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Detroit Tigers pitcher Daniel Norris left the field during Monday’s game against the Cleveland Indians after suffering a strained right oblique.

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Norris Injury Details Revealed

Tuesday, July 5

Manager Brad Ausmus announced that Norris has a Grade 1 oblique strain and will have a recovery time of 10 days to two weeks, according to Jason Beck of MLB.com.

Norris No Stranger to Adversity

Norris may not be able to pitch in the immediate future, but he’s overcome more during his young MLB career.

The 23-year-old was diagnosed with thyroid cancer in May 2015 but played through the rest of the campaign before undergoing surgery to remove a malignant growth. He then announced the operation was successful and that he was cancer-free in October.

Three non-displaced fractures in the spinal process put Norris on the disabled list at the start of the 2016 season.

Norris has flashed exceptional talent in his short time in the big leagues, leaving a perfect-game bid after five innings last season—unfortunately because of an oblique strain.

The Tigers have the likes of Justin Verlander and Michael Fulmer on their pitching staff, but Norris’ ailment will hinder their depth. MLB.com’s Jason Beck reported Monday that starting pitcher Jordan Zimmermann went on the 15-day disabled list with a strained neck.

The Tigers will hope Norris isn’t down for long as they try to close the gap on the Indians in the American League Central. Once Detroit gets Norris and Zimmermann back, it could make a push for the Central crown following the All-Star break.

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The Cleveland Indians designated veteran reliever Joba Chamberlain for assignment Monday, per USA Today‘s Bob Nightengale. 

Chamberlain provided a statement on Twitter:

Chamberlain has appeared in 20 games and posted a 2.25 ERA. His ERA isn’t a true indicator of his actual performance, though. According to FanGraphs, the 30-year-old had a 3.82 FIP and a 4.25 xFIP. His 4.95 walks per nine innings were also highest on the team among relievers with at least 10 innings pitched.

Nightengale reported Cleveland also designated Tom Gorzelanny for assignment, with T.J. House and Mike Clevinger joining the 25-man roster. It’s unlikely a coincidence that the Indians made these moves only a few days after their 19-inning win over the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday.

Having exhausted all of his bullpen options, manager Terry Francona had no other choice but to bring on starting pitcher Trevor Bauer, who pitched the final five innings. As a result, the Indians had to start Zach McAllister in place of Bauer the following day.

Clevinger and House are both more equipped for a long relief role or an emergency start, depending on the situation.

Another team is likely to add Chamberlain off waivers or wait for him to become a free agent and then sign him. Both MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch and the New York Daily News‘ Mark Feinsand argued for a reunion in the Big Apple:

While he’s no longer the dominant flamethrower he was in his first two years with the New York Yankees, Chamberlain is still a productive MLB reliever.

Following a dreadful 2015 season in which he allowed five earned runs in six games with the Kansas City Royals, Chamberlain has done more than enough to warrant getting another chance in the league.

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Cleveland Indians outfielder Rajai Davis hit for his first career cycle Saturday in a 9-6 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays.

One day after the Tribe and Jays played a 19-inning affair, Davis had the game of his life, which he capped off by hitting a single off Toronto closer Roberto Osuna in the ninth inning.

Davis finished the game 4-for-5 with two runs and two RBI in addition to his round-tripper.

According to ESPN Stats & Info, Davis broke a long cycle drought for the Indians:

The Indians provided the following breakdown of Davis’ place in team history after he completed one of baseball’s rarest accomplishments:

Davis’ cycle was of the reverse variety, as he hit a home run, triple, double and single in that order.

According to James Smyth of YES Network, the reverse cycle has happened just six times in MLB history:

He led off the game with a homer off Blue Jays starter Marco Estrada in the first inning, as seen in this video from SportsTime Ohio:

The triple came in the third by virtue of a questionable dive in right field by Ezequiel Carrera. Davis added a double in the seventh and a single in the ninth to complete the feat.

Davis’ cycle is the second in Major League Baseball this season. Atlanta Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman previously turned the trick in June.

Saturday’s game may have been bittersweet for Davis, as it snapped Cleveland’s 14-game winning streak.

At the same time, the 35-year-old veteran hit for the cycle against the team he played for from 2011 to 2013.

His performance was a continuation of what has been one of Davis’ best MLB seasons to date. After this game, he checks in with a .275 batting average, nine home runs, 31 RBI and 22 stolen bases.

Davis is making a strong case for a potential All-Star berth, and hitting for the cycle will be near the top of his resume when it comes time for the managers to make their selections.

Follow @MikeChiari on Twitter.

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Remember when the Cavaliers were the hottest act in Cleveland? You know, what with their winning the NBA Finals and snapping the city’s 52-year championship drought?

Well, they had their time. Now it’s the Indians’ turn, and you can practically hear them telling the Cavs, “Anything you can do, I can do better.”

The Tribe went into Friday’s afternoon tilt at the Toronto Blue Jays having won 13 games in a row. That afternoon matchup gradually turned into an evening contest, as the Indians and Blue Jays waged a battle that lasted more than six hours and into the 19th inning.

That was when, in the top of the inning, Carlos Santana punched every gut in the Rogers Centre with a solo home run that snapped a 1-1 tie. Behold:

After that, Trevor Bauer finished off a five-inning scoreless appearance out of the bullpen to preserve a 2-1 win. It may only be one win for two games’ worth of baseball, but they’ll take it.

“I guess if you’re going to set a record, you might as well do it the hard way,” said Bauer afterward, via Jordan Bastian of MLB.com.

At any rate, that’s 14 in a row for the Indians and a 49-30 record overall. They lead the AL Central by seven games over the defending champion Kansas City Royals. 

In times like these, the obligatory warning is that just as things are never as bad as they seem during a losing streak, things are never as good as they seem during a winning streak. Cleveland is not going to win its final 83 games. Even asking the Indians to stay on a 100-win pace is asking a lot.

But now, I shall follow that obligatory warning with a fun fact. As of Friday morning, these were the American League teams with the best odds of winning the 2016 World Series at Baseball Prospectus:

1. Cleveland Indians: 20.0%
2. Texas Rangers: 7.5%
3. Boston Red Sox: 6.2%

You see how the Tribe were on top? You see how it wasn’t even close? This may come off like a bold stance on the part of BP’s calculations, and perhaps an overreaction to the club’s winning streak.

Or, it could just be a plain ol’ slice of truth.

One of the older cliches in the book claims that pitching and defense (AKA “run prevention”) win championships. It’s an idea that can (and has) been put to the test, but there’s plenty of circumstantial evidence in favor of it. The San Francisco Giants have based their recent dynasty around run prevention. Likewise, the Royals relied heavily on run prevention in going to back-to-back World Series.

This should be music to the ears of the Indians. Run prevention is something they not only do better than other AL club, but way better. They entered Friday allowing only 3.68 runs per game, putting them comfortably ahead of the Houston Astros at 4.22 per game.

The lion’s share of the credit goes to Cleveland’s starting rotation, which closer Cody Allen called “the backbone of the team” in speaking to Bastian. One measure rated Cleveland’s rotation as the AL’s best last year, and it’s now leaving little doubt that it deserves that honor in 2016. The 3.48 ERA owned by Tribe starters is the best in the AL.

This isn’t too surprising. Many rated Cleveland’s rotation as one of the best in baseball coming into the year. Christina Kahrl of MLB.com posited it might even be the best, mainly because of the three-headed ace monster of Corey Kluber, Danny Salazar and Carlos Carrasco.

And so far, they’re performing just as well, if not better, than their 2015 selves:

Anyone could have seen this coming. What was harder to see coming is Bauer making the case that Cleveland’s Big Three is actually a Big Four. He’s breaking out with a 3.02 ERA in 95.1 innings. After years of frustrating results, the 2011 No. 3 pick looks like a completely different pitcher, as August Fagerstrom of FanGraphs wrote.

Meanwhile, there’s Josh Tomlin at the back end. Just your garden-variety No. 5 starter with a 3.21 ERA. No biggie.

The work being done by Cleveland’s rotation might be half the explanation for why the club is so excellent at preventing runs. But Allen, Jeff Manship, Dan Otero and the rest of a bullpen with a 3.05 ERA (No. 2 in the AL) deserves its credit as well.

Catching the ball is also important. And with Francisco Lindor and Jason Kipnis holding it down up the middle, Baseball Prospectus’ defensive efficiency metric shows the Indians convert batted balls into outs better than any team in the AL:

1. Indians: .726
2. Rangers: .718
3. Blue Jays: .716

All this is basically the long way of agreeing with what Tom Ley of Deadspin said in a more straightforward fashion: “Nobody can beat the Indians because nobody can hit them.” From their rotation to their bullpen to their defense, they’re a run-prevention nightmare.

That makes for a pretty large margin for error for an offense that’s in good-not-great territory. But that’s not to say Cleveland’s lineup is a pushover. It offers a good mix of power and speed. The Indians have slugged more home runs (100) than the mighty Red Sox offense and have swiped more bases (63) than every AL team except the Astros. 

It’s hard to call the Indians the best team in the American League. They look the part right now, but the obligatory warning above must be kept in mind. Plus, the Rangers and Baltimore Orioles are awfully good in their own right.

What’s clear now, and what should remain clear going forward, is that the Indians are one of those teams nobody will want to face in October. The way they prevent runs, they wouldn’t need to score many of their own to deliver another championship to Cleveland.

That would make them guilty of stealing the Cavaliers’ thunder. But from the sound of things, a kinda-sorta important Cavalier is OK with that:

It’s good to be the king. It’s also good to have the king’s blessing.

Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com and FanGraphs unless otherwise noted/linked.

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Kansas City Royals outfielder Lorenzo Cain is dealing with a hamstring injury, and the team announced Wednesday he was placed on the 15-day disabled list. 

Continue for updates.

Cain Recovery Timetable Revealed 

Wednesday, June 29

Cain told reporters he is hoping to return to the Royals on the Friday after the All-Star break, which is July 15.

Royals Announce Cain’s Replacement on 25-man Roster

Wednesday, June 29

With Cain on the shelf, the Royals also announced they recalled outfielder Brett Eibner from Triple-A Omaha.

Cain Has Been Essential Piece to Royals Lineup 

It will be a difficult blow for the Royals if their starting center fielder is out for a significant amount of time.

Cain has always been a threat, but he truly turned the corner in 2015 during his fifth season with Kansas City. He set career highs in hits (169), runs scored (101), home runs (16), RBI (72), walks (37), stolen bases (28, same as 2014), on-base percentage (.361) and slugging percentage (.477), and he anchors the middle of the order as one of the team’s most dangerous weapons.

Cain also posted a career-best 7.2 offensive WAR, per ESPN.com, and he was responsible for 18 total defensive runs saved above average in center, per FanGraphs.

As a result, Cain made his first career All-Star Game in 2015 and helped the Royals win the World Series with 11 postseason RBI and six stolen bases. Thus far, he has followed up his tremendous 2015 with a .290 batting average, eight home runs and 39 RBI in 2016. 

Jarrod Dyson will likely replace Cain due to his status as the primary backup in center field.

Dyson is an incredible speed threat on the bases and reached the 25-steal plateau in each of the last four seasons. He covers ground in the outfield with his running ability as well and should slide into the lineup with relative ease, at least on the defensive side.

Dyson played all three outfield spots in 2015 and was responsible for 11 total defensive runs saved above average, per FanGraphs.

Dyson is a capable backup who will keep the loaded Royals afloat, but he is not the same threat at the plate as Cain. Kansas City needs its All-Star outfielder back in the lineup if it hopes to fulfill its potential in a chase for a second straight World Series title.

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There’s a shortstop in the American League who has all the qualities of a superstar. He’s very young, very charismatic and very skilled at hitting, baserunning and fielding.

Carlos Correa? Good guess. Xander Bogaerts? Another good guess. Manny Machado when he’s not playing third base? Yet another good guess. 

But if you guessed Francisco Lindor, congratulations! That might mean you can read a headline. Either that, or you’re giving Lindor the kind of attention that seemingly few others are giving him.

He’s been as big a reason as any for why the Cleveland Indians find themselves atop the AL Central, and he continued the trend in the club’s eighth straight win Saturday. As Carlos Carrasco spearheaded a 6-0 win over the Detroit Tigers with a four-hit shutout, Lindor led the Tribe’s offense with a pair of home runs. 

Feast thine eyes on his second, a solo shot in the eighth that effectively put the game out of reach:

“I think it’s my first multi-homer game ever,” Lindor said afterward, per Kyle Beery of MLB.com. “I don’t think I even did it in the minor leagues.”

Whatever the case, the 22-year-old now has 10 home runs on the season. That goes with a .306 average, an .837 OPS and 12 stolen bases on one side of the ball. On the other side, Lindor’s glove and arm have already made his personal highlight reel a feature-length spectacle.

All this looks similar to a rookie breakthrough that nearly won Lindor the AL Rookie of the Year in 2015. If that was Lindor’s star turn, what we’re seeing this year deserves to be called his superstar turn.

And yet, you’d never know it from looking at the people’s favorite American League shortstops. If the latest All-Star voting update is any indication, the masses prefer:

1. Xander Bogaerts: 2,116,020 votes
2. Alcides Escobar: 1,150,576 votes
3. Troy Tulowitzki: 814,544 votes
4. Elvis Andrus: 642,180 votes
5. Carlos Correa: 552,670 votes

It’s not surprising to see Bogaerts on top, as that’s where you’d expect to find a Boston Red Sox player with a league-leading .349 batting average. After winning the AL Rookie of the Year in 2015 and entering the year amid a whole lot of hype, it’s more surprising that Correa isn’t near the top.

But nothing is as surprising as Lindor not being in the top five. He’s up there with Bogaerts among the AL’s best players this season. And according to FanGraphs WAR, Lindor entered Saturday as one of the best everyday players in baseball, period, over the last calendar year:

Of course, WAR isn’t a perfect measure of value. The idea that Lindor has been the third-best position player in baseball over the last 365 days is less of a fact and more of a theory. 

But as far as theories go, this is a darn good one.

One thing WAR recognizes is that defense is more important at shortstop than it is at other positions, so it’s naturally going to fawn over any shortstop who excels with the leather. The metrics say Lindor has done that, as he ranks as by far the AL’s best shortstop in both defensive runs saved and ultimate zone rating over the last two seasons.

Former Cleveland great Omar Vizquel has basically the same opinion as the metrics, telling Zack Meisel of the Plain Dealer: “Ever since last year, when I first got the chance to see him, it’s like, ‘Wow. This kid has a lot going on.'” Which brings us to an obligatory highlight to further prove the point:

Baseball America seemed to speak for everyone in rating Lindor as a 70-grade defender going into last season, so the quality of his glovework in the majors is no big shock. Because he also stole 90 bases in parts of five minor league seasons, the same can be said of his 24 career stolen bases.

What’s more shocking is what Lindor has done at the plate. The switch-hitter only had a .279 average in the minors, and he socked just 21 home runs. In light of that, his .309 career average and 22 home runs in the majors look out of place.

But as Lindor told me in October, his offensive surge in the majors has a lot do with how he’s soaked up information from the people around him.

“Michael Brantley. Jason Kipnis. Carlos Santana. They backed me up a lot,” he said. “There was also the work. The coaching staff makes you put in the work, day in and day out. That helped me as well.”

Nowadays, Lindor is taking all of his good work last year and pushing the envelope. He’s walking more, upping his BB percent from 6.2 to 8.6. He’s striking out less, dropping his K percent from 15.8 to 12.8. But somehow, he hasn’t sacrificed any power to make these improvements. His isolated power has only dropped from .169 to .165.

The only thing that’s not holding strong is Lindor’s batting average on balls in play, which has dropped from .348 to .322. That’s still well above average, though, and things should stay that way. As August Fagerstrom of FanGraphs wrote last month, Lindor’s speed, ability to use the whole field and ability to avoid easy outs all add up to a high-BABIP hitter.

And remember, Lindor is doing this at a position where offensive standards are pretty low. This makes him a rare breed: a Gold Glove-caliber shortstop who is also an advanced hitter. There may be shortstops with individual skills—Bogaerts’ bat, Correa’s power, Andrelton Simmons’ glove, etc.—better than his, but no other shortstop in baseball today is the total package like Lindor.

For the Indians, this means they have a legit AL MVP candidate on their hands. If Lindor doesn’t get the kind of attention he deserves before then, that would probably do the trick.

Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com and FanGraphs unless otherwise noted/linked.

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Few pitchers in baseball have been better than Michael Fulmer (7-1, 2.52 ERA) of the Detroit Tigers (34-32) lately, as the rookie has been nearly unhittable over his past four starts en route to a personal five-game winning streak.

Fulmer will try to make it six in a row when he and the Tigers visit the defending World Series champion Kansas City Royals (35-31) in the second game of a four-game series Friday as -115 road betting favorites (bet $115 to win $100) at sportsbooks monitored by Odds Shark.

Fulmer has pitched 28.1 consecutive scoreless innings—allowing just nine hits over his previous four starts combined—with his ERA dropping four full runs over his last five outings.

Detroit has won in each of his previous seven trips to the mound, as he walked away with a no-decision only once during that stretch. The team’s top pitching prospect has yet to face Kansas City, but he is 5-1 in seven road outings with a 3.10 ERA.

Opposing Fulmer for the Royals will be mercurial righty Yordano Ventura (5-4, 4.93 ERA), who ended a two-game losing streak by earning a victory against the Chicago White Sox on Sunday.

After getting ejected for throwing at Manny Machado in a 9-1 loss to the Baltimore Orioles, Ventura bounced back nicely with one of his better starts. He allowed one run and five hits with one walk and a season-high 10 strikeouts in seven innings versus the White Sox.

The lone run he gave up came on a solo home run by Jose Abreu in the sixth inning with his team leading 2-0 on its way to a 3-1 win.

Ventura has not lost at home this year, going 3-0 with a 4.55 ERA in five outings. He is also 1-0 with a 3.60 ERA against the Tigers in 2016, allowing two runs and six hits with three walks and five strikeouts in five innings of an 8-6 home victory April 19.

Kansas City had won two of three meetings with Detroit before blowing a 4-3 lead in a 10-4 loss on Thursday. The Tigers scored seven times in the last three innings, as the over improved to 9-2 in 11 meetings, according to the Odds Shark MLB Database.

The Royals enter the weekend back in the pack at +1800 on the World Series odds at the sportsbooks in their quest to repeat as champions.

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Detroit Tigers star J.D. Martinez suffered a right elbow injury that forced the power-hitting outfielder to leave Thursday’s game against the Kansas City Royals in the second inning. X-rays revealed a fracture, and the team placed him on the disabled list. It is uncertain when he’ll return to the field.

Continue for updates.

Martinez’s Timetable for Return, X-Ray Details Announced 

Thursday, June 16

Martinez is going to miss four to six weeks, according to Jason Beck of MLB.com.

X-rays showed Martinez suffered a “non-displaced fracture on the radial neck at the right elbow,” according to Chris McCosky of the Detroit News, who added a CT scan will be conducted Friday. 

Outfielder Steven Moya will be recalled from Triple-A Toledo in a corresponding roster move on Friday, per Aaron McMann of MLive.com.

Martinez an Essential Piece of Tigers Lineup 

Martinez, who was let go by the Houston Astros ahead of the 2014 season, has since developed into one of the league’s most dangerous hitters. He illustrated that by smashing 38 home runs last year, proving himself as a key cog in the Detroit lineup.

In turn, any type of injury issue causes immediate concern for the Tigers. Even though they do feature some offensive depth, losing a player of his caliber for any type of extended stretch would obviously be a serious setback. He played in 158 of the team’s 161 games last season.

With the 28-year-old outfielder set to miss time, Detroit will probably use a committee of players to fill the massive void. Anthony Gose and Mike Aviles should both see an uptick in action. They may play left field with Justin Upton shifting to right field for the time being.

It’s hard to imagine the offense producing at the same level regardless of how manager Brad Ausmus tries to replace Martinez, though. He’s a vital piece when locked in at the plate.

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Minnesota Twins pitcher Glen Perkins will reportedly miss the remainder of the season due to a torn labrum and rotator cuff issues in his left shoulder, a source revealed to La Velle E. Neal III of the Minneapolis Star Tribune. 

Continue for updates.

Perkins Likely Will Require Surgery, Could Return for Start of 2017 Season

Thursday, June 16

Per Neal, “Perkins’ labrum is definitely torn, although it’s unclear how severe the tear is, the source said.” 

Perkins, 33, already had an MRI this week and received another opinion on the injury from Dr. Neal ElAttrache in Anaheim, California, per Neal. He’s been on the disabled list since the first week in April. 

According to Neal, Perkins “had at least two known MRI exams and sought three opinions during his ordeal.” He tried to throw during his stint on the disabled list but experienced too much discomfort to make a return to the team this season.

Now, an optimistic timetable for his return is the start of next season, though his recovery could take him well into the 2017 campaign.

He appeared in just two games this season, giving up two runs while striking out three batters in 2.0 innings pitched. He’s served as the team’s primary closer since 2013, registering 102 saves in the prior three seasons.

But the last year has been a tough one for Perkins. After going into last year’s All-Star break with a 1.21 ERA and 28 saves in 28 opportunities, earning his third straight All-Star appearance along the way, he saved just four more games down the stretch and blew three save opportunities. His ERA ballooned up to 3.32, he battled injuries, and he eventually lost the closer role to Kevin Jepsen.

The fear in Minnesota will be that Perkins never fully recovers from this injury.

That fear is compounded by the fact that Jepsen has struggled in the closer’s role this season, blowing three saves in 10 opportunities while posting a 5.40 ERA. Perkins’ injury and Jepsen‘s struggles have made the closer’s role a major question mark for the team, both this season and beyond.

You can follow Timothy Rapp on Twitter. 

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Chicago White Sox manager Robin Ventura is reportedly on the hot seat after the club’s 33-33 start to the 2016 season, which leaves them fourth in the competitive AL Central. 

Continue for updates.

Ventura’s Job Could Be In Jeopardy After Team’s Recent Slide

Thursday, June 16

Jon Heyman of Today’s Knuckleball reported one source told him Ventura’s situation is “not great” after he has come under the microscope because of the team’s recent struggles. Heyman noted some people in the organization are starting to wonder whether a switch is on the horizon.

While the front office isn’t placing all of the blame at the manager’s feet, Heyman added there’s a “growing feeling” that it might be time to do something to spark the team. There’s no timetable for a decision on his status, though.

Bench coach Rick Renteria is listed as the favorite to fill the void if Chicago moves forward with the change. A source told Today’s Knuckleball he’s made the Sox “as prepared as they’ve ever been.”

General manager Rick Hahn wouldn’t provide a definitive update on the manager’s status when asked about the situation last week, per Bruce Levine of CBS Chicago.

“I don’t think you have ever seen me telegraph any move or comment on any individual,” Hahn said. “The best thing you do (is) rally around the guys you have here. My job is to put them in the best position to win, with the people you have in this clubhouse.”

Chicago started May with an 18-8 record, the best mark in the American League by 2.5 games and three games better than its closest division rival at the time, the Detroit Tigers. Since then, the South Siders have gone 15-25 and slid down the standings.

Given the overall parity in the division, with just 2.5 games separating the top four teams, the White Sox need to break out of their funk before the Tigers, Kansas City Royals and Cleveland Indians start to leave them in the dust.

Now the question is whether a managerial change is the way to go. Ventura, who’s in the final season of his current contract, has compiled a 330-384 record since taking over ahead of the 2012 campaign. The team hasn’t finished above .500 since the former third baseman’s first year in charge.

In the bigger picture, the White Sox haven’t qualified for the postseason since 2008 and last won a playoff series in 2005, when they won the World Series. It adds more urgency to take advantage of a wide-open division, which could leave Ventura as the fall guy if things don’t turn around soon.

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