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Wander Franco Pulled Off Rehab Assignment

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The chances of Wander Franco returning this season have taken a hit, as Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports that the Rays’ shortstop has been pulled off his rehab assignment due to continued soreness in his right hand.

It’s been a frustrating season for the 21-year-old, the first campaign of the huge 11-year, $182MM extension he signed with the Rays in November. After years of hype as one of the top prospects in baseball, often being considered the very best, Franco arrived with aplomb last year. He got into 70 games in his debut season, hitting .288/.347/.463 for a wRC+ of 127, or 27% better than league average. At the end of that successful season, the Rays gave him the largest contract in team history, hoping to have him serve as the face of the franchise for the next decade-plus.

Unfortunately, it’s been a series of injury setbacks here in 2022. Franco missed most of June due to a quad strain, returning for about two weeks before landing on the IL again, this time due to discomfort in his hand and wrist area. The club later announced that Franco would undergo surgery to address damage to his hamate bone, providing a window of 5-8 weeks as his estimated recovery timeline. It was approximately five weeks later (on August 16) that Franco began his rehab assignment. However, it seems that the issue hasn’t quite cleared, with Franco now being shut down for a little bit longer.

This latest setback will put a dent in how much Franco can contribute for the club down the stretch. There are now just over six weeks remaining on the MLB schedule for the regular season. Though the club hasn’t provided any kind of updated timeline of what they expect for the next steps, Franco will first have to get beyond the soreness he’s experiencing and then resume his rehab assignment before the Rays can think about having him rejoin the big league club. Tampa currently holds the final Wild Card spot in the American League, though Minnesota is within a game and a half, with three other clubs with five games.

Until then, the Rays will likely continue slotting Taylor Walls into shortstop, as they have done for most of the games with Franco out of action. He’s hitting .179/.275/.297 on the year for a wRC+ of 73.

NL Notes: Kimbrel, Fedde, Cavalli, Nationals, Junis

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The Dodgers used Craig Kimbrel for the last inning of today’s 10-3 win over the Marlins, and the reliever delivered a perfect frame to mop things up.  While not a save situation for Kimbrel, manager Dave Roberts told J.P. Hoornstra of the Southern California News Group (Twitter links) and other reporters that Kimbrel and the team have agreed to base the right-hander’s workload going forward not on save chances, but rather on just getting regular outings.  This wouldn’t preclude Kimbrel being used in save opportunities, of course, and Roberts said he could still choose to use Kimbrel in consecutive games.

It has been a shaky year for the veteran reliever, as between a subpar walk rate and a lot of hard contact allowed, Kimbrel has only a 4.46 ERA over 42 1/3 innings.  A big .388 BABIP is responsible for some of these struggles, but consistency has been hard to come by in Kimbrel’s first season in Los Angeles.  It has turned the ninth inning into a question mark for the Dodgers heading into the postseason, and it could be that Kimbrel’s adjusted role could be the team’s way of auditioning some other relievers for the closer’s job as October looms.  It is also possible the Dodgers will rotate Kimbrel and many other pitchers into save situations as circumstances dictate, which may concern L.A. fans who have seen late-game breakdowns doom the Dodgers in past postseason trips.

More from around the National League…

  • The Nationals rotation will get a jolt this week, as both Erick Fedde and top prospect Cade Cavalli might be in the mix.  Fedde is the surer thing, as manager Davey Martinez told reporters (including Mark Zuckerman of MASNsports.com) that Fedde will be activated from the 15-day injured list and start Tuesday’s game with the Mariners.  Right shoulder inflammation put Fedde out of action back on July 27, and the right-hander had a 4.95 ERA over 92 2/3 innings and 19 starts for Washington before going on the IL.  Fedde is a potential non-tender candidate as he enters his second year of arbitration eligibility, though he’ll have a few more starts to make his case for another contract, plus the Nationals might be open to giving a former first-rounder another chance anyway as the team looks to rebuild.  Cory Abbott will be moved to the bullpen to fit Fedde into the rotation.
  • Cavalli was the 22nd overall pick of the 2020 draft, and is ranked within the top 60 on updated prospect lists from Baseball America (52nd) and MLB Pipeline (58th).  It has been just a few days since Cavalli’s 24th birthday, and the right-hander has a 3.71 ERA, 25.9% strikeout rate, and 9.7% walk rate over 97 Triple-A innings this season.  Control is the biggest question facing Cavalli, who otherwise has four plus pitches, highlighted by a 97mph fastball that earned a 70 grade from both BA and Pipeline.  The Nationals’ rotation plans are somewhat unknown due to three off-days in the next eight-day span, but Zuckerman thinks Cavalli might be promoted during the team’s August 26-September 1 homestand.
  • X-rays were negative on Jakob Junis’ left hand after the Giants starter was hit by a line drive in today’s game.  Giants manager Gabe Kapler told reporters (including MLB.com’s Maria I. Guardado) that Junis will also get a CT scan tomorrow to further check for any damage.  The discomfort was severe enough for Junis to be forced out of the game in the sixth inning.  Since Junis is a right-handed pitcher and because San Francisco doesn’t play on either Monday or Thursday this week, it seems possible Junis might not need an IL trip or even technically any missed starts, if the off-days just push the rest of the rotation back.  Junis has had a solid first year with the Giants, posting a 3.58 ERA over 78 innings despite a hamstring string that cost him over a month of action.

Kyle Hendricks Not Planning To Return During 2022 Season

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Kyle Hendricks hasn’t pitched since early July due to a strain in his right shoulder, and it appears as though his 2022 season is over.  The Cubs right-hander told reporters (including MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian) that he is trying to get healthy in order to have a normal offseason and ramp-up period for the 2023 season, and to that end, Hendricks plans to restart a throwing program at the Cubs’ training complex in Arizona this week.

Hendricks underwent an MRI earlier this month that didn’t reveal any structural damage, according to Chicago manager David Ross.  However, it seemed even at the time that Hendricks’ 2022 campaign was probably over, as Ross said that getting Hendricks back this season wasn’t “a top priority” compared to the bigger-picture desire to make sure the veteran is healthy.

As such, it looks like Hendricks will wrap up his ninth MLB season with a 4.80 ERA over 84 1/3 innings.  This marks two underwhelming seasons in a row for Hendricks, who has a 4.78 ERA/4.62 SIERA in 265 1/3 frames since the start of the 2021 campaign.  His once-elite walk rate fell to a still-decent 6.7% this year, but combined with a big increase in hard-hit ball rate, Hendricks’ low-velocity, contact-heavy arsenal wasn’t fooling many batters.

While the 2020 season was only 60 games long, Hendricks was still a capable front-of-the-rotation starter as recently as two years ago, when he finished ninth in NL Cy Young Award voting.  Sometimes underrated as a key piece of the Cubs’ success over the last decade, Hendricks was a very solid member of the rotation from 2014-20, with a 3.12 ERA over 1047 1/3 innings of an old-school approach that relied more on command and soft contact rather than missed bats.  The 2016 season was a peak for Hendricks, both due to his league-best 2.13 ERA and his big role in the Cubs’ World Series triumph.

With the Cubs now in a rebuild, it’s safe to guess that if Hendricks hadn’t been struggling with both performance and injury over the last two seasons, he might very well have joined the long list of veterans traded away.  Hendricks’ salary was also a big factor — 2023 is the final season of the four-year, $55.5MM extension he signed in March 2019, and he is owed $14MM for the 2023 season.

The Cubs also have a $16MM club option on the right-hander’s services for 2024, but at this point, it would seem like Chicago will buy that option out for $1.5MM unless Hendricks can turn things around next year.  Or, if a bounce-back year is in the cards, that option decision could be in the hands of another team, if the Cubs looked to finally trade Hendricks after all.  Since it doesn’t seem like Hendricks has much trade value at the present, he’ll need to return healthy and pitch well in the first half of 2023 before we get more clarity on his future either in Chicago or as a potential trade chip.

NL Central Notes: Pujols, Peterson, Wisdom, Miley, Overton

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Albert Pujols’ recent hot streak hasn’t changed the legendary slugger’s mind about retirement, as Pujols told USA Today’s Bob Nightengale that he is “still going to retire” at season’s end.  Despite a 1.428 OPS in 53 plate appearances since the All-Star break and his ever-nearing proximity to some notable milestones, Pujols confirmed that he hasn’t thought about playing in 2023.

“I don’t get caught up in numbers.  If you were going to tell me 22 years ago that I would be this close, I would have told you that you’re freakin’ crazy,” Pujols said.  “My career has been amazing…I’ve had enough.  I’m glad I made the announcement this was it when I signed.  Really, I wouldn’t change a thing.”

Pujols now has 692 career homers, making it a realistic possibility that he can pass Alex Rodriguez (696 homers) on the all-time list and perhaps even become the fourth player in history to reach the 700-homer threshold.  After last night’s four-hit performance against the Diamondbacks, Pujols is also now second on the all-time total bases list, passing another Cardinals legend in Stan Musial.  Interestingly, Nightengale also notes that Pujols’ desire to return to St. Louis led him to pass up on offers from three other teams this winter, even though those other clubs were offering either more playing time or more money than Pujols’ $2.5MM salary for 2022.

More from around the NL Central…

  • Brewers utilityman Jace Peterson told reporters (including Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel) that he’ll start a three-game minor league rehab assignment on Tuesday, with an eye towards returning to the majors when the Brewers open a series with the Cubs on Friday.  A left elbow sprain sent Peterson to the 10-day injured list on July 20, and since he had been bothered by a UCL injury prior to that IL placement, there was some concern that he would be sidelined deeper into September or even that his season could be threatened.  However, Peterson is now on pace to continue what has been a quietly valuable season, as he has contributed both versatility all around the diamond and above-average offense (111 wRC+) in 241 plate appearances, batting .252/.325/.439 with eight home runs.
  • Cubs manager David Ross provided updates on some injured players, telling MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian and other reporters that x-rays were negative on Patrick Wisdom’s left ring finger, and Wisdom is day to day.  Wisdom suffered the injury on a slide into home plate in yesterday’s game.  Wade Miley will also get back onto the mound and throw tomorrow, after experiencing some tightness in his left shoulder on Friday.  Between two shoulder-related IL stints and some elbow tightness at the end of Spring Training, Miley has tossed only 19 innings in his first season in Chicago.  Before this latest setback, Miley has pitched four rehab outings and seemed to be nearing a return, so it remains to be seen how much more time (if any) this recent bout of soreness could cost the veteran southpaw.
  • Speaking of setbacks, Reds right-hander Connor Overton had a hamstring tweak while working out at the Reds’ Arizona training complex, manager David Bell told reporters (including The Cincinnati Enquirer’s Bobby Nightengale).  A stress fracture in Overton’s lower back sent him to the 60-day injured list on May 19, and he has already been sidelined for well beyond the initial 6-to-8 week recovery timeline.  A rehab assignment was still a ways away, as Overton had progressed only to long toss.  Depending on the severity of Overton’s hamstring issue, the rookie is running short on time to make it back to the field before the end of the season.

Injury Notes: Abreu, Britton, Kershaw

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The Yankees placed right-hander Albert Abreu on the 15-day injured list today due to right elbow inflammation. The club didn’t provide any estimated timeline for Abreu’s absence, but an issue with a pitcher’s throwing elbow is always somewhat concerning.

Abreu went from the Yankees to the Rangers in the offseason as part of the Jose Trevino trade. He lasted less than two months in Texas, getting designated for assignment and then traded to the Royals. About three weeks later, he was designated again and returned to the Yankees on waivers. Between the three teams, he has a 3.32 ERA on the year in 38 innings.

Other injury notes from around the league…

  • Though losing Abreu isn’t good news, the Yankees got much better news elsewhere on the roster. Manager Aaron Boone tells Joe Trezza of MLB.com that lefty Zack Britton recently threw a bullpen and is nearing a rehab assignment. Now 34, Britton was one of the best relievers in all of baseball from 2014 to 2016 while with the Orioles. His strikeout rate tapered off after that, though he still got grounders on over 70% of balls in play. 2021 was a down season, as he registered a 5.89 ERA before hitting the injured list in August. He eventually required surgery to repair his UCL, which wiped out what was left of that season and threatened his 2022 as well. In November, general manager Brian Cashman said it was “probable” that Britton would miss all of this season, though it seems he’s still got a shot of returning. There’s just over six weeks remaining in the regular season, but the Yanks are a virtual lock for the postseason, giving Britton a bit more time to make an impact. He’d no doubt love to get back on the hill and help the team, while also showcasing his health before reaching free agency this winter.
  • The Dodgers could potentially get Clayton Kershaw back sooner than expected. Just yesterday, it was reported that he could soon go out on a rehab assignment and return in the second week of September. Manager Dave Roberts now tells J.P. Hoornstra of the Southern California News Group that the plan is for the lefty to throw a bullpen on Monday, followed three or four innings in a simulated game later in the week before being activated without a rehab assignment. That would seem to open the door to Kershaw returning before the month of August is complete. Kershaw’s return would only further strengthen the rotation, which also welcomed Dustin May back yesterday. Kershaw’s been dealing with back issues this year, but has a tremendous 2.64 ERA in 85 1/3 innings when healthy.

Giants Claim Patrick Mazeika From Mets

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The Giants have claimed catcher Patrick Mazeika off waivers from the Mets, tweets Maria I. Guardado of MLB.com. The Mets had designated him for assignment a few days ago. To open a spot for Mazeika on the 40-man roster, infielder Donovan Walton has been recalled from Triple-A Sacramento and placed on the 60-day injured list due to right shoulder inflammation.

Mazeika, 28, was drafted by the Mets and has spent his entire career with the organization until now. He made his MLB debut last year and has gotten into 61 games between 2021 and 2022. He’s hit just .190/.236/.279 in that time but has much better numbers in the minors. In Triple-A this year, he’s hit .261/.383/.333 for a wRC+ of 105.

The Giants thinned out their catching depth by trading Curt Casali to the Mariners at the deadline. Joey Bart and Austin Wynns are with the big league club, while Yermin Mercedes and Ford Proctor are in the minors, though those latter two also play other positions and are only part-time catchers. Mazeika is also capable of playing some first base, meaning the Giants now have a collection of versatile depth catching options jockeying for playing time.

As for Walton, he was acquired from the Mariners in a May trade, with the Giants optioning him to the minors and recalling him multiple times this year. He was in the minors when injured but has been called up in order to be transferred to the 60-day injured list. This means he will no longer occupy a spot on the 40-man roster, but he will earn major league pay and service time for as long as he’s there.

Yasmani Grandal To Miss 10-14 Days With Knee Injury

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Aug. 21: The White Sox announced that further testing revealed “no acute damage to the ligaments, tendons or cartilage around the knee.” They diagnose the issue as “inflammation caused by the hyperextension of the knee” and say that Grandal should return to action in 10-14 days.

Aug. 20, 10:58PM: Grandal will be going on the injured list and Perez will be called up from Triple-A, manager Tony La Russa told reporters (including Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times).

10:27PM: The White Sox announced that Grandal left the game due to left knee discomfort, and the catcher is still being evaluated.

10:18PM: White Sox catcher Yasmani Grandal left Saturday’s game with an apparent left leg injury after a play at the plate.  After Elvis Andrus singled in the seventh inning, Grandal was thrown out trying to score from second base, and seemed to hurt his knee on an awkward attempt to avoid the tag.  Grandal had to be helped off the field, and didn’t return to the game.

More will be known about Grandal’s status after the game, yet it would certainly appear as though the veteran catcher will miss at least some time.  Considering the calendar, anything beyond a minor injury could put the rest of Grandal’s 2022 season in jeopardy.

Grandal already missed five weeks due to back spasms earlier this season, and another significant injury would only add to a nightmarish year for the 33-year-old backstop.  Limited to 287 plate appearances over 73 games, Grandal is hitting only .202/.307/.258, career lows in all three slash-line categories.  His once-notable power has completely declined, with an Isolated Slugging statistic of only .056 (miles beneath the .211 ISO he carried over his first 10 seasons).  While Grandal still has one of the league’s best walk rates, his lack of other production at the plate has made him a sub-replacement player, with a -0.2 fWAR.

As rough as Grandal’s season has been, the White Sox won’t be helped by the possible loss of their starting catcher as the team continues to battle for a playoff spot.  Chicago dealt defensive specialist Reese McGuire to the Red Sox at the trade deadline, leaving Seby Zavala as the primary backup and now potential starter down the stretch.  Zavala (who turns 29 later in August) has posted big numbers at Triple-A this season and has an above-average 108 wRC+ in 142 PA in the majors this season, hitting .281/.329/.398.

Nick Ciuffo and Raudy Read are the only other catchers in Chicago’s farm system with MLB experience.  Neither are on the 40-man roster, and neither is Carlos Perez, a longtime member of the White Sox farm system who is hitting .259/.317/.448 with 17 homers for Triple-A Charlotte this season.  In the event that Grandal misses some of all of the season, the Sox would have to turn to one of these options, or perhaps seek out the waiver wire or minor league trade route to land more catching depth.

Pirates Select Cam Vieaux, Designate Jose Godoy

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The Pirates announced that they have selected the contract of left-hander Cam Vieaux. Righty Yohan Ramirez was optioned to make room on the active roster. To open a spot on the 40-man, catcher Jose Godoy was designated for assignment.

This will be the second time that Vieaux, 28, has been selected to the Pirates’ roster. They first called him up in June, letting him make five appearances. The first four went pretty well, with the southpaw only allowing a single earned run in that time. In his fifth outing, however, the Bucs sent him in to pitch the top of the eighth in a game they were losing to the Brewers 9-1. Despite Vieaux getting hit around badly, there was no help forthcoming to get out of the inning. The lefty ended up tossing 56 pitches in that one frame, allowing six hits, three walks and eight runs, seven of them earned. As a result, he has a 14.40 ERA through five innings this year.

As a reward for eating that inning, Vieaux was optioned to the minors and designated for assignment in the following days. He cleared waivers and was outrighted, sticking in the Pirates’ system. In 42 Triple-A innings this year, he has an even 3.00 ERA, with a 23.3% strikeout rate, 8.8% walk rate and 43.1% ground ball rate.

As for Godoy, 27, he’s surely racked up his share of frequent flyer miles this year. He began 2022 in the Mariners organization but was claimed off waivers by the Giants in March, who promptly lost him to the Twins on another waiver claim. He stuck with Minnesota until August, at which point he went to Pittsburgh on yet another trip to the waiver wire. He’s spent most of his time in the minors this year, getting into 44 Triple-A games and hitting .201/.272/.299 in that time.

Since the trade deadline has passed, the Pirates will have no choice but to put Godoy on outright waivers or release waivers in the coming days. If Godoy doesn’t get claimed for a fourth time this year, he can reject an outright assignment and elect free agency, by virtue of having been previously outrighted in his career. This leaves the Pirates with Jason Delay and Tyler Heineman as the only catchers on their 40-man roster.

Mets Select Nate Fisher, Designate Sam Clay

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11:30am: Tim Britton of The Athletic relays the full slate of moves. Fisher has been selected while Jose Butto has been recalled. To make room on the active roster, Zastryzny was optioned, righty Stephen Nogosek was placed on the 15-day IL with a left oblique strain and lefty Sam Clay was designated for assignment.

11:25am: The Mets are selecting the contract of left-hander Nate Fisher, reports Jeff Passan of ESPN. Fisher is not currently on the club’s 40-man roster, meaning a corresponding move of some kind will be required.

To say that Fisher is not a top prospect would be underselling his journey. As noted by Passan, he was out of baseball and working a finance job in Omaha last year. He joined the Mariners’ organization in 2019 but was released in May of 2020. He signed another minor league contract with Seattle in June of 2021, eventually throwing 37 1/3 innings with a 2.89 ERA cross multiple levels of the minors.

He reached free agency in the offseason and was signed to a minors deal by the Mets. He’s split his time between Double-A and Triple-A this season, throwing 72 innings with a 3.37 ERA, 23.2% strikeout rate and 10.1% walk rate. Now 26 years old, Fisher has made the improbable jump to the big leagues after not even being in the sport just over a year ago.

Though Fisher has made some starts this year, it seems the Mets likely try to utilize him for left-handed relief. Joely Rodriguez has been the only southpaw in the club’s bullpen for most of the year, with Rob Zastryzny just getting added yesterday.

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