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Two-time American League All-Star Clay Buchholz will be removed from the starting rotation and placed in the bullpen, Boston Red Sox manager John Farrell announced Friday, per NESN’s Zack Cox.

Farrell said the move was necessary after Buchholz’s poor start to the season, per Cox:

The bottom line is the results. And I think there’s been a strong precedent set. I can tell you that Clay understands the decision but probably doesn’t like it, which I can respect. But at the same time, I think the most important thing as we stand today is how he embraces this decision — how this change will work itself out.

Buchholz, 31, is struggling mightily this season. Through 10 starts, he is 2-5 with a 6.35 ERA. Considering that Boston’s offense leads the American League with 276 runs scored, the only person Buchholz can blame for his play is himself.

Newly acquired ace David Price went through similar struggles this season, but he has turned it around. After sporting an ERA of 6.75 through his first seven starts, Price has allowed only six runs in his last three starts combined, with his ERA dropping to 5.34. 

According to the Boston Globe‘s Pete Abraham, the Red Sox brass does not foresee the same type of improvement from Buchholz:

Price was luckier with his run support, as he is 7-1 on the year despite his struggles.

Eduardo Rodriguez, a 23-year-old lefty, will come off the disabled list and take Buchholz’s scheduled start Tuesday, per NBC Sports’ Craig Calcaterra.

As a rookie, Rodriguez was excellent in 2015. He posted a 10-6 record with a 3.85 ERA on a Boston team that finished last in the AL East.

It is unfortunate that Buchholz is regressing after a stellar career in Boston, but he should provide depth in the bullpen. Injuries are bound to happen, so if a Red Sox pitcher is forced to miss a start or two, Buchholz could come back with a vengeance and push himself back into the rotation.

All statistics are courtesy of ESPN.com. 

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Jackie Bradley Jr.’s 29-game hitting streak came to an end Thursday against the Colorado Rockies.

Bradley finished hitless in four at-bats as the Boston Red Sox fell 8-2 at Fenway Park.

Bradley was close to getting another chance to extend his streak, per MLB.com’s Ian Browne:

At 29 games, Bradley’s run was tied for the fourth longest in Red Sox history, per Red Sox Notes:

According the Boston Globe‘s Pete Abraham, Bradley was also in a new spot in the lineup, which could have factored into his hitless night: 

Bradley is hitting .341 on the season, and he is not the only Red Sox crushing the ball. Xander Bogaerts leads the American League with a .347 average, followed by Bradley, and David Ortiz is fourth with a .337 mark.

Boston leads the American League in runs by a landslide with 274. The Seattle Mariners sit in second with 220. The Red Sox lead the AL in batting average as well, hitting an absurd .298 as a team. It is no surprise then that the team leads the league with a 29-18 record.

Bradley is still on his way to an All-Star season, but his streak was bound to end at some point. Per MLB.com, Andre Ethier (30) and Dan Uggla (33) in 2011 are the last two players to extend such a streak to 30 games or more.

The 26-year-old is only a career .238 hitter, so he could slow down in the coming weeks. However, there is also a chance he has broken through and found his swing for good. 

All statistics are courtesy of ESPN.com. 

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Kansas City Royals third baseman Mike Moustakas was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a right ACL tear, the team announced Thursday.

The team recalled Brett Eibner from Triple-A Omaha.

MLB.com’s Jeffrey Flanagan added that Moustakas is expected to miss the rest of the season:

The injury occurred on May 22 after Moustakas collided with left fielder Alex Gordon, who also broke his wrist on the play, per Flanagan. Here is a look at the crash, via MLB.com:

According to Rustin Dodd of the Kansas City Star, Royals manager Ned Yost called the injury a “contusion” earlier this week, but Moustakas was still available to pinch hit Wednesday.

However, the swelling continued to worsen, and Moustakas’ ability to move was not great.

“He felt OK,” Yost said Wednesday, per Dodd. “It still bothers him to run laterally a little bit.”

Moustakas is hitting .240 this season with seven home runs and 13 RBI. His seven jacks put him in a tie with Salvador Perez for second on the team behind Eric Hosmer’s eight.  

According to Baseball-Reference.com, Eibner is killing the ball with a .309 average, 10 home runs and 28 RBI at Omaha, so he may help alleviate the loss of Moustakas in the Kansas City lineup. However, Eibner is an outfielder who will not replace him at third base.

Look for the Royals to potentially call shortstop Christian Colon back up to the big club. The team demoted Colon on May 18, but it could use some additional depth for the infield.

The Royals are already not in a great position, as they sit at 24-22 and third in the American League Central. With Gordon out for the next month, per Flanagan, and Moustakas likely done for the year, the team will be without two key cogs for an extended period of time.

If Kansas City wants to return to the playoffs to defend its World Series title, it may need to make some moves to bring in offensive reinforcements.  

Statistics courtesy of ESPN.com unless otherwise noted. 

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Shane Victorino‘s MLB career looks to be in serious jeopardy, as the Chicago Cubs released the 35-year-old outfielder Monday.

Victorino never made it to the majors this season. He was in Triple-A Iowa at the time of his release, per Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times:

Victorino signed with the club on February 26 in hopes of winning one more championship before the sun set on his career, which he told MLB.com’s Carrie Muskat at the time of the signing.

“It’s not about playing time, it’s not about where things are, it’s about winning,” Victorino said. “Obviously, for me, I have to win my job on the team, and from there be the best player I can be to help the Cubs win a championship.”

After a spring training calf injury and poor play, Victorino was released on March 29 and re-signed on the same day to a minor league deal. He never seemed to rediscover his game, as he batted .233 with Iowa.

ESPNChicago.com’s Jesse Rogers reported that Victorino did not want to spend a lot of time in the minors, so the split could have been mutual after nearly two months of playing Triple-A ball.

The Cubs have a loaded roster and sit atop the National League Central at 29-13, so it was always a long shot that Victorino could become a consistent role player. Even after Kyle Schwarber went down for the season with a torn ACL and MCL in early April, Victorino still could not find a spot in Chicago’s outfield rotation. 

He was instrumental in the Philadelphia Phillies‘ 2008 World Series title run, as he hit .293 in the regular season and batted .269 in that postseason. He also won a championship with the Boston Red Sox in 2013 and was twice named an American League All-Star.

After 12 seasons, Victorino is a lifetime .275 hitter with 108 home runs, 489 RBI and 231 stolen bases.

There is no shame in walking away after giving the best effort possible. Victorino has done that, and his comeback attempt was admirable. But it does not seem like he’ll have a place on a major league roster for the time being.

Victorino may get one more shot, though. Injuries to other players always change things, and the Cubs have brought him back before. Yet Victorino would be justified if he chooses to hang up his cleats in the near future after a tremendous career.  

All statistics are courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com.

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The Los Angeles Dodgers took down the San Diego Padres, 9-5, on Sunday in an epic 17-inning marathon.

With the score knotted at 5-5 after the eighth inning, the game remained tied until a Yasiel Puig single to center field drove in Howie Kendrick and Adrian Gonzalez in the top of the 17th frame. Puig appeared to celebrate the hit as he left the batter’s box, according to Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register:   

The gesturing may have been an expression of relief, as Puig struggled for much of the day leading up to the critical RBI, per Andy McCullough of the Los Angeles Times:

Puig proceeded to steal second base, and a wild pitch from Luis Perdomo on the ensuing at-bat allowed Joc Pederson to score from third. Puig later scored thanks to a fielder’s choice off the bat of Carl Crawford.

Ross Stripling finished off the game in the bottom of the inning, ending the longest contest in MLB this season, per ESPN Stats & Info:

USA Today‘s Bob Nightengale shared how much time elapsed between the opening pitch and the final out:

Even Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw got in on the action, though not in his usual role, per Baseball Tonight:

Stripling, who chipped in three innings of work, earned the win, while Perdomo picked up the loss. The two were part of an extensive group of pitchers used in the game, according to CBS Los Angeles:

Kenta Maeda started for the Dodgers, tossing five innings and allowing four runs. Colin Rea went five innings for the Padres, giving up three runs.

Making the victory sweeter is the fact that Los Angeles came back from a 4-0 deficit to eventually force extra innings on the road at Petco Park. 

Christian Bethancourt’s RBI single and Wil Myers’ three-run triple in the fifth inning gave the Padres a four-run lead. The Dodgers got three runs back in the sixth inning before a seventh-inning home run by Justin Turner and an eighth-inning jack by Kendrick put the away team in front.

Melvin Upton Jr. then drilled a triple in the bottom of the eighth frame to score Myers and tie the game for the next eight innings. 

After the game, Gonzalez took to Twitter to share his thoughts:

The win bumps the Dodgers to one game below .500 on the season at 22-23, while the Padres’ forgetful record drops to 19-26. Both teams play Monday night, with Los Angeles hosting the Cincinnati Reds at Dodger Stadium and San Diego traveling to play the San Francisco Giants at AT&T Park.

Postgame Reaction

As it turns out, the Dodgers and Padres are no strangers to playing such lengthy games, per ESPN Stats & Info:

The game was so long that Dodgers catcher A.J. Ellis could barely remember who started on the mound for his club, per Plunkett:

McCullough also noted Stripling will be removed from his next scheduled start, and reliever Chin-hui Tsao was not able to contribute in the game due to some discomfort:

Ellis was not the only one who forgot about the day’s pitchers. It even slipped Rea’s mind that he took the hill as the Padres’ starter Sunday

“There were times in the 15th or 16th inning where I didn’t realize that I pitched today,” Rea said, per Kirk Kenney of the San Diego Union-Tribune. “It seemed that long ago.”

Padres manager Andy Green was upset that the loss ultimately fell to Perdomo, per Kenney:

What I hate more than anything is I hate it for Luis Perdomo. The kid pitched really, really well. Didn’t deserve that fate.

Attacking the strike zone the way he did, I couldn’t be more pleased with him today. Out of everything, I think that’s the toughest part of that one.

Although it was a wild and likely draining game, it is still very early in the regular season. Both teams must quickly recover and focus on playing consistent baseball, as the Dodgers and Padres each have work to do if they hope to make a run at the postseason.

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The Seattle Mariners placed shortstop Ketel Marte on the 15-day disabled list Sunday because of a sprained left thumb, according to Bob Dutton of the News Tribune.

He suffered the injury Saturday after jamming his thumb on a slide while trying to steal second base.

Marte Injury Not Serious

Sunday, May 22

Manager Scott Servais noted the team does not expect Marte to miss more than 15 days since the injury is minor, per Dutton:

Everything indicates that it shouldn’t be any longer than 15 days. It’s not as bad as we originally thought. He’s certainly playing at a very high level, and we love having him in our lineup.

But every team has to deal with this stuff. You plan for these things by having guys who can come up and fill a role. We feel we have adequate guys to step in.

The Mariners recalled infielder Chris Taylor from the minor leagues to replace Marte, according to the team’s public relations department:

Marte is one of the better young shortstops in baseball. The 22-year-old is hitting .276 this season to go along with one home run and 14 RBI. Marte’s fielding percentage is also perfect on the year.

Taylor appears to be a viable replacement. He is batting .294 with Triple-A Tacoma, per Dutton, but he will not be able to replicate Marte’s stout defensive play.

The team sits atop the American League West with a 26-17 record, and three of its next five opponents are currently under .500.

Marte’s brief absence should not significantly affect the team’s standing, especially with guys such as Robinson Cano, Nelson Cruz and Kyle Seager off to strong starts in 2016.

All statistics are courtesy of ESPN.com unless otherwise noted. 

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Los Angeles Angels pitcher Garrett Richards will receive treatment on his injured right elbow in an attempt to avoid Tommy John surgery.

General manager Billy Eppler announced the news Monday, adding that Richards is receiving injections to help rehab the elbow, per Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register:

Fletcher also reported that Richards will be re-evaluated in six weeks.

Tommy John surgery would end Richards’ season and put him in jeopardy for the 2017 campaign. The Los Angeles Times‘ Bill Shaikin is skeptical that Richards will be back in the rotation before late in the summer:

Yahoo Sports’ Jeff Passan noted that even if Richards is forced to get surgery, he would still have a chance to prove his worth before his contract expires:

Richards was off to a solid start this season. Although he was 1-3 after six starts, he was sporting a 2.34 ERA while averaging 8.83 strikeouts per nine innings.

The Angels are already bringing in help to try to make up for Richards’ production.

The team agreed to a deal with Tim Lincecum on Monday, according to ESPN’s Jim Bowden. Though Lincecum has struggled in his last few seasons, he represents a low-risk option for a team that has a large hole in its pitching staff.

The team sits at 16-21, and if it fails to get into playoff contention by the All-Star break, it may be wise to shut down Richards for the season to avoid any further damage to his elbow.

All statistics courtesy of ESPN.com.

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Oakland Athletics first baseman Mark Canha was diagnosed with a hip impingement Friday, three days after the team placed him on the disabled list because of hip and back issues, according to MLB.com’s Jane Lee.

Continue for updates.

Canha Could Miss Rest of Season

Friday, May 13

Lee reported that Canha could face season-ending surgery as a result of his injury, although there is no labral damage to his hip. Canha also suffered a mild back strain.

Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle added that Canha may not have many options aside from surgery:

The 27-year-old has struggled this season after breaking out in 2015 as a rookie. He is batting .122 with three home runs and six RBI in 16 games played.

Canha racked up 16 homers and 70 RBI last year while appearing in 124 games. 

Canha’s troubles are a microcosm of Oakland’s season. The team is 15-21 and was in the midst of a five-game losing streak before Friday’s 6-3 win over the Tampa Bay Rays.

Losing another bat for the long haul would further debilitate a flawed lineup. Outside of Josh Reddick, who is hitting .318 with four home runs and 17 RBI, Jed Lowrie is the only other player on the team batting over .300, and the Athletics have scored the ninth-fewest runs in MLB this season.

According to SB Nation’s Jeremy F. Koo, utility infielder Tyler Ladendorf is expected to help replace Canha.

Ladendorf has largely been used as a defensive substitute and a pinch runner during his brief MLB experiences. He has appeared in 18 career games with an average of .190, so the 28-year-old should not be expected to make up for the offense Canha can provide. 

Hopefully, Canha can recover with some injections and come back later this year. With the way the Athletics’ season seems to be heading, though, it would be wise not to force him onto the field if there is a chance he could worsen the injury.

All statistics are courtesy of ESPN.com.

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Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw continued to be in top form, posting his fifth straight start with at least 10 strikeouts in a 5-0 win over the New York Mets on Thursday.

Kershaw is the first Dodgers pitcher since 1913 to put together such a strikeout streak, per MLB Stat of the Day:

That means Kershaw has accomplished something even Don Drysdale, Sandy Koufax and Orel Hershiser couldn’t do.

The three-time Cy Young Award winner and 2014 National League MVP could add to his trophy case at the end of the year, as the Dodgers’ ace (4-1) is having a phenomenal 2016 campaign, which MLB.com’s Mike Petriello pointed out:

ESPN Stats & Info added another stat to highlight Kershaw’s dominance:

If Chicago Cubs ace Jake Arrieta was not also dominating this season, Kershaw would be the runaway favorite for another Cy Young honor. Arrieta is 6-0 with a microscopic 1.13 ERA.

If both pitchers keep up their play throughout the season, Arrieta may get a slight edge since the Cubs appear likely to finish with one of the best records in baseball. Regardless, Kershaw is still a generational talent whom fans should appreciate as a future first-ballot Hall of Famer.

All statistics courtesy of Baseball-Reference.

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The Chicago White Sox, Los Angeles Angels and San Francisco Giants are the three teams most interested in potentially adding Tim Lincecum, according to Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal.

Lincecum won a pair of Cy Young Awards and three World Series rings in nine seasons in San Francisco. However, the Giants are not interested in returning the 31-year-old to the starting rotation, per MLB Network’s Jon Heyman:

From 2008 to 2011, Lincecum was one of the game’s top arms. Only once in that time frame did he finish a season with an ERA over 3.00.

His career turned sour in the following years. He maintained an ERA well over 4.00 from 2012 to 2015 while compiling a mediocre record of 39-42.

After spending spring training and the duration of this season unemployed, Lincecum will not be immediately ready to make an impact in the eyes of the San Francisco Chronicle‘s Henry Schulman:

Per ESPN.com, the Giants (13th) and Angels (17th) are in the middle of the pack when it comes to team ERA. They could use some reinforcements on the mound to help push them back into the postseason.

The White Sox have the fifth-best team ERA in the majors, which means Lincecum would face less pressure to produce right away in Chicago. With the team leading the American League Central, Lincecum would provide championship experience to a franchise that has not made the playoffs since 2008.

Lincecum’s best days may be behind him, but he is still a viable option as a low-risk, high-reward addition. If he can even partly resemble what he once was, he will be a bargain should someone decide to pick him up. 

All statistics courtesy of Baseball-Reference unless otherwise noted. 

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