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Steven Duggar Avoids Shoulder Surgery

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After receiving a second opinion on his injured left AC joint, Giants outfielder Steven Duggar has received the best possible news, tweets Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle: he won’t require surgery. Instead, the 25-year-old is looking at a four-to-six week rehab timeline. He’ll still miss the remainder of the season, but it’s nonetheless encouraging that Duggar won’t need to undergo a procedure.

Of course, it’s a promising development for Duggar, who was recently rumored to be “leaning towards” surgery to repair the grade 3 strain he suffered shortly after returning to the Majors. However, a second opinion from Dr. Neal ElAttrache revealed that such a surgery won’t be necessary.

Notably, Duggar is no stranger to shoulder injuries—his 2018 season was cut short by a surgery to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder.

The premature conclusion to Duggar’s first full Major League season represents the continuation of a string of frustrating developments. Once viewed by many as a key piece of the Giants’ future, he’s since been forced out of regular role, supplanted by surprising outfielders such as Mike Yastrzemski, Alex Dickerson, and Austin Slater, along with trade acquisition Kevin Pillar.

With the Giants experimenting with droves of outfielders in hopes of forging an above-average unit, Duggar has done little to distinguish himself. After a promising rookie season in which he posted a passable (if unspectacular) 92 OPS+, he’s seen his offensive output dip this season. His OPS has dropped to .619 while striking out in 27.7% of his plate appearances, compared to just a 5.7% walk rate. Of course, his value comes primarily as a defensive outfielder in a spacious San Francisco outfield: this year, he’s credited with 6 DRS between center and right field. As a consequence, he won’t need to hit as much as others in order to carve out a role on a Major League team, though that might mean his best-case outcome looks something like Ender Inciarte.

While there’s still time for the young outfielder to recoup his value, his development will have to wait until next season in light of the shoulder injury. And with emerging commodities in the San Francisco outfield, he won’t be short on competition as he seeks to prove his worth to a new front office.

Steven Duggar Weighing Shoulder Surgery

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Giants outfielder Steven Duggar says that he has been diagnosed with a grade 3 sprain of his left AC joint, as Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle was among those to report (Twitter links). While he’s heading for a second opinion, Duggar says he’s leaning towards surgery.

The San Francisco organization had only recently called Duggar back up to the bigs when he came up injured. He was shifted to the 60-day IL earlier today, meaning that the team has already scratched him for the rest of the season. Clearly, the focus will be on getting Duggar back to health. Worryingly, he also ended his 2018 season with a significant left shoulder injury.

The 25-year-old had been seen by some as a key potential part of the Giants outfield for some time to come, but he’ll be a question mark entering 2020. In addition to the health issues, Duggar simply has not produced in the majors when healthy. Through 281 plate appearances on the year, he carries a .234/.278/.341 batting line with four home runs.

There’s still promise for Duggar. He was much better this year at Triple-A, where he was walking nearly as often as he struck out while showing much more power. And he’s a gifted defender, so it’s not as if he needs to be a monster at the plate to be a useful big leaguer.

The move on Duggar created space for the activation of lefty Travis Bergen. The Rule 5 pick had been working back from a shoulder injury. It seems the club remains committed to carrying him for the rest of the season, though that could change as time goes on.

Giants Place Shaun Anderson, Steven Duggar On IL

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The Giants announced Thursday that they’ve placed right-hander Shaun Anderson and outfielder Steven Duggar on the injured list. Anderson is dealing with a blister on his right middle finger, while Duggar’s down with a left shoulder AC joint sprain. The club recalled lefty Sam Selman and outfielder Joey Rickard from Triple-A Sacramento in corresponding moves.

The injury comes amid a rough stretch for the 24-year-old Anderson, who hasn’t recorded a quality start since June 23. The Nationals roughed up Anderson in his most recent start Wednesday, contributing to the rookie’s 5.33 ERA on the season. Anderson also owns a 4.97 FIP with 5.99 K/9 and 3.38 BB/9 in 82 2/3 innings.

This will be his second IL placement of the year for Duggar, who has been among the least valuable players in the majors this season. The 25-year-old has taken 281 trips to the plate in 2019 and slashed .234/.278/.341 (63 wRC+) with four home runs and minus-0.5 fWAR. It’s possible he’ll now require season-ending surgery, Kerry Crowley of the Bay Area News Group tweets. Duggar previously underwent a season-ending procedure on his left shoulder as a rookie in 2018.

Duggar’s latest issue will open the door for Rickard, who hasn’t taken a major league at-bat since the Giants claimed him from the Orioles in late June. The 28-year-old Rickard has been great in Sacramento, where he has batted .358/.406/.568 (134 wRC+) with four homers in 165 plate appearances. But Rickard wasn’t nearly that productive in the majors as a member of the Orioles, with whom he hit .245/.299/.372 (80 wRC+) with 19 HRs and 16 steals across 924 PA from 2016-19.

Giants Designate Tyler Austin

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The Giants have designated outfielder/first baseman Tyler Austin for assignment, the team announced and Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area was among those to cover on Twitter. That move opens 40-man and active roster space for newly acquired second baseman Scooter Gennett.

In other roster moves that don’t implicate control rights, the Giants have added outfielder Steven Duggar to the active roster. Righty Dereck Rodriguez was optioned down to make way.

Austin, 27, hasn’t been able to take advantage of his opportunity in San Francisco, making him the latest position player to be sent packing from the MLB roster after receiving a shot. Through 147 plate appearances on the year, Austin carries a .185/.279/.400 batting line with eight home runs and 57 strikeouts.

Giants Place Steven Duggar On IL, Recall Alex Dickerson

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The Giants have placed outfielder Steven Duggar on the 10-day injured list with a lower back strain and recalled fellow outfielder Alex Dickerson from Triple-A Sacramento, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports California was among those to report.

The rookie Duggar has been a regular this season in the Giants’ outfield, where he has split time between center and right. Duggar has combined for an impressive eight Defensive Runs Saved in those spots, though the 25-year-old’s offense has lagged behind. He has hit an ugly .234/.277/.343 (64 wRC+) with four home runs in 267 plate appearances, thus contributing to the generally terrible numbers the Giants’ outfield has put up in 2019.

Duggar’s injury means San Francisco will get its first look at Dickerson, whom it acquired from NL West rival San Diego on June 10. Dickerson enjoyed success as a rookie in 2016 with the Padres, hitting .257/.333/.445 (111 wRC+) with 10 HRs in 285 PA. However, back problems and Tommy John surgery completely kept him out of action from 2017-18.

Dickerson, 29, bounced back in a big way this season with the Padres’ Triple-A affiliate before the team dealt him, as he slashed .372/.469/.606 (168 wRC+) with five HRs in 113 trips to the plate. Although, since the Giants acquired him, Dickerson has collected just three hits (all singles) with their highest minors affiliate.

West Notes: Trout, Beltre, Andrus, Bumgarner, Posey

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Mike Trout just concluded yet another MVP-caliber season, yet team success has continued to elude the superstar.  Trout has only been part of one playoff team (in 2014) and has yet to win even a single postseason game after eight seasons.  With Trout only signed for another two years, the Angels may need to turn things around quick to have a better chance at extending or re-signing him, and Trout indeed told Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register that playing for a contender is a “huge” factor in deciding his future plans.  “I want to come to the ballpark playing for something.  That’s everybody’s goal here as a player.  You don’t want to come playing for nothing,” Trout said.  This being said, he still holds the Angels organization in high regard: “My years here we haven’t been winning, but they’ve been taking care of me.  I enjoy coming to the ballpark.  It (stinks) when it’s September and you’re out of it. But when I was a kid they took a chance on me.  We’ll see how it goes. I’ve got a couple more years and we’ll go from there.”  Trout also laughed off the idea of the Angels trading him over the next two years, per Fletcher, saying he “for sure” expects to remain with the franchise through at least 2020. In hopes of keeping Trout beyond then, the Halos are expected to discuss an extension with him during the offseason, Fletcher writes.

Elsewhere around the majors’ West divisions…

  • There is a chance the left side of the Rangers’ infield will consist of two new starters next season, as third baseman Adrian Beltre could retire and shortstop Elvis Andrus has an opt-out in his contract. In the latest update regarding the two close friends, Jeff Wilson of the Star-Telegram tweets that Beltre is “genuinely torn” on whether to come back in 2019.  Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News believes Beltre will walk away, and he explains why in a piece which pays respect to the future Hall of Famer. Andrus, meanwhile, is still planning to stay with his current contract, as was the case a few weeks ago, according to Wilson. Vacating the remainder of the deal would mean leaving a four-year, $58MM guarantee on the table, which may be too risky in the wake of a down season for Andrus.
  • The Giants are open minded with what to do with ace Madison Bumgarner as they seek a new baseball operations leader, CEO Larry Baer suggested Sunday. The team “does not plan to dictate a timetable for contention or major decisions such as trading or keeping” Bumgarner, Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle writes. Instead, the Giants will listen to the candidates’ opinions on the best course of action in regards to Bumgarner, who’s only under control for another year. As for longtime battery mate Buster Posey, the soon-to-be 32-year-old will remain behind the plate when he returns from hip surgery next season – perhaps as early as Opening Day, per Schulman. “There’s been no discussion about him playing any other position,” executive vice president Brian Sabean said. “He’s our franchise player and he wants to catch.”
  • More on the Giants, who plan to go into next season with Steven Duggar as their Opening Day center fielder, Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic tweets. The 24-year-old got his first taste of major league action this season and hit a below-average .255/.303/.390 (87 wRC+) in 152 plate appearances, though he did account for four Defensive Runs Saved and a 1.4 Ultimate Zone Rating in 345 innings as a center fielder. Baseball America (subscription required) ranks Duggar as the Giants’ sixth-best prospect.

Giants’ Steven Duggar To Undergo Surgery For Torn Labrum

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TODAY: Duggar says he will indeed undergo surgery, as Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area tweets.

YESTERDAY: Giants outfielder Steven Duggar has been diagnosed with a torn labrum in his left shoulder following an MRI, the team revealed to reporters after last night’s game (link via Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle). Doctors have recommended surgery for the 24-year-old.

Duggar, who hit .255/.303/.390 through his first 152 plate appearances this season, suffered the injury while diving back into second base on Tuesday. In addition to the ensuing tear, he also dislocated the shoulder on the dive, further adding to the damage in his non-throwing shoulder. Surgery for Duggar would likely have him ready for the start of the 2019 season, Schulman notes.

The Giants are facing a sizable seven-game deficit in the NL West, where they trail three other teams, and they’ve recently lost Buster Posey to season-ending hip surgery (among a plethora of other team injuries in 2018). But while those factors already made a postseason berth a long shot, the Duggar injury is still a tough one for the organization. The Giants’ hope is that Duggar can step up as their center fielder of the future, and the injury will deprive the organization of further time to evaluate Duggar against big league pitching in Septemeber. Beyond that, there’s concern about lingering effects when any player goes under the knife for this type of surgery.

While Duggar’s numbers at the plate haven’t been especially eye-catching just yet, he did show some extra-base ability (two homers, 11 doubles, one triple) and has undoubtedly impressed both on the bases and with his outfield defense. Duggar excelled in the majority of defensive metrics, turning in a +4 mark in Defensive Runs Saved, a +0.7 Ultimate Zone Rating and being credited for three Outs Above Average by Statcast. He also went 5-for-6 in stolen base attempts and ranked in the top 15 percent of players (min. 150 PAs) in Fangraphs’ BsR metric despite having a fraction of the playing time of many of the players ahead of him.

Duggar was promoted for his Major League debut in early July and, as such, will finish the season well shy of a full year of Major League service and well shy of any reasonable expectations for Super Two status in arbitration. As things currently stand, then, he wouldn’t be eligible for arbitration until after the 2021 season and isn’t on track to reach free agency until the conclusion of the 2024 campaign — at which point he’ll be heading into his age-31 season.

Giants Place Steven Duggar On DL, Select Gregor Blanco

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The Giants announced Wednesday that they’ve placed rookie outfielder Steven Duggar on the 10-day disabled list due to a shoulder injury and selected the contract of veteran outfielder Gregor Blanco in his place. Buster Posey, who underwent season-ending hip surgery earlier this week, was moved to the 60-day DL to open roster space for Blanco.

The exact nature of Duggar’s injury isn’t yet clear, as he’s headed for an MRI for further evaluation, per Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic (Twitter links). The 24-year-old sustained the injury while diving back into second base in yesterday’s game and appearing to dislocate the shoulder (before having it popped back into place). Baggarly notes that it could be a subluxation — an injury that could put an end to the young outfielder’s debut season.

Through 152 plate appearances on the season, Duggar has batted .255/.303/.390 with a pair of homers, 11 doubles, a triple and five steals (in six tries). Though the Giants are all but eliminated from postseason contention, a season-ending injury to Duggar would sting all the same. San Francisco’s hope is that the former sixth-round pick (2015) can be its center fielder of the future, and the month of September would’ve been an important evaluation period for the promising prospect.

In Blanco, the Giants will welcome a familiar face back to the roster. The 34-year-old spent time with the Giants earlier this season and was also a mainstay on their roster from 2012-16. In all, he’s strode to the plate 2183 times as a Giant (excluding postseason play), hitting a combined .258/.335/.359 along the way.

Rangers Acquire Austin Jackson, Cory Gearrin; Could Trade Jackson

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12:47pm: Jackson may never even play for the Rangers, per Gerry Fraley of the Dallas Morning News. General manager Jon Daniels told the outfielder “to hold off on reporting,” Fraley writes. It seems they’ll try to trade him.

12:05pm: The Rangers have acquired outfielder Austin Jackson, reliever Cory Gearrin and right-hander Jason Bahr from the Giants in exchange for a player to be named later or cash considerations, according to Texas’ executive vice president of communications, John Blake. To clear room on their 40-man roster, the Rangers moved relievers Matt Bush and Tony Barnette to the 60-day disabled list. Meanwhile, the Giants will select both outfielder Steven Duggar and righty Ray Black from Triple-A, John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle tweets.

This trade amounts to a cost-cutting move for the Giants, who were narrowly under the $197MM competitive-balance tax threshold entering Sunday. Now, with the Rangers taking on the salaries of both Jackson and Gearrin (per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic), the Giants are seemingly in better position to make some moves around the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline as they try to hang in the NL West race.

San Francisco added Jackson on a two-year, $6MM free-agent contract last winter on the heels of a season in which the veteran was a key role player for the Indians. The 31-year-old Jackson has gone backward this season, though, as he took 165 plate appearances with the Giants and hit just .242/.309/.295 with no home runs, 14 unintentional walks and 59 strikeouts. He’ll now attempt to revive his season in his native Texas.

The Giants tried to get rid of Gearrin via outright waivers last month, but no one claimed him. The 32-year-old’s on an affordable $1.675MM salary in his penultimate season of team control, though he has seen his ERA increase from 1.99 in 2017 to 4.20 in 2018. Overall this year, Gearrin has tossed 30 innings and managed 9.3 K/9 against 3.9 BB/9.

Along with helping the Giants get out from under the salaries of Jackson and Gearrin, the out-of-contention Rangers also added Bahr – who ranked as San Francisco’s 27th-best prospect at MLB.com. Bahr, 23, joined the Giants just last year as a fifth-round pick. He has since pitched solely at the Single-A level, including 84 2/3 innings of 2.55 ERA ball this season.

With the Jackson experiment having failed for the Giants, they’ll introduce the well-regarded Duggar to their outfield mix. The 24-year-old Duggar, a 2015 third-round pick and MLB.com’s third-ranked Giants prospect, owns a .272/.354/.421 line in 356 Triple-A plate appearances this season. He’ll join a San Francisco outfield that hasn’t gotten average or better offensive production from anyone but Andrew McCutchen, Gorkys Hernandez and Austin Slater this year.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

NL West Notes: LeMahieu, Rockies, Giants, Duggar, Buchholz

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Rockies second baseman DJ LeMahieu is a free agent at season’s end, but he tells Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post that his hope is to remain with the organization. LeMahieu cites his relationship with teammates and manager Bud Black, as well as the city of Denver and several up-and-coming young talents as reasons he hopes to stick around. GM Jeff Bridich tells Saunders he’ll leave the door open, but adds that there haven’t been any recent discussions and that the team (like many players) prefers not to negotiate during the season. (Although the Rockies did sign Charlie Blackmon to a six-year deal after Opening Day.)

Saunders takes a look at the roadblocks to retaining LeMahieu, noting several large commitments for 2019 (e.g. Ian Desmond, Wade Davis, Bryan Shaw, Jake McGee), the looming presence of Brendan Rodgers in the upper minors and Nolan Arenado’s own free agency after the 2019 season. In addition to LeMahieu and Bridich, Saunders spoke with Blackmon about LeMahieu’s importance to the Rockies.

Here’s more out of Denver and out of the NL West…

  • The Rockies’ bullpen has been a disaster in recent weeks, but Bridich suggested over the weekend that the team remains more focused on fixing their internal options than pursuing relievers from outside the organization, per MLB.com’s Thomas Harding. “There are some very, very good pitchers in that bullpen, very talented guys, who just are not performing consistently to their potential and their talents,” the GM said. “We need to continue to help them reach their potential — even the level of past performance that they have exhibited — before we think much about what else is out there.”
  • The Giants are still “slightly” underneath the $197MM luxury tax barrier, tweets Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. Rosenthal notes that while the numbers over on Cot’s Contracts indicate that organization is roughly $2MM north of that line, he’s confirmed that San Francisco is narrowly avoiding taxation at this point. The exact amount with which the Giants have to work remains unclear, though the apparent proximity to that threshold would seemingly make it difficult for the Giants to do much at the non-waiver trade deadline without jettisoning some payroll in a trade or receiving substantial cash considerations along with any player they acquire.
  • While outfield prospect Steven Duggar has been on a hot streak in Triple-A, the Giants are still in no rush to bring him up to the Majors, writes John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle. GM Bobby Evans explains to Shea that the Giants not only want to see Duggar “put pressure” on the front office to call him up and adds that it’s also a matter of “the opportunity being here.” Shea notes that Mac Williamson is the only outfielder on the big league roster with options remaining, and he’s been seeing regular left field work since returning from the DL. Cutting ties with either Hunter Pence or Austin Jackson, of course, would open a spot, though either speculative move would come with some notable financial and clubhouse considerations for the front office.
  • Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo chatted with Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe about the role that familiarity played in the organization’s decision to sign Clay Buchholz, as well as the importance of what Buchholz has done in the rotation since signing. Lovullo, GM Mike Hazen and AGM Amiel Sawdaye were all with the Red Sox when Buchholz was drafted, and that preexisting relationship helped to facilitate the signing. “Mike and [assistant GM] Amiel [Sawdaye] and I got together and we said, ‘Why not Clay?’ ” Lovullo recalled. “The reports on him were very good and so we said, ‘Let’s do it.’ And he’s been outstanding for us.” Lovullo was cautious about making any definitive proclamations about his rotation moving forward but did say that Buchholz “deserves” to remain in the mix. It’s hard to argue, as the 33-year-old has posted a 1.88 ERA with a 21-to-3 K/BB ratio through 24 innings (four starts) with the D-backs so far.

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