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Washington Nationals second baseman Daniel Murphy is recovering from a hamstring injury and hasn’t played since the All-Star Game on July 12. An exact return date has yet to be announced. 

Continue for updates.

Rizzo Comments on Murphy’s Recovery

Sunday, July 17

MLB Network Radio provided a synopsis of Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo’s comments on Murphy’s status: “Murphy’s fine. [One hundred percent] ready to go. With [the] first couple wins of [the] series, we figured we’d keep him out today. Basically his All-Star break.”

Murphy Out vs. Pirates

Sunday, July 17

Mark Zuckerman of MASN noted Murphy will be out of the lineup against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday.

This is the third straight game Murphy is set to miss. The Nationals are off on Monday and host the Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday.

Murphy Struggles to Stay Healthy

Murphy has been susceptible to injuries over the past two years, spending time on the disabled list because of a strained quad (2015) and strained calf (2014). Neither was devastating, though he did miss a total of 51 games.

A consistent regular-season performer throughout his career, Murphy briefly became a legend for the New York Mets last October with seven home runs across the National League Division Series and Championship Series, including an MLB playoff-record six consecutive games with a homer.

The 31-year-old picked up where he left off for the Nationals. His .348 batting average leads Major League Baseball, and he’s already set a career high with 17 home runs in 87 games. 

Second base has been a problematic position for years in Washington, mostly because Danny Espinosa and Anthony Rendon haven’t been able to stay healthy. The addition of Murphy has stabilized the position.

With Murphy out, manager Dusty Baker has turned to Stephen Drew at second base for the time being. The Nationals do have a seven-game lead over the Mets and Miami Marlins in the National League East, so they can afford to be patient with Murphy. 

The Nationals have a solid lineup, led by Bryce Harper and the breakout performance from Wilson Ramos, but Washington doesn’t have the kind of depth to deal with a long-term injury to one of its key players. 

Murphy has been tremendous so far this season. His bat is one of the biggest reasons for Washington’s success, so making sure he’s healthy for the stretch run is of the utmost importance. 

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After recently being declared a free agent by Major League Baseball, Cuban star Yulieski Gourriel has agreed to terms on a contract with the Houston Astros. 

Per MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez, Gourriel’s agreement with the Astros is for $47.5 million over five years.  

Gourriel defected from Cuba in February with the goal of playing in MLB, per Sanchez.

Once he was declared a free agent on June 13, bidding was open to all 30 teams. He was exempt from usual international spending rules because of his age (32) and having more than five years of experience in Serie Nacional. 

Even though Gourriel has not played in a professional game since 2015, scouting reports believe that he is ready to step onto an MLB field quickly. 

Dave Defreitas of 2080Baseball.com broke down Gourriel’s strengths as a player, which largely rest on his exceptional hitting abilities, based on evaluations from 2014 when he played in the Nippon Professional Baseball League:

He proceeded to hit .305 with an OPS of .894, including 11 HRs and 22 doubles in 239 ABs with Yokohama. This was the player scouts were expecting to see the year before. He showed good actions, above-average bat speed, and continued showing power to the middle of the field. He still showed off a solid above-average arm and what should translate to a solid-average defense at third base in the big leagues. 

John Manuel of Baseball America said Gourriel has “classic third base tools with arm strength, body control and plus power.”

Gourriel may have added leverage in his negotiations: At this point in the year, with teams seeking trades to upgrade their rosters, clubs had to give up only money, not prospects, in order to acquire him.

There’s also the matter of next winter’s crop of free agents being particularly weak. Jose Bautista is the big name in the group, but he’s going to be 36 in October. Edwin Encarnacion turns 34 in January. Ian Desmond, who is having a terrific bounce-back season in Texas, will likely be the best player available. 

This was the perfect time for Gourriel to be declared a free agent and maximize his earnings potential as a 32-year-old. 

The Astros are an interesting fit for Gourriel because they don’t have an opening at third base since Luis Valbuena is playing well. Carlos Correa is also capable of sliding over to the position if the team wants to call up top prospect Alex Bregman to play shortstop down the stretch. 

Bregman is also an option at third base if the Astros believe that Correa’s defense at shortstop is not a concern. Jose Altuve is locked in at second base, so Gourriel could potentially fill a corner outfield spot. 

It’s never a bad thing to have too many hitters, especially for a team in the pennant race that could potentially look to upgrade its roster before the trade deadline, but Gourriel doesn’t seem to be joining a situation that will give him a lot of at-bats in the near future. 

Finding a hitter, especially at this point in the season, is often difficult because teams only have so much money available and dealing prospects has become increasingly taboo since they are more cost-effective than spending in free agency. 

Cuban defectors have a mixed track record in MLB. Yoenis Cespedes and Jose Abreu are among the great success stories. Yasiel Puig has been dogged by injuries and inconsistent play over the last two years. Rusney Castillo’s tenure with the Boston Red Sox ended when he was waived less than two years after signing a $72 million deal. 

Gourriel is the next player on that list who will have sky-high expectations. He will have pressure on him as soon as he laces up the cleats, but his natural ability and advanced age give him the experience needed to be a quality big leaguer for the next few years. 

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With the Pittsburgh Pirates suddenly having an abundance of starting pitchers to choose from, Jon Niese is emerging as a potential trade candidate.   

Continue for updates. 

Niese on Trade Block

Thursday, July 14

According to Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune, the Pirates are “trying to move Niese and/or [Jeff] Locke” to make room in their starting rotation. 

News of Niese’s availability is hardly a surprise. Biertempfel reported on July 6, one day before Tyler Glasnow was called up from Triple-A, that the Pirates “quietly contacted” other teams around the league to gauge their interest in the 29-year-old. 

Niese has been a disappointment in Pittsburgh this season after being acquired in a trade with the New York Mets. He owns a 5.13 ERA with 124 hits, 20 home runs allowed and 71 strikeouts in just 101.2 innings pitched. 

The Pirates were forced to stick with Niese in the rotation because they didn’t have other options available or ready, but that’s quickly changing. Glasnow, who was sent back down to Triple-A on July 8, was not listed in the Indianapolis Indians‘ rotation on Wednesday, per Biertempfel. 

They also have Gerrit Cole coming off the disabled list for a start Saturday. They called up Jameson Taillon last month. Francisco Liriano and Chad Kuhl are slated to start in the first series with Cole out of the All-Star break. 

At 46-43, Pittsburgh is 1.5 games out of a playoff spot. It doesn’t have time to wait for Niese to figure things out, with teams such as the Los Angeles Dodgers, Miami Marlins, St. Louis Cardinals and Mets in the wild-card mix. 

Niese’s contract holds two team options for 2017 and 2018 with a $500,000 buyout, per Baseball-Reference.com. His lackluster performance this year will make it hard for those options to get picked up, but his experience would provide some insurance for a team in need of rotation depth to make it through the rest of 2016 without burning through a young arm.

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As the San Diego Padres plan for the future, they continue to raid the Boston Red Sox‘s loaded farm system to find answers.

Per Evan Drellich of the Boston Herald, the Padres acquired minor league right-hander Anderson Espinoza from the Red Sox on Thursday. Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune reported the Red Sox received All-Star left-hander Drew Pomeranz in the deal. 

The Padres know Boston’s farm system well, having acquired outfielder Manuel Margot, shortstop Javier Guerra, infielder Carlos Asuaje and lefty Logan Allen in exchange for Craig Kimbrel in November. 

It’s an excellent system to raid if you need prospects, which the Padres do after Baseball America ranked their system as the 25th-best in Major League Baseball in February.

Espinoza gives the Padres an electric arm they can potentially build their starting rotation around in the future. He is a risky bet at just 18 years old, but the Venezuelan is already pitching in Low-A and has held his own.

Those numbers are especially impressive considering Espinoza started the year as the youngest player in the South Atlantic League. 

Oh, did I mention the stuff?

Espinoza has a dazzling arm that scouts are drooling over. MLB.com ranked him as the 34th-best prospect in its most recent update, offering this synopsis of his talent:

Because of Espinoza’s small stature, big stuff and precocious command, he draws some extreme comparisons to Pedro Martinez. With little effort in his delivery, he usually works at 94-97 mph with his fastball. Both Espinoza’s tight curveball and sinking changeup are more advanced than those of the typical teenager, showing the potential to become plus pitches.

The main concern as Espinoza continues to climb the ladder will be his durability. He’s been terrific so far, but he has thrown only 76 innings over 17 starts. He also stands at just 6’0″ and 160 pounds, per MiLB.com.

As Espinoza continues to move through the minors, he will have to take on a greater workload while continuing to pump 90-plus mph heaters and sharp curveballs every fifth day. 

A reasonable comparison is Carl Edwards Jr., whom the Chicago Cubs acquired from the Texas Rangers as part of a trade for Matt Garza in 2013. He is taller than Espinoza at 6’3″, but he’s also thin at 170 pounds and struggled to stay healthy as a starter in 2014 before the Cubs moved him to the bullpen. 

The team can use Espinoza as a closer or high-leverage late-inning reliever. But it didn’t trade an All-Star left-hander who has two more years under team control in hopes of finding a bullpen arm.

Espinoza’s ceiling is off the charts, making him a worthy gamble for the rebuilding Padres.

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One big part of Major League Baseball’s annual All-Star festivities is the All-Star Celebrity Softball Game, featuring some of the biggest stars in pop culture and baseball legends teaming up for bragging rights. 

This year’s game promises to be a memorable affair, with stars such as Jamie Foxx and Terry Crews set to lace up their cleats alongside Hall of Famers such as Andre Dawson and Rickey Henderson. The game will be taped after Sunday’s MLB Futures Game but air Monday night on ESPN after the Home Run Derby. 

In anticipation of the star-studded game at Petco Park in San Diego, California, here’s the official roster of players participating and viewing information.

Roster

Viewing Information

MVP Prediction

There is no shortage of options for the potential MVP of the All-Star Celebrity Softball Game. The list of baseball legends playing in the game is a good place to start looking, with Henderson being a strong candidate because no one likes the spotlight more.

Henderson is no stranger to this game, with this being his sixth trip. Even at 57 years old, he probably still believes he would be the best leadoff hitter in MLB if a team would sign him.

However, looking at the list of non-baseball players in the game, it’s more fun to think about what they are capable of doing.

For instance, Mark-Paul Gosselaar is going to don a uniform. His most famous role is Zack Morris from Saved by the Bell, with his gimmick on the show being that he could stop time by saying “timeout” and putting his hands together to make a “T.”

Assuming Saved by the Bell was a documentary masquerading as a television show—which I have convinced myself it is—all Gosselaar has to do whenever he puts the ball in play is stop everyone on the field from moving, allowing him to circle the bases at will.

That’s probably asking too much, so Gosselaar moves down the list of MVP candidates. Instead, let’s show some love to a grizzled veteran like J.K. Simmons.

Aside from Crews, there won’t be anyone showing up in San Diego in better physical condition than Simmons, as this photo that retired U.S. marine Aaron Williamson posted on Instagram shows:

Let’s remember that Simmons is 61 years old, so there’s nothing the man can’t do. He’s also the most intimidating person on the planet, as anyone who saw his Oscar-winning performance in Whiplash can attest to.

Yet I prefer to look off the board for an MVP candidate, which leads me to Tyler Hoechlin. The 28-year-old actor is not a household name, but his baseball credentials are as good as those of anyone else in the game who didn’t play in the big leagues. 

Hoechlin played college baseball at Arizona State and UC Irvine, appearing in 32 games with UC Irvine in 2008 and hitting .250 with three extra-base hits.

In addition to his on-field exploits, Hoechlin was one of the stars in Richard Linklater’s 2016 film Everybody Wants Some!!

The centerpiece of the movie is a baseball practice before the college semester starts, with Hoechlin looking like a solid hitter when he stepped into the batter’s box.

It’s not a quality that gets talked about enough in sports movies, but it’s easier to take the performance seriously when someone looks like he or she should be on the field. Hoechlin has that rare ability to be both a good actor and an athlete, which is why he will win the game’s MVP award.

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Changes keep coming to the 2016 All-Star Game, with Toronto Blue Jays starter Aaron Sanchez replacing injured Boston Red Sox closer Craig Kimbrel on the American League squad.  

Major League Baseball confirmed Sanchez’s addition to the roster on Twitter. Blue Jays radio broadcaster Mike Wilner noted Sanchez will give the defending American League East champions five representatives in San Diego on July 12. 

The Red Sox announced Saturday that Kimbrel had been placed on the 15-day disabled list and will miss three to six weeks after undergoing surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee, per Deesha Thosar of MLB.com.

John Lott of Vice Sports noted the symmetry with Sanchez making his MLB All-Star debut in San Diego and shared a quote from the right-hander:

There was an argument to be made for Sanchez making the AL team when the rosters were first announced on Tuesday. The 24-year-old is having a breakout season with a 2.94 ERA in 17 starts. 

Sanchez is tied for fifth among AL pitchers in wins above replacement (2.4) and is third with a ground-ball rate of 56.7 percent, per FanGraphs. 

In addition to his success as a starter this season, Sanchez has experience coming out of the bullpen from last year. He knows how to get ready to enter a game he’s not starting, which is a trait that AL manager Ned Yost will like to have, given all of the pitching changes that are sure to be made. 

Kimbrel’s absence does lower the star power for the Midsummer Classic, but Sanchez is a budding star on one of the league’s best teams. Giving some new blood a chance to shine on a huge stage is how the game keeps growing every year.

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New York Mets pitcher Noah Syndergaard exited Friday’s game against the Washington Nationals in the fifth inning with what the team called “arm fatigue,” per Anthony DiComo of MLB.com.

Continue for updates.

Syndergaard Out for All-Star Game

Saturday, July 9

Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times reported San Diego Padres pitcher Drew Pomeranz will replace Syndergaard at the All-Star Game.

Collins Comments on Syndergaard‘s Recovery

Saturday, July 9

Manager Terry Collins told reporters Syndergaard is not expected to have an MRI and will travel to San Diego for the All-Star Game, where “ the hope is that he’ll play catch there, throw a side session in Philadelphia.”

Syndergaard‘s Injury Cause for Concern

MLB.com’s David Adler noted Syndergaard‘s last fastball clocked in at 91 mph. The ace has the highest average fastball velocity in Major League Baseball this season at 98.2 mph, per FanGraphs.

In June, there were reports Syndergaard had bone spurs in his right elbow, but he avoided the disabled list. Friday’s events, however, will only ramp up concern for both Syndergaard and New York.

Matt Harvey announced on Twitter earlier in the day that he will miss the rest of the season because of thoracic outlet syndrome.

The loss of Syndergaard for a long period would be a big blow for the Mets. He was second in MLB to Clayton Kershaw with 4.1 WAR and ranked fifth with 10.96 strikeouts per nine innings and a 2.41 ERA entering play Friday, per FanGraphs.

New York has depth in its rotation with Jacob deGrom, Steven Matz and Bartolo Colon, but after the loss of Harvey, any time Syndergaard misses will further damage its chances of overtaking Washington in the National League East.

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The New York Mets offense has been dealt a blow with All-Star outfielder Yoenis Cespedes suffering a strained quad against the Washington Nationals on July 8. It is unclear when he will be able to return.

Continue for updates. 

Cespedes Out vs. Nationals

Saturday, July 9

The Mets announced Cespedes will not play against the Nationals on Saturday.

Cespedes Replaced in All-Star Game 

Saturday, July 9

Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Starling Marte and Cincinnati Reds outfielder Jay Bruce have been added to the NL All-Star roster to replace Cespedes and Chicago Cubs outfielder Dexter Fowler, per Carrie Muskat of MLB.com.

Cespedes Has Been Bright Spot in Mets Lineup

The 30-year-old leads the team in home runs, RBI, on-base percentage and slugging percentage.

The Mets haven’t been able to sustain much offensively this year because of slumping players (Michael Conforto, who has been demoted to Triple-A) or injuries (David Wright, Lucas Duda). They rank 28th in Major League Baseball with 331 runs scored entering Friday. 

They are in a similar position to the one they faced last year around this time, with a great pitching staff carrying the load, though that group was dealt a blow with Matt Harvey having season-ending surgery, per Anthony DiComo of MLB.com.

General manager Sandy Alderson was able to work a trade out for Cespedes last July that helped them make a run to a National League East title and appearance in the World Series. 

If the Mets are going to put together another second-half run in 2016, Cespedes’ presence is absolutely essential. He is the middle-of-the-order masher they desperately need to withstand all of the other problems in their lineup without falling off the pace in the NL East.

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San Francisco Giants first baseman Brandon Belt and Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Michael Saunders won the final roster spots for the 2016 Major League Baseball All-Star Game on Friday. 

MLB‘s official Twitter account confirmed the news:   

Belt has been on the verge of stardom for years, finally having his big breakout in 2016. The 28-year-old is on pace for career highs in batting average (.300), on-base percentage (.399) and slugging percentage (.519). 

In May, Owen Watson wrote about Belt for FanGraphs, comparing the Giants’ star to another former National League MVP:

From this early evidence, it appears as if Belt is morphing into a version of Joey Votto: an incredibly patient, contact-driven, powerful, all-fields hitter. The thing is, Mike Podhorzer already made that connection last season, and that was before this season’s ridiculous strikeout and walk rate jumps. Belt’s already hit an infield fly ball this season, so some of the more inhuman abilities aren’t there yet (that’d be asking a lot), but the similarities are apparent.

The Giants have been in control of the National League West this season thanks largely to the strength of their pitching staff, but Belt’s growth as a hitter has offset injuries to Angel Pagan, Matt Duffy, Joe Panik and Hunter Pence. 

Saunders took home the American League final vote for what has easily been the best season of his career. The 29-year-old has nearly matched his career high in homers (19) with 16 through 79 games. He’s also on pace to have high-water marks in batting average (.298), on-base percentage (.372) and slugging percentage (.559). 

When the initial voting results were released with Saunders leading in the AL, he explained his emotions and his gratitude to all Blue Jays fans, via Mike Wilner of SportsNet.ca:

The Blue Jays got off to a slow start this season but have turned things around before the All-Star break thanks to a potent offense that is firing on all cylinders—even with Jose Bautista on the disabled list—particularly Saunders. 

With the AL and NL rosters now set for the 2016 All-Star Game, the players can focus their attention on doing what it takes to secure home-field advantage for their league in the World Series.

Based on their teams’ current positions in the standings, Belt and Saunders will have a lot to play for when the Midsummer Classic takes place at Petco Park in San Diego next Tuesday.

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Matt Carpenter won’t be able to take part in his third All-Star Game on July 12, but the St. Louis Cardinals will send Aledmys Diaz to San Diego in his place.  

Per Jon Morosi of Fox Sports, Diaz was named to the National League squad after Carpenter went on the disabled list with an oblique injury.

Carpenter is on the short list of NL MVP candidates this season. He leads the league with a .420 on-base percentage and .414 weighted on-base average and ranks fifth in wins above replacement (3.5), per FanGraphs, and sixth in slugging (.568).

During Wednesday’s game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Carpenter appeared to tweak his side on a check swing and had to be taken out for examination.

Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said after Wednesday’s game that he has “a high level of concern” regarding Carpenter’s injury, per Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com.  

Diaz has been one of MLB’s biggest surprises this season. The 25-year-old rookie is hitting a robust .319/.382/.534 with 35 extra-base hits in 77 games. He was never regarded as a top prospect in the Cardinals system, not even making the team’s top 30 prospects in 2015, per MLB.com. 

San Francisco Giants shortstop Brandon Crawford would have seemed like a more deserving replacement for Carpenter. He has a longer track record of success, was an All-Star last year and ranks eighth in the NL with 3.3 wins above replacement, per FanGraphs.

Since Carpenter and Diaz play for the same team and there’s a reasonable case to be made that Diaz should have been on the initial roster, he is not an egregious replacement choice.

Carpenter was also St. Louis’ only All-Star selection, and MLB likes to have all 30 teams represented in its summer showcase event, so Diaz became the logical option if the Cardinals needed to send someone to San Diego.

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