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The Kansas City Royals placed starting pitcher Chris Young on the 15-day disabled list Thursday with a right forearm injury.

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Young Placed on 15-Day DL

Young, 36, lasted only 2.2 innings in his May 9 start against the New York Yankees. He admitted Tuesday that the injury had been bothering him for some time.

“I’ve had to change the way I take off my shoes, the way I brush my teeth, the way I take off my shirt,” Young said, per The Associated Press (via ESPN.com). “But throwing does not bother it, which is I think why it’s been a little bit hard to address.”

An integral part of the Royals staff last season, Young has been among the worst MLB starters in 2016. He’s 1-5 with a 6.68 ERA and 1.52 WHIP, giving up a major league-high 13 home runs in 32.1 innings. The Yankees lit him up for five homers before he was pulled Monday.

Dillon Gee is scheduled to take his spot in the rotation Saturday. Gee, 30, spent the last six seasons with the New York Mets and was in his first year as a full-time reliever. He’s posted a 2.61 ERA and 1.26 WHIP across 20.2 innings.

The Royals will also have to replace Kris Medlen, who was also placed on the DL on Thursday. Medlen has been even worse than Young, giving up 25 runs (21 earned) in his 24.1 innings this season.

After a storybook trip to World Series glory last season, it appears that anything that can go wrong will for the Royals in 2016.

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Miguel Cabrera, Victor Martinez or Nick Castellanos—one of them has to sit. Who’s it going to be?

A month ago, that would have been an easy question. Martinez and Cabrera are the veteran backbone of the Detroit Tigers offense. Castellanos, at age 24, is a formerly hyped prospect who made positive strides last season but is thin in the track-record department.

Yet for the first two games of the Tigers’ series against the Washington Nationals—playing in a National League park with no designated hitter—skipper Brad Ausmus opted to rest Martinez on Monday and Cabrera on Tuesday while keeping Castellanos in the lineup.

The young third baseman rewarded his manager, cracking a home run in each game and tallying a total of four RBI. The Tigers split the two contests—losing 5-4 Monday and winning 5-4 Tuesday—and currently sit at 15-17.

Castellanos, meanwhile, is flat-out rolling. Entering play Wednesday, he paces the American League with a .378 average and owns a gaudy 1.045 OPS to go along with a team-leading seven homers and 28 RBI.

There are reasons to doubt his early surge is sustainable—as we’ll delve into shortly—but raking is raking.

Drafted out of high school with the 44th overall pick in the 2010 amateur draft, Castellanos made his MLB debut in 2013 trailing plenty of buzz.

Here’s how Bleacher Report’s Adam Wells summed up the general scouting consensus at the time:

There are certain players you will see on a baseball field who were so obviously born to do something—throw a 98 mph fastball, hit home runs, etc.—it makes the rest of us feel bad for not being able to do it.

Nick Castellanos was born to hit baseballs.

He showed flashes, but struggled at times with the bat and especially the glove, posting minus-30 defensive runs saved (DRS) at the hot corner in 2014, per FanGraphs.

In 2015, he hit 15 homers and drove in 73 runs, though his .303 on-base percentage and .721 OPS didn’t scream superstar-in-the-making.

For a month-plus in 2016, he’s been a beacon of hope on an otherwise mediocre Tigers team.

Free-agent right-hander Jordan Zimmermann is dealing aces, but the rest of the pitching staff has scuffled, putting Detroit in the bottom third in team ERA. And key offensive cogs, including J.D. Martinez (.230 average, .668 OPS) and Justin Upton (.220 average, .574 OPS), are swinging wet noodles.

After watching its run of four straight division titles crumble into a last-place finish in 2015, Detroit was searching desperately for a spark.

Enter Castellanos.

“I would just say the biggest thing that has changed has been my comfort level, being familiar with all the pitchers and stadiums and situations,” he said of his early hot streak, per Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal. “I feel way more relaxed. I feel like I’m not trying to do too much.”

OK, now for the wet blanket. After Monday’s action, Castellanos owned an absurdly high .455 batting average on balls in play (BABIP), per FanGraphs, which screams regression.

And his walk rate remains low, which means a dip in batting average would significantly deflate his stat sheet.

On the other hand, as Kyle Yost of Bless You Boys pointed out, Castellanos teased this production in the final months of 2015:

Take a look at his stat line from June 23 until the end of the season. Castellanos hit .283/.329/.487 with 121 wRC+, numbers that look much more like his 2016 start than his 2014 numbers. Considering these numbers, his electric start should have been a little less surprising and a little more expected. Though 2016 has been even greater than how he ended 2015, the foundation for this season stems from how he ended the last.

Again, we’re talking about a 24-year-old still coming into his own. Even if he doesn’t hit .378 for the season (spoiler alert: he won’t), there’s no reason to assume he can’t keep improving.

“He ended up completing his development at the major league level,” Tigers general manager Al Avila said, per Rosenthal. “When you develop at the major league level, you make mistakes. It can frustrate a lot of people. You’re still learning the game…still trying to figure things out.”

On a team laden with pricey veterans, here is a cost-controlled kid with rising-star potential. He’s figuring it out. Drink it in, Tigers fans.

Tastes good, right?

Ultimately, Detroit will need more than Castellanos to stay competitive in the balanced, crowded AL Central. They’ll need Upton to live up to his six-year, $132.75 million deal. They’ll need arms other than Zimmermann‘s to provide consistent, quality innings. And they’ll need Cabrera and Martinez to stay healthy and productive.

If you’re searching for positives in the Motor City, however, look no further than the up-and-coming third baseman who has earned his skipper’s trust—and a secure spot in the everyday lineup.

All statistics current as of May 10 and courtesy of MLB.com and Baseball-Reference.com unless otherwise noted. 

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Kansas City Royals prospect Raul Mondesi has been suspended 50 games for violating the joint drug agreement. 

Major League Baseball confirmed Mondesi’s 50-game suspension Tuesday on Twitter. Joel Sherman of the New York Post added that MLB and the MLB Players Association agreed to decrease his punishment from 80 games “after he showed substance in cold medicine.”

Sherman noted that Mondesi’s argument in his favor to get the suspension reduced came under the “No Significant Fault or Negligence” provision that was resolved before an appeal to the positive test was filed.

ESPN’s T.J. Quinn wrote that Mondesi is the first player to successfully receive a reduced suspension “under the unintentional ingestion provision” that was added to the previous joint drug agreement.

Royals general manager Dayton Moore issued a statement after Mondesi’s suspension was announced, via Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports:

Mondesi also released a statement through the MLB Players Association, via MLB.com’s Cash Kruth:

Today, I agreed to accept a 50-game suspension from Major League Baseball. It is by far one of the hardest moments I have had to face in my life, but it is a decision that I accept and one that I take full responsibility for as a professional.

I took an over-the-counter medication [Subrox-C], which I bought in the Dominican Republic to treat cold and flu symptoms. I failed to read the labeling on the medication or consult with my trainer or team about taking it and did not know it contained a banned substance. I tested positive for that banned substance, with a minuscule amount of Clenbuterol in my system, which could not have possibly enhanced my performance on the field, and now must face the consequences of that mistake.

I apologize to my organization, my teammates, the fans and everyone who has supported me in my career. Never did I intend to take a substance that would give me an unfair advantage on the field. It is solely my mistake and there are no excuses for my carelessness in not being fully informed of what I put in my body. My goal is to work through this setback and make it back in time to help my organization compete for another World Series title.

MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez reported that Mondesi will be eligible for this year’s playoffs and any potential tiebreaker games the Royals might play. 

Baseball America‘s J.J. Cooper noted that Mondesi’s suspension is coming at a bad time for him based on his current performance at Double-A:

The 20-year-old made history last October when he became the first player in history to make his MLB debut in the World Series, striking out against New York Mets right-hander Noah Syndergaard in Game 3. 

MLB.com ranked Mondesi as the Royals’ No. 1 prospect coming into 2016. Kansas City has aggressively pushed him through the minors, as this is his second full season in Double-A. The team signed him as a non-drafted free agent when he was 16 years old in July 2011. 

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Kansas City Royals third baseman Mike Moustakas was placed on the disabled list Saturday with a thumb injury after originally trying to play through the ailment.

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Moustakas’ Timetable Unclear With Thumb Issue

Saturday, May 7

Joel Goldberg of Fox Sports Kansas City confirmed the infielder was placed on the DL with a thumb fracture. He’ll be replaced on the 25-man roster by Cheslor Cuthbert. Rustin Dodd of the Kansas City Star confirmed the move.

Moustakas originally missed some time earlier in the week while battling problems with his thumb. He returned to the starting lineup Wednesday but was held out again Friday after an off day. That signaled there was probably a bigger issue at hand.

It’s unclear how long he could miss with the injury. The 27-year-old slugger has tallied seven home runs through 25 games so far this season.

He’s coming off of a career year in 2015. He recorded highs with a .284 batting average and 22 home runs along with 82 RBI as he helped lead the Royals to their first World Series title in 30 years. 

He proved that he can be a legitimate middle-of-the-order batter and could carry the offense as well.

However there was more work to be done heading into the 2016 season, speaking with Blair Kerkhoff of the Kansas City Star: “I’m going to keep trying to do what I did last year. And get better at it. I’m not going to try and change anything, I just want to continue improving on hitting the ball the other way. That’s where I had most of my success last year.”

While Moustakas recovers, Christian Colon could step in at third base. Colon will be best known for his go-ahead single in the 12th inning of Game 5 of the World Series that delivered the title to Kansas City.

Kansas City is going to have plenty of competition in the AL Central this season with the Detroit Tigers, up-and-coming Cleveland Indians and the surprising Chicago White Sox. Without Moustakas, the Royals can’t afford to slump or else they could lose their stronghold on the division.  

Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com

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Even before the 2016 Major League Baseball season began, the American League looked like it was going to be a wide-open battle that any team could win in the end.

Even still, it’s surprising to see the Chicago White Sox pacing the AL in the beginning. They’ve been really good. So good, in fact, that you can’t help but stroke your chin and wonder if they’ve been too good.

But the chin-stroking can wait until after we’ve given the White Sox their due credit. They went into Wednesday’s contest against the Toronto Blue Jays riding a five-game win streak, and they pushed it to six with a 4-0 victory. Jose Quintana struck out 10 in six scoreless innings, and Dioner Navarro provided the big hit with a two-run triple in the seventh inning.

The White Sox are now 16-6, making them the winningest team in MLB and the best team in the AL by a comfortable margin.

If the AL was a town, the White Sox would be the new sheriff. They were a wildly mediocre team last year, after all, going 76-86 and finishing in fourth in the AL Central. And where it’s taken them only 22 games to get to 16 wins this year, it took them 33 games to do that last year.

How the White Sox needed to improve on last year’s thud was no a mystery. An offense that ranked last in the AL in runs and OPS needed to be fixed. The same went for a defense that finished last in the AL in efficiency, according to Baseball Prospectus. Their pitching was fine, but both a top-heavy starting rotation and bullpen needed more depth.

And for now, the good news to report is the White Sox have improved on all fronts in 2016.

The White Sox’s biggest improvement has been on the run-prevention side. Their pitching staff is rocking a 2.24 ERA that edges the Washington Nationals for the major league lead, and it’s been a joint effort between their starters (2.65 ERA) and relievers (1.32 ERA).

It hasn’t all been luck, either, as Chicago’s collective 3.04 FIP (fielding independent pitching) also rates as elite. And as White Sox pitchers have done their part, so has their defense. Going into Wednesday, these were the top two defensive teams in MLB as rated by defensive efficiency:

1. Chicago Cubs: .753
2. Chicago White Sox: .748

That’s quite the turnaround from last season, and defensive efficiency (which measures the rate at which batted balls are converted into outs) isn’t the only metric that rates the White Sox’s defense as elite. They began Wednesday tied for second in defensive runs saved and third in ultimate zone rating.

“That’s what we focused on in spring training, and it’s kind of a culture change,” right fielder Adam Eaton told Christina Kahrl of ESPN.com. “We wanted to execute on good fundamentals, good defense, good pitching, and that’s what we’ve been getting. Defense comes to play every day.”

The White Sox’s offense, meanwhile, hasn’t been great in posting just a .683 OPS. But their lineup at least has a handful of above-average hitters after containing only two (Eaton and Jose Abreu) last season, and it’s been getting hits when they’re needed most. Navarro’s big triple Wednesday contributed to a high-leverage OPS that was an impressive .820 at the start of the day.

It all adds up to a plus-29 run differential. Just like their record, that’s the best in the American League. As far as excuses to say “See, this isn’t a fluke!” go, that’s a solid one.

But as for whether it can last, there’s good news and bad news.

The good news is the White Sox’s offense can be better than merely “good enough.” It’s still waiting on Abreu to start providing his usual production, and the 29-year-old slugger presumably will get around to it eventually. Likewise, Todd Frazier is a normally dangerous hitter who’s so far been just OK. If he and Abreu get going, likely regression from guys like Melky Cabrera and Brett Lawrie will be offset.

The tricky part, though, is that the White Sox’s run production could start moving forward just as their run prevention starts moving backward.

With Eaton moving from center field to right field and Frazier in to play third base, the White Sox’s defense is certainly better now compared to last year. But only those two and Cabrera are providing standout defense early on, and Cabrera’s track record suggests his glove is not to be trusted. Add in only moderate use of shifts, and Chicago’s defense is probably playing a bit over its head.

On the mound, Chris Sale and Quintana have proved their excellence time and again, and yours truly fairly digs Carlos Rodon. And between David Robertson, Zach Duke, Matt Albers and a healthy Nate Jones, I agree with Cliff Corcoran of Sports Illustrated that the White Sox have enough talent in their bullpen to sustain their excellent relief pitching.

But if the club’s defense comes back to earth, so will its pitching. And nobody’s going to feel that more than Mat Latos. The veteran right-hander has been a pleasant surprise with a 0.74 ERA in four starts, but he’s still struggling with diminished velocity and has put too much pressure on his defense with a minuscule strikeout rate. They haven’t yet, but the hits will come.

Once that happens, Latos‘ numbers might come to resemble the big ones attached to John Danks‘ name. That will make the White Sox’s rotation the same thing it was last year: top-heavy.

Looking down the road, the White Sox may be out of luck if they desire to fix that with help from outside. There may not be many sellers on the summer trade market, which could jack up the prices of whatever pitchers become available. And with a farm system that Baseball America ranks at No. 23, the White Sox aren’t exactly drowning in young talent.

The obligatory “long story short” here is the White Sox are overachieving. They’re an elite team in the win column, but they look less elite when you consider all the individual pieces. Their position atop the AL isn’t fixed with super glue.

However, don’t take this to mean we’re only looking at a coin with “elite” on one side and “useless” on the other.

The White Sox aren’t where they are because they’re skating by on good luck alone. With more depth on offense, defense and on the mound, they do indeed look like a better team than they were a year ago. And in this year’s AL race, that should be good enough to keep them in contention.

Maybe they won’t stay at the top of the league, but the White Sox probably aren’t going away.

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

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The Detroit Tigers announced they activated pitcher Francisco Rodriguez from the family medical emergency list and optioned outfielder Tyler Collins to Triple-A Toledo on Wednesday.

Collins, 25, had two hits in 20 at-bats this season. He was also the source of some controversy Monday after flipping off a booing Detroit crowd after misplaying a ball in the outfield.      

“To hear boos after that play hit a trigger inside of me, and I lashed out, completely inappropriately,” Collins said, per Katie Strang of ESPN.com. “I’m absolutely embarrassed, and I’m very sorry to everyone in Detroit.”

Rodriguez, 34, recorded four saves in five opportunities before briefly leaving the team. He’d struggled through most of his first seven appearances, giving up five runs in 6.1 innings. 

“Second-guessing myself,” Rodriguez said, per George Sipple of the Detroit Free Press. “Walking the tying and go-ahead run is something that you as closer cannot let happen. You cannot do it. Simple as that. So I’ve just got to make some adjustments quick and start pitching better. Simple as that.”

The Tigers have lost five of their last six games and were not in a save situation during Rodriguez’s absence. He’ll likely continue to hold down the ninth inning for the foreseeable future despite his struggles.

Rodriguez had been stellar during his stint with the Milwaukee Brewers, which spanned parts of five seasons. His difficulty avoiding bats brings to mind his last stint in the American League, when he posted a 4.50 ERA in 23 games with the Baltimore Orioles.

Collins has played 88 MLB games over the last three seasons. He set a career high in games played last season with 60, hitting four home runs and driving in 25 runs. The Tigers have all the outfield depth they need, so this move shouldn’t affect their roster outlook all that much. 

Follow Tyler Conway (@jtylerconway) on Twitter

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Detroit Tigers pitcher Jordan Zimmermann has already made history during his inaugural season in Motown, becoming the first starting pitcher in 43 years to begin his tenure with a new team by throwing 20-plus scoreless innings, per Elias Sports Bureau (via ESPN Stats & Info).

The last pitcher to accomplish the feat was Fred Norman, who was traded to the Cincinnati Reds before the 1973 season and subsequently introduced himself as a newfound member of the dominant Big Red Machine by logging 26 consecutive innings without allowing a run.

Zimmermann himself threw 24.1 innings for the Tigers before finally allowing his first run in the sixth frame of Monday’s 7-3 victory over the Oakland Athletics. He could have extended his streak even longer had Tigers outfielder Tyler Collins not lost sight of a fly ball off the bat of Athletics shortstop Marcus Semien.

After Collins misplayed the fly, fellow outfielder Justin Upton went to scoop up the loose ball, only to have it drop out of his glove, which allowed Semien to reach third base.

Oakland’s Billy Burns recorded an RBI single on the next at-bat, and just like that, Zimmermann‘s historic streak had come to a close.

Though he didn’t quite match Norman’s run from 1973, Zimmermann‘s 24.1 scoreless innings represent the longest streak by any player at the beginning of his tenure with the Tigers, per Elias Sports Bureau (via Baseball Tonight on Twitter).

Rightfully, he received a standing ovation when he left the mound at the end of the sixth inning.

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Major League Baseball won’t punish Detroit Tigers outfielder Tyler Collins after he made an obscene gesture to fans during a game against the Oakland Athletics on Monday night, per MLB.com’s Jason Beck.

“To hear boos after that play hit a trigger inside of me, and I lashed out, completely inappropriately,” Collins said after the game, per ESPN.com’s Katie Strang. “I’m absolutely embarrassed, and I’m very sorry to everyone in Detroit.”

The incident occurred in the sixth inning of what proved to be a 7-3 win over the Oakland Athletics. Collins lost a fly ball by Marcus Semien in the Comerica Park lights. Once the ball hit the ground, the home fans loudly booed Collins, and he reacted:

On Wednesday, the Tigers announced they optioned Collins to Triple-A Toledo after activating right-hander Francisco Rodriguez.

According to MLB Network’s Jon Morosi, a suspension would’ve carried somewhat significant ramifications for the team:

The 25-year-old isn’t the first Tigers player to show his dissatisfaction with the Detroit crowd. In August 2014, then-closer Joe Nathan apologized for an inappropriate gesture directed toward fans:

There was also some precedent MLB could’ve used had it decided to suspend Collins. Jonathan Papelbon earned a seven-game ban in September 2014 as a member of the Philadelphia Phillies after grabbing his crotch as he exited the field, as well as making contact with umpire Joe West.

MLive.com’s Chris Iott noted it’s possible the league fined Collins since MLB doesn’t publicly announce monetary forms of punishment.

Considering the threat of missed games loomed, Collins got off relatively easy in the event MLB only hit him in the wallet.

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The Minnesota Twins placed starting pitcher Kyle Gibson on the 15-day disabled list Tuesday with a shoulder strain, per MLB.com’s Rhett Bollinger.

Continue for updates.

Gibson Optimistic About Quick Return

Tuesday, April 26

According to Bollinger, Gibson started feeling shoulder pain in his last start, and he’s looking to be healthy enough to pitch once his DL stint is over. 

Gibson is coming off a solid 2015 campaign, and a strong case could be made that he was the Twins’ best pitcher. In 32 starts, he finished 11-11 with a 3.84 ERA. According to FanGraphs, his 2.5 WAR was highest among Minnesota pitchers with at least 100 innings logged, and only Trevor May finished with a lower FIP (3.25) than Gibson (3.96). 

Although the 28-year-old right-hander doesn’t look to be a budding ace of the staff, he should be a solid No. 2 or No. 3 starter for a long time in MLB.

Following last year’s 83-79 finish, fans will be expecting more from the Twins in 2016. Taking that into account, Minnesota can ill afford for Gibson to get hurt and/or take a step backward on the mound. The team doesn’t boast a ton of depth in the rotation. 

Ervin Santana is also going on the disabled list as a result of back spasms, per Bollinger, further exacerbating the lack of depth.

The news isn’t all bad for Twins fans, though. According to the Star Tribune‘s La Velle E. Neal III, the team is promoting highly touted prospect Jose Berrios with an eye toward giving him the start Wednesday. Baseball Prospectus ranked Berrios second in Minnesota’s system entering the 2016 season, and he’s 2-0 with a 1.06 ERA through three starts in Triple-A.

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Cleveland Indians pitcher Carlos Carrasco left Sunday’s game against the Detroit Tigers after straining his hamstring while trying to cover first base. Carrasco has been placed on the disabled list, and it is uncertain when he will be able to return to the mound.

Continue for updates.

Carrasco Return Timeline Revealed

Monday, April 25

The Indians announced Carrasco has been placed on the disabled list, as he will be out for four to six weeks.

Bauer a Likely Replacement for Carrasco

Carrasco pitched 2.2 innings of one-hit ball before the injury. He was replaced by Trevor Bauer.

The 29-year-old Carrasco had been great in his first three starts, compiling a 2.79 ERA and 1.03 WHIP over 19.1 innings. If not for a propensity to give up the long ball—he’s already surrendered four home runs in 2016—his numbers would look even better.

Bauer, who had been a starter until this season, should get the first shot to fill in for Carrasco. The 25-year-old made his sixth appearance of the year Sunday.

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