MLB News and Notes – June 18
Before we head into this weeks MLB news and notes, I wanted to share this quote with you in honor of Fathers Day:
“There is something special about baseball that goes far deeper than being a game. It is the father-son relationship that is built, the life lessons that are taught in the process of playing a game and the ability to overcome not succeeding all of the time and still considering yourself a success.”
― JohnA Passaro, In the Zone and Other Sports Essays
Injury updates
Jorge Soler made a swift exit from Friday’s 7-3 loss to the Astros after fracturing the first metatarsal bone of his left foot. He incurred the injury on a groundout in the sixth inning, after which he was swiftly replaced by Whit Merrifield in the outfield corner. A CT scan on Saturday morning confirmed a fracture and Royals officials said he would miss a minimum of six weeks. Paulo Orlando will receive the nod in right field Sunday, but Jorge Bonifacio could end up being the primary replacement for Soler once his 80-game suspension concludes later this month.
Evan Longoria is slated to miss up to eight weeks after undergoing surgery on his broken finger this week. Longoria sustained the injury during Thursday’s game against the Marlins, during which he fractured the fifth metacarpal of his non-throwing hand on a hit by pitch. He was placed on the 10-day disabled list on Friday. Longoria hopeful that the recovery process won’t be quite as drawn-out as expected and may even allow him to reclaim his spot from Alen Hanson and Pablo Sandoval shortly after the All-Star Break.
Yeah, by now you’re getting the feeling that injuries are dominating the latest MLB news… But wait, there’s more…
Indians right-hander Carlos Carrasco survived a scary moment on the mound during Saturday’s 9-1 loss to the Twins. In the second inning, Joe Mauer hit a line drive back up the middle, where it deflected off of Carrasco’s right arm and immediately caused the pitcher to crumple in pain.
The Indians placed Carrasco on the 10-day disabled list with a right elbow contusion on Sunday. There’s still no word on the severity of his injury or the estimated length of his recovery process. The Indians recalled RHP Shane Bieber from Triple-A Columbus who got the start Sunday against the Twins.
https://twitter.com/MLB_News247/status/1008381393452187648
Folty to the DL, Teheran returns
After featuring him in last week’s MLB news article, The Braves put pitcher Mike Foltynewicz on the 10-day disabled list. It’s too early to know whether Foltynewicz’s triceps issue is a minor injury or a prelude to more substantive arm worries. Julio Teheran will take his place after being reinstated from the disabled list. Teheran was excellent in his return as he tossed six no-hit innings against the Padres. He walked three and struck out 11 batters on 95 pitches. He is owned in only about 50% of most leagues and is worthy of a pickup.
Kang One Step Closer
Hey, some MLB news that has nothing to do with injuries! Last Friday, Pirates infielder Jung Ho Kang was reinstated from the restricted list and optioned to Triple-A Indianapolis after missing last season and the first part of this year because of visa issues. Kang was unable to secure a work visa to travel from his native South Korea to the United States after he was arrested for DUI for the third time in December 2016.
Fantasy owners may want to take a look at Kang as he finished third in the 2015 NL Rookie of the Year voting after becoming the first native South Korean position player to make the jump from the Korea Baseball Organization to the major leagues. He hit .287 with 15 homers in 126 games that season and then .255 with 21 homers in 103 games in 2016. He has recently made statements that he is sober and fully committed to playing baseball.
Healing Angels needed in Los Angeles
The Los Angeles Angels recently made MLB news when they set a dubious record. They added four more players to the disabled list, bringing their total to a franchise-record 15 players on the DL at one time.
Infielder Zack Cozart went on the DL with a partially dislocated left shoulder, while right-hander Jim Johnson has a lower back strain. Additionally, right-hander Garrett Richards is nursing a strained left hamstring and right-hander Nick Tropeano has inflammation in his pitching shoulder. In case you are wondering, Shohei Ohtani is taking some one-handed swings as the Angels wait out his sprained elbow to be re-evaluated in a few weeks. Fantasy owners should keep an eye on their waiver wires in case some of the Angels are released due to roster constraints. They could be valuable acquisitions.
Sano demoted all the way to Single-A
The Minnesota Twins have demoted 2017 All-Star Miguel Sano to Class A Fort Myers. While the demotion all the way to Class A may seem drastic, the Twins want to get Sano close to the spring training facility so he can get as much work as possible while in the minors. Ehire Adrianza will see an increase in playing time as Eduardo Escobar has shifted over to third base, opening up shortstop for Adrianza on an everyday basis.
Acuna runs pain-free
Finally some positive MLB news! Ronald Acuna participated in his rehab’s most important base-running drills Saturday and will head to the team’s spring training facility to continue the rehab process. He has been on the disabled list since May 27 after suffering a sprained ligament and contusions in his left knee and lower back when he tumbled running through first base in Boston. Before spraining his ACL, Acuna posted a .779 OPS with five homers in 29 big league games.
With Ronald Acuña Jr. close to returning, @nickgreen20 breaks down what the next steps in his rehab process will look like in the upcoming weeks.#Braves | #ChopOn pic.twitter.com/sEq6XG0DV9
— Bally Sports: Braves (@BravesOnBally) June 17, 2018
Soroka back and available
Mike Soroka, the Braves’ No. 1 pitching prospect, returned from the disabled list to face the Mets. He’d been sidelined since May 17 with a muscle strain near his pitching shoulder. In that game against the Mets, he took a no-hitter into the seventh inning and ended up throwing 6 1/3 shutout innings, allowing one hit and one walk with four strikeouts. More importantly, he threw every pitch in his repertoire and his velocity was at its expected levels. Yes, it was the Mets, but it was still an impressive return.
Now healthy once again and with an ownership rate of around 30 percent, he should be added immediately in most leagues. He has the upside of a top-50 starting pitcher for the rest of the season.
Mike Soroka leads the way in @MBeller's weekly look at the fantasy baseball waiver wire https://t.co/Y7vjLWE7uT
— SI MLB (@si_mlb) June 16, 2018
Miggy suffers an unusual season-ending injury
Miguel Cabrera sustained a biceps tendon rupture against the Twins on June 12th. According to some medical experts, this is an unusual injury. The injury occurred while at bat when he swung and missed an off-speed pitch. Cabrera is a right-handed batter that sustained a biceps tendon rupture to his left arm. Physiologically the injury doesn’t quite make sense. Most commonly, the injury occurs when an athlete has a sustained contraction of the biceps with the palms facing upwards, such as when doing a biceps curl or lifting a heavy object. The biggest question is whether or not this a career-threatening injury. John Hicks, who filled in admirably when Cabrera was previously on the DL, will get the bulk of the playing time at first base.
Stay up to date with all the latest MLB news and how it affects fantasy by taking in the Launch Angle Podcast featuring Van Lee, Jeff Zimmerman, and Rob Silver.