Ehire Adrianza Suffers Oblique Strain
Twins utilityman Ehire Adrianza left the team’s game against the Nationals on Thursday with a right oblique strain, Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com was among those to report. Considering oblique strains often lead to weeks-long absences, it’s possible this will end Adrianza’s season.
A lengthy absence for Adrianza would count as yet another unfortunate late-season development in a growing line of them for Minnesota. Even though the club’s 89-56 and seemingly on its way to an American League Central title, it has absorbed multiple blows in recent days. Right-hander Michael Pineda won’t pitch again this year as a result of a 60-game suspension, while center fielder Byron Buxton‘s season is done thanks to shoulder surgery.
Adrianza probably isn’t as important to the Twins’ cause as Pineda or Buxton, but the 30-year-old has nonetheless been a solid contributor this season. The switch-hitting Adrianza has slashed a career-best .272/.349/.416 (102 wRC+) with five home runs in 236 trips to the plate. On the other side, Adrianza has amassed 20-plus appearances at three infield positions – first, third and short – and has also seen time at second and in the corner outfield. Fortunately for the Twins, they do have other prominent versatile options, which is among the reasons they’re in the catbird seat in the AL Central. Luis Arraez and Marwin Gonzalez, for instance, can each handle multiple spots with aplomb, though the latter’s dealing with an injury in his own right. The Twins subbed in the just-selected Ronald Torreyes for Adrianza at short on Thursday.
Dodgers Notes: Muncy, Alexander, Turner, Lux
Let’s check in on the best team in the National League…
- Expectations are that the Dodgers will activate infielder Max Muncy from the injured list Friday, Jorge Castillo of the Los Angeles Times relays. Muncy hasn’t played since he suffered a fractured right wrist Aug. 28, but it obviously wasn’t an overly serious injury. The 29-year-old is the Dodgers’ go-to option at second base, though his injury helped open the door for the promotion of highly touted prospect Gavin Lux, who has performed well over a small sample of plate appearances thus far. But Muncy’s among the Dodgers’ best hitters, evidenced by his .253/.375/.525 line with 33 home runs in 534 PA, and they’ll be happy to welcome him back with a couple weeks left before the playoffs begin.
- Left-handed reliever Scott Alexander underwent surgery to address a nerve issue in his pitching hand, Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register tweets. The 30-year-old, who hasn’t pitched since the first week of June, wasn’t going to return this season anyway. It’s unclear, though, how long it will take him to recover from this procedure. Alexander has thrown just 17 1/3 innings this year on account of forearm issues. While Alexander was among the game’s foremost southpaw relievers as recently as 2017, when he was with the Royals, his two years with the Dodgers have been somewhat disappointing. He owns a 3.67 ERA/3.88 FIP with 7.02 K/9 and 3.67 BB/9 across 83 1/3 innings as a Dodger, though he has posted an eye-popping 68.5 percent groundball rate in that span.
- More from Plunkett, who reports that third baseman Justin Turner is day-to-day with a mild ankle sprain. That’s a relief for Los Angeles, which has gone without Turner’s services since last Saturday. The 34-year-old went without a hit in two at-bats then, but has otherwise enjoyed yet another outstanding season. Turner’s a .291/.370/.514 hitter with 27 home runs and 3.4 fWAR in 538 trips to the plate.
- Dodgers director of amateur scouting Billy Gasparino recently reflected on the drafting of Lux in a chat with Kyle Glaser of Baseball America. Although Lux just won Baseball America’s Minor League Player of the Year honors, it was seen as something of a reach when the Dodgers chose the former Wisconsin high schooler 20th overall in the 2016 draft. He impressed Dodgers scouts throughout that year, though, and when the draft rolled around, they took him over an unidentified college pitcher who was also high on their board. “His overall talent level and character assessments were so high, we just felt like, a little bit of liking him just a little bit more than the college pitcher and some of just draft strategy of taking the bat there and getting pitching later,” Gasparino said. The 21-year-old Lux has since surpassed the organization’s expectations, according to Gasparino.
Nick Senzel Done For Season Due To Torn Right Labrum
Nick Senzel‘s season is over, as the Reds outfielder has suffered a torn right labrum, The Athletic’s C. Trent Rosecrans reports (Twitter link). Senzel has missed four of Cincinnati’s last seven games due to the shoulder injury, and only took one plate appearances over the other three games.
Senzel will finish with a .256/.315/.427 slash line and 12 homers over 414 plate appearances, while also stealing 14 bases in 19 chances. With only an 89 OPS+ and wRC+, it wasn’t quite the big breakout the Reds and their fans were hoping for from one of the game’s top prospects, though it’s worth noting that a sprained ankle suffered late in Spring Training kept Senzel from taking the field until April 23, and delayed his Major League debut until May 3.
Perhaps most troublingly, the 24-year-old is already amassing a rather lengthy injury history just four years into his pro career. Senzel played just 44 total games (all at Triple-A) in 2018 due to a broken finger and a bout of vertigo, which also cost him time in 2017. The Reds were going to send Senzel to the Arizona Fall League for more seasoning, only to drop those plans when elbow surgery sidelined him for much of October and November of last year.
Through it all, Senzel also had to take on a brand-new position, as Cincinnati shifted him into center field duty. Since he’d never played center field prior to 2019, Senzel’s slightly below-average defensive metrics (-2.1 UZR/150 and -1 Defensive Run Saved) are actually more than respectable. It seems likely that the Reds will continue to use Senzel in center going forward, though now that Scooter Gennett is no longer in the picture, one wonders if the club would consider having Senzel split time between both second base and center field. Senzel’s original third base position, of course, is blocked by slugger Eugenio Suarez.
It isn’t known if Senzel will require shoulder surgery, though president of baseball operations Dick Williams suggested Thursday that Senzel could be ready for Spring Training either way (link via Daniel Kramer of MLB.com).
Selected as the second overall pick in the 2016 draft, Senzel’s hitting ability has been highly regarded since his days at the University of Tennessee. Senzel hit .312/.388/.508 with 28 home runs over 1028 PA in the minors, including an .853 OPS over 231 PA at the Triple-A level.
Hunter Pence On Future Plans, Possible Rangers Return
For the short term, Hunter Pence is focused only on returning to the Rangers’ lineup before the season is out. As far as 2020 goes, Pence told reporters (including T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com) that he will head into the offseason in preparation of playing next year and potentially spending another season with Texas, though nothing is yet certain.
“I would love to be a part of this organization. There is a lot to be excited about with the young talent,” Pence said. “I think there is a wealth of talent here. But I haven’t decided completely what I am going to do next….I want to feel healthy and be able to contribute. I don’t know what the opportunities are going to be. Somebody has got to want me and make an offer.”
Though Pence turns 37 in April, there will certainly be some free agent interest in his services following a tremendous comeback season. After a pair of subpar, injury-hampered seasons with the Giants, Pence inked a minor league deal with the Rangers and ended up an All-Star for the fourth time in his career. Pence has hit .297/.358/.552 with 18 home runs over 316 plate appearances, and while there was perhaps a touch of good luck baked into his performance (his .382 wOBA was well in front of his .358 xwOBA), he’s still in the 80th percentile of all hitters in xwOBA and the 90th percentile in exit velocity. In fact, Pence is hitting the ball harder than ever — his 42.5% hard-hit ball rate is by far the highest of his 13-year career.
Health will definitely factor into Pence’s decisions. In addition to a groin strain that cost him a month of the season, his current back issue is no small matter, as he said he has a small disk tear. He has begun rotation exercises but not any actual swinging. “I don’t think it’s a surgical thing, but if I mess it up, it could be,” Pence said, noting that while he wants to get back onto the field, he won’t take any unnecessary risks.
Pence has played 23 games as a corner outfielder this year and 46 as a designated hitter, mostly splitting time with Shin-Soo Choo in the latter role. With the veteran Choo still under contract through 2020 and also better suited for DH duty at this stage in his career, having both Pence and Choo in an outfield/DH timeshare is perhaps a bit of a redundancy for a Texas club that also has other outfield options in Joey Gallo, Willie Calhoun, Nomar Mazara, and utilityman Danny Santana. Trades could open up some room, of course, and Santana’s ability to play all over the field could see him earn more time as a corner infielder than in the outfield.
Rangers manager Chris Woodward acknowledged the logjam, saying “I just don’t know where we stand from a roster standpoint. Is it going to be a fit or not? Do I want him? 100 percent. There is no doubt about that. It’s just a matter if it fits or not, [that’s] the question.“
Shohei Ohtani To Undergo Season-Ending Knee Surgery
5:23PM: Ohtani’s recovery from his knee surgery shouldn’t impact his Tommy John rehab or his readiness for Spring Training or the start of the 2020 season, Eppler told Maria Torres of the Los Angeles Times and other reporters.
3:52PM: Angels DH Shohei Ohtani will undergo surgery on his left knee tomorrow, as per a statement from team GM Billy Eppler (Twitter link). The procedure will focus on Ohtani’s bipartite patella, and it will keep Ohtani on the mend for roughly eight to twelve weeks.
On paper, this should leave Ohtani with plenty of time to be healthy and ready for Spring Training, though one potential wrinkle could be how this latest injury impacts Ohtani’s ongoing recovery from Tommy John surgery. Ohtani underwent the elbow procedure last October and, by all accounts, has been progressing nicely, though this knee issue is certainly an unwelcome complication to the already unique situation facing Ohtani as a two-way player.
The TJ recovery kept Ohtani from making his 2019 debut until May 7, and he was limited strictly to designated hitter duty in his second big league season. While his numbers took a step back from his 2018 totals, Ohtani went from being elite in his rookie to “merely” very good in 2019, cracking 18 homers and slashing .286/.343/.505 over 425 plate appearances. It works out to a solidly above-average 122 OPS+ and wRC+, with a .350 xwOBA that only slightly lags behind his .357 wOBA.
The dropoff in production could mark something of a sophomore slump as pitchers get more used to Ohtani, though it could also represent his extra challenges of both coming back from Tommy John surgery as a position player while still continuing to rehab his throwing arm for his expected return to the mound in 2020. Needless to say, the Angels will be as cautious as possible in monitoring the phenom’s health throughout the offseason and Spring Training, given Ohtani’s dual importance to both the team’s lineup and rotation.
Giants Sign Andrew Triggs To Minors Contract
In a transaction that flew under the radar back on August 30, the Giants signed righty Andrew Triggs to a minor league deal, as per Roster Roundup (Twitter link).
Triggs hasn’t pitched since an April 10 appearance for Oakland’s Triple-A affiliate. It was almost a full year ago that Triggs underwent thoracic outlet syndrome surgery, and he pitched in just three games for Triple-A Las Vegas before going on the injured list for the remainder of the season. The A’s released Triggs in early August.
It stands to reason that Triggs’ Giants deal could be a two-year contract, as the team didn’t get an opportunity to see him in any sort of competitive environment in their system, and a deal that covers the 2020 season would allow the Giants to more fully evaluate the 30-year-old’s health and readiness to possibly contribute next season.
Prior to his TOS surgery, Triggs posted a 4.53 ERA, 8.17 K/9, 49.6% grounder rate, and 2.96 K/BB rate over 163 innings for the Athletics from 2016-18, starting 27 of his 45 career Major League games. He also went under the knife in 2017, as his season was cut short by hip surgery in July of that year.
Braves Activate Grant Dayton, Place A.J. Minter On 60-Day IL
The Braves have exchanged one left-handed reliever for another off the 60-day injured list. The club announced that Grant Dayton has been activated, while A.J. Minter‘s season was placed on the IL due to inflammation in his throwing shoulder, which will end his season.
After missing all of 2018 due to Tommy John surgery, Dayton returned to a big league mound for 8 1/3 innings over 10 games for Atlanta this season, posting a 2.16 ERA and 11.9 K/9 over his brief stint. A fractured big toe sent him to the injured list on July 12, however, so Dayton will return after exactly a two-month absence. Over 58 1/3 career innings with the Braves and Dodgers, Dayton has dominated left-handed batters (holding them to a .574 OPS) and also performed quite well against righty batters (.711 OPS) en route to a 3.24 ERA, 3.33 K/BB rate, and 10.8 K/9.
As a whole, Atlanta’s bullpen has middle-of-the-pack type of numbers against left-handed hitters this season, so Dayton could provide more of an overall boost than Minter, who has struggled through a very rough campaign. After breaking out and even stepping into a part-time closer role for the Braves in 2018, Minter has a 7.06 ERA over 29 1/3 innings this year, due in large part to major control issues. He has issued 23 walks (18 international) over those 29 1/3 IP, making for a 7.1 BB/9 that more than doubles his previous highs in that category at either the MLB or minor league levels.
Edwin Encarnacion Leaves Game With Left Oblique Strain
4:34PM: The initial feeling is that Encarnacion’s injury isn’t overly serious, manager Aaron Boone told reporters (including Newsday’s Erik Boland).
3:29PM: Yankees designated hitter Edwin Encarnacion left today’s game with the Tigers in the seventh inning due to what the team called a left oblique strain. The slugger will return to New York to receive tests.
More will be known once Encarnacion is examined by doctors, but on the surface, it’s yet another in a seemingly endless series of injuries to Yankee players this season, and one that could have major ramifications on the postseason roster. Most oblique injuries generally carry a recovery timeline of 3-4 weeks, though depending on the severity of the strain, Encarnacion may well have taken his last at-bat in 2019.
It already doesn’t look like Aaron Hicks will be back for the postseason, while Mike Tauchman has been more definitively been ruled out for the next 6-to-8 weeks. One plus is the impending return of Giancarlo Stanton, and if Encarnacion is out, putting Stanton into the DH spot would be a natural move to help keep Stanton fresh and healthy after missing almost all of the 2019 campaign with a variety of injuries. If the Yankees are okay with using Stanton in the outfield, Clint Frazier or Mike Ford could also see DH duty, or the Yankees could split first base and DH between DJ LeMahieu and Luke Voit.
Encarnacion has been no stranger to the injured list since coming to New York from the Mariners in a June trade. He only just returned from the IL on Sept. 3 after missing a month of action with a right wrist fracture. When he has been in the lineup, Encarnacion has delivered his typically impressive performance at the plate, hitting .244/.344/.531 with 34 homers over 486 combined plate appearances for New York and Seattle this season.
Royals Claim Randy Rosario
The Royals have claimed southpaw Randy Rosario off waivers from the Cubs, as per a team announcement. Rosario was designated for assignment by Chicago earlier this week. To create a 40-man roster spot, Kansas City recalled infielder Kelvin Gutierrez and placed him on the 60-day injured list.
Rosario posted a 5.91 ERA over 10 2/3 innings for the Cubs this season, a decided step back from the 3.66 ERA he delivered over 46 2/3 relief frames in his 2018 rookie season. Per ERA predictors, however, Rosario was fortunate (4.68 FIP, 4.60 xFIP, 4.74 SIERA) to escape at least an extra run’s worth of damage in 2018, as the grounder specialist only notched a 5.79 K/9.
This season saw Rosario miss more bats to the tune of an 8.4 K/9 in his brief time in Chicago, though his Triple-A numbers (3.11 ERA, 2.21 K/BB rate, 7.4 K/9) were almost an exact match for his career numbers over 413 minor league innings in the Cubs’ and Twins’ organizations. Rosario has shown some very good splits against left-handed batters, giving him a possible path to regular work as a specialist in Kansas City’s bullpen.
Indians To Promote James Karinchak
The Indians are calling up right-hander James Karinchak, ESPN.com’s Jeff Passan reports (Twitter link). Cleveland has a full 40-man roster, so a move will have to be made to accommodate Karinchak prior to tomorrow’s game.
A ninth-round pick for the Tribe in the 2017 draft, Karinchak made his Triple-A debut in 2019 and posted a 4.67 ERA over 17 1/3 relief innings. Beyond that fairly unimpressive mark, however, stands an eyebrow-raising strikeout total — Karinchak struck out 42 batters in his brief time at Triple-A Columbus, continuing an incredible season of missing bats for the 23-year-old. Over 30 1/3 total minor league innings in a year shortened by hamstring injuries, Karinchak has 74 strikeouts.
MLB.com ranks Karinchak as the 21st-best prospect in Cleveland’s farm system, giving high grades on the 20-80 scouting scale to his 95-98mph fastball (a 70 grade) and a “12-to-6 curveball that he can get them to chase out of the bottom of the zone” (60 grade). Between a high arm slot and a tendency to overthrow, however, Karinchak has also had problems limiting free passes. He has a 5.5 BB/9 over his 102 1/3 career minor league innings, and a 6.8 BB/9 at Columbus this season.
The Tribe will hope that Karinchak’s live arm can help reinforce a bullpen that has fallen on hard times recently. Closer Brad Hand‘s recent struggles are the largest concern, though Cleveland relievers as a whole have a cumulative 5.20 ERA over the last 30 days, the fifth-highest mark of any team’s relief corps over that span. While Indians relievers have been pretty good as a whole all season, they rank near the middle of the pack in K/9, so Karinchak promises a particular boost in that department.