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Latest On Ender Inciarte

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It appears the lumbar strain that sent Braves center fielder Ender Inciarte to the injured list May 15 will keep him out for “a while longer,” Tim Tucker of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes. Braves manager Brian Snitker said Saturday that Inciarte’s back is “still barking a little bit and giving him some problems,” adding he’s not ready to resume baseball activities.

A Brave since 2016, Inciarte was a valuable member of the club in his first three Atlanta seasons, combining for 8.9 fWAR in 1,956 plate appearances. Inciarte mixed roughly league-average offense with splendid defense and high-end base running in that span to make him one of the majors’ most underrated regulars. The Braves liked what they saw from the get-go, as they inked Inciarte to an extension worth a guaranteed $30.525MM in December 2016 – one year after robbing him from the Diamondbacks.

Although the 28-year-old Inciarte has generally been a solid cog for the Braves, 2019 has been a tough go so far. Before he went on the IL, Inciarte hit a career-worst .218/.300/.323 (64 wRC+) in 140 trips to the plate. A .260 batting average on balls in play, down from a .315 lifetime mean, has contributed to that unattractive line. At the same time, though, Inciarte has swung and missed more than ever en route to the lowest contact rate of his career. He’s also running a paltry .276 expected weighted on-base average that ranks toward the bottom of the majors and almost matches an even weaker .273 wOBA.

Inciarte’s injury has continued to help usher in a youth movement for Atlanta, a team that’s chock-full of young contributors. His IL placement led the club to shift budding superstar left fielder Ronald Acuna Jr. to center and promote touted prospect Austin Riley, who has dazzled in the majors since his May 15 debut. Riley’s presence has helped lift the Braves to an 8-3 record without Inciarte, giving the reigning NL East champions a 29-24 overall mark. Should that keep up, Inciarte may not be in for daily playing time when he’s able to return. The Braves have Josh Donaldson locked into Riley’s usual position (third base), after all, while durable right fielder Nick Markakis seldom sits and has gotten on base a hefty 38 percent of the time this year.

Francisco Cervelli Suffers Concussion

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Pirates catcher Francisco Cervelli exited the team’s game against the Dodgers on Saturday with concussion-like symptoms, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette was among those to report. Cervelli left after Dodgers outfielder Joc Pederson’s bat struck him in the head on a backswing.

This could be the latest in a frighteningly long line of brain injuries for Cervelli. The 33-year-old has dealt with well-documented concussion issues dating back to his time as a member of the Yankees, with whom he played from 2008-14, and they haven’t let up in Pittsburgh. Cervelli spent time on the injured list with a concussion on multiple occasions last season.

Injuries, not just to the head, have been an unfortunate hazard of the position for Cervelli throughout his time in the majors. Cervelli has been quite productive for most of his MLB career when he has taken the field, though he has only reached the 105-game mark once (in 2015). He appeared in 104 during his concussion-shortened 2018 campaign and was one of the Pirates’ best players, slashing .259/.378/.431 (125 wRC+) with a personal-high 12 home runs in 404 plate appearances.

So far this season, Cervelli hasn’t been able to build on his productive 2018 as he closes out a three-year, $31MM extension. An uptick in strikeouts, a decrease in walks and a power outage have limited Cervelli to a brutal .193/.279/.248 line (49 wRC+) and one homer in 123 trips to the plate. Backup Elias Diaz has offered similar numbers, leaving the Pirates in dire straits behind the plate.

Minor MLB Transactions: 5/25/19

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A look at a few minor 40-man roster transactions from Saturday…

  • The Phillies moved reliever David Robertson from the 10-day injured list to the 60-day version, clearing space for fellow righty J.D. Hammer’s promotion. Robertson went to the IL on April 15, so this shift means he’ll be out until at least mid-June. While Robertson was one of the Phillies’ many headline-grabbing additions in the offseason, when they signed him to a two-year, $23MM contract, a flexor strain has helped prevent him from making a positive impact. Across the 6 2/3 innings Robertson has thrown this season, the 34-year-old has only mustered a 5.40 ERA with matching strikeout and walk rates (8.10 per nine).
  • The Indians selected left-hander Josh D. Smith’s contract from Triple-A Columbus, per a club announcement. In other moves, they recalled outfielder Greg Allen and optioned righty Adam Plutko and catcher Eric Haase. The Indians’ 40-man roster is at 39 with Smith, a 29-year-old who’s in his first season with the organization after signing a minor league deal over the winter. Smith went to the Pirates in the 25th round of the 2012 draft, later joining the Red Sox (who currently employ the other Josh Smith) in 2017, but still hasn’t taken a big league mound. He earned a promotion on the strength of a 1.82 ERA with 11.68 K/9 and 3.65 BB/9 in 24 2/3 innings with Columbus.
  • The Mariners transferred reliever Sam Tuivailala from the 10-day IL to the 60-day shelf when they welcomed back third baseman Kyle Seager. Tuivailala, 26, is still on the mend from the right Achilles injury he suffered last August.

Pirates To Promote Mitch Keller

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The Pirates are set to promote top pitching prospect Mitch Keller, Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com reports. Keller will start one of the Pirates’ games against the Reds on Monday. The right-hander is already on the Pirates’ 40-man roster, so they won’t have to make a corresponding move in that regard.

Now 23, Keller joined the Pirates as a second-round pick (No. 64 overall) in the 2014 draft and has blossomed into a premier prospect during his time in the organization. MLB.com (No. 21), ESPN’s Keith Law (No. 24), Baseball America (No. 30) and FanGraphs (No. 37) each consider Keller one of baseball’s 40 finest farmhands. MLB.com notes Keller possesses a “plus 11-to-5 downer curve,” and BA lauds his “easy,” high-velocity fastball.

Keller’s primary offerings, not to mention his changeup and a newfound slider, have helped him ascend through the minors, though he’s still fairly new to the Triple-A level. He got to Pittsburgh’s top affiliate in Indianapolis for the first time last year, when he threw 52 1/3 innings, and has added another 47 this season. In those 99 1/3 frames, Keller owns a 4.17 ERA with 10.2 K/9 against 3.8 BB/9.

In his first taste of big league action, Keller will slot into a rotation which has been a mixed bag in 2019. The Pirates have gotten impressive production from Trevor Williams, Joe Musgrove and Jordan Lyles. But Williams is on the injured list, as is Jameson Taillon – the Pirates’ usual No. 1 starter. Taillon hasn’t pitched since May 1 because of an elbow injury and won’t return until at least July. Meanwhile, Chris Archer hasn’t performed to expectations since Pittsburgh acquired him in a blockbuster trade with Tampa Bay last summer. Likewise, Nick Kingham, Steven Brault and Montana DuRapau have struggled over a combined six starts.

Pittsburgh’s injuries and the issues in its rotation behind Musgrove and Lyles helped create an opening for Keller. It’s unclear how long Keller will stay up, but for now, the Pirates are left to hope he’ll come out firing and aid in their quest to earn a playoff spot.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Nationals Sign George Kontos

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The Nationals have signed right-handed reliever George Kontos to a minor league contract, per Mark Zuckerman of MASNsports.com. Kontos will report to Triple-A Fresno.

The Kontos signing is Washington’s latest attempt to ameliorate what has been an abysmal bullpen so far in 2019. The club’s relief unit has managed a catastrophic 7.09 ERA, which ranks last in the majors, as well as several other unsightly statistics. Having logged a 3.10 ERA in 357 combined innings with the Yankees, Giants, Pirates and Indians, Kontos may be able to help the Nationals’ cause if he returns to the majors in their uniform.

Unfortunately for Kontos and the Nats, he hasn’t been an effective big leaguer since 2017. The soft-tossing Kontos, 33, divided 2018 among three teams and pitched to a 4.39 ERA/5.60 FIP with 5.06 K/9 and 2.36 BB/9 across 26 2/3 frames. Kontos then settled for a minors deal with the Cubs in the offseason, but he didn’t catch on with them or any other major league organization until Saturday. Instead, Kontos has only pitched for the Long Island Ducks of the independent Atlantic League to this point.

Still No Timetable For Alex Wood’s Return

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Left-hander Alex Wood was one of the Reds’ key acquisitions during an eventful offseason for the club, but he still hasn’t made his Cincinnati debut two months into the campaign. Unfortunately, a return isn’t imminent for Wood, who has been dealing with back issues since late February. There remains no timetable for a comeback, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports, though manager David Bell said Saturday the Reds are hopeful Wood will begin a rehab assignment sometime soon.

The Reds’ rotation finished 25th in the majors in ERA and 26th in fWAR last year, spurring executives Dick Williams and Nick Krall to take action over the winter. Along with adding Wood, who joined the Reds in a December blockbuster with the Dodgers that also delivered outfielders Yasiel Puig and the since-released Matt Kemp to Cincy, the club picked up ex-Yankee Sonny Gray and former National Tanner Roark in trades with those franchises. The Gray and Roark acquisitions have worked out thus far, while Luis Castillo has blossomed into a front-line starter and fellow holdover Tyler Mahle has held his own. Consequently, the Reds boast a much-improved starting staff that sits fourth in the game in ERA and fifth in fWAR.

While it’s obvious the Reds’ rotation has made enormous strides this year, it’s fair to believe the unit would be even more formidable with Wood. Righty Anthony DeSclafani been a merely replacement-level option so far in 2019, whereas the 28-year-old Wood has been a quality performer since his career began with the Braves in 2011. He concluded his three-plus-year Dodgers tenure in 2018 with 151 2/3 innings of 3.68 ERA/3.53 FIP ball, 8.01 K/9 against 2.37 BB/9, and a 48.9 percent groundball rate.

Given Wood’s showing last year and his general track record, a healthy version could have helped the Reds push for a playoff spot this season (they’re 23-28, five games back of a wild-card spot and 7 1/2 out in the uber-competitive National League Central race). Wood also could have vied for a sizable payday going into the upcoming winter, given that he’s in his last season of team control. However, if Wood doesn’t come back strong sometime over the next couple months, he may be in for a disappointing trip to the open market.

Red Sox Notes: Price, Pedroia, Holt, Eovaldi

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Red Sox left-hander David Price exited his start in Houston on Saturday after facing just three hitters, according to reporters. Price was “laboring” during his abbreviated outing and saw his fastball top out around 90 mph, Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic tweets. It’s a notable decline for Price, who entered the start averaging 92.4 mph on his fastball. Furthermore, this was just Price’s second game since he missed two weeks on account of elbow inflammation. [UPDATE: The Red Sox announced that Price left because of flu-like symptoms.]

Here’s more out of Boston, courtesy of Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com (links here):

  • The Red Sox are shutting down injured second baseman Dustin Pedroia after he suffered a setback during a Double-A rehab game Friday. Boston will reevaluate Pedroia, whose oft-problematic left knee sent him to the injured list April 18, on Monday. Manager Alex Cora admitted this is “another red flag” for the 35-year-old Pedroia, who appeared in a meager three games during the Red Sox’s World Series-winning 2018 campaign and has only played in six this season. He remains a ways off from potentially factoring back into Boston’s lineup, Cotillo observes. If there’s a silver lining to Pedroia’s absence, it’s the emergence of second baseman Michael Chavis, a 23-year-old rookie who has taken the position and run with it so far.
  • While Pedroia’s nowhere close to returning, Boston’s position player group will add depth Sunday when injured utility player Brock Holt comes off the IL. Eye and shoulder issues have kept Holt out of the major league mix since April 5 and limited him to six games and 19 plate appearances. But the 30-year-old is only a season removed from slashing .277/.362/.411 (109 wRC+) and totaling 1.4 fWAR over 367 PA, a span in which he lined up all over the diamond (primarily second).
  • Right-hander Nathan Eovaldi is “coming along quickly” in his recovery from late-April elbow surgery, Cotillo writes. Eovaldi threw a bullpen session Saturday, his second since going under the knife, and could either throw a multi-inning sim game or embark on a rehab assignment next, per Cotillo. One of Boston’s second-half heroes in 2018, the 29-year-old Eovaldi got off to a rough start this season even before surgery, managing a 6.00 ERA/6.99 FIP with 6.86 K/9 and 4.71 BB/9 in 21 innings (four starts). Eovaldi’s in the first season of a four-year, $67.5MM contract, making his early 2019 struggles all the more alarming.

Jose Altuve Nearing Return

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Astros second baseman Jose Altuve, on the injured list since May 11, will start a rehab assignment with Triple-A Round Rock on Sunday, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle relays. The Astros are “hoping” to get Altuve back by Wednesday, their last contest before a seven-game road trip, general manager Jeff Luhnow said.

Altuve has missed the Astros’ past 13 games because of a left hamstring strain, making this just the second IL trip since his glorious career began in 2011. Although Altuve has been a linchpin in Houston throughout his big league tenure, the club has rolled to a 10-3 record without him to gain an even greater stranglehold on the American League West. Their success has come thanks in part to second base reserve Aledmys Diaz, who has enjoyed a well-timed hot streak in Altuve’s absence.

While Diaz has filled in with aplomb for Altuve, the latter’s return will make the juggernaut Astros that much stronger. The 29-year-old Altuve wasn’t as excellent as usual prior to landing on the shelf, but he still hit a respectable .243/.329/.472 (117 wRC+) with nine home runs and 18 walks against 25 strikeouts in 164 trips to the plate. A .234 batting average on balls in play, down 108 points from Altuve’s career mark (.338), has helped drag down the six-time All-Star’s numbers thus far.

Angels Place Matt Harvey On Injured List

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The Angels announced that right-hander Matt Harvey is heading to the 10-day injured list with an upper back strain. In other moves, the Angels recalled righty Taylor Cole from Triple-A Salt Lake, optioned reliever Luke Bard and reinstated reliever Luis Garcia from the IL.

Harvey’s injury continues what has been a disastrous campaign for the ex-Met and Red, whom the Angels signed to a one-year, $11MM guarantee in the offseason. Early in his Mets stint, Harvey was among the game’s brightest stars. However, he suffered multiple significant arm injuries as his New York tenure progressed and hasn’t been much more than a back-end starter in recent seasons.

To Harvey’s credit, after the Reds acquired him from the Mets last May, he pitched well enough to lock in a decent payday with the Angels. But the move hasn’t paid off at all for Los Angeles, which has seen the 30-year-old average fewer than five innings over his 10 starts and pitch to a horrid 7.50 ERA/6.11 FIP with 6.56 K/9 against 3.94 BB/9 across 48 frames. Among pitchers who have thrown at least 40 innings this season, Harvey ranks last in ERA, sixth worst in fWAR (minus-0.3) and 11th from the bottom in K/BB ratio (1.67).

Fortunately for the Angels, they’re set to welcome back Andrew Heaney to take Harvey’s place in their rotation. Heaney hasn’t pitched yet this season on account of elbow inflammation, but he was one of the Angels’ most effective starters a year ago. If his 2018 performance is any indication, Heaney should be an easy upgrade over Harvey.

Diamondbacks Designate John Ryan Murphy

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The Diamondbacks announced Saturday that they’ve designated catcher John Ryan Murphy for assignment. His 25-man roster spot went to right-hander Taylor Clarke, whom the Diamondbacks recalled from Triple-A El Paso. Clarke started Arizona’s game in San Francisco on Saturday.

We may have seen the last of Murphy in Arizona, where he has played since the club acquired him from Minnesota for lefty Gabriel Moya in July 2017. Since then, Murphy’s just a .195/.243/.383 hitter in 299 plate appearances. The 28-year-old has taken 69 trips to the plate this season and slashed .177/.250/.419 with four home runs and a whopping 40.6 percent strikeout rate, though he has acted as the personal catcher for righty Zack Greinke. Murphy has caught all 11 of Greinke’s starts and graded as a plus pitch framer.

For the Diamondbacks, the decision to move on from Murphy shows they’re committed to giving more playing time to Carson Kelly, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic writes. Kelly, whom the team acquired from St. Louis in the offseason as part of the clubs’ Paul Goldschmidt trade, has come out of Yadier Molina’s shadow to perform well so far in 2019. He and Alex Avila will comprise the D-backs’ top two catchers going forward.

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