Lower-body injuries have kept the Indians’ starting middle infield – shortstop Francisco Lindor (high left ankle sprain) and second baseman Jason Kipnis (right calf strain) – from taking the field this season. The latter is making progress in his Triple-A rehab assignment, though there’s still no timetable for his return, Mandy Bell of MLB.com writes. Lindor, who’s out until at least late April, is only doing light workouts at the moment, but “he’s getting better every day,” manager Terry Francona said. The Indians will reevaluate Lindor during the upcoming week, Bell reports. The absences of Lindor and Kipnis have forced the Tribe to deploy Eric Stamets, Brad Miller and Max Moroff as their main middle infielders. Unfortunately for Cleveland, those three have produced abysmal results, having combined for a paltry four hits (three singles and a double) in 57 plate appearances.
- Barring any setbacks in his Triple-A rehab stint, reliever Jeremy Jeffress will rejoin the Brewers next weekend, according to manager Craig Counsell (via Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel). The return of Jeffress, who hasn’t debuted this year on account of right shoulder weakness, will be a welcome one for a Milwaukee team that lost fellow late-game option Corey Knebel to season-ending Tommy John surgery last week. The reigning National League Central champions have nevertheless rolled to a 7-2 start, though their bullpen has lacked a complement to the untouchable Josh Hader. Jeffress filled that role with aplomb in 2018, during which he notched a near-spotless 1.29 ERA with 10.45 K/9, 3.17 BB/9 and a 56.4 percent groundball rate in 76 2/3 innings.
- Yankees third baseman Miguel Andujar expressed optimism earlier this week that he wouldn’t need to undergo season-ending surgery on his right shoulder. Manager Aaron Boone was similarly enthusiastic Saturday, George A. King III of the New York Post relays. While Boone acknowledged that surgery remains an option, he left open the possibility that this injury won’t lead to a long-term absence and added, “We are optimistic just because of the strength he is showing in all his testing.’’ Andujar’s still not swinging a bat, but whether he returns will depend more on how well he throws when he’s cleared to do so, per Boone. Without Andujar and shortstop Troy Tulowitzki, the injury-stricken Yankees have turned to veteran second baseman DJ LeMahieu to man third and Tyler Wade to handle the keystone. LeMahieu has thrived in the early portion of a two-year, $24MM contract, whereas Wade has been in over his head thus far in 2019.
- Left-hander CC Sabathia, yet another Yankee on the injured list, could rejoin the team’s rotation next weekend, Boone said (also via King). In the meantime, the 38-year-old Sabathia – who’s working back from offseason heart surgery – will throw 60 to 70 pitches in a low-level minor league game Monday. Sabathia will bump either Domingo German or Jonathan Loaisiga from the Yankees’ starting five. Both right-handers did well in their initial starts of the season, but neither went past the five-inning mark.
Sabathia because of injury/age, and certainly Gardner because of performance were mistakes to bring back. There were many options for LF that would be cheaper than than what they spent on those two..Brantley for one. There was pitching also that was a better option than Sabathia. What Cashman has assembled is a house of cards.
Brantley was the right guy to bring in over Gardy
I do agree
But Brantley cannot play cf and with Hicks always hurt we would be in a bind right now at center
Wade? Frazier? Who is in center?
Great point on Hicks always being hurt, but they could’ve signed Billy Hamilton for the bench. God I can’t believe they extended Hicks…
Meh they didn’t break the bank too much on him. 10 million a year can be a bargain for Hicks and even if he never breaks the injury spell, they can afford to have that much dead money.
They could have signed a guy for the bench when another team was offering him a starting role? Ok.
They already have plenty of dead money JD. I kinda think that’s their point.
How many teams were offering Billy Hamilton a starting role..I’ll wait.
The royals clearly lmao
The Royals didn’t sign Hamilton to be their starting CF they just took a flyer on him. How about doing some research before being juvenile.
Adam Jones went ultra cheap on a 1 year deal.
Yeah, shame on him for limiting his options and overplaying his value…
Jesus Christ reel it in man. This team is still filthy and will be fine. Worrying about the oldest guys in tenure and age is the wrong hill to die on.
This team will go as far as their pitching and defense like last year. I’m not satisfied with a third consecutive one game do or die, if they even make it. Oakland and Tampa can for sure take the WC spots, and don’t sleep on the Twins.
They need to play Ellsbury. He’s a 2 time World Series champion.
Clint Frazier and Domingo German!! Time to move on from gardy and cc!!
Bringing them back is a nostalgia tour.
Stamets finally got his first hit yesterday, a double off the wall. Hopefully this will carry over. But his defense at SS is excellent.
Moroff can’t be gone soon enough. Miller? Meh.
they all can’t be gone soon enough for me. you had to know a 4 for 57 was gonna be the case with these guys. what a joke.
Shouldn’t have traded Erik Gonzalez in the first place.
Luplow may be ok down the road, Moroff probably not, but a chance to see what these two could do was worth giving up a utility IF.
luplow is useless too
He should be the starter now. At least he’s put up good minors in the minors.
Gonzalez killing it in pit. 3 for 22.
And he had nowhere to go in Cleveland as he wasn’t going to start. To find out if Luplow could be a decent OF was worth the risk IMO.
Needed OF much more than utility IF. Even if it’s Luplow.
I never heard of any of those dudes? Are they in the majors? Is your team in the majors?
If you’re team is Cleveland you heard of them, if it isn’t there’s no need to the respond from the peanut gallery.
Not sure if CC should be bumping anyone out of the rotation.
If he pitches like last year, he definitely should
Let’s please be serious as Yankees fans, they should never have brought him back. I get so tired of people acting like he was gonna bolster a weak rotation.
How do you figure?
As a #5, and the rate hes getting paid, and after how he pitched last season, they absolutely should’ve brought him back. I just hope that if he starts to falter, the teams not afraid to bump him to the pen. I still think they should get Keuchel
Stop your none sense cereal. Look at the stats and then drop your well documented gripes about CC. For a back of the rotation starter he is one of the best in the league.
Period.
End of discussion.
How many #5’s can a team have?
*nonsense*
Yankees banged up, Red Sox off to a slow start and the Rays are cruising right now without hitting very well. Chirinos has been slightly better than he probably is, most of the pen still hasn’t allowed a run. Have Kolarak get more appearances or batters per appearance. Alvarado looking great! They surprised me with the extension to Lowe, trade of Bauer’s, and releasing Cron (Not totally, but a little. Expected a trade to Colorado) and the return on Archer surprised me. They should have traded for Cole ourselves. Maybe not on power but everything else we could have matched and beat without touching the depth of the organization. Rays should provide a couple middle infield starters/utility players (Wendle, Robertson) plus a reliever while they try to pick high in the draft while being ready for next year.