pirates recently returned home from what was supposed to be a seven-game road trip, although five of their seven scheduled games were postponed due to the Cardinals’ team outbreak and the recent positive test on the Reds. They’re currently hosting the Indians for a three-game series and will then host the Brewers for another three-game set before heading back out on the road.

Tigers Designate Carson Fulmer For Assignment

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The Tigers announced this morning that right-hander Carson Fulmer has been designated for assignment in order to open a spot on the roster for fellow righty Buck Farmer, who has been formally reinstated from the injured list.

Detroit claimed the out-of-options Fulmer earlier this year after the White Sox cut bait on the former No. 8 overall draft pick. The Tigers had hoped a change of scenery might help Fulmer turn things around after a dismal tenure in Chicago — 6.56 ERA, 83-to-64 K/BB ratio in 94 2/3 innings — but the former Vanderbilt star’s struggles continued. Fulmer tossed 6 2/3 frames with the Tigers and yielded five runs on eight hits, three walks and a hit batter with seven punchouts.

With the much more established Farmer returning from the injured list, the Tigers needed to either option out a different player or designate Fulmer for assignment, as his lack of options prevents him from being sent down without first clearing waivers. The Tigers will have a week to trade Fulmer, release him or try to pass the once-vaunted righty through waivers themselves. If he does clear, they’d be able to keep him in the organization’s 60-man player pool without dedicating a 40-man roster spot to him. At that point, Fulmer could head to the Tigers’ alternate training site in hopes of earning another look in the big leagues before season’s end.

Mets Move Steven Matz To Bullpen; Seth Lugo Joining Rotation

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The Mets have moved left-hander Steven Matz to the bullpen and will shift setup man Seth Lugo back into a starting role, manager Luis Rojas revealed after last night’s game (Twitter link via Deesha Thosar of the New York Daily News). Lugo will take the ball to start tonight’s game.

The 29-year-old Matz was excellent in his first start of 2020 but has since been clobbered for 22 runs on 28 hits (eight homers) and five walks in just 17 innings. He hasn’t gotten out of the fifth in any of his past three starts and is toting a 9.00 ERA in 23 frames overall. Lugo, meanwhile, has once again been sharp out of the ’pen, with a 2.61 ERA and an 11-to-2 K/BB ratio in 10 1/3 frames. By subtracting him from the late-inning mix, the Mets are betting that others like Justin Wilson, Jeurys Familia, Brad Brach, Dellin Betances and most importantly Edwin Diaz will be able to find consistent success as games draw to a close. Lugo has a career 2.53 ERA and 2.88 FIP in 188 2/3 relief innings, compared to a 4.06 ERA and 4.16 FIP in 168 1/3 innings as a starter.

It’s the latest shakeup in a Mets season that has been punctuated by rotation troubles. The Mets believed they’d stockpiled a strong group of starters, one through six, but only Jacob deGrom has performed as hoped. Noah Syndergaard didn’t pitch after undergoing Tommy John surgery in May, and Marcus Stroman opted out of the 2020 season entirely. Matz has stumbled through one of the bleakest stretches of his career, while reclamation projects Rick Porcello and Michael Wacha haven’t paid dividends. Porcello, to his credit, has had some rough luck on balls in play and pitched much better since a disastrous Mets debut. Wacha is on the injured list due to shoulder inflammation.

The Mets’ options beyond that sextet have long appeared to be lacking, although 2017 first-rounder David Peterson proved to be a bright spot … until he landed on the injured list due to shoulder troubles of his own. It’s notable that a recent MRI confirmed that there’s no structural damage in Peterson’s shoulder (Twitter link via MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand), but he still won’t be an option until next week.

Aside from Peterson, fallback options like Corey Oswalt and Walker Lockett haven’t impressed. The club has instead shifted Robert Gsellman and now Lugo back into the starting mix. It wasn’t long ago that there was some spirited debate over whether that pair would be starters or relievers for the long haul. Both settled in as bullpen pieces, with Lugo in particular emerging as a high-end option. But the inadequacies among current Mets starters have now forced both right-handers back into the rotation picture.

Lugo will join deGrom, Porcello, Gsellman and (once healthy) Peterson in a rotation that can’t resemble anything the Mets’ front office might have anticipated heading into the season. But for all their pitching woes, the Mets remain in the playoff hunt thanks to a strong offense that ranks second in MLB with a 122 wRC+. They’ve rattled off three straight wins, and while they’re sitting at a pedestrian 12-14 on the year, the good news for them is that the rest of the NL East looks similarly underwhelming. The Braves lead the way at 14-11, but their own rotation has been decimated by injury, leaving ample space for the Mets to close the mere two-and-a-half game gap that separates them.

Given that the Wilpon family is reportedly deep in the process of fielding offers to sell the club, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Mets approach the looming Aug. 31 trade deadline with a clear buyer’s mentality. This could be the last opportunity for current ownership to secure the World Series title that alluded them when they fell to the Royals in 2015, and it only stands to reason that they’d take one final shot while they have the chance.

As for Matz himself, his future is decidedly murky. He could be a potential change-of-scenery candidate with the deadline looming, and even if he sticks with the Mets, he’ll have limited opportunities to turn things around as a low-leverage bullpen option. He’s on a $5MM salary for the 2020 season and will be arbitration-eligible for a third and final time this winter. It’s hardly a given that the Mets will want to allocate the necessary resources to retain him through the arbitration process.

Minor MLB Transactions: 8/19/20

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The latest minor moves…

  • Before the second game of their doubleheader against the Cubs on Wednesday, the Cardinals selected right-hander Johan Oviedo from their alternate site and optioned Jesus Cruz. The 22-year-old Oviedo started the game and impressed in his major league debut, throwing five innings of two-run, four-strikeout ball with two hits and two walks allowed. Oviedo is in his fourth year in the St. Louis organization, and though he had a difficult time in his first season in Triple A last year (5.65 ERA, 5.1 BB/9 over 113 innings), he is regarded as a rather promising prospect. All of FanGraphs (No. 12), Baseball America (13) and MLB.com (13) place Oviedo among the Cardinals’ top 15 farmhands. FanGraphs wrote in the offseason that the 6-foot-6 Oviedo has mid-rotation potential, but it’ll depend on whether can improve his control. Not bad so far.

Alex Bregman Exits With Hamstring Injury

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9:50pm: Bregman left with hamstring discomfort and is day to day, Mark Berman of Fox 26 was among those to report.

8:41pm: Astros superstar third baseman Alex Bregman exited their game Wednesday with a potential leg or ankle injury, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle tweets. Bregman departed immediately after limping to second base on a double.

More on the severity of Bregman’s issue should be known soon, though it’s obvious losing him for any extended period would be yet another massive blow to an injury-riddled Houston club. The Astros lost one of their premier hitters, Yordan Alvarez, for the season because of a knee injury Wednesday. They’ve also been without reigning AL Cy Young winner Justin Verlander for almost all of the campaign on account of a forearm strain, and there’s no word on when he could return. Furthermore, Michael Brantley, Roberto Osuna, Aledmys Diaz, Brad Peacock and Jose Urquidy are also on the IL right now.

To the Astros’ credit, they have overcome their injury obstacles to begin the season 13-10, just one game back of wild-card position. Bregman has helped keep them afloat with a .272/.374/.500 line and four home runs in 108 plate appearances. Those aren’t the otherworldly, MVP-type numbers Bregman put up from 2018-19, but they’re still far above the league average.

Diamondbacks Select Matt Grace

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The Diamondbacks announced that they’ve selected left-hander Matt Grace from their alternate training site. In a corresponding move, they placed southpaw Andrew Chafin on the 10-day injured list with a left finger sprain.

Grace saw action with the Nationals in each season from 2015-19, though he didn’t take part in their run to the World Series last season. He made his final appearance with the Nats last Aug. 23, and the team designated him for assignment after that. The Diamondbacks then brought him in on a minor league deal in the offseason.

Grace struggled to a 6.36 ERA in 46 2/3 innings in his final season in Washington, but he did put up OK overall numbers during his time there. In all, he threw 176 1/3 frames of 4.29 ERA/4.04 FIP ball with 6.74 K/9, 2.5 BB/9 and a 53.4 percent groundball rate.

Chafin has been a quality reliever for the D-backs since his debut in 2014, but this season has not gone according to plan for the 30-year-old. He has already surrendered six earned runs on nine hits and four walks in 6 2/3 innings, and both lefties and righties have given him trouble so far.

Ian Gibaut, Chris Woodward Suspended Over Machado/Tatis Incident

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AUG. 19: Gibaut’s suspension was reduced to two games and he has dropped his appeal, the Rangers announced. He’ll begin serving the ban tonight.

AUG. 18: Major League Baseball has suspended Rangers right-hander Ian Gibaut three games and manager Chris Woodward one game for a controversial incident Monday that saw Gibaut throw behind Padres star Manny Machado.  Gibaut and Woodward were also both fined.  Gibaut is appealing his suspension while Woodward will serve his suspension for today’s game.

During Monday’s game, the Padres were leading the Rangers 10-3 in the eighth inning when Fernando Tatis Jr. came to the plate with the bases loaded.  Tatis swung on a 3-0 pitch from Juan Nicasio that resulted in a grand slam, prompting Gibaut to replace Nicasio on the mound.  Machado was the next batter up after Tatis, and Gibaut’s first pitch to Machado was behind the third baseman’s back.  No ejections or warnings were issued after the pitch, though the umpiring crew did meet on the field to discuss the situation.

After the game, Woodward told MLB.com’s AJ Cassavell and other reporters that wasn’t pleased by Tatis’ swing.  “There’s a lot of unwritten rules that are constantly being challenged in today’s game.  I didn’t like it, personally,” Woodward said.  “You’re up by seven [runs] in the eighth inning; it’s typically not a good time to swing 3-0.  It’s kind of the way we were all raised in the game.  But, like I said, the norms are being challenged on a daily basis, so — just because I don’t like it doesn’t mean it’s not right.”

Even Tatis’ own manager Jayce Tingler wasn’t entirely pleased, noting that Tatis missed a take sign on the pitch.  “He’s young, a free spirit and focused and all those things. That’s the last thing that we’ll ever take away. But it’s a learning opportunity,” Tingler said.

Woodward and Tingler each received widespread criticism for their comments, with Woodward’s citation of baseball’s “unwritten rules” drawing particular derision.  Many current and past players (including such legends as Reggie Jackson and Johnny Bench) have defended Tatis, with Cardinals ace Jack Flaherty providing perhaps the most succinct counterpoint: “Don’t like it… don’t fall behind 3-0, pretty simple.“

The suspensions to both Gibaut and Woodward indicate a clear feeling on the part of the league that the pitch to Machado was intentional, and to that end, it is somewhat surprising that Woodward only received one game (if the league felt he directed Gibaut to throw behind Machado).  MLB has taken a generally stricter line for on-field discipline this year as part of their health and safety procedures, though this particular incident didn’t lead to anything like a brawl or even an open argument between the two teams.

Angels Move Julio Teheran To Bullpen

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Right-hander Julio Teheran was a key offseason acquisition for the Angels, but the right-hander has struggled out of their rotation so far. Manager Joe Maddon said Wednesday the Angels will move Teheran to their bullpen as a result, Maria Torres of the Los Angeles Times was among those to report. The Angels haven’t named a replacement, though Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register suggests it could be Jaime Barria or Matt Andriese.

The 29-year-old Teheran joined the Angels on a one-year, $9MM contract in free agency. At the time, he was coming off a long and respectable run as a workhorse in Atlanta, where he pitched from 2011-19. Teheran ended his Braves tenure with seven straight seasons of over 170 innings and a cumulative 3.67 ERA/4.23 FIP.

The production Teheran gave Atlanta would’ve been (and still would be) welcome for the Angels, who have struggled to find consistent rotation options in recent years. But Teheran, whose 2020 was delayed because of coronavirus concerns, has fallen flat in three starts, in which he combined for a mere eight innings. At the same time, he has already given up 11 earned runs on 13 hits, including six homers, with five walks against six strikeouts.

Of course, Teheran’s far from the only disappointment on an Angels club that hoped to contend this year but has instead gotten off to a dismal 8-16 start. They seem to be lining up as sellers heading into the Aug. 31 trade deadline, and with Teheran just a few months from another trip to free agency, the Angels could try to move him. That will be a tall order, though, unless he rebounds from their bullpen over a short period of time.

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