Leaky Boat

The possibility wold have been unthinable when Mike Leake was sporting a sterling 1.91 ERA through his first nine starts this season, but the Cardinals traded him to the Mariners on Wednesday in what was essentially a salary dump. The veteran right-hander has been awful for a while now, posting a 5.73 ERA over his final 17 starts in a Cardinals uniform. There was some chatter about prospect right-hander Jack Flaherty possibly replacing Leake in the rotation last weekend, which is why he was featured in the last edition of Waiver Wired, but Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak indicated that they resisted the idea due to concerns about Flaherty's workload. Flaherty has already logged 143 2/3 innings this year after throwing 134 innings last year. It didn’t take Mozeliak long to change his mind on the situation.

With Leake out of the picture, Flaherty is slated to make his major league debut Friday against the light-hitting Giants in San Francisco. Selected No. 34 overall back in 2014, Flaherty has posted a 2.18 ERA and 147/35 K/BB ratio over 25 starts this season between Double-A Springfield and Triple-A Memphis. He's made some nice strides with his control and has bounced back nicely after getting off to a bit of a shaky start upon his promotion to Triple-A in June. Who knows how much further the Cardinals will push him this year, but he’s an exciting lottery ticket in mixed leagues for the stretch run. You have to dig the introductory match up.

Tyler Glasnow SP, Pirates
If there’s any September call-up among pitchers who could make a big impact, it’s probably Glasnow. I know that sounds funny to say about someone who has a 6.49 ERA through his first 19 appearances (including 16 starts) in the majors, but the 24-year-old has been flat-out amazing since his demotion to Triple-A in mid-June, posting a 2.06 ERA with 131 strikeouts and 31 walks in 87 1/3 innings over 14 starts. Pitching exclusively out of the stretch, Glasnow has allowed three earned runs or fewer in all of his starts and has walked two batters or fewer in each of his last six outings. I’m really interested to see how this version of Glasnow translates in the majors. With his strikeout upside, I think he’s worth stashing in all formats.

Kolten Wong 2B/OF, Cardinals
After saying during spring training that he would rather be traded than platooned at second base, Wong has quietly enjoyed the best season of his career. I say quietly because there hasn’t been much to get excited about from a fantasy perspective. While Wong has compiled a quality .305/.388/.446 batting line through 90 games, he has just four homers and six steals to show for it. Three of his four homers and half of his steals have come in 26 games this month. Still, his recent hot hitting has seen him get moved up in the Cardinals’ order in recent days. He deserves to be back on the mixed league radar.

Blake Parker RP, Angels
Welcome to this week’s episode of “As the Scioscia Turns.” When we last left you, Bud Norris randomly received a save chance, adding more uncertainty to a wild closer situation with the Angels. Norris has since gone down with a knee injury. Meanwhile, Parker has picked up three saves in recent days. Cam Bedrosian still looks like the closer of the future here, but Parker has been the team’s best reliever all season, posting a 2.14 ERA, 0.85 WHIP, and 75/16 K/BB ratio over 59 innings. Scioscia could easily change his mind again, but Parker might just run away with the gig at this point. He’s a must-own in all formats.

Aaron Altherr OF, Phillies
Altherr has been limited to just eight games during the second half due to hamstring issues, but he should be picked up in leagues where he was dropped in anticipation of his return on Friday. Rhys Hoskins has mostly been starting in the outfield since his call-up, but he’ll presumably move to his natural position at first base while Tommy Joseph will shift into a part-time role. Altherr has been excellent when healthy this year, batting .285/.357/.536 with 16 homers, 49 RBI, five steals, and 47 runs scored over 87 games. He could come in handy for those who have been shuffling through options due to injury.

Jake McGee RP, Rockies
I wrote in last week’s column that Pat Neshek was the likely fallback to Greg Holland at closer in Colorado, but it looks like Rockies manager Bud Black prefers McGee. The southpaw notched a pair of saves against the Braves over the weekend. After a shaky first season with the Rockies, McGee has bounced back this year with a 3.26 ERA and 53/13 K/BB ratio over 49 2/3 innings. He’s actually been better against right-handed hitters (.590 OPS against) than left-handed hitters (.641 OPS against), which isn’t unusual if you remember him when he was at his best with the Rays. Holland has really dropped off recently, which shouldn’t be shocking given that it’s first season back from Tommy John surgery. It’s probably fair to expect McGee to get some more chances down the stretch.

Scott Schebler OF, Reds
Schebler has returned with a vengeance since missing a month with a strained rotator cuff, batting .353/.425/.765 with three homers, three doubles, one triple, and 11 RBI over 11 games. He’s now up to 26 homers through 112 games on the year to go along with an .814 OPS. The Reds have some moving pieces with their outfield right now, as manager Bryan Price will surely look for chances to play Phillip Ervin and Jesse Winker in September, but I love the power and the home ballpark. 

Luis Castillo SP, Reds
I keep looking every week to see if Castillo finally made it over the 50-percent mark and it hasn’t happened yet. I really don’t get it. Sure, he’s 2-7 and hasn’t won since July 30, but we know better than to evaluate pitcher based on that. Acquired from the Marlins in the Dan Straily deal over the winter, Castillo has posted a 3.26 ERA and 83/31 K/BB ratio in 77 1/3 innings through his first 13 starts in the majors. He boasts a ground ball rate of 57 percent (a good thing in Great American Ball Park) and his average fastball velocity (97.5 mph) is tied with Luis Severino for tops in the majors among pitchers with at least 70 innings pitched. Perhaps the Reds will shut him down a start or two early, but he’s someone who should be owned in most formats. Look for him to be a popular breakout pick in drafts next spring.

Justin Bour 1B, Marlins
The timeline for Bour’s return is rather vague at the moment, but he took some swings in batting practice on Monday and is reportedly closing in on a minor league rehab assignment. It sounds like there’s a good chance he’ll be able to help the Marlins for most of September as they attempt to hang around in the National League Wild Card race. The 29-year-old was enjoying a breakout year prior to his oblique strain in late July, batting .289/.366/.548 with 21 home runs and 63 RBI through 87 games. Stash if you need a power boost. If you need someone who is active right now, young Athletics first baseman Matt Olson (Yahoo: 2 percent owned) has provided some sneaky value this month.

Marcus Semien SS, Athletics
I mentioned Semien in the All-Star break edition of Waiver Wired on July 13. He was batting just .173/.328/.288 at the time and had missed significant time with a fractured right wrist. Fortunately, he has turned things around nicely during the second half, batting .283/.351/.416 with four homers, 21 RBI, four steals, and 26 runs scored across 43 games. Perhaps the wrist has sapped the power somewhat, but Semien is contributing across the board while showing more patience than ever before. He’s a solid middle infield option.

Blake Snell SP, Rays
Are we finally seeing progress from Snell? There’s reason to be encouraged, at least. The 24-year-old has put up a 2.97 ERA through five starts in August. He’s amassed 32 swinging strikes over his last two starts while allowing just two runs in 14 innings. Control has been his big issue in the majors, but Snell has only walked only 12 batters in 42 2/3 innings over his last seven starts dating back to July 24. I understand he doesn’t feel especially safe if you are fighting to keep your season alive, but I’d take my chances in a matchup against the White Sox on Friday. 

Jayson Werth OF, Nationals
I don’t expect the Nationals to push Werth much in September. Clinching the NL East crown is a forgone conclusion, so the 38-year-old should get plenty of time to rest up in preparation for the postseason. As such, I’d probably skip Werth outside of deeper mixed formats, but he was off to a resurgent start at the plate (.262/.367/.446 with eight homers in 47 games) prior to going down with a bone bruise in his foot in early June. Worthy of consideration if you are in a league which allows for daily lineup changes.

Andrew Heaney SP, Angels
After getting knocked around for nine runs on 15 hits (including seven homers) in 10 innings through his first two starts after coming back from Tommy John surgery, Heaney fanned a career-high 10 batters over six innings of one-run ball in Sunday’s win over the Athletics. The southpaw induced 19 swinging strikes and averaged 93.4 mph on his fastball, according to Brooks Baseball. He’s throwing harder than he did before the surgery, so I’m intrigued to see where this goes. I understand if the first two starts scared you away — there’s definitely blow-up potential here — but similar to guys like Flaherty and Glasnow, you have to look for upside where you can. And Heaney has it.

Jarrod Dyson OF, Mariners
After missing two weeks with a right groin strain, Dyson is reportedly expected to be activated from the disabled list when rosters expand on Friday. You know the drill with Dyson by now. One of the most consistent speed options out there, the 33-year-old is tied for sixth in the majors with 28 steals. Assuming the groin doesn’t impact his speed, I like his chances of adding to his total when the Mariners take on the Astros next week. Indians rookie outfielder Bradley Zimmer is another speedster to consider with a four-game series against the White Sox coming up.



Teoscar Hernandez OF, Blue Jays
I made my case for Hernandez in this week’s Rotoworld Roundtable, but here’s another reminder as we get closer to September 1. Part of the Francisco Liriano deal with the Astros on July 31, Hernandez has shown some interesting pop and speed in the minors. The 24-year-old got off to a slow start with his new organization, but he has slugged five homers over his last eight games in Triple-A. The Blue Jays have some options in their outfield, but they should absolutely give Hernandez a look as they evaluate things for 2018.

Renato Nunez UTIL, Athletics
Nunez is expected to be rewarded with a call-up for his bounce-back season with Triple-A Nashville. After disappointing with a .690 OPS last year, the 23-year-old has a share of the minor league lead with 32 homers while batting .253/.314/.523 over 122 games. Finding at-bats will be tricky, as the A’s have Matt Chapman at third base, Matt Olson at first, and Khris Davis in left field, so the most likely scenario is that he sees time out of the DH spot. He’ll enter next spring out of options, so it’s time to see what they have here.



Luke Voit 1B, Cardinals
With Jedd Gyorko on the disabled list due to a hamstring injury, the Cardinals have used Matt Carpenter at third base over the past two days with Voit handling first base duties. The 26-year-old Voit has never found himself on any top prospect lists, but he has progressed nicely with the bat over the past couple of seasons in the minors. He hasn’t done anything to stand out in the majors so far (.247/.311/.433 with three homers in 46 games), but there’s opportunity in this lineup right now.

Travis Taijeron OF, Mets
It’s unfair to describe Taijeron as a prospect at this point. He’s 28 years old and has played seven seasons in the minors. He’s only up with the big club due to the recent trades of Curtis Granderson and Jay Bruce and the injuries to Jay Bruce and Yoenis Cespedes. Still, at-bats are there for the taking in this outfield right now. Taijeron is rather strikeout-prone, but at least he has some pop in his bat. Juan Lagares  should already be owned in this sort of format, but if not, he’d be my preference over Taijeron.

Estevan

Over the last couple of years, the Yankees farm system has become one of the best systems in the entire league. In addition to recently producing such gems as Aaron Judge and Gary Sanchez, the system has been bolstered with the recent acquisitions of high-end talents such as Gleyber Torres and Clint Frazier via trades, Blake Rutherford and James Kaprelian via the draft, and Jorge Mateo and Miguel Andujar via the international market.

However, one of the more overlooked prospects in the Yankees system is outfielder Estevan Florial who, before the year is out, could be prove himself to be as good if not better than any prospect in the Yankees system or even all of baseball if he can reach his considerably high ceiling.

I had the chance to watch Florial in action against the Rome Braves on June 28 and, as a happy accident and as I was writing this, he was just named to the 2017 Futures Game as a member of the World team roster. For reference sake, Florial has posted a .310/.388/.522 line in 2017 in low-A with 10 home runs, 34 RBIs, and 13 stolen bases. In the game I watched him, he went 2-5 with an RBI, a run scored, and two strikeouts.

First, some background

Estevan Florial originally hailed from Haiti before his mother, who was trying to get him into school and who did not have his official identifying paperwork, enrolled him in the Dominican Republic as Haniel d’Oleo. Under this new identity, Estevan would become one of the top international prospects in the 2014 international free agent class.

However, before he could report to the Yankees, the discrepancies in his paperwork caught up with him which nearly cost him a contract altogether. After his Haitian birth records were retrieved, the Yankees and the league were satisfied that there wasn’t any intent to deceive the league per se and New York signed him for $200,000 and assigned him to its Dominican Summer League affiliate in 2015.

After dominating the DSL in 2015 with a .921 OPS over 57 games, the Yankees made some some puzzling league assignment decisions with Florial. In 2016 he played games across three levels and largely struggled throughout the year, in particular with pitch recognition and swing-and-miss issues. Usually posting a .227/.312/.371 over the course of a season is cause for concern especially when the vast majority of that playing time is in Rookie ball, but the Yankees’ player development team saw real talent and value and it is paying dividends now.

Now, the good news

Florial has an impressive toolset. His speed, raw power, and arm in the outfield stand out as the best tools, but he has a chance to be a true 5-tool guy. He is listed at 6’1 and 185, but to my eye I would guess he has bulked up a bit more than that by maybe 10 pounds. There is room on his frame for more muscle, but given how fast he is, doing so could be a detriment to his overall game and he certainly isn’t lacking power.

His swing is a bit busy to start, but he has quick hands, plus bat speed, and good feel for the barrel. He also does a good job keeping his lower body involved in his swing without messing up his timing. After getting drilling by a HBP in his first at-bat on the first pitch he saw, he jumped all over a fastball in his second at-bat and sent it for a line drive single into right with an exit velocity right at 107 MPH. He was pulling a lot of balls in the game I saw him, but a cursory look at his spray chart from this season over at MLBFarm indicates that he does a good job of using the entire field, although he does seem hit a lot of grounders to the right side of the infield.

His raw power is evident especially in batting practice, but his game power may not match it because it could interfere with his approach which already aggressive. That isn’t to say that he won’t hit his fair share of home runs given that he is so strong, but his speed will allow him to stretch a lot of extra-base hits as is without making him sell out trying to clear the fences.

Speaking of his speed, Estevan is really fast. He hit a ground ball to the the first baseman in his third at-bat where the fielder was maybe seven to eight feet away (if that) from first and he was only out by maybe a step. He then beat out an infield single on a grounder to shortstop and the play was not close. He also scored from second on a play where he came within about six steps of catching up with the runner ahead of him who scored from third. Florial gets up to speed quickly which bodes well both for his ability to beat grounders out as well as to steal bases as he climbs the ladder.

On the defensive side of the ball, he uses his speed to his advantage and he seems particularly good at coming in on balls. His route running is a little raw and I didn’t get a chance to see him going back on any balls of note given that their opponents (the Rome Braves) were struggling to do much of anything in this particular game. I also did get a chance to see him use his arm, but it was clear that Rome (a team filled with speedsters of their own) respected it as they had no interest in testing him on the chances they had.

His outfield assist total isn’t gaudy this year, but that could easily be due to guys knowing that it would not be wise to try to get too frisky against him as opposed to him doing anything wrong. By all accounts, he has a strong arm as well. With some more refinement with taking efficient routes to the ball, he could easily end up as a plus defender in center field.

That said, nobody is perfect

Let us be clear…..Florial definitely strikes out a lot and of all his tools, his hit tool is the biggest question mark. He is an aggressive hitter, but he showed some good signs in terms of pitch selection and recognition, but some others that were less that good. He currently sports the highest strikeout percentage of his minor league career at 30.9% and he will have to improve there. He struck out looking on the outside corner and then looking again when facing a position player, Kurt Hoekstra, on the mound. Being able to recognize pitches out of the pitcher’s hand is going to be crucial for him, especially when he faces more quality opposition where he won’t be able to solely use his considerable physical gifts and talent to bail him out.

One other note in the realm of not so good: for a guy that has very real raw power and the ability to barrel balls, he hits a lot of ground balls and he will need to convert more of them into line drives. Again, this hasn’t hurt his ability to get hits because he can beat sub-par fielding with his legs, but that won’t hold as much as he advances up levels in the minor leagues. That said, his ground ball rate is definitely trending in the right direction as he has cut over 15% from his ground ball percentage over last year and his line drive and fly ball percentages are trending upwards as well. While his current BABIP of .439 is unsustainable, if he continues to improve and drive the ball with more authority, the more likely he will able to keep his production up.

The verdict

Estevan Florial is an impressive athlete and has a ton of tantalizing potential. It is also really important to note that he is just 19 years old and he will be 19 for the entirety of this season. Many of the issues I have mentioned that he has are completely normal for someone of his age and experience level. For his first real taste of full season ball, he is performing incredibly well. An OPS of .910 (good for fifth in the entire South Atlantic League) is a high level of production and watching him live confirms that it is the product of an impressive skill set and talent level.

MLB Pipeline has Florial listed as the 15th best prospect in the Yankees system. Yes, the Yankees system is loaded and yes, there is very real risk in Florial’s profile. That said, that ranking seems very soft and barring the unforeseen, he should be a top 10 guy on Yankees prospects lists by season’s end.

Makeup:
Off the charts. His manager Pat Osborn echoed the sentiments of several sources when he said, “Not only is he a tremendous player, he’s a tremendous person…if you could build a baseball player it would look like Florial, if you could build a person it would look like him as well”. I was told that he bought a car in extended spring training so that he could show up early to the yard and stay late, and that he also cooks for all his teammates as well. Osborn continued to describe Florial by having three tremendous traits, “poise, respect and humility”.

Tool:
Hit – Swing contains plus bat speed. When asked about the strikeouts and what improvements are needed for Florial to advance to the next level, River Dogs manager Pat Osborn said, “It’s just part of his development, learning how to cut back on strikeouts, what pitches to not swing at, and what pitches he can handle. Getting a better grasp of a two-strike approach… When he does hit the ball, he impacts it and does damage”. I couldn’t agree more with that statement.
Power – I see him having plus power in the future. His swing possesses a high leg kick that will assist in this category. Even though he has been pull side dominant thus far in his career, his strength actually comes into play when he goes to left-center field.
Speed/Baserunning – Florial is a plus runner. I would give him at least a 70 grade on the 20-80 scouting scale.
Glove – Will stick in center field. Has a great first step and plus reactions. Backs up every pitch and is moving on every ball in play.
Arm – Possesses tremendous (plus) arm strength. Throws the ball on a line, with plenty of zip on it.

Overall:

I think Florial is somehow still the most underrated player in the Yankees system, and possibly in all of Minor League Baseball. Pat Osborn (the River-dogs manager) said, “the sky is the limit for this kid, I think the industry knows that, we certainly know that”. He has plus power, speed and arm strength which will allow him to be successful as a corner outfielder should the organization choose to move him from center. Once he cuts down on his strikeouts, beware, he will fly up prospect rankings.

Florial has a really unique profile and I don’t know how to rank him.

 So far this season the 19-year-old Florial is hitting .300/.383/.502 (152 wRC+) with eleven homers, 15 steals in 21 attempts, and an 11.4% walks in 74 Low-A games. That is across the board excellence for a kid who is more than two years younger than the average South Atlantic League player. At the same time, Florial has a 30.2% strikeout rate, which is awfully high. You don’t often see a player pair that strikeout rate with the kind of overall success at the plate Florial is having. It’s very unique, though we are watching Judge do the same thing in the big leagues, so it’s not unprecedented. Does the strikeout rate mean Florial will fail against more advanced pitchers as he climbs the ladder? Or does the strong overall numbers indicate he will make the adjustment and cut down on the whiffs as he moves forward? This much is clear: Florial’s tools are off the charts. He’s got power from the left side of the plate, he runs well, he’s a very good center fielder, and he has a rocket arm. Based on the natural talent and overall production, Florial is a top 100 caliber prospect. I’m just not sure what that strikeout rate means. I’m more fascinated than alarmed.

 The New York Yankees and Oakland A's are reportedly discussing a trade that would send righty starting pitcher Sonny Gray to the Bronx. Outfielder Estevan Florial, 19, is rumored to be among the prospects Oakland wants in return. Let's break down whether the Yankees should be willing to part with Florial for Gray.

The A’s are in an interesting position with Gray. The 27-year-old is the unquestioned leader of their starting rotation, a former All-Star who’s really dialed it in the last few weeks. Gray would improve any staff in the majors, and probably slot in as at least a No. 2 just about anywhere. He can be that good, and he’s got another two years of team control after this one to boot.

But there’s a problem. Oakland will be sellers at the trade deadline. And Gray, a right-hander, is their best chip. Jettisoning him will be their best way to restock their farm system with young, controllable talent — kind of like what Gray used to be.

According to reports — and common sense — Oakland wants a special return for Gray. And according to FanRag’s Jon Heyman, they’re looking at center field prospects. Makes sense. Oakland lacks young talent in general. Why not aim for someone who can hit and play the most valuable position in the outfield?

Who's Florial?

 

 

The 19-year-old center fielder was one of two players — alongside righty Domingo Acevedo — that the Yankees sent to the Futures Game a couple weeks ago.

He's stood out at Low-A Charleston, even while playing alongside 2016 first-round pick Blake Rutherford, whom the Yankees sent to the White Sox last week. In 87 games, Florial has 11 homers with 41 RBI, 16 steals and .299 batting average.

Scouts rave about just about all Florial’s tools, but especially his raw power, speed and arm strength. The Dominican Republic native is expected to stick in center field for quite some time. Bench coach and outfield coordinator Rob Thomson said people he’s talked to in the organization rave about his worth ethic and professionalism for his age.

MLB.com ranks Florial the Yankees’ No. 5 overall prospect and No. 90 in the game. Baseball America has Florial at No. 71 in the league, the fifth highest-ranked current Yankees prospect on its midseason top 100 update.

Is there a match?

Well, of course. The Yankees are going for it. The A’s aren’t. One’s buying. One’s selling. Yada, yada. The Yankees want a starting pitcher and, really, they need one. With Michael Pineda (Tommy John surgery) down and Masahiro Tanaka unsteady, they can’t have just one starting pitcher — Luis Severino — that they can rely on every fifth day.

So, of course, a Florial-for-Gray deal makes sense. But the A’s will want more than than just Florial for their accomplished, young, relatively cheap, front-of-the-rotation starter. It depends how much more, though, if you’re the Yankees. The A’s have been scouring Double-A Trenton and Low-A Charleston. That means they’ve undoubtedly had their eyes on Jorge Mateo, a shortstop who’s learning center field and whom many think could end up there for a long time. In fact, on Tuesday, Gary Denbo, the Yankees’ vice president of player development, said he believes Mateo could be an elite center fielder someday.

That’s high praise, and that’s why I wouldn’t part with Florial AND Mateo in the same package for Gray. Make the second piece someone else out of pitchers Freicer Perez, Domingo Acevedo, or Jorge Guzman.

1968 - the year of the pitcher

1968 Year of the Pitcher

The side effects of the increased strike zone reach epidemic proportions as amazing pitching feats abound everywhere—and become the centerpiece for a memorable World Series between the St. Louis Cardinals and Detroit Tigers.

In the 1920s, baseball fans discovered Babe Ruth and locked in on him. So did major league owners, who juiced the rules to increase scoring—and thus attendance. The batting bonanza got out of hand by 1930, with the average player hitting .300, before cooling off to more normal levels in the years to follow.

In 1961, the fans saw Roger Maris, Jim Gentile and Norm Cash—and the owners, led by commissioner Ford Frick, chose this time not to embrace but to revolt. They felt these out-of-nowhere sluggers were too common to be breaking records with an abundance of home runs. So they put the clamps on the batter, browning out the power surge with an increased strike zone.

This would all become too much of a good thing for pitchers in 1968, a year rightfully remembered as one where the hitters didn’t stand a chance.

Fans starving for hitting exhibitions had nowhere to escape, bearing witness to non-stop feats of excellent pitching that added up to an endless string of zeroes on the scoreboard—causing the bottom to fall out of a hitter’s bear market that had already been dropping for five years.

Hitters in both leagues suffered, but American Leaguers felt the sting the most—collectively batting an abominable .230 for their worst average ever. Leading the pack of hitless blunders were the Oakland A’s at .240, while the rear was dragged by the once mighty New York Yankees, coughing up an all-time franchise low of .214. On an individual level, Carl Yastrzemski of the Boston Red Sox became the lone man above .300—and barely, at .301—needing a big rally in the season's final monthYastrzemski hit .378 in September after entering the month at .285. just to ensure that he’d reach it. 

The National League fared batter, but its .243 average was still the second worst in modern NL annals, lowly and barely surpassed by its 1908 deadball era performance. Startlingly immune to the game’s nationwide power outage were the Cincinnati RedsProving that cozy Crosley Field had something to do with the Reds’ lively hitting, the team’s pitching staff had the NL’s highest earned run average at 3.56—and allowed nearly five runs a game at home., which led the majors going away with a .273 average. The Atlanta Braves and the Pittsburgh Pirates were both a distant second at .252.

Amazing exploits from the mound spread like roses in full bloom, or like the plague—depending on whose viewpoint you heard, the pitchers’ or the hitters’. There were 339 shutouts thrown in 1968, almost double the number tossed in 1962—the year before baseball swelled the strike zone. Catfish Hunter of the A’s threw the AL’s first perfect game since 1922. San Francisco’s Gaylord Perry tossed a no-hitter against St. Louis; the Cardinals responded in kind the next day when Ray Washburn did the same to the Giants. Don Drysdale of the Los Angeles Dodgers kept opponents scoreless for a record 58.2 consecutive inningsFuture Dodgers ace Orel Hershiser would top Drysdale’s mark in 1988., while Luis Tiant, on his way to allowing an all-time low .168 batting average, put together 41 straight scoreless innings for the Cleveland Indians.

Pitchers often discovered they couldn’t have it both ways, as cursed by their teams’ inability to score as they were blessed disabling opponents. Ferguson Jenkins of the Chicago Cubs finished the year at 20-15, but nine of his losses occurred when the Cubs got blanked. The New York Mets’ Jim McAndrew lost four straight games in which his team failed to score. And on April 15, the Mets and Houston Astros traded zeroes for 24 innings before a bad hop on a double play ball went through Mets infielder Al Weis, scoring the winning—and only—run on the evening for the Astros.

Not even the game’s best hitters could jumpstart the offense at the All-Star Game. A 1-0 NL win featured a total of 20 strikeouts and just eight hits, and its only run was scored in the least ideal of fashions: Willie McCovey hit into a double play to bring Willie Mays home from third.

Above all of the above, the two most astounding pitching performances of the year would prove instrumental in determining both pennants.

About two months into the season, Bob Gibson was clearly feeling the pain of an offense that had abandoned him in St. Louis. Despite a stellar 1.32 ERA, Gibson’s record was at 3-5. Obviously, if his Cardinals teammates couldn’t support him, Gibson would have to reach back, collect a little extra fire, and go on a mission to take matters into his own hands.

And so he would, big time.

Gibson would win his next 15 decisions—ten by shutout. Within this streak was a remarkable run of 95 consecutive innings in which Gibson allowed just two earned runs. And within that streak was yet another where Gibson fired blanks for 48.2 straight innings—broken up, ironically, by the Dodgers and Drysdale, who knew his record 59.2 innings of a month earlier would remain safe.

Although St. Louis hitters continued to play dead for Gibson—they averaged only 2.8 runs per start for him—they were otherwise ignited during his streak, as the Cardinals soared above the rest of the NL flock to easily rack up their second straight pennant, finishing nine games ahead of San Francisco, which placed second for the fourth straight year. Overall, the Cardinals were no less affected at the plate than most everyone else in baseball, hitting .249 as a team with just 73 home runs. But the men at the top of the order—outfielders Lou Brock (NL highs with 46 doubles, 14 triples and 62 steals) and Curt Flood (one of five NL batters hitting over .300, at .301) made sure the damage was done early and often against opposing pitchers.

And then there was Gibson. When the regular season wrapped, fans were trying to figure out, as they do today, how Gibson could have produced an astounding 1.12 ERA—surpassed among modern big leaguers only by Dutch Leonard’s 0.96 markTim Keefe of the Troy Trojans holds the all-time ERA record at 0.86, but he earned it pitching only 12 games in a 83-game schedule in 1880, with rules and regulations vastly different from post-1900 baseball. in 1914—and still lose nine games to go with his 22 victories.

As Gibson was stunning enough to have won 30 games, such a pursuit was not out of reach elsewhere in 1968.

Denny McLain, in terms of disposition and discipline, was the polar opposite of Gibson. On the field, the amiable, fair-haired Detroit Tiger showed a game face that was more happy-go-lucky smile than nostril-flaring scowl. Off the field, McLain was a 1960s-style free spirit more in common with Vegas than Berkeley, a jet-setting wannabe whose two passions outside of baseball were playing the organ and drinking mass quantities of PepsiMcLain claimed to drink over ten bottles of Pepsi every day..

What McLain did have in common with Gibson was his ability to get the job done on the mound, winning 53 games over his previous three years as he entered 1968 at the age of 24. And as McLain was mastering the slider from highly revered Tigers pitching coach Johnny Sain—who earlier in the decade had forged magic out of the Yankees and Minnesota Twins—his impenetrable grin was about to widen even more.

No one had won 30 games in the majors since Dizzy Dean in 1934, but McLain started, stayed and finished on pace to breeze into one of the game’s least-approached territories.

McLain racked up victories with brisk acceleration. He took only two months to win his first ten games; a month and a half to win his next ten; and a mere month and a half more to reach 30 on September 14, with three starts to spare. McLain was lucky to remember the moment; as the Tigers rallied from behind in the ninth to beat the A’s at Tiger Stadium, 5-4, an overjoyed McLain leapt high off the dugout bench—and into the concrete dugout ceiling, leaving him dazed but unfazed in celebration.

Thanks to McLain, the Tigers had little problem securing the AL pennant, finishing 12 games ahead of second-place Baltimore. But thanks to Detroit hitting that averaged five runs per start for McLain, the right-hander didn’t have to redouble his efforts like Gibson just so he could win, icing his remarkable year with a 31-6 record and 1.96 ERA in 336 innings. So long as major league teams in the present day depend on five-man rotations and multi-millionaire relievers, McLain’s claim to fame as baseball’s last 30-game winner will likely hold for a long, long time.

In standing with most everyone else, the Tigers were finding hitting conditions difficult—as a team they hit .235—but they easily led the majors with 185 home runs. Eight different players were in double figures, led by muscular Willie Horton’s 36, and 25 each from first baseman Norm Cash and perennial All-Star catcher Bill Freehan.

The World Series was built up more as The Main Event between McLain and Gibson, the best of the best in the year of the pitcher. But after cruising through the year, McLain was starting to feel some payback from within as his shoulder gradually began to ache. Gibson, on the other hand, was rolling. And he used the world’s stage in Game One to show everyone that he was second to none, McLain included, by very possibly hurling the game of his life. Gibson shut Detroit down on five hits, but the headlines were reserved for the 17 Tigers he struck out—a World Series record that still stands. McLain was generic by comparison, gone by the sixth inning of a 4-0 Cardinals win.

It got worse for McLain when the two paired up again in Game Four. He gave up a leadoff homer to Lou Brock and never recovered; trailing 4-1 in the third, a 90-minute rain delay struck and stiffened McLain’s shoulder even more. He never returned, while Gibson—unaffected by the stoppage—went all nine innings in a runaway 10-1 rout. The Cardinals, up three games to one with two games still to be played at St. Louis, looked untouchable.

That’s when Mickey Lolich crashed the stage.

Lost in the McLain media madness was the left-handed Lolich, whose solid 17-9 record looked innocuous in comparison to McLain’s 31 wins. But he was just as feared by opponents, especially a Cardinals lineup that had trouble hitting southpaws. He had gone the distance in the Tigers’ only win of the Series, an 8-1 Game Two laugher. Called upon in Game Five to keep the Tigers’ hopes alive, Lolich was touched for three runs right off the bat but quickly settled in and fired blanks the rest of the way, as Detroit fought back for a 5-3 win.

McLain returned for Game Six, and so did his comfort level—in part because of a healthy pre-game cortisone shot to his shoulder, but also due to a big 12-0 lead he was given after just three innings. St. Louis fans hoping to celebrate at home at the expense of McLain instead saw their team blasted 13-1, as McLain scattered nine hits over nine innings.

Suddenly emerging as Gibson’s equal, Lolich dueled the Cardinals ace in Game Seven for six scoreless innings, and derailed a St. Louis rally in the sixth when he picked off both BrockIt was the second major baserunning Series gaffe by Brock, who in Game Five neglected to slide and was tagged out at the plate standing by Freehan in a crucial play. and Curt Flood. The wasting of such precious, golden opportunities in a game that means everything often leads to that sinking feeling, and the Cardinals knew it. So did the Tigers. The very next inning, the Detroit offense awoke with a two-out rally that produced three runs off of GibsonGibson would finish his World Series career with a 7-2 record in nine career starts—eight of which he finished—a 1.89 ERA and 92 strikeouts., including two on a Jim Northrup triple that Flood misplayed in center field. Lolich took it from there, allowing only a ninth-inning run in a 4-1, Series-clinching victory.

The Tigers’ first championship in 23 years couldn’t have come at a better time, giving Detroit an emotional uplift after riots had devastated its inner city a year earlier. Lolich was clearly the Series hero with three complete game wins, overshadowing McLain and, as he always seemed to be, Tigers outfielder Al Kaline—a consistent All-Star hitter who led the team with 11 hits, two home runs and eight RBIs.

In watching what 1968 had wrought in terms of dominant pitching, nervous baseball owners realized they had created a monster. So they set out not so much to slay it but to domesticate it. Three-ball walks and designated hitters were discussed as face-saving options, but in the end the owners decided on more transparent alterations: A return to the smaller, pre-1963 strike zone, and a reduction in the height of the mound to ten inches, which would affect high fastball pitchers such as Gibson. A new round of expansion for 1969 wouldn’t hurt, either.

Even with these changes, pitchers would retain some strength for the next ten years, but gradually the batters would take over and become kings into the 21st Century.

Around the League

It took a little longer than expected, but Orioles right-hander Dylan Bundy -- the fourth overall pick in the 2011 MLB Draft -- officially has the look of a front-line fantasy starter.

Bundy was lights-out Tuesday night against the visiting Mariners, yielding just one hit -- a bunt single -- over nine scoreless frames for his first career shutout and first career complete game. He racked up a career-high 12 strikeouts and he now has three double-digit strikeout games this month. The last Orioles pitchers to register three double-digit strikeout games in an entire season were Erik Bedard (2007) and Mike Mussina (2000).

Bundy had some ugly outings in June and July, but he was great in April and into the early part of May and he’ll finish the month of August having posted a 2.00 ERA and 45/6 K/BB ratio in 36 frames. He’s throwing fewer fastballs and he has introduced a slider this year that gains better placement with each passing week. The results are real.

Bundy, 24, is a year younger than American League Rookie of the Year shoo-in Aaron Judge.

Next up for the red-hot righty is a September 3 start at home against the Blue Jays, who were shut out by Chris Sale and the Red Sox on Tuesday night in Toronto and rank 26th in runs scored this year.

Baltimore has won six straight and will wake up a game-and-a-half back of Minnesota for the second American League Wild Card spot. With the help of an emerging young ace.

Disabled Dodgers Returning

As if the Dodgers, with their MLB-best 91-39 record, needed any more good fortune …

Cody Bellinger, a no-doubter for National League Rookie of the Year, hit a three-run homer in his one and only rehab game Tuesday night in the Arizona League and will be activated from the disabled list on Wednesday after missing exactly 10 days with a right ankle sprain. He’ll take back over as the Dodgers’ starting first baseman, with veteran Adrian Gonzalez shifting into more of a pinch-hitting, platoon-type role.

Bellinger has produced a tremendous .968 OPS with 34 home runs and 79 RBI over his first 101 major league games -- not bad for a guy who was drafted in just two percent of Yahoo leagues this spring. Look for him to return to the cleanup spot for the Dodgers on Wednesday versus the Diamondbacks.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts also announced Tuesday that left-hander Alex Wood will return to the starting rotation this Sunday in San Diego, after missing two weeks with SC joint inflammation in his throwing shoulder. Wood was given a cortisone injection the day after he was placed on the disabled list and it seems to have done the trick. We’ll find out for sure after he throws bullpen sessions Wednesday and Friday. The 26-year-old had registered a terrific 14-1 record, 2.41 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, and 127/30 K/BB ratio through 123 1/3 innings (two relief appearances, 20 starts) this season with Los Angeles.

With staff ace Clayton Kershaw (back) due to return Friday, big-ticket deadline acquisition Yu Darvish lined up for one half of a doubleheader on Saturday, and Wood jumping in line for the series finale on Sunday, the Dodgers are about ready to unleash the full power of their juggernaut roster against a 58-74 Padres team. Look out.

Correa Coming Soon

The plan is set for Carlos Correa’s return from a seven-week stay on the disabled list. He played a full game at shortstop Tuesday night at Triple-A Fresno and he will do the same thing on Wednesday before taking a day of rest Thursday and then returning to the Astros’ active roster ahead of Friday night’s series opener against the Mets. That three-game weekend set will be played at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida due to the catastrophic flooding in southeast Texas. It was originally scheduled to be played at Houston’s Minute Maid Park.

Correa was in the midst of a sensational 2017 season when he suffered a torn ligament in his left thumb during an at-bat on July 17. The injury eventually required surgery and it could have some lasting effects on his offensive capabilities, but the 22-year-old shortstop will be a must-play down the stretch in all relevant fantasy leagues no matter those concerns.

He returns Friday to a .320/.400/.566 batting line, 20 homers, 67 RBI, and 64 runs scored.

National League Quick Hits: Jon Morosi of MLB Network reports that the Giants have expressed interest in acquiring Tigers outfielder Justin Upton before the August 31 waiver deadline … Giancarlo Stanton ripped his 51st home run of the season in Tuesday's loss to the Nationals … Pirates reliever Juan Nicasio has been placed on irrevocable outright waivers … Scott Schebler launched a grand slam and tied a career high with five RBI in Tuesday's victory over the Mets … Noah Syndergaard (lat) is scheduled to throw a 25-pitch bullpen session on Wednesday … Dodgers shortstop Corey Seager is day-to-day with a sore right elbow … Trea Turner (wrist) had a double and a walk in five plate appearances Tuesday in his return from the disabled list … Luke Weaver notched 10 strikeouts for the second straight outing in the Cardinals’ win over the Brewers on Tuesday … Jon Lester (shoulder, lat) is scheduled to throw another bullpen session Wednesday … Buster Posey (thumb) was held out of the Giants’ starting lineup again on Tuesday night against the Padres … Nolan Arenado slugged a three-run homer as the Rockies topped the Tigers on Tuesday night in Colorado … Cubs closer Wade Davis allowed a single but completed a scoreless frame Tuesday against the Pirates to notch his 27th save of the season … Carlos Gonzalez (ankle) remained out of the Rockies’ starting lineup on Tuesday against the Tigers … Yadier Molina was scratched from the Cardinals’ starting lineup Tuesday in Milwaukee due to an abdominal injury … Paul Goldschmidt went 2-for-4 with a homer and a pair of runs scored on Tuesday, powering the Diamondbacks to a victory over the Dodgers … Giants manager Bruce Bochy said Tuesday that he expects Brandon Belt (concussion) to return this season … Brewers left-hander Brent Suter (shoulder) has been cleared to begin a minor league rehab assignment and appears on track to be activated off the disabled list Friday … Nationals manager Dusty Baker said Tuesday that Stephen Drew may need season-ending surgery for an old injury … Wei-Yin Chen (elbow) threw 1 2/3 scoreless innings in his second rehab appearance Tuesday with High-A Jupiter … Dodgers left-hander Grant Dayton underwent Tommy John surgery on Tuesday.

American League Quick Hits: Royals starter Danny Duffy was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol on Sunday evening in Overland Park, Kansas … Mike Trout (neck) remained out of the Angels’ starting lineup Tuesday versus the Athletics … Manny Machado swatted a pair of solo home runs against the Mariners on Tuesday … Miguel Cabrera (back) was held out of the Tigers’ lineup Tuesday night at Coors Field …

 Shin-Soo Choo went 3-for-6 with a homer, four RBI, and three runs scored as the Rangers beat the Astros … Dustin Pedroia (knee) ran the bases Tuesday in Toronto … Jon Morosi of MLB Network reports that "trade interest in Justin Verlander has increased this week … David Price (elbow) is scheduled to throw off a mound Wednesday for the first time since landing back on the disabled list in late July … Miguel Sano (shin) was scheduled to have a checkup with Twins team doctors on Tuesday night … Yankees left-hander Jordan Montgomery will be called up to start the second half of Wednesday's doubleheader against the Indians … Jackie Bradley (thumb) took early batting practice on Tuesday and is on track to be activated from the disabled list Saturday … Angels placed right-hander Bud Norris on the 10-day disabled list with right knee inflammation … Matt Andriese is in line to start for the Rays on Sunday against the White Sox … Athletics manager Bob Melvin said there is no timetable for Paul Blackburn's (hand) return from the disabled list … Jason Castro (concussion) has yet to resume baseball activities … Reynaldo Lopez (back) threw another successful bullpen session on Tuesday … Angels reliever Andrew Bailey (shoulder) is officially done for the season … Joe Nathan will announce his retirement in a press conference Friday at Target Field … Blue Jays released outfielder Nori Aoki.

All Rise , now take a seat.

The time finally has arrived for Aaron Judge.
“All Rise” has turned into “Take a seat,” and this is the right verdict even if it comes at the wrong time for the Yankees.
The skidding rookie was out of the lineup for Monday’s series opener against Cleveland, and Joe Girardi indicated that he plans to keep Judge on the bench for multiple games in the latest attempt to prompt the All-Star outfielder out of his strikeout-filled, second-half swoon.
“I’m probably going to give him a couple of days off to see if that’s something that helps him, try to refresh him and get him going,” Girardi said before the Yankees’ 6-2 loss. “He’s played in a lot of games. I’m probably going to give him a couple of days off.”


And make no mistake about this, when Girardi said “off,” he fully meant “off.”
Judge did not take part in pregame batting practice on Monday, nor was the manager even planning on using him as a pinch-hitter in the battle of aces between Luis Severino and the Indians’ estimable righty Corey Kluber.
As important as this home stand is for the Yanks as they try to nail down a playoff spot and possibly chase a division title, giving Judge multiple games off – especially against one of the stingiest starters in baseball – is the overdue call, particularly with another four-game showdown with first-place Boston slated to begin Thursday at the Stadium.
With the loss, the Yankees trail the Red Sox by 3.5 games after Boston beat Toronto on Monday night.
“I just want him to take a mental day and a physical day and just rest. Just rest,” Girardi said. “He hasn’t had many of those days and I think in the long run, this is going to help us.”
Judge, of course, emerged as a leading AL MVP candidate and Triple Crown threat in the first half earlier this season, ripping 30 homers by the All-Star break before taking over the Home Run Derby at the All-Star festivities in Miami with a prodigious singular power display.

And make no mistake about this, when Girardi said “off,” he fully meant “off.”
Judge did not take part in pregame batting practice on Monday, nor was the manager even planning on using him as a pinch-hitter in the battle of aces between Luis Severino and the Indians’ estimable righty Corey Kluber.
As important as this home stand is for the Yanks as they try to nail down a playoff spot and possibly chase a division title, giving Judge multiple games off – especially against one of the stingiest starters in baseball – is the overdue call, particularly with another four-game showdown with first-place Boston slated to begin Thursday at the Stadium.
With the loss, the Yankees trail the Red Sox by 3.5 games after Boston beat Toronto on Monday night.
“I just want him to take a mental day and a physical day and just rest. Just rest,” Girardi said. “He hasn’t had many of those days and I think in the long run, this is going to help us.”
Judge, of course, emerged as a leading AL MVP candidate and Triple Crown threat in the first half earlier this season, ripping 30 homers by the All-Star break before taking over the Home Run Derby at the All-Star festivities in Miami with a prodigious singular power display.
And the Yankees were more than willing to contribute to the hype/marketing machine, installing their fun — but too-much-too-soon — section known as Judge’s Chambers in the right-field seats in May. Still, he’s batted just .179 (26-for-145) since July 14, with seven homers, 16 RBI and 65 of his ML-leading 174 strikeouts in his past 41 appearances. “I just thought that he’s been missing some pitches that he usually was hitting in the first half,” Girardi added. “Sometimes just a couple of days away can refresh a guy and get him back on track. It’s not what you really want to do. We’ve tried a lot of different, other things. So we’re going to try this.”

There truly aren’t many other options here for Girardi, as shifting Judge around the top half of the lineup recently in an attempt to spark an offensive resurgence hasn’t really worked, either.
Judge, who notably has been receiving post-game treatment on his left shoulder for weeks, wasn’t spotted in the clubhouse following his manager’s pregame announcement. But Girardi stressed that the rookie insists the injury is not impacting him and that he did not ask for a rest.
In fact, Judge apparently resisted the move, reminding the Yankee skipper of one of his most stubborn former star teammates/players, Derek Jeter.
“(Asking out) is not something that Aaron would ever do. So it’s my part to watch him and do what I think is best,” Girardi said. “He never wants to sit…He’s a tough kid and wants to be out there every day for his team. So I’m figuring the rest will probably help all of his body. And that’s why I’m choosing to do it.
“But he’s got some of those character traits of Number Two. If you ask him how he is, he’s always good. Those are things that you have to read through and maybe being around “2” so often, maybe I’ve learned from it.”
Similarly, part of what makes the Yankees the Yankees, of course, is the historical figures of the sport that regularly float in and out of their universe, and Judge need to look no farther than Mr. October himself as an example of a slugger who went through something similar early in his career.
Organizational special advisor Reggie Jackson, who was in town and at Monday’s game, belted 37 home runs before the All-star break for Oakland in 1969, his second full big-league campaign. He finished the year with just 10 more for what still stood up as a career-best 47 among his 563 dingers overall.
“There’s not any difference in what he’s doing as what I did or someone else did,” Reggie said, adding he’s kept in contact with Judge throughout the season. “Sometimes it takes longer to get out of it. They figure you out and then you figure them out …and get on a roll again. Until the next time.
“But you have to keep going hard and realize what it is. That’s what the game does. This is not Aaron Judge’s first difficult time. Everybody has a time when they struggle. You just have to fight your way back.”
The Yankees clearly need Judge to fight his way back from this slump, from this benching, to have any chance to overtake the Red Sox this season. Sitting him for two games before Boston comes to town was the necessary call, and the right one.

Chaos in Cleveland

For the entire first half, we waited for the Cleveland Indians to hit their stride and get on a roll. This immensely talented team hovered perpetually around .500, and spent most of the first three months outside of first place.

As the trade deadline came and went, the Indians finally clicked, and started pulling away in the AL Central. But now as we head into the end of August, Cleveland is being hit with a wave of injuries. They're maintaining a fairly comfortable division lead (5.5 games), but as key players continue to drop it's looking slightly less safe.

Andrew Miller, freshly activated from the disabled list, exited Monday's appearance after seven pitches. His knee tendinitis issue flared up, and the Indians placed him right back on the DL. The bullpen ace is looking at an uncertain timeline, but could be out until late September or beyond. They need him right for the playoffs.

The next day, Danny Salazar followed Miller onto the shelf. Salazar's sporadically problematic elbow is barking again, though an MRI showed no structural damage. He could return in mid-September, which is also a reasonable target for Jason Kipnis (hamstring strain suffered Tuesday night). On top of all that, Carlos Santana has been dealing with a back injury that kept him out of the lineup for most the week, though he returned on Friday night.

Meanwhile, the second-place Twins have kept the pressure up by going 14-6 in their past 20 games, driven by Byron Buxton's breakout, Brian Dozier's customary second-half eruption, Jorge Polanco's scorching August, and Eddie Rosario's ongoing tear.

* While they have plenty of hot hitters, the Twins will have to make do without Miguel Sano for a bit. The big slugger went on the DL due to a stress reaction in his shin, and is expected to miss more than the minimum. The injury comes just after he broke out of a slump by smacking two home runs last Friday. With Joey Gallo also down for the moment (7-day concussion DL), the American League is without two of its loudest power bats.

* From history to heartbreak: Rich Hill had a letdown for the ages on Wednesday. He took a perfect game into the ninth before losing it on Logan Forsythe's fielding error. With the game still scoreless after regulation, Hill carried his no-hitter into the 10th only to watch Josh Harrison take it away – along with a victory – on a leadoff homer.

It was an unfortunate outcome for the veteran lefty, but still another encouraging sign that he's locked in and ready to dominate down the stretch. Hill has notched 72 strikeouts in 56 innings since the start of July.

* It appears Hill will soon by joined in the rotation by Clayton Kershaw, who's been missing from the Dodgers rotation for the past month due to a back strain. He's scheduled to make a minor-league rehab start on Saturday night, and if all goes well he could return to the mound for Los Angeles next weekend.

* At long last, David Wright is on the path back to New York. The third baseman played only 75 games over the last two years combined, and hasn't been able to take the field for the Mets in 2017, but on Tuesday he embarked on a rehab assignment at High-A St. Lucie. Chronic back and shoulder issues have sabotaged most of his career after turning 30, but it looks like Wright will make it back in September.

His teammate Steven Matz, however, will not. The lefty underwent season-ending surgery on Wednesday to reposition a compressed nerve in his elbow. It's not as serious as some other elbow procedures, so Matz should theoretically be good to go for the start of next year, but he'll be hard to trust given the litany of health issues he has faced since arriving in the majors.

* The Mets could really use Wright's right-handed bat in the lineup right now with both Michael Conforto (shoulder) and Yoenis Cespedes (hamstring) going on the disabled list this week. With Jay Bruce and Curtis Granderson already out of the picture, Brandon Nimmo and Matt Reynolds could both see considerable time in the outfield corners.

* Last week we examined the numerous fluid ninth-inning situations around the league. Now, Colorado might be looking at its own closer crisis. Greg Holland, who'd been ultra-reliable over the first four months, has hit a major slump here in August, and on Wednesday he coughed up three runs for a second straight outing while blowing a save against Kansas City. Holland has been tagged with four losses in his past six appearances, and has a 21.60 ERA during that span.

For now, manager Bud Black is insisting he'll stick with the All-Star closer, and Holland converted a save on Friday night with no issue, but the ice is getting thin. Pat Neshek and Jake McGee are the top candidates to step in for saves if it breaks.

* As we feared, Trevor Rosenthal will indeed require Tommy John surgery, which means he's gone for the rest of this year and most of next. It's a shame to see one of the game's best strikeout relievers facing an extended absence, though the Cardinals do have another experienced closer in tow.

Seung-hwan Oh has been filling in during Rosenthal's absence but really hasn't been able to find a prolonged groove this summer. Tyler Lyons and John Brebbia could factor in.

* One big-name closer is gone, but another appears to have dodged a bullet. Zach Britton went for an MRI after blowing his first save in 61 chances on Wednesday, with word coming down that the righty's been dealing with knee discomfort for some time. But the scan came back negative, and Britton was available to pitch Friday night.

* Here in the second half, the rebuilding White Sox are taking a look at their new toys. Yoan Moncada has been up for about a month and has shown some positive signs (though he left Thursday's game with shin splints landed on the DL). Reynaldo Lopez recently made his South Side debut two weeks ago, and on Tuesday it was Lucas Giolito's turn. The highly touted prospect looked solid enough against the Twins, striking out four over six innings of four-run ball while (most importantly) walking none. Lopez is expected back soon and both could offer moderate value down the stretch if they stick.

* It was a weird and wild one in Detroit on Thursday, marked by multiple moments of tension that led to cleared benches and on-field scraps. Hostilities were kicked off by a fight between Miguel Cabrera and Austin Romine at home plate that led to suspensions for both (7 for Cabrera, 2 for Romine) as well as Alex Wilson (4) and Gary Sanchez (4). All penalized participants can keep playing while they appeal.

* After a disappointing rookie campaign in Arizona, Yasmany Tomas turned it around in 2016 with 31 homers and an .820 OPS. The hope was that he'd take another step forward at age 26 but instead, 2017 will essentially go down as a lost season for the Cuban outfielder.

Tomas has been out since early June with a groin injury, and after a lengthy rehab fraught with setbacks, the D-backs announced this week he'd be undergoing season-ending surgery. The good news is that he'll have plenty of time to recover and prepare for 2018, and we like his chances for a bounceback, though it might not be in Arizona.

* The Red Sox placed Jackie Bradley Jr. on the disabled list with a sprained thumb. An MRI showed no structural damage, but he'll miss the rest of August and likely a good chunk of September. Chris Young and Brock Holt will share time in left for Boston while Andrew Benintendi slides to center.

* Vince Velasquez is out for the season as a result of surgery required to correct a vascular issue in his middle finger. The promising yet perplexing hurler had a very disappointing season, and now looks ahead to an off-season of uncertainty.