Next Man Up!
In all the years playing all kinds of sports (at an amateur level), I did not have a hamstring strain until I was 52 years old, and it was a doozy! Grade 3, which is the worst. My wife was making fun of me, saying, “Rub some dirt on it.” However, the next morning the whole back…
In all the years playing all kinds of sports (at an amateur level), I did not have a hamstring strain until I was 52 years old, and it was a doozy! Grade 3, which is the worst. My wife was making fun of me, saying, “Rub some dirt on it.” However, the next morning the whole back of my upper thigh was black and blue. I feel Teoscar’s pain – a hamstring bite isn’t fun. Depending on which grade it is, he could be out up to three months. His may not be that bad. Let’s hope not!
Alex Call, Jack Suwinski, JT3, are all in the mix, but Call is already on the roster. Kim can play there, but he does not have a bat. Could Sirota or DePaula get a call? Not now, but maybe in a month if one or both are hot. It’s just “next man up”. The keyword is “Don’t Panic!”
This afternoon, I head to Dayton, Ohio, which is a two-hour drive from Indy, to see the Loons play the Dayton Dragons. My son had to fly to Phoenix this AM, and my son-in-law is headed to NY, so I am taking one of US Water Systems’ salesmen and his 11-year-old son. It should be fun. This is a guy I met one month ago at a convention in Miami. He worked for Watts Water, and as I walked by their booth, he stopped me and said, “I have watched all your videos.” We talked for about 15 minutes, and I gave him my card and said, “If you are ever interested in a change, let me know.” He called three days later. He and his older son (who also worked at Watts) came in for an interview, and he hired them both for our Penguin Water wholesale division. Funny world we live in. It turned out he lives 3 miles from me and we had never met!
I will give you a full report tomorrow or Saturday.
Sugar Land Space Cowboys (Astros) 5 – OKC Comets 3
LHSP Jackson Ferris made his first start since May 6, coming off the IL due to a hip injury. He completed 2.0 innings on 39 pitches (20 strikes). He allowed 1 single, 1 BB, and registered 2 K. Still too many pitches, but grinded it out.
LHRP Garrett McDaniels relieved Ferris in the 3rd. 2 walks and a single gave Sugar Land a 1-0 lead. RHRP Ryder Ryan relieved McDaniels with 2 outs in the 3rd and retired the side. In the 6th, Ryan got the first out but walked the next batter. Ryan was replaced by LHRP Ronan Kopp. The runner stole 2B, and advanced to 3rd on a balk, Kopp walked the next two batters to load the bases. One run scored on a ground ball fielder’s choice.
With LHRP Josh Hader on a rehab assignment entering in relief, RF Ryan Fitzgerald reached on a fielding error and scored on a 2-out 2-run HR from C Chuckie Robinson (2) to tie the score.
RHRP Chayce McDermott entered in the 8th. Sugar Land’s first three hitters went double, RBI single, 2-run HR, and a 5-2 lead. He got the next three batters, but the damage was done.
In the 9th, OKC got one back. With one out, SS Noah Miller singled, and Robinson drew a BB. With 2 outs, CF Zach Ehrhard singled for his 4th hit to score Miller. But that was it.
• Zach Ehrhard – 4-5, 1 RBI, 2 doubles (12)
• Ryan Fitzgerald – 2-4, 1 run
• Chuckie Robinson – 1-3, 1 BB, 1 run, 2 RBI, HR (2)
Tulsa Drillers vs NW Arkansas Naturals (KC) Game Postponed
Game to be made up May 28 as part of DH.
Dayton Dragons (Reds) 3 – Great Lakes Loons 2
The Loons lost a tough one in walk off fashion. Four GL pitchers completed 8.0 scoreless innings on 1 hit, 4 BB, 18 K. Yes, 18 Ks in 8.0 IP.
LHSP Zach Root started and completed 4.0 scoreless innings allowing the one hit (double), 2 BB, and 9 K. RHRP Joseilyn Gonzalez (1.0 IP), RHRP Alex Makarewich (1.1 IP), and RHRP Dilan Figueredo (1.2 IP) completed the next four innings without allowing a hit, 2 BB, and 9 K.
Makarewich was particularly effective. He faced five batters and none of them put the ball in play. 1 BB and 4 K. Figueredo wasn’t far off. He faced 6 batters and only one put the ball in play, a groundout to end the 7th.
The Loons scored solo runs in the 2nd and 7th inning. In the 2nd, RF Kole Myers led off with a BB. Myers moved to 3rd on 2B Eduardo Guerrero’s single. Myers scored on a DP, and a 1-0 lead.
In the 7th, 1B Samuel Munoz led off with a single. SS Jose Izarra forced Munoz at 2nd. Izarra stole 2nd and scored on 3B Emil Morales’ RBI single.
The Loons took a 2-0 lead in a game their pitching dominated into the 9th with RHRP Nicolas Cruz coming in for the save. The first three batters reached on a single, BB, and E3. One run scored on a ground out, with runners moving up to 2nd and 3rd with one out. The lead runner was thrown out at the plate by Morales at 3B. Cruz hit the next batter to load the bases. Cruz balked in the tying run, and then made a throwing error on the next batter allowing the winning run to score.
Kole Myers and Eduardo Guerrero were the two Loons to have two hits.
Visalia Rawhide (Dbacks) 13 – Ontario Tower Buzzers 5
RHSP Hyun-Seok Jang started but could not get out of the 1st inning. Jang threw 36 pitches before he was relieved with 2 outs in the 1st. First 4 batters – BB, single, HBP, 2 run double. Jang struck out the next batter but the third run scored on 3B Chase Harlan’s 11th error. He allowed another RBI single before RHRP Seamus Barrett entered to get the final out of the inning.
Barrett and 2 other relievers combined to allow 6 runs on 8 hits, including 3 HR, 5 BB, with 4 K.
Ontario was down 10-0 when they batted in the 5th. DH Kellon Lindsey singled and moved to 2nd on a throwing error. CF Jaron Elkins tripled (3) Lindsey home, and scored himself on a ground out.
Visalia scored 2 more in the 6th to move the lead back to 10.
3B Chase Harlan hit a leadoff solo HR (6) in the 8th. Visalia got the run back with a HR in the 9th.
Elkins hit a 2 run double in the 9th to finish the scoring. He was a HR shy of hitting for the cycle.
• Jaron Elkins – 4-5, 1 run, 3 RBI, 2 doubles (8), triple (1)
• Chase Harlan – 1-4, 1 BB, 1 run, 2 RBI, HR (6)
ACL Dodgers 10 – ACL Reds 5
ACL Dodgers scored the 10 runs on 11 hits, including 3 HR.
The Reds scored 4 unearned runs off RHSP Jose Tavares in the 2nd.
In the 3rd, 1B Oswaldo Osorio singled and moved to 2nd on a ground out. CF Jhon Gil singled Osorio home.
In the 4th, DH Daniel Mielcarek hit a 2-run HR.
The Reds got one in the bottom of the 4th for a 5-3 lead. The Dodgers scored got the run back in the 5th on 4 BB.
In the 5th, 2 BB, single, and a grand slam HR (2) by SS Aidan West. Back to back doubles by 1B Cameron Decker and 3B Moises Bolivar scored a 5th run in the inning.
C Euri Rosa hit a solo HR in the 7th to complete the scoring.
• Jhon Gil – 2-4, 1 BB, 1 run, 1 RBI
• Oswaldo Osorio – 2-3, 1 BB, 1 run, 2 RBI, double (1)
• Jose Gonzalez – 2-3, 1 BB, 1 run, double (4)
• Doubles – Cameron Decker (1), Moises Bolivar (2)
• HR – Daniel Mielcarek (4), Aidan West (2), Euri Rosa (1)
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Discussion (73)
Disagree, not disagreeable
Ward is on his way
If he’s not on the 40, it would be somewhat anathema to how Friedman has used the 40 in situations like this. Friedman doesn’t just think about how the move to the 60IL opens a spot, but also how to handle it when the player returns from that list. Say Tibbs comes up and does well. Then it’s easy. But what if he does poorly, or somewhere in between. Now you have someone on the 40 who you are unsure about and whose MLB time clock is ticking and his options start expiring. You’d do all that for a “few weeks at a minimum?”
Is that the question? It’s either that, or: Do you think the owners will go for no cap and being the only major sports league without one? MLBPA is an amazing union. I’m not sure I’d bet against them.
40 man roster moves are easy. Kiké to the 60. Its so rare I doubt any young slugger will come up and OPS at league average. The learning curve from AAA to MLB is just too steep. Look at the guys the Dodgers have had try it the last few years. Pages is the best they’ve had and it took him over 400 at bats to figure it out. Rushing, Freeland, both .900 OPS guys in the minors. They haven’t figured it out yet. Our “top prospects”, of which 5 are outfielders, aren’t even mentioned here. It appears late Spring/Early Summer might be a challenge for this aging Dodger team. I think many of us were kinda expecting something like this.
Tyler when he played for the Giants got some time in LF. He hit .280 with 15 bombs in 24.
MLBPA will NEVER agree to a cap period.
No thanks. They need someone who is also a solid defender.
Per Gonzalez: Kendall George, the speedy Dodgers prospect who injured his knee while evading a bat dog, did not sustain ligament damage, according to an initial MRI. There is hope he might avoid surgery. But he and the Dodgers are still awaiting a second opinion. Per Passan: The best pitching in the NL this season has been utterly ridiculous: Shohei Ohtani: 0.82 ERA, .447 OPS against Cristopher Sánchez: 1.47 ERA, 44.2 IP scoreless streak Jacob Misiorowski: 1.83 ERA, 100 K in 64 IP Chris Sale: 1.89 ERA, 38% chase Chase Burns: 1.96 ERA, 34% whiff
According to Sonja Chen, that is the move that is being made. Sorry, I don’t like this one. Ward is at best a mediocre outfielder.
If that’s true about Kiki, then shame on him. For a team chemistry guy, a selfish move by him. To think he could “push through it” with an oblique is delusional. Good info on wanting Suwinski promoted. I wasn’t aware of his defensive flexibility. Checked out his MLB stats with Pittsburgh. Has shown some good power numbers. Along with that comes the strikeout issues. Let’s see what happens
Keith Law has published his revised top 50 prospects. The Dodgers have SIX of the top 28!! #11 OF Eduardo Quintero #13 OF Josue DePaula #18 OF Mike Sirota #19 SP River Ryan #24 OF James Tibbs III #28 OF Zyhir Hope There are a lot of SS on his list. Maybe in the future the Dodgers might be able to package some of the OF prospects and pitching to acquire soon be ready SS to replace Mookie. Right now and in the near future there will be only one OF spot open. Don’t “Ryan Ward” these young men.
Let us remember that the horrible 1994 strike was over the owners’ insistence for a salary cap, and that as soon as strike insurance ran out that they came back to the table and gave up on the idea. The 1990 lockout was also primarily over the issue. MLBPA will never agree to a cap. If the owners are intransigent then I can see the possibility that the ’27 season could be lost completely. So called small markets like Tampa are not small at all (Tampa is 11th largest in the US), while San Diego (2nd in MLB in attendance) is the 30th. The real issue is fan engagement. Revenue depends on fans watching games on TV and in person. And corporate sponsorships. If fans don’t go to Rays’ games then move the team or contract the league.
Is he all that much worse than Teo? I guess we’ll find out shortly.
Sirota was a shortstop when he was drafted. Might think about handing him a 2nd base mitt.
I think it’s time to include Hope in a trade, sooner than later. AF and the gang need to start deciding which of the outfield prospects have the greatest potential and start moving the others in trades. Offering a #28 MLB prospect should bring back something worthwhile and even if we’re not entirely certain that Tibbs will be a strong MLB outfielder, Quintero, JDP and Sirota added to Pages are already one too many to find a place for, even assuming that Tucker isn’t here forever.
“Roberts spoke to members of the media after the game and said Hernández will hit the injured list and probably miss at least a few weeks, per Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic. Ardaya later added that Ward will be recalled as the corresponding move”.
Actually both Tyler and Ryan are playing a lot OF at OKC. Tibbs III has been playing a lot of DH. Tyler is on the 40-man with Ward and Thomas. They could move Snell to the 60-day IL to purchase the contract of Suwinski or JTIII or Ryan Fitzgerald if they choose. I like Suwinski as the option because of his power off the bench as you stated. While he can play all 3 OF positions, he is not a good defensive OF. More Teoesque. This might be a good place to insert Ward. He has paid his dues. He would be a good LH hitting option to platoon with Call. But as always, will he help the team win games? More than Suwinski? Both are LH hitting. Ward can play 1B if that is a consideration. I do not think they will start the clock on JTIII, Too many other options, and they do not want him sitting. Are the Dodgers looking for continued defensive diversity (either of the Fitzgerald’s) or just an OF (Suwinski, Thomas, Ward)? I think a lot will depend on the severity of Teo’s injury..
I’ve been saying that for a few months now. Nobody seems interested. Maybe I should contact Andrew directly. Mark, what’s his cellphone number?
I like the MLBPA proposal.
According to Sonja Chen, Ward is being called up. She posted that on her X page.
Same here.
He has played 422 games in the outfield in the minors. .975 fielding pct. 294 of those games came as a left fielder. 16 assists and 12 errors.
Updated to a significant tear in the hamstring. out 6-8 weeks or more.
I think this is a reward for Ward rather than who may be best to temporarily replace Teo. I think they had many options, but none that stood out to be a difference maker. So reward the guy who has been in the organization for 8 years now. Ward has been a loyal soldier, although he did not have much choice. Maybe MLBPA can address free agency length, both MLB and MiLB.
Obviously I’m interested but Andrew doesn’t let me make trades anymore.