The Rangers activated center fielder Delino DeShields from the DL prior to their game Sunday and sent fellow center fielder Carlos Tocci to the DL with a bruised left hip. This represents a quick return for DeShields, who suffered a broken left hamate bone March 31 and was expected to miss four to six weeks. Neither Tocci, a Rule 5 pick, nor Drew Robinson effectively grabbed the reins in center during DeShields’ absence. Rangers center fielders have hit a league-worst .148/.242/.193 in 100 trips to the plate, 92 of which have come from Robinson and Tocci.
- The Royals have promoted right-hander Clay Buchholz from Double-A to Triple-A, per Tony Boone of the Omaha World-Herald. Buchholz will make a rehab start Sunday, his second of the year, and could debut with the Royals as early as next Saturday, Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com suggests (Twitter link). The 33-year-old Buchholz, who missed nearly all of last season with the Phillies after undergoing surgery to repair a flexor tear in his right forearm, joined the Royals last month on a minor league contract. That deal includes a May 1 opt-out, perhaps making it all the more likely the Royals will promote him – especially considering how poorly fifth starter Eric Skoglund has fared in the early going.
- Meanwhile, injured Royals cornerstones Salvador Perez and Alex Gordon are “very close” to returning, manager Ned Yost told Rustin Dodd of The Athletic and other reporters on Sunday. Yost added that both players could come back from their rehab assignments during Kansas City’s next series, which begins Tuesday. Perez suffered a Grade 2 MCL tear in his left knee on March 28, while Gordon has been out since April 10 with a labral tear in his left hip. Gordon got off to a woeful start (.174/.208/.217 in 24 PAs), as has his team, which entered Sunday with the worst record in the AL (4-15).
- The Mariners reinstated righty Erasmo Ramirez from the DL on Sunday and somewhat surprisingly optioned outfielder Guillermo Heredia to Triple-A. In doing so, they bought more time for franchise icon and fellow outfielder Ichiro Suzuki, whom Heredia has easily outplayed thus far. Ichiro, the game’s oldest position player at 44, has opened with an unusual .212/.212/.212 line in 33 trips to the plate. The 27-year-old Heredia, on the other hand, has slashed .310/.417/.552 with a pair of homers in 37 PAs. Ramirez, who had been down with a lat strain since spring training, slotted back into Seattle’s rotation Sunday.
- Orioles designated hitter Mark Trumbo hasn’t played this season because of a quad strain he suffered in mid-March. Trumbo previously opened a rehab assignment earlier this month, only to halt it after feeling discomfort. He’ll take another crack at it beginning Monday, Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com was among those to report. The plan is for Trumbo to play three games apiece at the Double-A and Triple-A levels, per manager Buck Showalter.
They say they kept ichiro because of 6 upcoming RHP, but that just means he’ll get released in a week or so. The guy is a legend but cmon heredia is obviously the better player at this point.
*7 RHSP’s, and Gamel has been shaky defensively, so they probably see Ichiro as better immediate insurance, given Hereida’s inability to hit RHP.
I see this as a positive for Heredia, as he’ll be able to get PA’s against RHP in Tacoma and he’ll likely be back up before the break.
I understand Ichiro is a Seattle icon and sure first ballot Hall of Famer, but if you’re trying to win games and stay in the hunt, keeping him on the roster instead of Heredia isn’t the best move. We all love nostalgia, but winning has to take priority.
Had they looked into his numbers of the last 3 seasons at all they should have been able to recognize his skills at the plate are gone at this point; he’s completely reliant on BABip fluctuations if he is to be able to hit for positive results. That he was going on 45 limited that possibility greatly and inserted the strong chance he would even fall off the cliff entirely (as it looks like he may have done)
The Mariners ignored that and chose nostalgia over production when they initially signed him. Because of that, I’m not sure why we would be surprised they’re doing the same now
So of course Ichiro has gone 2-2 with 2 walks so far today.
One would hope the Mariners are not dumb enough to take that as some kind of a sign of positive production on the horizon, or use it as justification for their bad choices
But since production seemingly isn’t their desire in the first place…
If it makes you feel any better, Ichiro has almost as many hits as the Rangers CF’s do this season. However, Ichiro has about 70 less plate appearances.
Signing Ichiro had nothing to do with nostalgia. We’ve been over this. It had everything to do with what he did in 2016 and the second half of 2017–and he was seen as a stopgap. That still holds true.
Dipoto had hired a mariachi band to play for Lenoys Martin’s birthday in spring of 2017, then DFA’d him roughly a month later. Players that don’t offer anything don’t last long if there’s an alternative.
Yeah. And as I told you then, no team has such a strong and insistent lack of understanding of stats, rates, ability numbers, etc as that – hence the near forced retirement during the offseason (until injury opened up the nostalgia/jersey-sales opportunity for the M’s) and new expected forced retirement come May 1st
11-14 – .275/.308/.353, .302 BAbip
15-17 – .256/.315/.325, .290 BAbip
2017 – .255/.318/.332, 295 BAbip
ZiPS – .255/.311/.342, .295 BAbip
2018 – .250/.289/.250, .290 BAbip
Allowing for some further deteriation based off age, you have about the most easily predicted outcome of the decade
“Ichiro, the game’s oldest position player at 44, has opened with an unusual .212/.212/.212 line in 33 trips to the plate.”
After going 2-for-3, Ichiro’s unusual .212 BA is now .250 BA; .212 OBP went up to .289.
1 game is all it took, and now he has 36AB, 38 PA . He went 2-for-3, with 2 walks.
Why can’t Gordon hit anymore?
Alex Gordon is a cornerstone for the royals? I’d rather have gore out there everyday
Gordon owns the richest contract in franchise history and is one of the best Royals of all-time, so yes. He doesn’t seem to be very good anymore, but that doesn’t cancel out his past accomplishments.
No, no, no. You have George Brett, Frank White, Bret Saberhagen, Mike Sweeney, Hal McRae, Willie Wilson, Dan Quisenberry, Steve Balboni and so many other that rank ahead of Gordon. He is truly a draft pick that can be considered a bust.
I think its far fetched to call anyone who has won a handful of golden gloves, a platinum glove, a multiple-time all-star, and other awards any sort of bust.
Alex Gordon has achieved far more than the majority of high draft picks do. No way is he is a bust.
Looks like your comment is the only bust on here
Gordon is to KC as Hunter Pence is to SF (as well as Sandoval in a slightly different vein). Everyone appreciates a player’s past accomplishments, but recent stats reveal the players are shells of their former selves and only starting because of their contracts.
How about what Hunter Pence was to Philly prior to heading west?
Nevermind – I misread and cant delete on mobile
Crazy to see that it is Alex Gordon’s 12th season this year. Man I feel old.
I wonder if the Mariners do release Ichiro, they do an A-Rod/Yankees esque goodbye where they announce the plans a week earlier and give the fans time to come and say good by all leading up to an Ichiro night
I doubt that very much. Alex had been a Yankee for 12 years and this is Ichiro’s second go round. I just don’t see it. The Yankees had also been sellers at the deadline before they gave Alex his goodbye. They were not looking to make the playoffs, which Seattle still is. I will guarantee you there is no Ichiro goodbye tour. Just watch.
There has to be some kind of plan in place. It may not be fancy, but surely this was something discussed at the time of the signing.
Does Baltimore still have a team in MLB?