Headlines

Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Braves Place Nick Markakis On COVID-19 Injured List

By | at

The Braves announced that outfielder Nick Markakis is headed to the injured list after he was “potentially exposed to COVID-19.” Markakis tested negative for the virus, but the Braves noted they want to take a cautious approach.

Of course, this news further explains why the Braves promoted outfield prospect Cristian Pache to the majors earlier this afternoon. Markakis is now the second regular in their outfield to land on the shelf since the weekend, as the Braves previously placed Ronald Acuna Jr. on the IL with a left wrist injury. They’re now down to Pache, Marcell Ozuna, Ender Inciarte and Adam Duvall as their main options in the grass.

Before the regular season began, Markakis was one of several notable veterans around baseball to opt out over coronavirus concerns. However, shortly after the season started, the 36-year-old did a 180 and opted back in. The move has paid off handsomely for Atlanta, as Markakis has batted a stellar .353/.421/.618 in 38 plate appearances. Unfortunately, though, his season will come to a halt for an unknown period of time.

Braves To Promote Cristian Pache

By | at

The Braves are set to promote top outfield prospect Cristian Pache, Kiley McDaniel of ESPN reports. Pache is already on the Braves’ 40-man roster, so they won’t need to make a corresponding move in that regard.

Still just 21 years old, the Dominican-born Pache has been hailed as an elite prospect for a large portion of his Braves tenure, which began in 2016. That hasn’t changed in 2020, as Keith Law of The Athletic (No. 5), Baseball America (13), MLB.com (14), McDaniel (17) and FanGraphs (20) are among those that regard Pache as a top 20 farmhand. McDaniel writes Pache “could be a perennial All-Star if he hits his above-average offensive ceiling,” owing to the 6-foot-2, 185-pounder’s Andruw Jones-esque defensive skills, speed and increased power.

Pache spent the majority of 2019 in Double-A, where he slashed .278/.340/.474 with 11 home runs and eight steals in 433 plate appearances. His numbers dipped in his first Triple-A action, as he hit .274/.337/.411 with one homer in 105 trips to the plate. However, Pache was extremely young for the level, and he did cut his strikeout rate by 7 percent after the Braves bumped him up.

Now that he’s moving up yet again, Pache will join an Atlanta team whose outfield has been missing its top player, Ronald Acuna Jr., who went on the IL last weekend with left wrist inflammation. Fortunately, the Braves have gotten very good to great production from outfielders Marcell Ozuna and Nick Markakis this year, while Adam Duvall has performed decently. On the other hand, Ender Inciarte has endured a miserable season. That and Acuna’s injury combined to open the door for Pache, at least for the time being.

At this stage of the season, the Braves don’t worry about having to burn a year of service time in calling up Pache. Depending on how long he stays up, though, it could have an effect on future Super Two status.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Latest On Jose Quintana

By | at

5:09pm: Manager David Ross said Quintana will throw a sim game this weekend, so his debut will have to wait a bit longer (via Levine).

4:45pm: Cubs left-hander Jose Quintana hasn’t pitched this season as a result of early July thumb surgery, but he could rejoin their rotation as early as this weekend, Gordon Wittenmyer of NBC Sports Chicago relays. Quintana’s in line to throw a sim game at the Cubs’ alternate site Saturday, though the club could decide to bring him to the majors instead.

The loss of Quintana looked like a significant blow to Chicago’s chances when it occurred, but the first-place team’s rotation has managed to thrive – not just survive – without him. Cubs starters will enter play Tuesday third in ERA (3.33) and FIP (3.32), largely because Yu Darvish has returned to being one of the premier pitchers in baseball and Kyle Hendricks has been his usual front-of-the-rotation self. Meantime, Jon Lester and Alec Mills have posted sub-3.00 ERAs (albeit with far less impressive peripherals) across a combined seven starts.

Like Darvish, Hendricks and Lester, the 31-year-old Quintana brings an extensive MLB track record to the table. The longtime workhorse’s run prevention wasn’t as solid as it typically has been last year, but he still gave the Cubs 171 innings of 4.68 ERA/3.80 FIP pitching with 8.0 K/9 and 2.42 BB/9. Considering he’s due to become a free agent after the season, it’ll be interesting to see if Quintana enjoys a bounce-back over the next several weeks.

When Quintana does return, it seems likely he’ll take Tyler Chatwood’s place in the Cubs’ staff. Chatwood was dominant in his first two starts of the season, but he suffered through a 2 1/3-inning, eight-earned run nightmare against the Royals Aug. 6. Chatwood went on the IL this past Sunday with a back strain, and pitching coach Tommy Hottovy said Tuesday he’s seeking a second opinion from an orthopedic specialist, per Bruce Levine of 670 The Score.

Rays Place Jose Alvarado On 10-Day Injured List

By | at

AUG. 18: Alvarado visited a doctor in New York on Monday, and the Rays will shut him down from throwing for 10 to 14 days, manager Kevin Cash announced (Twitter links via Juan Toribio of MLB.com and Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times). Alvarado appears to have a lat strain, per Cash.

AUG. 15: The Rays have placed southpaw Jose Alvarado on the 10-day injured list due to shoulder inflammation.  Right-hander Aaron Slegers was called up to take Alvarado’s place in Tampa’s bullpen.

Alvarado has a 6.00 ERA over nine innings for the Rays this season, with much of that damage stemming from a tough outing (four earned runs in two-thirds of an inning) last night against the Blue Jays.  Alvarado also recorded two walks and two strikeouts during that brief appearance, upping his season numbers to a 6.0 BB/9 and a 13.0 K/9.

A return to the IL is troublesome for Alvarado considering he already missed quite a bit of time during the 2019 season.  Alvarado was limited to 30 innings pitched due to an oblique injury, elbow soreness, and also attending to a family medical situation for almost a month.  It’s fair to say these issues contributed to Alvarado’s career-high 4.80 ERA in 2019, as he has previously delivered much better results during the 2017-18 campaigns — a 2.79 ERA over 93 2/3 frames out of the Rays’ pen, with a 10.5 K/9, and 2.87 K/BB rate.

Indians Activate Roberto Perez From IL

By | at

The Indians have reinstated catcher Roberto Perez from the injured list, per Zack Meisel of The Athletic. They recalled outfielder Greg Allen in a corresponding move.

Perez hasn’t played since July 28, after which he landed on the shelf with a right shoulder injury. The Indians have had to turn to Sandy Leon and Beau Taylor behind the plate in Perez’s absence, and the results haven’t been pretty.

Although the Indians have gotten off to a good start at 13-9, their catchers have hit a shockingly ineffective .088/.225/.147 in 80 plate appearances. Some of that has been Perez’s doing, though he only took 11 PA prior to his injury. And Perez was one of the game’s top all-around catchers just last season, when he put up respectable offense (.239/.321/.452 with 24 home runs in 449 trips to the plate), threw out a league-high 41 percent of would-be base thieves and earned excellent marks as a framer.

Leon, meanwhile, will miss at least the next few days, Meisel reports. He’s going on temporary leave to tend to a family matter.

Mets Place David Peterson On Injured List

By | at

The Mets have placed left-hander David Peterson on the 10-day injured list with shoulder fatigue, Tim Healey of Newsday tweets. In other moves, they recalled righties Drew Smith and Corey Oswalt and optioned RHP Franklyn Kilome.

Peterson exited his most recent start last Thursday with shoulder discomfort, though he was supposed to take the ball tonight before this news came down. The Mets will presumably start Oswalt instead, and if their career numbers to this point are any indication, the drop-off will be significant.

While Peterson is only in first season, he has been one of the few bright spots out of the Mets’ rotation in 2020. Peterson has been one of the game’s best rookies so far, in fact, having logged a 2.91 ERA/4.00 FIP with 7.06 K/9 and 3.32 BB/9 in 21 2/3 innings. Meanwhile, over 75 1/3 lifetime frames, Oswalt has limped to a 6.69 ERA/6.75 FIP.

The hope is that Peterson will return in short order, but shoulder injuries are ominous and time’s already running out on this season. Furthermore, the Mets have gotten out to a weak 10-14 start thanks in no small part to what has become a questionable rotation behind Jacob deGrom and Peterson. It looked promising a few months back, but Noah Syndergaard has since undergone Tommy John surgery and Marcus Stroman decided to opt out. Meanwhile, offseason signings Rick Porcello and Michael Wacha haven’t prevented runs at acceptable clips, nor has holdover Steven Matz. The Mets did just add reliever Robert Gsellman to their starting staff, but he only threw 1 2/3 innings in a start against the Marlins on Monday.

Starlin Castro Suffers Broken Wrist

By | at

AUG. 18: Manager Dave Martinez announced Castro will undergo surgery this Friday, Todd Dybas of NBCSW was among those to report. Castro’s optimistic he’ll return for the playoffs if the Nationals qualify.

AUG. 14: The Nationals announced that second baseman Starlin Castro has suffered a broken right wrist. He has been placed on the 10-day injured list.

That diagnosis comes after Castro departed the team’s contest earlier today. It explains why the Nats suddenly decided to promote top infield prospect Luis Garcia, a move that is now official.

Garcia will debut at twenty nears and ninety days of age. Castro was actually a shade younger when he first hit the majors back in 2010. He has had some ups and downs since but has generally been a solid overall performer.

Castro inked a two-year, $12MM deal over the offseason to join the defending World Series champs. He had been off to a productive start, slashing .283/.317/.467 over 63 plate appearances entering action today.

Precisely how long Castro will be sidelined isn’t yet known, but it’s likely beside the point. At this stage of the calendar, it’s hard to imagine he’ll be able to recover and ramp back up in time to return before the regular season wraps up.

Rangers Select Luis Garcia, Place Juan Nicasio On Restricted List

By | at

The Rangers have selected right-hander Luis Garcia’s contract from their alternate training site, per a team announcement. To make room for Garcia, the Rangers placed righty Juan Nicasio on the restricted list.

The 33-year-old Garcia may now get a chance to pitch in the majors for an eighth straight season. He divided 2013-19 between the Phillies and Angels, with whom he combined for a 4.17 ERA/4.29 FIP with 8.22 K/9, 4.64 BB/9 and a 55.4 percent groundball rate. At his best, the hard-throwing Garcia gave the Phillies 71 1/3 innings of 2.35 ERA/3.12 FIP ball in 2017, but he struggled mightily over the previous two seasons. As a result, Garcia had to settle for the Rangers’ minor league offer over the winter.

Nicasio, also 33 and another veteran reliever whom the Rangers inked to a minors pact, is down for “personal reasons.” He made his first two Rangers appearances Sunday and Monday, but those outings were disastrous. Nicasio combined to give up six earned runs on five hits and two walks in 1 1/3 innings in a pair of Texas losses.

Marlins Announce Series Of Roster Moves

By | at

The Marlins announced a series of roster moves Tuesday, including the contract selections of right-hander Brett Eibner and lefty Brandon Leibrandt. They also optioned righties Jordan Yamamoto and Justin Shafer and infielder Lewin Diaz to their alternate training site; moved righty Mike Morin to the 45-day injured list; placed lefty Brian Moran on the 10-day IL with right knee patella tendonitis; recalled righty Humberto Mejia from their training site; and reinstated outfielder Corey Dickerson from the paternity list.

Eibner, a former Royals and Dodgers outfielder, last appeared in the majors in 2017. He switched to a two-way role thereafter and performed well enough as a pitcher in independent ball for the Marlins to recently purchase his contract from the Eastern Reyes del Tigre of the Constellation Energy League.

Leibrandt also isn’t far removed from joining the Marlins, who inked the ex-Phillies farmhand to a minors pact earlier this month. Most recently a member of the independent Somerset Patriots, the 27-year-old has never pitched in the bigs. He did enjoy a productive season in Triple-A ball in 2018, though, before succumbing to Tommy John surgery.

Orioles Place Jose Iglesias On 10-Day Injured List

By | at

The Orioles have placed shortstop Jose Iglesias on the 10-day injured list (retroactive to August 16) due to a left quad injury, the team announced.  Infielder Ramon Urias has been called up from the alternate training site to take Iglesias’ spot on the Baltimore roster.

Known as a defensive specialist over his eight seasons prior to 2020, Iglesias has almost doubled his 84 OPS+ from 2011-19 with a whopping 166 OPS+ through 58 plate appearances this season.  Small sample size notwithstanding, Iglesias’ .400/.414/.564 slash line has been a key reason why the surprising Orioles are keeping pace in the playoff race with a 12-10 record.

Despite his production, Iglesias has been bothered by his quad all season.  He hasn’t played since last Saturday, so clearly the Orioles felt an IL stint was necessary to get the veteran shortstop fully recovered.

Andrew Velazquez has been filling in at short in Iglesias’ absence, and Urias could also help in this regard given his experience at all four infield positions.  A longtime veteran of both the Mexican League and 298 minor league games in the Rangers’ and Cardinals’ farm systems, the 26-year-old Urias is on the verge of his first Major League appearance.  Urias hit .263/.369/.424 with nine homers over 375 PA with the Cardinals’ Triple-A affiliate in 2019.

MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

hide arrows scroll to top