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Shohei Ohtani

AL Notes: Ohtani, Rays, Cron, White Sox, Narvaez

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Angels star Shohei Ohtani, fresh off a dazzling Rookie of the Year campaign in 2018, met with reporters from the Japan National Press Club in Tokyo this week to reflect on his transition to the Major Leagues.  Ohtani, who starred both on the mound and in the box, fielded a wide array of inquiries, including the inevitable comparison to two-way godfather Babe Ruth.  Regarding his decision to undergo Tommy John surgery, the 23-year-old acknowledged his initial reservations, but said his recovery has thus far gone well: “It hasn’t quite been two months, but I haven’t had any problems in my daily life,” he said. “For the first month or so, I felt like I couldn’t use my right arm the way I wanted, but I don’t feel like there are any problems now.” The Japanese star, who chose the Angels after a lengthy courting process a year ago that included over half of the league’s teams, originally seemed most lauded for his abilities on the mound, where his 96.7 MPH average fastball velocity in ’18 ranked among the league’s best, but perhaps welcomed even more acolytes with his work at the plate this season: after all, his .285/.361/.564 (152 wRC+) line ranked as the fifth-best park-adjusted mark in the American League among all performers with at least 350 PA, and the lefty swinger destroyed right-handed pitching at an 82 percent above-league-average mark.

In other news from around the league . . .

  • The Tampa Bay Times’ Marc Topkin takes care to note that the team’s designation for assignment of 1B/DH C.J. Cron was not financially motivated.  Rather, says Topkin, the team hopes to upgrade at the position, and may be poised to do so “on a higher shelf than usual.”  Cron, of course, was set to earn a projected $5.2MM in his second arbitration-eligible season in ’19, and hoped to build off a campaign that saw the righty slash .253/.323/.493, for a 122 wRC+.  Unsteady performance in past seasons, though, has tempered optimism for the soon-to-be 29-year-old: Steamer, it should be noted, projects the former Angel to be just two percent above the league-average next season, which, with his limited defensive ability and a punitive positional adjustment, would place Cron right around replacement-level in the upcoming campaign.  With their perennially limited monetary resources at hand, moving on from the 1B/DH seemed like a prudent move for the surging Rays.
  • In a fascinating look into the inner workings of a team’s low-level acquisition substructure, James Fegan of The Athletic details the process by which the White Sox went about acquiring breakout catcher Omar Narvaez.  A since-retired scout, it seems, saw just two Narvaez at-bats in the short-season New York-Penn League back in 2013, but his recommendation was enough to convince the ChiSox brass to nab the (at the time) 21-year-old in the minor league portion of the 2013 Rule V Draft.  Narvaez’s proceeding output in the upper levels of Chicago’s system was mostly uninspiring, to say the least, but the now 26-year-old has found MLB pitching much more to his liking, posting a career 108 wRC+ over 734 PA since his debut in 2016, a mark well above the offensive baseline for his position.  Steamer, likely citing the years of aforementioned ineptitude in the minors, remains unconvinced, pegging the backstop for a 93 wRC+ in ’19, though the lefty’s excellent plate discipline numbers (career 12.3% BB rate against just a 16.9% K rate) will certainly work in his favor moving forward.

Ronald Acuna, Shohei Ohtani Win Rookie Of The Year Awards

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Precocious Braves outfielder Ronald Acuna has slugged his way to a National League Rookie of the Year Award, while two-way Angels star Shohei Ohtani took the top honors in the American League. While there were strong alternatives in both cases, these two players were the runaway favorites of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America voters. Juan Soto of the Nationals and Miguel Andujar of the Yankees were the respective runners up.

The 20-year-old Acuna burst onto the scene in 2018, launching 26 home runs and swiping 16 bags in 486 trips to the plate. He ended the season with a stellar .293/.366/.552 batting line. Already viewed as one of the game’s most exciting talents entering the 2018 campaign, Acuna now seems poised to take his place among the very best players in the majors.

It seemed at one point as if Juan Soto — who is even younger than Acuna — would run away with things in the NL. But Acuna went on a tear to end the season, helping lead his club to a stunning NL East title. Both of those players appear likely to clash in thrilling fashion well into the future in the division. (Things will presumably remain friendly, as the two seem to have hit it off on tour in Japan.) And it’ll also be fascinating to watch them each step into the box against third-place finisher Walker Buehler of the Dodgers, who had an exceptional debut season from the mound.

The trio of AL finalists was rather an exciting one as well. Ohtani, 24, staked out a position as the most fascinating baseball player on the planet by turning in high-end performances from the mound and the batter’s box. Primarily lauded for his promise as a hurler, Ohtani exceeded expectations with ten starts of 3.31 ERA ball with 11.0 K/9 and 3.8 BB/9. While his time on the bump was curtailed by a UCL surgery that ultimately required Tommy John surgery, Ohtani proved stunningly productive with the bat as well. Though he benefited from platoon usage, and was limited to DH usage, Ohtani actually bested Acuna and Soto in wRC+ (152 vs. 143 and 146, respectivey).

Andujar was the clear number two in the minds of voters, taking all of the five first-place votes that did not go to Ohtani. The 23-year-old’s output wasn’t quite as eye-popping as those of the others discussed in this post, but he did it over a full season. Andujar ended up popping 27 long balls with a .297/.328/.527 slash in 606 plate appearances, though his glovework did not receive glowing reviews. Unless things are shaken up by trade, he’ll presumably pair with fellow Yankees infielder and third-place AL ROY finisher Gleyber Torres for years to come.

Poll: The Rookie Of The Year Awards

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The results of the AL and NL Rookie Of The Year Award balloting will be announced tomorrow, capping off a season that saw one of the more distinguished rookie classes in recent history make some immediate impacts in the big leagues.

Put it this way — Walker Buehler, Brad Keller, Jaime Barria, Dereck Rodriguez, Ramon Laureano, Lou Trivino, Seranthony Dominguez, Jack Flaherty, and Harrison Bader all had strong-to-outstanding rookie campaigns in 2018, yet none of this group is expected to crack the top two in balloting in their respective leagues.  (The AL rookies might not even reach the top four.)  The races in both leagues have been dominated by some major names and eyebrow-raising statistics, leaving voters with a tough choice as the regular season ended.  As a reminder, the Rookie Of The Award doesn’t cover the postseason, so Buehler’s performance during the Dodgers’ NL pennant run has to be ignored.

Let’s sort though the big six options and then let the MLBTR readers decide on their preferred choices…

National League

This has been a two-horse race between the Braves’ Ronald Acuna and the Nationals’ Juan Soto for months.  While a quick breakout wouldn’t have been surprising for either player (Acuna was heralded as baseball’s top prospect prior to the season, while Soto was also ranked in the 20-60 range of preseason top-100 prospect lists), it was still rather stunning to see both post numbers that will net them some MVP votes, let alone Rookie Of The Year consideration.  Making it an even more difficult choice for voters, both players had remarkably identical numbers:

Acuna: .293/.366/.552 over 487 PA, 26 homers, 78 runs, 143 wRC+, 144 OPS+, 3.7 fWAR

Soto: .292/.406/.517 over 494 PA, 22 homers, 77 runs, 146 wRC+, 142 OPS+, 3.7 fWAR

Adding to the similarities, both posted slightly below-average defensive numbers (Defensive Runs Saved, UZR/150) as left fielders, though Acuna boosted his overall DRS and UZR/150 totals with 96 2/3 solid innings in center field and right field.  The two also had similar amounts of batted-ball luck — both had a .366 xwOBA, indicating that each was moderately fortunate with their real-world weighted on-base averages (Soto .392, Acuna .388).

Soto supporters can point to their man’s OBP edge, plus the fact that Soto did all of this during his age-19 season, setting several Major League single-season records for a teenage player along the way (such as highest OBP, highest OPS, and most walks).  Acuna fans can counter with the argument that the Braves outfielder was only 20 years old, accomplished his feats in the heat of a pennant race, and could’ve outpaced Soto in numbers had Acuna not missed a month on the disabled list with a sprained ACL.

American League

All eyes were on Angels right-hander Shohei Ohtani in his attempt to become the first two-way player in the modern era, and the results were astounding.  As a hitter, Ohtani posted a 152 wRC+, 22 homers, and a .285/.361/.564 slash line over 367 plate appearances.  As a pitcher, Ohtani had a 3.31 ERA, 11.0 K/9, and 2.86 K/BB rate over 51 2/3 innings, before arm problems that eventually required postseason Tommy John surgery derailed his time on the mound.

After Aaron Judge was the unanimous AL Rookie Of The Year pick in 2017, the Yankees’ youth movement continued as Gleyber Torres and Miguel Andujar quickly stepped into everyday roles at second and third base, respectively.  Torres was the centerpiece of the prospect package New York received from the Cubs in the 2016 Aroldis Chapman trade, and the infielder lived up to the hype by hitting .271/.340/.480 with 24 homers over 484 PA.  Andujar swung an even mightier stick, with 27 homers and a .297/.328/.527 slash over 606 plate appearances.

While none of the five rookies featured were contributors on defense, the Rays’ Joey Wendle’s excellent glovework at multiple positions fueled his value.  This combination of solid defense and a strong bat (.300/.354/.435 over 545 PA) resulted in Wendle posting a 3.7 position player fWAR that tied both Acuna and Soto in the category among all rookies in baseball.  Wendle was in many ways the manifestation of the Rays as a whole in 2018 — an unheralded player who surprised many by emerging as a versatile and productive threat.

With these choices in mind, who would be your ROY choice if you had a ballot?  (NL poll link for app users)(AL poll link for app users)

Who Is Your Pick As NL Rookie Of The Year?
Ronald Acuna 75.58% (13,971 votes)
Juan Soto 24.42% (4,514 votes)
Total Votes: 18,485
Who Is Your Pick As AL Rookie Of The Year?
Shohei Ohtani 45.15% (9,642 votes)
Miguel Andujar 37.59% (8,027 votes)
Gleyber Torres 10.85% (2,316 votes)
Joey Wendle 6.41% (1,369 votes)
Total Votes: 21,354

Health Notes: McCullers, Miller, Ohtani, Meyer

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Health considerations can certainly have a major impact on the development of the player market. Here are the latest notes on several hurlers whose medical reports bear watching:

  • Astros GM Jeff Luhnow acknowledged yesterday that the team is awaiting word on the status of righty Lance McCullers Jr., Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle writes. McCullers has dealt with forearm problems that have created plenty of uncertainty entering the offseason. Luhnow acknowledged that a surgical outcome is on the table. When asked whether he anticipates McCullers being with the club in 2019, the GM responded: “If he has surgery, no. If he doesn’t, yes. Any time you’re talking about an elbow injury, [surgery] is one path to resolving it.” That isn’t the most optimistic stance, even if it is still possible that McCullers will avoid surgery, as it clearly suggests he’s dealing with a significant injury. Needless to say, losing the 25-year-old would create a major opening in a rotation that is already bidding adieu to several notable pieces.
  • The news on veteran southpaw Andrew Miller is generally more promising. Agent Mark Rodgers tells Joel Sherman of the New York Post that Miller has been given a clean bill of health after a 2018 campaign that was marred by ongoing knee issues. If that is indeed the case, then Miller could be an immense value in free agency. Of course, he’s also closing in on 34 years of age and has endured plenty of wear and tear, so interested clubs will surely take a close look for themselves at the medicals. MLBTR has taken a rather bullish stance on Miller’s earning potential, predicting he’ll be capable of securing a three-year deal with a $9MM AAV.
  • The Angels provided updates on two notable righties today, as Maria Torres reports on Twitter. Shohei Ohtani is said to be on track in his Tommy John rehab, though certainly it’s only at an early stage. He’s expected not to pitch at all in 2019, regardless, but his rehab progress will dictate whether and when he’s able to function as a DH. Meanwhile, Alex Meyer has suffered a setback in his efforts to make it back from shoulder surgery. For now, he’ll rest for four to six weeks before attempting to resume throwing. It has been more than a year since Meyer went under the knife to repair a torn labrum, so there’s cause to hope that the towering righty will be able to get up to speed and contribute in 2019. Of course, recovery from surgical intervention in that joint is often not a straightforward proposition. The Halos will surely not make any assumptions about his availability for the coming season in making offseason decisions.

Shohei Ohtani Undergoes Tommy John Surgery

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Oct. 1: Ohtani’s surgery was performed today, tweets Maria Guardado of MLB.com.

Sept. 25: Angels starter and DH Shohei Ohtani will undergo Tommy John surgery next week, the club announced to reporters including Jeff Fletcher of the Southern California News Group (via Twitter). While the outcome was expected, it’s nevertheless significant for a player who has emerged this year as an unprecedented dual threat.

Renowned surgeon Dr. Neal ElAttrache will perform the procedure. Ohtani will almost certainly not return to the mound until the 2020 season. Of course, the expectation is that he will continue to function as a hitter for the Angels in 2019.

It’s extremely disappointing to see Ohtani’s first season in the majors draw to a close with surgery awaiting. That said, his continued excellence as a hitter since being shut down as a pitcher certainly leaves plenty of cause for continued excitement, even during his TJ rehab.

Ohtani will be ready to hit far before he’s ready to pitch, of course, so he and the Halos anticipate that he’ll be a full part of the roster next season. (Whether he’ll be ready by Opening Day is, however, not yet certain.) Once he’s ready to do both, Angels GM Billy Eppler recently made clear, he’ll go right back to functioning as a hybrid weapon unlike any other in baseball.

Of course, it’s also worth remembering that damage to Ohtani’s ulnar collateral ligament was evident before he joined the Angels over the winter. When new damage arose in the middle of the 2018 season, Ohtani tried a surgical alternative. But he went down again after ramping back up, making TJS an all-but-foregone outcome.

Ohtani is still putting the finishing touches on his season at the plate, but currently sports an eye-popping .280/.361/.564 slash with 21 home runs in 347 plate appearances. While he only has ten MLB starts under his belt, the 24-year-old has shown ample ability in that area as well. Through 51 2/3 innings, he posted a 3.31 ERA with 63 strikeouts against 22 walks.

With Ohtani on the shelf, and Garrett Richards slated for free agency after another Tommy John surgery of his own the Angels’ rotation is now officially on the look for significant help. The top rotation options heading out of the 2018 season appear to be Andrew Heaney, Tyler Skaggs, Matt Shoemaker, and Jaime Barria.

Shohei Ohtani Says Hasn’t Decided On TJ, Will Finish 2018 Season As Hitter

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Angels star Shohei Ohtani says he’s yet to decide whether to undergo Tommy John surgery following the recent recommendation that he do so, as Jeff Fletcher of the Southern California News Group was among those to report (Twitter links). He has made the call, however, to finish out the 2018 season as a hitter rather than undergoing the procedure now.

While it still seems likely that Ohtani will end up receiving a replacement ulnar collateral ligament, he certainly does not appear to be anxious to get things over with. That would allow him to play for another three weeks, albeit at the cost of shortening the breathing room to get ready for the 2019 season.

If Ohtani does have the UCL procedure, of course, he wouldn’t be able to pitch next year regardless. And he’ll have a lengthy span to ready for the 2020 campaign. But the difference of three weeks could certainly impact his ability to participate fully in Spring Training and be fully prepared to function as a hitter at the start of the 2019 campaign.

Notably — albeit unsurprisingly — Ohtani also made clear he has no intentions of abandoning his two-way approach to the game. Given his superlative performances as a pitcher and hitter, prior efforts to function in both capacities, and the fact that he only just reached his 24th birthday, that seemed all but a foregone conclusion even before he weighed in.

Tommy John Surgery Recommended For Shohei Ohtani

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Sept. 6: Though Tommy John surgery would prevent Ohtani from pitching in 2019, Angels general manager Billy Eppler left no doubt that the Halos still view him as a two-way player in the long run when speaking to reporters in a conference call (link via the OC Register’s Jeff Fletcher).

“We do still see him as a two-way player,” said Eppler. “Shohei has demonstrated the ability to be impactful on both sides of the baseball and that is something that we, and I don’t want to speak for every other team, but I think every team would want impact in the batter’s box and on the mound.”

Eppler didn’t want to commit to the possibility of Ohtani serving as a regular designated hitter for the Angels next year. However, Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports spoke with four surgeons who “regularly repair torn UCLs,” with each expressing the belief that Ohtani can indeed serve as the Angels’ DH next season — even while recovering from Tommy John surgery. Certainly, each case is unique, but Passan’s column provides a detailed walkthrough of just how and why those medical professionals believe it to be possible.

And, if there was any question as to whether Ohtani can make an impact at the plate as his right elbow mends, the 24-year-old may have given the most emphatic answer possible last night; just hours after the announcement that surgery was recommended, Ohtani went 4-for-4 with a pair of home runs, a walk and a stolen base (video link).

Sept. 5: Tommy John surgery has been “recommended” for Angels starter/DH Shohei Ohtani after an MRI revealed additional damage to his ulnar collateral ligament, the club announced (h/t Jeff Fletcher of the Southern California News Group, on Twitter). It is not yet certain whether he will undergo the surgery, but it certainly sounds as if that will be the case.

Ohtani, 24, has amply justified the hype that formed when it became clear he’d be coming to the majors in advance of the 2018 season. Though some questions formed during his showing in Spring Training, Ohtani has been outstanding both on the mound and at the plate.

While Ohtani has continued to knock the cover off the ball since being diagnosed with a second-degree UCL sprain earlier this year, that development led to obvious concern as to his outlook as a pitcher. He was able to make it back for one outing, showing his typical upper-nineties heat before suddenly dropping off in the third inning.

Whether or not the additional UCL damage occurred during the outing, the fact is that Ohtani will almost certainly miss the entirety of the 2019 season — as a pitcher, that is. Typically, position players are able to return from this particular injury on a much shorter timeline.

It’s important to bear in mind here just why Ohtani was put back on the hill late in a season in which the club was already out of contention. Having received platelet-rich plasma and stem cell treatment, and completed a course of rest and rehabilitation, Ohtani was deemed ready to test the ligament. Had Ohtani instead waited until next spring to take the bump, only then to find that it could not withstand full-throttle pitching, then the recovery timeline would have prevented him from hitting for much or all of the 2019 season and perhaps forced his pitching rehab to push into the 2020 campaign.

The good news for the Angels here is that they are still playing with house money so far as Ohtani is concerned. Because he chose to cross the Pacific before he was eligible to sign outside of the existing MLB international spending caps, he has been limited to a relatively meager signing bonus and the MLB minimum salary. The organization still possesses five full seasons of control beyond the present one.

Still, it’s another hugely disappointing injury for an organization that has had more than its fair share of late. Having already dealt with numerous pitching injuries in recent seasons, this year’s Halos roster went without players such as Zack Cozart, Garrett Richards, and Matt Shoemaker for long stretches. While Shoemaker is now back on track to be a factor in 2019, Richards will hit the open market after succumbing to TJS this summer. The Angels’ front office will face a difficult task in putting together a competitive rotation.

Looking ahead for Ohtani, the news will no doubt re-spark the debate as to whether he would be able to perform as both a pitcher and a hitter at the game’s highest level. Some may now wonder whether that effort will be shelved. But it’s frankly hard to imagine either player or team desiring to cut short what has thus far been an unbelievably successful attempt. In his first attempt at the major leagues, Ohtani has turned in 274 plate appearances of .276/.355/.547 hitting, with 16 home runs and six steals, along with 51 2/3 innings of 3.31 ERA pitching, supported by 11.0 K/9 against 3.8 BB/9.

If anything, perhaps, Ohtani and the Halos will need to assess just how to allow him to perform with the bat in 2018 without jeopardizing his throwing rehab. With nearly six months to go before camp opens, there’s plenty of time for a plan to be mapped out. Though we’ll all be robbed of a chance to see Ohtani’s amazing two-way spectacle for the time being, there’s still reason to hope he’ll be able to resume the grand experiment in 2020.

Shohei Ohtani Will Start For Angels On Sunday; Matt Shoemaker To Start Monday

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SEPT. 1: Shoemaker will start Monday in Texas, Maria Guardado of MLB.com reports.

AUG. 30: The Angels announced today that Shohei Ohtani will return to the mound on Sunday, as Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register was among those to report on Twitter. He had not thrown in the majors since being diagnosed with a grade 2 UCL sprain in early June.

In other news, the Halos have activated outfielder Justin Upton from the DL. And the organization called up backstop Jose Briceno to take the roster spot and role vacated by the just-dealt Bobby Wilson.

Additionally, the team indicated that right-hander Matt Shoemaker is nearing his own activation, as Fletcher further tweets. That’s another good bit of injury news for an organization that needs as many as it can get.

Ohtani, 24, has been active on the MLB roster in the meantime, of course. He was cleared to resume performing his services as a designated hitter prior to being ready to return to the hill. While continuing to post impressive numbers with the bat, the Japanese star has been building up his stamina in hopes of making it back into the rotation.

For the Halos, the late-season return of Ohtani as a pitcher won’t make up for the club’s intervening struggles. But his showing will certainly be important for the future. If the right-hander can return to full strength this year without issue, then he and the organization can go into the offseason feeling reasonably confident that he’ll be able to ramp up next spring and turn in a full 2019 season. If things go south, then more drastic scenarios may need to be considered.

It’s not an altogether different scenario for Shoemaker, who has only made one start to this point of the season and was limited to 14 outings last year. The 31-year-old, who’ll be eligible for his third of four potential trips through the arbitration process this fall, had been a solid rotation presence for the club in the prior three campaigns.

AL West Notes: Tillman, Rodney, Ohtani, Diaz, Gonzales

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Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram runs through some potential September call-ups for the Rangers, listing outfielder Scott Heineman, left-hander Brady Feigl and veteran right-hander Chris Tillman as potential options who are not on the 40-man roster. Per Wilson, the Rangers are intrigued by Tillman as a potential piece for the 2019 rotation, and a September call-up would serve as an audition of sorts. Tillman hasn’t had any big league success since 2016 and has missed time with a groin injury since signing a minor league deal with the Rangers. However, he has a fairly lengthy MLB track record, and the Rangers are thin on upper-level pitching depth. At the very least, Tillman could be a candidate to head to Spring Training as a non-roster invitee in 2019, though perhaps with a strong September showing the team would consider a guaranteed deal.

Here’s more from the AL West…

  • Fernando Rodney doesn’t know what the Athletics’ plans for him are as pertains to the 2019 season, but the league’s leading arrow-shooter made clear to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle last week that he has every intention of playing. Whether the A’s exercise a $4.25MM club option on Rodney remains to be seen, but the 41-year-old right-hander has certainly given his new team plenty of reason to consider retaining him. Rodney has fired off eight scoreless innings with a 7-to-2 K/BB ratio since being acquired in exchange for young righty Dakota Chalmers earlier this month. As Slusser notes, he’s four saves shy of Francisco Cordero’s all-time record for a Dominican-born player. Rodney is keenly aware of that fact, acknowledging that he’d hoped to set the record with the Twins and still has his sights set on doing so in the future.
  • Angels pitcher/DH Shohei Ohtani seems to be champing at the bit to make his next major-league start after a long layoff following the diagnosis of a UCL sprain. As Jeff Fletcher of the Southern California News Group reports on Twitter, the prized 24-year-old feels he’s ready to go after throwing fifty pitches today in a simulated game. While skipper Mike Scioscia indicated that Ohtani’s stuff is crisp, the club is surely prioritizing the long-term in deciding how to proceed. This campaign won’t end in a postseason appearance, after all, and Ohtani’s right arm is of critical importance to the Halos’ hopes in 2019 and beyond.
  • Corey Brock of The Athletic takes a look at the rise of Edwin Diaz to one of the game’s elite closers (subscription required). Mariners GM Jerry Dipoto, manager Scott Servais, bullpen coach Brian DeLunas and first base coach Chris Prieto are among those to weigh in on Diaz’s ascension from a prospect who never appeared on a major Top 100 list to the second-fastest player ever to reach 100 big league saves. As Dipoto recalls, there was a fair bit of internal debate in his first offseason as GM with the team about whether to develop Diaz as a starter or a reliever. It was eventually decided to see how Diaz’s stuff would play in shorter stints and, if things didn’t go well, to then transition him back to the Majors. Diaz uncorked a 101 mph fastball on his first pitch out of the Double-A bullpen, per Dipoto, and the right-hander’s ensuing dominance made the organization’s decision fairly straightforward. Brock also chats with Astros manager A.J. Hinch and a few of Diaz’s teammates about his emergence as one of the game’s premier relievers.
  • In other Seattle pitching news, the Mariners have placed southpaw Marco Gonzales on the 10-day DL with a cervical neck muscle strain, per a club announcement. He’ll be replaced on the active roster by outfielder Guillermo Heredia. As Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times writes, it’s still not clear how the M’s will address the newly opened rotation hole. While it’s possible southpaw James Paxton will be ready to go in time to take the ball on Wednesday, when Gonzales had been scheduled to start, that would mean moving up his schedule. It’s certainly not an optimal situation for a Seattle club that is trying to catch up to the division-leading Astros and Athletics. Gonzales entered the month of August with a strong 3.37 ERA, but has faded of late. He coughed up eight earned runs in just three innings in his most recent start and has seen his earned-run average climb all the way to 4.32. It has been a compelling season for the 26-year-old, regardless, but as Divish explains the southpaw may be wearing down now that he has reached 145 2/3 frames on the year — a significant workload for a pitcher who has been limited by injuries for most of the past three campaigns.

Quick Hits: DeGrom, Bryant, Ohtani

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The latest on a few of the majors’ biggest names…

  • While Mets ace Jacob deGrom was popular in trade speculation leading up to the July 31 non-waiver deadline, the club “never seriously pursued” dealing the NL Cy Young hopeful, Joel Sherman of the New York Post writes. For now, deGrom remains under New York’s control through 2020, even though he and his agent have pushed for a contract extension. DeGrom addressed his future again Saturday, telling Sherman that the Mets “have every right to ride me for the next two years [until his free agency] and say, ‘See you later.’ ” However, the 30-year-old right-hander hopes it doesn’t come to that; rather, he’d prefer to stay with the Mets, according to Sherman.
  • Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant has been out since July 26 because of left shoulder inflammation, but it appears he’s about to serve as a key reinforcement for the NL Central leaders. Bryant could embark on a rehab assignment beginning Monday, and it’s possible he’ll return to the Cubs next week at the start of their 11-game road trip, per Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic (subscription required). That road swing begins Aug. 30 in Atlanta.
  • Angels two-way star Shohei Ohtani threw a bullpen session Saturday and then told reporters (including Maria Guardado of MLB.com) that he’s confident he’ll pitch again this year. A Grade 2 UCL sprain in Ohtani’s right elbow has kept him off a major league mound since June 6, though he’ll take another step toward a return when he throws a 45- to 50-pitch simulated game on Monday, Guardado reports. Ohtani’s injury has prevented him from making a significant impact as a pitcher this year, but the rookie has still held his own at the plate, having slashed .274/.354/.540 with 14 home runs in 255 PAs.
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