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Archives for June 2019

Chi Chi Gonzalez To Start For Rockies On Tuesday

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Right-hander Chi Chi Gonzalez will start the Rockies’ game against the Giants on Tuesday, per Kyle Newman of the Denver Post. The Rockies will need to add Gonzalez to their 40-man roster, which does have an opening at the moment.

Gonzalez’s start will represent his first major league action since his 2015-16 run with the Rangers. Once a quality prospect, Gonzalez has pitched to a 4.54 ERA/5.06 FIP with unattractive strikeout and walk rates (4.31 K/9, 4.77 BB/9) in 77 1/3 major league innings. He underwent Tommy John surgery in July 2017, and has worked solely in the minors since returning last year.

A Ranger through last season, Gonzalez joined the Rockies on a minor league contract over the winter. The 27-year-old has since managed a below-average 5.66 ERA/5.79 FIP in 14 starts and 76 1/3 innings with the Rockies’ Triple-A club. Gonzalez has pitched in a tough environment in Albuquerque of the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League, though, and has put up 8.14 K/9, 3.89 BB/9 and a 53.1 percent groundball rate.

Gonzalez’s promotion will come with the playoff-contending Rockies in need of answers in their starting rotation. The club boasted one of the majors’ best staffs last year, but 2018 Cy Young contender Kyle Freeland (now in the minors) and Tyler Anderson (possibly out for the season with a knee injury) have dropped off a cliff since then. German Marquez is amid another fine season, while Jon Gray has also fared well, though Antonio Senzatela, Jeff Hoffman and the recently promoted Peter Lambert have had difficulty preventing runs. The Rockies optioned Hoffman on Sunday, creating an opportunity for Gonzalez.

Luke Weaver Making Progress

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Arm problems have kept Diamondbacks starter Luke Weaver out of action for almost a month, but the right-hander’s seemingly moving toward a return. A follow-up MRI on Weaver “showed improvement,” Steve Gilbert of MLB.com tweets. It’s still unclear when he’ll begin a throwing program, per Gilbert, though manager Torey Lovullo called Weaver’s progress “a very good sign.”

An injury to Weaver’s right ulnar collateral ligament and flexor pronator could have sent him to the operating table at the end of May, but a group of doctors agreed he could try to rehab without surgery. So far, so good for Weaver and the Diamondbacks, who can ill afford to see the 25-year-old go under the knife. The club’s starting staff has already been without the injured Taijuan Walker, who underwent Tommy John surgery in April 2018 and has more recently battled shoulder problems. Plus, in addition to Weaver and Walker, the team put fellow promising righty Jon Duplantier on the injured list June 12 with shoulder inflammation.

The absences of Weaver, Walker and Duplantier have left sizable holes in Arizona’s rotation after Zack Greinke, Robbie Ray and Merrill Kelly, helping to explain its recent slide down the standings. Having received unappealing results from Zack Godley and Taylor Clarke, the Diamondbacks are an unimpressive 39-40. However, they’re still just two games behind the Cardinals for the NL’s second wild-card spot.

Should the D-backs continue to hang around the playoff picture, a healthy Weaver could serve as an important in-season reinforcement. Acquired from the Cardinals last winter in a package for first baseman Paul Goldschmidt, Weaver has pitched to an outstanding 3.03 ERA/3.07 FIP with 9.82 K/9 and 2.02 BB/9 in 62 1/3 innings this season in his first action in the desert.

Nationals To Select Fernando Rodney On Tuesday

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The Nationals will add right-handed reliever Fernando Rodney to their roster before Tuesday’s game against the Marlins, Jesse Dougherty of the Washington Post reports. Rodney’s not on the Nationals’ 40-man roster, though they do have an opening after releasing fellow reliever Trevor Rosenthal on Sunday.

Rodney’s addition will be Washington’s latest attempt to repair what has been a horrible bullpen in 2019. The Rosenthal signing didn’t work, leading the team to jettison him, nor has picking up Kyle Barraclough over the winter. Barraclough has been on the IL since June 16 with a forearm issue.

Including Rosenthal and Barraclough, the Nationals have shuffled threw 17 relievers this year. The group has combined for an unsightly 6.29 ERA, which helps explain the Nationals’ 37-40 record. It’s anyone’s guess whether Rodney will be able to help the team’s cause, though there’s little risk in trying from its perspective. Washington brought in the 42-year-old on a minor league contract three weeks ago. He then allowed five runs (four earned) with 11 strikeouts and nine walks in eight innings with the Nationals’ Triple-A affiliate in Fresno.

Rodney has been a solid major league reliever for most of his career, though the journeyman began so poorly this season that the low-budget Athletics paid him to go away. Oakland had to pay $3.53MM to part with Rodney, who logged a 9.42 ERA/5.55 FIP with 8.79 K/9 and 7.53 BB/9 in 14 1/3 innings. Rodney’s just a year removed from recording a 3.36 ERA/4.03 FIP with 9.79 K/9, 4.48 BB/9 and a 44.4 percent groundball rate in 64 1/3 frames, though. The Nationals, who haven’t found capable bridges to closer Sean Doolittle this year, would sign up for that type of production.

Orioles Sign Adley Rutschman

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5:04pm: Rutschman’s deal is official, Rich Dubroff of BaltimoreBaseball.com tweets. He signed for under slot at $8.1MM, according to Callis, who notes it surpasses the record $8MM the Pirates gave No. 1 overall pick Gerrit Cole in 2011.

9:27am: The Orioles are close to a deal with No. 1 overall draft pick Adley Rutschman, reports Jon Heyman of MLB Network (via Twitter). The former Oregon State catcher’s No. 1 overall slot carries a value of $8.42MM. Rutschman isn’t the only top O’s pick on whom there’s news today, however; MLB.com’s Jim Callis reports (also via Twitter) that the team’s second-rounder, Gunnar Henderson, has agreed to a deal worth $2.3MM. A high school shortstop out of Alabama, Henderson will receive a bonus that is well north of his No. 42 selection’s $1.771MM slot value.

Rutschman, 21, entered the draft as the consensus top talent on the board. The switch-hitter posted a ludicrous .411/.575/.751 batting line with 17 home runs, 10 doubles and a triple through 266 plate appearances in his junior season with the Beavers. Rutschman’s eye-popping batting average and considerable power numbers almost overshadow his plate discipline at first glance, but his 76-to-38 BB/K ratio is every bit as impressive as the rest of his numbers — if not more so.

Baseball America, MLB.com, Fangraphs and ESPN all ranked Rutschman as the top player in the 2019 draft. ESPN’s Keith Law noted that Rutschman’s defense and plus power give him a high floor with the ceiling of a repeated All-Star, while BA’s report touts him as a potential .300 hitter with plus defensive tools and “excellent” makeup and leadership abilities. Rutschman was the only player in the draft that Kiley McDaniel and Eric Longenhagen tabbed as a 60 FV (future value) player on the 20-80 scouting scale. Over at MLB.com, Callis and colleague Jonathan Mayo note that while some players who enter a season as a projected top talent struggle with that pressure and spotlight, Rutschman thrived and elevated his game en route to further cementing himself as this year’s best draft prospect.

Broadly speaking, Rutschman is regarded as a plus defender with power from both sides of the dish, strong plate discipline and a strong enough hit tool to post high batting averages as well. If all of that pans out, Rutschman has the makings of a franchise catcher for the new-look Baltimore front office.

Henderson, meanwhile, has yet to turn 18. Scouting reports were reflective of a split camp as to whether he can remain at shortstop or will need to move to third base down the road. MLB.com (No. 27) and Baseball America (No. 30) pegged him as a late-first-round talent, while ESPN (No. 40) and Fangraphs (No. 41) had him a bit lower. Henderson was Gatorade high school player of the year in Alabama and draws praise for his above-average power and the potential for an above-average hit tool. Henderson is young for his graduating class and still filling out his 6’3″ frame, leading to varying projections about his power potential and eventual defensive home. Even reports who project him to move to third base, though, suggest that he has the tools to be a quality defender there.

MLB Issues Three-Game Suspension To Asdrubal Cabrera

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JUNE 24: The league has reduced Cabrera’s suspension to three games, Grant tweets. Cabrera will sit out the Rangers’ series against the Tigers from June 25-27.

JUNE 21: Major League Baseball has issued a four-game suspension to Rangers third baseman Asdrubal Cabrera, according to Jon Heyman of MLB Network. Cabrera will appeal the ban, TR Sullivan of MLB.com tweets.

Cabrera received the suspension for throwing equipment on the field at umpire Bill Miller on Thursday, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News reports. One piece of equipment “apparently” struck Miller in the ankle, per Grant. Cabrera’s outburst came amid an ejection for arguing balls and strikes.

The 33-year-old Cabrera’s in his first season with the Rangers, who signed him to a $3.5MM deal over the winter to succeed Adrian Beltre as their primary third baseman. The switch-hitting Cabrera has since batted an underwhelming .242/.322/.428 (92 wRC+) with 11 home runs in 267 plate appearances.

Gabe Kapler Gets Vote Of Confidence

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It hasn’t been a banner year for the Phillies, who’ve fallen short of expectations after an action-packed winter, but they’re not going to assign blame to manager Gabe Kapler. He’s not in danger of losing his job this season, general manager Matt Klentak told Matt Breen of the Philadelpia Inquirer and other reporters Monday.

A longtime major league outfielder, the 43-year-old Kapler’s in his second season atop the Phillies’ dugout. They brought in the analytically minded Kapler after a three-year run as the Dodgers’ director of player development. Kapler got off to a rocky start at the outset of his tenure as a big league manager in 2018, though his club rallied in the summer to hold a first-place spot in the National League East from July 6 through Aug. 12. The Phillies sat at 65-52 with a month and a half left in the season, but they collapsed from there to finish 80-82.

While last year didn’t end to the Phillies’ liking, there was no way they were going to move on from Kapler, who was in charge for the team’s best record since 2012. Instead, Klentak & Co. focused during the offseason on giving Kapler more pieces. The Phillies aggressively acquired the likes of Bryce Harper, J.T. Realmuto, Jean Segura, Andrew McCutchen and David Robertson in free agency and trades. Aside from McCutchen, who suffered a season-ending torn left ACL three weeks ago, no one in that group has been as effective as they were a year ago.

Thanks in part to somewhat underwhelming production from their high-profile newcomers, not to mention shaky pitching, the Phillies are just 39-38. While the Phillies are 6 1/2 games back of the reigning NL East-winning Braves, they’re a mere one out of a wild-card spot. That gives the Kapler-led team a realistic chance to rally for a playoff spot even though it has lost six straight – including sweeps at the hands of sub-.500 division rivals Washington and Miami – and 16 of 22 overall.

Jordan Hicks, Alex Reyes Undergoing Medical Evaluations

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Cardinals closer Jordan Hicks and oft-injured prospect Alex Reyes are both undergoing tests today to determine the severity of a pair of potential injuries, per Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Hicks is having an MRI after being slowed by triceps tightness in recent days and could potentially land on the injured list. Reyes, meanwhile, exited yesterday’s Triple-A outing due to right pectoral discomfort and is being reevaluated today.

Were Hicks to require a stint on the injured list, the Cardinals could turn to either Andrew Miller or John Gant for ninth-inning work in his absence. Miller struggled terribly through his first 13 games this year but has rebounded with a 2.70 ERA and, more importantly, a 25-to-4 K/BB ratio over his past 16 2/3 innings. That sterling ratio comes after the lefty issued eight walks and hit three batters in his first 9 1/3 innings of action as a Cardinal. Gant, meanwhile, boasts a 2.40 ERA with 8.1 K/9, 2.6 BB/9, 0.65 HR/9 and a 47.1 percent grounder rate in 41 1/3 innings of relief.

That’s not to say that the loss of Hicks wouldn’t sting, of course. The 22-year-old has improved in every meaningful category in 2019. At present, he has a 3.14 ERA with 9.7 K/9, 3.5 BB/9 and a superlative 67.2 percent ground-ball rate. He’s upped his swinging-strike rate and opponents’ chase rates from 9.4 percent and 26.1 percent to 11.9 percent and 29.5 percent, respectively. Even Hicks’ otherworldly heater has taken a step forward in 2019; after averaging a blazing 100.5 mph on the pitch in 2018, he’s upped his average fastball velocity to 101.2 mph this year.

The news on Reyes, 24, is more concerning not necessarily because of the specific nature of his injury but because the vaunted right-hander has an already lengthy injury history that has led to concerns about his ability to remain on the field. Reyes has thrown  just 64 1/3 innings from 2017-19 combined and has never reached 120 innings in a single season. He’s previously undergone Tommy John surgery as well as surgery to repair a tendon in his lat muscle last season.

The Cardinals’ pitching staff has received a boost in recent weeks. Carlos Martinez returned to bolster the bullpen and has turned in 15 innings of 3.00 ERA ball. Michael Wacha tossed two quality starts (albeit against one clunker) upon rejoining the rotation following a bullpen sojourn. Miller’s resurgence, too, has been a vital development. The club looks better equipped to handle absences for Hicks and/or Reyes with that trio looking mostly sharp, but a significant absence for either pitcher could of course impact the manner in which the Cards operate in the weeks leading up to next month’s trade deadline.

St. Louis currently looks like a buyer, as the Cards are in a tie for an NL Wild Card spot and just two games behind the division-leading Cubs. That stance isn’t likely to change, but their area of focus and level of urgency to make a deal will undoubtedly be impacted by health throughout the roster.

Phillies Select Fernando Salas

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The Phillies announced Monday that they’ve selected the contract of veteran reliever Fernando Salas. Outfielder Andrew McCutchen was moved to the 60-day injured list to open a spot on the 40-man roster, while fellow righty Enyel De Los Santos was optioned to Triple-A Lehigh Valley to clear a spot on the active roster.

Salas, 34, opened the season pitching in the Mexican League but signed a minor league contract with the Phillies a couple of weeks ago. Salas notched a terrific 30-to-4 K/BB ratio while pitching in Mexico and has been sharp for the Phils’ Triple-A club since signing. In 6 2/3 frames with Lehigh Valley, he’s allowed one earned run on six hits and two walks with five strikeouts.

Last season, Salas spent the bulk of the year with the Diamondbacks, logging a 4.50 ERA with 6.8 K/9 against 2.9 BB/9 in 40 innings of relief. He’s a veteran of nine big league seasons and has thrown at least 30 2/3 frames at the MLB level every year dating back to his 2010 debut with the Cardinals. In 487 innings as a Major Leaguer, Salas owns a 3.90 ERA with averages of 8.7 strikeouts, 2.8 walks and 1.03 homers allowed per nine innings pitched. He’s tallied 30 saves in his career to along with 76 holds.

The Phillies have the equivalent of a full MLB bullpen on the injured list, but the team announced some encouraging news with regard to its bevy of injured relievers today. Per Scott Lauber of Philly.com (Twitter link), right-hander Tommy Hunter will throw 20-25 pitches in a rehab appearance at Double-A tomorrow, while David Robertson is playing catch today and could throw a bullpen session Wednesday.

White Sox Designate Odrisamer Despaigne, Activate Jon Jay

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The White Sox announced Monday that they’ve activated outfielder Jon Jay from the 60-day injured list for his season debut and designated right-hander Odrisamer Despaigne for assignment in order to open a roster spot.

Jay, 34, was signed to a one-year deal worth $4MM in the offseason — perhaps in part as an unsuccessful enticement to close friend Manny Machado, whom the Sox recruited heavily — but has yet to play in 2019 due to a hip injury. Jay hit .358/.382/.396 in 13 games with Triple-A Charlotte while rehabbing and batted a combined .268/.330/.347 through 586 combined plate appearances with the Royals and D-backs in 2018.

The veteran Jay is capable of manning all three outfield spots, and while he’s lacking in power, he has a knack for putting the ball in play at a high rate (career 16.5 percent strikeout rate). A lifetime .285/.352/.378 hitter, he’ll join an outfield mix that currently contains Eloy Jimenez, Leury Garcia, Charlie Tilson and Ryan Cordell.

Despaigne, 32, was tattooed for 14 runs on 24 hits and seven walks with seven strikeouts in 13 1/3 innings for the South Siders. The Cuban-born righty has appeared in the big leagues in each of the past six seasons but hasn’t found success outside of his 2014 rookie season in San Diego and a solid run with the Marlins in 2017. Overall, he has a career 5.11 ERA with 224 strikeouts against 130 walks in 363 MLB innings.

Marlins Return Riley Ferrell To Astros

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11:02am: MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart tweets that the Astros have assigned Ferrell to Double-A Corpus Christi.

10:37am: Right-hander Riley Ferrell has cleared outright waivers and been returned to the Astros, tweets Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle. Ferrell, whom the Marlins selected out of the Houston organization in last December’s Rule 5 Draft, was placed on waivers by Miami late last week. He is not required to be placed on the 40-man roster now that he’s back with his original organization.

Ferrell, 25, pitched reasonably well for the Marlins in Spring Training, yielding a pair of runs on five hits and five walks with 10 strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings. While the walks were obviously unwelcome, Ferrell did look to have a chance to crack the big league roster. Instead, a case of biceps tendinitis landed him on the injured list and has prevented him from pitching in the Majors at all in 2019.

Ferrell did start a rehab assignment in mid May but had that assignment halted after just four appearances. He rebooted his rehab efforts on June 12 and tossed 4 2/3 shutout innings (no hits, one walk, two strikeouts) before the Marlins cut bait. Ferrell averaged nearly 12 punchouts per nine innings in a combined 51 1/3 frames with the Astros’ Double-A and Triple-A affiliates in 2018 but also logged an ugly 5.9 BB/9 mark in the process. Through a total of 10 1/3 rehab innings in 2019, he issued six walks and hit a batter.

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