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Archives for May 2016

NL Injury Notes: Duda, Montas, Smith

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First baseman Lucas Duda was scratched from the Mets’ lineup Saturday and had an MRI on his back, as ESPN’s Mark Simon notes. The nature and severity of Duda’s issue is unclear, although he’s batted just .192/.300/.404 in May. “Having him out of the lineup is a huge loss for us, especially against right-handed pitching, which we’re going to see two games here and two games in D.C. (next week),” says manager Terry Collins. “We have to look at the big picture. We can’t aggravate this thing to where it becomes a major issue. We hope that it won’t.” Here’s more on NL injuries.

  • The Dodgers are keeping an eye on Frankie Montas, Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register writes. Montas, who’s recovering after having surgery on his rib in February, pitched two scoreless innings in extended spring training on Thursday and threw 100 MPH with what manager Dave Roberts describes as good command. Montas is expected to begin a rehab assignment with Double-A Tulsa this weekend. As Plunkett notes, Montas isn’t eligible to come off the 60-day DL until June 3. Montas, one of the keys to the Dodgers’ end of the Todd Frazier deal last winter, could turn out to be a significant asset for the Dodgers, given his velocity (his average fastball last year in a brief trial with the White Sox was 96.7 MPH) and the instability of the Dodgers’ bullpen beyond Kenley Jansen.
  • Brewers manager Craig Counsell says lefty Will Smith is ready to begin a rehab assignment and could return to the team in the first week of June, Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports (Twitter links). Smith tore his lateral collateral ligament late in Spring Training and opted to rehab it rather than having surgery. He began throwing off a mound last week. A quick return would be a boon for both Smith and the Brewers — he had figured to get at least some opportunities at closer this year, and if he does pile up saves or holds, he’ll likely get a nifty raise on his $1.475MM 2016 salary through the arbitration process next winter. Perhaps we would be getting ahead of ourselves in imagining he might close, however — Jeremy Jeffress has done well in the closer’s role, and there’s no urgent reason for the Brewers to remove him. The team surely would, however, enjoy the return of a reliever in Smith who posted a 2.70 ERA, 12.9 K/9 and 3.4 BB/9 in a terrific 2015 season. He and Jeffress could also be good trade chips for the Brewers this summer.

 

NL Notes: Phillies, De La Rosa, Harvey

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The Phillies have been lucky to get solid work from a cheap bullpen this season, Matt Gelb of Philly.com writes. Ken Giles and Jonathan Papelbon are now gone, but journeyman Jeanmar Gomez has been effective in the closer’s role, and Hector Neris and David Hernandez have also been terrific. The team could also soon receive reinforcements, with Michael Mariot and Mario Hollands perhaps joining the bullpen after returning from injury. Another possibility, Gelb suggests, might be Edubray Ramos, a 23-year-old who now has a 1.54 ERA, 24 strikeouts and just one walk in 23 1/3 innings split between Double-A Reading and Triple-A Lehigh Valley this season. Here’s more from the National League.

  • Jorge De La Rosa will return to the Rockies’ rotation on Tuesday against the Red Sox, MLB.com’s Thomas Harding tweets. Jon Gray will pitch Wednesday and Eddie Butler on Thursday. De La Rosa struggled this season before missing almost a month due to a groin strain, but if he can approach something resembling his 2015 form (when he posted a 4.17 ERA, 8.1 K/9 and 3.4 BB/9), he’ll provide a boost to a Rockies pitching staff that has already recently added help in its bullpen.
  • Matt Harvey has struggled to the tune of a 5.77 ERA this season (albeit with a reasonable 8.0 K/9 and 2.8 BB/9). But his agent, Scott Boras, says Harvey’s tough year is the result of the typical ups and downs experienced by pitchers returning from Tommy John surgery, FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal reports. He compares Harvey (who had TJ surgery in 2013) to Stephen Strasburg, who underwent the procedure in 2010 and has had bumps in the road (including some struggles at the beginning of last season) since then but recently signed a $175MM extension. “This Tommy John dynamic carries with it unknowns,” says Boras. “It’s amazing that Harv and Stras pitched against one another (Thursday night). You go back a year ago and who’s who? I’m sitting on the phone (then) talking about Strasburg’s career and no one is saying anything to me about Matt Harvey’s brilliance and dominance. Now the roles are reversed.” Boras suggests that former Tommy John patients experience trouble locating pitches.

Quick Hits: Strike Zone, Reds, Twins

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MLB’s competition committee has agreed to changes in the strike zone and the intentional walk that could go into effect next season, reports ESPN’s Jayson Stark. The changes would raise the strike zone slightly, from the bottom of the hitter’s knees to the top, thus creating a smaller zone for hitters and likely increasing offense. Also as a result of the proposed changes, a team could immediately issue an intentional walk without throwing the requisite four pitches. The changes must next be approved by MLB’s playing rules committee, which is led by Mets GM Sandy Alderson. Here are more quick notes from around the game.

  • GM Dick Williams says the Reds will be creative in addressing their beleaguered pitching staff, but they have limited resources with which to pursue solutions, Zach Buchanan of the Cincinnati Enquirer writes. The team now has six starting pitchers (Homer Bailey, Raisel Iglesias, Anthony DeSclafani, Michael Lorenzen, Jon Moscot and Tim Adleman) on the disabled list. “We will get creative. We always do. We find a way,” says Williams. “But this is putting an incredible strain on our resources.” They don’t seem likely to turn to top prospects like Robert Stephenson and Cody Reed, and Williams says there’s no “rainy day fund” with which to pursue outside replacements.
  • Twins GM Terry Ryan still supports manager Paul Molitor despite the team’s 10-31 start, Mike Berardino of the Pioneer Press writes. “I’m in this with (Molitor); we’re joined at the hip,” says Ryan. “No one’s pointing fingers around here. I’ve got to do a better job. The club has to do a better job. It starts with my chair. I’m aware of that. I take that as serious as anything because I’m the one that makes the decisions.” Molitor, of course, took the Twins managerial job last year and led the club to its first winning season since 2010. But this season, in which he’s presided over a club that’s last in the AL in both runs scored and runs allowed, has been a trying one.

NL Notes: Heyward, Upton, Rockies

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Cubs outfielder Jason Heyward will undergo an MRI this morning after leaving yesterday’s game following a diving catch, Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune notes. Heyward says his “lower rib bone and hip bone hit each other.” He adds that he isn’t experiencing any sharp pain and is relieved that there aren’t any broken bones, but it sounds like he could still wind up on the disabled list. If Heyward were to head to the DL, the Cubs could activate Matt Szczur, who’s currently on the DL with a hamstring injury. Here’s more from the National League.

  • Padres outfielder Melvin Upton Jr. appears to be getting his career back on track in San Diego, writes FOX Sports’ Flinder Boyd in a lengthy profile that chronicles the twists and turns Upton’s career has taken. After miserable seasons with the Braves in 2013 and 2014, Upton has quietly had modest success with the Padres, batting .257/.327/.429 last season and .266/.346/.441 this year. “I stopped trying to live up to other peoples’ expectations,” says Upton. “I’m just thankful for another opportunity.”
  • The Rockies have recalled pitchers Jordan Lyles and Miguel Castro from Triple-A Albuquerque and placed righty Christian Bergman on the 15-day DL with a strained oblique, as MLB.com’s Thomas Harding notes (Twitter links). They’ve also optioned righty Scott Oberg to Albuquerque. The moves give the Rockies’ bullpen somewhat of a new look. Lyles, who has struggled in both the big-league and Triple-A rotations this year, will take Bergman’s long relief role. Castro had briefly been optioned to Albuquerque after a stint on the DL for shoulder inflammation. The hard-throwing 21-year-old was previously off to a fast start with the Rockies, whiffing nine batters and allowing just one run and two walks in his first seven innings.

Draft Notes: Phillies, Reds, Puk, Pint

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With the 2016 MLB Draft approaching on June 9, here’s a quick roundup of links on how the first round might play out.

  • The Phillies will take Florida lefty A.J. Puk with the top overall pick, MLB.com’s Jim Callis projects. Callis also suggests California high school outfielder Mickey Moniak or Mercer outfielder Kyle Lewis could also be possibilities, with the team likely saving significantly against their draft pool regardless of who they select. If the Phillies do pick Puk, Callis suggests, the Reds could go with Tennessee third baseman Nick Senzel. (Puk, by the way, left early in his start against LSU yesterday, but as Ross Dellenger of the Advocate writes, that was due to a stomach illness, not an injury.)
  • ESPN’s Keith Law (Insider-only), meanwhile, predicts the Phillies will take Puk, with the Reds taking Lewis. Law also lists Louisville outfielder Corey Ray and California high school outfielder Blake Rutherford as possibilities with the top pick.
  • Baseball America lists Puk as its top talent on its list of the draft’s top 500 prospects, noting his mid- to high-90s fastball, which plays up due to his 6’7 frame. Coming in second is Kansas high school pitcher Riley Pint, suggesting in the accompanying subscriber-only scouting report that he’s a “much better version” of Marlins prospect and former second overall pick Tyler Kolek. Pint throws 97-98 MPH, can hit 102, and has a changeup, curve and slider that could all potentially be good pitches.

Week In Review: 5/14/16 – 5/20/16

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Here’s a look back at the past week at MLBTR.

Key Moves

Signed

Trades

Claims

Designated For Assignment

Outrighted

Opted Out

Released

Key Minor League Signings

Rangers Announce Plans For New Ballpark

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TODAY: Further details of the ballpark plans have emerged, with MLB.com’s T.R. Sullivan (all links to Twitter) and Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (Twitter link) were among those to report. The plans call for a $1B facility that would be ready for play by at least 2021, with a lease running through 2054. Team and city plan to split that fee equally, with an “extension” of a current tax used for the public funding. In terms of politics, city council approval will be sought on May 24th, with a public election on November 8th also needed to finalize the deal.

YESTERDAY: The Rangers and the City of Arlington are set to announce plans for a new ballpark, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News reports. According to the report, a retractable roof facility is expected to replace what’s currently known as Globe Life Park in Arlington before the lease on that stadium is set to expire after the 2023 campaign.

As Grant explains, the timing of the agreement is tied to efforts from other localities to woo the ballclub, with Dallas representing a particularly appealing possibility. Instead, Arlington will keep the organization by facilitating a new building ahead of the lease expiration, which was a perk that only that city could offer.

While Globe Life is among the dozen oldest stadiums in the majors, it’s only been around since 1994. It opened then to great fanfare, as it — along with what’s now known as Progressive Field, in Cleveland — joined Oriole Park at Camden Yards as retro-styled stadiums with modern amenities. The successes of those parks spurred a round of new construction that has shown little sign of abating.

With the move, the Rangers will join at least the Braves and Diamondbacks as teams in some stage of the ballpark procurement process. Atlanta is set to replace the even-younger Turner Field next year, while Arizona hopes to move out of Chase Field (which came on line in 1998) in the coming seasons. Other organizations, most notably the Rays and A’s, are still navigating complicated paths toward their own replacement parks, with the possibility of alternative locations still looming.

Financing and formal legal approval remain barriers, Grant notes, with an election likely necessary to move the project forward. The city has already approved a sizeable entertainment and hotel project next to Globe Life, which is expected to come on line in the coming years. It’s not apparent whether that undertaking will be impacted. Neither does it appear to be known whether there is an established location for the proposed new ballpark.

Playable weather isn’t hard to come by in Texas, but Grant explains that the retractable roof will allow the club to manage the blistering summer sun. That will, in theory, allow the organization to boost is attendance. Of course, new facilities also tend to allow teams to cash in through other avenues, though that often comes at the expense of taxpayers (as well as paying patrons).

While it’s far too soon to know what kind of impact this move may have on the Rangers’ bottom line, suffice to say that such plans usually redound to the team’s benefit. The Texas organization already runs out one of the league’s more robust payrolls, and it seems reasonable to expect that these plans will aid the club as it competes for top-level talent with other big-market organizations.

 

Reds Outright Drew Hayes

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11:32pm: Hayes has already cleared outright waivers and been assigned to Triple-A, MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon tweets.

2:35pm: The Reds have designated right-hander Drew Hayes for assignment, MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon tweets. His roster spot will go to outfielder Steve Selsky.

Hayes, 28, has struggled in his first taste of the majors this year. Over 9 2/3 innings, he’s allowed nine earned runs on 15 hits, including three long balls. Hayes has struck out eight while issuing six walks in that small sample. He did turn in a nice season last year, tossing 58 innings of 2.95 ERA ball at the Triple-A level with 8.7 K/9 against 4.7 BB/9.

As for Selsky, 26, this represents his first crack at the big leagues. He was carrying a .275/.380/.383 slash line in 142 plate appearances for Triple-A Louisville. Though he did show greater pop in the lower levels of the minors, Selsky seems to have settled in as more of an on-base threat than a source of power as he’s moved up the ranks.

AL Notes: Lincecum, Sale, Choo, Smith, Ortiz

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New Angels righty Tim Lincecum has consented to an optional assignment as part of the arrangement, GM Billy Eppler tells reporters including Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times (Twitter links). That’s obviously designed to give him a chance to ramp back up, but also means that the team won’t face the time pressures inherent in a rehab stint (thirty days, for pitchers). The Halos are playing a man down tonight since Lincecum technically needs to clear revocable option waivers before the move can be made, the Times’ Pedro Moura notes on Twitter. Regardless of the logistics, Eppler says that he expects that Lincecum will be ready for the bigs within twenty to thirty days. Lincecum also addressed his decision to sign with the Angels, noting that he had multiple MLB offers, as MLB.com’s Fabian Ardaya tweets.

Here’s more from the American League:

  • White Sox ace Chris Sale is exhibiting diminished velocity and a lower strikeout rate, and he’s even better than ever, Ben Reiter of Sports Illustrated writes. Certain ERA estimators are just a bit down on his efforts — at least against his amazing career figures — and none think he’s quite supported his sparkling 1.58 ERA, but Reiter explains that the master of “stuff” has learned how to think on the hill. Sale cites the desire to be more efficient and to save his highest gear for when he truly needs it. He also suggested that taking something off at times allows him to “get more movement” and keep the ball down. Sox pitching coach Don Cooper suggests that it’s something of an evolutionary transformation. “It’s a characteristic of the top, top guys,” Cooper explains. “They’ve got stuff in their tank when they need it, but they’re managing the game, handling the game, knowing when to add, when to subtract. I do believe this is pitching at the highest level.” The piece is well worth a full read.
  • Midway through his first game off the DL, Rangers outfielder Shin-Soo Choo departed with a tight left hamstring, as Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News tweets. Choo had been sidelined by a right calf injury, so at least it’s not a re-aggravation of the prior issue, but that’s certainly disappointing news for the veteran. Texas still has plenty of options in the corner outfield, of course, and the severity of the injury remains to be seen.
  • The signals on Red Sox reliever Carson Smith are somewhat mixed as he hits the 15-day DL. On the one hand, skipper John Farrell says that all indications he’s been given suggest that surgery would be a surprise, as Jason Mastrodonato of the Boston Herald reports (Twitter links). On the other, he’s already had an MRI and the results are being reviewed, with Smith set to visit noted elbow surgeon David Altcheck on Monday, per MLB.com’s Ian Brown (via Twitter).
  • Lest there be any confusion, Red Sox slugger David Ortiz tells Rob Bradford of WEEI.com that he’s entertaining no thoughts of staying around past the present season, in spite of recent comments that seemed to leave the door cracked a bit. “Listen, the thing is that people need to understand, in my mind I’m 100 percent sure I’m going to retire,” he said. “There are so many reasons for me that I want to retire. That is what is my mind right now. I don’t want people to get the wrong idea.”

Minor MLB Transactions: 5/20/16

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Here are the day’s minor moves from around the league…

  • Southpaw Phil Coke has been outrighted by the Yankees after he was designated for assignment on Tuesday, Chad Jennings of the LoHud Yankees Blog tweets. Coke wasn’t effective in his six innings over three appearances on the year, though he did show that he’s still capable of delivering his fastball at around 93 mph. The veteran bounced around last year after a five-year run with the Tigers ended followiing the 2014 season. He’ll accept the assignment, Chris Cotillo of SB Nation tweets.
  • The Indians released righty Felipe Paulino so that he can pursue an opportunity in Japan, the club announced. A six-year MLB veteran who last appeared in the majors in 2014 with the White Sox, Paulino had converted to full-time relief work with Cleveland. Over his 13 frames, he allowed just four earned runs and five hits, though his 10:5 K/BB ratio was somewhat less promising.
  • The Angels have acquired infielder Ryan Jackson from the Phillies in exchange for cash considerations, the Phillies announced. Bill Shaikin of the L.A. Times tweets that Jackson will be assigned to Triple-A Salt Lake. Jackson, 28, returns to the Angels organization after pending the majority of the 2015 season playing for their Triple-A affiliate (he also went hitless in 14 plate appearances for their big league club last season). Jackson split last season between the Royals and Angels organizations and hit a combined .294/.372/.374 in 362 plate appearances. He’ll give the Halos some depth at shortstop with both Andrelton Simmons and Cliff Pennington on the disabled list — a pair of injuries that has forced the club to acquire Brendan Ryan from the Nationals and bring Gregorio Petit up from Salt Lake. Jackson was not on the 40-man roster, so no corresponding move is necessary for the Halos.

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