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Tyler Chatwood

Tyler Chatwood Suffers Setback

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Cubs right-hander Tyler Chatwood suffered a setback Tuesday in his recovery from a forearm strain, Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune was among those to report. Manager David Ross said Chatwood’s “elbow wasn’t feeling good.” The issue sent Chatwood to the 10-day injured list Sept. 1.

With the clock ticking on the season, it’s up in the air whether Chatwood will pitch for the NL Central-leading Cubs again this year. For that matter, it’s unknown whether the pending free agent will take the ball for the Cubs ever again.

Previously with the Rockies, Chatwood was a popular breakout candidate when he reached free agency after 2017 and signed a three-year, $38MM contract with the Cubs. However, the 30-year-old has largely fallen flat since then, evidenced by his 4.70 ERA/4.88 FIP over 199 innings (67 appearances, 30 starts) with Chicago. Chatwood began this year in Cy Young-level fashion with 12 2/3 innings of one-run, six-hit ball and 19 strikeouts against four walks in his first two starts, but thanks in part to injuries, his numbers have declined precipitously since then. He owns a 5.30 ERA through 18 2/3 frames this season.

In the event Chatwood doesn’t return this season, it would dent the Cubs’ pitching depth to some extent. Statistically, their rotation has been better than most teams’ this season, but there are concerns after Cy Young contender Yu Darvish, the perennially strong Kyle Hendricks and the no-hitter-throwing Alec Mills. Jon Lester has gotten smacked around in four of his most recent starts, Jose Quintana has been on the IL with left lat inflammation since Sept. 2, and Adbert Alzolay hasn’t given the Cubs much length in any of his outings.

Cubs Activate Kris Bryant, Steven Souza Jr.

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The Cubs have activated Kris Bryant and Steven Souza Jr. off the 10-day injured list amidst a flurry of roster moves this afternoon.  To make room for Bryant, Souza, and their trade deadline acquisitions, the Cubs also placed right-hander Tyler Chatwood on the 10-day IL with a right forearm strain, optioned outfielder Albert Almora to their alternate training site, and designated righty Casey Sadler for assignment.

Bryant hasn’t played since August 17, as he suffered a sprained left ring finger (the official cause for his IL stint) and a wrist injury while trying to make a diving catch five days prior.  This was the latest in rather a long list of minor health problems for Bryant this season, as he had also previously dealt with some stomach issues as well as back and elbow soreness.  Given all of these problems, it probably isn’t surprising that Bryant hasn’t been himself at the plate, hitting only .177/.271/.323 over his first 70 plate appearances.

The Cubs are in first place in the NL Central even without much of a contribution from Bryant, and they’re also hoping to finally get some kind of extended look at Souza, as injuries (a right hamstring strain) and his part-timer status have limited him to just 24 PA this season.  Injuries have plagued Souza throughout his career, most notably a major knee operation that sidelined him for the entire 2019 season.  The right-handed hitting Souza and new acquisition Cameron Maybin are likely to get some playing time when a left-handed starter is on the mound, spelling the lefty-swinging Kyle Schwarber and Jason Heyward in the outfield.

Chatwood’s placement is retroactive to August 31, and he left his start on the previous day in the third inning due to elbow discomfort.  While any forearm problem will be closely monitored, the Cubs do have some expectation that Chatwood will be back before the end of the season, though manager David Ross described Chatwood’s situation as “a long wait-and-see” in a chat with reporters (including Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune) today.  The righty has a 5.30 ERA over five starts and 18 2/3 innings for Chicago this season.

Sadler appeared in 10 games for the Cubs in 2020, posting a 5.79 ERA and almost matching his walk total (8) with his strikeout total (9) over 9 1/3 innings of work.  The 30-year-old was acquired in a trade with the Dodgers over the winter, and hasn’t been able to replicate in Chicago what he achieved over 46 1/3 innings with Los Angeles and Tampa Bay in 2019 — a 2.14 ERA, 6.0 K/9, and only a 2.5 BB/9, though advanced metrics were less impressed by Sadler’s overall performance.

Cubs Notes: Almora, Chafin, Chatwood, Bryant

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The Cubs had an active deadline, picking up outfielder Cameron Maybin from the Tigers and a pair of relievers- Andrew Chafin and Josh Osich– from the Diamondbacks and Red Sox, respectively. With Maybin in the fold, outfielder Albert Almora will be optioned to the alternate training site, per Sahadev Sharma of the Athletic (Twitter link). The 26-year-old has only gotten 34 plate appearances in 2020 after a poor showing in 2019, when he hit just .236/.271/.381.

Maybin and Osich will step right onto the active roster, but Chafin will not. The southpaw has been on Arizona’s injured list since August 19 with a finger sprain, and he’s not quite ready to return. Cubs’ GM Jed Hoyer says the organization hopes he’ll be back on the field within “a couple weeks” (via Jordan Bastian of MLB.com).

Likely to join Chafin on the IL is fellow hurler Tyler Chatwood. The right-hander actually just returned from the IL but left yesterday’s start in the third inning with discomfort in his throwing elbow. He’s undergone an MRI and is awaiting results, per Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune. While that sounds ominous on the surface, the Cubs expect Chatwood will be able to return this season, notes Patrick Mooney of the Athletic. Fortunately, Chicago has José Quintana on hand as a potential Chatwood replacement.

In more encouraging injury news, Kris Bryant is seemingly nearing a return from his own finger sprain. Indeed, it’s possible he could be activated before tomorrow’s game against the Pirates, per Mooney. It’s been a disappointing year for Bryant, who has mustered just a .177/.271/.323 line over 70 plate appearances, with a significant drop in his batted ball metrics along the way. Hand injuries can sap a hitter’s contact quality, so the hope is certainly that the time off will allow Bryant to return to his past levels of elite power production.

Central News & Rumors: Hader, Burnes, Twins, Norris, Romine, Tigers, Chatwood, Gio

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The Brewers are receiving a lot of interest on Josh Hader and Corbin Burnes, MLB Network’s Jon Heyman reports (all links to Twitter), though there isn’t any sign that Milwaukee would consider moving either reliever for anything less than a major offer, particularly for Hader.  Brett Anderson or David Phelps are perhaps more realistic options to be dealt if the Brewers opt to move an arm.  The Yankees and Twins are two of the clubs who have been in touch with the Brew Crew about Hader, but there hasn’t been much indication that talks led anywhere.

Let’s dive into some news and trade buzz from around both the NL and AL Central divisions…

  • The Tigers are drawing interest in catcher Austin Romine and left-hander Daniel Norris, The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal reports in both a tweet and a longer notes column.  The Rays are one team linked to Norris, who has impressed by posting a 2.40 ERA, 7.2 K/9, and 4.00 K/BB rate over 15 innings.  The former second-round draft pick has been plagued by injuries throughout his career and missed part of Summer Camp recovering from a positive COVID-19 test, though he has performed well as a multi-inning reliever for the Tigers this year.  Romine has also enjoyed a strong season with a .291/.309/.418 slash line over 81 PA, though his trade chip status could have a late wrinkle — the Tigers scratched him from today’s lineup due to right knee soreness.
  • Tyler Chatwood left today’s outing due to right elbow discomfort, according to the Cubs.  The righty bounced a pitch to the plate in the third inning, with manager David Ross telling ESPN.com’s Jesse Rogers and other reporters that Chatwood initially felt a problem while throwing a breaking ball on the previous pitch.  Chatwood was making his second start back from the injured list after missing much of August with a back strain.  Elbow problems aren’t good news for any pitcher, though it is particularly concerning in Chatwood’s case since he already has a Tommy John surgery on his record.
  • The injury bug also struck on the south side of Chicago, as the White Sox placed left-hander Gio Gonzalez on the 10-day injured list (retroactive to August 27) with a right groin strain.  Gonzalez’s first year with the Sox hasn’t been a smooth one, as he has a 5.11 ERA over 24 2/3 innings and a 1.5 HR/9 that is almost twice his 0.8 career average.  His most recent outing was, intriguingly, 3 2/3 inning of shutout relief against the Cubs, which could hint at Gonzalez’s role for the White Sox when he returns from the IL.

Cubs Activate Jose Quintana, Tyler Chatwood

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The Cubs announced that they have activated left-hander Jose Quintana and righty Tyler Chatwood from the injured list. The club optioned righty Jason Adam and outfielder Ian Miller to its alternate site in corresponding moves.

Quintana hasn’t pitched this season after undergoing left thumb surgery in early July, though he’s known for consistently providing solid production over a large number of innings. The 31-year-old will head into this season with a 3.72 ERA/3,65 FIP in 1,485 innings divided between Chicago’s two teams. While 246 of Quintana’s lifetime 250 appearances have come as a starter, he seems likely to function as a reliever this year, at least in the early going.

Chatwood, meanwhile, will rejoin the Cubs’ rotation after missing a couple weeks with a back strain. The former Rockie has largely been a disappointment since he signed a three-year, $38MM contract with the Cubs before 2018, but his platform season has brought some encouraging signs. Chatwood’s 5.40 ERA through 15 innings is unsightly, though he has turned in two very good starts versus one clunker this season. He has so far logged an excellent 13.8 K/9 against 2.4 BB/9, and put up a 2.60 FIP/2.71 xFIP/2.91 SIERA.

The Cubs will give Chatwood another chance to hang on to a rotation spot alongside Yu Darvish, Kyle Hendricks, Jon Lester and Alec Mills. However, if he flops upon his return, Quintana could move back into their starting five.

Pitching Notes: D-backs, Cubs, Verlander

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Diamondbacks starter Robbie Ray is drawing interest from “a few teams” as a bullpen possibility, Bob Nightengale of USA Today writes. The 28-year-old left-hander has only made three relief appearances in his career (none since his first season in 2014); however, after several respectable seasons as a starter, the soon-to-be free agent has tanked in 2020. He owns an awful 8.33 ERA/7.77 FIP with 8.33 BB/9 across 27 innings this year, though some clubs may have hope that Ray’s high-strikeout ways will lead to success in the bullpen during the stretch run of the season. That said, there’s no guarantee the Diamondbacks will move Ray before the Aug. 31 deadline, as they entered Monday a manageable two games back of a wild-card spot.

  • More on the Diamondbacks, who made righty Merrill Kelly a late scratch before his start Monday. It was easy to speculate on a potential trade when that happened, but it turns out Kelly is dealing with a nerve impingement in his pitching shoulder, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic tweets. The club has placed Kelly on the 10-day injured list as a result and recalled righty Riley Smith. Kelly has been quite effective this season, as MLBTR’s Steve Adams explained Monday, so losing him is a blow to the D-backs’ playoff hopes and perhaps a less-than-ideal development heading into the deadline.
  • Cubs southpaw Jose Quintana and righty Tyler Chatwood will come off the injured list Tuesday, Gordon Wittenmyer of NBC Sports Chicago reports. Quintana, who has been out all season after undergoing left thumb surgery, will work from the bullpen upon his return. That’s relatively new territory for Quintana, who has totaled just four relief appearances out of 250 in his career. As Wittenmyer notes, though, Quintana could find himself back in a starting role soon if Chatwood or Alec Mills falters (Mills didn’t in a win over Detroit on Monday). Chatwood, who will start Tuesday, turned in a pair of great outings to open the season, but he went on the IL with a back issue after the Royals shellacked him for eight earned runs on 11 hits in 2 1/3 innings on Aug. 6. He’s now set to rejoin Mills, Yu Darvish, Kyle Hendricks and Jon Lester in the Cubs’ rotation.
  • It has been nearly a month since the Astros shut down ace Justin Verlander because of a right forearm strain, but the reigning AL Cy Young winner continues to make progress in his recovery. Manager Dusty Baker issued an update on Verlander on Monday, saying to Mark Berman of Fox 26 and other reporters: “I think he threw 20 pitches yesterday. He said he felt pretty good. That’s a positive sign.” It’s still unknown whether Verlander will make it back this year, especially with only about a month remaining in the regular season. Houston has started 15-13 despite only one appearance from Verlander (and several other notable injuries), putting the team two games back of a wild-card spot.

Latest On Jose Quintana

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5:09pm: Manager David Ross said Quintana will throw a sim game this weekend, so his debut will have to wait a bit longer (via Levine).

4:45pm: Cubs left-hander Jose Quintana hasn’t pitched this season as a result of early July thumb surgery, but he could rejoin their rotation as early as this weekend, Gordon Wittenmyer of NBC Sports Chicago relays. Quintana’s in line to throw a sim game at the Cubs’ alternate site Saturday, though the club could decide to bring him to the majors instead.

The loss of Quintana looked like a significant blow to Chicago’s chances when it occurred, but the first-place team’s rotation has managed to thrive – not just survive – without him. Cubs starters will enter play Tuesday third in ERA (3.33) and FIP (3.32), largely because Yu Darvish has returned to being one of the premier pitchers in baseball and Kyle Hendricks has been his usual front-of-the-rotation self. Meantime, Jon Lester and Alec Mills have posted sub-3.00 ERAs (albeit with far less impressive peripherals) across a combined seven starts.

Like Darvish, Hendricks and Lester, the 31-year-old Quintana brings an extensive MLB track record to the table. The longtime workhorse’s run prevention wasn’t as solid as it typically has been last year, but he still gave the Cubs 171 innings of 4.68 ERA/3.80 FIP pitching with 8.0 K/9 and 2.42 BB/9. Considering he’s due to become a free agent after the season, it’ll be interesting to see if Quintana enjoys a bounce-back over the next several weeks.

When Quintana does return, it seems likely he’ll take Tyler Chatwood’s place in the Cubs’ staff. Chatwood was dominant in his first two starts of the season, but he suffered through a 2 1/3-inning, eight-earned run nightmare against the Royals Aug. 6. Chatwood went on the IL this past Sunday with a back strain, and pitching coach Tommy Hottovy said Tuesday he’s seeking a second opinion from an orthopedic specialist, per Bruce Levine of 670 The Score.

Cubs DFA Jharel Cotton, Place Tyler Chatwood On IL

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The Cubs announced a series of roster moves today, courtesy of the Chicago Tribune’s Mark Gonzales (Twitter links). Tyler Chatwood was placed on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to Thursday, due to a back strain. His active roster spot will be filled by right-hander Jason Adam. In turn, Jharel Cotton was designated for assignment to clear a spot for Adam on the 40-man roster.

The Cubs will have a week to trade, release, or outright Cotton to the minors. With one option year remaining and four more seasons of team control, he could be a worthwhile depth pickup for teams with thin pitching staffs. At 28 years old, Cotton is still relatively inexperienced at the Major League level and finds himself in a somewhat new role; 2019 marked the first year since his pro debut in 2012 that the majority of Cotton’s appearances came in relief.

Chatwood has started off the season looking like he’s on track for a nice bounce-back season, although you wouldn’t think so based on his unimpressive 5.40 ERA. Still, he’s striking out batters at a career-best rate (13.8 K/9) while his walks, which have thus far been the biggest obstacle to his success, have trended in the opposite direction: 2.4 BB/9, a career-low rate. That’s lent itself to a 2.60 FIP, which the Cubs ought to be pleased with given his unremarkable numbers over the previous two years.

Adam, 29, signed with the Cubs as a minor-league free agent after two Major League stints with the Royals and Blue Jays. He enjoyed a bit of success last year, posting a 2.91 ERA in 21 2/3 innings. His strikeout-to-walk ratio (18 K/10 BB) was nothing special, but he’s good solid stuff: his fastball, which averaged 94.4 mph last year, brings a spin rate that ranked in the 97th-percentile last year, per Statcast. Supplemented with a curveball and changeup, that type of action can certainly play at the MLB level.

Pitcher Notes: Chatwood, Yates, Hirano

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The Chicago Cubs have pushed Tyler Chatwood’s start after the right-hander experienced tightness in his back, per Tim Stebbins of NBC Sports. Colin Rea will trot in from the bullpen to start on Saturday in his stead (technically, Alec Mills started for Chatwood on Friday, and Rea will start in Mills’ place). Chatwood has continued his streaky tenure this season in Chicago, though the good has outweighed the bad through three starts. The 30-year-old Chatwood put the Northside aflutter with a pair of quality starts in which he yielded 12 2/3 innings, two wins, 19 strikeouts, and just a single earned run. He gave it all back with 8 earned runs in just 2 1/3 innings in his third start against the Royals. The Cubs have a twin bill with the Cardinals scheduled for Monday where Chatwood will step back into the rotation, per Russell Dorsey of the Chicago Sun-Times (via Twitter).

  • Bad news could be on the horizon for the San Diego Padres. Closer Kirby Yates has been scheduled for an MRI to investigate recent elbow discomfort, per Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune. The late-blooming Yates has developed into arguably the game’s best closer over the past two seasons. He’s not been himself through 5 appearances this year. He’s currently rocking a cumbersome 10.38 ERA/5.62 FIP with 7 hits and 4 walks to 7 strikeouts over 4 1/3 innings. He does have 2 saves and a hold. An injury would certainly be a blow to a San Diego bullpen already down Andres Muñoz and Trey Wingenter. Even so, the Friars are flush with potential replacements: Emilio Pagan and Drew Pomeranz are likely next in line to secure W’s in San Diego.
  • Yoshihisa Hirano is finally on his way back to the diamond after testing positive for COVID-19 early in training camp, per MLB.com’s Greg Johns (via Twitter). After some tune-ups at the alternate site, Hirano could find himself in the Seattle Mariners’ bullpen shortly. Hirano, 36, joined the Mariners this offseason after two years with the Arizona Diamondbacks. He proved himself a reliable arm in the Dbacks’ pen. He owns a 3.47 ERA/3.85 FIP in the states after a successful career in Japan.

NL Central Notes: Pirates, Lorenzen, Chatwood

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The Pirates were “behind the times” in their approach to developing pitchers under the previous front-office/coaching regime, right-hander Tyler Glasnow opines in a fascinating interview with Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Glasnow details the manner in which the Pirates emphasized pitching down and inside even as the rest of the league evolved to attacking the top of the strike zone with four-seamers and ramping up the usage of breaking balls. The right-hander calls the Pirates’ approach “a good strategy for [2013-15]” but an outdated one in the current era of data-driven approaches to pitching and game-planning. Glasnow explains how he began working at the top of the strike zone on his own toward the end of his time as a Pirate — he was never approached by the club about doing so — and that was the first thing the Rays encouraged him to do following the trade. The interview is rife with interesting (and, if you’re a Pirates fan, frustrating) quotes from Glasnow and is well worth a full look regardless of which team you follow.

Taking a look elsewhere in the division…

  • The “two-way player” criteria established by Major League Baseball within this winter’s slate of rule changes puts National League clubs at a disadvantage, writes Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic (subscription required). The rules, which stipulate that a pitcher who wishes to gain two-way designation must start 20 games as a position player (with three plate appearances per start), appear to have been written with Shohei Ohtani in mind (and perhaps Brendan McKay) but don’t allow for someone like the Reds’ Michael Lorenzen to easily attain that status. Lorenzen played 29 games in center last season, including six starts. In two of those instances, he played every inning of an extra-inning game in the outfield, and in another he came in to throw two innings of relief before returning to center. Lorenzen called the criteria “obnoxious” in chatting with Rosenthal, who notes that the Reds are among the teams that have approached the league about the issue. Over the past two seasons, Lorenzen has batted .241/.302/.468 with five home runs in 87 plate appearances. He logged 89 innings in center field last season after serving as a frequent pinch-hitter a year prior in 2018.
  • Cubs skipper David Ross has at least considered utilizing righty Tyler Chatwood as a multi-inning reliever, he tells Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times. Ross still calls Chatwood the favorite for the fifth slot in the rotation, but he also points to Chatwood hitting 99 mph out of the bullpen and the fact that he pitched in every inning while functioning in various roles last season. Ross likens Chatwood to Kenta Maeda, suggesting that he could function as a starter for much of the season before shifting to a multi-inning relief option late in the year and potentially into the postseason. If Chatwood once again struggles as a starter early in the season, it seems likely the organization will shift him back into that role and look to alternative options in the rotation.
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