The 2018 Major League Baseball Player Chatter, News and Fantasy Thread.

[yisman]

Joe FrisaroVerified account @JoeFrisaro 3m3 minutes agoMore



MLB has suspended #Marlins Jose Urena for six games and levied an undisclosed fine for intentionally hitting #Braves Ronald Acuna Jr. Scheduled to begin Friday, barring an appeal.

[BigSpoon]

Joe FrisaroVerified account @JoeFrisaro 3m3 minutes agoMore



MLB has suspended #Marlins Jose Urena for six games and levied an undisclosed fine for intentionally hitting #Braves Ronald Acuna Jr. Scheduled to begin Friday, barring an appeal.

A slap on the wrist, only gets his start pushed back one game. A minimum of 15 games might deter these actions so the the SP misses two starts at least.

[JMobile]

Puig suspended 2 games.

[Cross]

Urena is a thug, 6 games is a joke.

[EmpireMaker]

Rangers third baseman Adrian Beltre doesn’t seem to believe his latest hamstring injury is a particularly significant one, but nevertheless says it is impacting his thinking as he weighs whether to play another season. As Drew Davison of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram writes, Beltre emphasized that the hammy troubles have been with him for his entire career. But, he said, the latest tweak “brings the question of, ’Is this going to keep happening more often? Is it worth it to fight it back? Is it a sign that maybe it’s time to get close to say goodbye to you guys?'” While the remark certainly could be read as a suggestion that Beltre is preparing for the end of his playing career, it also clearly indicates he’s still pondering a continuation.
Here’s more from out west …

• It appears that Dodgers righty Kenta Maeda is not exactly thrilled with the team’s decision to utilize him as a reliever. As Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times wrote recently, Maeda artfully avoided any direct criticism of the move, but also declined to offer any indication that he is truly amenable to pitching from the pen. That’s understandable, given that he carries a 3.85 ERA in 110 innings on the season and certainly seems worthy of a MLB rotation spot. It probably doesn’t help that his incentive-heavy contract pays more if he racks up innings, though Maeda also tells Hernandez that the money isn’t an issue for him. While it isn’t hard to see why this is a disappointing development for the 30-year-old, it’s also understandable for a club that has six other starters with even better earned run averages and also has experienced significant bullpen issues of late.
• Despite those recent struggles in the relief corps, Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman tells Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times that he remains bullish on the pen’s outlook. With some hurlers expected to return from health issues — none more important than closer Kenley Jansen — the organization seemingly thinks it has enough pieces on hand to get things done. Indeed, Friedman even says he anticipates that the relief unit “will be a strength” down the stretch. That, per Friedman, is why the club set “a high bar for what [it was] looking to acquire” at the trade deadline. When nothing sufficiently intriguing came together, says the club’s top baseball exec, the decision was made to focus instead on boosting the ability to score runs. It certainly does not sound as if the Dodgers are particularly inclined to pursue further reliever acquisitions in August, though perhaps that still cannot be ruled out either.
• The Padres gambled in this past winter’s Rule 5 Draft by leaving slugger Franmil Reyes unprotected, writes MLB.com’s AJ Cassavell, and the towering outfielder is now forcing himself into the team’s long-term plans. Reyes acknowledges that he was “disappointed” to be left off the 40-man roster, though Cassavell reports that there was some strategy involved in that roll of the dice; Reyes underwent minor surgery on his hand not long before the deadline to set 40-man rosters in advance of the Rule 5, and the Padres felt it would lessen the chances of him being taken. That proved to be the case, and while Reyes’ overall .278 OBP is an eyesore, he’s demonstrated prodigious power and cut back on his strikeouts (admittedly, in a tiny sample) since returning from the minors — though he has also encountered a particularly dry spell of late. Between Reyes, Franchy Cordero, Manuel Margot, Wil Myers, Hunter Renfroe and Travis Jankowski (among others), the Friars’ front office will have some decisions to make this winter.

[Chi_archie]

urena is a thug, 6 games is a joke.

thug

[batt33]

Urena is a thug, 6 games is a joke.

What is that one start? Bs

[yisman]

Joey Votto's knee has been in poor shape yet the Reds kept playing him even though he could barely move this week.

Finally they put him on the DL.

[koz-man]

Mike Montgomery goes on the DL with left shoulder inflammation retroactive to Aug. 14. He felt discomfort in his bullpen session on Thursday leading to the DL stint. It means Tyler Chatwood will start in his place. Randy Rosario was recalled to take Montgomery's place on the roster. Initial prognosis of the injury is encouraging, per the team.

[BigSpoon]

Joey Votto's knee has been in poor shape yet the Reds kept playing him even though he could barely move this week.

Finally they put him on the DL.

They still had dreams of the WC spot, only 15 games back.

[El Nino]

They still had dreams of the WC spot, only 15 games back.

Their 2nd half record has to be pretty darn good.

[JMobile]

Dodgers back on track.

[Cross]

Lol at Reds dreaming of wildcard.

[EmpireMaker]

In his latest column, Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer calls it “unlikely” that outfielder Leonys Martin will play with the Indians again this season. A trade deadline pickup, Martin has been on the disabled list for more than a week after being diagnosed with a bacterial infection that, at one point, was considered to be life-threatening in nature. While all of baseball breathed a collective sigh of relief when the Indians announced that Martin was in stable condition and expected to make a full recovery, his absence puts Cleveland back in the same spot it was prior to acquiring him in late July. Michael Brantley is performing well again as the team’s regular left fielder, but the rest of the outfield mix is comprised by struggling rookie Greg Allen and poorly performing veterans Rajai Davis and Melky Cabrera. It seems reasonable to expect that the team will be on the hunt for additional outfield help between now and Aug. 31.
Here are some additional health updates from around the game:

• Indians skipper Terry Francona says the club anticipates that breakout righty Trevor Bauer will be sidelined for four to six weeks with a fibula stress fracture, as T.J. Zuppe of The Athletic was among those to tweet. That’s obviously a huge disappointment for a pitcher who has emerged as one of the best in baseball this year. With the postseason beckoning, it’s also a big concern for the Cleveland ballclub. Of course, the team will not need to worry about the loss down the stretch with the division all but in hand. But it’ll certainly be interesting to see just how Bauer is brought along as the playoffs approach.
• It was a mixed bag of injury news today for the Red Sox, who will send third baseman Rafael Devers to the 10-day disabled list while activating second bagger Ian Kinsler. No further roster moves will be necessary to accommodate the change. Devers is hitting the shelf for the third time in the last six weeks or so and it’s the second occasion as to which the hamstring is to blame. That said, it’s not clear that the organization really believes there’s cause for concern that Devers won’t be at full strength come October.
• Tigers backstop John Hicks likely won’t make it back this year after requiring abdominal surgery, as Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press recently reported. That’s a disappointing turn for a player who has turned in a solid performance in a robust role this year. Hicks, who is nearing his 29th birthday, has hit within range of league average at the MLB level since landing in Detroit. While he has been miscast as a part-time first baseman, his offensive work is more than adequate for a time-sharing catcher.
• The Rangers have placed center fielder Delino DeShields Jr. on the 10-day DL with a finger fracture. He suffered the break to the tip of his right middle finger. Drew Robinson will be recalled to take the roster spot. It has been a tough year at the plate for DeShields, who turned 26 just yesterday. He has swiped 18 bags on the year, but carries only a .204/.303/.272 slash over 348 plate appearances. As the Rangers look ahead to an offseason of uncertainty, they’d surely like to see DeShields in action as much as possible, so the hope will be that he can bounce back relatively quickly.
• Elsewhere in Texas, the slumping Astros were glad today to get some promising injury reports. Outfielder George Springer was activated off of the 10-day DL, as Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports (Twitter links). Meanwhile, star second bagger Jose Altuve will likely need a rehab stint but seems to be progressing from his knee issues. The ’Stros are trying to hold off a surprisingly strong challenge in the division.
• Nationals righty Jeremy Hellickson is destined for his own DL stint, as Pete Kerzel of MASNsports.com was among those to report. Fortunately, he’s dealing with a sprain rather than a break in his wrist, which was injured in a play at the plate. It seems the Nats are hopeful that Stephen Strasburg could be ready to return by Tuesday, when Hellickson was next scheduled to start. Losing Hellickson would only be the latest blow for an organization that has dealt with problem after problem in 2018. While it’s still not impossible to imagine a late surge, the Nats need all hands on deck to make a comeback plausible.
• For the Cardinals, it has been all positives of late. But the team could still stand to get a few pieces back. In particular, righties Michael Wacha and Carlos Martinez are on the come back trail. As MLB.com’s Jenifer Langosch tweets, Wacha is set to begin a rehab assignment in short order and Martinez is now working in a relief capacity in the minors. In the case of Martinez, the plan is for him to shift to the bullpen when he is ready to roll, which perhaps won’t be far off now that he’s pitching competitively.

[Otters27]

Rockies making a push. Evey game a must win now

[BarkingToad]

LOL, Baltimore Orioles 50.5 games behind

[Chi_archie]

LOL, Baltimore Orioles 50.5 games behind

not going to make it up

[El Nino]

LOL, Baltimore Orioles 50.5 games behind

Shit city, shit team.

[batt33]

LOL, Baltimore Orioles 50.5 games behind

That's crazy.....

[koz-man]

Pirates hit into 7 double plays, tying the franchise record.

[Cross]

How dare you call Baltimore a shit city. You got Frank Sibotka on the docks, Omar on the streets, Pryzbuloosky in the classroom, and McNutty in charge!!!

[JMobile]

It's safe to roll with the Dodgers again. Come on board, gents.

[BigSpoon]

A's caught the Astros in the standings with identical 74-49 records, but with a much worse RD. Crazy if its the Astros-Yankees in the AL WC game.

[EmpireMaker]

The Red Sox announced that they’ve placed left-handed ace Chris Sale on the 10-day disabled list, retroactive to Aug. 15, with mild inflammation in his pitching shoulder. The club recalled righty Brandon Workman from Triple-A Pawtucket in a corresponding move.
Sale previously went to the DL on July 31 (retroactive to the 28th) with the same injury, which perhaps makes this an alarming development for Boston. However, given that the Red Sox own the American League’s best record by a comfortable 10 1/2 games, this may be a precautionary move on their part as the playoffs draw closer. The last time he hit the DL, Sale missed a limited amount of time, returning Aug. 12 to run roughshod over the toothless Orioles in a five-inning, one-hit, 12-strikeout performance.
With his latest outing factored in, Sale has pitched to a stunning 1.97 ERA/1.96 FIP with 13.5 K/9 against 2.03 BB/9 in 146 innings this season. Even though 13 other AL starters have racked up more innings than Sale, he paces the league in fWAR (6.0). The seven-time All-Star, 29, may be on his way to his first Cy Young Award, then, though an extended stay on the shelf could derail that effort.

[BarkingToad]

Pirates hit into 7 double plays, tying the franchise record.

I think it tied major league record as well.

[Otters27]

A's caught the Astros in the standings with identical 74-49 records, but with a much worse RD. Crazy if its the Astros-Yankees in the AL WC game.

I definitely don't see Astros Winn the series again

[koz-man]

The Cubs scored exactly one run in each of their last 3 games, all via solo home runs. That hadn't happened to the franchise in the last 110 seasons, and it's first time since 2016 it happened in major league baseball.

The Cubs offense has been stuck in neutral essentially since the all-star break, attempting to pull the ball way too often, according to Joe Maddon: "We have to stay in the middle of the field. That's the one time this year that I thought we were a pretty powerful offense

[JAKEPEAVY21]

A's caught the Astros in the standings with identical 74-49 records, but with a much worse RD. Crazy if its the Astros-Yankees in the AL WC game.

much lower payroll as well...shocking that Oakland has such a great record.

[Cross]

Oakland by far my fave AL team. Go Moneyball!!

[Chi_archie]

much lower payroll as well...shocking that Oakland has such a great record.

fun team to follow

[BigSpoon]

much lower payroll as well...shocking that Oakland has such a great record.

Billy Beane does it again.

[batt33]

A's caught the Astros in the standings with identical 74-49 records, but with a much worse RD. Crazy if its the Astros-Yankees in the AL WC game.

How crazy is that, team chemistry works

[ApricotSinner32]

Can't buy a winner here pray for me boys..

[JMobile]

Can't buy a winner here pray for me boys..

Dodgers

[yisman]

Got an Australian Little Leaguer doing player introductions tonight at the Little League Classic in Williamsport.