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The Colorado Rockies announced Wednesday they have designated shortstop Jose Reyes for assignment.

Reyes has yet to play a game in 2016. Major League Baseball suspended the 33-year-old through the end of May for a violation of the league’s domestic violence policy. Before Wednesday’s move, Reyes had been on a minor league rehab assignment with Colorado’s Triple-A affiliate, the Albuquerque Isotopes. 

According to Spotrac, Reyes is signed through 2018 and is due $22 million in each season. He has a club option for 2018 that includes a $4 million buyout.

The Rockies now have 10 days to decide Reyes’ future. They can trade him to another team—albeit while likely paying a large chunk of his deal. Colorado can also release him outright or place him on waivers. Should nobody pick take him off waivers, the Rockies could reinstate him to the 40-man roster.

In all likelihood, though, this represents the end of Reyes’ brief time in the Mile High City. He is declining on the field, as he had a .274/.310/.378 slash line last year between his time with the Rockies and Toronto Blue Jays. According to FanGraphs, Reyes was also one of the worst defensive shortstops in MLB. He tied for the least defensive runs saved with minus-eight and was fourth-worst in ultimate zone rating per 150 games (-7.5).

Adding Reyes to Colorado’s starting lineup would mean displacing Trevor Story, who has been one of the bigger surprises in baseball. The rookie shortstop is batting .265 with 17 home runs and 45 runs batted in. His 1.5 WAR is third among qualified Rockies position players, per FanGraphs.

Another team could give Reyes a shot once he clears waivers. FanGraphs’ Eric Longenhagen offered a lukewarm endorsement of the four-time All-Star:

MLB Network’s Jon Heyman reported the New York Yankees won’t be among those interested. Heyman, writing for Today’s Knuckleball, reported on June 2 the Yankees showed interest in Reyes last year after his trade to the Rockies.

If he becomes a free agent, Reyes could be a good low-cost signing for a playoff contender during the back half of the regular season.

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Pittsburgh Pirates catcher Francisco Cervelli has been placed on the 15-day disabled list after breaking the hamate bone in his left hand. 

Continue for updates.

Cervelli Can Resume Full Baseball Activities in 4-6 Weeks

Saturday, June 11

According to the team’s official Twitter account, Cervelli underwent surgery Saturday. 

Cervelli had the unenviable task of replacing Russell Martin last year. Not only was Martin a fan favorite in the Steel City, but FanGraphs also ranked him third among all catchers in WAR (5.0) in 2014.

Swapping Martin with Cervelli was a somewhat odd move at the time since Cervelli had never caught for a full season. Ninety-three games was his previous career high.

Then the 30-year-old posted an impressive .295 batting average with seven home runs and 43 runs batted in, and according to Baseball Prospectus, he was also the second-best defensive catcher in MLB. Only Buster Posey (5.7) finished with a higher WAR on FanGraphs at the position than Cervelli (3.8), who narrowly edged out Martin (3.5).

Now it will be up to Chris Stewart to replace Cervelli behind the plate. Stewart appeared in 107 games during his first two seasons in Pittsburgh, batting .292 with a .336 slugging percentage. He’s a more than serviceable backup until Cervelli returns.

Still, the Pirates will hope their starting catcher isn’t out longer than the estimated timetable. The margins will be slim in the National League Central, particularly among those fighting for the wild card. Pittsburgh can’t afford to be without Cervelli for a major stretch of time.

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In terms of instant gratification, the MLB draft is guaranteed to be a disappointment. However, there’s no question a handful of future stars are sitting in the 2016 class.

Even the most promising prospects need at least a year of seasoning before they are full-time major leaguers. The Washington Nationals selected Bryce Harper first overall in 2010 but didn’t call him up to the bigs until 2012, and Harper is the exception rather than the rule.

For this year’s incoming crop of prospects, the majors won’t come until 2018 at the earliest, if they even come at all.

Here’s a mock for the first round of the 2016 draft on Thursday night—including compensation picks—followed by analysis for four of the best players available. None of the quartet is likely to make an immediate impact on his major league team, but the four prospects should grow into everyday MLB regulars in a few seasons.

MLB Mock Draft

Top Prospects Available

Jason Groome, LHP, Barnegat (N.J.) High School

Drafting a prep pitcher is always a gamble. For every Clayton Kershaw, there are many more Jarrod Parkers. The Arizona Diamondbacks drafted Parker ninth overall in 2007, and he was solid for the Oakland Athletics before multiple Tommy John surgeries halted his MLB career.

Jason Groome is the best high school arm available in 2016. He missed a chunk of his senior season after the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association ruled him ineligible following his transfer from IMG Academy.

His stats remain impressive, though, per Matt Manley of Shore Sports Network:

Groome boasts a strong fastball, but his curveball might grow to be his most devastating pitch. Even as a junior, his curve had impressive movement, which FanGraphs captured in the video below:

Groome won’t help an MLB team for at least a few years, so he’d be a nice fit for any one of the Cincinnati Reds, Atlanta Braves and Colorado Rockies, all of whom are in long-term rebuilds.

According to MLB.com’s Jonathan Mayo, though, Groome‘s projection may not be so cut and dry. Mayo reported Groome is considering rescinding his commitment to Vanderbilt in order to enroll at Chipola College. By doing so, the 17-year-old could potentially enter the 2017 draft.

Knowing that contract negotiations are likely to be difficult and may not have a positive resolution, teams may decide drafting Groome won’t be worth the headache.

A.J. Puk, LHP, Florida

A.J. Puk may only sport a 2-3 record on the mound, but he has been very good for the Florida Gators in 2016. In 70 innings, the left-hander struck out 95 batters while allowing 31 walks and a .195 batting average against.

Puk is armed with an overpowering fastball—in the 96-99 mph range, per MLB.com—and a slider that will keep opposing hitters on their toes. If he can improve his control, he’ll be a productive MLB starter for a long time.

‘”Growing up everyone wants to be first pick,” Puk said, per the Orlando Sentinel‘s Edgar Thompson. “It’s always been a dream to be the first pick. You’re considered the best at what you do. That would be exciting.”

This year’s draft doesn’t have that one pitcher who is universally regarded as a future ace, nor is there a five-tool position player who’s a surefire All-Star. Drafting Puk would strengthen the Philadelphia Phillies’ starting rotation for the long term and give them a potential No. 2 starter.

In this year’s draft class, that’s not a bad haul with the No. 1 pick.

Nick Senzel, 3B, Tennessee

Not only is Nick Senzel leading Tennessee with a .352 batting average, but he’s also tied for first in home runs (eight) and stands all alone in RBI (59) and slugging percentage (.595). Baseball America‘s John Manuel discussed how Senzel possesses a high floor for an incoming prospect, per the Knoxville News Sentinel‘s Dustin Dopirak:

If he’s not the best pure hitter in the draft, he’s in the top three. I think he’s perceived as one of the safest picks in the draft. … There’s really high confidence in the scouting community that he will be at least an average big league hitter if not an above average big league hitter, and there are not too many guys who inspire that kind of confidence.

Barring an unforeseen power surge, Senzel is unlikely to be a 30-40 homer hitter in MLB. But if he can slug around 15-20 home runs while batting .280 or above, he’ll be a solid producer at the plate.

The Volunteers star can defend the hot corner as well, and he has the arm to make almost any throw across to first.

Selecting Senzel isn’t the sexiest pick, but there’s a lot of value to picking a player who should at the least be a reliable MLB infielder, especially when general managers are evaluated in part on their records in the first round of the draft.

Kyle Lewis, OF, Mercer

Until he is tested regularly against pitching higher up in the minor league pyramid, some will always question whether Kyle Lewis is more of a flat-track bully who excels when facing lesser competition.

The athletic outfielder batted .395 with 20 home runs and 72 RBI for the Mercer Bears in 2016. Lewis looked good in the Cape Cod League last year, finishing with a .300 batting average and a .200 isolated power, per Pointstreak.com.

Mercer head coach Craig Gibson doesn’t have any doubts about Lewis’ abilities at the plate.

“When you look at him, the bat speed is phenomenal,” Gibson said, per Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer. “You could put him in any organization, and that bat speed plays immediately. It’s just different.”

Baseball Prospectus, Christopher Crawford, however, argued Lewis could run into trouble once he faces professional pitching:

At the plate, Lewis shows huge bat speed, and that, along with the leverage he generates, gives him easy plus power to all parts of the field. If there’s a concern here, it’s that his swing has considerable length, and because his hands load late, that could give him significant contact issues as he faces harder throwers and better secondary stuff. He also has a pretty substantial leg kick, and it wouldn’t shock me if the team that drafts him asks Lewis to kick that to the curb. His walk totals are a bit misleading because no one in the Sun Belt wants to throw him a strike, but it does show that he’s willing to work counts into his favor, and that’s never a bad thing.

Gambling on Lewis early in the first round is well worth the potential rewards. He’s a good enough defender so as not to be a liability in the outfield, and he has some of the best raw power in the draft.

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Miami Marlins president of baseball operations Michael Hill announced Sunday that 2015 first-round draft pick Josh Naylor injured minor league teammate Stone Garrett with a knife during an incident at their apartment, per Craig Davis of the Sun Sentinel.

According to Davis, Garrett needed three stitches to close a cut on his right hand.

Hill didn’t go into specifics about what happened but described the situation as a prank that took a turn for the worse, per Davis:

Naylor has a reputation of being a bit of a prankster, but this one obviously went a little too far. Obviously, he’s torn up about it. This is a good friend, his roommate. They came into pro ball together, so they’re good friends. Hopefully it’ll just be a short term and [Garrett] can get back healthy and return to form and continue on his career.

Baseball America listed Naylor as the second-best prospect and Garrett as the fourth-best prospect in the Marlins organization heading into the 2016 season. Baseball Prospectus ranked Naylor and Garrett second and eighth, respectively.

Both players have spent the year with Miami’s Single-A affiliate, the Greensboro Grasshoppers. Naylor is batting .262 with seven home runs, 36 RBI and a .451 slugging percentage. Garrett has five homers, 15 RBI and a .244 average.

Davis noted the team placed Garrett on the disabled list Saturday and has not disclosed a timetable for his return to the field.

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Toronto Blue Jays third baseman Josh Donaldson did not play on Saturday against the Boston Red Sox because of a thumb injury, per Gregor Chisholm of MLB.com.

However, he will return to the Blue Jays’ lineup on Sunday, according to Sportsnet.ca’s Ben Nicholson-Smith.

Donaldson was one of the best players in baseball in 2015. His 8.7 WAR was third-highest among qualified position players, and he took home the American League MVP Award for his efforts. The 30-year-old was a big reason the Blue Jays reached the American League Championship Series last year.

Since his first full season with the Oakland Athletics in 2013, Donaldson has been one of the most consistent sluggers in baseball. Here’s where his offensive numbers rank with the rest of the league between 2013 and 2015:

Donaldson didn’t wait to get going in 2016, either, hitting a three-run home run against the Tampa Bay Rays in the Blue Jays’ fourth game of the year:

Toronto dodged a bullet when the two-time All-Star hurt his leg in the same game. He only suffered a calf strain and didn’t miss any games. Thankfully for Toronto, this most recent injury proved to be minor as well.

Stats are courtesy of FanGraphs.

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Detroit Tigers first baseman Miguel Cabrera exited Friday’s game against the Chicago White Sox with a back injury. It is unclear when he will be able to return. 

Continue for updates.

Cabrera Listed as Day-to-Day

Friday, June 3

Per the Tigers’ official Twitter account, Cabrera was taken out of the game with lower-back tightness and is officially day-to-day. 

Cabrera headed to the disabled list for the first time in his career in 2015. He played in just 119 games—his fewest since his rookie season in 2003. His performance at the plate didn’t suffer, though, as the two-time MVP led the league with a .338 batting average to go along with 18 home runs, 76 RBI and a .534 slugging percentage.

Still, the timing of Cabrera’s calf problem wasn’t all that great for the Tigers. The massive eight-year extension Cabrera signed with Detroit wasn’t even in effect at that point. The deal began with the start of the 2016 season, and he’s due to earn $248 million through 2023 with $30 million options for 2024 and 2025, per Cot’s Baseball Contracts.

Even when it was signed, the contract looked quizzical at best, and it’s only getting worse with Cabrera starting to look his age (33) and signed for at least the next seven years.

This is also the second time the right-handed slugger went down injured in 2016. He suffered a bruised knee after Tampa Bay Rays reliever Dana Eveland hit him with a pitch on May 22:

It goes without saying the Tigers don’t have a replacement who can deliver anything close to what Cabrera—one of his generation’s best hitters—can at the plate.

Manager Brad Ausmus could potentially move Victor Martinez to first base, but that would leave the team without a designated hitter, forcing one of Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Mike Aviles or Andrew Romine into the lineup.

With the Kansas City Royals and Cleveland Indians setting the pace in the American League Central, the Tigers need Cabrera back as soon as possible to remain in the hunt for the playoffs.

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In a wide-ranging interview with Sports Illustrated‘s Tom Verducci, Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Jose Bautista discussed not only his altercation with Texas Rangers second baseman Rougned Odor but also his future north of the border. 

Bautista earned a one-game suspension for his role in the brawl with Odor. He argued Odor intended to stir the pot when the Rangers and Blue Jays closed out their three-game series May 15, per SI Wire: “Was [Odor] out to play baseball that day? Maybe partly. Part of me also thinks that he was looking for a fight.”

The six-time All-Star also contended Odor attempted to hit him in the face as he slid into second base.  Whether intentional or not, Odor’s throw to first came dangerously close to Bautista face. A good look at the throw begins at the 5:47 mark of the video below:

Bautista also told Verducci he believes the Rangers infielder has used a similar tactic before. He didn’t mention a specific incident, but Odor narrowly missed Blue Jays catcher Russell Martin to complete a double play in Game 2 of the 2015 ALDS:

Although the two teams aren’t set to meet again this year, the animosity between the Blue Jays and Rangers will likely carry over to whenever they step back on the field together again.

Bautista may not be there to see it, though. The 35-year-old is set to be a free agent at the end of the 2016 season. He told Verducci he enjoys being in Toronto and that “[he’d] be stupid to leave,” but he added he won’t let emotions come into play as he makes a decision about his future, per SI Wire:

I will explore every single option, whether it happens or not with the new regime, to continue to try to stay here. That being said, I think teams utilize [the hometown discount] a lot against players, [seeking] a discount or bargain price, and I think that’s extremely unfair, especially to have your biggest contributors on the field and try to take advantage of the fact that they like it there and negotiate a tougher deal.

As much as Bautista has done for the organization, the Blue Jays will have a tough decision regarding his next contract. He’s no longer in his prime playing years, and the team has to consider the fact Edwin Encarnacion will hit free agency as well at the end of the year. In addition, Josh Donaldson is eligible for arbitration in 2018 and will be in line for a massive extension down the road.

The Blue Jays let David Price walk last offseason, and they could do the same with Bautista should his asking price be too much for their tastes.

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The New England Patriots will likely lose at least one prominent viewer should Tom Brady’s four-game Deflategate suspension remain in place. 

In an interview with Sports Illustrated‘s Andy Gray, Boston Red Sox slugger David Ortiz spoke of his dissatisfaction with Deflategate:

I think it’s stupid, to be honest with you. Put it this way: You’re talking about the one player that everybody wants to watch play. We’re not just talking about any player. We’re talking about [Brady]. If I turn on the TV on Sunday to watch a Patriots game and I know that [Brady] is not playing, I would turn off the TV. I don’t want to watch that game.

Since he’s one of the most well-liked athletes in the United States, the Patriots should consider sending Ortiz as an emissary to the NFL’s league offices to try to get Brady’s suspension overturned. How could NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell possibly turn down a polite request from Big Papi?

Ortiz told Gray that even New York Yankees fans have warmed to him over the years:

You know how it is when you play for the Red Sox. It doesn’t matter how much things have cooled off. If you don’t play for the Yankees, you don’t matter. But I have been lucky somehow, someway with the Yankees fan. Whenever I’m in New York and I decide to go to public places, they are all cool with me. They can’t wait for me to retire, obviously.

In the interview, Ortiz added that the altercation between Pedro Martinez and Yankees bench coach Don Zimmer in the 2003 American League Championship Series was the craziest thing he had seen on the diamond over his two decades in MLB.

Both benches emptied in Game 3 of the series. During the fracas, Zimmer confronted Martinez, who threw him to the ground:

Ortiz announced last November that he intends to retire following the 2016 season, and he’s picking a great time to walk away from the game. The nine-time All-Star is batting .339 with 13 home runs and an MLB-best 46 RBI and .720 slugging percentage.

Big Papi is a major reason why the Red Sox lead the American League East with a 31-20 record. According to Baseball Prospectus, Boston’s 9.7 percent odds of winning the World Series are second in the AL to the Cleveland Indians (12.4 percent).

Leading the Sox on one more deep postseason run would be a great way for Ortiz to close out an impressive career.

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San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Matt Cain exited his start against the Colorado Rockies in the second inning Friday after suffering a hamstring injury, and the team has subsequently placed him on the disabled list. It’s unclear when he will return.

Continue for updates.

Latest on Cain’s Playing Status

Saturday, May 28

Andrew Baggarly of the Mercury News reported the Giants recalled Chris Stratton from Triple-A and placed Cain on the disabled list.

Injuries Slowing Cain Late in Career

Cain was once a pillar of consistency. Between 2006 and 2013, he made an average of 32 starts and pitched 209 innings per season. But he started just 26 games in 2014 and 2015 combined.

In August 2014, Cain had bone chips removed from his right elbow, and the recovery process affected his preparation for the 2015 season. Compounding his bad luck, he then suffered a right flexor tendon strain, which delayed his first start of the year to July 2.

Giants fans likely wondered whether this was going to be another one of those seasons after doctors removed a cyst from Cain’s throwing arm in February. However, the right-hander had remained injury-free until Friday.

Leaving aside his health issues, it’s fair to wonder how good Cain can be at this point in his career. His ERA climbed to 4.00 for the first time in seven years in 2013, and his next two campaigns were worse. He had a 4.18 ERA in 2014 and a 5.79 ERA in 2015.

Through nine starts in 2016, he is 1-5 with a 5.37 ERA.

After Cain finished sixth in National League Cy Young Award voting in 2012, it looked as though he could become the ace of the San Francisco staff. But that hasn’t happened.

As Cain will miss his next few starts, manager Bruce Bochy might reinsert Chris Heston in the rotation. Heston made four appearances out of the bullpen in April before being demoted, but he made 31 starts last year, going 12-11 with a 3.95 ERA.

Clayton Blackburn could be another option after he put together a strong season in Triple-A in 2015.

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Texas Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton will undergo another knee surgery on June 8 and miss the remainder of the 2016 season, per Jared Sandler of 105.3 The Fan in Dallas and Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

The former MVP hasn’t played for the Rangers in 2016 after he experienced left knee soreness in February and started the year on the disabled list.

Hamilton had what MLB.com’s T.R. Sullivan called “cleanup” surgery in September, and he returned to the field and played through the 2015 playoffs. Then, the Dallas Morning News‘ Evan Grant reported in November that Hamilton had a second surgery on the same knee after the season.

The 35-year-old looked to be set to return after the team sent him on a minor league rehab assignment in late April. However, the Rangers pulled him from the assignment May 5.

Injuries have dogged Hamilton throughout his career. Only once in nine years has he appeared in more than 150 games, and he played just 139 total games between the 2014 and 2015 seasons.

Wilson noted the team doesn’t see Monday’s news as a major setback:

The offseason addition of Ian Desmond and call-up of Nomar Mazara have stabilized Texas’ outfield in Hamilton’s absence, and the team is only 1.5 games behind the Seattle Mariners in the American League West.

Even with Shin-Soo Choo and Drew Stubbs heading to the DL, per Wilson, the Rangers have enough depth to cope without Hamilton this year, especially if they bring Joey Gallo back up to the majors.

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