The Phillies have placed Odubel Herrera on the 10-day injured list with left ankle tendonitis, per the team. They have selected the contract of right-hander J.D. Hammer from Triple-A to take his roster spot. Herrera’s IL placement is retroactive to yesterday, July 9th. Herrera has somewhat surprisingly emerged as the Phillies’ everyday centerfielder, slashing .241/.292/.390 in 139 plate appearances. Though that amounts to just an 85 wRC+, Herrera’s glovework has earned solid marks, making him an overall positive contibutor in center to the tune of 1.4 rWAR/0.7 fWAR.
Hammer, 26, has posted as solid 1.74 ERA in 20 2/3 innings for the Triple-A IronPigs of Lehigh Valley. He has not appeared in the Majors since 2019, when he logged 19 innings of 3.79 ERA baseball, though his peripheral numbers from that stretch suggest the baseball bounced his way more often than not. In other roster moves…
- The Red Sox have placed Matt Andriese on the 10-day injured list with right hamstring tendinitis, selecting the contract of Austin Brice in his stead. Andriese has a 6.03 ERA as a long man this year, logging 37 1/3 innings in 26 appearances. The injury does not appear serious, but the Red Sox are taking the opportunity to make sure he’s at full strength for the second half. Brice, 29, has a 6.94 ERA in 12 appearances for the Red Sox this year.
- The Pirates, meanwhile, have recalled Max Kranick to be the 27th man for today’s doubleheader against the Mets, the team announced. He will start the second game of the twin bill. The Scranton native will put his perfect record on the line. Kranick threw five perfect innings in his Major League debut against the Cardinals on June 27th. Kranick needed just 50 pitches to retire all 15 batters he faces, striking out three and getting the win.
Hammer time…
“Cock the Hammer, it’s time for action!” — Cypress Hill
Thank God they finally did something with Andriese. He should have gone on the IL weeks ago, if not months.
Cora using him to protect a 2-run 12th inning lead exactly one week ago was the grand finale of a horrendously managed game.
But Brice? Six of one is a half a dozen of the other.
I expect at least 6 no-hit innings from Kranick today, anything else would be a letdown.
I will be happy with a 7 inning shutout. Maybe that will keep him in the rotation so they can cut some dead wood.
Or move that dead wood to the pen while they trade some pen arms. They will need bullpen help going forward. Recycle these “promising starters” into the pen.
The Red Sox will place Matt Andriese on the 10-day injured list with right armswing stinkinitis.
I just saw his numbers this year, he’s getting beaten like a piñata.
Every outing seems like he goes 1.2 innings, 2 runs allowed. If he doesn’t get it together he might not have a roster spot when Sale comes back
A week ago Andriese gave up three runs (2 earned) in the 12th inning, the only out he got was a sac fly. Cora should have been suspended for his bullpen management that game. There were 6 really good relievers to start the game in the bullpen that night, and 9 relievers altogether. No excuse for putting a guy with a 6+ ERA in a save situation like that. MLB can’t institute a 12-pitcher roster limit fast enough.
FPG – Outstanding. A lesson in bad managing by the cheater. You can find mistakes like this daily in his decision making but hey Cora lovers think he’s winning the division for them!! hahaha What a joke.
KD…”what a joke” says the LA Dodgers fan….Mookie’s biggest fan….who says the Red Sox are cheap for not spending $400,000,000 for Mookie….lol
Shuddup KD, your ignorance is the joke
And what do you think AC should’ve done with the players he had? Totally stupid comment
KD is nothing but a troll
Pretty sad state of affairs when Brice could be an improvement.
l think every team has an ‘Andriese’ type, these day, in the AL anyways. With teams using bigger bullpens, there’s just not enough pitching talent to go around. ‘State of affairs’ is pretty good for Red Sox.
I totally get having one or two poor performers at the back of the pen, using them in low leverage situations.
But bringing in Rios (6.30 ERA) to protect a 2-run 8th inning lead?
And then bringing in Andriese (5.70 ERA) to protect a 2-run 12th inning lead?
Inexcusable when you have SIX really good relievers in your pen.
Barnes was never used despite pitching just one inning combined during the prior two days. Again, inexcusable.
“using them in low leverage situations” Easy to say, almost impossible to constantly do. Its inevitable that good pitchers get tired and need rest. You can’t predict when your going to have 4 blowouts in a row, or 4 tight games.
1) Starter lasted only 5 innings
2) Game went 12 innings
3) Andriese was the 8th pitcher used, only Barnes was still available.
4) Red Sox were on the road, So if they got a lead they would need someone to close the game, so they were saving Barnes for that.
Without a crystal ball in the 7th or 8th inning. to see the future I would’ve used Andriese the same way.
But denny, with Barnes the only other guy left, if you won’t use him in extra innings with a lead when would you use him? After a blown save?
dennyd3 hours ago
l think every team has an ‘Andriese’ type, these day, in the AL anyways.
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The way I see it, we have 6 good RPs. It doesn’t get much better than that.
One could argue that spending a lot of money or talent for the last RP is a waste. The RS have 23 games this year won or lost by 5 runs. That’s roughly 25% of their games. While it is possible that a better #8 out of the BP could’ve won one more game, it is not something I would emphasize.
Exactly! I can understand not using Barnes in the 8th with a 2-run lead, but to do the same in the 12th with a 2-run lead? The announcers were just as shocked as I was.
Getting back to Denny’s list:
1) A 9-man bullpen shouldn’t have any problem covering 4 innings. Cora’s insistence on not using his better relievers for more than one inning is a waste of resources and leads to a heightened possibility of losing the game.
2) Game wouldn’t have gone more than 9 innings if Cora hadn’t used Rios to protect a 2-run 8th inning lead.
3) Whitlock was also in the pen, but regardless it was yet another situation where Cora was managing in such a way that additional rest was a priority over winning a very winnable game.
4) You’re getting confused. The Sox DID have a 2-run lead in the 12th. Like you said, they should have used Barnes in the 12th. But Cora didn’t.
And Cora didn’t use two of his best relievers, Hernandez and Ottavino, until AFTER Rios blew the 2-run 8th inning lead. Ever heard the term “Closing the barn door after the horses already got loose”.
Any pitcher named Hammer should be the closer.
With his 14.4 k/9 in triple a this season, he might have the stuff for it.
He has marginal fastball command and subpar offspeed stuff.
The Phils don’t seem to have a closer maybe he can take it over lol
Ranger Danger
Or at least have a really good curve ball.
Odubel Herrera has regressed each year in different ways….He is not a first division starting CF’er. Herrera @29 would be a great platoon/4th OF on a winning team. (not sure what clubhouse presence he has since “all that”)
The Phillies are trying to snag a playoff spot, but even now he is NOT the answer in CF. Good for him that he got paid, but time to swap him out for a “lottery ticket” and go in a different direction….
He was awful in 2019 so idk how he regressed this year, his defense is a lot better. I don’t think he’s worth the option next year, but I really don’t know who could replace him in CF, Moniak Kingery and Haseley all seem to be struggling.
The Phillies tried everyone in center..Goofy is the only one to stick..His defense has been very good.. His stick has slowed down..Maybe because of his injury..They have no one else able to play there..I would be ok if they picked up the option..
I thought it would be right ankle tendinitis with the way Odubel bends his foot when he hits.
Andriese has been terrible this year and seems to be first man out of the ‘pen on days when Cora doesn’t want to use Whitlock
Wonder where the baldheaded bastag troll is? Blasting the pirates is his trolling job