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Archives for April 2016

Yankees’ Branden Pinder Has UCL Tear

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SUNDAY: Pinder will visit renowned orthopedic surgeon Dr. James Andrews during the upcoming week for a second opinion, the Yankees announced. He’s currently leaning toward having Tommy John surgery, according to manager Joe Girardi (Twitter link via the Lohud Yankees Blog).

SATURDAY: An MRI on Yankees right-hander Branden Pinder revealed a UCL tear in his pitching elbow, reports Brendan Kuty of NJ Advance Media (Twitter link). Pinder is currently undecided about whether to undergo Tommy John surgery, according to Kuty. If he does, he’ll join Nick Rumbelow as the second Yankees reliever to require the surgery this season.

Pinder has been a member of the Yankees organization since they used a 16th-round draft pick on him in 2011. After climbing up the ranks in the minors, Pinder made his major league debut last season. The fastball- and slider-heavy 27-year-old tossed 27 2/3 innings of 2.93 ERA ball in 25 appearances out of the Yankees’ bullpen, also putting up an 8.13 K/9 and 4.55 BB/9. Pinder threw five innings this year, four in Triple-A and one with the Yankees, before landing on the disabled list earlier this week with a right elbow strain. The team subsequently called up fellow righty Nick Goody to replace him on the roster.

NL West Notes: Maeda, Padres, McGwire

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A quick check on the latest from the NL West…

  • Dodgers rookie right-hander Kenta Maeda turned in his fourth straight excellent performance Saturday night, throwing 6 1/3 shutout innings at Colorado’s hitter-friendly Coors Field in a 4-1 victory. Maeda, who surrendered three hits and a walk while striking out eight, became the first pitcher since at least 1913 to begin his major league career by allowing only one total run in his first four starts, according to Ken Gurnick of MLB.com. He’s also one of just 76 pitchers during that time frame to record four consecutive quality starts at the onset of his career. So far, the Japan native and offseason free agent signing has posted a videogamelike, NL-best .36 ERA in 25 1/3 innings and piled up 23 strikeouts against five walks.
  • Padres bench coach Mark McGwire, one of the most prolific sluggers in baseball history, could be working his way up to a managerial job, writes Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. McGwire started down this road seven years ago when then-Cardinals manager Tony La Russa lured him out of retirement to serve as the team’s hitting coach, a role he eventually had with the Dodgers before joining the Padres this season. La Russa, who’s now the Diamondbacks’ chief baseball officer, talked to McGwire in the offseason about bringing him aboard Arizona’s staff as its hitting coach. McGwire wanted to remain closer to his California home, though, so he chose the Padres and is now first-year manager Andy Green’s “eyes and ears.” On whether he’d be open to managing, McGwire told Goold, “I have never ruled it out. I’ve got so much to learn. Who knows where this is going, really?”
  • Green offered some insight to Kirk Kenney of the San Diego Union-Tribune on how the Padres deploy the shift and discourage opposing hitters from trying to bunt for an easy single. “We give (the shift) to them with a strike most of the time,” Green said. “The type of guys that you’re handing it to with a strike, it’s probably going to put them in two-strike situations a lot more frequently than it is they’re going to get bunts down.” Green added, “We’re aware of where these guys got their bunt hits, when they got their bunt hits, if there was a strike on them and how long we need to play them in.”

AL Notes: Yankees, Indians, Rays, Orioles

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Yankees infield prospect Sandy Acevedo was killed in a car accident Saturday night, the team announced. Acevedo was 18 years old. The native of the Dominican Republic signed with the Yankees last year as an international free agent. MLBTR extends its condolences to Acevedo’s family and friends.

In lighter news from around the American League…

  • Indians star left fielder Michael Brantley will rejoin the team Monday, manager Terry Francona said Sunday, and stands a good chance to be activated then, reports Jordan Bastian of MLB.com. The club could option outfielder Tyler Naquin to Triple-A in a corresponding move when it activates Brantley, per Bastian. Brantley has been working his way back from November right shoulder surgery and has played seven minor league rehab games since April 12. The 28-year-old’s return will be a significant boon to the Indians, as he emerged as one of the majors’ most dangerous offensive threats during the previous two seasons.
  • Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times believes the Rays should consider trading for Brewers catcher Jonathan Lucroy if they plan on contending, even if it means parting with a couple of their top prospects. So far this season, the Rays have gotten almost no offensive production from backstops Curt Casali and Hank Conger. Moreover, base stealers have gone 15 of 15 against the duo. Conger has thrown out just one of 54 runners dating back to last season. Lucroy, on the other hand, has established himself as one of the sport’s premier two-way catchers. The 29-year-old is playing this season on an eminently reasonable $4MM salary and is under team control through 2017 with a $5.25MM club option.
  • In the wake of Yovani Gallardo’s shoulder injury, right-hander Tyler Wilson will stay in the Orioles’ rotation for at least another start, Brittany Ghiroli of MLB.com was among those to report (on Twitter). As a result, Vance Worley will remain in a relief role, as Eduardo A. Encina of the Baltimore Sun pointed out (Twitter link). Wilson was working out of the Orioles’ bullpen before they started him in their 8-3 win over the Royals on Saturday. The 26-year-old allowed three runs on six hits in five innings. He made five big league starts last season and put up a 4.32 ERA/4.05 FIP/5.01 xFIP in 25 frames.

Angels Sign Kyle Kendrick To Minor League Deal

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APRIL 24: The Angels have officially announced the signing. Kendrick will start for their Triple-A affiliate today, according to Taylor Blake Ward of InsideTheHalos.com (Twitter link).

MARCH 30, 12:43pm: It will be a minor league deal, MLB.com’s Alden Gonzalez tweets. While that’s not surprising, it certainly would’ve been possible for Kendrick to ink an MLB pact if he was going to open the season in the majors. Instead, it seems, he’ll head to Triple-A.

12:22pm: The Angels are working to finalize an agreement with free agent righty Kyle Kendrick, Ken Rosenthal and Jon Morosi of FOX Sports report (Twitter link). The veteran starter was released earlier in the spring by the Braves.

Kendrick, 31, hasn’t posted a sub-4.00 ERA season since 2012 and was hit hard last year with the Rockies. He also turned in wholly uninspiring results in his minimal spring action before being released by Atlanta.

But Kendrick is also a known commodity with 212 major league starts under his belt, and that’s something the team certainly could use. Though he Halos entered the spring with a seeming rotation surplus, injuries have sapped some of the depth and left the staff exposed in the event of any setbacks.

Injury Updates: Rangers, Rays, Reds, Mets

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The Rangers have scratched southpaw Cole Hamels from his start Monday against the Yankees because of left groin soreness, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News was among those to report (on Twitter). Hamels also missed a start last year because of a sore groin, but the club doesn’t believe the injury is serious. It’s currently unclear who will start in his place Monday.

More injury updates on some key major leaguers:

  • In other news concerning an integral member of the Rangers’ rotation, right-hander Yu Darvish is fully healthy and on track for a mid-May return, general manager Jon Daniels told MLB Network Radio on Sunday (Twitter link). Darvish, who missed the 2015 campaign after undergoing Tommy John surgery, could begin a rehab assignment May 1 and rejoin the Rangers on May 16, Grant wrote earlier this week.
  • Another 2015 Tommy John surgery recipient, Rays right-hander Alex Cobb, should return by late July or early August, tweets Marc Topkin of the Tampa Times. Rays closer Brad Boxberger is on course for a mid-May comeback from core muscle surgery, which he underwent in March, adds Topkin.
  • Reds righty Anthony DeSclafani, who’s working his way back from an oblique strain, began his rehab stint Saturday at the Double-A level and threw four innings, allowing three runs, four hits and a walk while striking out five. He’ll next start for Low-A Dayton, per Zach Buchanan of the Cincinnati Enquirer (Twitter link). DeSclafani posted a 4.05 ERA with a 7.36 K/9 and 2.68 BB/9 in 184 2/3 innings for the Reds last season.
  • Like Darvish and Cobb, Mets lefty Josh Edgin is also coming back from 2015 Tommy John surgery. Edgin’s recovery is going well and it’s possible he’ll return to the majors next month, according to Adam Rubin of ESPN.com. Edgin served as a shutdown option out of the Mets’ bullpen in 2014, compiling a 9.22 K/9 and 1.98 BB/9 to accompany a stingy 1.32 ERA in 27 1/3 innings.

White Sox Place Alex Avila On DL With Strained Hamstring

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The White Sox have placed catcher Alex Avila on the disabled list with a strained right hamstring and called up Triple-A backstop Kevan Smith to replace him, reports Jon Morosi of MLB Network (Twitter link).

Prior to suffering the injury against the Rangers on Saturday, the lefty-swinging Avila posted a .214/.333/.250 batting line in 28 plate appearances. While those numbers certainly aren’t great, they’re easily superior to the ones his platoon mate, Dioner Navarro, has compiled thus far (.100/.129/.100 in 30 PAs).

Navarro looks poised to accrue more playing time with Avila down, though Smith has put up an outstanding line at Triple-A Charlotte this year, batting .345/.394/.586 with two home runs in 33 PAs. The 27-year-old has hit an impressive .290/.367/.454 in 1,988 career minor league trips to the plate while throwing out 31 percent of base stealers in six seasons. He’s now primed to see his first major league action.

Phillies Send Charlie Morton To DL With Strained Hamstring

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The Phillies have placed right-hander Charlie Morton on the 15-day disabled list with a strained left hamstring and recalled fellow righty Luis Garcia, the team announced. Morton sustained the injury during his start against the Brewers on Saturday. As a result, he pitched just one inning, allowing three hits and a run while striking out three.

So far this season, the ground-ball-heavy Morton has been a solid veteran addition to the Phillies’ young rotation. After joining Philadelphia via trade with the Pirates during the offseason, Morton has begun his Phillies tenure by inducing grounders 62.8 percent of the time and posting a 4.15 ERA/3.01 FIP/2.87 xFIP in his first four starts (17 1/3 innings). Morton also fanned 19 batters and walked eight during that span. His spot in the rotation could now go to Brett Oberholtzer or Adam Morgan, who’s in Triple-A.

Garcia, 29, has been a member of the Phillies organization since 2013. He made his major league debut that season and has since racked up 112 innings, including a career-best 66 2/3 frames of 3.51 ERA ball last year. Overall, Garcia owns a 3.94 mark with a 7.88 K/9 and 5.57 BB/9.

AL East Notes: Red Sox, Orioles, Rays

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Red Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski issued a public vote of confidence to manager John Farrell on Friday, writes Jason Mastrodonato of the Boston Herald. “I think John Farrell has done a fine job managing our team,” Dombrowski said. “The only thing I would tell him is the same I would tell any manager: You need to manage with your conviction. Whatever you believe is the right move, you’re the one who is most knowledgeable in the case, and you do what you think is the right thing to do.” The Red Sox won the World Series under Farrell in 2013, but they’ve endured back-to-back sub-.500 seasons since and are a so-so 8-8 this year, leading to calls for his ouster from the team’s fan base. Mastrodonato defends Farrell by pointing out that the Red Sox have played disciplined baseball under him this season (they entered Friday with only six errors and just one caught stealing, as the writer notes). Further, Farrell was right to award Travis Shaw and Brock Holt the third base and left field jobs over Pablo Sandoval and Rusney Castillo, respectively, and has handled the team’s various personalities well – including Hanley Ramirez’s – Mastrodonato offers.

Here’s more from Boston and two of its American League East rivals:

  • Red Sox starters are currently toward the bottom of the league in ERA (5.38) and FIP (4.52), and if the team is looking for outside rotation help around July’s trade deadline, Mastrodonato lists five potential options: Jered Weaver (Angels), Mat Latos (White Sox), James Shields (Padres), Andrew Cashner (Padres) and Scott Kazmir (Dodgers). Of that group, only Shields and Kazmir are signed beyond this season, but both have opt-outs in their contracts at the end of the year. Barring an unexpected fall from contention by the Dodgers, Kazmir seems unlikely to be dealt. If the White Sox continue their winning ways, Latos probably won’t end up on the block, either. In the immediate future, the forthcoming return of lefty Eduardo Rodriguez from a knee injury should buoy the Red Sox’s rotation.
  • There was a report that Orioles right-hander Yovani Gallardo would see team orthopedist Dr. Mike Jacobs regarding his injured shoulder on Saturday. That examination will actually take place today, according to Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com. An MRI should offer more clarity on the status of Gallardo, who landed on the 15-day disabled list Saturday with tendinitis.
  • With Gallardo on the shelf for at least two weeks, the Orioles need another starter. They may have found a temporary solution in righty Tyler Wilson, who threw five innings of three-run ball in an 8-3 win over Kansas City on Saturday and impressed manager Buck Showalter in the process. “Things don’t seem to bother him mentally. He’s very mentally strong and that bodes well up here,” Showalter told reporters, including Brittany Ghiroli of MLB.com. Showalter indicated that Wilson will start again, per Ghiroli. Wilson, who had been in the Orioles’ bullpen until Saturday, made five big league starts last season and put up a 4.32 ERA/4.05 FIP/5.01 xFIP in 25 innings.
  • Rays outfielder Brandon Guyer was hit by a pitch a major league-record-tying three times Thursday, a feat that had only been accomplished on 22 previous occasions. Guyer also did it once last year, when he was hit an American League-leading 24 times. Guyer, who has already been hit by five pitches this year, told David Laurila of FanGraphs that there isn’t a special skill involved. “There’s no art to it. I promise,” he said. “It’s not something I’m out there looking to do, it just happens. I don’t know how to get out of the way. It’s just instinctual that I don’t move. I’m not afraid.” Thanks in part to his fearlessness, Guyer got on base an impressive 35.9 percent of the time in 385 plate appearances in 2015 and has a tremendous .485 OBP in 33 PAs this season.

MLBTR Originals

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Here’s a look back at MLBTR’s original analysis and reporting over the past seven days:

  • In the second edition of the MLBTR College Series, Chuck Wasserstrom spoke with Cubs vice president and general manager Jed Hoyer about his time at Wesleyan University, where he enjoyed an accomplished baseball career at multiple positions.
  • On this week’s MLBTR Podcast, prospect guru Ben Badler of Baseball America chatted with host Jeff Todd about the early major league success of youngsters like Trevor Story and Nomar Mazara. Badler also touched on some of the intriguing players on the international market, particularly those coming from Cuba and Japan. A new episode of the podcast is released every Thursday and can be accessed on iTunes, SoundCloud, and Stitcher.
  • Steve Adams examined how six teams’ early season bullpen decisions could impact the earning power of their late-game relievers through arbitration or free agency next offseason.
  • Continuing MLBTR’s Draft Prospect Q&A Series, Chuck interviewed hard-throwing University of Oklahoma right-hander Alec Hansen, a prospective first-round pick in June’s amateur draft. Hansen touched on why he chose to attend Oklahoma, what it would’ve taken for him to eschew college and sign with the Rockies as a 25th-round pick in 2013, and which big-time pitching prospect he likens himself to, among other subjects.
  • In another trip down memory lane with a baseball executive, Chuck talked to Phillies VP and GM Matt Klentak concerning his days at Darmouth College. Klentak helped set the stage for his current role back then by earning a degree in economics and making some important connections.
  • Chuck also had a discussion with Mercer University center fielder Kyle Lewis, who’s rated as one of the draft’s premier prospects. Lewis spurned a potential college basketball career elsewhere to play baseball at Mercer, where he has worked his way up from the bench to perhaps become the only major league first-rounder the school has produced.
  • To conclude a busy week of MLBTR College Series interviews, Chuck spoke to Tigers executive VP and GM Al Avila – a St. Thomas University alumnus. Interestingly, one of the people who helped Avila climb the ranks in baseball was Hall of Fame football coach Don Shula.
  • In the final edition of MLBTR’s 2016 Offseason In Review Series, Steve looked back at the Royals’ winter moves. Kansas City followed its World Series-winning 2015 campaign with a busy offseason headlined by the re-signing of outfielder Alex Gordon, the expensive contract given to right-hander Ian Kennedy, and the return of reliever Joakim Soria.

Quick Hits: Rockies, Hamilton, Gimenez, Mazara, Padres

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The Rockies and visiting teams have tried several run-prevention strategies at Coors Field over the years with little success, though ESPN’s Buster Olney (subscription-only column) suggests a novel idea — what if the Rockies and others used a fourth outfielder?  The idea, which stemmed from a chat with Jake Peavy, would be a natural extension of the defensive shifts that have become more common in recent years.  Here’s more from around the baseball world…

  • Josh Hamilton and Chris Gimenez are both playing games in extended spring training, Rangers manager Jeff Banister told reporters (including MLB.com’s T.R. Sullivan).  Gimenez could start a rehab assignment as soon as Monday, as the catcher looks to return after being sidelined for a month by an ankle infection.  Hamilton faces a longer road back to the bigs, as he’ll play in extended spring games for the next week and then some minor league action.  Banister said the Rangers want to see Hamilton get around 35 plate appearances before considering a return to the MLB roster.  Hamilton has battled left knee problems all offseason, and has already undergone two operations and a stem cell/PRP injection within the last eight months.
  • The Rangers have a solid history of producing good young position players, MLB.com’s Phil Rogers writes, and Nomar Mazara is one of the most exciting of them all.  The 20-year-old Mazara has made a huge impact in his first taste of big league action, taking a .378/.419/.514 slash line over 43 PAs into Saturday’s play.
  • Melvin Upton is enjoying a good season and could eventually be a trade chip for the Padres, Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune writes as part of a reader chat.  San Diego would probably still have to eat some of the roughly $30.18MM owed to Upton through the 2017 season to make a trade work.  That would still represent something of a win for the Padres and Upton, as his deal was though to be one of the worst in baseball at this time just a year ago.  In two seasons as a Padres, however, Upton has regained some value by hitting .261/.334/.433 with seven homers over 292 PA and he also posted above-average defensive metrics in center field in 2015.
  • Albert Abreu would be a much-hyped prospect in most farm systems, but he’s something of a hidden gem within the Astros’ deep minor league organization.  Baseball America’s Ben Badler profiles Abreu, a 20-year-old righty from the Dominican Republic who signed a $185K international deal in 2013.  Abreu has a 5.11 ERA over 12 1/3 innings at high-A ball this season, though with very impressive peripherals (13.9 K/9, 4.75 K/BB rate, no homers allowed).

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