Cubs To Activate Ben Zobrist
The Cubs will activate veteran utilityman Ben Zobrist when active rosters expand on Sunday, Bruce Levine of 670thescore.com reports on Twitter. That’ll necessitate a 40-man roster move, as Zobrist has been on the restricted list.
Zobrist, 38, has been away from the Chicago organization since early May for personal reasons. He has slowly worked his way back into playing shape and game speed over recent weeks, playing a dozen rehab games while also spending stretches at home. It’s an unusual situation, but one that has unfolded with the blessings of the team.
When he returns, Zobrist will not only be looking to shake off the rust and re-adjust to the grind while entering a full-throated postseason race. He’ll also be looking to bounce back from a brutal stretch of play to open the season. Zobrist reached base at a .343 clip but managed only a single extra-base hit in 99 plate appearances. He hasn’t exactly shredded minor-league pitching on his rehab stint, slashing .189/.333/.405 in 45 trips to the plate.
Despite that tepid recent showing, skipper Joe Maddon says he won’t have any issue plugging Zobrist in at the top of the order. Zobrist surely won’t be thrown back into everyday duties, particularly with so many other mouths to feed in the Cubs position-player mix. But when he is written into the lineup, it makes sense that he’d be utilized at the top. Despite his recent power outage, Zobrist has walked more than he has struck out in his game action this season.
It’s unclear as yet how the Cubs will distribute playing time. David Bote just re-joined the roster. Presumably, Albert Almora and Daniel Descalso will as well in short order. Backstop Willson Contreras isn’t far behind. So long as the 40-man logistics and player expectations can be managed, that ought to leave Maddon with loads of options in any given game.
Yankees Activate Luke Voit, Place Gio Urshela On IL
The Yankees announced Friday that they’ve reinstated first baseman Luke Voit from the injured list and placed third baseman Gio Urshela on the 10-day IL due to a left groin injury.
Voit, 28, hasn’t played in a month thanks to an abdominal injury that, at one point, looked like it could require surgery. Rather than undergo a sports hernia procedure, though, the burgeoning slugger was able to rest and rehab the injury sufficiently enough to suit up for a minor league rehab assignment recently. To say that Voit didn’t miss a beat would perhaps be putting things mildly; in four games with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, he went 8-for-17 with two doubles, two home runs and two walks (against two strikeouts).
This marked the second time in 2019 that Voit missed time due to abdominal injuries, but those have been the only blemish on an otherwise excellent showing in his first full season of big league duty. In 94 games (416 plate appearances), he’s hitting .278/.392/.493 with 19 home runs, 16 doubles and a triple. Overall, he’s raked at a .293/.395/.547 clip in Yankee Pinstripes, although the trade that brought him from St. Louis to the Bronx now looks quite a bit less lopsided in light of righty Giovanny Gallegos‘ own breakout in the Cardinals’ bullpen.
Speaking of breakouts (and of players named Giovanny), the 27-year-old Urshela has erupted at the plate this summer. Long touted as a steady defender with questionable offensive capabilities, he’s not only looked like a potential regular but been one of the Yankees’ best hitters. In 414 trips to the dish, he’s laid waste to MLB pitching with a .331/.370/.555 batting line.
While his .366 average on balls in play still looks ripe for some regression, Urshela’s hard-hit rate and average exit velocity are both well above the league average. Statcast pegs him as one of the game’s leaders in expected batting average, slugging percentage and weight on-base average. In short: he’s hitting with excellent power and demonstrating previously unseen levels of power. Offensive breakouts throughout the league abound in 2019 amid questions about structural changes to the baseball itself, but it’s impossible to ignore just how valuable Urshela has been for the Yankees to date.
The Yankees didn’t provide any sort of timeline on Urshela, so it remains unclear just how long he’ll be sidelined. Presumably, manager Aaron Boone will have an update later tonight. In his absence, the Yankees can still lean on a high-quality quartet of Voit, DJ LeMahieu, Didi Gregorius and Gleyber Torres around the infield, though the roster is unequivocally stronger with a healthy Urshela in tow.
Indians Sign Ryan Lavarnway
The Indians announced Friday that they’ve signed veteran catcher Ryan Lavarnway to a minor league contract and assigned him to Triple-A Columbus.
Lavarnway, 32, appeared in five games with the Reds this summer amid a series of injuries to Cincinnati’s catching corps, hitting .278/.316/.722 with a pair of homers in 19 plate appearances. He’s a lifetime .211/.270/.343 hitter at the MLB level and a .271/.363/.426 hitter in parts of nine seasons of Triple-A ball.
The Indians have both Roberto Perez and Kevin Plawecki as catching options on the big league roster, but Lavarnway will become a candidate to get a look once rosters expand on Sunday. He’ll provide some direct competition to Columbus catcher Eric Haase, who previously appeared a good bet to join the Indians as a September call-up.
Minor MLB Transactions: 8/30/19
Here are Friday’s minor moves from around the game…
- The Twins released veteran infielder Ivan De Jesus Jr. from his minor league deal, per the Triple-A International League transactions log. The 32-year-old has split the 2019 season between the Twins and White Sox systems, hitting a combined .235/.337/.325 through 194 plate appearances. He’s seen action both in Double-A and Triple-A, primarily logging innings at second base and third base. At one point, De Jesus was considered a well-regarded prospect with the Dodgers, but he never established himself in the Majors despite multiple stints with three different clubs. In parts of four MLB seasons, De Jesus hit .242/.303/.327 through 545 plate appearances. His most recent look in the bigs came with the 2016 Reds.
NL West Notes: D-backs, Dodgers’ Rotation, Richards
The Diamondbacks have had mixed results when buying low on relievers under GM Mike Hazen’s regime, but Hazen tells The Athletic’s Zach Buchanan (subscription required) that prior outcomes won’t close off his mind to any avenues when building his ‘pen this winter. “Shutting yourself off to whatever’s happened in the past, or hard-and-fast making rules that you won’t do something again, that just sets you up to miss out on the next opportunity,” said Hazen.
Arizona’s run with the Fernando Rodney Experience yielded solid results in 2017, though more recent matches with Brad Boxberger and in particular, Greg Holland, have been less fruitful. The Diamondbacks’ low-cost acquisition of Yoshihisa Hirano has paid dividends. The organization has plenty of young arms it could trot out next season in hopes of compiling a strong collective unit, but Hazen also cautioned against leaning too heavily on young relievers, which can be tantamount to “flipping coins” in the ‘pen. A high-end bullpen signing would be out of character for Hazen & Co., but it seems reasonable to expect some upside plays to pair with the team’s incumbent options.
More out of the NL West…
- The Dodgers have moved to a six-man rotation recently, and manager Dave Roberts said Thursday that he plans to continue that arrangement for the time being (link via MLB.com’s Jake Rill). The current six-man alignment has given the team more opportunity to work in some rest for the suddenly struggling Hyun-Jin Ryu. The lefty, who accepted a $17.9MM qualifying offer last offseason, was dominant through July but has served up 18 runs in 14 2/3 innings since returning from a brief IL stint due to neck soreness earlier this month. Beyond Ryu, the Dodgers have Clayton Kershaw, Kenta Maeda, Walker Buehler and rookies Tony Gonsolin and Dustin May as rotation options. They’re also likely to get right-hander Ross Stripling back from the injured list this weekend, giving them another candidate to make some starts or long relief appearances should they need to rest Ryu or any of their other arms in advance of the postseason.
- Garrett Richards returned to the mound after a setback slowed him for three weeks in his rehab from Tommy John surgery. The 31-year-old allowed four runs and walked four hitters in 1 2/3 innings of work for Class-A Advanced Lake Elsinore. Signed by the Padres to a two-year, $15.5MM deal in the offseason, Richards is eyeing a September return to the big league mound and told the San Diego Union-Tribune’s Jeff Sanders last night that he considered yesterday’s outing a positive step — even if the bottom-line results were ugly. Fewer than half of Richards’ 53 pitches were strikes, but the former Angels righty explained that he felt his delivery was consistent, his pitches moved well and that he could’ve kept pitching. Richards hit 95 mph in the first inning of the start, per Sanders, and he’ll join the Friars today to discuss the next steps in his journey back to a Major League mound. Signing Richards was always a move geared toward 2020, but the Padres would assuredly love to get a look at him this year as they begin to map out their plans for next year.
Infield Notes: Odor, Padres, Hayes, Moncada
Rangers general manager Jon Daniels suggested last week the club could reduce beleaguered second baseman Rougned Odor‘s playing time. Manager Chris Woodward was even more aggressive Thursday in saying the Rangers need better from Odor, telling TR Sullivan of MLB.com that he’s “obviously got to show some improvement.” Otherwise, the Rangers will “have to make some decisions,” Woodward said, adding: “We are willing to withstand some lack of production, but this is the big leagues. I hate to say it, but you’ve got to be good to play every day, and he knows.” Woodward believes the rest of the season will be critical for Odor, who has turned in abysmal production for the second time since 2017. Prospect Nick Solak has been eating into Odor’s playing time of late as a result. Contrary to the inexpensive Solak, Odor’s causing a sizable dent in the Texas payroll. He’ll earn a guaranteed $36MM from 2020-22, including a $3MM buyout for ’23. Finances notwithstanding, Woodward will be reluctant to continue penciling Odor into the lineup if he continues putting up bottom-of-the-barrel numbers.
- The Padres are anticipating a heated second base competition next spring between Luis Urias and Ty France, per AJ Cassavell of MLB.com. Urias is the more hyped player of the duo, as he’s not far removed from a run as an elite prospect, but San Diego doesn’t want to simply hand him a starting job. The 22-year-old has recorded weak offensive totals since he debuted in the majors last season, having logged a .191/.302/.289 line through 202 trips to the plate, though Urias has been much more productive this month. He also laid waste to Triple-A pitching earlier this season. France, 25, has been even better this season at that level, where he has performed like one of the premier hitters in the minors with a jaw-dropping .399/.477/.770 line and 27 home runs over 348 PA. However, like Urias, France hasn’t done much at the big league level to this point.
- Pirates GM Neal Huntington is seemingly leaving the door open for the club to promote one of its top prospects, third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes, when rosters expand this Sunday. The 22-year-old hasn’t thrived overall this season in his first action at Triple-A, where he has batted .266/.334/.420 in 459 plate appearances, but he has caught fire since a slow start. Asked if the defensively adept Hayes’ recent success with the bat could lead to his first major league call-up, Huntington told Rob Biertempfel of The Athletic (subscription required), “It could in theory.” However, as you’d expect, Huntington went on to indicate the Pirates don’t want to rush him to the game’s highest level. With that in mind, Pittsburgh “probably” won’t summon Hayes to the majors this year, Biertempfel writes.
- White Sox star Yoan Moncada has already changed positions once during his short career. After playing second base from 2017-18, he has lined up at third for the entirety of this season. While Moncada told Scott Merkin of MLB.com he expects to continue at the hot corner “for a very, very long time,” he’d be willing to move elsewhere if it helps the team. That’s unlikely to happen, per Merkin, though he notes the White Sox could do a 180 if they’re able to land, say, third baseman Anthony Rendon in free agency. In that case, Moncada could shift back to second or even the outfield – two areas that have been weak points for Chicago in 2019.
Max Muncy To Miss Time With Wrist Injury
FRIDAY: X-rays didn’t reveal a fracture, Roberts announced, though Muncy still has to undergo more tests (via Castillo).
THURSDAY: Dodgers slugger Max Muncy made an early exit from Wednesday’s 6-4 win over the Padres, as Muncy left the game after being hit in the right wrist by a Matt Strahm fastball during a fifth-inning plate appearance. Muncy is undergoing x-rays today to determine the extent of the injury, though manager Dave Roberts told the Los Angeles Times’ Jorge Castillo (Twitter links) that even if Muncy has avoided a fracture or a break, the infielder will be sidelined “until at least early next week” until he recovers from what is currently being called a right wrist contusion.
A 10-day injured list stint could be in the offing for Muncy, as if he’s in line to miss at least four or five days at minimum, the Dodgers could choose to simply put him on the IL to give him more time to fully recover. Then again, with rosters expanding on Sunday, an IL placement might not be necessary since Los Angeles will have up to 15 extra players on hand.
These looming September call-ups bring an added dimension to Muncy’s injury, as if he faces a longer-term absence, Roberts said the Dodgers “will be more aggressive” in determining their minor league promotions. The skipper didn’t provide any further details when asked the obvious follow-up of whether this could result in star prospect Gavin Lux receiving his first taste of MLB action.
Lux has been obliterating Triple-A pitching, though the Dodgers have reportedly been on the fence about promoting Lux given their depth of second base options. Muncy has received the large bulk of playing time at second base (Lux’s intended position) in recent months, though Enrique Hernandez and Chris Taylor are both back from the IL and utilityman Jedd Gyorko is also on hand. Since Hernandez and Taylor are both regularly required in the outfield, however, Lux could have a clearer path to regular second base time without Muncy in the mix.
After signing a minor league contract with the Dodgers in April 2017, Muncy came out of nowhere to hit 35 homers with a .973 OPS over 481 plate appearances for L.A. last season. While Muncy hasn’t quite been as spectacular in 2019 as he was in 2018, his follow-up campaign has been more than solid — .253/.375/.525 with 33 home runs over 534 PA. A broken or fractured wrist would require at least a month to heal, thus putting Muncy’s availability for the postseason in serious question and creating a big hole in the Dodgers’ powerful lineup.
West Notes: Panda, D-backs, Astros, Rockies
The latest on several notable players from the majors’ West divisions…
- Although Giants third baseman Pablo Sandoval is set for Tommy John surgery, his season doesn’t look over quite yet. Manager Bruce Bochy told Kerry Crowley of the Bay Area News Group and other reporters Thursday that Sandoval could at least make some pinch-hit appearances before he goes under the knife. In the meantime, Sandoval will test out his swing to see if he’ll be able to contribute more this season. The longtime Giant, 33, is a strong bet to hit free agency in the offseason, meaning his run in San Francisco could be on the verge of concluding.
- Diamondbacks right-hander Luke Weaver continues progressing toward a 2019 return, Richard Morin of the Arizona Republic relays. Weaver, out since late May with a UCL strain and a flexor sprain in his pitching arm, will throw a 25-pitch bullpen session on Friday, and the club will determine where to go from there. While Weaver was eminently effective out of the Diamondbacks’ rotation earlier this season, the lack of time left in the campaign will force him to pitch from their bullpen if he does return. Meantime, the news is less encouraging for fellow righty Taijuan Walker, whose 2018 Tommy John surgery and ’19 shoulder problems have stopped him from taking a major league mound this season. Walker is throwing, but it’s “unlikely” that he’ll come back this year, Morin writes.
- In welcome news for the Astros’ bullpen, injured reliever Ryan Pressly is doing “quite well” in his recovery from knee surgery, according to manager A.J. Hinch (via Brian McTaggart of MLB.com). Pressly could resume light throwing over the weekend. His absence dating back to Aug. 21 has deprived the title-contending Astros of arguably their best reliever as the postseason approaches. The right-handed Pressly has logged a 2.50 ERA/2.83 FIP with tremendous strikeout and walk rates (11.62 K/9, 1.97 BB/9) over 50 1/3 innings this season. Teammate and fellow righty reliever Josh James could come off the IL this weekend, meanwhile, per McTaggart. The promising 26-year-old has fanned a prolific 14.03 batters per nine across 51 1/3 frames this season, though a bloated walk rate (5.03 per nine) has helped lead to a 4.73 ERA/4.11 FIP.
- Rockies reliever Scott Oberg explained to Thomas Harding of MLB.com why he recently underwent surgery to address blood clots in his right arm, saying, “It just felt really heavy.” It’s the second instance of blood clots for Oberg, but fortunately, he’s not suffering from any kind of major medical condition. The soon-to-be 30-year-old expects to be ready to go for 2020, when he’ll try to build on a second straight impressive campaign. This season has been anything but impressive for Rockies lefty Kyle Freeland, who’s currently on the IL with a strained groin, but he’s working toward a return; however, there’s no timetable for a possible comeback, Harding relays. Freeland went from Cy Young candidate a year ago to someone who has faced a minor league demotion this season and pitched to a ghastly 6.98 ERA/6.12 FIP over 20 starts and 99 1/3 innings in the bigs.
Willson Contreras To Begin Rehab Assignment
The Cubs have been without Willson Contreras for three-plus weeks after he suffered a right hamstring strain, but the star catcher is closing in on a return. Contreras will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Iowa on Friday, and if all goes well in the minors, he could rejoin the Cubs within a week, manager Joe Maddon told Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune and other reporters.
Contreras went down during the Cubs’ game Aug. 3, which was especially unfortunate just a few days after the July 31 trade deadline passed. With Contreras and Victor Caratini healthy at the deadline, the Cubs decided veteran Martin Maldonado was inessential, as they sent him to the Astros for utilityman Tony Kemp. Of course, the Cubs only acquired Maldonado from the Royals in mid-July because Contreras landed on the IL with a different injury – a right foot strain.
Even with the deadline out of the way and Maldonado out of the picture, Chicago was able to pull in an experienced catcher earlier this month. The team signed former standout Jonathan Lucroy on Aug. 7, which came shortly after the Angels released him. Lucroy’s multiyear decline has continued as a Cub, though he has at least given the team OK offensive production for a backup. The 33-year-old entered Thursday with a .276/.344/.345 line in 29 plate appearances since he joined the Cubs.
Unlike Lucroy, Caratini has been quite valuable this season, which has made the blow of losing Contreras easier to absorb. Caratini swatted a pair of home runs in the Cubs’ win over the Mets on Thursday, giving him nine HRs and a robust .274/.363/.480 line across 201 trips to the plate. Not only that, but Caratini has graded as one of Baseball Prospectus’ top defensive catchers this year.
When the Cubs’ top two catchers are healthy, few teams are in better shape behind the plate. Injuries aside, Contreras has enjoyed a fourth straight highly productive campaign – at least with the bat – as he has posted a .275/.365/.525 slash and 19 homers in 340 PA. The big-armed Contreras’ overall defensive numbers pale in comparison to Caratini’s, but the former is nonetheless among Chicago’s most valuable players and a key reason why it’s in playoff position at the moment.
The Cubs, who are 2 1/2 games up on a wild-card spot, will be thrilled to welcome back Contreras as they continue attempting to chase down the Cardinals for an NL Central crown. While the Redbirds are a game and a half ahead, the two teams still have to square off seven times in late September, when Contreras should again be a prominent part of the Cubs’ lineup.
Mets Notes: Lowrie, Smith, Scouts
The Mets’ late-season revival looks as if it’s petering out. After a tumultous first few months of the year, the Mets shockingly climbed into National League playoff contention by ripping off 21 wins in 26 games after the All-Star break. But New York has gone a woeful 6-10 since then, and with six straight losses (including a 4-1 defeat to the Cubs on Thursday), the 67-66 club’s now what could be an insurmountable five games out of a wild-card spot. Here’s more on the suddenly floundering team…
- This season may not be a total lost cause for infielder Jed Lowrie, a free-agent pickup who hasn’t played at all in 2019 on account of knee, hamstring and calf injuries. Lowrie has been playing rehab games at the Triple-A level (he hit a home run Thursday), and the Mets remain “hopeful” he’ll make his debut in their uniform sometime next month, Anthony Rieber of Newsday writes. Manager Mickey Callaway issued a positive update on the 35-year-old Lowrie on Thursday, saying “he’s healthy” and “feeling good at this point.” After a pair of terrific seasons with Oakland, Lowrie joined the Mets on a two-year, $20MM contract, though it’s now unclear how often a healthy version will slot into the club’s starting lineup going forward. After all, the Mets figure to go into 2020 with Robinson Cano at second base and versatile breakout performers Jeff McNeil and J.D. Davis as candidates to continue racking up playing time at the hot corner.
- Like Lowrie, injured first baseman/outfielder Dominic Smith is progressing toward a comeback, Deesha Thosar of the New York Daily News relays. Smith went to the IL on July 27 with a stress reaction in his left foot, which interrupted a quality season for the 24-year-old, but he finally just received clearance to resume baseball activity. Although plenty were down on Smith coming into 2019, the former top 100 prospect has slashed .278/.352/.506 with 10 home runs in 196 PA this season. It’s up in the air how much of a future he has with the Mets, however, as first baseman/NL Rookie of the Year front-runner Pete Alonso isn’t going anywhere, while McNeil, Davis, Michael Conforto and Brandon Nimmo represent a handful of controllable and viable corner outfielders.
- There’s a house-cleaning going on in the Mets’ scouting department. The organization let go of director of pro scouting Jim D’Aloia on Wednesday, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. D’Aloia, who has been with the Mets for eight seasons, will remain in place until his contract runs out on Oct. 31. The Mets followed D’Aloia’s dismissal by parting with pro scouts Tim Kissner, Tim Fortugno and Lee MacPhail on Thursday, per Andy Martino of SNY. All three ave “good reputations in the game,” notes Martino, who adds that the club’s sure to make more changes in the coming weeks. That jibes with a report from Yahoo’s Matt Ehalt, who tweets that more turnover is coming and hears that it’s “an ugly situation” behind the scenes.