Latest On CC Sabathia
C.C. Sabathia‘s longstanding right knee problems reared their head again Friday, when the southpaw exited after just three innings in a loss to the Athletics. The Yankees announced that Sabathia departed with knee discomfort, and the 39-year-old was “dejected” afterward, according to Mark Feinsand of MLB.com. Sabathia still hopes to pitch again this season, though, and will have his knee drained and potentially undergo a cortisone shot in hopes of making a quick recovery, Feinsand reports.
There is plenty at stake for Sabathia as the season winds down. The possible Hall of Famer’s set to retire at the end of the campaign, for one, so he obviously doesn’t want his illustrious career to conclude with an injury. Beyond that, Sabathia’s aiming to help pitch the Yankees to a World Series title, which would be their second since they inked him to a mega-deal as a free agent heading into the 2009 season.
As great as Sabathia has been during his Yankees tenure, it no longer looks as if the longtime workhorse has much left in the tank. Sabathia’s knee, on which he has undergone surgery multiple times, has already forced him to the IL on three occasions this year. When he has taken the mound, Sabathia has had difficulty going deep into games, having amassed 100 1/3 innings over 20 starts. Sabathia has also had uncharacteristic trouble preventing runs. He owns a below-average 4.93 ERA/5.96 FIP – both of which represent massive steps backward relative to his career and the numbers he put up just a year ago (3.65/4.16).
Of course, Sabathia’s hardly the lone member of New York’s starting staff who has come up shy of expectations in 2019. With the exception of Domingo German, the same also applies to every other regular starter the Yankees have run out (Masahiro Tanaka, James Paxton and J.A. Happ). Because of the vulnerability of the Yankees’ rotation, there’s skepticism regarding their chances of hoisting the Commissioner’s Trophy in a couple months and sending Sabathia out on a high note.
Red Sox Interested In Jhoulys Chacin
Free-agent right-hander Jhoulys Chacin conducted a workout with the Red Sox on Friday, Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald reports. President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski and manager Alex Cora were on hand to watch Chacin throw a bullpen session in Anaheim, but it’s unknown whether Boston will sign the hurler.
Chacin has been available since the Brewers released him Monday, which was an especially damning transaction when considering the adversity their rotation has gone through this season. After back-to-back quality seasons with the Padres and Brewers, Chacin dealt with multiple injuries and struggled to a 5.79 ERA/5.68 FIP with 8.12 K/9 and 3.86 BB/9 in 19 starts and 88 2/3 innings this year. The Brewers elected to cut ties with Chacin as a result, even though they’re short on viable starters and had to eat the rest of his $6MM salary in releasing him.
The Red Sox are also in dire straits in their rotation, leading to their interest in Chacin. They’re likely to go without injured ace Chris Sale for the rest of the year, while David Price (nearing activation from the IL), Nathan Eovaldi and Rick Porcello haven’t given the team the type of production it expected entering the campaign. Thanks in part to their starting staff’s issues, the defending champion Red Sox are a strong bet to miss the playoffs. Nevertheless, they could take a late-season flier on Chacin, who has a fan in Sox scout Steve Peck, according to Silverman. The club worked out Chacin at Peck’s recommendation.
Brewers Notes: Hiura, Shaw, Woodruff
At 68-66 and five games out of wild-card position, the reigning National League Central champion Brewers have seen their playoff hopes drift away over the past several weeks. Now, if they’re going to make a miraculous run to another postseason berth in the final month of 2019, they may have to make do without one of their top players. Second baseman Keston Hiura is headed back to Milwaukee to have his hamstring examined after suffering an injury in the Brewers’ loss to the Cubs on Friday, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports. In the wake of that news, the Brewers are set to recall infielder Travis Shaw from Triple-A San Antonio on Friday, according to Robert Murray of The Athletic.
The brilliance of the rookie Hiura has helped phase Shaw out of the Brewers’ plans for most of the season. Hiura has overcome a 30 percent strikeout rate to slash an excellent .301/.369/.571 with 16 home runs and 2.0 fWAR over his first 295 major league plate appearances. Along the way, the 23-year-old Hiura has established himself as one of 2019’s hardest hitters, ranking near the top of the league in several Statcast metrics.
The woes Shaw has unexpectedly endured played a large role in the Brewers’ decision to call up Hiura for the second time back in July (they optioned Shaw in a corresponding move). But now that Hiura’s potentially bound for the IL and third baseman/second baseman Mike Moustakas is dealing with a wrist issue, the Brewers are left to hope for a Shaw revival.
While Shaw was an integral piece of the Brewers’ position player group from 2017-18, this year’s version has limped to a disastrous .145/.276/.279 line with six homers and a sky-high 32.5 percent K rate through 228 PA. Shaw has raked in the minors, however, having batted .286/.437/.586 (good for a 145 wRC+ in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League) and mashed 12 HRs in 174 trips to the plate.
The Brewers’ rotation, like Shaw, has gone through a less-than-ideal season – in part because emergent righty Brandon Woodruff went to the IL in late July with an oblique injury. They’re hopeful Woodruff will take the mound again in 2019, though.
“We’re trying to get him healthy for October,” manager Craig Counsell said (via McCalvy). “I mean, I think Brandon can play a huge part in this thing. The best-case scenario is obviously sometime late in the second half of September and October.”
Realistically, there won’t be an October for the sinking Brew Crew, but it would still be nice from the team’s perspective to see Woodruff finish this season healthy. The 26-year-old held his own in 117 2/3 innings before his IL placement, posting a 3.75 ERA (with a far better 3.09 FIP) and 10.4 K/9 against 2.22 BB/9. Woodruff has unquestionably been the Brewers’ most effective starter this year, and the fact that they’ve gone without him for several weeks has helped take a sledgehammer to their playoff chances.
Padres Place Francisco Mejia On IL
The Padres have placed backstop Francisco Mejia on the 10-day injured list, per a club announcement. He’ll be replaced by Austin Allen on the active roster.
Mejia is said to be dealing with an oblique strain. The severity isn’t yet apparent, but it seems likely to put the remainder of his season in jeopardy. While the youngster is optimistic of a quick turnaround, as AJ Cassavell of MLB.com tweets, the club will surely exercise caution. With just a month left to go, Mejia would have to bounce back rather quickly in order to see any further action in 2019.
If this is the end of the line for the current campaign, it’ll still go down as a reasonably successful one. The 23-year-old has bounced back from a dreadful start to the year with a strong second half, leaving him with a solid .263/.315/.439 slash over 222 plate appearances. He has graded well enough behind the plate.
Clearly, there’s still room to improve for a player who once rated as one of the game’s top prospects. But it seems fair to say that things have been headed in the right direction. Just how the Friars will handle the catching position for 2020 isn’t yet clear. The club could continue to platoon Mejia and Austin Hedges, though the latter has endured a miserable offensive campaign. It’s also possible that Mejia could be handed the reigns to the starting job with a veteran backup brought in to supplement him.
Dodgers Place Max Muncy On IL With Fractured Wrist
The Dodgers have seemingly avoided a worst-case scenario with injured infielder Max Muncy, but he’ll still hit the 10-day IL, the team announced Friday. The title contenders recalled infielder/outfielder Kristopher Negron from Triple-A Oklahoma City in a corresponding move.
Muncy left the Dodgers’ win over the Padres on Wednesday after taking a fastball off the right wrist from the Friars’ Matt Strahm. Although Dodgers manager Dave Roberts initially indicated Muncy had avoided a break, that isn’t the case. He did indeed suffer a fracture, according to the club. However, it’s not as dire as it sounds – Muncy called it “average” news, and added he could return within one or two weeks, Jorge Castillo of the Los Angeles Times tweets.
The Dodgers are laden with depth (star prospect Gavin Lux may be among second base possibilities if Muncy can’t come back quickly), but they obviously don’t want to go without Muncy for long as the playoffs near. The 2018 breakout performer has continued to stand out this year with a .253/.375/.525 line and 33 home runs across 534 plate appearances. Along with giving the Dodgers yet another formidable bat, Muncy has been one of many prominent multi-position options for the club. The 29-year-old has started at second base 59 times, first on 35 occasions and third for 24 games.
While the Dodgers can only hope Muncy will be back in short order, infielder David Freese and righties Dylan Floro and Ross Stripling (previously reported) are all set to come off the IL when rosters expand Sunday, per Castillo. Freese will slot back into the Dodgers’ lineup on a regular basis, Roberts announced, after sitting out more than a month with a left hamstring strain. The 36-year-old first baseman has missed time on two occasions this season with the same injury, but he has still enjoyed a marvelous campaign with the bat. On a per-PA basis, few major leaguers have been more effective than Freese, owner of a .300/.399/.579 line (155 wRC+) with nine homers in 163 trips.
Statistically, Floro has been among the Dodgers’ most reliable relievers in what has been a rickety bullpen in 2019. That’s not to say Floro has been lights-out, though – the team optioned him to the minors earlier this month, and he posted a 3.89 ERA/3.78 FIP with 7.3 K/9, 2.92 BB/9 and a 52.3 percent groundball rate before hitting the shelf Aug. 20 with a left intercostal strain. But he and Stripling still look as though they’ll help bolster the Dodgers’ staff to some degree with the postseason approaching.
Jonny Venters Undergoes Shoulder Surgery
Nationals southpaw Jonny Venters has undergone shoulder surgery, according to Jesse Dougherty of the Washington Post (via Twitter). The oft-injured hurler had a procedure to repair a torn capsule three weeks ago.
This is the latest major surgery for a player that has had more than his fair share of them already. Most notably, Venters has undergone three Tommy John procedures — making his presence on the big-league mound rather astounding.
Unfortunately, this’ll be another big rehab effort for the 34-year-old. He’ll need four months of rest and rehab before he’s even able to resume throwing. Dougherty says that Venters isn’t yet sure whether he’ll attempt yet another comeback.
After an exceptional early-career run with the Braves, Venters went five full seasons between MLB appearances. He bounced back with the Rays before coming home to Atlanta last year via trade, ultimately throwing 34 1/3 innings of 3.67 ERA ball with a monster 69.1% groundball rate for the season. Venters was cut loose after struggling early this year, but had just found a new opportunity in D.C. before the shoulder problems intervened.
Angels Exercise 2020 Option Over GM Billy Eppler
The Angels have exercised a club option over general manager Billy Eppler for the 2020 season, according to Fabian Ardaya and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic (Twitter link). His original contract came with a four-year term, with the club option for another.
That decision leaves the front office under Eppler’s guidance for at least one more campaign. Unless further contract talks take place, however, he won’t enjoy a longer-term commitment.
Eppler, who was previously one of Yankees general manager Brian Cashman’s top lieutenants in New York, took over the Angels’ front office in October 2015. The franchise hasn’t achieved ideal on-field results since Eppler grabbed the reins, though, as it has finished below .500 in each of his years at the helm. At 64-71 in 2019, the Halos are on their way to another disappointing campaign in the standings, and they’re sure to extend their playoff drought to a half-decade.
Of course, it would be unfair to place the Angels’ current struggles solely at Eppler’s feet. The sudden passing of quality starter Tyler Skaggs back on July 1 has been among the reasons the Angels’ season has come off the rails. Most teams likely would’ve had difficulty carrying on in the wake of such a tragedy.
Skaggs looked like a long-term building block for the Angels’ rotation – a group that’s lacking in that department. Consequently, upgrading the team’s starting staff will perhaps be the chief objective for Eppler during the upcoming offseason. Eppler swung and missed in that category last offseason with the short-term signings of Matt Harvey (one year, $11MM) and Trevor Cahill (one year, $9MM). Harvey’s no longer on the club, which released him last month, while Cahill lost his starting job earlier in the season and hasn’t exactly been a lights-out reliever. Eppler acknowledged a few weeks ago that there are some strong starters set for free agency, so he may well go that route to ameliorate his roster.
Regardless of whether Eppler reels in any prominent free agents in the coming months, the return of right-hander Shohei Ohtani in 2020 should go a long way toward bettering the Halos’ rotation. Eppler’s signature free-agent signing to date, Ohtani hasn’t been able to pitch this year after undergoing Tommy John surgery last October. Ohtani, Andrew Heaney and Griffin Canning (a second-round pick of the Eppler regime in 2017) are among a few promising starting options for the Angels going forward.
The 25-year-old Ohtani’s also indispensable to the team’s offense, which makes the hurler/DH arguably the most unique player in baseball. He’s among a few excellent offensive complements to the top player in the sport, center fielder Mike Trout, whom Eppler inherited. However, it’s obviously a feather in Eppler’s cap that he was able to extend the future Hall of Famer to a record 10-year, $360MM contract prior to the season. The Angels haven’t capitalized on Trout’s presence yet, but considering he’s now in line to finish his career with the organization, there’s plenty of time for that to occur.
Trout could be joined in the Angels’ outfield next season by young outfielder Jo Adell, who’s among the majors’ elite prospects. Adell, the 10th overall pick of the Angels in 2017, is the face of a farm system that has made notable improvements during Eppler’s tenure. Eppler inherited a group of farmhands that ranked near the bottom of the league, but FanGraphs recently placed it 11th in the game.
There have clearly been hits and misses during Eppler’s run in Anaheim, but at least for now, deep-pocketed owner Arte Moreno believes the good outweighs the bad. It remains to be seen, though, whether the Angels will exercise the same patience with Eppler a year from now if there isn’t legitimate progress in the win-loss department.
Braves Acquire Caleb Thielbar
The Braves have acquired lefty Caleb Thielbar from the Tigers, per an announcement from the Detroit organization. Cash considerations are going back in return.
Thielbar, 32, is several years removed from his last appearance in the big leagues. After wrapping up his time with the Twins, he spent two years in indy ball and then joined the Tigers before the 2018 campaign.
Since the start of the 2018 campaign, Thielbar has been a fixture in the Tigers’ upper-minors relief corps. He has been effective in fifty games this year, pitching to a 3.30 ERA with 10.8 K/9 and 1.9 BB/9 over 76 1/3 frames.
Since he is not playing on a MLB contract, Thielbar was eligible to be traded after July 31st. He’ll potentially be eligible for the postseason roster if the Braves decide to add him to their 40-man roster before tomorrow evening (or if they add him thereafter to replace an injured player). Odds are, the primary objective is to add some organizational depth and protect against any unforeseen problems that may arise.
Poll: NL Cy Young Favorite
Dodgers left-hander Hyun-Jin Ryu was arguably the favorite for the National League Cy Young Award just a couple weeks ago, though he’s now in the throes of a rough stretch that could damage his chances. After shutting out the Diamondbacks over seven innings on Aug. 11, Ryu was the proud owner of an incredible 1.45 ERA for the season. But since then, Ryu has trudged through three subpar starts, in which he allowed 18 earned runs on 25 hits over 13 2/3 innings. For reference, Ryu yielded a combined 18 earned runs across his previous 19 starts prior to his adverse run this mnth.
Despite his recent struggles, there is no question Ryu has been among the most effective hurlers in the NL this year. The pending free agent’s 2.35 ERA through 157 1/3 innings paces all qualified NL starters, while his K/BB ratio of 6.85 comes in second.Ryu’s advanced numbers – a 3.17 ERA, 3.42 xFIP and a 3.84 FIP with 4.2 bWAR/4.0 fWAR – aren’t quite as marvelous, but they still help place him smack dab in the Cy Young conversation with a month remaining in the regular season.
If Ryu’s going to take home the NL’s best pitcher honors on the cusp of a trip to free agency, there are a few starters he’ll have to fend off, including reigning winner Jacob deGrom. While the 31-year-old deGrom hasn’t been as unhittable as he was a year ago, when he posted a 217-inning season with 9.6 bWAR/9.0 fWAR, he he has been tremendous nonetheless. DeGrom has logged a 2.66 ERA/2.77 FIP with 11.4 K/9, 2.08 BB/9 and 5.6 fWAR/5.4 bWAR through 169 frames. As of now, he looks to have a real chance of repeating in the Cy Young race.
Back-to-back Cy Youngs aren’t foreign to Nationals right-hander Max Scherzer, a three-time winner who nabbed the award in consecutive seasons from 2016-17. Scherzer is currently leading NL pitchers in WAR, having notched a 2.46 ERA/2.22 FIP with 12.62 K/9 and 1.7 BB/9, though a relative lack of innings could be his undoing in the race. The 35-year-old has only thrown 142 2/3 after missing large portions of July and August with injuries. If you’re a voter who values dominance over innings, Scherzer should have a legitimate shot. Otherwise, considering health issues have prevented him from turning in a quality start since July 6, collecting a fourth Cy Young this year could be a tough task.
We’d be remiss to ignore that there are a few other potential winners in the NL, including two of Ryu’s teammates (Walker Buehler and Clayton Kershaw), a couple more Nationals (Patrick Corbin and Stephen Strasburg), a pair of Reds (Luis Castillo and Sonny Gray), and the Braves’ Mike Soroka. Although the rookie Soroka is a ROY long shot because of the prodigious power Mets first baseman Pete Alonso has demonstrated, Cy Young voters may not be able to ignore his excellence. Even lights-out Padres closer Kirby Yates and Pirates game-ending lefty Felipe Vazquez could garner consideration if voters are willing to entertain a reliever winning, though the fact that they’re neither starters nor on contenders should help take them out of the running.
There’s clearly no shortage of candidates, evidenced in part by this top five leaderboard of notable stats among starters:
- ERA – Ryu: 2.35; Soroka: 2.44; Scherzer: 2.46; deGrom: 2.66; Kershaw: 2.76
- Innings – German Marquez: 174; Strasburg: 171; Madison Bumgarner: 169 2/3; deGrom: 169
- Strikeouts per nine – Scherzer: 12.62; Robbie Ray: 11.82; deGrom: 11.4; Yu Darvish: 10.81; Buehler: 10.79
- K/BB ratio – Scherzer: 7.41; Ryu: 6.85; Buehler: 6.61; deGrom: 5.49; Kershaw: 5.13
- Wins (if those still matter to you) – Strasburg: 15; Castillo/Kershaw/Dakota Hudson: 13; Ryu: 12
- bWAR – Scherzer: 5.5; deGrom: 5.4; Soroka: 5.3; Corbin: 5.1; S. Gray: 4.6
- fWAR – Scherzer: 5.8; deGrom: 5.6; Buehler: 4.6; Strasburg: 4.5; Corbin: 4.3
It’s not easy to find a clear-cut favorite for NL Cy Young honors yet, which should make the last month of the campaign all the more intriguing if you’re interested in who collects season-ending hardware. With only a few weeks to go in 2019, which pitcher do you see as the favorite?
(Poll link for app users)
Who's the NL Cy Young front-runner?
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DeGrom 33% (1,448)
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Ryu 28% (1,237)
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Scherzer 25% (1,123)
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Other (specify in comments) 14% (608)
Total votes: 4,416
Indians Activate & Option Bradley Zimmer, Designate Jordan Stephens
The Indians announced that outfielder Bradley Zimmer has been activated from the 60-day injured list. He was optioned down to Triple-A, where had been playing on a rehab assignment.
To create a 40-man roster opening, the Cleveland organization designated righty Jordan Stephens for assignment. He’ll have to be exposed to waivers since trades are not permissible at this stage of the season.
A former top prospect, the 26-year-old Zimmer has missed the entire season owing to shoulder surgery. He’s also looking to bounce back from a brutal 2018 season at the plate. The athletic outfielder stumbled to a .226/.281/.330 slash in 114 MLB plate appearances in what turned out to be a lost campaign.
It’s far too early to draw any conclusions, but it’s promising to see Zimmer hitting well in his initial action in the upper minors. He has a .333/.412/.600 batting line with a pair of long balls in a dozen rehab contests. Whether that’ll carry over to the bigs — and when he’ll get a chance to test himself — remains to be seen.
As for Stephens, who’s nearing his 27th birthday, there have been some ups and downs this year. He was bludgeoned at Triple-A to open the year and ended up being claimed by the Indians from the White Sox. After a bounceback stretch at the Double-A level, Stephens again ran into the International League buzzsaw. All told, he has allowed 17 home runs and 66 earned runs in just 66 1/3 innings at the highest level of the minors this season.