Kuzul

An injury to Toronto Blue Jays starter Marco Estrada opened the door for Cleveland Indians ace Corey Kluber to join the 2016 American League All-Star team.  

Per Major League Baseball‘s official Twitter account, Kluber was named to the squad as an injury replacement after Estrada went on the disabled list with back problems. 

Kluber, who won the 2014 AL Cy Young Award, has not made an All-Star team prior to this year, even though he’s been one of the league’s best pitchers over the last three years. 

The one stat for Kluber that jumps out this year is his high 3.79 ERA, which would be his worst mark over a full season since a 3.85 mark in 2013. 

However, as ESPN.com’s Keith Law noted in his breakdown of All-Star snubs, everything else Kluber has done made him worthy of inclusion on the team:

Kluber’s ERA is unsightly at 3.79, but he has the best FIP in the AL at 2.96, and the gap is really about Kluber’s having a bizarre, probably flukish time with men on base, especially with men in scoring position: Hitters have slugged .529 off him in 82 such plate appearances. That’s well above his career slugging percentage allowed with men on base (.430), which is why I say it’s likely a fluke and not a good reason to leave off the roster someone who is clearly one of the top 10 pitchers in the league.

In addition to Kluber’s stellar fielding independent ERA, he is tied for first in the AL with 3.1 wins above replacement, per FanGraphs, fourth with 114 innings pitched and fifth with 114 strikeouts. 

It would be one thing if this were a one-year fluke for Kluber, but he’s been one of the AL’s best pitchers over the last three seasons. He doesn’t stand out as much in Cleveland’s rotation as he once did, however, because Danny Salazar made his first All-Star team this year, Carlos Carrasco has been terrific since returning from the disabled list and Trevor Bauer is having a breakout season. 

Kluber gives the first-place Indians three All-Star representatives, along with Salazar and shortstop Francisco Lindor. It’s been a great summer for sports in Cleveland already, and now the city’s baseball team will be well-represented on the Midsummer Classic stage to show the country it is a legitimate contender. 

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Already lacking depth in the starting rotation, the Toronto Blue Jays will be without All-Star Marco Estrada for at least two weeks.  

Continue for updates. 

Estrada to 15-Day DL

Wednesday, July 6

Per Richard Griffin of the Toronto Star, the Blue Jays placed Estrada on the 15-day disabled list. Manager John Gibbons said Bo Schultz will likely be recalled ahead of Wednesday’s game against the Kansas City Royals, though Lott noted he “won’t arrive in time” to play. 

Toronto was initially hopeful that Estrada would be able to make his next start on Friday with Drew Hutchison likely taking the ball on Thursday, per Tony Ambrogio of TSN 1050. 

Estrada’s last start was on Saturday against the Cleveland Indians. He went five innings and allowed three runs on five hits with seven strikeouts. Two days later, per Mark Zwolinski of the Toronto Star, the right-hander received four shots to help with lingering back pain. 

The 33-year-old Estrada was named to the American League All-Star team on Tuesday thanks to a 2.93 ERA with 99 strikeouts and 64 hits allowed in 104.1 innings this season. 

However, with Estrada landing on the DL, he will be forced to sit out the Midsummer Classic. The Blue Jays will also have to make do without their best pitcher, though Aaron Sanchez’s rise in 2016 does give them another strong horse at the top.

Marcus Stroman is the key to Toronto’s rotation. He’s had a dreadful season with a 5.08 ERA and 118 hits allowed in 108 innings. The Blue Jays enter play Wednesday eight games over .500 without him pitching up to his usual standards. 

If Toronto can come out of the break with Estrada healthy and Stroman pitching close to his usual standards, this team will be lethal in the American League East. 

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

An important season for Kansas City Royals right-hander Yordano Ventura has hit a snag, as he’s battling an injury to his ankle. 

Continue for updates. 

Ventura Leaves with Sprained Ankle

Sunday, July 3

According to Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com, Ventura exited after giving up four runs in 2.2 innings. Dillon Gee replaced him, as noted by Ryan Lawrence of the Philly Voice.

Ventura, 25, is 6-5 with a 5.26 ERA and 1.45 WHIP thus far in 2016. He’s on pace for by far the worst full season of his career.

Ventura missed nearly one month last season with ulnar nerve inflammation in his pitching elbow. The Dominican star did return and was effective in the second half with a 3.56 ERA, compared to 4.73 in the first half. He was still erratic with 34 walks in 91 innings but helped himself with 98 strikeouts.

The Royals starting staff has undergone many changes after winning the World Series. They lost Johnny Cueto to free agency, added Ian Kennedy to replace him and signed Mike Minor for depth when he returns from injury. 

Ventura could be the key piece to making the Royals rotation work. He’s got an electric arm with an average fastball velocity of 95.6 mph last season, per FanGraphs, and a potential hammer curveball. Inconsistent control has prevented him from harnessing that raw potential. 

Injury concerns aren’t going to help Ventura, who could be better used as a reliever if his inability to stay healthy continues to be a problem. The Royals aren’t lacking for power arms out of the bullpen, but one more never hurt. 

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Voting for the 2016 Major League Baseball All-Star Game has closed, so all that remains is to find out which players will represent the American League and National League in the Midsummer Classic on July 12. 

MLB will announce the rosters Tuesday at 7 p.m. ET, but we can surmise from the most recent voting update from MLB Communications how things will shake out. 

Here are my predictions for who will represent both leagues with two days to go before the final rosters are revealed. 

*Indicates predicted vote leader

Predicted Top Vote-Getter: Salvador Perez, Kansas City Royals

The big story in this year’s All-Star voting is the lack of drama at nearly every position. The closest race in either league is between Yadier Molina and Buster Posey for starting catcher in the NL, as just over 5,000 votes separated them in the last update.  

But even Molina vs. Posey loses some of the drama because both players will be in San Diego next week, barring injury to either of them. 

That lack of drama carries over to predicting the top vote-getter in both leagues. Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez had 3,754,594 votes in the latest update—more than three times that of the No. 2 AL catcher and more than 354,000 votes ahead of Boston Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz for the top overall vote-getter. 

Last year, the Royals’ dominance in All-Star voting was a joke. It hasn’t been as pronounced this season, but there’s no argument against Perez this year. He’s been brilliant with the bat and glove, and the lack of options at the position is staggering. 

Per FanGraphs, only three AL catchers have enough at-bats to qualify for the batting title. Here’s how their numbers compare to one another:

Perez’s 2.2 wins above replacement is greater than the combined total of Stephen Vogt and Brian McCann. There is no other legitimate choice for fans to get behind even if they wanted to prevent the Royals from sending a player to the All-Star Game. 

Ortiz is the only player who could challenge Perez for the top spot, and it’s a surprise that Red Sox fans haven’t mobilized around him since this is his final season. However, Kansas City has proved the power of its fanbase over the last two years. 

Even a late surge for Ortiz won’t be enough for him to overtake Perez when the final voting totals are in. 

Most Egregious Omission: Francisco Lindor, Cleveland Indians

It’s taken Cleveland a long time to have a reason to care about its baseball team, but the arrival of Francisco Lindor last June signaled a shift in the franchise’s fortunes. 

The 22-year-old shortstop finished second in AL Rookie of the Year voting last year behind the Houston Astros’ Carlos Correa, despite having a higher batting average, on-base percentage, defensive value and wins above replacement, per FanGraphs. 

The only difference between Lindor and Correa last season was that Houston made the playoffs; the Indians’ strong second half wasn’t enough to overcome a dreadful start. 

Lindor has picked up right where he left off in 2015, yet when you look at the American League voting for shortstops, he doesn’t even register in the top five. Troy Tulowitzki, who missed three weeks in May and June, is ahead of him for no reason other than Toronto is a bigger market. 

This isn’t to say that Lindor should start for the American League in the All-Star Game; Boston’s Xander Bogaerts has been incredible, but Cleveland’s young superstar deserves much better than he’s gotten in this process.

Lindor is going to make the All-Star team as a reserve, but based on the voting, one might assume that Cleveland didn’t even have a shortstop worthy of starting the game. 

That is a staggering oversight for one of the game’s best young players. 

Surprise Starter: Ryan Braun, Milwaukee Brewers

The National League outfield voting is tight among the top three players—Dexter Fowler, Bryce Harper and Yoenis Cespedes—but that doesn’t provide much drama because there are three starting outfield spots. 

Things do get interesting when considering Fowler’s health. The Chicago Cubs outfielder has been on the disabled list since June 20 with a strained hamstring. He is eligible to come back this week, though Cubs manager Joe Maddon has not provided a timetable for his star’s return, per Mark Grote of WCSR:

Hamstring injuries can be tricky to deal with, so the Cubs may not want Fowler to risk aggravating things in the All-Star Game even if he returns at some point this week. 

That opens the door for a new outfielder to take Fowler’s starting spot. If the NL just goes by the voting, Fowler’s teammate Jason Heyward would get the nod, though his performance on the field hasn’t warranted being an All-Star. 

If the NL goes by the voting and player performance, Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Ryan Braun would slide into a starting spot. 

Braun has been one of the few bright spots to watch on a rebuilding team in 2016. The 2011 NL MVP is having his best season since 2012, leading the Brewers in average, slugging percentage and OPS+, per Baseball-Reference.com.

Last year, Braun was an All-Star almost by default because every team has to send a representative. This year he has earned his spot, with the possibility he could start if Fowler sits out to recover for the second half. 

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Carlos Santana’s solo home run off Darwin Barney in the top of the 19th inning helped end this season’s longest Major League Baseball game to date, with the Cleveland Indians extending their winning streak to a team-record 14 games in a 2-1 marathon victory over the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday.

The Indians came into the game as the hottest team in baseball, owning the longest winning streak in the American League since the Oakland Athletics won 20 straight in 2002.

After the win, they celebrated with an appropriate GIF on Twitter:

The Blue Jays have rebounded nicely after a slow start, posting a 15-12 record in June, to enter Friday’s contest 5.5 games behind the Baltimore Orioles in the American League East.

Josh Tomlin and Marcus Stroman were the starting pitchers, combining to allow just two runs on 12 hits with 14 strikeouts over 12.2 innings. Both teams combined to use 19 pitchers in the contest.

Toronto was short-handed from the start, as star Edwin Encarnacion and manager John Gibbons were both ejected in the first inning for arguing with the home plate umpire. 

Both teams squandered their opportunities to end the game earlier. The Blue Jays had the bases loaded with two outs in the bottom of the 14th, but Josh Donaldson grounded out to first base.

The Indians had the bases loaded with one out in the top of the 18th against Ryan Goins, a position player, but Chris Gimenez grounded into a double play that killed the rally. Santana eventually put Cleveland ahead with a solo shot to lead off the 19th inning.

Following Gimenez’s play, Grant Brisbee of McCovey Chronicles humorously noted what his future may hold:

Usually, asking a position player to pitch is a recipe for disaster, but Richard Griffin of the Toronto Star noted Goins has history on the mound:

Per MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian, this was Cleveland’s longest game in 23 years:

This game started at 1:07 p.m. ET, which led Eric Alper of SiriusXM to list a multitude of things that happened around the world by the time it finally and mercifully came to an end after 7 p.m. ET:

In total, the Indians and Blue Jays went 2-for-22 with runners in scoring position. Both of Cleveland’s extra-base hits came off the bat of Santana, who also doubled in the third inning and scored on Jason Kipnis’ RBI single.

This was an exciting game to watch, but both teams will feel the lingering effects when they turn around and play again Saturday afternoon.

Yet the most important thing was getting the win. Cleveland was able to persevere, somehow. Toronto has one of the best lineups in baseball, so don’t expect the offense to be held down much longer, especially against a potentially unknown or untested pitcher tomorrow.

Post-Game Reaction

Cleveland manager Terry Francona had some fun with his original starting pitcher when the game finally ended, per Bastian:

The Indians’ pitcher of record offered his take on the way things wound up playing out, per Bastian:

Per Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain-Dealer, Francona was able to get serious in praise of Bauer and the rest of his team for their effort over 19 innings:

What Trevor did was above and beyond. We’re pretty fortunate that he can do it and that he’s willing to do it. Because one slip up and we go home. 

You get so invested in a game like that. It shocked everybody. It feels good to win. It’s the kind of game you wish you were playing at home because one bad pitch or slip up from going home with a loss after a long day.

On the losing side, per Mark Zwolinski of the Toronto Star, Barney described his mindset going to the mound: “All I was trying to do is not hurt anyone, you don’t want to see anyone get hurt in a situation like that.”

Toronto catcher Russell Martin, who was one of three Blue Jays ejected, told Zwolinski about the problems he was having with home-plate umpire Vic Carapazza:

I told him the first curveball (of his at bat in the 13th inning), I had that pitch being away. And then he said, ‘I don’t want to hear it.’ Then I was like, ‘It’s still away.’ As I’m walking away, he threw me out of the game. I wasn’t being aggressive, didn’t tell him that he sucked personally, I didn’t tell him that he was bad. I didn’t do anything like that. All the things that everybody in the ballpark were thinking, I didn’t say that.

Stroman simply told Zwolinski “no comment” when he was asked about Carapazza, which is probably a good way for him to ensure MLB doesn’t fine him. 

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Philadelphia Phillies pitching prospect Matt Imhof lost his right eye in a training accident last Saturday.

Imhof explained the situation in an Instagram post:

As many of you know on Friday June 25th I had an accident. A large price of metal hit me in the head/eye resulting in a fractured nose, 2 fractured orbital bones, and most significantly, the loss of vision in my right eye. I was immediately taken to the ER and then transferred to Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, the #1 eye hospital in the world. That night, the doctors informed me that the damage to my eye was extreme and essentially that my eye had been crushed like a grape. The doctors told me they were going to do everything possible to reconstruct it but in all likelihood I would never regain sight in my right eye. The first surgery was somewhat a success but overall nothing had changed, so after discussions with my family and my doctors, it was decided that the best chance I had to live a normal life was to have my right eye removed and have a prosthetic one put in. This decision was not an easy one to make but to me it seemed like the right one so on Tuesday afternoon I went forward with the surgery. I’m currently still in Miami recovering from surgery but I’m doing well. This has been the hardest week of my life but I’ve had amazing support from my family and friends to help me get through it. For those who have been wishing me well, your support has not gone unnoticed and I appreciate everyone who has kept me in their thoughts and prayers. I had the best doctors in the world doing their best work on me and for that I am grateful as well. Although this injury has been tough it could have been much worse…I’m lucky to still have vision in my left eye…I’m lucky that i didn’t have brain damage…and I’m lucky to be surrounded my the most loving and understanding people in the world. I just wanted to write this message to let everyone know that even though I suffered some bad luck, I’m not dead. I’m gonna be alright, I’m gonna persevere, and I’m gonna succeed. It takes more than this to bring me down. Again thanks to everyone for the support .

CSNPhilly.com noted the accident occurred during a “postgame stretching routine.”

The 22-year-old Imhof was in his second full season of professional baseball after being a second-round pick in 2014. He was pitching in High-A Clearwater before his injury, posting a 3.91 ERA with 48 strikeouts and 43 walks in 53 innings.

Even though Imhof’s stock had dropped off in the last year because of his command struggles, he was regarded as a potential back-end starter who could move quickly as recently as 2015.

Here is what MLB.com said about Imhof in 2015, when he ranked as the Phillies’ 19th-best prospect:

Imhof has a solid three-pitch mix and a good feel for pitching. He throws his fastball in the upper 80s to low 90s. The pitch plays up, thanks to its natural cutting action and the downhill angle he throws from. His breaking ball can be an out pitch, and he also mixes in a changeup.

Though Imhof doesn’t have premium stuff, he was one of the top strikeout pitchers in the country as a junior at Cal Poly. If he can rediscover that success in the Minor Leagues, he could start advancing quickly.

This doesn’t necessarily spell the end of his pitching career. Los Angeles Dodgers phenom Julio Urias has vision problems in his left eye, yet he is doing OK for himself.

Hopefully things work out for Imhof in the future, whatever he decides to do.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

The Arizona Diamondbacks‘ big offseason acquisition has gotten off to a so-so start this season and is now on the shelf, as right-handed ace Zack Greinke suffered an injury to his oblique. 

Continue for updates.    

Greinke Injury Details Revealed 

Tuesday, July 28

Grienke’s injury is being descried as tightness in his oblique, according to Bob McManaman of AZCentral.com.  

McManaman provided additional details regarding how Greinke left: 

The right-hander appeared to wince in pain while throwing a warm-up pitch to catcher Welington Castillo to start the inning. Manager Chip Hale and head athletic trainer Ken Crenshaw came out to the mound to check on him.

After a few short moments, Greinke left the field and appeared to go inside the Diamondbacks’ clubhouse at Chase Field. He re-emerged quickly and threw a couple of warm-up pitches. He reached for what appeared to be his back area after one of them and then left the field again, this time for good.

Greinke had one the best seasons of his career in 2015, posting an ERA of 1.66, a 0.844 WHIP and a 5.9 FanGraphs wins above replacement. That prompted the Diamondbacks to swipe him away from the National League West rival Los Angeles Dodgers with a six-year, $206.5 million deal. 

However, Greinke’s tenure in the desert got off to a rocky start, as his ERA was over 6.00 for most of April. Despite the rough start, Greinke entered Tuesday’s game with a 10-3 record, a 3.62 ERA and a 1.16 WHIP. 

While the Diamondbacks don’t have another pitcher on their roster capable of dominating like Greinke at his best, the front office did do a good job of adding quality depth behind him. Shelby Miller, who has also struggled early this season, is a good No. 2 starter. Patrick Corbin, when healthy, has been a quality mid-rotation arm. 

The Diamondbacks went all-in by signing Greinke and trading for Miller to win in 2016. Losing Greinke for even a short period of time puts a huge dent in their plans, in addition to giving the Dodgers and San Francisco Giants an advantage in the division race.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Jose Reyes is headed back to where his career started: New York.

The Mets announced Saturday they signed Reyes to a minor league contract and that he will report to the Brooklyn Cyclones Sunday, per USA Today‘s Bob Nightengale. Newsday‘s Marc Carig provided comments from New York general manager Sandy Alderson and Reyes:

Alderson told reporters Reyes will play third base on Sunday.

Reyes has not played in the big leagues in 2016 after he was suspended without pay through May 31—which cost him 52 games and $7.06 million, per Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports—for violating Major League Baseball’s domestic violence policy.

Reyes was arrested in November and charged with abuse of a family and/or household member, per a Maui Police Department report (via MLB.com’s Thomas Harding).

The report noted Reyes and his wife got into an argument at a hotel in Hawaii that “turned physical and resulted in injuries. Mrs. Reyes was treated by medics at the scene and later transported to the Maui Memorial Medical Center for further treatment.”

Reyes had a trial set for April, but the charges were dropped when his wife did not cooperate with prosecutors, according to the Associated Press (h/t Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post).

The Colorado Rockies, who acquired Reyes from the Toronto Blue Jays last July, designated the 33-year-old for assignment June 15 after he was reinstated from the restricted list following a nine-game rehab stint in Triple-A.

Rockies general manager Jeff Bridich told Harding the team “determined that it was best we part ways—best for the direction of the organization, best for what was going on in the clubhouse and best for Jose.”

Reyes was with the Mets from 2003-11, playing in four All-Star Games and winning the National League batting title in his final season with a .337 average.

His injury history and age make it unlikely he’ll be that kind of player again, but New York needed to bolster its offense, which ranks 28th in the majors in runs scored.

The Mets have a pitching staff capable of carrying them deep into October, but their offense has not held up its end of the bargain despite accounting for 74.3 percent of a $135.2 million payroll, per Cot’s Baseball Contracts.

Reyes wouldn’t be expected to carry the lineup if he is called up to the majors, but his ability to put the ball in play and his speed on the bases could help New York challenge the first-place Washington Nationals in the NL East.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Two-time Cy Young Award winner Tim Lincecum made his 2016 debut Saturday with the Los Angeles Angels, holding the Oakland Athletics to one run on four hits in six innings in a 7-1 victory. 

Lincecum hadn’t pitched in a game since June 27, 2015, when he lasted just 1.2 innings for the San Francisco Giants in a start against the Colorado Rockies. He was diagnosed with a degenerative hip condition last year that required surgery and ended his season. 

The Angels, whose starting rotation has been decimated by injuries to Garrett Richards, Andrew Heaney and C.J. Wilson, signed Lincecum to a one-year deal on May 20. 

In working his way back to the big leagues, Lincecum’s velocity was a big question mark. He averaged just 87.5 mph with his fastball last season, per FanGraphs. There was a little more steam on the pitch Saturday, per Jay Posner of the San Diego Union-Tribune:

That’s where Lincecum is going to sit at this point in his career, as Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register noted the 32-year-old was throwing his fastball 88-91 mph in a start at Triple-A on June 7:

MLB GIFs showed Lincecum’s unique delivery is still intact:

Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times noted Lincecum’s six-inning performance went much better than his last six innings with the Giants:

The lone run Lincecum gave up came on an RBI single from Danny Valencia in the bottom of the third inning.

This wasn’t a vintage performance for the hurler who won back-to-back Cy Youngs in 2008 and 2009, but it was about as good an effort as he can give at this stage. 

The Angels signed him hoping for a starting pitcher capable of giving them five solid innings each outing. Lincecum delivered more than that Saturday, albeit against an A’s lineup that entered play ranked 25th in runs scored. 

Not every start is going to go this well for Lincecum. He still has command issues and doesn’t miss many bats, but against below-average lineups his stuff will work more often than it fails. 

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

The San Diego Padres have reportedly put first baseman Wil Myers on the trade block, which is a wise move for the struggling franchise.

Continue for updates. 

Report: Padres Willing to Deal Myers

Thursday, June 16

Per Jon Heyman of Today’s Knuckleball, the Padres are “open” to trading Myers, and teams “have been eyeing” the 25-year-old. 

Heyman did not mention specific teams that have checked in on Myers, nor did he say that any potential deal is imminent. 

The Padres opened the trading season by dealing James Shields to the Chicago White Sox on June 4, though that was just about getting rid of a struggling veteran because the White Sox are only paying $27 million of the $58 million still remaining on the right-hander’s contract. 

Myers is a player who could bring the Padres real talent back. He is having a solid season with a .281/.321/.504 slash line, 28 extra-base hits in 65 games and is a solid defender at first base with two defensive runs saved, per FanGraphs. 

In addition to Myers’ numbers, the Padres can increase their asking price for him because he’s under team control through 2019. 

The biggest key for Myers is health. He’s never played in more than 88 games since debuting in 2013, but the former American League Rookie of the Year has missed just two games so far this season. 

The Padres are on the decline, sitting in the National League West cellar and even being blasted on the radio by their own executive chairman. 

San Diego tried to speed up its rebuilding process by spending a lot of money before last season to acquire Myers, Shields, Matt Kemp, Justin Upton and Craig Kimbrel. It didn’t work, and now is the time to go back to the drawing board. 

Trading Myers wouldn’t sit well with a frustrated fanbase, but if he can bring back two high-level prospects, it’s a good strategy to at least explore making a move before the August 1 deadline.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com