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Yankees Notes: Keuchel, Paxton, Betances, Judge

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The Yankees sent a top evaluator to watch free-agent left-hander Dallas Keuchel throw a sim game in Newport Beach, Calif., on Sunday, Erik Boland of Newsday reports. That’s not necessarily an indication Keuchel is destined to land in the Bronx once his months-long trek to the open market ends, though. Watching Keuchel may have simply been a case of the team doing its due diligence, as Boland notes. Regardless, the 31-year-old Keuchel has been throwing sim games roughly every five days in hopes of staying in shape for whichever club signs him. As a result, Keuchel’s “not too far away from where he was at the end of last season,” Bryan Hoch of MLB.com tweets.

  • New York’s rotation is about to benefit from a different established southpaw, James Paxton, who manager Aaron Boone said could come off the injured list Wednesday (via Boland). Paxton has been on the shelf since May 5 with a left knee injury, thus halting a terrific first season in New York. The former Mariner opened 2019 in spectacular fashion before going on the IL, tossing 37 2/3 innings of 3.11 ERA/2.50 FIP ball with 12.42 K/9 against 3.11 BB/9.
  • In further positive news for the Yankees’ pitching staff, reliever Dellin Betances will throw off a mound Monday for the first time in his rehab process, per Boone (via Hoch). Betances hasn’t pitched at all this season because of a bone spur in his right shoulder. With late-game hurlers Adam Ottavino, Zach Britton and Tommy Kahnle bridging the gap to closer Aroldis Chapman, the Yankees’ bullpen has gotten along fine without Betances. But Betances, a four-time All-Star, has long been the club’s go-to setup man and one of the game’s premier relievers. He’ll be a key summer reinforcement for the Yankees if his recovery stays on course.
  • Speaking of reinforcements, right fielder Aaron Judge – out since April 21 – is making progress as he works back from a left oblique strain, Hoch relays. “I’m feeling really good,” Judge told Meredith Marakovits of the YES Network on Sunday. “We’re progressing the way we want to, and it’s a good sign getting a chance to get on the field again and throw a little bit. It feels good to be back — sort of.” The slugger still hasn’t received clearance to swing a bat, but he’s hopeful that will change early this week. Even though Judge is the Yankees’ leading position player, they’ve managed to rip off 24 wins in 32 games without him or fellow injured superstar corner outfielder Giancarlo Stanton in the lineup. Brett Gardner, Clint Frazier, Cameron Maybin and Mike Tauchman (who’s currently in the minors) have held down the fort since Judge and Stanton have been laid up.

Cardinals To Call Up Genesis Cabrera

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Left-handed pitching prospect Genesis Cabrera is about to bring his high-90s heat to St. Louis. The Cardinals will call up Cabrera for a start in Philadelphia on Wednesday, manager Mike Shildt told Josh Helmuth of KSDK News and other reporters Sunday.

This will be the first promotion to the majors for the 22-year-old Cabrera, who is already on the Cardinals’ 40-man roster. The former Rays farmhand is in his first full season with the Redbirds, having come over last July in a trade centering on outfielder Tommy Pham. Cabrera has since risen to Triple-A Memphis, where his inexperience has been on display this season, evidenced by 6.35 ERA/6.86 FIP with 8.85 K/9 and 4.31 BB/9 in 39 2/3 innings.

Despite his unimpressive numbers at the minors’ top level, the Cardinals have high hopes for Cabrera, and there’s bullishness from outside the organization. Thanks in part to a fastball that can reach 98 mph, Cabrera ranks as one of the Cardinals’ 15 best prospects at Baseball America (No. 6), MLB.com (No. 8) and FanGraphs (No. 14). However, those outlets agree Cabrera brings a “violent delivery” and “inconsistent” secondary offerings to the table, which could lead to a future as a reliever.

For now, the Cardinals are open to giving Cabrera multiple chances to stick in their rotation if he performs well Wednesday, according to Shildt. Losers of 16 of 22 and owners of a .500 record, the Cardinals need a boost – including in their rotation. The Redbirds have consistently run out the same five starters this year, which is about to change in the wake of the floundering Michael Wacha’s demotion to the bullpen.

Jack Flaherty is the lone Cardinals starter who has recorded above-average numbers on the season, though the grounder-heavy Dakota Hudson has limited opposing teams to three or fewer earned runs in seven consecutive outings. On the other hand, Miles Mikolas has taken steps backward since a star-caliber showing in 2018, and Adam Wainwright continues to distance himself from his halcyon days.

Latest On The Athletics’ Injured Pitchers

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The A’s are on a six-game winning streak and have won nine of their last 10 games, pulling into a tie with the Red Sox for the second AL wild card slot.  While things are looking up in Oakland right now, the team could also get some reinforcements on the way as some of their many injured pitchers begin to return to the fold.

Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle has updates on several of the notable names on Oakland’s IL, including the status of star left-hander Sean Manaea.  After undergoing shoulder surgery last September, Manaea has looked to be well ahead of his projected recovery timeline, and could be back with the A’s as early as July.  In the latest step ni his rehab, he told Slusser that he’ll throw two bullpen sessions this week, and will begin to throw his slider during these bullpens.  Provided all goes well, Manaea will move on to facing live batters the following week.

Both Jharel Cotton and A.J. Puk are on the mend after undergoing Tommy John surgeries in 2018, with Cotton currently on a rehab assignment and roughly targeted for a mid-June return to the majors, while Puk recently threw a simulated game and is looking like a potential return in July.  Since both pitchers will be on innings limits, however, manager Bob Melvin told Slusser and other reporters that the Athletics haven’t ruled out using Cotton and Puk as relievers when they return.

Despite all of the injuries and second-string nature of its rotation, Oakland has received surprisingly solid contributions from its starting pitchers, both in the team’s run to the wild card game last season and thus far in 2019.  Frankie Montas, Mike Fiers, and Brett Anderson have made the most starts for the A’s this year, with Chris Bassitt and Daniel Mengden looking okay in limited action, while Marco Estrada and Aaron Brooks have struggled.  (Estrada is currently on the IL himself with a lower back strain, and said he hopes to begin playing catch next week.)

As much as this group looks in need of an upgrade that Cotton or Puk could provide, there isn’t any guarantee that either youngster would be able to pitch well as a starter in the wake of their long recovery; it isn’t uncommon, of course, for pitchers of any age to be ineffective in their first few months back from Tommy John surgery.  Looking long-term, the A’s also obviously don’t want to overexert Cotton or Puk for risk of more injury, so strategic usage out of a bullpen would be a better way to both manage workload and potentially also keep both pitchers in the mix for high-leverage situations.

This assumes, however, that Cotton or Puk will be factors at the Major League level at all, since Melvin noted “We’re not just going to bring guys here just because they’re healthy. They have to perform. We have to think there’s a role for them.”  Cotton has a 4.95 ERA over only 158 1/3 career MLB innings, though all of that action came as a starting pitcher.  Puk has yet to pitch beyond even the Double-A level, so despite his lofty top-100 prospect status, he’ll need to make a big impact to work his way into Oakland’s late-season plans.

Indians Release Carlos Gonzalez

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TODAY: Gonzalez has officially been released, as per Roster Roundup (Twitter link).

WEDNESDAY: The Indians have designated veteran outfielder Carlos Gonzalez for assignment in order to open a spot on the active roster for catcher Eric Haase, Ryan Lewis of the Akron Beacon Journal tweets. Haase was already on the 40-man roster, but the club opted to cut ties with Gonzalez rather than place Roberto Perez on the 7-day concussion list. Perez apparently tested well enough following last night’s concussion that the team isn’t currently planning to place him on the IL (though he’ll quite likely still sit out the next couple of days at the least).

Gonzalez, 33, will see his time with Cleveland come to an end after 30 games and 117 ugly plate appearances that didn’t inspire much confidence. The three-time All-Star and former NL batting champ hit just .210/.282/.276 with a pair of homers, a double and 33 strikeouts in his short time with the Indians. That type of production wouldn’t cut it even if the Indians were a first-place club, but the fact that they’re sitting six and a half games back in the American League Central only further creates a sense of urgency to coax production out of what has been a dismal lineup.

Gonzalez is the second former superstar with whom the Indians have parted ways since Opening Day; Hanley Ramirez cracked the Opening Day roster as the team’s designated hitter but was cut loose after 16 games and 57 plate appearances worth of similarly disappointing numbers.

With Gonzalez now subtracted from the outfield mix, the Indians will free up additional at-bats for younger options. Oscar Mercado has shown well in his first handful of MLB games, and the Indians could take further looks at some combination of Tyler Naquin, Greg Allen, Jake Bauers and Jordan Luplow their corner outfield/DH rotation. The Athletic’s Zack Meisel tweets that former first-round pick and top prospect Bradley Zimmer, who is recovering from 2018 shoulder surgery, is expected to begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Columbus sometime next week, so he’ll emerge as an option in the not-too-distant future as well.

Cleveland will have a week to either find a trade partner for Gonzalez or release him. An outright assignment is technically possible but seems unlikely; Gonzalez would have to accept the assignment despite knowing that there are younger options that the team wishes to evaluate at length before giving him another look. The most probable outcome is that Gonzalez will simply be released and look for a new opportunity to rebuild his stock following a change of scenery.

Tigers Sign Carlos Torres To Minors Deal

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The Tigers have agreed to a minor league contract with right-hander Carlos Torres, Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press reports (Twitter link).

Torres recently opted out of his previous minor league deal with the Padres, and will now look to crack Detroit’s 25-man roster and appear in his tenth Major League season.  The 36-year-old ate a lot of innings and posted some quality results for the Mets and Brewers from 2013-17, averaging 79 innings and 61 games per season over that five-year stretch, with a 3.52 ERA, 2.6 K/BB rate, and 8.0 K/9.

Torres had something of a down year in 2017, and he had to settle for minor league deals from the Indians and Nationals in 2018, posting only a 6.52 ERA over 9 2/3 IP for Washington at the big league level last season.  Torres has by far the most experience of any reliever in the Tigers’ organization, giving the team some veteran depth as they figure out their struggling bullpen situation.  If Torres can regain any of his old workhorse form, he could be a solid long-relief addition to a pen that could see some changes before the trade deadline, most notably if closer Shane Greene is moved.

Nationals Notes: Strasburg, Scherzer, Anibal, Ross, Knorr

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Here’s the latest from the D.C. baseball world, on a day that saw the Nationals defeat the Marlins to record their first three-game win streak of the season…

  • If the Nats can’t get back into the postseason race, Stephen Strasburg or Max Scherzer could potentially become trade candidates at the deadline depending on the team’s future direction, ESPN’s Buster Olney writes in a subscriber-only piece.  If the Nationals plan to reload for 2020, neither ace will be dealt, though a larger shakeup (and subsequent scaling-back of the team’s payroll) could see Strasburg or Scherzer on the block.  Both starter has a hefty salary, however, that will present obstacles to a deal.  Strasburg and Scherzer are each owed over $100MM on their contracts, both during the life of those deals and into the future, as per the Nationals’ deferral-heavy payment structure.  In Strasburg’s case, he is under contract through 2023 but can also opt out after either this season or the 2020 season, so potential trade suitors could either balk at the remaining salary, or balk at giving up a lot of prospects for a pitcher who could leave as early as this offseason.
  • Anibal Sanchez is set to throw a bullpen session tomorrow as he continues to rehab from a hamstring injury.  While Sanchez could potentially be activated to start for the Nats on Wednesday, Martinez told reporters (including Mark Zuckerman of MASNsports.com) that no decision has been made about Wednesday’s starter, and Sanchez could still make a minor league rehab start.  The veteran right-hander has gotten off to a tough start this year, posting a 5.10 ERA in his first 42 1/3 innings of 2019.
  • Joe Ross was sent down to Triple-A on Saturday, where he will be stretched out once again as a starting pitcher, Martinez told the Washington Post’s Sam Fortier and other reporters.  Injuries have limited Ross to just 285 Major League innings over four-plus seasons, and Washington deployed Ross as a reliever this season as he continues to recover from the Tommy John surgery that cost him virtually all of the 2018 campaign.  Like many in the Nats bullpen, however, Ross struggled — he posted a 9.22 ERA over 13 2/3 innings, with 12 strikeouts against eight walks.  “I think this gives him an opportunity to get comfortable, stretch him out, and hone in,” Martinez said, describing Ross’ shift back to starting pitching as a “longer term” move.
  • In his latest video update for FOX Sports (Twitter link), Ken Rosenthal reports that Triple-A manager Randy Knorr is seen by some in the Nationals organization as a natural choice to take over the big league managerial job (at least with an interim tag) if the embattled Davey Martinez is fired.  Knorr has worked in a variety of roles for the organization since 2005, including stints as the Nats’ bench coach and bullpen coach, and a manager at multiple levels of the farm system.  Rosenthal notes that Knorr’s supporters see him as a potential Brian Snitker-like figure — a longtime organization man who has managed or coached almost everyone on Washington’s roster at one time or another, so a transition from yet another managerial change could be somewhat smoother if a familiar face like Knorr took over.

Phillies Place Pat Neshek On 10-Day Injured List

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TODAY: Neshek is dealing with rotator cuff inflammation, the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Matt Breen tweets.  Neshek will “be out for a little while,” though the team doesn’t believe the injury will threaten his season.

SATURDAY: Phillies reliever Pat Neshek is expected to be placed on the 10-day injured list, manager Gabe Kapler told reporters including Jim Salisbury of NBC Sports Philadelphia (Twitter link). He is dealing with shoulder soreness.

The specifics of the malady aren’t clear, but caution is typically the wisest course when that particular joint is involved. Neshek, 38, had an excellent record of durability before running into some health issues last year.

It’s hard not to notice that the veteran hurler has had a few rough outings of late. In particular, he allowed three runs and two long balls in his latest appearance, bumping his season-long ERA from 3.24 to 4.67.

There have been some changes in the underlying numbers for Neshek, though it’s hard to know precisely what they mean in such a short sample. Neshek has only nine strikeouts on the year, but he has also allowed only a single walk in his 17 1/3 innings. His swinging-strike rate has dipped to 8.9%, markedly lower than his recent levels. And the typically flyball heavy sidearmer has drawn more grounders than usual, even while allowing homers at a greater rate (16.0% HR/FB) than ever before.

Astros Likely To Place Aledmys Diaz On 10-Day IL

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A left hamstring strain forced Aledmys Diaz to be removed from the Astros’ lineup during the first inning of today’s game, and manager A.J. Hinch told reporters (including The Athletic’s Jake Kaplan) that the injury is likely to send Diaz to the 10-day injured list.  Diaz missed three games last week due to hamstring soreness, and re-aggravated the injury while running the bases today.

Like pretty much everyone on the Astros’ roster this season, Diaz has been enjoying a good year at the plate, hitting .286/.321/.510 with five homers over 109 plate appearances.  Houston acquired the 28-year-old utilityman in a trade with Toronto during the offseason, seeing Diaz as an alternative to departing free agent Marwin Gonzalez.  Diaz has lived up to that versatile billing, starting at least two games at five different positions (all four infield slots and left field) this year.  Much of Diaz’s recent action has come at second base, as he has been filling in for the injured Jose Altuve.

While it hasn’t yet affected their big lead in the AL West, the Astros have been bit by the injury bug over the last few weeks, with Altuve, George Springer, Collin McHugh, Max Stassi, and now Diaz all sidelined.  The good news is that Altuve is expected back in a few days’ time, filling one major hole in the club’s lineup.  Depending on how long Diaz is out of action, Yuli Gurriel could handle backup shortstop duties behind Carlos Correa, though Gurriel has only played two games at short in his four MLB seasons.  Myles Straw is another consideration, as the outfielder has been seeing action at shortstop at Triple-A.

Phillies Move Vince Velasquez To Bullpen, Recall Pivetta

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The Phillies are tinkering with their starting rotation, recalling Nick Pivetta, who will reclaim his spot in the rotation and is slated to start Tuesday’s game against the Cardinals, tweets Matt Breen of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Meanwhile, right-hander Vince Velasquez will transition to a full-time bullpen role moving forward.

Velasquez, who boasts impressive strikeout stuff, has long been mentioned as a candidate to work out of the bullpen, and now we will have a chance to see just how his stuff plays in abbreviated outings in relief. After an impressive two-inning performance on Friday in which he struck out four batters, the Phils will give the 26-year-old Velasquez an extended look out of the bullpen. Velasquez certainly fits the prototype for converted relievers: for his career, the right-hander averages more than one strikeout per inning pitched, but that talent has thus far translated to a mediocre 4.52 career ERA. This season, walks and home runs have emerged as an issue, surrendering 1.9 HR/9 to go with 4.5 BB/9.

Taking his spot in the starting rotation will be Pivetta, who earned himself a short stint in the minor leagues after a frustrating start to his 2019, a year in which he was supposed to break out. Needless to say, there’s still time for Pivetta, who has long tantalized fans with elite pure stuff, to reverse his early-season misfortune and make good on his potential. If his six minor-league starts are any indicator of what’s to come, his raw stuff is still there: the 26-year-old struck out 50 batters in 37 Triple-A innings, good for a ratio of 12.2 K/9. By and large, though, it has been the long ball that has plagued Pivetta in 2019, having allowed 2.5 per nine innings pitched, an average that must come down if he’s to return to the form that he flashed last season.

An improved version of Pivetta would certainly be welcomed by the Phillies, who have received mixed results from their starting rotation, received good production from Zach Eflin, though Aaron Nola has yet to perform like the ace of last year’s staff. At the same time, experimenting with Velasquez in the bullpen could unlock something that prevented him from reaching his full potential as a starter. If something clicks, the Phillies could have themselves a versatile multi-inning threat, a role that surely is of considerable value for a contending team.

 

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