Headlines

Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Jesus Luzardo

Marlins Select Jimmy Yacabonis

By | at

The Marlins announced a series of roster moves before this afternoon’s matchup with the Phillies (relayed by Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald). Miami selected reliever Jimmy Yacabonis onto the big league club and recalled left-hander Daniel Castano from Triple-A Jacksonville. To free a pair of active roster spots, right-handers Edward Cabrera and Cole Sulser have each landed on the 15-day injured list, retroactive to June 13. Southpaw Jesús Luzardo was transferred from the 15-day to the 60-day IL to open a spot on the 40-man for Yacabonis.

Assuming Yacabonis gets into a game, it’ll be the fifth season in which he’s logged some big league action. He pitched with the Orioles and Mariners between 2017-20 and briefly appeared on Seattle’s active roster last year, but he was designated for assignment without making an appearance. Yacabonis has worked 104 cumulative innings across 57 MLB games, posting a 5.71 ERA while working primarily in long relief.

A St. John’s product, Yacabonis has worse than average strikeout, walk and ground-ball numbers as a big leaguer. He has, however, been effective at the Triple-A level over the past couple seasons. The righty worked to a 2.17 ERA across 37 1/3 frames with the Mariners top affiliate last year, and he’s pitched quite well through 23 2/3 innings in Jacksonville after signing a minor league deal this spring. Yacabonis owns a 3.42 ERA and has punched out an excellent 35% of batters faced, easily the highest single-season mark of his pro career. That’s come with a spike in free passes, but the Fish will see if he can carry that bat-missing success over against big league hitters.

Yacabonis is out of minor league option years, so the Marlins will now have to keep him on the active roster or designate him for assignment. The injury to Sulser, in particular, could afford an opportunity for Yacabonis to stake a claim to a bullpen role. Acquired from the Orioles over the offseason, Sulser has a 3.86 ERA through 23 1/3 innings. He’s currently battling a lat strain, however, and that’ll put his solid first season in South Florida on hold.

Cabrera, meanwhile, is dealing with tendinitis in his throwing elbow. One of the more highly-regarded young arms around the game, Cabrera has started ten games for the Marlins over the past couple seasons. The hard-throwing hurler has a 4.93 ERA through 42 innings as he’s struggled to throw strikes, but he’s also flashed swing-and-miss stuff. Cabrera has started three games with the MLB club and five games for the Jumbo Shrimp this year.

Castano will get the ball this afternoon, his first start of the season. He steps in for Pablo López, who won’t make his start as scheduled due to a wrist contusion. The right-hander was struck by a comebacker during his outing last Friday, and he’s apparently still not ready to get back on the mound. The Marlins haven’t placed López on the injured list, suggesting they’re not overly concerned about his long-term status.

Luzardo has been out for a month with a forearm strain. Today’s transfer keeps him out for 60 days from the time of his original IL placement, so he’ll first be eligible to return shortly before the All-Star Break. It’s unlikely Luzardo will be ready by that point anyhow, as the team is understandably taking things slowly with the promising young hurler given the injury. He did progress to playing catch off flat ground this week (McPherson link), but he’ll still need to build back arm strength and likely throw a bullpen session or two before the team considers sending him on a minor league rehab assignment.

Marlins Make Three Roster Moves

By | at

The Marlins announced a trio of roster moves this morning, including the reinstatement of Avisail Garcia from the COVID-related injured list.  Miami also designated infielder Joe Dunand for assignment to create a 40-man roster space, while right-hander Cody Poteet was placed on the 15-day injured list due to a muscle injury in his right elbow.

Garcia returns after just a two-day absence, indicating that his placement on the COVID-IL was precautionary or due to virus symptoms, but not an actual positive test.  The outfielder will return from his brief break and look to get his season turned around, as Garcia has slashed a meager .207/.237/.290 over his first 152 plate appearances in a Marlins uniform.

Pitching in his second MLB season, Poteet has a 2.42 ERA and 55.7% grounder rate over 26 innings in 2022.  Most of that work has come out of the bullpen as a long reliever, but two of Poteet’s last three outings were starts, as Miami has needed a replacement for the injured Jesus Luzardo.  Poteet’s last appearance on May 25 didn’t go well, as the Rays tagged him for five runs over three innings of work in a 5-4 Marlins loss.

With Poteet now sidelined for at least the next 15 days, there will be more speculation about which of the Marlins’ promising young arms could be called up to the big league rotation.  Since top prospect Max Meyer is recovering from ulnar nerve irritation, Edward Cabrera could be the logical candidate, as Cabrera last pitched on May 26.  Between a visa issue in Spring Training and then a biceps injury, Cabrera didn’t pitch until April 27, but he has since banked six minor league starts and a combined 3.90 ERA over 27 2/3 innings.

As for Luzardo himself, it isn’t yet clear when the southpaw could return from his forearm strain.  Miami manager Don Mattingly told reporters (including MLB.com’s Christina De Nicola) today that Luzardo’s recovery is “not as good as we would’ve liked,” as the left-hander has yet to begin throwing.  Luzuardo’s IL stint is backdated to May 12, so he is already beyond the 15-day minimum period.

Dunand made his MLB debut this season, appearing in three games with the Marlins and delivering a 1.064 OPS over his 11 plate appearances.  The Miami native doesn’t have a standout minor league track record, so the Marlins could be betting that another team won’t put in a waiver claim on the 26-year-old Dunand.  That said, Dunand also has a lot of experience as a third baseman and shortstop plus a few games at the other two infield positions, so a club in need of infield depth might check him out on the DFA wire.

Marlins Place Jesus Luzardo On Injured List With Forearm Strain

By | at

The Marlins have placed lefty Jesus Luzardo on the 15-day injured list due to a left forearm strain, reports Christina De Nicola of MLB.com. The move is retroactive to May 12. Lewin Diaz has been recalled in a corresponding move.

This is a worrisome development for both Luzardo and the club as forearm strains are often a precursor to Tommy John surgery. However, no further details have been released about the severity of Luzardo’s injury or what the next steps will be in terms of diagnosis or treatment. Those looking for optimism can turn to the starter himself, who spoke to De Nicola, characterizing the move as precautionary and saying that it doesn’t feel the same as before he had Tommy John in high school.

Luzardo was a much-hyped prospect as he approached the majors while with the Athletics, with Baseball America considering him to be one of the top 10 prospects in the league in both 2019 and 2020. However, he struggled to live up to all of that hype in his first tastes of MLB action. Last year, he had a 6.87 ERA with the A’s and got himself demoted to Triple-A, before being sent to the Marlins in the Starling Marte trade.

This year, the 24-year-old had been showing signs of improvement, putting up an ERA of 4.03 over six starts. His 13.4% walk rate is certainly on the high side, but he’s paired that with an excellent 34.5% strikeout rate.

Regardless of how long Luzardo is out, the Marlins will have to reach into their pitching depth to shore up their rotation. De Nicola relays that Cody Poteet will move from the bullpen to cover Luzardo’s scheduled start tomorrow. He made seven starts for the club last year with a 4.99 ERA, but has a miniscule 0.55 ERA over eight relief appearances so far this season. It will be difficult for him to maintain that going forward, however, as he currently has a .214 BABIP, 93.8% strand rate and 0% HR/FB rate, all numbers that are sure to regress towards the mean.

The club has options on the 40-man roster that could be recalled for the next turn through the rotation, including Edward Cabrera, Braxton Garrett and Jordan Holloway. Sixto Sanchez is also on the roster but not currently a realistic option. He missed the entirety of 2021 due to a shoulder injury that he’s still trying to work back from. Another option would be Max Meyer, considered by many to be the team’s best prospect and one of the top 100 in the league. He’s off to a great start this year, throwing 36 1/3 innings in Triple-A with a 2.97 ERA, 29.5% strikeout rate, 6.8% walk rate and 53.4% ground ball rate. He’s not currently on the 40-man roster and would require a corresponding move.

Marlins Trade Starling Marte To Athletics For Jesus Luzardo

By | at

In a deadline-season stunner, the Athletics and Marlins have agreed to a straight-up, one-for-one swap sending outfielder Starling Marte to Oakland in exchange for left-hander Jesus Luzardo. The teams have announced the move. The Marlins are reportedly paying the entirety of the $4.57MM remaining on Marte’s $12.5MM salary for the 2021 season. Marte will be a free agent at season’s end.

Starling Marte | Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

The A’s haven’t been mentioned as a primary suitor for Marte, who’s previously been linked to the Giants, Astros and Yankees. That said, Marte is capable of playing all three outfield spots and would improve just about any team’s outfield mix. The 32-year-old is hitting .305/.405/.451 with four home runs, 22 steals and a career-high 11.6 percent walk rate in 275 plate appearances so far in 2021.

Marte missed time this season with a fractured rib he sustained on a diving catch in center field, but he’s been excellent when healthy, continuing what has been a generally underrated career to date. He’s a former All-Star and two-time Gold Glove winner with a pair of 20-homer seasons under his belt and an overall .288/.345/.450 batting line through parts of ten Major League seasons between Pittsburgh, Arizona and Miami.

Acquiring Marte allows the A’s to trot out a regular outfield of Marte, Mark Canha and Ramon Laureano. The trade likely cuts into Stephen Piscotty’s playing time, though his right-handed bat will still be utilized against left-handed pitching. Any of Piscotty or the other three outfielders could get a turn at designated hitter against left-handed starters, given Mitch Moreland’s longstanding struggles against southpaws and generally underwhelming results so far in 2021.

More broadly, the move speaks to the fact that the Athletics view themselves as legitimate contenders with an immediate window to make a deep postseason run. Parting with Luzardo is an extraordinarily steep price to pay, but he’s struggled both in the Majors and in Triple-A this season. It’s possible the willingness to trade him is a reflection that the A’s are now questioning whether he’ll ever fulfill the potential that made him one of the top ten overall prospects in baseball a few years back. However, it’s also likely that Oakland views the forthcoming postseason run as something of a do-or-die moment.

The A’s are a perennially low-payroll club, and they’re set to have one of their largest and most expensive arbitration classes in recent memory. They’ll see each of Sean Manaea, Chris Bassitt, Matt Chapman, Matt Olson, Frankie Montas and the aforementioned Laureano reach arbitration this winter — to say nothing of more complementary players like Chad Pinder, Tony Kemp, Burch Smith and J.B. Wendelken.  It’s a sizable group that the Athletics have to at least wonder about retaining, from a financial standpoint, so it makes good sense that Oakland is pushing strongly to surround that core with the best talent possible when they’re in possession of a Wild Card spot and a manageable six games back in the division.

That said, it’s still a legitimate stunner to see the 23-year-old Luzardo traded in a rental deal — even for a player as good as Marte. Luzardo was regarded as one of the five to ten best prospects in all of baseball from 2019-20, and he did little to sway that thinking when he debuted as a 21-year-old and pitched to a 3.68 ERA with a 25.5 percent strikeout rate and a 6.8 walk rate through his first 71 innings.

Jesus Luzardo | Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

Entering the 2021 season, Luzardo was a popular breakout pick and was viewed clear member of the A’s rotation, but it’s instead been a nightmarish season for him. The lefty posted uneven results through his first five starts of the season, looking excellent at times but also yielding five runs in two different outings. He then fractured his pinkie finger in what he called an “immature” mistake, hitting his hand on a table while playing video games just hours before a scheduled start. Luzardo spent nearly a month on the shelf and pitched poorly upon his return, serving up 11 runs in 10 innings — this time out of the bullpen.

Luzardo was optioned to Triple-A Las Vegas on June 21, where he’s been stretching back out as a starter. The results have not been pretty, however. He’s pitched in eight games, tallying just 29 innings while limping to a 6.87 ERA with uncharacteristically poor strikeout (19.3) and walk (11.1) percentages. Las Vegas is an extremely hitter-friendly setting, but it’s impossible to simply chalk struggles of that magnitude up to a difficult environment.

The trade brings Luzardo a perhaps needed change of scenery and represents a homecoming, as the lefty attended high school in the Miami area. It’s fair to view him as something of a project, given this year’s struggles, but even a few months ago the notion of trading Luzardo for a rental player would have seemed utterly preposterous. It’s easy to see why the Marlins jumped at the chance to acquire him, even if they already have an impressive stockpile of young pitching.

In fact, that could well be part of a broader overall gambit. The Marlins have reportedly been eyeing long-term options in center field and at catcher, and adding Luzardo to a core group that already includes Sandy Alcantara, Pablo Lopez, Trevor Rogers, Sixto Sanchez, Elieser Hernandez, Max Meyer, Edward Cabrera, Braxton Garrett and several other intriguing arms gives the Fish one of the deepest stocks of controllable, near-MLB pitching talent in all of baseball. The Marlins could well look to parlay some of that wealth of pitching depth into a new, controllable option at a position of need — as they did a couple years back when they surprisingly shipped then-rookie right-hander Zac Gallen to the D-backs in exchange for infielder Jazz Chisholm.

Setting aside the initial, jarring reaction to a low-budget club acquiring a premium rental in exchange for a pitcher who entered the year as a top 10 prospect in all of MLB — there’s some sense to both sides of the equation. The A’s are fortifying their roster in what could be their last run at the postseason with this iteration of their core. Luzardo has struggled badly in 2021, but acquiring a player with his raw talent in a rental swap is too tantalizing to pass up for a club in their position. Not only does Luzardo possess a front-of-the-rotation ceiling, but his demotion to Triple-A has pushed his free agency back to the 2026-27 offseason, at the earliest.

Today’s trade sets the stage for additional acquisitions by both parties. The A’s aren’t spending any money on Marte, meaning they should still have some resources with which to work. The Marlins’ crop of arms is even deeper now, and that allows GM Kim Ng and her team to more aggressively explore the market for controllable young hitters. It’s as close to a blockbuster swap as you’ll see in a straight one-for-one flip, but it’s unlikely this is the final piece of the deadline puzzle for either team.

Craig Mish of the Miami Herald broke the news (via Twitter) that the A’s were close to a deal for Marte. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic first reported a deal had been reached. MLB Network’s Jon Heyman reported that Luzardo would go the Marlins in the deal (Twitter link). ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported on the financial component of the swap (Twitter links).

A’s Select Domingo Acevedo, Option Jesus Luzardo

By | at

3:15pm: The A’s officially announced the pair of moves.

2:47pm: Acevedo is indeed on his way to the big leagues, and Shayna Rubin of the San Jose Mercury News reports (via Twitter) that Jesus Luzardo is being optioned to Triple-A.  Luzardo has struggled as both a starter and a reliever this season, posting a 6.87 ERA over 38 innings and surrendering 11 homers in that brief stint on the mound.

7:30am: The Athletics are planning to select the contract of reliever Domingo Acevedo, reports Robert Murray of FanSided (Twitter link). Oakland already has a vacancy on the 40-man roster, so they’ll only need to make an active roster move to accommodate his promotion.

Acevedo began his career in the Yankees organization. He didn’t sign until he was 18 years old (two years later than is typical for international amateur prospects) but he nevertheless quickly became one of the more well-regarded pitchers in the system. He drew praise for mid-high 90’s velocity and decent control but struggled to stay healthy. The 6’7″ righty spent time on the minor league injured list in each season between 2015-19, slowing his progress. Acevedo briefly earned a spot on New York’s 40-man roster but didn’t get into a major league game.

Oakland signed Acevedo to a minors deal over the winter, and he’s gotten off to a fantastic start at Triple-A Las Vegas. Despite pitching in a hitter-friendly environment, Acevedo has worked to a 2.76 ERA across 16 1/3 innings. More impressively, he’s struck out 27 of 64 batters faced (42.2%) while walking just three (4.7%). That strong showing earns him a place on the A’s roster, where he’ll be making his MLB debut if/when he gets into a game.

Athletics To Activate Jesus Luzardo On Sunday

By | at

The A’s will activate left-hander Jesus Luzardo prior to tomorrow’s game with the Angels, Oakland manager Bob Melvin told MLB.com’s Martin Gallegos (Twitter links) and other reporters.  Luzardo started his first six games of the season for the Athletics, but Melvin said that Luzardo will be used out of the bullpen for now.

Luzardo will return after missing almost a full month of action, as he was placed on the 10-day injured list on May 2 after suffering a hairline fracture in his left pinkie finger.  The injury actually occurred prior to Luzardo’s start on May 1, which could explain his rough numbers (three earned runs on two walks and five hits in three IP) against the Orioles in that outing, though Luzardo had struggled to a 5.40 ERA in his previous 25 innings of the season.

The southpaw’s advanced metrics are a mixed bag.  Luzardo’s Statcast numbers are nothing special, though his strikeout and walk rates are slightly above average and his .306 xwOBA far outpaces his .356 wOBA.  Luzardo’s 4.27 SIERA, .350 BABIP and 63.2% strand rate provide further evidence that he has been a little unlucky to have a 5.79 ERA over his 28 innings.

Luzardo’s bullpen assignment may not be permanent, as Melvin said the Athletics plan to “play it by ear” with Luzardo’s role.  Ideally, Melvin said Luzardo would be able to build up his pitch count and get stretched out while pitching as a reliever, which hints at a long relief role for the left-hander.  The other issue could be that the A’s want to see what they have in James Kaprielian, who has an impressive 1.53 ERA over his first 17 2/3 innings and three starts for Oakland.  If Kaprielian falters or another starter gets injured, it could open the door for a relatively quick return to starting duty for Luzardo.

Injury Notes: Buxton, Mets, A’s, Cards

By | at

Twins center fielder Byron Buxton could be ready for a rehab assignment near the end of the week, manager Rocco Baldelli told Betsy Helfand of the St. Paul Pioneer Press and other reporters. Buxton has been out since May 7 with a hip strain, the latest of an unfortunate number of injuries he has dealt with since his career began in 2015. The 27-year-old was off to a jaw-dropping start this season with a .370/.408/.772 line, nine home runs and five stolen bases in 98 plate appearances before his IL placement, making him the brightest spot on a Minnesota team that has surprisingly gone from contender to calamity.

  • The Mets didn’t need another injury to an outfielder, but they got one Monday: Johneshwy Fargas departed their game against the Rockies with a left AC joint sprain, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com was among those to report. The team just promoted Fargas a week ago when it placed fellow outfielder Michael Conforto on the injured list (he’ll be out until late June with a hamstring strain), and Fargas has since been its go-to option in center. The 26-year-old has fared well with a .286/.286/.524 line in 22 plate appearances, but he may now be on his way to the IL. The Mets’ outfield is already without Conforto, Brandon Nimmo, Kevin Pillar and Albert Almora Jr.
  • Athletics left-hander Jesus Luzardo is going on a Triple-A rehab start Thursday and looks to be closing in on a return to the big league club, per Martin Gallegos of MLB.com. The question is whether Luzardo, who fractured his left hand in a video game-related accident at the beginning of the month, will start or relieve when he returns. The promising 23-year-old got off to a rocky start this season with a 5.79 ERA in 28 innings prior to landing on the IL.
  • Cardinals southpaw reliever Andrew Miller will begin a rehab stint Tuesday, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat tweets. St. Louis will have a better idea of a return date later this week. The Cardinals have gone since April 29 without Miller, whom they sent to the IL with a right foot issue. The once-marvelous Miller, 36, got off to a tough start this year with 7 1/3 innings of 12-hit, seven-run pitching and eight strikeouts against four walks before going on the IL.

Injury Updates: Chisholm, Alfaro, Voit, Odor, Pinder, Puk, Luzardo

By | at

The latest on some injury situations from around baseball…

  • Jazz Chisholm and Jorge Alfaro are both set to begin Triple-A rehab assignments on Tuesday, according to SportsGrid’s Craig Mish (Twitter links).  Chisholm was sidelined with a left hamstring strain back on April 28, following an outstanding start to the season that saw the Marlins youngster hit .290/.375/.551 with four homers in his first 80 plate appearances.  (Despite the missed time, Chisholm’s seven stolen bases still led the National League heading into Sunday’s play.)  Alfaro had only a .507 OPS at the time of his IL placement on April 21, albeit over only 36 PA.  The catcher is also recovering from a left hamstring strain.
  • Luke Voit is on pace to be activated for the start of the Yankees’ series with the Rays on Tuesday, New York manager Aaron Boone told ESPN’s Marly Rivera (Twitter links) and other reporters.  Voit has yet to play this season after undergoing knee surgery in late March.
  • It isn’t yet clear if Rougned Odor could also be joining the Yankees soon, as Boone wasn’t sure if Odor will be immediately activated after the minimum 10 days.  Odor hit the IL due to a left knee sprain back on May 5, and is at least making good progress in recovery, Boone said, noting that Odor was taking grounders.
  • The Athletics visit the Twins in a series on May 14-16, and Oakland manager Bob Melvin hopes Chad Pinder will be ready to rejoin the A’s for those games.  Melvin told The San Francisco Chronicle’s Matt Kawahara and other reporters that Pinder will play at least three games during a Triple-A rehab assignment that starts on either Monday or Tuesday.  Pinder has been out of action since April 4 due to a left knee sprain.
  • Melvin also provided updates on a pair of Athletics pitchers, telling MLB.com’s Martin Gallegos (Twitter links) and other media that A.J. Puk could begin a rehab assignment of his own this week.  Puk has been plagued by injuries throughout his young career, including a left biceps strain that sent him to the IL on April 8.  Jesus Luzardo’s timeline isn’t as clear, since A’s head trainer Nick Paparesta said Luzardo is week-to-week in his recovery from a fractured left hand.  On the plus side, Paparesta did indicate that Luzardo might be able to return by the end of the month.

A’s Place Jesus Luzardo On Injured List With Fractured Hand

By | at

The A’s have placed young southpaw Jesus Luzardo on the injured list with a fractured throwing hand, the team announced. Adam Kolarek has been recalled from the alternate site to take his roster spot.

Luzardo knocked his hand against a desk while playing a video game before his start yesterday, and the X-ray revealed a hairline fracture in his pinkie finger, per Matt Kawahara of the San Francisco Chronicle (via Twitter). The injury occurred before his start yesterday. Luzardo lasted just three innings, giving up six runs (three earned) on five hits and two walks while striking out just one. He took the loss to Matt Harvey and the Orioles.

From a big-picture perspective, Oakland continues to suffer from poor health luck with their young arms as Luzardo joins A.J. Puk on the injured list. With Trevor Rosenthal and J.B. Wendelken also on the injured list, the A’s must make do without four arms they had hoped to play significant roles this season. Without Luzardo out, Bob Melvin’s crew will presumably power forward in the rotation with the five-some of Chris Bassitt, Mike Fiers, Sean Manaea, Frankie Montas, and Cole Irvin.

Kolarek looked to be a potential difference-maker after arriving via trade from the Dodgers this winter, but he struggled in his first eight appearances this season. The lefty-specialist currently owns a 8.44 ERA/8.53 FIP through 5 1/3 innings.

A’s Start Jesus Luzardo Facing Elimination

By | at

The Oakland A’s will send Jesus Luzardo to the hill tonight to try and save their season. Down 2-0 to the Astros, the A’s now need three consecutive wins to advance to the ALCS.

Luzardo gave up 3 earned runs across 3 1/3 innings in game one of the wild card round against the White Sox. The A’s lost that game. Per Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle, manager Bob Melvin isn’t worried about how that tough outing might affect Luzardo. In fact, he’s encouraged by it, saying “I really believe when he has a tough outing, it doesn’t affect his confidence – it’s more of a learning experience for him. We think he’s going to have a good outing for us.”

Not to mention, those White Sox ended the year undefeated against left-handed starters. The Astros haven’t fared quite as well, slashing .232/.299/.403 against lefties as a team. That’s an on-base percentage 19 points worse than against right-handers, notes Slusser.

If Luzardo does get into trouble early, Melvin will likely turn to Yusmeiro Petit or J.B. Wendelken to “clean up any early mess,” per Ron Kroichick of the San Francisco Chronicle. The only real certainty is that closer Liam Hendriks is going to see action. He could come in earlier than usual, but after not appearing in the first two games, the A’s won’t wait overlong to get perhaps their best reliever into the game.

Hendriks is one of a number of A’s players who will be free agents at the end of the season. Mid-season additions Mike Minor and Tommy La Stella are both heading to free agency, as are Petit, wormkiller T.J. McFarland, outfielder Robbie Grossman, Mike Fiers, Joakim Soria, and star shortstop Marcus Semien. Of that group, Hendriks and Semien are going to be the most difficult for Oakland to bring back simply from a financial demand perspective. With just about one-third of their overall roster heading to free agency, today might be this group’s last opportunity to pull out a big win.

If they do pull of the W tonight, manager Bob Melvin implied that Frankie Montas would get the start in game four, per MLB.com’s Martín Gallegos (via Twitter). On choosing between Luzardo and Montas, Melvin said, “We’re hoping they both pitch. One one day, one the other.” That said, today is a must-win, and they do have Fiers on the roster who could start game four if need be.

Show all

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

hide arrowsFOX Sports Engage Network scroll to top