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New York Yankees relief pitcher Andrew Miller left Wednesday’s game against the Atlanta Braves after being struck in the wrist by a line drive. He was later diagnosed with a fracture.

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Miller Cleared to Pitch

Friday, April 1

Jack Curry of the YES Network reported a Miami hand specialist gave Miller the go-ahead to pitch without surgery. Pain tolerance will dictate what he’s able to do.

Miller Speaks on Injury

Thursday, March 31

“It’s my right hand, I don’t really need it,” Miller told reporters while discussing his intention to try to play through his injury.

Miller added that he “doesn’t see any reason why he can’t pitch” and said that if he’s told by a doctor that he can’t play, that he would “probably find another doctor.”

Miller’s Injury Details Revealed

Thursday, March 31

Jon Heyman of MLB Network reported it’s Miller’s “intention to tough it out” and be active for Opening Day. However, Heyman noted the Yankees will wait to hear from a hand specialist.

On Wednesday, the Yankees announced that Miller’s CT scan showed a chip fracture in his right wrist and added that Miller will visit a hand specialist to determine the next step.

Curry previously reported that X-rays were negative.

Cashman Comments on Miller Injury

Wednesday, March 30

According to Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News, Yankees general manager Brian Cashman provided an update on Miller, saying he had “at least a bruised right wrist.”

Miller Struck in Hand by Liner

Wednesday, March 30

According to the Wall Street Journal‘s Jared Diamond, Miller “immediately” walked off the mound and into the dugout after being hit with a line drive right on the wrist.

Diamond also reported that Miller slammed down his glove and threw his cap, describing the injury as a “big concern.” Showing that kind of emotion can’t be a good sign, as it could mean that Miller’s injury is severe.

Miller Looking to Pick Up Where He Left Off from 2015

The 30-year-old was looking to build off a stellar first season with the Yankees in 2015 in which he put up one of the finest years of his career.

In 61.2 innings pitched, Miller recorded 36 saves and gave up just 14 earned runs while striking out 100 batters. With Dellin Betances as the eighth-inning man, the back end of the Yankees bullpen was difficult to break down.

But with New York’s acquisition of Aroldis Chapman from the Cincinnati Reds during the offseason, Miller saw manager Joe Girardi take away his closer role in January.

However, because of Chapman’s 30-game suspension, which the league handed down at the start of March, Cashman said that Miller “absolutely” was the team’s closer, per MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch.

With no Chapman and maybe no Miller now, the Yankees might have to turn to Betances to take over the closer role for the start of the regular season. Normally the setup man, Betances recorded nine saves last season while Miller battled a forearm injury.

Thankfully for New York, it had a number of options for the closer role in case a scenario like this played out. With a player such as Betances, who has a career 1.78 ERA in 181.2 innings, the Yankees should be fine until Chapman and Miller return.

Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com.

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Chicago Cubs infielder Javier Baez will not start the season with the team because of a thumb injury. 

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Baez Placed on DL

Tuesday, March 29

Per Comcast SportsNet Chicago’s Patrick Mooney, the Cubs placed Baez on the 15-day disabled list with a contusion on his left thumb. He has been dealing with pain in his thumb since March 20. 

Baez was a September call-up in 2015 when rosters expanded to 40 players in preparation for the postseason, and his performance earned him a spot on the team in 2016. 

Baez batted .289 with a .325 on-base percentage on a Cubs team that advanced all the way to the National League Championship Series against the New York Mets.

During Chicago’s postseason trip, Baez batted .333 in six games with a home run, three RBI and two stolen bases.

Baez was in the mix for a spot on the Cubs’ 25-man roster to start 2016, with manager Joe Maddon telling Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune the thumb injury was a concern because “[Baez] has not had enough at-bats, that he’s not played enough different positions in the outfield.”

While he’s impressed with the bat, he’s also looking like a professional in the field, according to ESPN.com’s Jesse Rogers:

He looks the part, making effortless plays at second, third and shortstop. His performance in Pittsburgh had his teammates and manager talking. In one stretch at third base, he made six consecutive outs on balls in play, then the next night he moved over to shortstop and was in the middle of all the action there as well. Even a bad day at the plate isn’t keeping Baez from contributing.

Having a player as versatile as Baez in the Cubs lineup provides the flexibility to ensure there is no drop-off in skill in the infield. He’s allowed infielders such as Kris Bryant, Ben Zobrist and Addison Russell time to rest, which could prove vital come the dog days of summer.

Losing Baez hurts Chicago’s depth and could force its infield to play more. However, the team could turn to Tommy La Stella to serve as the utility man it needs while waiting for the 23-year-old to return.

Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com.

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San Diego Padres starting pitcher James Shields has once again cropped up in trade rumors with the regular season rapidly approaching. 

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Shields Back on Trade Block

Friday, Mar. 25

On Friday, MLB Network’s Jon Heyman reported that a “few teams,” including the Baltimore Orioles and Boston Red Sox, have talked to the Padres about dealing for Shields.   

However, Dennis Lin of the San Diego-Tribune reported nothing is imminent.

In his first year with the Padres in 2015 after signing a four-year, $75 million deal (viaSpotrac), Shields went 13-7 with a 3.91 ERA, hardly the kind of numbers from a pitcher making ace money. 

He was just one of a few big offseason deals the Padres made prior to the 2015 season that didn’t yield big rewards.

The Padres hobbled to a 74-88 finish in 2015, which didn’t reflect the kind of roster the team had on paper. 

Pitching had a lot to do with those struggles, as the team’s staff allowed over 4.5 runs per game. Only eight teams in the league allowed more in 2015. 

Due to his sub-par performance in his debut season with the Padres, Shields found himself in the middle of trade talks in December, per Buster Olney:

This came after he cleared waivers in August when the team couldn’t deal him at the trade deadline. 

With the kind of money that he’s set to make, the Padres probably won’t be asking for much in return for Shields. His re-emergence on the trade market could just be another attempt at dumping his salary, per Heyman:

If they can deal Shields, then the Padres could have an opportunity to reinvest their money into building their team to a contender in a loaded National League West with the San Francisco Giants, Los Angeles Dodgers and Arizona Diamondbacks. 

Teams around the league could look at the 34-year-old as a veteran arm that could bolster their respective rotations. The Orioles could put Shields toward the top of the staff to complement Yovani Gallardo, while the Red Sox could have him complement David Price. 

Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com

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The Philadelphia Phillies announced on Friday they have signed manager Pete Mackanin to a new two-year contract for the 2016 and 2017 seasons. 

The deal also includes a club option for the 2018 season and replaces the contract Mackanin signed back in September 2015, per the team. 

Mackanin, who was originally the team’s third-base coach, took over the Phillies manager job in the final 88 games of the 2015 season after Ryne Sandberg resigned in June. 

He went 37-51 with a young, inexperienced team that began the year 26-48 and were already 15.5 games behind the first-place Washington Nationals at the time of Sandberg’s resignation. 

The small improvement in winning percentage didn’t do much for the Phillies, who ended the season with a league-worst 63-99 record. 

His side was made up of either inexperienced youngsters or veterans on their last legs. Five of Philadelphia’s starters in the field were 25 or younger, while the likes of 37-year-old Carlos Ruiz and 36-year-old Ryan Howard didn’t hit over .229. 

The Phillies’ pitching staff didn’t help, either, with a team ERA of 4.69. Only the Colorado Rockies had a worse mark than that. 

Mackanin will once again have to deal with a team that is trying to rebuild with young talent, such as third baseman Maikel Franco and starting pitcher Aaron Nola, in a National League East that looks to be dominated by the New York Mets and Nationals. 

With expectations low around Philadelphia for the 2016 season, Mackanin will have an opportunity to surprise some people in baseball if he manages his Phillies to some success. 

Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com.

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New York Mets outfielder Michael Conforto left Wednesday’s spring training game against the Toronto Blue Jays because of back stiffness. 

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Conforto’s Back Feeling Better

Thursday, March 24  

Conforto told MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo on Thursday that his back is feeling better after a seeing a doctor and receiving treatment. He even hitched a ride with Mets director of public relations Jay Horwitz back to Port St. Lucie, the home of New York’s spring training facility in Florida, to avoid sitting on the team bus for three hours. 

Conforto reassured DiComo that his Opening Day status shouldn’t be in doubt either. However, Mets manager Terry Collins isn’t sold.

“I’m concerned about that,” Collins told DiComo. “Back spasms can be tough to get rid of.”

It looks like Collins wants to be cautious with the left fielder who impressed after being called up to the big leagues in July.

The 10th overall draft pick in 2014 didn’t spend much time in the minors, and once he got the call, the 23-year-old left-hander showed that his bat was ready for the major league game. He batted .270 in 56 games with almost half of his hits coming in the extra-base variety with nine home runs and 14 doubles. 

Conforto announced his presence on the largest of stages, with a two-home run game in Game 4 of the World Series:

With such a mature bat at a young age, Conforto is expected to be the team’s starting left fielder come Opening Day in a strong-looking Mets outfield that features Yoenis Cespedes in center field and Curtis Granderson in right.

That outfield, along with slugging first baseman Lucas Duda and veteran third baseman David Wright, will be responsible for carrying the offense on a team that is anchored by the stellar young pitching staff of Matt Harvey, Jacob deGrom, Noah Syndergaard, Steven Matz and the currently recovering Zack Wheeler.

With that kind of skill distribution on the roster sheet, the Mets should be in contention to defend their National League pennant.

If Conforto’s back is giving him trouble, though, Alejandro De Aza, Eric Campbell and Juan Lagares could step in while he recovers. 

Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com.

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Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Homer Bailey is continuing his recovery from Tommy John surgery, which he underwent in May 2015.   

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Bailey Inching Toward Full Recovery

Thursday, March 24

On Thursday, Bailey threw his second live batting practice of spring training, per the Cincinnati Enquirer:

According to C. Trent Rosecrans of the Cincinnati Enquirer, Bailey simulated two innings on the day. It came just three days after his first live batting practice, where he faced four batters and threw five pitches, per Rosecrans. 

“We still have a few steps to go, but the bright side is, everything felt as expected, which was normal,” Bailey told Rosecrans on Monday. “Other than that, I don’t have much to report.”

No news after his live batting practice on Thursday is good news for Bailey, who is expected to rejoin the Reds’ rotation in May, according to Rosecrans. 

When he’s able to stay on the field, Bailey has proved that he can be a solid middle- to lower-rotation arm in Cincinnati’s rotation with a 58-51 career record.

He even pitched the franchise’s 16th no-hitter back in 2012 and added a second in 2013 against the San Francisco Giants:

The problem has been that he’s had trouble keeping healthy. Before his Tommy John surgery in 2015, Bailey’s 2014 season was cut short due to a forearm injury that also required surgery. 

Cincinnati’s rotation doesn’t host many marquee arms, which could prove troublesome in 2016 and could call for Bailey’s services toward the top of the staff. 

Without the likes of Johnny Cueto and Mike Leake, who departed at the trade deadline last season, the Reds are looking at a pitching staff headlined by Anthony DeSclafani, Alfredo Simon and Raisel Iglesias, three pitchers who put up a combined record of 25-32 last season. 

That could spell disaster in a National League Central division that features the powerful Chicago Cubs, St. Louis Cardinals and Pittsburgh Pirates. 

Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com

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San Francisco Giants first baseman Brandon Belt is entering the 2016 season with a new one-year, $6.2 million deal he signed in February before he hits a second year of arbitration next offseason, per Spotrac. 

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Belt, Giants in Extension Talks

Tuesday, March 22

Unrestricted free agency looms after the 2017 season, and the Giants look keen on locking Belt down long term. On Monday, Giants general manager Bobby Evans met with Belt’s representatives to continue talking about a contract extension, per Alex Pavlovic of CSNBayArea.com.   

Evans spoke with Pavlovic about negotiations:

We’re exploring options. There’s no pressure — we have him for two more years. There’s no pressure, but if we have the opportunity, it’d be wise to take advantage of it. We’ll see how it plays out.

We have a fan base here that appreciates him and a club he fits well on, and he’s been a big part of our success.

This season will be Belt’s sixth season in MLB, all with the Giants, as he’s been a part of two World Series-winning teams in 2012 and 2014. 

He’s looking to follow up one of his finest seasons in the league after he hit .280 with a career-high 18 home runs and 68 RBI while being ranked 17th in the league in WAR, per Pavlovic. 

The Giants have been a busy team already this offseason, having signed big-name free agents such as pitchers Johnny Cueto and Jeff Samardzija while re-signing shortstop Brandon Crawford to a six-year deal. 

Those three signatures alone cost around $285 million this offseason, but Giants management told Pavlovic that it has enough space to sign Belt to a “significant extension.”

The team might be hesitant to sign Belt to big money, though, because of his troubles staying on the field. He’s never played in more than 150 games in a season, as he’s suffered three concussions, a broken thumb and, most recently, underwent knee surgery during the offseason to repair a torn meniscus. 

That kind of track record could deter the Giants and Belt from agreeing to a deal. Per Pavlovic, the two parties have already had difficulties in negotiations during the arbitration process, and if they don’t find a middle ground in the next year or so, then it will become difficult to keep Belt in San Francisco. 

Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com unless otherwise noted.

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Boston Red Sox relief pitcher Carson Smith is facing an extended stint on the disabled list in 2016.

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Forearm Injury Will Shelf Smith

Tuesday, March 22   

According to the Boston Herald‘s Michael Silverman, Smith has a strain in his flexor mass muscle but is expected to pitch sometime this season despite there not being a timetable for his return.

Smith was pulled from his outing on Monday against the St. Louis Cardinals when he experienced “tightness” and “cramping” in his forearm, per Silverman. 

The 26-year-old spoke with Silverman after the game on Monday about the injury: “I’m concerned; it’s my career. I think everybody here, if they felt something in their forearm, is going to be concerned. Who knows how serious it is. We toyed with some tests in there and…there were optimistic results.”

The Red Sox acquired Smith during the offseason, along with starter Roenis Elias from the Seattle Mariners, in return for starter Wade Miley and minor leaguer Jonathan Aro. 

In his first full season in the majors last year, Smith recorded 92 strikeouts in 70.0 innings pitched—which led all rookie relievers, per Silverman—along with 13 saves. 

With the arrival of Craig Kimbrel in Boston, Smith was most likely going to be the Red Sox’s setup man as the team attempted to restock its bullpen, which struggled mightily last season.

Boston relief pitchers allowed 4.65 runs per game in 2015, fifth-worst in the league, and had just 63 holds. Only six teams in the majors had fewer last year. 

Now with Smith out for what could be an extended period of time, the Red Sox might have to rely on former closer and 40-year-old Koji Uehara, who made his spring training debut on March 12 after recovering from a fractured wrist that ended his 2015 season early in August. 

Hopefully for the Red Sox, he will be enough to keep the setup role afloat while Smith recovers. 

Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com.

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Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher C.J. Wilson is preparing for the 2016 season with some new mechanics after running into injury issues last year.

On Saturday, Wilson spoke with Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register about the changes in his motion on the mound.

“I looked at the video and said, ‘This isn’t right,’” he said. “I have to scuttle the whole thing and start over again. [I] recreated a new delivery that is different, with a different arm slot and everything. So I throw completely different now than I did last year. I won’t even look like the same pitcher.”

Angels manager Mike Scioscia said the changes are minor, but they will help Wilson stay comfortable on the mound.

Wilson decided to cut his 2015 season short in August because of an elbow injury that plagued him for most of the year. His decision was met with skepticism by his teammates, who believed that Wilson should have pitched through the injury, per MLB.com’s Alden Gonzalez.

Not only did the injury require surgery, but Wilson also told Fletcher that he hurt his shoulder while pitching through it. The shoulder pain flared up in spring training and forced the change in mechanics, as it would have affected his velocity.

“Once I got to the point where I was throwing max effort, then it started breaking down again, so I had to go back to the drawing board and start throwing differently,” he said.

When healthy, Wilson could be a serviceable starter in Los Angeles. He won 17 games in 2013 before winning just 13 and eight in the following two seasons.

If his new mechanics help him regain that kind of success, though, he can be a solid option alongside Garrett Richards and Jered Weaver.

Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com.

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Free-agent first baseman Justin Morneau underwent surgery in December to repair a tendon in his elbow, and he is experiencing a bumpy road to recovery. 

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Morneau’s MLB Future in Doubt

Thursday, March 17

Morneau told La Velle E. Neal III of the Star Tribune on Thursday that he will not be able to swing a bat until June, which is why he hasn’t been able to catch on with another team in the offseason. 

“I went into the offseason thinking what I had was just tendinitis,” he said. “It was a problem that began last year in spring training and that I dealt with all year. I rested like I was supposed to and was optimistic it would be better by the time it needed to be.”

The elbow is the latest issue that’s plagued Morneau over the past year. He missed four months in 2015 after suffering a concussion, the third of his career, during his second year with the Colorado Rockies. It came a year after he won the National League batting crown with a .319 average. 

He experienced a resurgence in Colorado, as Morneau had batted under .300 in his previous five full seasons with the Minnesota Twins and Pittsburgh Pirates. It was quite a fall from grace for a player who won the 2006 American League MVP award with a .321 batting average, 31 home runs and 130 RBI.

Because of his injury issues, though, the Rockies declined Morneau’s $9 million option when the 2015 season ended. Morneau realized that his elbow wasn’t getting any better, which has held him back from finding a new home in baseball, per Neal: 

I do not blame the Rockies, as we did what we thought was right at the time with the information we had. Unfortunately, once teams starting calling in the offseason and things were moving along I didn’t feel confident that I was getting better so I decided to go get it checked out again on my own. After a new MRI, surgery was recommended and that was the path we chose to take.

By the time Morneau is ready to swing a bat, he’ll be 35 years old, and he’ll have to prove that his elbow and head are good to go in 2016 before a team takes a chance on him. If everything is healed, his bat could be a nice addition for a team that’s looking to add offense to its lineup. 

Morneau can hit to all parts of the field and provide some decent pop. Because he doesn’t have a lot of speed, his bat could be well-suited for a spot near the No. 5 or No. 6 spot in a lineup. Demand for him will depend on how many teams need a boost at first base and, of course, his health.

Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com.

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