Quick Hits: Braun, Sanchez, Benintendi, Rizzo
Ryan Braun left after six innings of today’s 4-3 Brewers win over the Braves due to what the star outfielder called “wear and tear” in his right arm, according to MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy and other reporters. “It can get irritated swinging, throwing and then obviously you’re playing through it and it continues at times to gradually get worse, and I think that’s kind of what happens,” Braun said. While he believes he can avoid a 10-day DL stint, Braun did think he would be sidelined for the next couple of games. Though Braun vaguely alluded to more than one issue with his arm, the Brewers officially announced the injury as tightness in his right trapezius. Here’s more from around the baseball world…
- Aaron Sanchez is likely headed back to the 10-day DL after suffering a split nail on his right middle finger, and the Blue Jays righty tells MLB.com’s Gregor Chisholm and other reporters that his latest finger issue was unforeseen. “We really didn’t know going into today it was going to be an issue,” Sanchez said. “I think, once you get into game mode, game speed, pressure on that nail starts to disperse in certain areas and maybe it wasn’t strong enough because it was cut….It’s still frustrating, but I did everything I was supposed to do and everything I’ve done before to be ready for this start. It was just one of those things where you don’t even think about the nail splitting in a different direction.” Sanchez was originally placed on the 10-day DL with a blister on that same finger, and he underwent a procedure earlier this month to remove part of the nail. Sanchez was just activated from the DL today but his abbreviated return lasted only an inning once his finger began bleeding. Though the Jays managed to win today, Sanchez’s probable continued absence is more bad news for the struggling club, as Toronto ended April with just an 8-17 record and the second-worst winning percentage in baseball.
- The Cubs had their eyes on Andrew Benintendi in the 2015 draft, and the Boston Globe’s Alex Speier writes that Chicago “seemed likely” to take Benintendi with the ninth overall pick. “His agent heard from the Cubs that he was the guy they wanted,” Chris Benintendi, Andrew’s father, said. Before the Cubs could make their move, however, the Red Sox snagged Benintendi with the seventh overall pick. Though the Cubs took highly-regarded prospect Ian Happ with their selection, this could be an interesting what-if scenario for Cubs fans if and when Benintendi’s star continues to rise.
- On the flip side of the “one that got away” coin, Speier also examines an alternate reality where the Red Sox didn’t trade Anthony Rizzo to the Padres as part of the blockbuster that brought Adrian Gonzalez to Boston in the 2010-11 offseason. At the time, Rizzo was just a promising first base prospect sent along with first-rounders Casey Kelly and Reymond Fuentes in exchange for an established star in Gonzalez. That trade, of course, had enormous long-reaching implications on the recent pasts of the Red Sox, Cubs, Padres, and Dodgers, to name just a few teams that would’ve been impacted had that trade not been completed. (For instance, if the Red Sox had re-signed Adrian Beltre that winter and moved Kevin Youkilis to first base rather than acquire Gonzalez, then obviously the last six years of Rangers baseball is greatly different.)
Aaron Sanchez Exits Start After Blister Troubles Resurface
12:46pm: Sanchez’s return did not go smoothly. His blister issues resurfaced, forcing him to depart after one inning, reports Gregor Chisholm of MLB.com.
9:52am: As expected, the Blue Jays have activated right-hander Aaron Sanchez from the 10-day disabled list. Sanchez, who went on the DL on April 15 with a blister on the middle finger of his pitching hand, will start Sunday against the Rays.
The Blue Jays have had to go without both Sanchez and J.A. Happ for a significant portion of the young season, which hasn’t helped matters during a disastrous start for the 7-17 club. The absences of Sanchez and Happ have led to starts for Mat Latos and Casey Lawrence, and while the former has managed decent results, the latter’s output has been unsightly. Latos, in spite of an ugly 4.09 K/9 and 5.73 BB/9, has pitched to a 3.27 ERA over two starts (11 innings). Lawrence, whom the Jays optioned to Triple-A on Friday, has also made two starts, in which he has a logged a 3.97 K/9, 4.76 BB/9 and a 7.94 ERA over 11 1/3 frames.
Before hitting the DL, Sanchez was a mixed bag over his first two starts, though it seems his blister issues were at the root of his 5 1/3-inning, five-earned run showing against the Orioles on April 14. In his season debut, a 3-2 loss to the Rays on April 8, the 24-year-old resembled a front-line starter – which he was last season. Sanchez fired seven innings of one-run ball, striking out six, walking three and allowing four hits, and will once again try to stymie Tampa Bay on Sunday. He’ll slot back into a rotation that includes Marcus Stroman, Marco Estrada and Francisco Liriano, all of whom have fared well this year, and Latos.
AL Notes: Trout, Fowler, Jays, Red Sox, A’s
As the best player in baseball, and as a 25-year-old who’s signed through 2020 at a more-than-fair price, Angels center fielder Mike Trout is untradeable, opines Mark Feinsand of MLB.com. Unsurprisingly, Halos general manager Billy Eppler won’t even entertain dealing the two-time American League MVP, according to multiple GMs who spoke with Feinsand. “There’s no point to bringing up Trout, because it’s going nowhere,” one GM observed. “Teams will surely try, but it’s like running into a brick wall.” Another GM informed Feinsand that Trout is basically untouchable, but he did touch on what it might take for Eppler to consider an offer. “For a team to inspire Billy Eppler to even return the call, it would have to come to the table stocked with one of the best farm systems and young, upside Major Leaguers and be willing to not put any of those players off limits, because it will take a healthy blend from those two groups,” he said.
More from the AL:
- The Blue Jays offered center fielder Dexter Fowler a four-year, $64MM contract in free agency, reports ESPN’s Buster Olney. That proposal fell well short of the five-year, $82.5MM pact Fowler ended up signing with the Cardinals in December. By joining St. Louis, Fowler ensured he’d remain in center. The ex-Cub presumably would have had to play a corner with the Blue Jays, who have an elite defensive center fielder in Kevin Pillar, and it’s unclear whether they would have re-signed right fielder Jose Bautista for an $18.5MM guarantee in January had they committed significant money to Fowler.
- Red Sox southpaw David Price faced hitters Saturday for the first time since suffering an elbow injury in early March, writes Chad Jennings of the Boston Herald. Price tossed 30 pitches over two simulated innings, which represented “a quality workday for him,” said manager John Farrell. The plan is for the 31-year-old to throw a light bullpen session Monday and another sim game Thursday.
- Multiple pieces of good news for the Athletics’ rotation, courtesy of John Hickey of the Bay Area News Group: Right-hander Sonny Gray, who has missed the first few weeks of the 2017 campaign with a lat strain, will make his season debut Tuesday against the Twins. And one of Gray’s fellow A’s starters, left-hander Sean Manaea, likely won’t require a stint on the disabled list. Manaea left his start after two innings Wednesday on account of shoulder stiffness, but he’s “feeling great right now.” Barring a setback, Manaea’s next turn will probably come Saturday versus the Tigers, per Hickey.
Injury Notes: Syndergaard, Sanchez, Duda, Cabrera, Skaggs, Britton, Dyson, More
A pair of struggling teams got the good news that they’ll have key hurlers taking the hill on Sunday. Noah Syndergaard is ready to go after some worry over his biceps, as Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports on Twitter. Syndergaard is said to have denied a request that he undergo an MRI, saying he feels fully healthy. Also, Aaron Sanchez will return for the Blue Jays, as Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca tweets.
Here’s more on the injury front:
- First baseman Lucas Duda is also nearing a return for the Mets. He started a rehab assignment this evening and played for six innings. Given the fairly limited duration of his layoff for a hyperextended elbow, it seems reasonable to think he’ll be back up in just a few days.
- It seems there’s forward momentum for Tigers star Miguel Cabrera, as MLB.com’s Jason Beck reports on Twitter. Cabrera, who was forced to the DL with a groin strain, was able to jog and take batting practice today at the park.
- The Angels are assessing another injury for lefty Tyler Skaggs. Per a club announcement, he left his outing tonight with “right side tightness.” Just that means for the 25-year-old isn’t clear at this time. Heading into the current season, Skaggs had made only 41 starts since debuting in 2012. Over his five starts and 29 1/3 innings in 2017, Skaggs has pitched to a 3.99 ERA with a strong 29:9 K/BB ratio.
- Orioles closer Zach Britton may also be back Sunday — or, if not, then after the team’s off-day on Monday — per Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com (via Twitter). The southpaw is preparing to return rather quickly from an initially worrying forearm injury. He figures to step right back into the closer role for the O’s.
- The Rangers welcomed back Sam Dyson from his short DL stint. Though he jumped right back in and pitched in the ninth tonight, working a scoreless frame, that came in a losing effort. Unlike Britton, Dyson has likely been bypassed in the closer role, at least for the time being.
- While the Nationals are holding their breath over a new and potentially serious injury issue tonight, the team did get a bit of positive news earlier. An MRI came back clean for southpaw Sammy Solis, as Mark Zuckerman of MASNsports.com tweets. While there’s some inflammation present in his balky elbow, there’s no ligament issue.
- There are a few updates on some Reds hurlers who are working back from injury, as C. Trent Rosecrans of the Cincinnati Enquirer reports. Homer Bailey will throw a pen session early next week — his first since having bone spurs removed over the offseason. Fellow righty Anthony DeSclafani, meanwhile, is unfortunately still not ready to start throwing. Doctors will reassess his sprained UCL after allowing it a few more weeks of rest. And lefty Brandon Finnegan, who’s dealing with an oblique issue, is still a week away even from being examined again by physicians. The club is allowing him plenty of rest before taking stock of his path back tot he rotation.
- Dodgers skipper Dave Roberts provided the latest on a few of his team’s ailing players, as Andy McCullough of the Los Angeles Times was among those to report (links to Twitter). “Mechanical” issues are still holding back lefty Scott Kazmir, who still doesn’t seem to have a clear path back to the majors. The club will soon activate several position players, though, with Franklin Gutierrez likely to be followed within a week or so by Joc Pederson and Logan Forsythe. That’ll likely mean dropping top prospect Cody Bellinger back to Triple-A, McCullough notes.
- Athletics southpaw Sean Manaea is likely to miss a start and may hit the 10-day DL, as Joe Stiglich of NBC Sports Bay Area tweets. But the overall news is good. Manaea, who came down with some shoulder stiffness in his most recent outing, is not expected to require an extended absence.
Blue Jays Designate Jarrod Saltalamacchia
2:51pm: Toronto has announced that Saltalamacchia was designated for assignment to make way for Maile.
2:38pm: The Blue Jays have decided to make a move to swap out reserve backstops, according to Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca. The precise move isn’t yet clear, but Jarrod Saltalamacchia will be removed from the roster to make room for Luke Maile.
Saltalamacchia, who’ll soon turn 32, had struggled badly early this year. He made the club after joining on a minor-league deal, but had recorded just one hit and one walk over his first 26 plate appearances — with a dreadful 16 strikeouts on his ledger. Saltalamacchia was also struggling to control the running game, as Sportsnet’s Ben Nicholson-Smith notes on Twitter.
As for Maile, he only just joined the organization in a waiver claim. The Jays’ front office suggested it was high on the 26-year-old, so it’s not particularly surprising to see him earn an opportunity. Though he hasn’t hit much in his brief time in the majors — or in his time at Triple-A since arriving from the Rays — Maile is valued for his glove.
Blue Jays Place Troy Tulowitzki On 10-Day DL
April continues to be a nightmare for the 4-12 Blue Jays, who have lost another regular to the disabled list. Shortstop Troy Tulowitzki will miss at least 10 days on account of a strained right hamstring, per the Associated Press. Tulowitzki joins third baseman Josh Donaldson, right-hander Aaron Sanchez and left-hander J.A. Happ on the shelf.
Injuries have long been an issue for Tulowitzki, who missed between 31 and 115 games in each of the previous six seasons. Tulowitzki used to make up for lost time with elite-level production as a Rockie, but his offensive performance has dropped off since he joined the Blue Jays via trade in 2015. The 32-year-old has batted a roughly league-average .251/.316/.424 in 788 plate appearances with the Jays, including a .263/.295/.386 line in 61 PAs this season, after slashing a Coors Field-inflated .299/.371/.513 in 4,415 trips to the plate with the Rockies. Tulowitzki has continued to serve as an above-average fielder, though, having tallied 16 Defensive Runs Saved and an 8.8 Ultimate Zone Rating since 2015.
The Tulowitzki-less Jays will go forth with Ryan Goins and Darwin Barney as their most experienced shortstop options. For now, they’ll use Tulowitzki’s roster spot on reliever Leonel Campos, whom they recalled from Triple-A on Saturday. They announced a couple other changes to their pitching staff, too, sending Danny Barnes to Buffalo and calling up Casey Lawrence.
Phillies Acquire Ty Kelly From Blue Jays
The Phillies have announced that they’ve acquired IF/OF Ty Kelly from the Blue Jays for cash considerations. To clear space on their 40-man roster, they’ve placed Clay Buchholz (who will miss the next four to six months after having flexor tendon surgery) on the 60-day DL.
The Jays designated Kelly for assignment yesterday when they added Mat Latos to their roster. Kelly had only been in the Blue Jays organization for two weeks, with the Jays claiming him from the Mets earlier this month.
Kelly is 28 and has just 72 big-league plate appearances to his name, but it’s not hard to see why he continues to draw interest on the waiver wire — he has nearly as many minor-league walks as strikeouts and a career .381 minor-league OBP, and he played every position but pitcher and catcher for the Mets’ Triple-A affiliate last year. (He spends most of his time at second and third and in left, however.) The Phillies’ immediate plans for him aren’t yet clear, though it’s worth noting that left fielder Howie Kendrick‘s recent abdominal strain might have been a factor in their pursuit of Kelly.
Injury Notes: Miggy, Jays, Rox, Britton, Griffin, Reds, Morin, Richards, Cedeno, Kazmir, Garza
Star Tigers slugger Miguel Cabrera left tonight’s game with a groin strain, as Evan Woodberry of MLive.com reports on Twitter. For now, there’s no real indication of the severity of the injury; Detroit will take a closer look tomorrow.
Here’s more on the injury front:
- Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca provides an update on some injured Blue Jays hurlers. While there had been some hope that J.A. Happ would be able to return after missing just one start, he was still feeling elbow discomfort when he played catch yesterday. There is still hope, though, that Aaron Sanchez will be ready to return from his blister issues to re-take his turn in the rotation.
- The Rockies have received promising updates on the injury front, as Nick Groke of the Denver Post reports. Ian Desmond‘s hand has healed to the point that he was able to hit off of a tee. He’ll soon be followed by David Dahl, whose latest medical check-brought positive news.
- Likewise, the Orioles have reason to hope they’ll welcome back closer Zach Britton in short order. As Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com tweets, manager Buck Showalter says that Britton’s MRI results were very promising. Britton, who hasn’t been quite his dominant self thus far in 2017, hit the DL with forearm soreness.
- Rangers righty A.J. Griffin is heading to the 10-day DL with what the team is describing as ankle inflammation caused by gout. It doesn’t seem likely to require an extended absence, but the issue arises at an unfortunate time for the 29-year-old (and the struggling ballclub). Griffin is off to a solid start, having allowed seven earned runs on nine hits — and an excellent 16:4 K/BB ratio — over 15 1/3 innings.
- There were a few updates from the Reds, as provided by Zach Buchanan of the Cincinnati Enquirer (Twitter links). Righty Homer Bailey could be ready for mound work as soon as the end of the month, per skipper Bryan Price. Bailey has made just eight starts since the start of the 2015 season; he’s working back from surgery to remove bone spurs. Southpaw reliever Tony Cingrani, meanwhile, was placed on the 10-day DL with an oblique strain, with outfielder Phil Ervin taking his place on the active roster.
- Alex Meyer made a start tonight for the Angels, taking the roster spot of reliever Mike Morin, who is headed to the DL with neck stiffness, as Maria Guardado of MLB.com tweets. Morin, who’ll soon turn 26, has been hit hard in his 6 2/3 frames to open the season.
- Meanwhile, Angels righty Garrett Richards is said to be making some progress but isn’t yet able to begin throwing, Guardado tweets. Continued biceps weakness is still the culprit. The Halos are understandably taking care to ensure that Richards is at full health before pushing him forward.
- Rays lefty Xavier Cedeno is experiencing forearm tightness will require at least a brief DL placement, as Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports. It’s not seen as a significant injury, but the loss of Cedeno does leave Tampa Bay without a southpaw in the pen. The 30-year-old has not looked sharp early; as Topkin notes, he has struggled to prevent inherited runners to score. And Cedeno has surrendered four walks without recording a single strikeout in his seven appearances.
- Dodgers lefty Scott Kazmir is still dealing with hip tightness that is preventing him from progressing back to the hill, as Andy McCullough of the Los Angeles Times reports on Twitter. The veteran southpaw is not yet nearing a rehab stint, per the report.
- The Brewers will welcome back righty Matt Garza from the DL to make a start on Monday, per a team announcement. Garza was not ready to open the year due to a groin strain. He’ll bump southpaw Tommy Milone to the bullpen.
Blue Jays Select Mat Latos, Designate Ty Kelly
The Blue Jays announced today that infielder Ty Kelly was designated for assignment. His roster spot will go to righty Mat Latos, whose pending call-up was reported recently.
The 28-year-old Kelly was only just acquired from the Mets through a waiver claim. He was optioned to Triple-A upon landing with the Toronto organization, and only got into two games of action before this latest roster move. Of course, he could still end up back at Buffalo if he clears waivers this time around — though Kelly would also have the opportunity to elect free agency instead.
Kelly has minimal experience in the majors, but has shown excellent contact ability and plate discipline in the upper minors. In six campaigns and over 1,500 plate appearances at the Triple-A level, Kelly has compiled a .381 OBP (though he has slugged just .383) by drawing 230 walks against 237 strikeouts. He also brings some versatility to the table, with experience at second, third, and the corner outfield.
Injury Notes: Peralta, Price, Iglesias, Jays, Astros
The Cardinals have placed Jhonny Peralta on the 10-day disabled list, retroactive to April 16, due to an upper respiratory infection and activated lefty Tyler Lyons from the disabled list, the club announced. Ben Frederickson of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch writes that Greg Garcia and Jedd Gyorko will combine for playing time at the hot corner in Peralta’s absence. However, as Frederickson’s colleague Derrick Goold wrote earlier today, that might’ve been in the cards anyhow; Peralta is off to a dreadful .120/.185/.120 start to the season. Manager Mike Matheny tells Goold that the team is even opening to sliding Matt Carpenter back across the diamond to play over at third base if needed. In particular, though, Matheny spoke highly of Garcia’s glovework at third base. “It’s been fun watching Greg over there,” said Matheny. “He’s making great plays. You can see the amount of ground that he’s covering and just the electricity that comes with that style of play. Jhonny has that capacity. We just have to get him in a better place.”
- There’s another update on Red Sox lefty David Price, whose increasingly lengthy layoff has left the club without one of its best pitchers. Skipper John Farrell acknowledged that Price has dealt with some soreness that led to a bit of a slow-down in his effort to ramp things up, as Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald reports on Twitter. But Price was able to long toss “with some intensity” today, per the report, and will throw a pen session tomorrow. Still, there’s no timetable at this point for Price to return.
- Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press writes that the Tigers are expected to place shortstop Jose Iglesias on the 7-day disabled list due to a concussion sustained when he took a knee to the jaw in the final play of Wednesday’s night contest. Detroit is slated to recall prized relief prospect Joe Jimenez from Triple-A Toledo. Jimenez was sent down fewer than 10 days ago, but he can return sooner than the typical 10-day minimum due to the fact that he is replacing an injured player.
- Blue Jays southpaw J.A. Happ picked up a ball for the first time since he went on the DL, as Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca tweets. It was just a light throwing session, and there’s no further update at this time, but it’s good news that Happ was deemed ready to resume throwing in short order. He has been dealing with elbow inflammation, but it doesn’t seem to be related to any more significant injury.
- Meanwhile, the Blue Jays got a look at former top prospect Max Pentecost behind the dish on Tuesday for the first time since way back in 2014, as Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca notes on Twitter. Shoulder issues have plagued the 24-year-old, who was taken 11th overall in the 2011 draft. But he’s still trying to gain traction in the Toronto system. Currently, Penecost is hitting .258/.303/.387 through 33 plate appearances at the High-A level.
- Astros righty Jandel Gustave is headed to the 10-day DL with forearm tightness, per Jake Kaplan of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter). The 24-year-old had struggled in the early going, issuing seven walks while recording just a pair of strikeouts over his five frames of action. Replacing him will be fellow righty James Hoyt, who narrowly missed out on a roster spot in Spring Training. The 29-year-old Hoyt has been absolutely brilliant in Triple-A since last year, tossing 60 innings with just 10 earned runs and 101 strikeouts against 21 walks.