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St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Michael Wacha has been placed on the disabled list while dealing with right shoulder inflammation. It’s unclear when he will return to the mound.

Continue for updates.

Reyes Recalled to Replace Wacha on Active Roster

Tuesday, Aug. 9

The Cardinals announced top prospect Alex Reyes (No. 9 overall, per MLB.com) has been recalled from Triple-A Memphis to replace Wacha.

This season has been an underwhelming one compared to his All-Star campaign from 2015 in which he went 17-7 with a 3.38 ERA. 

Through 23 starts this season, Wacha has put up a 7-7 record to go with a 4.45 ERA. 

He also narrowly avoided injury after taking a line drive off his right leg during a July 8 game against the Milwaukee Brewers. He suffered nothing more than a contusion and didn’t miss a start. 

But he just wasn’t able to reclaim the same kind of form that made him such a formidable pitcher in 2015. Seven of his first 20 starts lasted just five innings or less, and nine of them saw him allow seven or more hits. 

His struggles, along with St. Louis’ struggles to get consistent pitching from most of its starters, is what has it fighting for its playoff lives as it sits 11 games behind the Chicago Cubs in the National League Central and tied for the second NL wild-card spot with the Miami Marlins.

Now with Wacha out, more pressure will fall onto the shoulders of the young Carlos Martinez, who leads the Cardinals with a 10-7 record with a 3.29 ERA.

But St. Louis will have to look for a fifth starter to fill Wacha’s place as the starting rotation has remained relatively healthy all season. The Cardinals have had only six pitchers start a game this season, and five of them have had over 20. 

Without a dependable fifth arm, the deficit the Cardinals are facing in their division could worsen even more. 

Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com.

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The Los Angeles Angels designated starting pitcher Tim Lincecum for assignment Saturday, Pedro Moura of the Los Angeles Times reported.

Lincecum started nine games for the Angels, recording a 2-6 record with a career-worst 9.16 ERA. 

Angels manager Mike Scioscia spoke with the media about the decision, per Moura: “It’s very clear now that he hasn’t progressed from his first couple starts. He’s kind of regressed a little bit.”

Scioscia said he hoped Lincecum would accept an assignment to Triple-A, but Moura noted the pitcher “has the right to turn the assignment down and become a free agent, assuming he clears waivers.”

The 32-year-old started his Angels career in impressive fashion June 18, going six innings against the Oakland Athletics while allowing just one run on four hits.

In his following eight starts, he allowed three or more earned runs in each appearance, including a 1.1-inning effort against the Houston Astros on July 24 in which he allowed eight earned runs on seven hits. 

His latest start Friday night against the Seattle Mariners wasn’t much better, as the M’s tagged him for six runs and nine hits in 3.1 innings.

The writing was on the wall when Scioscia was asked if Lincecum would make another start after Friday’s game.

“So, if you ask me right now, I could say yes,” the manager said, per Moura. “But, obviously, we have to sit down, review his video, see where the positives were, and see where we are.”

Lincecum began the season as a free agent while he recovered from the hip surgery he underwent in September.

It was an unceremonious ending to his time with the San Francisco Giants, a team he won a pair of Cy Young Awards with. He saw his play dramatically decrease over the past few seasons, as he compiled a 39-42 record from 2012 to 2015.

He threw 41 pitches in a May showcase for numerous MLB scouts in Arizona as he searched for a new home in the majors.

Given Lincecum’s struggles, he’ll likely go unclaimed on waivers. If that’s the case, he will have to hope another team is willing to give him a chance to prove he can rediscover the form that made him one of the best pitchers in the game five years ago.

Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com.

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San Diego Padres manager Andy Green announced on Friday that starting pitcher Colin Rea will undergo Tommy John surgery.

Continue for updates.

Rea’s Odd Season Ends Early

Friday, Aug. 5

After he started the season with a 5-5 record and 4.98 ERA, the Padres dealt Rea to the Miami Marlins in July. But after Rea suffered an elbow injury just 3.1 innings into his first appearance with the Marlins, Miami returned him to San Diego before the Aug. 1 non-waiver trade deadline.

He was originally part of a seven-player deal that was headlined by the Padres shipping pitcher Andrew Cashner to the Marlins in late July.

Rea told the media he felt soreness in his elbow before the Padres sent him to the Marlins, but it didn’t alarm him, per AJ Cassavell of MLB.com:

Every pitcher kind of goes through some soreness here and there throughout the season. … For me, that’s what it was. It wasn’t anything more. It was something I was able to throw through. It didn’t bother me at all. Then, obviously, in the start on Saturday, it just got a lot worse in those last couple innings to the point where I couldn’t throw anymore.

In a new deal after Rea’s injury, San Diego eventually sent Miami pitching prospect Luis Castillo, a 23-year-old right hander who is playing in Single-A. 

In his first two years in the majors, Rea has been consistently mediocre, posting a 7-7 career record with a 4.69 ERA. He has allowed three or more runs in 13 of his 18 starts with the Padres and won only two games since May 6.

Entering the season as a lower-tier arm in San Diego’s rotation, Rea took on a bigger role after the team traded James Shields to the Chicago White Sox and Drew Pomeranz to the Boston Red Sox. 

San Diego also shipped outfielders Matt Kemp and Melvin Upton Jr. to the Atlanta Braves and Toronto Blue Jays, respectively, as the team suddenly found itself in a rebuilding phase.

Given that the team saw Rea as a trade chip, the Padres won’t feel his absence much. But at 26 years old, he is young enough to turn things around after the lengthy recovery period that Tommy John surgery usually requires.

Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com.

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Just before the trade deadline, the San Diego Padres dealt the big contract of 31-year-old veteran outfielder Matt Kemp to the Atlanta Braves, ending his short stint with the club. 

On Wednesday, Padres executive chairman Ron Fowler didn’t hold much back when speaking about Kemp’s tenure in San Diego, according to Bryce Miller of the San Diego Union-Tribune.

“We made a conscious decision to ship them out because we want people that are prepared to improve,” Fowler said. “If you’re making a lot of money and you think you’re already there, you’re not going to get better.”

In 254 games with the Padres, Kemp batted .264 with 46 home runs and 169 RBI. He was in the fourth and fifth years of the eight-year, $160 million deal he initially signed as a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2012, via Spotrac.

He hit 23 home runs in 2015 and 23 in 2016 with the Padres and was on pace for a second-straight 100-RBI campaign before they dealt him.

But it wasn’t enough for Fowler, who commented on the letter that Kemp penned for The Players’ Tribune after the trade to Atlanta. He described himself as building “a reputation for being selfish, lazy and a bad teammate.” He did promise his new team’s fanbase that it wouldn’t happen with the Braves, though.

“You saw Kemp’s letter,” Fowler said, per Miller. “Talk about a bunch of b.s.”

Kemp wasn’t the only casualty of the trade market as the team wallowed near the basement of the National League West. The Padres have been the biggest sellers in baseball over the past few months, dealing pitchers James Shields, Fernando Rodney and Drew Pomeranz, along with outfielder Melvin Upton Jr.

In return for Kemp and his former teammates, the Padres largely got prospects, as San Diego looks to be in full rebuild mode. Fowler was frank in explaining why he broke the team up:

I’ll be damned if we’re going to pay high-priced talent to sit on their butts and not perform…I’d like to tell you we’re breaking up the ’98 Yankees, but we’re not. This was a team that underachieved. Let’s get some younger, hungry players in here that you can be proud of that lay it on the line. 

Shields responded to Fowler’s claims about former players, per Dan Hayes of CSN Chicago:

(Fowler and Kemp) have their own deal and he has his own thoughts about him, so I’m not going to comment on that. But one thing I do know is, I hope he’s not putting me in that category as far as not trying. You can ask anybody around the league, let alone in the San Diego organization — I worked my butt off every single day. I prepared myself the way I needed to prepare myself on a daily basis. And I pour my heart out every time I pitch on the mound.

For Padres fans, though, pride could be hard to come by if the winning column remains barren over the next few years, even if the players show an adequate effort that meets Fowler’s standards. 

It’s not like Kemp will have the last laugh with his new team in terms of winning. Entering Thursday night, Atlanta has the worst record in baseball at 38-69. 

Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com.

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Boston Red Sox first baseman Hanley Ramirez suffered a wrist injury when he slipped and fell on the steps in the dugout after a game against the Seattle Mariners on Aug. 2.

However, he has been cleared to return to the lineup. 

Continue for updates.

Ramirez Active vs. Dodgers

Friday, Aug. 5

Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe reported Ramirez will play against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday.

X-Ray Results on Ramirez’s Wrist Revealed

Wednesday, Aug. 3

X-rays and an MRI showed that Ramirez’s wrist is “structurally sound,” according to Sean McAdam of CSNNE.com. 

Ramirez Looking for Stride with Red Sox 

It’s been a tumultuous two-year span for Ramirez, who batted a career-low .249 in 2015. A lot of it had to do with his physical form, as he had noticeably gained weight. He was even benched for a few games at the end of August due to fatigue. 

Shortly after the 2015 season ended, the Red Sox went to Ramirez and asked him to lose weight for spring training, and he did, via Christopher Smith of MassLive.com. 

On top of that, he had to get used to a new position as he was moved from the outfield to first base.

But things are looking up for Ramirez in 2016. Prior to the injury, he was hitting .276 with 13 home runs and 61 RBI while adapting well to first base, committing only three errors in his first 70 games with a .994 fielding percentage. 

He’s also shown everything said about him doesn’t affect him in the slightest:

With the likes of Mookie Betts, David Ortiz, Jackie Bradley Jr. and Xander Bogaerts in the Red Sox lineup, the pressure of producing hasn’t necessarily weighed as heavily on Ramirez as it has in years past.

Boston’s suddenly vaunted offense has it in contention in the American League East with the Baltimore Orioles and Toronto Blue Jays. 

Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com.

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Major League Baseball’s Monday non-waiver trade deadline has come and gone, but that doesn’t mean that there won’t be any more transactions.

Players that are put on waivers and clear them, or players who aren’t on their team’s 40-man roster could still be dealt and would be eligible for the postseason before Aug. 31.

Here are some of the first names that have popped up in rumors for possible post-deadline moves:

Yasiel Puig

Things are not hunky-dory in Tinseltown between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Yasiel Puig.

According to Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal, the Dodgers left the struggling outfielder in Los Angeles as they embarked toward Colorado to play the Rockies:

Puig, 25, stormed off after arriving at Dodger Stadium and being informed that he would either be traded or sent to the minors, according to major-league sources… He was not traded before the non-waiver deadline at 4 p.m. ET, but the team’s immediate plan for him is unclear.

However, Puig’s agent Adam Katz corrected Rosenthal that Puig was never at Dodger Stadium. He also provided a timetable for Puig’s next move, saying:

I’m told he never went to the park. The club informed me and the player understood clearly that they were making every to trade him and that if they were unable to come to terms with another club on a trade—and successful in acquiring another outfielder—that he likely would be demoted. My understanding is that transaction will happen tomorrow.

In 81 games this season, Puig is batting .260 with seven home runs and 34 RBI. Those are underachieving numbers for a highly touted Cuban defector who signed a seven-year, $42 million deal in 2012, per Spotrac.

His struggles forced the Dodgers to acquire outfielder Josh Reddick before Monday’s trade deadline from the Oakland Athletics as a possible replacement.

With this latest blow-up and his inability to produce, MLB Network’s Jon Morosi speculated that it is “very possible” Puig will clear waivers.

Puig was also placed on waivers after last season’s trade deadline, but he was pulled off of the wire on Aug. 12.

Juan Uribe

The Cleveland Indians designated veteran infielder Juan Uribe for assignment on Monday after 73 games with the team:

The 37-year-old will now look for a new home once again. He’s batted .206 with seven home runs and 25 RBI this season, as he hits waivers.

It could be an old team that possibly comes calling for him, though.

Shortly after the deadline passed, New York Mets general manager Sandy Alderson was asked about the now-available Uribe, via Anthony DiComo of MLB.com:

Uribe only hit .219 with six home runs and 20 RBI in 43 games with the Mets in 2015. But the depth he provided and his veteran presence helped them reach the NLDS before he was sidelined by a chest injury.

The Mets have been in dire need of an offensive boost and made strides to improve on an offense that averaged just 3.66 runs per game entering Monday night, third-worst in the majors. On Monday, they announced the acquisition of Jay Bruce from the Cincinnati Reds, a 2016 All-Star who has smashed 25 home runs and 80 RBI this season.

While Uribe wouldn’t be the one to spark an offensive turnaround in New York, getting him back on the Mets bench to provide quality at-bats when needed could provide a boost.

Carlos Ruiz

Philadelphia Phillies catcher Carlos Ruiz is one of the last remaining links to the team’s 2008 World Series-winning team. But at 37 years old, his time at Citizens Bank Park seems to be winding down.

MLB Network’s Jon Morosi speculated Monday after the deadline that Ruiz “could clear waivers and be moved in August.”

In 40 games this season as Cameron Rupp’s backup, Ruiz is batting .255 with three home runs and 11 RBI. Never really an offensive force throughout his 11-year career, an aging catcher who still plays solid defense could be a target of a contending team looking for a veteran addition behind the plate.

Even if he can’t provide much on the field, he can bring something to the bench. Younger, more inexperienced players can learn from Ruiz. Rupp benefited from Ruiz’s experience in Philadelphia, via Michael Marcantonini of CSN Philadelphia:

We talk in between innings, after games, before games. When we need to make an adjustment, he’ll ask me questions as well because he’s still trying to learn, if I’ve seen a guy that I faced in the minor leagues for a few years or vice versa…I mean, that guy knows every hitter in the National League. He knows every pitcher that he’s caught.

For a National League team expecting to make a playoff run this season, having that kind of intel in the clubhouse could be an invaluable asset to have in October.

Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com.

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The Toronto Blue Jays announced Monday that they acquired starting pitcher Francisco Liriano from the Pittsburgh Pirates prior to MLB‘s trade deadline. 

The Pirates also sent catcher Reese McGuire and outfielder Harold Ramirez, their eighth- and ninth-ranked prospects, respectively, per MLB.com, to the Blue Jays.

In return, Toronto shipped struggling starter Drew Hutchison, who was optioned to Triple-A on July 8, to the Pirates.

Liriano is trudging through one of the worst seasons of his career with a 6-11 record and 5.46 ERA. The 32-year-old, who is owed nearly $13.7 million next season, according to Spotrac, was dealt as “a pure salary dump,” per Yahoo Sports’ Jeff Passan.

The 59-46 Blue Jays currently sit 0.5 games behind the Baltimore Orioles for first place in the American League East thanks in part to their strong rotation. Blue Jays starters have posted a team 3.71 ERA, which is fifth-best in the majors.

However, Marcus Stroman, who was perceived as the team’s ace heading into the 2016 season, has a rotation-worst 4.92 ERA. Former Cy Young Award winner R.A. Dickey is 7-12 with a 4.66 mark. 

While Stroman and Dickey have struggled, the Blue Jays have received dazzling contributions from Aaron Sanchez, J.A. Happ and Marco Estrada:

Before this nightmare season, Liriano had an ERA under 3.40 in each of the past three years, but his ERA was above 5.00 three times between 2009 and 2012. His best campaign in recent seasons came in 2013, when he went 16-8 with a 3.02 ERA.

The Blue Jays and their fans will be hoping that Liriano can recapture his 2013-15 form, which would further bolster their rotation and postseason hopes.

Adding another arm who can deal with the big bats of the Orioles and Boston Red Sox may be the difference between playing in October and watching the postseason on TV. 

Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com.

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The Toronto Blue Jays announced Monday they have acquired relief pitcher Scott Feldman from the Houston Astros in return for minor league pitcher Guadalupe Chavez. 

Feldman is 5-3 with a 2.90 ERA in 26 games and five starts this season, as the Blue Jays add a versatile arm to their bullpen.  

The 18-year-old Chavez was the Blue Jays’ No. 20-ranked prospect, per MLB.com, and had been pitching in the Gulf Coast League, where he posted a 4-1 record with a 1.69 ERA, per MiLB.com. 

The acquisition of Feldman came shortly after the Blue Jays announced they dealt reliever Jesse Chavez to the Los Angeles Dodgers on Monday in exchange for pitcher Mike Bolsinger. It’s also almost a week after they traded Drew Storen to the Seattle Mariners for veteran Joaquin Benoit. 

Beginning the year as a starter, the Astros shifted Feldman to the bullpen after he started 0-2 with a 4.58 ERA in four outings. 

Upon moving to the pen, Feldman became a reliever who was able to appear anywhere from the middle innings to the eighth as a setup man. 

His best stretch of the season began in June when he went on an 11-appearance run in which he allowed a combined three runs while striking out 13. 

Feldman’s ERA sank to as low as 2.40, but an outing on Sunday against the Detroit Tigers saw him pelted for four runs while allowing two round-trippers in two innings of work. 

As the Blue Jays battle the Baltimore Orioles and Boston Red Sox for American League East supremacy, Feldman’s acquisition could allow the team to start cutting down on its usage of the less reliable relievers. 

Brett Cecil has an ERA over 4.50, so Feldman could be a solid candidate to take over his role in the bullpen. It will allow the likes of Joe Biagini, Jason Grilli and Benoit to come into more favorable situations while giving closer Roberto Osuna a better chance to finish games off. 

Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com.

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The Los Angeles Angels have traded reliever Joe Smith to the Chicago Cubs, ESPN’s Buster Olney reported on Monday.  

Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal confirmed the deal shortly after Olney’s initial report. The Cubs announced that they will be sending 20-year-old pitching prospect Jesus Castillo to the Angels in return.

In 38 games this season, Smith is 1-4 with a 3.82 ERA and six saves.

The Cubs continue to stock up their bullpen as they prepare for a second consecutive playoff run. In the past month, they have acquired closer Aroldis Chapman and Mike Montgomery and activated Joe Nathan, whom they signed in May.

Those acquisitions have picked up a unit that saw Trevor Cahill hit the 15-day disabled list on July 15 with right patellar tendinitis and a struggling Justin Grimm get optioned to Triple-A. 

Smith will bolster the bullpen further while bringing a different style of pitching to the mix. 

With a unique delivery between a sidearm and submarine motion, the right-hander has fared better against left-handed batters this season, holding them to a .246 average compared to a .267 mark against righties. 

The Cubs bullpen is already the best in the majors, allowing just 3.51 runs per game. The emergence of Carl Edwards, who has posted a 1.62 ERA in 15 appearances, has worked well alongside Pedro Strop, Travis Wood and former closer Hector Rondon.

Due to Chicago’s embarrassment of riches in terms of late-inning arms, Smith could make appearances in the middle of games, which is different than his role with the Angels, as he was largely used as a setup man. 

But with him going from a struggling American League team to a National League contender, Smith’s depth will preserve Chicago’s most important arms as the season wears on. 

In return, the Angels will get a pitcher in Castillo who is honing his game in Single-A ball, holding a 2-3 record with a 3.27 ERA, per MiLB.com. 

Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com.

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A source told Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal that the Los Angeles Dodgers have acquired reliever Jesse Chavez from the Toronto Blue Jays with less than 30 minutes remaining in Major League Baseball’s Monday trade deadline. 

Per Joel Sherman of the New York Post, the Dodgers have sent starter Mike Bolsinger in return for Chavez.  

The Dodgers have brought in Chavez to provide depth to a bullpen that has worked a lot this season. 

Los Angeles’ bullpen hasn’t been bad, as it has allowed an average of 3.71 runs per game, which is fourth-best in the majors. But the bullpen has appeared in a combined 371 games in relief, second-most in baseball behind the lowly Atlanta Braves.

As a middle reliever, Chavez has never been a shutdown arm coming out of the bullpen. In each of his eight-plus seasons in the majors with five different teams, the 32-year-old has had an ERA under 4.00 twice. 

This season, which was his first with the Blue Jays after coming over from the Oakland Athletics, Chavez is 1-2 with a 4.57 ERA. In 41.1 innings, he’s allowed 22 runs on 43 hits. 

With the Dodgers, Chavez could appear in the fifth or sixth to eat innings if a starter doesn’t have a quality outing. That way, they wouldn’t have to burn one of their more productive bullpen arms—Adam Liberatore and Pedro Baez, pitchers who pave the way for closer Kenley Jansen.

As the season winds into the dog days of August, Chavez allows the bullpen to stay a bit fresher as the Dodgers chase the San Francisco Giants in the National League West and lead the NL wild-card standings. 

The Blue Jays will get a pitcher in Bolsinger who was a struggling low-end starter in Los Angeles. After starting the 2016 season 1-4 with a 6.83 ERA, he was demoted to Triple-A on June 19 and hasn’t seen the majors since. 

Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com.

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