Sam Dyson’s Season In Jeopardy
SEPT. 20: Dyson indicated Friday that he’s likely to undergo surgery next week, per Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News.
SEPT. 14, 4:10pm: Indeed, Miller reported that season-ending shoulder surgery is on the table for Dyson, who felt pain in his shoulder just two pitches into a bullpen session on Friday. Per Miller, the Twins’ midseason acquisition underwent a procedure that pointed to a joint capsule sprain in Dyson’s right shoulder, which may call for Dyson to go under the knife.
11:20am: More bad news today from the suddenly snakebitten Minnesota Twins. Trade deadline acquisition Sam Dyson is unavailable this weekend, and he may not return at all this season, per Phil Miller of the Star Tribune (via Twitter).
Dyson spent a short stint on the injured list at the beginning of August with right bicep tendinitis. He cut a throwing session short yesterday after feeling discomfort early in the session. He has scheduled a visit with Dr. Neal ElAttrache next week, tweets MLB.com’s Dan Hayes.
It certainly doesn’t look good for Dyson, who has struggled since joining the Twins. After notching a 2.47 ERA/2.72 FIP across 49 appearances in San Francisco, Dyson’s Minnesota tenure began with a thud as he surrendered 6 earned runs while recording just two outs across his first two appearances. His overall numbers as a Twin remain ugly, but he’s straightened out since making an early impression. Dyson penned a 2.53 ERA over his next ten appearances, last pitching on September 3rd in Boston.
Frankie Montas To Rejoin A’s Next Week
Athletics right-hander Frankie Montas will return from suspension during the club’s series against the Angels, which begins Tuesday, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports. Montas will be eligible to pitch Wednesday, but it’s not yet clear whether the 26-year-old will start or relieve during his late-season comeback.
With a 2.70 ERA/2.90 FIP and 9.7 K/9 against 2.1 BB/9 in 90 innings, Montas has unquestionably been the A’s most effective starter this year. However, a shocking 80-game performance-enhancing drug ban on June 21 cut off his breakout campaign and will stop him from participating in the playoffs. The A’s aren’t locks to reach the postseason, but at 92-61 and two games up on the AL’s No. 1 wild-card spot, they look to be on their way. Whether from their rotation or their bullpen, Montas could further bolster the A’s chances of a second straight playoff trip over the last week of the season.
Thanks in part to Montas’ absence, this is the second consecutive season the A’s rotation’s trying to battle through adversity and reach the top of the mountain in baseball. Multiple injuries have also added to the difficulty for Oakland, but its starting staff has found some late-season stability. Trade deadline pickups Homer Bailey and Tanner Roark have provided solid results since coming over in July; Sean Manaea has been nearly unhittable since he made a long-awaited return from injury Sept. 1; and Mike Fiers and Brett Anderson have defied unspectacular peripherals en route to ERAs in the low-4.00s this year.
Rangers Select Tim Federowicz, Transfer Joey Gallo To 60-Day IL
The Rangers have selected the contract of catcher Tim Federowicz from Triple-A Nashville, the team announced (Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News was first to report the move). They transferred slugger Joey Gallo to the 60-day injured list to create 40-man roster room for Federowicz. Gallo, on the IL since July 24 with a fractured right hamate bone, might be done for the season.
The 32-year-old Federowicz joined the Rangers in a June trade with the Indians. He then totaled 79 plate appearances and posted a subpar .169/.224/.366 line with four home runs in Texas before the team booted him from its 40-man roster on the last day of July. Federowicz wasn’t any better as a member of the Rangers’ Triple-A affiliate, with whom he batted .140/.190/.193 and hit a single homer in 63 attempts, but the well-traveled veteran did put up a playable line with the Indians’ top minor league club prior to the trade (.278/.353/.411, two HRs in 103 PA).
Brad Peacock Could Return Sunday
The Astros’ pitching staff received great news Friday when standout reliever Ryan Pressly came back from injury. In yet another welcome development for the club, fellow right-hander Brad Peacock isn’t far from rejoining Pressly and the rest of Houston’s pitchers. Manager A.J. Hinch told Brian McTaggart of MLB.com and other reporters Peacock could return from the injured list as early as Sunday. Peacock hasn’t pitched since Aug. 27.
Shoulder issues have limited Peacock throughout the summer, as he sat out all of July and most of August before a brief comeback and another IL placement. Peacock felt a “sharp pain” in his shoulder in his most recent appearance, leading the Astros to put him back on the shelf. The 31-year-old’s latest shoulder discomfort stemmed from nerve damage in his neck, but the Astros are confident he has moved past it, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle writes.
If he truly is healthy, Peacock should be a boon to the Astros’ cause as they go for their second World Series title since 2017. The club leads the majors with a 100-53 record, putting it in the driver’s seat in the American League West, and is trying to fend off the 100-54 Yankees for homefield advantage in the AL.
Peacock was a competent member of the Astros’ rotation earlier in the year, but he worked out of their bullpen upon his initial return from the IL and seems likely to do so again for the duration of the campaign. In 20 appearances (15 starts) and 88 2/3 innings this year, Peacock has pitched to a 4.06 ERA/4.30 FIP with 9.54 K/9 against 2.94 BB/9.
Ketel Marte Done For Season
A dream season for the Diamondbacks’ Ketel Marte has come to a premature end. The club has shut down the second baseman/outfielder on account of a stress reaction in his back, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports. The injury doesn’t figure to affect Marte going forward, as general manager Mike Hazen said he won’t need surgery and should be ready for a full spring training.
At 78-75, the Diamondbacks have put up a valiant fight this year, but it’s clear a playoff berth won’t be in the cards. As such, it likely wasn’t an overly difficult decision for the team to shut down Marte, who has emerged as a franchise-caliber player this season.
Marte, who joined the D-backs in a whopper of a trade with the Mariners in 2016, turned into one of baseball’s elite all-around players in 2019. Not only did the switch-hitting 25-year-old slash an exemplary .329/.389/.592 with 32 home runs and 10 stolen bases in 628 plate appearances, but he was an asset on the defensive end. Marte combined for 5 Defensive Runs Saved and a 4.5 Ultimate Zone Rating among second, shortstop and center field (primarily the latter). His overall output was worth a jaw-dropping 7.1 fWAR/6.9 bWAR.
Back in 2018, Marte signed a team-friendly extension that could possibly run through 2024. The deal has gone about as well as possible for the club thus far, and it appears Marte’s on his way to being one of the faces of the Arizona organization for the foreseeable future.
Padres’ Andy Green Reportedly On Hot Seat
Even though the Padres made a huge splash in free agency last winter with the signing of Manny Machado for $300MM over 10 years, only a select few pegged them as playoff contenders entering 2019. Now, with the season nearing a conclusion, the Padres own a 69-84 record and will miss the playoffs for the 13th straight campaign. Their latest failings could lead to the end of manager Andy Green’s tenure in San Diego, as Dennis Lin of The Athletic (subscription link) writes that the 42-year-old’s seat “is unmistakably hot.”
Green’s close to ending his fourth season with the Padres, who hired the former professional utilityman, minor league manager and Diamondbacks third base coach to oversee their dugout entering 2016. The Padres have gone a woeful 274-365 since then, though it wouldn’t be fair to judge Green solely on win-loss results. After all, Green joined an organization in the throes of a significant rebuild. The Padres were impressed enough with Green’s initial work to award him an extension through 2021 back in August 2017, so they’d have to eat an undisclosed amount of money in moving on from him.
The Green-led Padres fared better than most though they would over the first few months of this season, as they owned an even 45-45 record going into the All-Star break. The second half of 2019 has been forgettable, though, with San Diego having gone 24-39 to plummet from the National League wild-card race. Relatively disappointing performances from Machado, first baseman Eric Hosmer and outfielder Wil Myers – the Padres’ three highest-paid players, who are on contracts worth a combined $527MM in total value – haven’t helped matters. And the fact that phenom Fernando Tatis Jr., a shortstop who spent a large portion of the season looking like one of baseball’s premier rookies, went down for the year Aug. 13 with a back injury only added to the Padres’ problems.
Whether Green or someone else manages the club in 2020, it’s obvious GM A.J. Preller has his work cut out for him heading into the winter. Thanks in large part to their collection of young talent, the Padres look to be on the upswing. However, they’ve got plenty to address on the big league roster if they’re going to make a run at a playoff berth next season.
Luke Voit Switches Agencies
Yankees first baseman Luke Voit has switched representation and is now a client of Excel Sports Management. Agent Casey Close will represent him, MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes reports.
This is a high-profile hire for Voit, who’s on the verge of wrapping up his first extensive season in the majors. Voit debuted with the Cardinals back in 2017, but the 22nd-round pick from 2013 has truly blossomed since the Yankees acquired him from the Redbirds just over a year ago.
Now 28 years old, Voit has slashed .273/.385/.482 with 21 home runs in 470 plate appearances this season. The hulking Voit has given New York that prolific production for a minimal salary, and barring an extension, he won’t be eligible for arbitration until after the 2020 campaign.
In the event a new deal doesn’t come together before Voit’s first arbitration trip, he’ll try for an even better (and healthier) 2020 campaign. Voit has missed a fairly significant amount of time this year with core injuries, which have hurt his counting stats and will also prove detrimental to his cause during arbitration. That archaic process places a great deal of importance on home runs, runs batted in and plate appearances.
MLBTR has already noted Voit’s agency change in our Agency Database. If you see any notable errors or omissions, please let us know via email: mlbtrdatabase@gmail.com.
Latest On Edwin Encarnacion, Gary Sanchez
Despite the litany of injuries they’ve dealt with this season, the Yankees earned their 100th victory of the season and clinched the American League East on Thursday. Now, with the playoffs looming, they’ve got a couple of injured sluggers on the way back. Designated hitter/first baseman Edwin Encarnacion should rejoin the team on a season-ending road trip that runs from Sept. 24-29, per manager Aaron Boone, while catcher Gary Sanchez could be ready for the Yankees’ Division Series matchup (via Bryan Hoch of MLB.com).
Encarnacion hasn’t played since he suffered an oblique strain on Sept. 12. Those injuries often require players to sit for several weeks (as was the case with Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge earlier this season, for instance), but it appears Encarnacion will come back from his in relatively short order. One of the game’s most prolific sluggers in recent memory, Encarnacion has slashed a respectable .249/.325/.531 with 13 home runs in 197 plate appearances since the Yankees acquired him from the Mariners back in mid-June. He has, however, battled multiple injuries since he first donned the pinstripes, including a right wrist fracture that shelved him from Aug. 4-Sept. 3. The Yankees have rotated Luke Voit, DJ LeMahieu, Gleyber Torres and Giancarlo Stanton at DH during Encarnacion’s current absence.
Like Encarnacion, injuries have hampered Sanchez on more than occasion this season. He hasn’t played since Sept. 12 because of a left groin strain – the same issue that shelved him for two weeks earlier in the summer. The powerful Sanchez has enjoyed a productive season when healthy, as his .233/.318/.531 line with 34 home runs in 440 PA shows, and is far and away the most talented offensive catcher the Yankees have. Backup Austin Romine has held his own with the bat this month, but the Yankees would obviously prefer to have Sanchez back in the fold come playoff time.
Astros Activate Ryan Pressly
The Astros have one of their best pitchers back from the injured list. Barely four weeks after Ryan Pressly underwent an arthroscopic knee procedure, he’s been reinstated from the IL, the team announced. A four- to six-week timeline was projected at the time of the surgery.
Pressly, 30, returns to the ‘Stros with enough time left on the calendar to get into a few games as a tuneup for the postseason. He’ll rejoin a bullpen that is currently without teammates Brad Peacock and Collin McHugh, each of whom remains on the injured list. McHugh’s throwing program was recently shut down due to renewed elbow discomfort, while Peacock is trying to work back from shoulder trouble that has hindered him throughout the season.
Given those injuries, a healthy Pressly is all the more important. Since being acquired from the Twins at the 2018 trade deadline, he’s morphed from an above-average reliever to a virtual juggernaut, pitching 78 2/3 innings of 1.94 ERA ball with 104 strikeouts against 17 walks between the regular season and last year’s playoff run. Pressly made his first All-Star team in 2019, and he’s currently tied with Sergio Romo for the MLB lead among qualified relievers in terms of opponents’ chase rate (40.9 percent) while sitting 11th in swinging-strike rate (17.3 percent).
Pressly would’ve been a free agent following the 2019 season were it not for the two-year, $17.5MM contract extension he signed prior to Opening Day. The Astros now control him for both the 2020 and 2021 seasons, and his deal also includes a vesting/club option for the 2022 campaign as well.
Blue Jays Claim Breyvic Valera, Designate Ryan Dull
The Blue Jays announced that they’ve claimed infielder Breyvic Valera off waivers from the Yankees and, to create room on the 40-man roster, designated right-hander Ryan Dull for assignment. Toronto claimed Dull himself off waivers from the Yankees just two days ago. He’d yet to pitch in a game for the Jays.
The Yankees claimed Valera, 27, off waivers from the Giants back in May. He appeared in a dozen games for New York and hit .219/.324/.313 in a small sample of 37 plate appearances. The well-traveled Valera has appeared with four different big league teams in the past three seasons, having also spent time with the Orioles, Dodgers and Cardinals in addition to his minor league time with the Giants organization. He was one of the five players the Dodgers sent to Baltimore in last summer’s Manny Machado blockbuster, though it was clear even at the time that Valera wasn’t considered a vital piece for that trade, in which outfield prospect Yusniel Diaz was the headliner.
Dull, 29, has bounced from the A’s, to the Giants, to the Yankees and the Blue Jays via waivers in the past six weeks alone. The righty hasn’t had success in the Majors or in Triple-A this season, but he’s only a few seasons removed from looking like a quality bullpen piece in Oakland. While Dull has been tagged for 17 earned runs through just 11 1/3 innings in the big leagues this year and also has a 5.29 ERA across three Triple-A affiliates, he was one of Oakland’s best relievers back in 2016. That year, he tossed 74 1/3 innings of 2.42 ERA ball with nearly a strikeout per frame and just 1.8 BB/9. He’s since been hampered by shoulder and knee problems, but Dull has some MLB success and a minor league option remaining, so he could still land elsewhere via yet another waiver claim. If not, he’ll be able to elect free agency at season’s end.