NL Notes: Nationals, D-backs, Dodgers, Cards
Even though he’s facing a six- to nine-month recovery from his torn left ACL, Nationals center fielder Adam Eaton isn’t abandoning hope on playing again this season. “I’m going to work my butt off and give myself the best-case scenario to play,” Eaton told reporters, including Jamal Collier of MLB.com. “This year would be great, and if that is the case, that means we are playing in October, that is for sure.” Cubs left fielder/catcher Kyle Schwarber suffered multiple torn knee ligaments last April but was able to suit up again in late October for the World Series, of course, so it’s not impossible to imagine Eaton returning if the Nats get that far. However, Schwarber got hurt in early April, giving him a three-week head start on Eaton; further, unlike Eaton’s game, Schwarber’s isn’t predicated largely on either speed or defense. It’s also worth noting that Schwarber was not healthy enough to play the field during the Fall Classic, instead serving as a pinch-hitter in Chicago and a designated hitter in Cleveland.
When announcing Eaton’s injury Sunday, Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo mentioned that he’s confident in the team’s in-house center field options. Right fielder Bryce Harper and shortstop Trea Turner, both of whom have center field experience, are not among the possibilities to grab the reins from Eaton, according to manager Dusty Baker. When asked Sunday if he’d consider using either Harper or Turner in center, Baker responded (via Eddie Matz of ESPN.com): “No. Leave my team alone.”
For Washington on Sunday, life without Eaton began with a 23-5 drubbing of the NL East rival Mets. Harper hit a home run and reached base four times, but his performance paled in comparison to Anthony Rendon‘s. The third baseman had an afternoon for the ages, going 6 for 6 with three homers and 10 RBI. In the process, Rendon became the 13th player in major league history to knock in double-digit runs in a single game.
Here’s more from the NL:
- The Diamondbacks project Archie Bradley as a long-term starter, but the right-hander won’t go back to the rotation in the wake of Shelby Miller‘s season-ending elbow injury, manager Torey Lovullo announced Sunday (via Barry M. Bloom of MLB.com). “He will remain in our bullpen,” Lovullo said of Bradley. “The way we look at it is he’s been pretty dominant in the bullpen.” With a 1.20 ERA, 10.8 K/9 and 1.8 BB/9 in 15 innings, the 24-year-old Bradley has indeed been almost untouchable as a reliever this season. Bradley wasn’t nearly as good as a starter from 2015-16, a 177 1/3-inning stretch in which he recorded a 5.18 ERA, 8.42 K/9 and 4.52 BB/9. While it’s a certainty that he’ll stay in the bullpen, it’s unclear who will take Miller’s spot in the rotation. “Those are the discussions we’re having,” Lovullo stated. “And within the system there are a variety of options for us. So, we’ll hammer that out. That’s a discussion we’ll be having as a group over the next few days.”
- Dodgers outfielders Joc Pederson and Franklin Gutierrez are nearing returns from the disabled list, relays Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times (Twitter links here). Pederson, who hit the DL with a groin injury this past Monday, will begin a rehab assignment at Single-A on Wednesday. The Dodgers’ hope is that he’ll be ready for activation Friday. Gutierrez, down since April 12 with a hamstring strain, started a rehab assignment of his own at Class-A on Saturday. With those two coming back, top prospect Cody Bellinger will likely return to Triple-A. The 21-year-old homered twice in the Dodgers’ improbable win over the Phillies on Saturday, contributing significantly to the excellent .316/.409/.632 line he has posted across his first 22 major league plate appearances.
- It seems Cardinals third baseman Jhonny Peralta‘s DL stint is largely the result of a bad reaction to medication, as Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch writes. Peralta began taking pills toward the end of spring training in an effort to combat an upper respiratory infection, but they only worsened his condition and left him feeling “dizzy” and lethargic. Manager Mike Matheny took notice. “We watched him throughout most of spring and it was, ‘Hey, he’s really moving well, he looks strong.’ And then something hit a point and I started asking the medical guys, ‘Is there anything going on?’ Yeah, he has some upper respiratory stuff. But let’s look into this. It just doesn’t look right. Jhonny was really good about being honest about how he was feeling and not doing the, ‘I’m just going to grind and go.’” Peralta is now on the right track, fortunately, having stopped taking the medication. He could rejoin the Cardinals as early as May 8, per Goold.
Noah Syndergaard Leaves Start With “Possible Lat Strain”
2:25pm: Syndergaard has a “possible lat strain,” according to the Mets. After opting against an MRI previously, he’ll head back to New York to undergo one (Twitter link via Bob Klapisch of the Bergen Record).
1:25pm: In what could be a disastrous turn of events for the Mets, ace Noah Syndergaard left his start against the Nationals on Sunday after 1 1/3 innings with an apparent injury. The right-hander grabbed his biceps as he walked off the mound with a trainer, David Lennon of Newsday was among those to report (via Twitter).
Syndergaard was supposed to start for the Mets this past Thursday, but they had to scratch him on account of biceps discomfort, which makes Sunday’s development all the more troubling. The 24-year-old denied a request to undergo an MRI, telling reporters (via ESPN.com): “I think I know my body best. I’m pretty in tune with my body, and that’s exactly why I refused to take the MRI.”
General manager Sandy Alderson noted that Syndergaard’s decision was unusual and added, “I can’t strap him down and throw him in the tube.”
A serious injury to Syndergaard would be the most significant blow yet to a starting staff that hasn’t been the picture of health this season. Both Steven Matz and Seth Lugo have been out all year with injuries, and neither will return imminently. Meanwhile, Matt Harvey hasn’t been sharp in his comeback from the thoracic outlet syndrome surgery he underwent in 2016, and Zack Wheeler has run up a 4.78 ERA (albeit with a 3.83 FIP) in his first action since undergoing Tommy John surgery in March 2015. Health hasn’t been a problem lately for Robert Gsellman, on the other hand, though run prevention has (6.23 ERA, 3.69 FIP).
The flame-throwing Syndergaard was ineffective in his brief start Sunday, yielding four earned runs on five hits and two walks, but his numbers for 2017 remain excellent. Arguably the best righty in the majors, Syndergaard has logged a 2.96 ERA, 10.54 K/9, .66 BB/9 and a 57.7 percent ground-ball rate through 27 1/3 frames. He and Jacob deGrom have continued to serve as front-line starters this year for a club that entered the season with World Series hopes but has won only 10 of its first 23 games.
Rockies Activate Ian Desmond, Designate Cristhian Adames
As expected, the Rockies have activated Ian Desmond from the disabled list. Desmond will make his 2017 debut in left field Sunday for the Rockies and take the roster spot of infielder Cristhian Adames, whom the team has designated for assignment.
Adames, a member of the Rockies organization since 2008, first appeared in the majors in 2014 and has since hit just .206/.283/.278 in 343 career plate appearances. The majority of his work (256 PAs) came last year, when he batted .218/.304/.302. The 25-year-old collected another 14 big league PAs this month and failed to record a hit, also striking out six times and walking only once.
Giants Designate Neil Ramirez For Assignment
The Giants have designated reliever Neil Ramirez for assignment and selected the contract of fellow reliever Bryan Morris from Triple-A, according to a club announcement.
Ramirez inked a minor league deal with the Giants over the winter and then made the team’s Opening Day bullpen. Things didn’t go well for the 27-year-old, though, as he threw 10 1/3 innings with the Giants this month and allowed 15 earned runs on 16 hits. However, Ramirez did post a lofty strikeout total (18) while limiting walks (four). His issues preventing runs this season have stemmed from a somewhat high home run-to-fly ball ratio (13.3 percent). The long ball was an even bigger problem last year for Ramirez, who spent time with the Cubs, Twins and Brewers and allowed homers on 21.1 percent of fly balls, leading to a 6.00 ERA across 24 innings.
In 57 2/3 frames with the Cubs from 2014-15, Ramirez only surrendered HRs at a 4.3 percent clip. Thanks in part to that stinginess, and a 10.61 K/9 and 3.59 BB/9, he recorded a 1.87 ERA during those two seasons. Ramirez has long had difficulty generating ground balls, however, as the 2007 first-round pick has done so just 28.3 percent of the time in 92 career big league innings.
Like Ramirez, the 30-year-old Morris signed a minors pact with the Giants during the offseason. Although he has registered below-average strikeout and walk rates per nine (6.4 and 3.77), the former Pirate and Marlin owns an impressive 2.80 ERA in 280 innings. He has helped his cause with a 58.6 percent grounder rate.
Rangers Claim Pete Kozma From Yankees
The Rangers have claimed infielder Pete Kozma off waivers from the Yankees, per an announcement from New York. Texas will make a corresponding move to create room for Kozma when he reports, tweets Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News.
The 29-year-old Kozma had been in limbo since the Yankees designated him for assignment Friday, which came when the team activated shortstop Didi Gregorius from the disabled list. Kozma appeared in 11 games this month for the Yankees, though he only collected 10 plate appearances. The ex-Cardinal didn’t play in the majors at all last season, instead spending the year with the Yankees’ Triple-A affiliate. Kozma hit a non-threatening .222/.288/.293 in 693 plate appearances with St. Louis from 2011-15, but he did provide quality work at shortstop with 11 Defensive Runs Saved and a 9.9 Ultimate Zone Rating in 1,432 innings at the position.
For Texas, the addition of Kozma could lead to a minor league demotion for former star prospect Jurickson Profar, Grant suggests (on Twitter). In 15 games this year, most of which have come in left field, Profar has posted a .135/.289/.135 line across 46 PAs. He hasn’t appeared in a game since April 25.
Aaron Sanchez Exits Start After Blister Troubles Resurface
12:46pm: Sanchez’s return did not go smoothly. His blister issues resurfaced, forcing him to depart after one inning, reports Gregor Chisholm of MLB.com.
9:52am: As expected, the Blue Jays have activated right-hander Aaron Sanchez from the 10-day disabled list. Sanchez, who went on the DL on April 15 with a blister on the middle finger of his pitching hand, will start Sunday against the Rays.
The Blue Jays have had to go without both Sanchez and J.A. Happ for a significant portion of the young season, which hasn’t helped matters during a disastrous start for the 7-17 club. The absences of Sanchez and Happ have led to starts for Mat Latos and Casey Lawrence, and while the former has managed decent results, the latter’s output has been unsightly. Latos, in spite of an ugly 4.09 K/9 and 5.73 BB/9, has pitched to a 3.27 ERA over two starts (11 innings). Lawrence, whom the Jays optioned to Triple-A on Friday, has also made two starts, in which he has a logged a 3.97 K/9, 4.76 BB/9 and a 7.94 ERA over 11 1/3 frames.
Before hitting the DL, Sanchez was a mixed bag over his first two starts, though it seems his blister issues were at the root of his 5 1/3-inning, five-earned run showing against the Orioles on April 14. In his season debut, a 3-2 loss to the Rays on April 8, the 24-year-old resembled a front-line starter – which he was last season. Sanchez fired seven innings of one-run ball, striking out six, walking three and allowing four hits, and will once again try to stymie Tampa Bay on Sunday. He’ll slot back into a rotation that includes Marcus Stroman, Marco Estrada and Francisco Liriano, all of whom have fared well this year, and Latos.
Minor MLB Transactions: 4/30/17
Sunday’s minor moves:
- Pirates catcher John Bormann is going from Single-A to the majors. The Pirates have selected Bormann’s contract and optioned outfielder Danny Ortiz to Triple-A, per a team announcement. Bormann, whom the Bucs chose in Round 24 of the 2015 draft, has hit just .232/.282/.310 in 328 low-minors plate appearances since joining the Pittsburgh organization. His promotion might be an indicator of health troubles with starting catcher Francisco Cervelli, Bill Brink of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette suggests (on Twitter). It’s unclear what could be wrong with Cervelli – although he’s off Sunday, he caught the Pirates’ previous five games and has appeared in 22 of 23 contests this season. Cervelli previously missed a large chunk of 2016 with a broken hamate bone in his left hand.
East Notes: Yankees, Mets, Phillies, Rays
Yankees first baseman Greg Bird has followed a sensational spring training with a horrid April, having hit .107/.254/.214 with 21 strikeouts in 67 plate appearances, but the team will be patient with the 24-year-old. Asked Sunday if Bird is a candidate for a minor league demotion, general manager Brian Cashman said, “It’s not even an option for me in my mind right now, at all” (Twitter link via Bryan Hoch of MLB.com). The Yankees’ other first baseman, Chris Carter, hasn’t fared much better than Bird (.182/.222/.333 in 36 PAs), but their woes haven’t stopped the Bombers from posting a major league-best 15-7 record.
Even more surprising is that the Yankees’ success has come without arguably their best player, catcher Gary Sanchez, who landed on the disabled list April 8 with a right biceps strain. Fortunately for New York, Sanchez is nearing a return – he’ll start a Triple-A rehab assignment Tuesday and could rejoin the big club next weekend, reports Sweeny Murti of WFAN (on Twitter). The Yankees began 1-4 with Sanchez and have gone 14-3 without him, thanks in part to the fact that reserve backstop Austin Romine has filled in with aplomb. The normally light-hitting Romine has unexpectedly done a decent Sanchez impersonation with a .300/.339/.460 line in 56 PAs.
More from the East Coast:
- Mets first baseman Lucas Duda, on the disabled list since April 21 with a hyperextended left elbow, will stay on the DL beyond the 10-day mark. Duda felt a “twinge” in his elbow after playing a rehab game Friday, and the Mets have shut him down until Tuesday as a result, per Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News. The Mets’ offense is just 17th in the majors in runs and 26th in wRC+, so a longer-than-expected absence for Duda isn’t optimal (especially with Yoenis Cespedes also out). With a .238/.360/.571 line in 50 trips to the plate, Duda has been one of the slow-starting club’s top performers this year.
- Given that the Phillies’ Tommy Joseph is off to a dreadful start this season (.190/.235/.270 in 68 PAs), he could lose time at first base to left fielder Howie Kendrick when the latter comes off the DL, writes Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com. Kendrick got some work at first during batting practice in each of the past two days, and shifting him there would enable the Phillies to keep left fielder Aaron Altherr‘s bat in the lineup, notes Salisbury. First base isn’t foreign to the 33-year-old Kendrick, who has seen action in 89 games there. The offseason trade acquisition from the Dodgers slashed a stellar .333/.395/.487 in 43 PAs before going on the DL on April 18 with an abdominal strain.
- Outfielder Colby Rasmus is closing in on his Rays debut, according to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times (Twitter link). Rasmus, who’s working his way back from the hip and core muscle surgeries he underwent as an Astro last October, will play a Double-A rehab game Sunday and could be on the Rays’ 25-man roster by Tuesday or Wednesday. The Rays signed Rasmus to a one-year contract worth a guaranteed $5MM in January.
The Inner Monologue of @DimTillard Baseball Sayings
It’s 8:02am on Sunday April 30th, 2017. So here’s the gist… my name is Tim Dillard. I’m a pitcher in my 15th professional baseball season, and currently in the Milwaukee Brewers organization with Triple-A Colorado Springs. I think that’s it. Oh yeah, I’ve been married for eleven years, and have three remarkable kids. A few months ago I was minding my own business, when MLB Trade Rumors asked if I was interested in baseball blogging. I asked if I could blog about movies instead, but they said no. So here we are… in the midst of my SEVENTH Inner Monologue.
8:05am Basically what I do is just write down my thoughts while logging the exact time. Not sure what typing in the time, and putting it in bold accomplishes. But I guess after the first time I did it, and nobody told me (to my face) that it was stupid… I just kept doing it.
8:07am Right now our team is in Des Moines, Iowa. Last night’s game against the Triple-A Cubs was postponed due to freezing temperatures, ice rain, hurricane-type wind, and lack of fans. Today we’re supposed to have a day game, but could possibly turn into a night game depending on weather.
8:08am Currently, I’m at the hotel trying to see how much I can type before my road-roomy vacates the bathroom.
8:09am When I was grabbing coffee earlier in the lobby, a gentleman asked the front desk lady if he could order room service. (We stay at some nice hotels in the minor leagues, but I can promise you… none of them have room service.)
8:11am Front desk lady was very polite when she told him they didn’t offer room service. Then the man said, “Well, I guess it is what it is.”
8:12am It is what it is? You ever hear people say that? First time I heard that expression was in 2007, and I’m still confused. It’s like saying, “Well, you know oxygen is oxygen.” OR “You win some, you lose some.” OR “How’s a rainbow made?” OR “I’m calmly showing my maturity by hiding my frustration and disappointment behind a fancy philosophical-sounding statement that doesn’t change my current circumstances.”
8:13am Well you know, baseball has a lot of interesting expressions too. Especially in the minor leagues. Such as:
“Wear it!”
“Skillets!”
“Clean it up!”
“Friends dues!”
“Save it meat!”
“Figure it out!”
“Have some feel!”
“There’s a window!”
“Hard in, soft away.”
“That GUY ‘s in the SHOW!!??”
“Don’t like it? Play better!” (or play worse)
8:16am Anyway, I want to coin a NEW phrase in professional baseball. And for some reason I thought now is the perfect time to divulge this special saying to the entire world! (Or at least the few people who read this… thanks for reading mom!) And here it is: “Do Less.”
8:16am Yep, that’s it, that’s the big one. “Do Less.”
8:17am See, baseball is hard. But sometimes it can appear simple when watching it on TV or from the bleachers. For instance, the guy in the picnic area the other day who screamed, “Come on man! Watcha thinkin’ gettin’ picked off! I wouldn’t have gotten picked off! Put ME in, coach!”
8:18am In this particular case, the man had probably been drinking and was borderline unsober. And still has every right to yell his opinion, but I reiterate… baseball is hard.
8:18am Well during the game, in those most intense moments, players can sometimes feel the urge to dig deep or do more. Like when a hitter wants to swing EXTRA hard or run EXTRA fast. Or like a pitcher who wants to throw EXTRA hard or make a pitch EXTRA nasty. But usually the opposite happens. More often than not, the hitter misses, or breaks his bat, or pulls a hamstring. And the pitcher, he usually throws a wild pitch or hangs a fun ball right down broadway.
8:19am Do Less… just watch, it’ll be a thing.
8:20am However, the most important thing about baseball sayings is knowing which one to use, and knowing when to use it. I learned this lesson May 23, 2008.
8:20am I was in Washington D.C., warming up in the visitors left-field bullpen, when the door opened. Suddenly it dawned on me that just beyond the Nationals’ outfield grass and infield dirt, was my Major League Baseball debut!
8:21am All I was thinking as I jogged out to the mound in front of 40,000 people, was… “Left. Right. Left. Right. Left. Right.”
8:21am Thankfully, without tripping, I managed to make it to the mound where veteran catcher Jason Kendall was waiting for me. When he started double-checking my pitches and my signs, I was thinking about how many baseball cards I had of him growing up.
8:22am Then he pulled his mask back down, turned to run back to the plate, and quickly said, “Here we go.”
8:23am And for some unknown reason, I felt the need to say something back to him. So out of all the words and phrases I know, my brain thought it’d be a good idea to intensely scream, “OK! LET’S DO THIS!” (and yelled it like I was wearing giant headphones)
8:23am It was enough for Jason Kendall to kinda stop, look back with a puzzled face, then continue his jog back behind the dish.
8:24am All alone, standing there, on that mound, I spoke out loud, “Did I just tell… Jason Kendall… let’s do this!?”
8:25am I felt very uncool in that moment. Why would I say something so cheesy? Why am I so awkward!
8:25am And I’m pretty sure he told the home plate umpire what I said too, ’cause the whole time I was throwing my first major league warm-up pitches, the umpire was chatting with Jason Kendall then pointing at me and laughing.
8:27am I still don’t know how it all happened, but… I guess it is what it is.
8:27am Ah! Think I just heard a toilet flush.
To Be Concluded…
Adam Eaton Suffers Torn ACL, Meniscus
SUNDAY: Rizzo confirmed Eaton’s ACL tear on Sunday, adding that he also suffered a torn meniscus and a high ankle sprain. Eaton will face a six- to nine-month recovery period after he undergoes surgery, which the Nats haven’t scheduled yet (Twitter links via Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post). For at least the time being, Rizzo expects to replace Eaton from within, noting that center field is one of the organization’s deepest positions.
SATURDAY: Nationals center fielder Adam Eaton suffered a torn ACL in his left knee on Friday and will miss the rest of the season, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (Twitter link). The injury occurred when Eaton beat out an infield single in the ninth inning of a 7-5 loss to the Mets. Eaton stepped on first base awkwardly and was then unable to put any weight on his left leg, forcing him to exit the game (video via MLB.com).
Entering Saturday, Eaton had been among the red-hot Nationals’ best players in his first month as a member of the club. The top-of-the-order hitter slashed an impressive .297/.393/.462 with two home runs and three steals across 107 plate appearances. In the process, the 28-year-old may have quelled some doubts about the Nationals’ decision to trade a significant haul to the White Sox for him over the winter.
Washington gave up three well-regarded pitching prospects, Lucas Giolito, Reynaldo Lopez and Dane Dunning, for Eaton, leading to widespread criticism of Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo. However, Eaton had been a terrific offensive player in Chicago over the previous three years, and he drew great marks for his defense in both the 2014 and ’16 campaigns. Further, Eaton carries an appealing contract, one that could max out at an eminently reasonable $38.4MM through the 2021 season.
It’s fair to say Rizzo’s plan for Eaton was to serve as a key cog for a potential championship contender as early as this season, and at 16-8, first-place Washington has looked the part thus far. But the loss of Eaton is undoubtedly a major blow to their roster, and it’s now unclear who will man center field going forward. For now, it’s Michael Taylor, though he has never resembled a big league regular over 814 career PAs. Both the Nationals’ best player, right fielder Bryce Harper, and shortstop Trea Turner have experience in center, but moving either from his current spot would lead to more questions. Other 40-man options to help fill Eaton’s void include Brian Goodwin and Rafael Bautista, the latter of whom the Nats promoted when they placed Eaton on the disabled list early Saturday. The club also has an elite center field prospect in Victor Robles, but he’s only 19 and has never played above the High-A level.
In the event Washington is unsatisfied with its own center fielders, it could go outside the organization for help. Pickings in free agency are slim, though, with the potentially retired Angel Pagan representing the best of a deeply flawed class of unsigned players. Notably, the Nationals aggressively pursued Pirates outfielder Andrew McCutchen via trade prior to landing Eaton, and the five-time All-Star could hit the block again this year if the Bucs don’t contend. However, the Nationals found the Pirates’ asking price for McCutchen to be prohibitive in the offseason. If the Nationals don’t look again to McCutchen, Kansas City’s Lorenzo Cain could be a possibility, as the scuffling Royals are on track to sell off veterans this summer. The Nats already have interest in the Royals’ closer, Kelvin Herrera, and could perhaps attempt to reel in him and Cain in a package. That’s merely speculation, of course, and having already surrendered a prospect bounty for Eaton a few months ago, Rizzo might be reluctant to part with more high-end youngsters for another outfielder.