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Kolten Wong

Injury Notes: Eflin, Brantley, Woodruff, Polanco

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The Phillies placed starter Zach Eflin on the 15-day injured list, retroactive to June 26, with a bruised right knee. Outfielder Oscar Mercado, claimed off waivers from the Guardians yesterday, has been added to the active roster in a corresponding move. Eflin told reporters he’s hopeful he could return after a minimal IL stay, which would only cost him two starts (via Todd Zolecki of MLB.com). The 28-year-old underwent surgery on both knees back in 2016, and he underwent another procedure to correct patellar issues in his right knee last September. His current injury doesn’t seem to be anywhere near as concerning, but the Phillies figure to be particularly cautious in bringing him back given that history.

An impending free agent, Eflin has made 13 starts this season. He owns a 4.37 ERA over 68 innings, striking out 19.6% of opposing hitters against a minuscule 5.3% walk rate. That kind of strike-throwing stability has made the former Padres farmhand a reliable member of the Philadelphia rotation for the past six-plus years. The Phils plan to recall left-hander Bailey Falter to start Friday night’s game in Eflin’s place, tweets Matt Gelb of the Athletic.

Some other injured list moves from around the game:

  • The Astros placed left fielder Michael Brantley on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to June 27, due to right shoulder discomfort. Chas McCormick, who’d been optioned over the weekend, has been recalled to take his place on the active roster. (Position players typically need to spend a minimum of ten days in the minors after being optioned, but they can be recalled earlier if replacing an injured player). Brantley downplayed  any long-term concerns, telling reporters (including Brian McTaggart of MLB.com) he was hopeful he could make it back after a brief stint. The 35-year-old continues to perform very well at the plate, carrying a .288/.370/.416 line through 277 plate appearances this season.
  • The Brewers welcomed a pair of key contributors back from the injured list this evening. Righty Brandon Woodruff and second baseman Kolten Wong have each been reinstated, with Trevor Kelley and Pablo Reyes optioned out in corresponding moves. Woodruff will get the start during today’s game with the Rays, while Wong steps back in at the keystone. It’s the first MLB start in a month for Woodruff, who’s been out while dealing with a high ankle sprain and some hand numbness stemming from Raynaud’s syndrome. Wong has been out for three weeks on account of a calf strain.
  • Between games of today’s doubleheader with the Guardians, the Twins brought back second baseman Jorge Polanco from the injured list. Outfielder Mark Contreras was optioned to Triple-A St. Paul to open active roster space. The switch-hitting Polanco is hitting fifth for the nightcap against Cleveland. He missed a little less than two weeks with some lower back tightness. Through 250 plate appearances, Polanco is hitting .245/.340/.389 with seven home runs. His return figures to push Luis Arraez back to first base and designated hitter, perhaps freeing Alex Kirilloff to see more time in left field. Minnesota lost primary left fielder Trevor Larnach to a core muscle injury over the weekend; he’s undergoing surgery and expected to miss six weeks.

Brewers Place Kolten Wong On 10-Day Injured List

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The Brewers have placed Kolten Wong on the 10-day injured list with a right calf strain, retroactive to June 8th, per the team. Right-hander Luke Barker was also optioned to Triple-A. To fill the active roster, Mark Mathias and Peter Strzelecki were recalled from Triple-A. The Brewers have been sliding, losers of seven straight coming into today’s game against the Nationals.

Barker and Strzelecki are swapping places after doing the same back on June 3rd. The 27-year-old Strzelecki made just one appearance for the club, a two-inning outing back on June 2nd in which he surrendered one earned run. He gave his roster spot to Barker the following day. Barker, 30, made three appearances for the Brew Crew, yielding five earned runs across four innings of work.

Wong has been the leadoff man for most of the year, with Christian Yelich taking over atop the lineup in the past three games while Wong has been out. Defensively Luis Urias has continued in his role as a swingman, moving to the keystone from shortstop, where he had been filling in for Willy Adames before his return from the injured list. Wong has been exactly league-average with the bat (100 wRC+), slashing .228/.321/.389 in 209 plate appearances.

Mathias, 27, can step into Mike Brosseau’s role as a right-handed infield option. Jace Peterson has been seeing most of the playing time at third base, but against a lefty starter, Milwaukee is likely to turn to Mathias or Keston Hiura.

Brewers Place Kolten Wong On 10-Day Injured List

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Prior to tonight’s game, the Brewers placed second baseman Kolten Wong on the 10-day injured list due to left calf tightness.  With right-hander Alec Bettinger also optioned to Triple-A, infielder Pablo Reyes and lefty Hoby Milner were called up from Triple-A to fill the two open roster spots.

This is already the third IL visit of the season for Wong, who missed about four weeks total due to two separate left oblique strains.  Wong initially hurt his calf last Sunday and sat out four games in an attempt to rehab the issue without another IL trip, though Wong had to make an early exit from yesterday’s game in his return to the field.

The stop-and-start nature of Wong’s debut season in Milwaukee is all the more frustrating for both the second baseman and the team considering how well Wong has performed when he has been able to play.  Wong has a .291/.346/.485 slash line and seven home runs through 214 plate appearances, with a 125 wRC+/OPS+ that would represent the best of his career over a full season.  Between this offensive production and his usual excellent defense over 53 games, Wong still has a 1.7 fWAR — the second-highest total of any Brewers player, and the tenth-highest fWAR of any second baseman in baseball with at least 200 PA.

Jace Peterson has been starting at second base in Wong’s absence, and Daniel Robertson can also come off the bench to team with Peterson in a platoon if he isn’t needed elsewhere around the infield.  Reyes has played mostly third base for the Brewers this season but he has also clocked a few games as a middle infielder.

Wong’s injury perhaps makes infield depth an even bigger target for the Brewers than it already was, considering the team’s preference for versatile, multi-positional players.  Milwaukee has overcome a lot of injury absences to take a healthy lead in the NL Central, but the Brew Crew’s position player mix is currently short some notable names in Wong, Lorenzo Cain, Daniel Vogelbach, and Travis Shaw.

Brewers Activate Kolten Wong, Select Zack Godley

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The Brewers announced they’ve activated second baseman Kolten Wong from the injured list and selected right-hander Zack Godley to the MLB roster. Utilityman Pablo Reyes and righty Eric Yardley were optioned to Triple-A Nashville in corresponding moves. To create space on the 40-man roster for Godley, Milwaukee designated infielder Jake Hager for assignment.

Wong went on the 10-day IL on June 4 with an oblique strain, his second stint of the season for that issue. As with his first IL trip, the strain proved to be relatively minor, as Wong returns after just two weeks out. That’s good news for the Brewers, since the offseason signee has hit .280/.343/.441 while playing strong defense in his first season with Milwaukee.

Godley makes his second appearance on the Brewers roster. The 31-year-old signed a minor league deal in March and was called up to make a spot start on April 27. Unfortunately, Godley suffered a right index finger contusion during that game and was forced out after just three innings.

Milwaukee designated him for assignment as soon as he was healthy enough to return from the injured list, but Godley accepted an outright assignment to Nashville upon clearing waivers. He’s pitched well in six appearances with the Sounds, working to a 2.40 ERA that ranks third-lowest among 37 Triple-A East pitchers with at least 30 innings. Godley’s struck out a strong 28.6% of opposing hitters in the minors this season while walking a slightly elevated 10.1%.

Hager spent the 2018-19 seasons in the Milwaukee system but signed with the Mets in 2020 as a minor league free agent. He got off to a torrid start with their Triple-A team in Syracuse this season, hitting .405/.436/.703 with three homers in 39 plate appearances. With the Mets reeling from a series of injuries last month, the 28-year-old very briefly cracked the major league roster, collecting one hit in eight at-bats. The Brewers claimed Hager off waivers shortly after and optioned him to Triple-A, but he hasn’t been able to build off his strong start at that level. Hager has hit just .211/.288/.394 across 80 trips to the plate with the Sounds. The Brewers will have a week to trade him or place him on outright waivers.

Additionally, Milwaukee announced that veteran infielder Logan Forsythe has been released from his minor league contract. The 34-year-old signed last month but only picked up 29 plate appearances in Nashville, partially due to a two-plus week absence to represent the United States in Olympic qualifiers. He’s now a free agent.

Brewers Notes: Wong, Fisher, Trade Deadline

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The Brewers have fought through a pile of injuries to post a 38-30 record, good for a tie with the Cubs for first place in the NL Central.  While still far from fully healthy, the Brew Crew are starting to get closer to full strength, as outfielder Derek Fisher was activated off the 10-day injured list today.  (Utilityman Tim Lopes was optioned to Triple-A in the corresponding move.)  In addition, manager Craig Counsell is “somewhat optimistic” that second baseman Kolten Wong is ready to return from his own trip to the IL.

As Counsell told MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy and other reporters, Wong took part in a pregame workout today.  Wong hit the injured list on June 4 due to a left oblique strain, which was the second such injury the former Gold Glover has suffered this year.  Wong has been limited to 44 games and 178 plate appearances due to the two IL stints, though given the nature of oblique injuries, it’s at least fortunate that both of his strains have been on the mild side, rather than more severe issues that would require months of recovery time.

Wong has been a tremendous all-around force for the Brewers, hitting .280/.343/.441 in those 178 PA while delivering more strong defense at the keystone.  With Wong out, Luis Urias got most of the second base reps, before Travis Shaw’s dislocated shoulder required Urias to see more time at third base.  Jace Peterson, Daniel Robertson, and Lopes have also been part of the second base picture.

Shaw is on the 60-day IL and won’t be back until at least mid-August. Urias and Daniel Vogelbach have both been around league-average hitters at third and first base, respectively, and Milwaukee is hopeful that the struggling Keston Hiura can get himself on track and again factor into the first base mix.  Still, unless Urias, Vogelbach, and Hiura all really get rolling, the corner infield positions figure to be target areas for the Brewers heading into the trade deadline, FanSided’s Robert Murray writes.

The Brewers have already made one early strike into the trade market, landing Willy Adames and Trevor Richards from the Rays in exchange for righties J.P. Feyereisen and Drew Rasmussen back in May.  Adames has been excellent since coming to Milwaukee, filling the shortstop hole in the infield and allowing the Brew Crew with some flexibility in how they deploy Urias.  Murray also writes that the Brewers will look to add relief help at the deadline, likely to fill in the depth left by the absences of Feyereisen and Rasmussen.

Fisher could also provide some help, as the outfielder is finally healthy after spending the entire season on the IL.  After being acquired in a trade from the Blue Jays in February, Fisher picked up a hamstring injury during Spring Training, and then a calf injury while rehabbing in the minors.  Lorenzo Cain and Tyrone Taylor are both on the injured list, so Fisher steps right in as Milwaukee’s primary backup outfielder.

Brewers Place Kolten Wong On Injured List

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The Brewers placed second baseman Kolten Wong on the 10-day injured list due to a strained left oblique, per a club announcement. Infielder/outfielder Pablo Reyes is up from Triple-A Nashville in his place.

It’s the second oblique strain of the season for Wong, who figures to be looking at an absence of some note. Wong and manager Craig Counsell told reporters Friday that the injury occurred in the exact same spot as the left oblique strain he suffered in April (Twitter link via Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel). As such, the club is going to be more cautious to ensure that the injury is fully healed, which likely indicates Wong will miss more time than the two weeks he missed with that first strain.

The timing of the move is rather poor for the Brewers, who’ve been enjoying a highly productive stretch at the plate from the Gold Glove second baseman. Since returning from that first IL stint, Wong had raked at a .303./.342/.486 clip with four homers, a dozen doubles, a triple and four stolen bases through 152 plate appearances.

With Wong shelved for a yet-to-be-determined period of time, the bulk of the innings at second base will fall to recently displaced shortstop Luis Urias. The 24-year-old former top prospect opened the year getting regular reps at short, but defensive shortcomings prompted the Brewers to swing a trade for Willy Adames. With Wong now on the shelf, Urias will slide down the defensive spectrum and look to tap into his considerable offensive potential while playing a position more suited to his abilities. He’s swinging a good bat at the moment, having homered in consecutive games and batted .303/.361/.636 over his past 12 contests.

NL Central Notes: Wong, Cardinals, Pirates

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Brewers second baseman Kolten Wong left last night’s game after three innings due to a left oblique strain, after striking out swinging in what ended up as his final at-bat of the game.  Brewers manager Craig Counsell told MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy and other reporters that “at this point, it’s day to day.  It’s not bad, but it’s concerning because it’s the same spot” that Wong previously felt a strain earlier this season.  That initial oblique issue sent Wong to the injured list and caused him to miss 11 games in April.

Wong has been a strong part of Milwaukee’s success this season, delivering his usual stellar glovework at second base while hitting .280/.343/.441 (114 OPS+, 115 wRC+) over 178 plate appearances.  Ideally, Wong could avoid the IL altogether, but even another relatively minimal absence would count as a minor victory considering how oblique injuries can often be longer-term problems.  Keston Hiura, Luis Urias, or Daniel Robertson are fill-in options at second base if Wong indeed has to miss significant time, but none can match Wong’s all-around contributions.

Some more injury updates from around the NL Central…

  • With Miles Mikolas and Jordan Hicks both on the injured list, Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak told reporters (including Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat) said the “best case” scenario is to have both right-handers back in August.  Mikolas is roughly 3-5 weeks from being re-evaluated after receiving a stem cell injection as he works his way back from forearm tightness, while Hicks is out until at least July 1 after being placed on the 60-day IL due to elbow inflammation.  Given that both hurlers have had significant long-term injury absences prior to these current health issues, the Cards will surely be as cautious as possible in bringing either Mikolas or Hicks back into action, despite the team’s pitching needs.
  • Max Moroff is considering surgery to address his ailing left shoulder, after the Cardinals infielder went on the 10-day IL with a shoulder subluxation last week.  If Moroff doesn’t opt for surgery, he’ll still be out of action for at least 4-6 weeks.
  • Pirates GM Ben Cherington hinted last week that outfield prospect Travis Swaggerty was leaning towards shoulder surgery, and the team announced yesterday (hat tip to The Athletic’s Rob Biertempfel) that Swaggerty indeed went under the knife and will miss the rest of the season.  Swaggerty is expected to be fully recovered in roughly five months, though it’s still a tough setback for the 10th overall pick of the 2018 draft.
  • Jose Soriano has also hit an injury speedbump, as the Pirates right-hander experienced “recurrent elbow discomfort” while on a minor league rehab assignment.  Soriano underwent Tommy John surgery in February 2020, though the Bucs still picked him off the Angels’ roster with the first pick in last December’s Rule 5 draft.  Despite the missed time, MLB Pipeline still ranked Soriano 24th among all Pirates prospect, highlighting his 70-grade fastball and a 55-grade curve.

Brewers To Reinstate Kolten Wong From Injured List

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The Brewers are planning to activate second baseman Kolten Wong from the injured list before Friday’s series opener against the Cubs, manager Craig Counsell told reporters (including Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel). Milwaukee is off tomorrow.

Wong went on the IL with a left oblique strain April 10, but he’ll only miss a few days more than the 10-day minimum. The team more than held their own in his absence, compiling an 8-3 record punctuated by a three-game sweep of the Padres. Still, Wong’s return will be a welcome development for a Milwaukee club that added him in free agency over the winter. He hasn’t hit much over his first seven games as a Brewer, but Wong has a lengthy track record of solid offense and Gold Glove caliber defense at the keystone.

With Wong back manning second base, the Brewers figure to bump Keston Hiura back to first and push Daniel Vogelbach out of the starting lineup. Hiura, though, is off to a dreadful start to the year after struggling in 2020.

Brewers Place Kolten Wong On 10-Day IL

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2:10PM: Wong’s injury may be “on the minor side,” manager Craig Counsell told reporters (including Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel).  A firmer timeline will be established after Wong undergoes more treatment, but the team is hopeful he won’t be out of action for much beyond the 10-day minimum.

10:28AM: The Brewers have officially announced the moves, placing Wong on the 10-day IL with a left oblique strain.  Peterson’s minor league contract was selected, and to create a 40-man roster spot, righty Bobby Wahl was moved to the 60-day injured list.

10:03AM: The Brewers are placing second baseman Kolten Wong on the 10-day injured list due to an oblique injury, FanSided’s Robert Murray writes.  Utilityman Jace Peterson will be called up to take Wong’s spot on the active roster.

An IL stint seemed likely for Wong considering that he missed Wednesday’s game and then was forced into an early exit from Thursday’s game due to the same oblique problem.  No timetable is yet known for Wong’s return, as oblique injuries can sometimes require several weeks of recovery time based on the severity of the issue.

Even a shorter-term absence is an unfortunate outcome for both Wong and the Brewers, as the former Gold Glover just joined the team on a two-year, $18MM free agent contract during the offseason.  Wong’s injury also emerged just two days after Milwaukee traded shortstop Orlando Arcia to the Braves, so the Brewers are now even more short-handed in the infield.

The left-handed hitting Peterson and the right-handed hitting Daniel Robertson could form a second base platoon while Wong is out of action, with Travis Shaw and Luis Urias remaining as the everyday options at third base and shortstop, respectively.  Keston Hiura could also see some time at his old second base position, if the Brewers wanted to move him away from first base and give Daniel Vogelbach some playing time.  Dee Strange-Gordon just recently signed to a minor league deal for additional depth (perhaps essentially as Arcia’s replacement) and could see some time with the big league team in relatively short order depending on how the Brewers juggle the roster.

NL Injury Notes: Wong, Akiyama, Goldy, Davis

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Brewers second baseman Kolten Wong departed the team’s game against the Cardinals on Thursday after re-aggravating his left oblique, manager Craig Counsell told Andrew Wagner of the Wisconsin State Journal and other reporters. It’s the same issue that kept Wong from playing Wednesday, and Counsell said (via Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel) there’s a “distinct possibility” that he’ll require a trip to the injured list. Wong, previously with St. Louis, joined the Brewers on a two-year, $18MM contract during the offseason. If he does have to miss time shortly into his Brewers tenure, it would be another blow to the middle infield depth of a team that traded Orlando Arcia to Atlanta earlier this week. The Brewers did add veteran Dee Strange-Gordon on a minor league contract Thursday, though Daniel Robertson – who replaced Wong when he exited – would be the favorite to handle most of the reps at the keystone.

  • The Reds are planning to have Shogo Akiyama back with the team in early-to-mid May, C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic reports (via Twitter). Akiyama started slowly for the Red last season, but he was able to adjust and post a strong second half. At least so far, however, the Reds have managed just fine without him. Tyler Naquin has helped fill the void with a massive start to the season. With Nick Senzel, Jesse Winker, Nick Castellanos, and Aristides Aquino on the roster, the Reds are in no real hurry to upset the apple cart, so to speak.
  • Paul Goldschmidt was scratched from today’s Cardinals game because of lower back tightness, per MLB.com’s Zachary Silver (via Twitter). The move was precautionary, so presumably the Cardinals don’t expect this to lead to an IL placement. Manager Mike Shildt said after the game that Goldschmidt’s day to day, and the Cardinals will know more about his status Friday, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News tweets.
  • The Mets received some good news on J.D. Davis. X-rays came back negative on his bruised left hand, Tim Healey of Newsday relays (via Twitter). Davis does not appear to be headed to the injured list, though he remained out of the lineup for the Mets’ home opener today. Jonathan Villar took his place at the hot corner. Villar got the start at third base today for the first time since 2016. Luis Guillorme would also be in line to see a bump in playing time while Davis is on the shelf. It’s not clear, however, how much time Davis will miss.
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