Mike Clevinger Suffers Sprained Right Elbow
SEPT. 25: Clevinger doesn’t have any UCL damage, per Robert Murray. Rather, he has been been diagnosed with a right elbow posterior impingement has received a cortisone shot, Cassavell tweets. The Padres haven’t given up on a wild-card return for Clevinger, according to manager Jayce Tingler (via Cassavell). “We’re optimistic that he will be able to pitch going forward,” said Tingler.
SEPT. 24: Clevinger has a sprained elbow, and the Padres won’t know until Sunday or perhaps at the beginning of next week whether he’ll be able to resume throwing this season, according to Acee. The likelihood is that Clevinger will at least miss the wild-card round, Jon Heyman of MLB Network tweets.
SEPT. 23, 5:56pm: The Padres are worried they’ll lose Clevinger for the playoffs because of a muscle strain or tendonitis, Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports. He’s scheduled to undergo an MRI.
4:18pm: Padres right-hander Mike Clevinger threw a 1-2-3 first inning with two strikeouts against the Angels on Wednesday, but he departed after that for an undisclosed reason. The Padres were not planning on pulling Clevinger that soon in the game, AJ Cassavell of MLB.com tweets.
It’s worth noting that Clevinger had his previous start last Saturday pushed back because of bicep tightness, so this situation could be especially alarming news for the playoff-bound Padres. San Diego sent a haul to Cleveland for Clevinger at the Aug. 31 trade deadline, and the 29-year-old has since been highly effective over three starts. As a member of the Padres, Clevinger owns a 3.00 ERA with 17 strikeouts and three walks across 18 innings.
Based on what he has done as a Padre (not to mention his performance with the Indians over the past couple seasons), Clevinger could be a major difference maker in the playoffs for San Diego. The Padres do boast two other front-end starters in Dinelson Lamet and Zach Davies, while Chris Paddack and Garrett Richards offer another pair of proven options, but they won’t be at their best if they have to enter the postseason without Clevinger.
Padres Option Luis Patiño, Activate Austin Adams
The San Diego Padres announced a pair of roster moves today. Luis Patiño has been optioned to the team’s alternate site, with Austin Adams being reinstated from the injured list to join the active roster. This will be Adams’ first appearance with the team since being acquired from the Seattle Mariners at the trade deadline.
Patiño is one of the Padres many highly-regarded pitching prospects. He’s now completed a couple of stints at the major-league level during the 2020 season, making 9 appearances out of the bullpen and starting one game. Long-term, the Padres hope Patiño will prove himself worthy of a rotation spot, but they have the luxury of patience with the 20-year-old right-hander.
It’s been a mixed bag over Patiño’s first 16 1/3 innings in the Show. His 5.51 ERA/5.82 FIP can largely be attributed to his 7.2 BB/9, a number that certainly has been colored by the small sample size of 2020. He’s also managed to notch 10.5 K/9, roughly in line with his minor league averages in that regard. Having finished 2019 in Double-A, it’s unlikely he was ready to make the jump directly to the majors under normal circumstances, though the talented youngster was certainly pegged to be a fast-rise in the Padres system.
Adams, 29, came to the Padres with Austin Nola and Dan Altavilla at the trade deadline. Thought it’s easy to consider Adams a throw-in because he was injured at the time of the deal, Adams nonetheless comes with four seasons of control beyond 2020, including one final pre-arb year in 2021. A waiver claim last season from the Nationals, Adams hasn’t stayed healthy long enough to sustain a breakout that began when he joined Seattle last season, but the possibility remains that Adams could become a vital piece of the San Diego bullpen this season or beyond.
His first appearance with the Padres will be his first overall in 2020, but he posted a 3.77 ERA/2.96 FIP in 2019 across 29 appearances totaling 31 innings with the Mariners. While command can be an issue, Adams managed 14.8 K/9 last year, a number that suggests he has the stuff to develop into a late-game stopper. It’ll be interesting to see how exactly the Padres plan to work him into the bullpen rotation in the limited games remaining before the playoffs.
Padres Activate Eric Hosmer From Injured List
The Padres announced they’ve activated first baseman Eric Hosmer from the 10-day injured list. He’s been on the shelf since September 8 due to a fractured finger. Additionally, San Diego recalled rookie right-hander Luis Patiño from the alternate training site. Righty Luis Perdomo and catcher Francisco Mejía were optioned out in corresponding roster moves.
Hosmer has been fantastic through 128 plate appearances this season, hitting .288/.344/.552 with eight home runs. That’s a notable step up from the roughly average offensive production the big ticket free agent acquisition managed his first two seasons in Southern California. The 33-19 Padres are essentially locked in as the fourth seed in the National League, but Hosmer will have a little more than a week to ramp back up before the start of the postseason.
Patiño has scuffled in his first 14.2 MLB innings, but he’s one of the game’s brightest young pitching talents. He’ll make his first MLB start tonight against the Mariners. Patiño and Perdomo could each be options for the Friars out of the bullpen come playoff time. Mejía is San Diego’s third catcher following the deadline acquisitions of Austin Nola and Jason Castro.
Padres Activate Tommy Pham
The Padres have reinstated outfielder Tommy Pham from the injured list and optioned right-hander Jorge Ona to their alternate site, the team announced. Pham will be the Padres’ designated hitter Friday.
Pham, who hasn’t played since Aug. 27, missed a few weeks with a broken hamate bone. He posted a .207/.316/.293 line in 95 plate appearances before then, which isn’t what the Padres envisioned when they acquired the 32-year-old in a high-profile trade with the Rays during the offseason. Infielder Jake Cronenworth was also part of the trade, though, and he’s in the running for NL Rookie of the Year honors, so it’s doubtful the Padres regret making the move.
When he joined the Padres, Pham had the reputation as a high-OBP hitter capable of 20-20 numbers during a normal season. San Diego has gone 32-19 without many contributions from Pham, so if he’s able to revisit his old Cardinals/Rays ways, he could serve as an important late-season reinforcement for the Padres in the coming weeks.
Latest On Tommy Pham
Padres left fielder/designated hitter Tommy Pham suffered a broken hamate bone in his hand less than a month ago, but it doesn’t appear that will bring an end to his season. Rather, the Padres could bring back Pham from the IL “any day,” Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune writes. Pham is even closer to returning than first baseman Eric Hosmer, who landed on the IL on Sept. 8 with a fractured left index finger, according to Acee.
It had been several years since the Padres contended, but they’re in the thick of the race this season with the NL’s second-best record (31-17). The only problem is that they’re stuck in a division with the Dodgers, owners of the NL’s top win-loss mark at 33-14. A division title may be not be in the cards for the Padres, then, but they’re nonetheless a formidable team who should be able to earn a playoff spot in the next couple weeks.
Pham, whenever he returns, could be a key piece of the puzzle for San Diego as it aims for its first-ever World Series. The 32-year-old hit a subpar .207/.316/.293 in 95 plate appearances this season before going on the IL, but the Padres acquired him from the Rays last winter because of his excellent track record. Pham was quietly one of the majors’ most valuable outfielders from 2017-19, during which he slashed .284/.381/.475 with 65 homers and 65 steals over 1,754 trips to the plate between the Cardinals and Rays. If Pham’s able to come back this year, the Padres will hope he revisits his St. Louis/Tampa Bay production from the past.
Giants-Padres Series To Resume On Sunday
SEPTEMBER 13, 10:19 am: Major League Baseball has officially confirmed today’s doubleheader. Given most recent test results, the league has determined that the test which triggered the initial postponements, reported by Jon Heyman of MLB Network to be that of San Francisco outfielder Alex Dickerson, was a false positive.
SEPTEMBER 13, 9:06 am: Indeed, the teams are scheduled to return to play a doubleheader today, reports Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune. As Acee notes, the clubs’ other missed contest figures to be made up when they conclude the season against one another September 25-27.
SEPTEMBER 12: The Giants and Padres could potentially return to the field Sunday for a doubleheader, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reports (Twitter link). The player who originally tested positive for COVID-19 has since had two negative test results, and if other tests are passed tonight, the Giants could be cleared to return to action.
SEPTEMBER 11, 8:49pm: The league announced that it has also postponed Saturday’s game “out of an abundance of caution and to allow for additional testing and contact tracing to be conducted.”
8:29pm: The Padres-Giants game in San Diego on Friday was postponed after one of San Francisco’s players tested positive for the coronavirus, Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports.
“Tonight’s game was postponed due to a positive COVID test within the Giants organization,” the Padres stated. “MLB will announce additional information regarding the status of our series with San Francisco as soon as possible.”
The two teams played Thursday and are scheduled to end their series with a game Sunday, but it’s now unclear whether they’ll be able to take the field over the weekend. There are just two-plus weeks left in the season, and with the Padres and Giants vying for playoff spots, significant changes in their schedules could prove detrimental. Nevertheless, the league will have to make a decision that abides by health and safety protocols. MLB has already seen the virus force notable changes to its schedule, especially for the Marlins and Cardinals.
International Signings: 9/12/20
Since the COVID-19 pandemic pushed the opening of the 2020-21 international signing period to January 15, the 2019-20 signing window is still open, and teams are still making some additions with leftover funds in their international spending pools. The latest…
- The Pirates have signed Venezuelan right-hander Eduardo Zapata, John Dreker of Pirates Prospects reports (Twitter links). Details on Zapata’s bonus aren’t known, though Dreker says the signing was made possible due to Pittsburgh’s acquisition of $243.3K in international pool money from the White Sox in last month’s trade that sent Jarrod Dyson to Chicago.
- The Reds have signed Dominican righty Kelvin Valdez, according to Baseball America’s Ben Badler (via Twitter). Valdez is only 17 years old, but he is already 6’3″ tall and can throw up to 95mph.
- The Padres have signed right-hander Jose Luis Reyes, MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez reports (via Twitter). Reyes “is considered one of the top prospects in” Mexico, Sanchez writes, and the 18-year-old possesses a three-pitch arsenal of a slider, changeup, and a fastball in the 88-92mph range. Reyes is 6’2″, 190 pounds.
NL Injury Notes: Pham, Smyly, Turner, Pirates
Padres outfielder Tommy Pham is less than a month out from a broken hamate bone, but he’s making rapid progress. Pham resumed live on-field batting practice today, Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports on Twitter. The 32-year-old had been off to a sluggish start to the year but will still have some time to make his presence felt as the Pads try to angle for postseason position.
More injury updates from the National League …
- The Giants are preparing to welcome back southpaw Drew Smyly tomorrow, manager Gabe Kapler tells reporters including John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle (via Twitter). It’ll be interesting to see what the veteran hurler can deliver down the stretch. Though he hasn’t been available for many innings, he turned in a few interesting outings that hinted at a resurgence.
- While there’s little reason to rush, the Dodgers are close to activating rehabbing third baseman Justin Turner. Manager Dave Roberts told reporters including Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register (Twitter link) that Turner still hasn’t put his tender hamstring through the full paces. Nevertheless, the club expects to have him active within the week, though Turner could initially function as a DH.
- The Pirates provided a few pitching rehab updates, some more promising than others (via MLB.com’s Adam Berry, on Twitter). Mitch Keller (side injury) and Jameson Taillon (Tommy John) are each throwing sim games, while reliever Keone Kela is now participating in mound work. It’s still unclear how much MLB action each of those hurlers will be capable of late this year, but that’s generally encouraging news. The situation is different for fellow righty Yacksel Rios, who remains sidelined by shoulder woes. He was shut down after symptoms flared up.
60-Man Player Pool Additions: 9/9/20
Here are the latest players added to their team’s 60-man player pool …
- Hurlers Penn Murfee and Ian McKinney are now a part of the Mariners‘ 60-man group, Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times tweets. The 26-year-old Murfee had a strong 2019 showing, producing good numbers at the High-A level and then dominating Arizona Fall League hitters. It’s possible he could be an option at the MLB level if he shows well at the alternate training site. The same holds true of McKinney, 25, who joined Murfee as a productive member of the Modesto rotation last year. McKinney is a 2013 draftee who joined the Seattle organization as a minor-league free agent in advance of the 2019 season.
- The Rays brought aboard a pair of youngsters in righty Seth Johnson and infielder Ford Proctor, as Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times covers on Twitter. The 40th overall pick of the 2019 draft, Johnson hasn’t pitched above the Rookie ball level and is likely being added for developmental purposes. Proctor, 23, is a 2018 third-rounder who has shown strong on-base ability but little power in the low minors. He appeared this year in the Constellation Energy League, knocking out a healthy .346/.500/.679 slash in 28 games.
- The Padres have added youngster Owen Caissie to their pool at just 18 years of age, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca reports via Twitter. It’s quite the vote of confidence in the recent second-round pick, who obviously won’t be expected to make his professional debut this year at the MLB level. The Canadian outfielder will get some excellent experience at the Friars’ alternate training site before joining an affiliate in 2021.
Minor MLB Transactions: 9/8/2020
The latest minor moves from around the sport…
- The Astros have added shortstop Jeremy Pena and catcher Korey Lee to their 60-man player pool, per Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle. Both players (Pena at No. 6, Lee No. 7) rank among the Astros’ best prospects at MLB.com. The 22-year-old Pena was a third-round pick of the Astros in 2018 who batted .317/.378/.467 in his first 185 plate appearances at High-A last season. Lee, 22, joined the Astros as the 32nd selection in the 2019 draft. After that, Lee hit .268/.359/.371 over 259 PA during his low-A debut.
- The Padres have released left-hander Travis Radke, Jeff Sanders of the San Diego Union-Tribune tweets. He had been a part of the Padres’ 60-man player pool. Radke will now look for a second organization after spending the first several years of his pro career with the Padres, who chose him in the 25th round of the 2014 draft. The 27-year-old had a successful minor league tenure as a member of the Padres, with whom he recorded a 3.24 ERA in 183 1/3 innings. He ended his Pads stint last year with 71 2/3 frames of 2.64 ERA pitching and 9.5 K/9 against 3.0 BB/9 among their High-A, Double-A and Triple-A levels.