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Dinelson Lamet

Quick Hits: Padres, M’s, Twins, White Sox

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It’s possible Dinelson Lamet or Mike Clevinger could start Game 1 of the Padres’ series against the Cardinals on Wednesday, Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports. It’s fantastic news for the Padres, who saw Lamet go down with right biceps tightness last Friday, while Clevinger suffered a sprained right elbow last Wednesday. At least in Clevinger’s case, it initially didn’t seem he would be ready for the start of the playoffs, but it now looks as if the Padres’ top starters (along with Zach Davies) will be ready when they begin their first postseason series since 2006.

  • The  Mariners will enter the upcoming offseason with a focus on upgrading their bullpen, per general manager Jerry Dipoto (via Greg Johns of MLB.com). Seattle would “like to add three or four guys down there that can stabilize that group and give us some certainty as we move toward the end of a game,” acccording to Dipoto. The Mariners, who finished with a 27-33 record, kept their long-running playoff drought going this year thanks in part to a weak relief corps that finished last in the AL in ERA (5.92).
  • Twins third baseman Josh Donaldson (calf) and center fielder Byron Buxton (concussion) had “a relatively good day” Monday, according to manager Rocco Baldelli (via Betsy Helfand of the St. Paul Pioneer Press). Donaldson battled calf problems in the past, but that didn’t stop the Twins from signing him to a four-year, $92MM contract in the offseason. Further calf troubles have held Donaldson to 28 games this year, though, and he hasn’t played since Sept. 25. Buxton, who also has a history of injuries, only played in 39 regular-season games. However, even without full campaigns from either of those two, the Twins won 36 games en route to a second straight AL Central title. They should be even stronger if the two are ready for playoff action.
  • White Sox left fielder Eloy Jimenez expects to be available for the team’s Game 1 playoff showdown in Oakland on Tuesday, Scott Merkin of MLB.com was among those to tweet. Jimenez hasn’t played since Sept. 24 because of a mid-foot sprain, but when he was able to take the field, he was one of Chicago’s most valuable hitters. As a .296/.332/.559 hitter in 226 plate appearances, the 23-year-old Jimenez helped the White Sox to their first playoff berth since 2008.

Latest On Dinelson Lamet, Wil Myers

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TODAY: Myers is in the Padres’ lineup today, batting cleanup and playing right field.  Myers sat out Saturday’s game due to some quad tightness but the injury was apparently minor.

SEPTEMBER 26, 4:47 pm: Lamet is playing catch today and will throw a bullpen session in the next few days, reports AJ Cassavell of MLB.com (Twitter link). The club did not find an MRI to be necessary, notes Dennis Lin of the Athletic. San Diego hopes he’ll be able to start the first game of the Wild Card round.

SEPTEMBER 26, 8:18 am: Lamet complained of biceps tightness, manager Jayce Tingler told reporters (including Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune) postgame. At this point, the organization anticipates him being able to start in next week’s Wild Card round, Tingler adds.

SEPTEMBER 25: Padres right-hander Dinelson Lamet and outfielder Wil Myers left the team’s game against the Giants on Friday for undisclosed reasons, Dennis Lin of The Athletic tweets.

Lamet’s the second key Padres starter who may have suffered a key injury in the past few days, joining fellow righty Mike Clevinger. The Padres seem likely to go without Clevinger for at least the first round of the playoffs because of a sprained elbow. Therefore, they can ill afford to lose Lamet, who has been a Cy Young-level starter this season. The 28-year-old entered Friday with a 2.07 ERA/2.51 FIP across 65 1/3 innings.

While Lamet has been one of the Padres’ best pitchers, Myers has emerged as one of their top hitters. After three straight disappointing seasons, Myers has rebounded in a big way with a .285/.352/.591 slash and 14 home runs in 213 plate appearances this year. He, like Lamet, is among the reasons the Padres broke a 13-year playoff drought this season. But now it seems the Padres are in danger of entering the postseason without Lamet, Myers and Clevinger, so they won’t be at full strength when the playoffs commence.

Breakout Candidate: Dinelson Lamet

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Padres right-hander Dinelson Lamet may not be among Major League Baseball’s household names yet, but it could be only a matter of time before he joins those ranks. While Lamet hasn’t come close to preventing runs at an elite clip since he made his MLB debut in 2017, he has shown flashes that suggest a true breakout may not be out of the question.

Now 27 years old, Lamet caught on with the Padres out of the Dominican Republic in 2014. The franchise brought in Lamet, then 21, for $100K two years after a deal with the Phillies fell through. San Diego has since benefited from that fairly low-risk move.

After ascending through the minors, where he didn’t garner a significant amount of Triple-A experience, Lamet showed off a tantalizing fastball-slider mix during his first taste of MLB action three years ago. He wound up making 21 starts and tossing 114 1/3 innings of 4.57 ERA/4.35 FIP ball with 10.94 K/9 and 4.25 BB/9.

The hope, of course, was that Lamet would build on his respectable first-year effort the next season. Instead, though, he was forced to undergo Tommy John surgery on his pitching elbow in April 2018. The procedure cost Lamet that entire year and the majority of his last season, but he enjoyed an extremely promising showing after returning July 4.

Lamet shook off the rust with 14 starts and 73 frames of 4.07 ERA/3.91 FIP pitching. Those run prevention totals may not look sensational, but a deeper dive gives reason to believe that Lamet will continue his rise. Not only did Lamet cut his walk rate (3.7 per nine), but his strikeout rate rose to a jaw-dropping 12.95. Among 146 starters who threw at least 70 innings, Lamet ranked behind only Gerrit Cole and Chris Sale in K/9. His strikeout percentage (33.6) trailed just Cole, Sale, Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer and Mike Clevinger. The other members of the top 10? Blake Snell, Lucas Giolito, Jacob deGrom and Robbie Ray. With the exceptions of Lamet and Ray (a solid starter in his own right), there isn’t a single pitcher there who’s not a front-line option.

Adding to the good news, Lamet was something of a Statcast hero during his abbreviated 2019. Take a look at where he ranked in these categories…

  • Hard-hit rate: 69th percentile
  • Expected weighted on-base average: 71st percentile
  • Average exit velocity: 77th percentile
  • Curve spin: 79th percentile
  • Fastball spin: 81st percentile
  • Average fastball velocity: 89th percentile
  • Strikeout percentage: 93rd percentile

Well above average across the board. Lamet got there owing in part to an increase in velo (his average fastball reached 96.1 mph) and a slider that, according to Fangraphs’ pitch values, was among the most dominant offerings of its kind. As Ben Clemens of FanGraphs explained last August, Lamet was benefiting at the time from adding a second slider to his repertoire.

Lamet’s repertoire may have him on the cusp of busting out, though he’ll have to get the home runs under control. Granted, last season was a homer-happy year across baseball, but Lamet’s HR-to-fly ball percentage (19.7) was still bloated compared to most starters’. And that’s not going to work for someone who has induced grounders at a paltry 36.8 percent rate since he first set foot in the majors.

Aside from a need to cut down on HRs moving forward, Lamet also must show he can continue to stay healthy. That’s obviously not always easy for any hurler, let alone one with such a serious surgery in his past. But if Lamet can hold up, the Padres may have a potential breakout starter on their hands. That would be all the more welcome for a team that already has Chris Paddack fronting its rotation with MacKenzie Gore and Luis Patino among its prospects getting closer to the bigs.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Cubs Targeted Dinelson Lamet, Others In Previous Kris Bryant Talks With Padres

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The Cubs and Padres discussed various scenarios involving third baseman Kris Bryant but were (obviously) unable to come to an agreement, Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union Tribune reports. Specifically, the Cubs showed interest in right-hander Dinelson Lamet. Catching prospect Luis Campusano was also a potential target.

It’s hardly a shock to see the pitching-needy Cubs pursuing a controllable big league arm like Lamet. The 27-year-old returned from Tommy John surgery in 2019 and gave the Padres 73 innings (14 starts) of 4.07 ERA ball with a massive 13.0 K/9 against 3.7 BB/9 and 1.48 HR/9. Lamet averaged 96.1 mph on his heater and posted a gaudy 14 percent swinging-strike rate in addition to high-end spin rates on his heater and breaking ball.

Beyond Lamet’s ability to miss bats, he’s controlled for four seasons, which surely holds appeal considering the Cubs could see both Jon Lester and Jose Quintana hit free agency next winter. His fit on the 2020 club would be clear as well; currently, the Cubs’ hope is that Tyler Chatwood can hold down the fifth starter’s role — a task that he hasn’t been up to in either of the first two seasons of his ill-fated three-year, $38MM deal. Installing Lamet as a fifth option behind Lester, Quintana, Yu Darvish and Kyle Hendricks would’ve been considered an upgrade.

Lamet, though, is also viewed as a key part of the Padres’ 2020 plans. He’s expected to hold down a rotation spot alongside Chris Paddack, Garrett Richards, Zach Davies and Joey Lucchesi. The back of the Padres’ rotation will be a bit in flux as their wave of high-end prospects — headlined by MacKenzie Gore and Luis Patino — continue to push toward the big leagues. Lamet, though, has perhaps the highest upside of anyone other than Paddack in that initial quintet.

The 21-year-old Campusano, meanwhile, has significantly elevated his status over the past year. A second-round pick back in 2017, Campusano hit .325/.396/.509 in 487 plate appearances against against much older competition in Class-A Advanced in 2019. He’s now widely considered to be among the game’s 100 best prospects — ranking as high as No. 33 overall in the estimation of ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel.

While Bryant wouldn’t exactly be a clean fit into the Padres’ lineup in terms of position, his bat would represent a major upgrade to a Padres team that collectively batted .238/.308/.410 — good for just an 88 wRC+ that ranked 24th among Major League clubs. But with Manny Machado entrenched at third base and Fernando Tatis Jr. slotted in at shortstop — Machado’s other position — fitting Bryant into the mix would be a bit tougher.

Bryant does have experience in the outfield corners, but the Padres aren’t really short on options there, either (Tommy Pham, Wil Myers, Trent Grisham, Franchy Cordero). Bryant would clearly be the best hitter of the bunch, but San Diego acquired both Pham and Grisham this winter, and Myers’ contract ensures that he’ll be a part of the mix in some capacity. Acee does note that while the Padres were willing to consider moving Tatis to center field in the event of a Francisco Lindor acquisition, that scenario wasn’t a consideration when contemplating a Bryant swap.

At this point, the chances of any deal involving Bryant look to be minimal. The former Rookie of the Year and MVP has already had a sit-down with Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein — a meeting from which he came away with the impression that he’ll be remaining in Chicago. Their asking price could be informative in the event that Bryant once again hits the market, however, and it also speaks to the manner in which the Friars value both Lamet and Campusano.

Players Avoiding Arbitration: National League

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Entering the day, there were more than 150 players on the clock to exchange arbitration figures with their respective teams prior to a noon ET deadline. As one would expect, there’ll be an utter landslide of arbitration agreements in advance of that deadline. We already ran through some key facts and reminders on the arbitration process earlier this morning for those who are unfamiliar or simply need a refresher on one of MLB’s most complex idiosyncrasies, which will hopefully clear up many questions readers might have.

We’ll track the majority of the National League’s settlements in this post and are maintaining a separate one for American League settlements as well. Note that all projections referenced come courtesy of MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz:

  • The Rockies have an agreement in place with righty Jon Gray, per Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post (via Twitter). It’s a $5.6MM deal, per Jon Heyman of MLB Network (Twitter link).
  • Outfielder Tommy Pham has struck a $7.9MM pact with the Padres, who acquired him at the outset of the offseason, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today (via Twitter). Other Friars striking deals, per an update from Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune, include Zach Davies ($5.25MM) and Matt Strahm ($1.4MM).
  • The Nationals announced that they’ve avoided arbitration with Trea Turner. It’s a $7.45MM agreement, per Jesse Dougherty of the Washington Post (via Twitter), right in range of the $7.5MM projection.
  • The Mets are in agreement with a laundry list of players. Right-handers Marcus Stroman ($12MM) and Noah Syndergaard ($9.7MM) were the top earners, per reports from MLB Network’s Jon Heyman (via Twitter) and MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo (via Twitter). Both come in close to their projected values of $11.8M and $9.9MM, respectively. The Mets also have a $5.1MM deal with reliever Edwin Diaz, Jon Heyman of MLB Network reports (Twitter links). He entered the offseason projected at the $7.0MM level but will fall well shy of that. Despite an outstanding overall track record, Diaz’s platform season was a dud and obviously created some risk in a hearing for his side. Outfielder Brandon Nimmo will play for $2.175MM in his first season of arb eligibility, landing well over the $1.7MM that the model projected. Southpaw Steven Matz, meanwhile, lands a $5MM deal, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post (via Twitter). That’s $300K shy of his projected amount. Relievers Robert Gsellman and Seth Lugo will earn $1.225MM and $2MM, respectively, per Mike Puma of the New York Post (Twitter links). Slugger Michael Conforto will earn $8.0MM, per SNY.tv’s Andy Martino (via Twitter), which is notably south of the $9.2MM that we projected. And fellow outfielder Jake Marisnick checks in a just over 10% north of his projection at $3,312,500, Bob Nightengale of USA Today tweets.
  • Star reliever Kirby Yates receiveds a $7,062,500 salary from the Padres, per Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune. He tops the $6.5MM that MLBTR projected by a solid margin, reflecting just how exceptional he was in 2019.
  • The Marlins will pay recently acquired infielder Jonathan Villar a $8.2MM salary, per MLB.com’s Jon Heyman (via Twitter). That’s a far sight shy of the $10.4MM that the MLBTR system projected, perhaps reflecting a more difficult path to the bigger number through recent comparables. The club also had some added leverage here since Villar would likely not fare terribly well on the open market if cut loose at this stage or later. (Unless this is a guaranteed deal, Villar could still be jettisoned, with the club paying just a fraction of the settled amount.) The Fish also have also agreed to terms with lefty Adam Conley (for $1.525MM, per MLB Network Radio’s Craig Mish, via Twitter) and righty Jose Urena (for $3.75MM, per MLB Network’s Jon Heyman, on Twitter).
  • Righty Vince Velasquez will pitch for $3.6MM this year with the Phillies, per Jim Salisbury of NBC Sports Philly (via Twitter). Fellow hurler Jose Alvarez will earn $2.95MM, per Scott Lauber of the Philadelphia Inquirer (via Twitter).
  • The Rockies have an agreement with lefty Kyle Freeland, per Jon Heyman of MLB Network (Twitter link). He’ll earn $2.875MM. Outfielder David Dahl takes home $2.475MM, Heyman adds on Twitter. The former had projected at $2.4MM and the latter at $3.0MM.
  • Pirates hurler Joe Musgrove will receive $2.8MM, per Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Twitter links). Fellow righty Keone Kela will earn a reported $3.725MM. Both players had projected at $3.4MM, but land well to either side of that number. Infielder Adam Frazier also has a deal at $2.8MM, per Mackey (via Twitter).
  • Righty Anthony DeSclafani will earn $5.9MM from the Reds, according to Robert Murray (via Twitter). He had projected at $5.2MM. Backstop Curt Casali will earn $1.4625MM, per Bobby Nightengale of the Cincinnati Enquirer (Twitter link). And reliever Matt Bowman takes down $865K, Murray adds on Twitter.
  • The Dodgers have worked out a non-typical deal with righty Ross Stripling, Heyman tweets. He’ll get an up-front signing bonus of $1.5MM, which he’ll receive in the next week, and then earn $600K for the campaign to come. Stripling had projected to earn $2.3MM on the year.
  • Cardinals righty John Gant will earn $1.3MM after settling with the club. Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch first tweeted that a deal was in place, while Murray had the number on Twitter. That comes in just under his $1.4MM projection.

Earlier Settlements

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Dinelson Lamet Hires MVP Sports Group

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Padres right-hander Dinelson Lamet has changed agencies and hired MVP Sports Group as representation, according to Mark Feinsand of MLB.com. Lamet, who earned Super Two status and has four years of arbitration eligibility as a result, is slated to go through the process for the first time this winter. He’s projected to make $1.7MM in 2020.

Judging by the 27-year-old Lamet’s big league performance to date, he should be a bargain for the Padres next season. Lamet debuted in San Diego in 2017 and proceeded to toss 114 1/3 innings of 4.57 ERA/4.35 FIP ball with 10.94 K/9 against 4.25 BB/9. He wasn’t able to build on that promising showing the next year, though, as he underwent Tommy John surgery in April 2018.

Lamet’s operation kept him off a big league mound until last July 4, but he flashed even greater potential upon his return. Across 14 post-surgery starts and 73 frames with the Padres in 2019, Lamet pitched to a 4.07 ERA/3.91 FIP with a fantastic 12.95 K/9 against 3.7 BB/9. Compared to his first year in the majors, Lamet saw his average four-seam fastball velocity (95.1 mph in 2017, 96.1 mph last season) and his swinging-strike rate (11.8 percent in 2017, 14.0 percent last season) markedly improve. Now, the hope for the Padres is that they’ll get a full season of work from Lamet in 2020, at which point the club will try to snap a 13-year playoff drought or at least finish .500 or better for the first time since 2010.

The change in representation for Lamet has been updated in MLBTR’s Agency Database, which contains agency info on more than 2,500 players in both the big leagues and the minors. If you see any errors or omissions, please let us know via email: mlbtrdatabase@gmail.com.

West Notes: Astros, Martin, Rangers, Crouse, Dodgers, Lamet

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Astros right-hander Corbin Martin, who suffered a “potentially serious” elbow injury while pitching in Triple-A, will receive a second opinion “early next week,” according to Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle. Rome adds that Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow doesn’t expect Martin to pitch “any time soon,” which certainly is not a promising indicator for the club, though there’s no timetable as of yet. Martin, regarded as baseball’s 48th-best prospect according to MLB.com, debuted earlier this season and enjoyed an impressive debut outing, though he wasn’t able to find much success after that, leading to his demotion to the minors. With Brad Peacock on the injured list and Martin, Framber Valdez, and Collin McHugh all disappointing in their auditions for the final spot in the starting rotation, the scuffling Astros will have to look elsewhere for starting pitching options.

Here’s the latest news from out West…

  • Following the season, Rangers prospect Hans Crouse will undergo surgery to remove bone spurs in his elbow, per Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News. However, Grant adds, Crouse will continue to pitch at the Class-A level. Crouse, just 20 years old, is ranked as the Rangers’ best prospect and tabbed by MLB.com as the 63rd-best across baseball. A glance at his minor-league numbers suggest that Crouse has performed just fine despite the injury, but it’s certainly a situation worth monitoring for a promising young starter.
  • A couple of injured Dodgers are progressing in their recoveries, reports the Orange County Register’s Bill Plunkett on Twitter. David Freese and A.J. Pollock will each take live batting practice today, with Corey Seager a possibility to join them. Per Plunkett, Freese should rejoin the team this week, with Seager and Pollock due to start rehab assignments in the near future. Jorge Castillo of the Los Angeles Times adds (via Twitter) that Pollock is aiming for a return immediately following the All-Star break.
  • Padres starter Dinelson Lamet is slated to make his long-awaited return to the team in the coming days, writes Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune. The right-hander hasn’t pitched in the Majors since 2017, when he flashed tantalizing stuff in his debut season and subsequently missed the entire 2018 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery. He has made six rehab starts this season—three in Single-A ball and three at Triple-A—throwing as many as 85 pitches, a mark that should govern his workload for the Padres down the stretch. The dynamic 26-year-old would boost the Padres rotation, which could be doubly important as Chris Paddack, the team’s best starter, faces questions about his workload.

Injury Notes: Astros, A. Reyes, Cain, Dodgers, Lamet

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Astros right-hander Corbin Martin is dealing with “a potentially serious elbow injury,” Brian McTaggart of MLB.com writes. Martin suffered the injury during a start for Triple-A Round Rock on Sunday. MLB.com’s 48th-ranked prospect, Martin made his major league debut earlier this season when the Astros were looking for a fifth starter, though he wasn’t able to lay claim to the spot. The 23-year-old made five starts and posted a 5.59 ERA with 8.84 K/9 and 5.59 BB/9 in 19 1/3 innings before the Astros optioned him back to the minors.

  • Cardinals righty Alex Reyes has been diagnosed with a strained pectoral muscle that will cost him to two to three starts, according to president of baseball operations John Mozeliak (via Mark Saxon of The Athletic). It’s the latest in a growing line of injuries for the touted Reyes, who, largely because of health issues, hasn’t been able to stay in the majors since his 2016 debut. The 24-year-old has spent almost all of this season at Triple-A Memphis, where he has recorded a 7.39 ERA with 12.21 K/9 and 7.71 BB/9 in 28 innings (10 appearances, seven starts).
  • Brewers center fielder Lorenzo Cain underwent cryptotherapy on his right thumb Tuesday, but it should only keep him out a couple days, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com relays. Cain has undergone the procedure on a few occasions during his career, per McCalvy, who notes the 33-year-old has been battling pain for weeks. That likely helps explain Cain’s surprising decline in production. One of the majors’ most valuable players from 2017-18, Cain’s off to a .253/.314/.357 start in 331 plate appearances this year.
  • The Dodgers are hopeful shortstop Corey Seager will return immediately after next month’s All-Star break, manager Dave Roberts said Tuesday (via Jorge Castillo of the Los Angeles Times and Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register). Seager would end up missing about a month in that scenario, having gone to the IL with a left hamstring strain June 13. Meanwhile, fellow Dodgers infielder David Freese’s injured hamstring is “not responding like we’d hoped,” Roberts revealed. Nevertheless, the Dodgers are optimistic Freese – who just hit the shelf over the weekend – will come back prior to the break.
  • The Padres could soon have “a serious conversation” about whether to add rehabbing righty Dinelson Lamet to their rotation, per manager Andy Green (via AJ Cassavell of MLB.com). The team’s “getting more and more excited about that concept” of plugging in Lamet, who’s mending from April 2018 Tommy John surgery and may only be one more rehab start from heading back to San Diego. The 26-year-old’s first major league start of the season could come as early as July 4, Cassavell reports. Lamet showed promise in his only big league season, 2017, during which he logged a 4.57 ERA with 10.94 K/9 and 4.25 BB/9 in 114 1/3 innings.

Pitcher Notes: J. Hicks, Phillies, Astros, Padres, A’s

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The latest on a slew of major league hurlers…

  • Cardinals closer Jordan Hicks is dealing with right triceps tendinitis, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch tweets. Hicks will undergo additional tests Sunday. One of the last things the Cardinals need is a long absence for the 22-year-old Hicks, who has put up a 3.14 ERA/3.17 FIP with 9.73 K/9, 3.45 BB/9, a whopping 67.2 percent groundball rate and 14 saves on 15 chances in 28 2/3 innings this season. Hicks is the hardest thrower in baseball, which has certainly aided in his success.
  • Phillies relievers David Robertson and Tommy Hunter are progressing toward returns, according to Matt Breen of the Philadelphia Inquirer. While Robertson hasn’t yet embarked on a rehab assignment, the hope is that he’ll rejoin the Phillies’ bullpen before the All-Star break. Robertson has been out since mid-April with a flexor strain in his right elbow. Meanwhile, Hunter’s in the early stages of a rehab stint. Hunter’s also working back from a right flexor strain, which has kept him out all season. The Phillies have guaranteed $41MM to Robertson and Hunter over the past two offseasons, but they’ve gotten just 6/2 3 innings from them this year (all from the former).
  • The Astros could activate righty Collin McHugh from the injured list Tuesday, per Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle. McHugh has been out since May 21 with right elbow discomfort. On the other hand, rehabbing reliever Joe Smith won’t return until after the All-Star break, manager A.J. Hinch said. Smith’s still on the mend from the left Achilles surgery he underwent last December.
  • Padres righty Dinelson Lamet could return next week, Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune writes. The 26-year-old Lamet hasn’t pitched in the majors since undergoing Tommy John surgery in April 2018. Lamet was then coming off his own lone season in the majors, in which he registered a 4.57 ERA/4.35 FIP with 10.94 K/9 against 4.25 BB/9 across 114 1/3 innings and 21 starts.
  • The Athletics’ pitching staff, reeling from ace Frankie Montas’ suspension, may get righties Marco Estrada and Jharel Cotton back soon. Estrada, on the injured list since April 17 because of a lumbar strain in his back, threw his first bullpen Saturday since going on the IL, per Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle. He could be a second-half option for the Athletics, according to Slusser. Cotton’s on track to begin a rehab assignment after the All-Star break, Slusser tweets. Cotton had been making encouraging progress in his recovery from March 2018 Tommy John surgery before he had to undergo a hamstring procedure earlier this month.

Dinelson Lamet Begins Rehab Assignment

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The Padres announced today that righty Dinelson Lamet will begin a rehab assignment. He’ll open at the High-A level.

Lamet underwent Tommy John surgery last April, so this will represent his return to competitive pitching. His timeline will surely be determined by his progress on the mound, but this move will start a thirty-day clock for the completion of the rehab assignment. (As Dennis Lin of The Athletic notes on Twitter, the team can request up to three ten-day extensions if needed.)

Barring a setback, Lamet will presumably be activated before the end of June. It’s possible he’ll move back into the San Diego rotation at some point next month, though the club could also ultimately decide upon an optional assignment depending upon what he shows.

Lamet entered the year with 1.130 years of MLB service already accrued. He’s continuing to pick up service while on the injured list, so he’ll finish the season with 2.130 years on his ticker if he spends all (or virtually all) of the year in the majors once his rehab assignment wraps up. That could put him in line for Super Two status next year, though the precise cutoff is not yet known.

For the Friars, Lamet’s progress could have a significant bearing on the team’s postseason hopes. He showed plenty of promise in his debut campaign of 2017, working to a 4.57 ERA with 10.9 K/9 and 4.3 BB/9 over 114 1/3 innings, and could represent a notable addition to a rotation that has (not unexpectedly) gone through some ups and downs to this point of the season.

A pair of other San Diego players are also set to begin their own rehab assignments. Utilityman Jose Pirela and outfielder Franchy Cordero will report to Triple-A, the former today and the latter on Friday.

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