The playoff-contending Brewers received terrible news Tuesday when their best player, all-world outfielder Christian Yelich, suffered a season-ending broken kneecap. Fortunately for the club, though, one of its other top players is on the way back from the injured list. Second baseman Keston Hiura, out since Aug. 31 with a left hamstring strain, could get “some at-bats maybe over the weekend and more game action and field action on the home stand, is what it’s looking like,” according to manager Craig Counsell (via Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel). The Brewers, who are now tied with division-rival Chicago for the Nl’s second wild-card spot, will open up a seven-game home stand next Monday. They’re in contention thanks in part to the rookie Hiura, who has slashed .301/.369/.571 with 16 home runs and nine stolen bases in his first 295 plate appearances in the majors.
- More unwelcome news for the Cubs, who are in real danger of missing the postseason: They won’t get closer Craig Kimbrel back from the injured list for “at least” another week, Scott Miller of Bleacher Report tweets. The club has been without Kimbrel since Sept. 1 because of right elbow inflammation. Meanwhile, the Cubs will evaluate shortstop Addison Russell when they return home Friday, Jesse Rogers of ESPNChicago.com relays. Russell has been dealing with concussion-like symptoms since last weekend.
- Braves outfielder Ender Inciarte likely won’t return until the last week of September, David O’Brien of The Athletic suggests. Inciarte has been on the shelf since mid-August with a hamstring strain. It’s the second long-term injury of the year for Inciarte, who previously missed two months with a back issue. Inciarte had been amid a hot streak when he suffered his current ailment, as his OPS skyrocketed from .605 to .740 in the month between his IL stints. He and the soon-to-return Nick Markakis could act as a pair of important outfield reinforcements for the Braves as they gear up for the postseason.
- Rockies left-hander Tyler Anderson underwent season-ending left knee surgery back on June 11, but he still won’t be at full strength at the beginning of next year, per manager Bud Black (via Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post). The hope is that Anderson will come back “within the first couple of months” of 2020, Black said. The 29-year-old Anderson’s procedure wrapped up a nightmarish campaign for a hurler who was a respectable member of the Rockies’ rotation from 2016-18. He yielded 27 earned runs on 33 hits, including eight homers, in 20 2/3 innings this season.
- Mariners outfielder Jake Fraley will miss the remainder of the season because of sprained ligaments in his right thumb, Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times reports. Fraley got his first taste of major league action in recent weeks, though he struggled to a .150/.171/.200 line with no home runs in a span of 41 trips to the plate. The 24-year-old offseason acquisition was far better in the minors, though, as he slashed a combined .298/.365/.545 with 19 long balls in 427 plate appearances between the Double-A and Triple-A levels.
What are the cubs going to do without the tommy John surgery bound closer with a 6 era?! Lol.
The same that Milwaukee will when the continued overuse of Hader catches up with them very soon.
Do you have facts behind this overuse? All I see is 7 more IP than the average closer with at least 20 saves this season.
Other facts to debunk your theory(all averages of pitchers with at least 20 saves)… Total pitches in relief: only 90 more than average or <2 per game, 8 games of 0 days rest vs 15 average.
Yet if the season ended today the Brewers are in and the Cubs are our. Looks the pixie dust is coming back.
Here Come The Hawks The Mighty Blackhawks
Cubs don’t need a closer
Correct. In order for a closer to do his job, your team needs to be leading
Ahh makes sense – so sox shoulda traded Colome at the deadline you’re saying
No. They should have extended him to a 2.5 year $47mm contract
So they can trade him at the deadline 2021? That doesn’t make much sense.
Giving Colome that extension would be a bad idea
He was being ironic.
He’s joking. That’s the contract that the cubs gave kimbrel
Fraley lacking durability etc.
Yelich still gets MVP
Bellinger
Freeman
Rendon
Patrick Star
Kenny powers
Bellinger
Arrieta. He was extremely valuable to numerous teams, not so much the Phillies, but numerous others. Those other guys are only valuable to one team.
You truly are a questionable source.
I think everyone can agree the MVP will not be coming from the Cubs.
But what about Shwarbino!!! He hit 35 HRs!!!!!
But But But Schwarber hit that home run in 2015 off the scoreboard. That counts for at least one vote
Braves record with Ender on the active roster: 34-33. Braves record with Ender NOT on the active roster: 57-23. 2 different stints of extended presence and absence. With: 21-21 Without: 38-19 With: 13-12 Without: 19-4.
dag
Those are interesting numbers (and kudos to you for digging them out) but I’m not sure we can assume the cause and effect. (Best I can tell, on days when Chick-fil-A is closed, the Braves are 18-5 this year, but I don’t think one necessarily has any impact on the other.) I’m struggling to believe that Ender’s presence reduces the Braves‘ winning percentage from a best-in-the-majors .712 to a mediocre .500. I still think they’re better with him than without him.
It doesn’t really matter how you feel about it. That’s what has happened. I’m not saying he’s a bad player, but the Braves don’t win when he’s there.
I don’t remember talking about my feelings. (As a man, that’s definitely something I’d remember.) I’m just saying those numbers are probably largely coincidence, and past performance for that stat may not be indicative of future results.