Astros Place Aaron Sanchez On Injured List
TODAY: Right-hander Cy Sneed and shortstop/outfielder Myles Straw will be called up to replace Sanchez and Correa on the 25-man roster, as per multiple reports.
TUESDAY: The Astros have placed right-handed pitcher Aaron Sanchez on the 10-day injured list, according to Brian McTaggart of MLB.com. As expected, he’ll be joined by injured shortstop Carlos Correa. Per McTaggart, manager A.J. Hinch said that Sanchez felt a sore right pectoral during Tuesday’s start, which resulted in a dip in velocity for the starter. A pair of corresponding roster moves will be announced tomorrow.
Following tonight’s game, Sanchez told reporters (including McTaggart) that the pectoral is not a new issue; rather, he’s been experiencing soreness for several starts dating back to his time in Toronto. He’s been trying to pitch through the injury, which finally manifested itself in the form of diminished velocity during Tuesday’s game.
With Sanchez on the shelf, the Astros will once again need to fill the fifth starter spot on the fly. Brad Peacock is at least a theoretical candidate to make a spot start, though it seems that the Astros are intent to keep Peacock in a bullpen role coming off of an injured list stint and the acquisitions of Sanchez and Zack Greinke. More likely would be to see Framber Valdez, Jose Urquidy, or Rogelio Armenteros make a return to the big league roster. All of those three are currently in the minors—that trio has combined to make twelve starts for the Major League club.
Sanchez, after falling out of favor with a Blue Jays organization for whom he was once an All-Star, has engineered an encouraging turnaround with his new club. While he’s made just four starts, his arrival to Houston has given way to important adjustments in his approach—almost certainly not a coincidence, given the Astros’ savvy in maximizing pitchers’ potential. While it’s far too early to draw conclusions about Sanchez’s reformation and viability, his acquisition has the early makings of one that could factor heavily into Houston’s postseason success.
NL Injury Notes: McCann, Freeland, Cueto, Anderson
Brian McCann left Tuesday’s game with what the Braves described as left knee soreness. The veteran catcher was set to undergo tests today, and manager Brian Snitker indicated to reporters (including Tim Tucker of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution) that he didn’t yet know if McCann would need to be moved to the injured list. Alex Jackson is most obvious candidate to be called up from the minors to back up Tyler Flowers if McCann does require an IL stint, though Atlanta also picked up John Ryan Murphy in a trade deadline swap with the Diamondbacks. Calling up Murphy would require the Braves to make room on the 40-man roster, however. McCann has hit .264/.336/.423 with 10 homers over 274 plate appearances this season (while also posting some above-average framing numbers), giving the Braves some extra pop from the catcher position as Flowers has had a down year at the plate.
More injury news from around the NL…
- Kyle Freeland left Tuesday’s game in the sixth inning due to a strained groin, and the Rockies left-hander seems likely to spend some time on the injured list. Freeland told Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post and other reporters that the injury feels similar to a strain that also put him on the IL back in 2017, though only for a minimal stint. The injury continues what has been a nightmare of a season for Freeland, as he has a 6.98 ERA and 22.9% home run rate over 99 1/3 innings, and also spent almost a month and a half at Triple-A in an attempt to get himself on track.
- Giants manager Bruce Bochy gave an unofficial projection of September 8 as Johnny Cueto‘s potential return date to the majors, as Bochy told reporters (including the San Francisco Chronicle’s Henry Schulman) on Tuesday. Cueto threw 60 pitches in a rehab outing for the Class-A San Jose Giants yesterday, and he’ll make the first of two rehab starts for Triple-A Sacramento on Monday. Assuming the tentative September 8 date stands, it will mark just over 13 months between Tommy John surgery and a Major League mound for Cueto.
- In other Giants injury news, right-hander Shaun Anderson has started his own Triple-A rehab assignment, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area tweets. Anderson hit the IL on August 8 due to a blister on the middle finger of his throwing hand, so he shouldn’t require too long of a ramp-up period before he is able to rejoin the Giants. Anderson has a 5.33 ERA, 1.77 K/BB rate, and a 6.0 K/9 over 82 2/3 innings in what has been a rather inconsistent rookie season for the 24-year-old.
Padres Select Eric Yardley’s Contract, Option Travis Jankowski
The Padres announced that they have selected the contract of right-hander Eric Yardley. Outfielder Travis Jankowski has been optioned to Triple-A to create 25-man roster space.
The call-up represents a belated, and undoubtedly very welcome, belated birthday gift for Yardley, who turned 29 on Sunday. As noted by Baseball America’s Kyle Glaser, Yardley was an undrafted player who began his pro career in the independent Pecos League in 2013 before catching on with the Padres.
The righty has a 2.87 ERA, 7.0 K/9, and 3.46 K/BB rate over 413 1/3 career minor league innings, all in San Diego’s farm system. Yardley is an extreme groundball pitcher, easily topping the 60% grounder rate threshold in each of his professional seasons. This includes a 63.7% rate at Triple-A El Paso this year, so between keeping the ball out of the air and some pinpoint control (1.9 BB/9), it isn’t a surprise that Yardley has been able to hold his own in the extremely hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League this season — he has a 2.63 ERA, 7.4 K/9, and 3.92 K/BB rate over 61 2/3 relief innings in 2019.
After being sidelined for much of the season due to a broken wrist, Jankowski appeared in just four games for the Padres before returning to the minors. Jankowski has displayed some impressive speed and defense over 313 games with San Diego since the start of the 2015 campaign, though in the wake of his lost season, he could now be a non-tender candidate this winter. Jankowski wouldn’t be in line for much of a raise on his $1.165MM salary and (as a Super Two player) he has three arbitration years remaining, but the Padres could prefer to just move on, given their depth of outfield options.
Angels Designate Adalberto Mejia For Assignment
Prior to yesterday’s double-header with the Rangers, the Angels designated left-hander Adalberto Mejia for assignment. Righty Jaime Barria was called up from Triple-A in a corresponding move, and Barria tossed five innings while starting the nightcap (a 3-2 Angels loss in 11 innings).
The DFA continues what has been a whirlwind of transactional business for Mejia over the last six weeks. This is the fourth time Mejia has been designated in that stretch, and the second as a member of the Angels. The team claimed him after an initial designation from the Twins, DFA’ed Mejia and then lost him on a claim from the Cardinals, and then the Angels re-claimed Mejia after St. Louis designated the southpaw.
Through it all, Mejia hasn’t pitched very well in 2019, with a cumulative 8.06 ERA over 25 2/3 innings for the Angels, Cardinals, and Twins. A high walk rate (6.0 BB/9) and homer rate (1.4 HR/9) have contributed to his issues, and Mejia also spent over two months on the Twins’ injured list while recovering from a calf strain.
Rays Select Aaron Slegers’ Contract
The Rays have selected the contract of right-hander Aaron Slegers from the Triple-A Durham Bulls, as per a team announcement. Righty Hoby Milner has been optioned to Triple-A in a corresponding move, and Tampa Bay already had open space on its 40-man roster.
Slegers was acquired from the Pirates in late March, and the 6’10” right-hander has had his share of struggles for Durham this season, with a 5.49 ERA, 6.2 K/9, 2.72 K/BB rate, and 20 home runs allowed over 98 1/3 innings. Slegers has started 13 of his 24 games, though he has pitched somewhat better out of the bullpen (4.75 ERA in 36 IP) than the rotation (5.92 ERA).
It could be that Slegers will only receive a cup of coffee with the Rays, given how the team so often shuttles pitchers back and forth between Triple-A and the majors to get fresh arms into the mix. Milner, for instance, had his contract selected on Monday, he tossed two innings in Tuesday’s 7-4 loss to the Mariners, and is now already headed back to Durham.
Assuming Slegers gets into a game in due course, it will mark his third straight season of MLB action. Originally a fifth-round pick for the Twins in the 2013 draft, Slegers posted a 5.90 ERA over 29 innings for Minnesota in 2017-18.
Latest On Chris Sale
Chris Sale‘s visit with Dr. James Andrews on Monday didn’t reveal any ligament damage in the star left-hander’s throwing elbow, Sale told reporters (including MLB.com’s Ian Browne) yesterday. For now, Sale will continue to rest following a platelet-rich plasma injection shot, and he’ll be re-evaluated in six weeks.
While any visit to Dr. Andrews is usually considered as an ominous sign by fans and pundits (and as a harbinger of possible Tommy John surgery), Sale described his diagnosis as “not great news, but about as good as we could get. We rest, I think maybe four to six weeks, get on a throwing program and get back to it.”
With the Red Sox sitting six games out of a wild card slot, postseason availability may be a moot point for the entire roster, though Sale in particular seems like a longshot for the playoff roster even if Boston does make a miracle run over the season’s final six weeks. It was already known that the PRP shot’s six-week recovery period would cost Sale the remainder of the regular season, and Sox manager Alex Cora told media that it would “probably…be almost impossible” for Sale to be ready to contribute in October.
This will mark the second straight year that Sale has been limited by a late-season injury, as shoulder issues limited him to just 17 innings from July 28, 2018 until the end of the 2018 regular season. It’s possible Sale could have pitched more if the Sox were in a pennant race rather than comfortably coasting to an AL East title, though even while cautiously deploying Sale during the playoff run, the lefty posted an uncharacteristically middling 4.11 ERA over 15 1/3 postseason innings.
All these injury questions loom large given that Sale’s five-year, $145MM extension with the team doesn’t begin until the start of the 2020 season. Sale fully expects to be ready for the start of the next season, though between Sale, David Price and Nathan Eovaldi, the Red Sox have $79MM in 2020 salary committed to three starters with checkered health histories.
Sale has a career-worst 4.40 ERA over 147 1/3 innings, though that ERA has largely been boosted by a career-high 19.5% home run rate. ERA predictors such as FIP (3.39), xFIP (2.94) and SIERA (3.00) paint a much more forgiving picture of the southpaw’s performance in 2019. His 13.32 K/9 is still elite, and Sale’s .283 xwOBA is in the 81st percentile of all pitchers. That said, Sale also has a 36% hard-hit ball rate, by far the highest of his career.
Chris Archer Leaves Start With Shoulder Discomfort
In a worrisome moment for the Pirates, starter Chris Archer left his start against the Nationals after throwing an errant warm-up pitch before the second inning. Per Mark Zuckerman of MASN, the Pirates are calling it right shoulder discomfort for Archer.
Archer made it through the first inning of Tuesday’s game without issue, striking out the final two batters to work around a pair of singles. However, while warming up prior to the second inning, Archer threw high to catcher Jacob Stallings, shook his head, and walked off the field after meeting with the Pittsburgh training staff.
Of course, the seriousness of Archer’s soreness is yet unknown and will be monitored as details emerge. Regardless, it’s an unpleasant situation for a Pirates team that has already seen its top starter undergo season-ending Tommy John surgery this year. Any significant injury to Archer would only weaken an already-thin pitching staff that entered the season looking like the Pirates’ strength.
The Pirates hold a club option worth $9MM to retain Archer for the 2020 season, a decision that could be complicated by the introduction of a health issue. His Pittsburgh tenure has been a tumultuous one, with Archer’s underwhelming performance only amplified by the hefty return that the Pirates sent to Tampa Bay in return. This season, the 30-year-old has struggled to a 5.23 ERA, made worse only by the fact that peripheral markers don’t paint a much better picture, giving Archer credit for a 5.07 FIP.
While those numbers alone may challenge whether Archer is worth the $9MM option, an underlying health question might motivate the Pirates to prematurely cut ties with the former ace. However, given how heavily the Pirates invested in him at last season’s trade deadline, it would seem unwise to jump ship so quickly on a pitcher with Archer’s pure talent. To be sure, $9MM, while certainly not a bargain, is an affordable mark for even a middling starter—Matt Harvey, for example, signed with the Angels for $11MM prior to 2019.
Minor MLB Transactions: 8/20/19
We’ll use this post to track the latest minor transactions from around baseball…
- The Royals have agreed to a deal with left-handed pitcher Jake Brentz, per Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com. After he was released by the Pirates, he’ll now be assigned to Double-A with his new organization. Brentz, 24, has had success at that level this season, with a solid 0.77 ERA while striking out 13 batters in 11 2/3 innings. However, the jump to Triple-A has given the former 11th-round draft choice this year, as he’s managed just a 5.55 ERA in 27 games. On the bright side, he has maintained good strikeout numbers, averaging 10.3 K’s per nine innings pitched.
Steven Duggar Avoids Shoulder Surgery
After receiving a second opinion on his injured left AC joint, Giants outfielder Steven Duggar has received the best possible news, tweets Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle: he won’t require surgery. Instead, the 25-year-old is looking at a four-to-six week rehab timeline. He’ll still miss the remainder of the season, but it’s nonetheless encouraging that Duggar won’t need to undergo a procedure.
Of course, it’s a promising development for Duggar, who was recently rumored to be “leaning towards” surgery to repair the grade 3 strain he suffered shortly after returning to the Majors. However, a second opinion from Dr. Neal ElAttrache revealed that such a surgery won’t be necessary.
Notably, Duggar is no stranger to shoulder injuries—his 2018 season was cut short by a surgery to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder.
The premature conclusion to Duggar’s first full Major League season represents the continuation of a string of frustrating developments. Once viewed by many as a key piece of the Giants’ future, he’s since been forced out of regular role, supplanted by surprising outfielders such as Mike Yastrzemski, Alex Dickerson, and Austin Slater, along with trade acquisition Kevin Pillar.
With the Giants experimenting with droves of outfielders in hopes of forging an above-average unit, Duggar has done little to distinguish himself. After a promising rookie season in which he posted a passable (if unspectacular) 92 OPS+, he’s seen his offensive output dip this season. His OPS has dropped to .619 while striking out in 27.7% of his plate appearances, compared to just a 5.7% walk rate. Of course, his value comes primarily as a defensive outfielder in a spacious San Francisco outfield: this year, he’s credited with 6 DRS between center and right field. As a consequence, he won’t need to hit as much as others in order to carve out a role on a Major League team, though that might mean his best-case outcome looks something like Ender Inciarte.
While there’s still time for the young outfielder to recoup his value, his development will have to wait until next season in light of the shoulder injury. And with emerging commodities in the San Francisco outfield, he won’t be short on competition as he seeks to prove his worth to a new front office.
Carlos Correa Likely Headed To IL
Astros shortstop Carlos Correa is likely to land on the 10-day injured list after exiting last night’s game with back discomfort, manager A.J. Hinch told reporters including Brian McTaggart of MLB.com. An official decision won’t be made until later tonight, but Hinch and the Astros are “not optimistic” that the star shortstop, who isn’t available for tonight’s contest, will avoid an IL stint.
Hinch was quick to point out that the team hasn’t seen anything to indicate that Correa’s injury is a serious one, but it will likely take several days to heal fully, a time in which the Astros would prefer to carry a full bench.
While it looks as if Correa’s latest stay on the IL will be a quick one, the injury is nonetheless concerning for the Astros and Correa, who dealt with a back injury last season that cost him six weeks and bothered him into the postseason. Furthermore, it will be the second time the 24-year-old has had to go on the injured list this season, after a fractured rib forced him out of action for nearly two months this summer.
With Correa and reserve shortstop Aledmys Diaz both on the shelf, shortstop duties should fall on Jack Mayfield and Myles Straw, who is currently in the minor leagues but is a candidate to be recalled to replace the ailing Correa. Needless to say, either substitute represents a considerable offensive downgrade from the stellar Correa, who has posted a .914 OPS on the season.
When Correa has been on the diamond, he has been one of the Astros’ most productive offensive players while defending at a premium position. Unfortunately for the former first overall selection, availability has at times eluded Correa, for whom 2019 will mark the third consecutive season in which he will fail to eclipse 110 games played.