Gio's gem

The Angels got to remake their team some Tuesday when Shohei Ohtani, Cody Allen and Zack Cozart all returned from the injured list. Shipped out to make room were Peter Bourjos (DFA’d), Chris Stratton (DFA’d) and Luis Rengifo (optioned).

The plan seems to be for Ohtani to be the everyday DH. There’s been some concern that the Angels would give him days off to account for his throwing program as he continues his rehab from Tommy John surgery, but the team said Tuesday that pitching shouldn’t be an issue until September at the earliest. The other question is whether he’ll do much basestealing at all. Ohtani is an exceptional runner and was 10-for-14 stealing bases in 367 plate appearances last year, but the Angels might not want him risking his arm on awkward slides. Ohtani is worth using right away in mixed leagues regardless, but whether he’s really a major asset this year could come down to whether he does a fair amount of running or not.
With Ohtani back, there’s just one lineup spot for Albert Pujols or Justin Bour each day. It seemed going into the year that the Angels might finally be willing to turn Pujols into a bench guy once Ohtani returned, but Bour has been a big disappointment while hitting .169/.275/.303 in 89 at-bats. Pujols is at least treading water at .224/.306/.421. He figures to get most of the playing time for now.
The Angels won’t immediately restore Allen to the closer’s role after his 10-day absence, but he should get another chance if he can string together three or four strong outings in a row. In the meantime, Hansel Robles is the choice in the ninth.
Cozart, who missed a couple of weeks with a neck strain, is 8-for-68 this year and is hitting .195 with five homers and 22 RBI in 292 at-bats since signing with the Angels prior to last year. Despite his $13 million salary, he needs to be on a short leash right now. I’m hopeful that Taylor Ward gets a long look at third base sometime this summer.

American League notes

- That I had Trevor Bauer all the way down at 12th among SPs was the main pitching complaint from last week’s rankings. I get it, though I don’t think placing him behind just 11 other pitchers – several of whom are in considerably better league and ballpark situations for amassing fantasy value – was much of an insult. Bauer is walking more batters and giving up more flyballs this year. He was phenomenally fortunate to surrender just nine homers in 175 innings last year, and he’s back to a much more normal pace now, having allowed six homers in 53 innings. I think he’s a better bet to stay healthy than pretty much every other SP out there, but for all his study and training, I doubt he’s completely immune to arm woes. Ranking him 12th still seems right to me, though he’s up to 11th now with teammate Corey Kluber out. If he gets his walk rate back down, then he’ll pass a couple of guys.
  The Indians have been terrible offensively, but it was still impressive how Lucas Giolito shut them down for 7 1/3 innings on Tuesday night. Giolito has fanned 38 in 31 innings this season, and his walk rate and home run rate are also awfully similar to Bauer’s. The velocity spike he received in the second half of last year has mostly carried over. Control is still a big issue, so he’s not yet an every-week play in mixed leagues. He might get there, though, and that’s good news for a White Sox team stung by the loss of Carlos Rodon to an elbow injury.

  Lourdes Gurriel Jr. has hit .353/.389/.647 with four homers in 17 games since the Jays decided to send him down in part to deal with his throwing problems at second base. He played second base and shortstop in his first two weeks with Buffalo, but he made his first start in left field on Sunday. If he adapts well to the new spot, it would be no surprise to see Toronto call him up to play over Billy McKinney or Teoscar Hernandez. He’s still a decent bet to offer some mixed-league value this season.

 Miguel Sano (heel) is 5-for-16 with a couple of homers in five games since beginning his rehab assignment. Marwin Gonzalez has struggled and C.J. Cron hasn’t performed a whole lot better, so Sano should get all of the playing time he can handle after coming off the disabled list. It might not result in mixed-league value at first, but he’d be nice to have stashed away.

  Collin McHugh’s bad starts have been especially bad, such as when he gave up eight runs to the Royals on Tuesday, but unless the Astros give up on him, I wouldn’t drop him in a mixed league. Don’t think they’ll be turning to top prospect Forrest Whitley, either; Whitley couldn’t even make it out of his first inning of his last outing for Triple-A Round Rock and has a 10.43 ERA through 14 2/3 innings.
  Anthony Swarzak’s setback Tuesday against the Yankees could put Rule 5 pick Brandon Brennan in line for save chances in Seattle. The 27-year-old Brennan has been a pleasant surprise with his 2.21 ERA and 24 strikeouts in 20 1/3 innings.

National League notes

  Caleb Smith did it again Tuesday, striking out 11 Cubs in six innings on his way to his fourth no-decision in seven starts. There isn’t much fluky about his performance, but he’s becoming a sell-high guy, if not now then in the near future. It’s mostly because Smith is a 28-year-old who has never topped 135 innings as a pro. Last year, he threw 77 1/3 innings in 16 starts before going down with a lat injury that ended his season. The strikeout rate is for real and Marlins Park really helps with his flyball tendencies, so he should remain quite valuable while healthy. However, wins are likely to be a problem and the Marlins are going to have to start monitoring his innings soon.

- How much longer do you give Brandon Nimmo if you’re the Mets? After all, it’s not just a matter of whether his bat comes around; the Mets are giving up a considerable amount of defense in center every time they use him there over Juan Lagares or Keon Broxton. That’s not Nimmo’s fault – he belongs in a corner – but it is a problem for a team that doesn’t excel with their gloves. Nimmo’s contact rate is way down, and he’s currently striking out one-third of the time. Worse, he’s not hitting the ball particularly hard when he does make contact. A stint in the minors would make some sense.

- Obviously, A.J. Pollock’s long-term absence from the Dodgers lineup should most benefit Alex Verdugo, but it’s also worth noting that Chris Taylor has now started seven straight games and Max Muncy has started getting some more playing time against lefties. I wasn’t very optimistic about Taylor’s bat this year, but he’s in a great lineup and he can steal some bases; as long as he’s playing regularly, he’ll probably have some mixed-league value.
- Even though Roman Quinn’s latest injury has cut into their outfield depth, the Phillies made the call to designate Aaron Altherr for assignment when Odubel Herrera came off the IL over the weekend. Altherr showed a whole lot of promise as a 26-year-old in 2017, hitting .272/.340/.516 with 19 homers in 372 at-bats, but he struggled mightily as a part-timer last year and he was off to a 1-for-29 start this season. It still seems likely that one of the teams out there desperate for outfield help will try him out, perhaps the Orioles or the Giants. If he lands with Baltimore, then he’ll be a deep sleeper to amass some mixed-league value.

- The Giants might be less inclined to grab Altherr after calling up Mac Williamson for one last opportunity on Tuesday. Williamson, 28, was again putting up huge numbers in Triple-A (.378/.459/.756 with 9 HR in 82 AB). He was also great there last season and in five games after being called up until he suffered a concussion and struggled the rest of the way. I’ve never seen much reason to be particularly optimistic about Williamson; the power is legit, but batting average will be an issue and he doesn’t add to his case with his defense. He’s quite possibly one of the Giants’ three best outfield options, but the occasional homer binge probably won’t give him any significant fantasy value.

- The Reds promoted Josh Van Meter after the utility man hit .336/.431/.736 with 13 homers in 110 at-bats for Triple-A Louisville, making him easily the International League’s best hitter this season. Whether they actually have anything for him to do is unclear; he’s ridden the pine in three straight games, remaining there even with the DH available on Tuesday. It would be interesting to see if the power spike is for real; Triple-A numbers seem extra unreliable this year with the new baseballs being used, but the especially crazy stats are mostly coming out of the PCL. Van Meter can steal bases, too, so if he were to get a chance, he’d be a sleeper.

Perez Reborn

Martin Perez never panned out as a top prospect with the Rangers. Perhaps what he needed was a new team and, more importantly, a new pitch.
Perez moved his record to 5-0 on Monday as he held the Blue Jays scoreless over seven innings in the Twins’ 8-0 victory. The left-hander surrendered just two singles and two walks while notching a career-high nine strikeouts.
The brilliant outing Monday comes after Perez spun eight shutout frames against the Astros his last time out. In five starts this season, the southpaw now boasts a 1.64 ERA, 0.97 WHIP and 25/7 K/BB ratio over 33 innings.
Perez entered this season with a career 4.63 ERA including a 5.26 mark in the previous two campaigns. So what’s been the key to Perez’s apparent breakthrough? Well, he’s throwing harder than ever with an average fastball velocity of just under 95 mph. Really, though, it’s been the addition of a cutter.
Perez has totally ditched his slider, a pitch that had been highly ineffective for him. In its place he’s introduced the cutter, which he had never thrown before but is now throwing about 35 percent of the time. Perez credits his agent, Felix Olivo, for the idea to throw the cutter and his teammate, Jake Odorizzi, for showing him the grip. It’s been a money pitch for him, and he plans to continue to utilize it heavily.
Perez has still been walking too many batters this season, although that hasn’t been the case in his starts. Also, while his 25 punchouts over 33 frames as a starter isn’t anything special, his highest two strikeout games have come in his last two outings.
The lefty is looking at least like an excellent streaming option in favorable matchups and perhaps more than that. He has the weak-hitting Tigers on the docket next.

Ohtani on Tap

The Shohei Ohtani wait is over.
Ohtani will join the Angels in Detroit on Tuesday and be evaluated to determine whether he’s ready to be activated for the beginning of the team’s series versus the Halos. While that falls shy of guaranteeing he’ll be in Tuesday’s lineup, all indications are that it’s happening.
Ohtani, of course, is completing his rehab from Tommy John surgery, which he underwent last October. The 24-year-old won’t pitch again until 2020, but the Angels plan to use him as their regular designated hitter.
While he did not go out on a minor league rehab assignment, Ohtani had more than 50 plate appearances in simulated games at the team’s spring training complex. In other words, approximately what he would have received had he had a spring training.
While Ohtani’s pitching drew most of the buzz prior to his debut last season, he turned in a fantastic performance as a hitter, too. In 367 plate appearances, he posted a robust .285/.361/.564 batting line with 22 home runs, 61 RBI and 10 stolen bases. Among players with at least 350 plate appearances, he ranked ninth with a .925 OPS. Statcast also loved Ohtani, as he tied for 14^th with a 92.6 mph average exit velocity and came in at eighth with a 9.8 percent barrel rate.
Nearly all of Ohtani’s damage came against righties, which he creamed for a 1.043 OPS and 20 of his 22 homers. However, while Ohtani posted just a .654 OPS and 31.8 percent strikeout rate versus lefties, manager Brad Ausmus has indicated that the slugger will not be platooned. That might eventually change if Ohtani’s struggles against southpaws continue, but initially it looks like he’ll be an everyday player who could wind up with 500ish plate appearances if all goes according to plan. Justin Bour and his .578 OPS are likely to spend more time on the bench.
Ohtani is currently still on the waiver wire in 40 percent of Yahoo leagues, so make sure to double-check that he hasn’t already been stashed.

Paddack Posting Zeros

The date was June 30, 2016. The trade was Fernando Rodney for Chris Paddack. The result is going to be painful for the Marlins.
Paddack went toe-to-toe with reigning National League Cy Young winner Jacob deGrom on Monday in San Diego and came away victorious, tossing 7 2/3 scoreless innings in the Padres’ 4-0 win. It’s was the longest outing of his young career and he notched a career-high 11 strikeouts. The Mets managed just four singles and one walk.
Paddack also got the better of fellow rookie Pete Alonso after saying over the weekend that he was “coming for him” following the first baseman being honored as the NL Rookie of the Month in April over the pitcher. Alonso struck out twice and grounded out once versus Paddack.
The stellar performance lowered Paddack’s ERA on the season to a microscopic 1.55. It’s the best ERA in the NL and trails only Tyler Glasnow (1.47) for the major league lead. Paddack’s 0.69 WHIP is easily the best mark in baseball.
Paddack’s most difficult opponent this season might be his workload. He’s currently on pace to throw 180 2/3 innings but almost surely will not come remotely close to that number. The 23-year-old missed 2017 following Tommy John surgery and threw 90 innings in 2018, which was a career high.
The 91 pitches Paddack threw Monday were a career high. He still looked like he was on cruise control when pulled with two outs in the eighth, but the Padres obviously don’t intend to push him.
While the team hasn’t revealed a specific innings limit for Paddack, they’re already being creative about how to handle his workload. The righty has made every one of his starts this season on five days of rest rather than the customary four days of rest. The Padres are currently going with a temporary six-man rotation and figure to do so at other times this season, too. Skipping Paddack’s turn on occasion is also an option.
There might come a time when selling Paddack makes sense for his fantasy owners. That’s probably not on May 7, though. For now, just enjoy him carving up the league.

National League Quick Hits: Nick Senzel slugged a pair of solo homers in the Reds' 12-4 rout of the Giants on Monday. … Max Scherzer held the Brewers to two runs -- one earned -- over six innings while fanning 10 in a no-decision Monday. … Miles Mikolas fired seven scoreless innings and struck out five in a win over the Phillies on Monday. … A.J. Pollock is on a six-week regimen of antibiotics to deal with the infection in his right elbow. … Steven Matz (forearm) will avoid the injured list for now but is not expected to make his scheduled start Wednesday. … Jacob deGrom struck out seven batters and allowed just two runs over seven innings in a loss to the Padres on Monday … Hunter Renfroe went 2-for-4 with a solo homer and a double in the Padres’ win over the Mets on Monday. … Anthony Rizzo went 2-for-4 with a two-run homer -- his 200th career round-tripper -- in the Cubs' loss to the Marlins on Monday. … Yadier Molina went 3-for-4 with a two-run homer in the Cardinals’ win over the Phillies on Monday. … Cody Bellinger (shoulder) singled and scored a run in five plate appearances in his return to the lineup Monday.
American League Quick Hits: David Price was placed on the injured list Monday with left elbow tendinitis but is hopeful of missing just 1-2 starts. … Blake Snell fanned nine in six scoreless innings Monday in a win over the Diamondbacks. … Jon Heyman of MLB Network has reported that the first doctor Carlos Rodon visited about his ailing left elbow recommended that the pitcher have Tommy John surgery … Tommy Pham went 2-for-4 and hit a grand slam Monday in the Rays’ rout of the Diamondbacks. … Austin Meadows (thumb) said after going through a full workout Monday that he's "shooting for" a return this weekend. … Jonathan Villar hit a grand slam Monday to give the Orioles all of their runs in a win over the Red Sox. … Carlos Correa went 3-for-4 with a solo homer in the Astros’ win over the Royals on Monday. … Jorge Polanco went 3-for-4 with a homer, a double and a walk against the Blue Jays on Monday. … Dee Gordon went 3-for-4 and homered against the Yankees on Monday. … Yoan Moncada had a two-run homer, an RBI double and a sac fly against the Indians on Monday. … Blake Treinen (elbow) is expected to avoid the injured list. … John Means pitched seven innings of one-run ball to beat the Red Sox on Monday. … Hunter Dozier went 2-for-4 with a two-run homer in the Royals’ loss to the Astros on Monday. … Brett Gardner homered and tripled as the Yankees topped the Mariners on Monday. … Ivan Nova fanned five and held the Indians to one run in seven innings on Monday. … Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle has reported that the Athletics are expected to designate Kendrys Morales for assignment, possibly as soon as Tuesday when Matt Olson (hand) returns.

Does anyone speak German ?

Domingo German's time in the Yankees' rotation was supposed to be fleeting.

In the end he may end up being their greatest constant.

German was terrific again Sunday, allowing just one run while striking out seven over 6 2/3 innings in a win over the Twins. 

The victory improved him to 6-1 with a 2.35 ERA, 0.89 WHIP and 39/12 K/BB ratio in 38 1/3 innings of work this year. 

A healthy rotation at the outset of the season didn’t have room for German in it, though. Luis Severino, James Paxton, Masahiro Tanaka, J.A. Happ and CC Sabathia were supposed to be ahead of him, and top prospect Jonathan Loaisiga challenged German for the title of first man up, even.

But injuries to Severino and Sabathia opened the door, and German has walked through it. The 26-year-old has struck out 25.8 percent of batters faced this year, with a healthy 13.5 percent swinging strike percentage. His strong surface numbers are backed up by a 2.79 FIP and 3.84 xFIP, and nothing about his early success seems fluky.

And while he’s earned the post by his own merit, circumstances will also ensure he keeps it for the foreseeable future. Speaking on Sirius XM Radio on Sunday, Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said the team isn’t expecting Severino to be back “until after the All-Star break, in our minds.” Severino hasn’t pitched yet this season due to a Grade 2 lat strain.

Even when he does return, the Yanks might be hard-pressed to remove German from their rotation. He’s got a few more months to continue building his case for why his temporary residency should be extended to a permanent one.

On the Matz

Things aren’t so great for pitchers across the Big Apple, either.

Steven Matz returned to New York City on Sunday to be examined by team doctors after he’s dealt with a nerve issue in his left forearm for two weeks. Mets manager Mickey Callaway said the club decided to take further action when he wasn’t able to throw his usual bullpen session Sunday.

“He’s been able to pitch fine and swing the bat fine,” Callaway said. “At this point today, when it was bothering him, we figured we better go get it checked out.”

Matz has had ups and downs this year but has been largely good, with a six-earned-run, no-outs start against the Phillies dragging down his 3.86 ERA. Without that dud, the southpaw has a 2.31 ERA in his other seven appearances.

Despite missing the bullpen session and being sent home, Matz has not yet been ruled out to make his scheduled start Wednesday. Callaway said the issue was “more irritation than anything,” lending credence to the idea that Matz may just pitch through the annoyance.

An update should come Monday, or Tuesday at the latest.

Grand Occasion

Call it the attack of the killer B’s.

Four teams on Sunday romped with the help of grand slams, as the Mariners, Red Sox, Astros and Cubs all enjoyed one-sided victories on the day. The hitters who hit them -- Jay Bruce, Xander Bogaerts, Alex Bregman and Kris Bryant -- all share the common trait of having a last name starting with B, like the old Astros teams with Biggio, Bagwell and Berkman.

In Chicago, it was the second in as many days for the Cubs. On Saturday, seldom-used backup catcher Taylor Davis hit a game-tying grand slam that doubled as his first career homer. On Sunday, Bryant’s blast helped the Cubs overtake the Cardinals for the NL Central lead.

Bruce and his Mariners teammates didn’t waste any time in their game, as his salami was a first-inning shot that gave the M’s a four-run lead after five batters. Bruce’s 11 homers are tied for the American League lead through Sunday.

Bregman’s slam wasn’t even his first of the year, after he hit one against the A’s on April 16. It also was relatively old news for the 25-year-old these days, as Bregman now has five homers in his last four games played.

Bogaerts, well, there’s nothing terribly interesting about his slam. Sometimes a grand slam is just a grand slam. (We kid.)

National League Quick Hits: Lorenzo Cain was diagnosed with a left hand contusion after his X-rays came back negative on Sunday. Cain was removed from Sunday's game against the Mets after being drilled in the left hand by a pitch. Fortunately for him and for fantasy owners, there was no structural damage. He's considered day-to-day. … Anthony Rendon (elbow) took batting practice Saturday and could be activated from the injured list when first eligible on Tuesday. It seems likely that he'll be back that day until something unexpected happens. Rendon has played just one game over the last couple weeks and was finally placed on the IL last Tuesday. The Nationals' lineup has been hit hard by injuries, so they desperately need Rendon back. … Starling Marte hit a walk-off three-run home run in Sunday's 5-3, 13-inning win over the A's. Following an RBI single by Adam Frazier which cut that advantage to one run with one out in the bottom of the frame, Marte stepped to the plate against Rodney with a pair of runners on and then proceeded to walk it off with a no-doubt bomb to deep left-center. We shall see if this dramatic game-winner can get his bat going, as Marte is hitting just .211/.250/.411 with four home runs and 15 RBI in 21 games for the campaign as a whole (he did miss time with an abdominal injury). … Cody Bellinger (shoulder) remained out of the Dodgers' lineup Sunday. He's missed two straight starts with a sore right shoulder. The good news is Bellinger did shoulder exercises, played catch on the field and hit in the batting cage without issue pregame, as it appears that Dodgers are just being extra careful here … Zach Eflin allowed just one run on four hits over seven innings in Sunday's 7-1 win over the Nationals. Fine work by Eflin in this one. He struck out five and walked two on the afternoon, finishing up his outing having thrown 108 pitches (72 strikes). Up next on the docket for Eflin, a road outing against the Royals. He will put a 3.00 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 31/7 K/BB ratio (42 innings) on the line in that contest. … Buster Posey went 2-for-4 with a three-run home run and two runs scored as the Giants edged the Reds 6-5 on Sunday. The homer was the latest in a decent stretch for Posey, who had a nine-game hitting streak snapped Saturday but who has pulled his line up to .257/.315/.426 with the good run. The 32-year-old is showing he's still got a little life left in that bat. … Raimel Tapia had a three-run, game-tying triple and scored the go-ahead run in the eighth inning Sunday, helping the Rockies come back to defeat the Diamondbacks 8-7. With the bases loaded and no outs, Tapia stepped to the plate and tied it with a long fly ball that bounced at the base of the left-center field wall, allowing him to race around for his fourth triple of the young season. He came in to score on a Ryan McMahon single, giving the Rockies an unexpected lead. The 25-year-old has been a big addition to the lineup since getting a chance to play in the Rockies' outfield this year, batting .271/.319/.565 with four homers and 15 RBI in 33 games. It's a crowded outfield in Colorado, but as long as he keeps producing he should have a place in it, and your fantasy lineup. … Dodgers signed C Travis d'Arnaud to a one-year contract. D'Arnaud was released by the Mets last week after going just 2-for-23 at the plate following a return from Tommy John surgery. He will be one of three catchers for the Dodgers but will also see some time in the infield and outfield. The Dodgers will only be responsible for paying a prorated portion of the veteran minimum for d'Arnaud, with the Mets being responsible for the remainder of his $3.515 million salary.

American League Quick Hits: Along with the Severino update, Cashman said in the same interview that James Paxton (knee) is expected to be sidelined for a maximum of three weeks. We haven't heard the specifics of the MRI that Paxton had on Saturday, but he apparently received good news. The southpaw has dealt with left knee soreness off and on this season and landed on the injured list after having to depart Friday's start when it flared up. Jonathan Loaisiga will take Paxton's rotation spot. … Khris Davis exited Sunday's game against the Pirates with a left hip contusion after hitting the side wall while making a catch in foul territory. Davis has had to play left field this weekend for the first time this season with the A's having a road inter league series. He initially remained in the game after slamming hard into the wall following a catch in the first inning but was later removed. After the game, the injury was downplayed by Davis and the club, and he should return to the lineup in a few days. … Aaron Hicks (back) will begin a rehab assignment with High-A Tampa this week and could be activated as soon as next weekend. Yankees general manager Brian Cashman revealed the news in an interview on Sirius XM Sunday, although he didn't stay specifically which day the rehab assignment would start. Hicks is currently at extended spring training and his back has apparently responded well. … Asdrubal Cabrera went 2-for-4 with a home run, four RBI and two runs scored as the Rangers battered the Blue Jays 10-2 on Sunday. Outside of the power -- and even that has been sporadic; Sunday's homer was his first in more than two weeks -- the 33-year-old has struggled to get much going at the dish, batting .232/.302/.495 in 27 games. … Brandon Dixon went 1-for-2 with a walk-off, three-run homer in the bottom of the 10th on Sunday to give the Tigers a win over the Royals. With two outs and two on, Dixon unloaded on an Ian Kennedy pitch to give Dixon his first homer of the season and the Tigers the victory on Sunday. The 27-year-old was hitless in his last three appearances, but this homer helps improve his line to .292/.320/.500 over 24 at-bats. He can be left on the waiver-wire, but this is obviously a very nice moment for Dixon and the Tigers.

Taillon him up

The Pirates’ starting rotation took a major hit on Saturday when it was announced that ace right-hander Jameson Taillon was placed on the 10-day injured list with a right elbow flexor strain.

Any time that you’re talking about an elbow issue -- especially for a pitcher who has already undergone Tommy John surgery in the past -- it’s extremely worrisome.

The good news, is that his MRI results revealed that his surgically-repaired UCL is still intact. To be sure though, Taillon will meet with Dr. David Altchek -- the doctor who performed his Tommy John surgery -- to receive a second opinion.
In the meantime, Taillon has been shut down completely for at least the next four weeks. That means assuming all goes well and he avoids any setbacks, he still wouldn't be able to return until around the end of June.
This is a tough blow for fantasy owners who invested an early-round selection in the Pirates' right-hander. Taillon was the 52nd player overall --and 16th starting pitcher -- off the board in NFBC drafts in March.
Even though he hasn’t been at his best this season, Taillon has still been a useful arm from a fantasy perspective. Through his first seven starts, the right-hander was 3-2 with a 4.10 ERA, 1.12 WHIP and 30/8 K/BB ratio across 37 ⅓ innings.
His absence will be a difficult one for fantasy owners, and the Pirates to overcome.

Triage for Treinen

Athletics’ manager Bob Melvin made a surprising announcement after Saturday’s loss to the Pirates, saying that closer Blake Treinen was not available for that contest due to right elbow discomfort. Melvin also noted that Treinen was unlikely to be available on Sunday.
Treinen is set to be examined by team doctors on Monday. It's obviously a troubling development for one of the most dominant closers in the league. Treinen hasn’t been his usual dominant self thus far in 2019, posting a 3.00 ERA, 1.53 WHIP and 18/11 K/BB ratio through his first 15 innings of work.
Any time an elbow or shoulder injury is mentioned for a pitcher, it’s a very real cause for concern. We’ll wait and see what happens with Monday’s exam, but it wouldn’t be surprising to see Treinen shut down for at least a couple of weeks.

If Treinen is forced to spend time on the injured list, Lou Trivino would be the next man up in the ninth inning. He's worthy of a speculative add until Treinen's status becomes clearer. Trevino, 27, has been exceptional this season, compiling a 1.38 ERA, 0.62 WHIP and 16/2 K/BB ratio across his 13 innings of work.

Senzel Slugs

Reds’ top prospect Nick Senzel crossed one major milestone off of his list on Friday when he collected his first major league hit in his debut against the Giants.
On Saturday, he had dreams of crossing another item off the list. In the fifth inning, he made a serious bid for the first home run of his big league career, only to see Kevin Pillar scale the wall in center field to bring back the would-be home run.
The 23-year-old wasn’t phased though. In his next at-bat, he clobbered a Dereck Rodriguez offering over the wall in right-center field to account for the first home run of his budding big league career.
Senzel is now hitting .250/.450/.625 to in his first two games. If he’s somehow still available on any waiver wires in shallow formats, now would be the time to strike.

Multi-Homer Madness

With baseballs flying out of the yard at a record pace this season, we’re witnessing more and more multi-homer games every night.
On Saturday, there were four such instances around the league of players leaving the yard multiple times:
Alex Bregman crushed a solo homer off of Trevor Cahill in the first inning on Saturday, then a three-run blast in the eighth as the Astros routed the Angels 14-2. The 25-year-old now has eight long balls on the season -- four of which have come in his last four ballgames.

Like Bregman, Josh Bell swatted his seventh and eighth home runs of the season as the Pirates topped the Athletics in Pittsburgh. Bell appears to be bouncing back in a big way after a miserable 2018 season, as he’s now slashing .291/.370/.627 with eight homers and 25 RBI in his first 30 games.
Padres’ major free agent acquisition Manny Machado also clobbered his seventh and eighth home runs of the season on Saturday, but it wasn’t enough to lead the Padres past the Dodgers. Machado has now homered in two straight games, and like Bregman has blasted four in his last four games.
Red Sox’ rookie sensation Michael Chavis continued his torrid hitting in Saturday’s rout over the White Sox, going 4-for-6 with a pair of homers and a double. He’s now hitting a ridiculous .354/.466/.771 with six homers, 13 RBI and a pair of stolen bases in his first 14 games. While he’s unlikely to continue being a five-category fantasy monster for the remainder of the season, it sure looks like he’s here to stay and is going to be a valuable mixed league asset.

Six Knocks for Braun

On Saturday night, the Brewers and Mets played the longest game of the 2019 MLB season to-date, and the longest game in the history of Miller Park - an 18 inning marathon that ended in walk-off fashion.
After Pete Alonso blasted a game-tying solo homer in the ninth inning, neither side would score for the next eight innings. The Mets finally broke through in the top half of the 18th, scoring a run on an RBI single by Jeff McNeil to take the lead.
The Brewers answered right back through, as three of the first four hitters in the home half of the inning drew walks off of Chris Flexen, setting the stage for Ryan Braun. The veteran outfielder had already been the only Brewers’ hitter in the contest to tally more than one hit, in fact he had been 5-for-7 with a double already.
He wasn’t finished though, as he lined a walk-off two-run single to send the Brewers’ faithful home happy. The six hits were a new career-high for Braun and he became just the fifth player in big league history age-35 or older to tally six hits in a single game -- joining Chase Utley, Cal Ripken Jr., Omar Vizquel and Ty Cobb.
While Braun had a career night at the plate, the rest of the Brewers’ offense went a combined 5-for-54 (.093).
With three straight multi-hit games, Braun has raised his season slash from an anemic .194/.248/.378 to a respectable .263/.306/.491 in the matter of three days.

American League Quick Hits: James Paxton was officially placed on the 10-day injured list with left knee inflammation. It remains unclear just how much time the Yankees’ southpaw may miss. … Athletics’ prospect Sean Murphy will require surgery for a torn meniscus in his left knee and will be sidelined for 4-to-8 weeks. … Austin Meadows (thumb) is expected to begin a minor league rehab assignment next week… The Tigers designated Drew Verhagen for assignment after he gave up six runs in one inning against the Royals on Saturday. … The Mariners acquired Austin Adams from the Nationals in exchange for minor league left-hander Nick Wells and cash considerations. … Lourdes Gurriel will take reps in the outfield at Triple-A Buffalo so that he’s prepared to function in a super utility role upon his eventual return to the Blue Jays. … Jake Odorizzi struck out eight over six shutout innings in a victory over the Yankees. … Athletics’ manager Bob Melvin indicated that Matt Olson “could” return from the injured list next week. … Shohei Ohtani (elbow) logged six more plate appearances in simulated game action on Saturday and is expected to be activated prior to Tuesday’s game against the Tigers. … Carlos Santana clubbed a go-ahead two-run homer in the eighth inning, powering the Indians past the Mariners. … Alex Gordon homered and drove in five runs as the Royals throttled the Tigers. … Adalberto Mondesi collected his MLB-leading sixth triple in that victory. ... Jeimer Candelario launched his first home run of the season in a losing effort there. … Dylan Bundy scattered three hits over 7 ⅓ shutout innings in a victory over the Rays. … Eduardo Rodriguez fanned six over six innings of one-run ball as he cruised to an easy victory over the White Sox. … Vladimir Guerrero Jr. collected his first big league RBI as the Blue Jays fell to the Rangers. … Shawn Kelley worked a scoreless ninth inning against the Blue Jays to earn his second save of the season.
National League Quick Hits: The Nationals placed superstar outfielder Juan Soto on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to May 1, due to back spasms. He’ll rest and rehab for the next four or five days before he resumes swinging a bat. … The Reds unexpectedly released veteran outfielder Matt Kemp. … Jon Heyman of MLB Network reports that the Reds plan to promote Josh VanMeter from Triple-A Louisville on Sunday. The 24-year-old is slashing slashing .346/.432/.757 with 13 homers, 31 RBI and five stolen bases through his first 29 games at Triple-A.

The Rockies optioned struggling left-hander Tyler Anderson to Triple-A Albuquerque. … Cody Bellinger sat out Saturday’s game with a minor shoulder issue, but is expected to return to the Dodgers’ starting lineup on Sunday. … Matt Adams (shoulder) and Michael Taylor (wrist) will undergo MRI exams on Sunday after leaving Saturday’s game against the Phillies with injuries sustained while diving for balls in the field. … Adam Jones was pulled from Saturday’s game for precautionary reasons after feeling lightheaded. … Daniel Descalso was lifted from Saturday’s game with a sore left ankle. … Fernando Tatis Jr. (hamstring) was able to play catch and take some light swings on Saturday, the first time he has done any baseball activity since landing on the injured list with a left hamstring strain. … Keone Kela was lifted from Saturday’s game with right shoulder discomfort. … Javier Baez blasted a go-ahead homer in the eighth inning -- his 11th long ball of the season -- as the Cubs rallied to beat the Cardinals. … Taylor Davis blasted his first career home run, a grand slam, in that victory. … Mike Soroka struck out six and didn’t allow an earned run over seven dominant frames in a victory over the Marlins. … Ozzie Albies clobbered his third career grand slam as the Braves crushed the Marlins… Bryan Reynolds went 2-for-3 in Saturday’s victory over the Athletics, extending his career-opening hitting streak to 11 games -- tying a Pirates’ franchise record.

Luke Weaver struck out eight batters over seven innings of one-run baseball in an impressive victory over the Rockies at Coors Field. … Kurt Suzuki belted a pinch-hit, game-tying, three-run homer in the eighth inning on Saturday, then Victor Robles followed with a go-ahead homer to lead the Nationals to victory over the Phillies. … Gio Gonzalez struck out seven over 5 ⅓ innings of one-run ball in a no-decision against the Mets. … Zack Wheeler fanned 10 over seven innings of two-run ball in a no-decision there as well.. Rookie sensation Pete Alonso clubbed his 10th home run of the season -- a game-tying solo shot in the ninth inning -- forcing extra innings against the Brewers… Max Muncy clubbed a three-run homer in a win over the Padres… Kenley Jansen locked down the ninth inning there to record his 12th save.

Epic Pitchers Duel in Lone Star State

 Blue Jays fly high in Texas.

The Blue Jays and Rangers engaged in an epic pitchers' duel between two hurlers that have never been confused for aces. Neither team scored until the 12th inning when the Jays eked out the game's only run thanks to Rangers reliever Ariel Jurado, who uncorked a wild throw to third base. Blue Jays starter Trent Thornton rattled off seven shutout frames and carried a no-hitter into the fifth inning. Nomar Mazara's single was the only knock Thornton yielded in the contest. Thornton's record holds at 0-3 with a 4.08 ERA and 1.19 WHIP. He is trending up but fantasy owners shouldn't over-react to one great start.

On the other side Mike Minor struck out nine batters over eight scoreless frames. He wasn't as dominant as Thornton though because he gave up seven hits and two walks but was nevertheless able to keep the Jays off the scoreboard deep into the night. Don't look now but Minor is quickly gaining ace status -- he is now 3-2 with a 2.40 ERA and 0.95 WHIP in seven starts. He has 48 strikeouts and just 14 walks in 48 2/3 innings. The 31-year-old left-hander has been pretty solid throughout his career and seems to have found a way to kick it up a notch. The sustainability of his newfound success is questionable considering his fortunate .231 BABIP and 85.4 percent left-on-base rate. Expect his stats to throttle back a bit -- he will still be good but not this great after the regression monster bites him.
On the other extreme, the Reds and Giants battled in a barn-burner in Cincinnati. The Reds jumped out to an 8-0 lead but the Giants came all the way back and won it 12-11 in extra innings. Stephen Vogt tied it up with two outs in the bottom of the ninth by slugging a deep solo shot off Reds closer Raisel Iglesias. Evan Longoria cracked a solo homer down the left-field line to win it in the 11th frame. Derek Dietrich smashed two three-run homers (more on him below) and was one of four players with three hits in the game. Jesse Winker, Stephen Duggar and Evan Longoria were the others. On the pitching side, rookie starter Tyler Beede took the brunt of the damage, giving up eight runs (seven earned) while lasting just 2 1/3 frames. He was making his first start of the year and may need trauma therapy before climbing the mound again.
Six different Reds pitchers gave up runs and three of them gave up multiple runs. Starter Sonny Gray surrendered three runs in five innings, reliever Wandy Peralta coughed up four runs in one inning and Michael Lorenzen gave up two in his one inning of work. The bases were clogged all night and the scoreboard lit up like a pinball machine but Joey Votto went 0-for-7 and struck out three times. Every other starting hitter on both sides got at least one knock. Votto's early-season slumps have become a time-honored tradition but this year's funk has folks wondering whether Father Time has come knocking. Don't believe it -- Votto will figure it out and make fantasy owners regret selling low on him. Top prospect Nick Senzel made his big-league debut for the Reds in this game and got his first career hit and a couple of walks.

Two-Homer Hammers
 

** Diamondbacks outfielder/infielder Ketel Marte went 3-for-4 with a pair of homers, four RBI and three runs scored to lift Arizona to a 10-9 win over the Rockies on Friday. The switch-hitter homered from both sides of the plate, launching two-run dongs off both Tyler Anderson and Seunghwan Oh. Coors Field probably helped him on this day but Marte now has nine longballs on the season. He set a career-high last year with 14 home runs in 153 games and should easily blow past that mark before the All Star break. He is just 25 years old and is rapidly developing into a complete, all-around hitter.
** Derek Dietrich cranked a pair of three-run dingers but the Reds still found a way to lose to the Giants. He went 3-for-4 with 6 RBI on the day and is now slashing .250/.355/.625 with seven homers and 20 RBI. He leads the team in RBI despite having received only 64 at-bats on the season. Dietrich drew the start at second base today and has started in left field and first base in recent days. He's also played some third base this year. His hot bat is forcing manager David Bell to put him in the starting lineup nearly every day of late as the Reds try to resuscitate their flagging offense. He certainly gave them a big jolt today. If the Reds decide to roll with Dietrich on a daily basis, most of his playing time is likely to come at the expense of the struggling Jose Peraza. Peraza was moved from shortstop to second base when Scooter Gennett (groin) went down with an injury. Jose Iglesias took over at shortstop and his bat and especially his glove have impressed Reds' management. Peraza has struggled so badly that he could easily be benched any day now. Peraza is slashing just .194/.218/.286 with two homers, seven RBI and four steals in 31 games. His 29 wRC+ is the fourth-worst in the major leagues -- only Jackie Bradley Jr. (13 wRC+), Josh Harrison (18) and Chris Owings (21) have been worse among qualified batters.
** Gary Sanchez went 3-for-4 and launched a pair of solo homers in Friday’s 6-3 victory over the Twins. He smacked the first one off starter Kyle Gibson and the second one off reliever Mike Morin. Both of them were identical line-drive shots to left center field. He now has 10 longballs in just 75 plate appearances. He is slashing .265/.333/.735 with 20 RBI in 18 games. He spent some time on the injured list due to a calf strain or else he would be near the top of the league in homers and RBI.

Phegley Gets Phunky
 

 

Athletics catcher Josh Phegley knocked in eight runs while going 4-for-5 with a home run and two doubles. He smacked a solo homer, laced an RBI-single and drilled two bases-loaded doubles. His eight RBI are the most ever by an A’s catcher and the most by any A’s player since Eric Chavez did it in 2001. Phegley raised his batting average from .250 to .288 with the historic day. Before fantasy owners rush out and do something rash they should remember that he has a .225 career batting average. He has a career-high of nine homers in a season and that was the only time he's hit more than four despite being in the majors since 2013. He is in the midst of a hot streak right now though and has a .288/.316/.548 slash line with four homers, 21 RBI and 16 runs on the season. Fantasy owners can ride him while he's hot but don't expect it to last for too long.

Sale is No Longer a Bargain

If you were planning to buy low on Chris Sale you missed your chance. He struck out 10 batters over six scoreless innings to record his first win of the season on Friday against the White Sox. His velocity topped out at 96.5 miles per hour, which is a pleasant sight considering his velocity was down early in the season. He has turned things around in his last three starts and has improved his overall stat line from terrible to merely bad. He improves to 1-5 with a 5.25 ERA and 1.28 WHIP. He is trending sharply in the right direction and has eased many of the health concerns that dogged him in 2018 and into 2019. All of those panicky Sale owners out there have now tightened their grip on their ace. If you're still looking to buy low on a struggling ace in your league, go give Carlos Carrasco's owner a call.

Medic Report

** James Paxton was removed from Friday's game against the Twins after just three innings due to some soreness in his left knee. Paxton said the knee was "nagging at me enough that I couldn't execute pitches... I'm hoping it's something that's just a quick fix." It took him 64 pitches to get through three frames. He allowed one unearned run, struck out one batter and allowed two hits. The Yankees reported that Paxton will undergo an MRI on Saturday. Paxton has an extensive injury history, in fact his 160 1/3 innings pitched last year were a career-high by a wide margin and this is his seventh season in the majors. With ace Luis Severino (lat strain) already on the 60-day injured list, the Yankees can ill afford another lengthy injury to one of their best pitchers.
** Giancarlo Stanton (biceps, shoulder) is expected to take it easy for the remainder of the weekend and then ramp up his physical activity on Monday. The Yankees have opened their own wing at the Bronx Hospital due to their injury epidemic. Stanton is battling through a sore left shoulder after recovering from a biceps strain that landed him on the injured list early in the season. It's still unclear exactly when he'll be ready to rejoin the Yankees' lineup, but the Bombers are hopeful that it will happen at some point in May.

** Mets infielder Jed Lowrie (knee) will move his rehab stint from High-A St. Lucie to Triple-A Syracuse on Saturday. The 35-year-old has yet to play this year because of a capsule sprain in his left knee. He could make his Mets debut sometime next week or soon thereafter. He had a .267 batting average and set new career highs with 23 home runs and 99 RBI last year with the Athletics.
** Shohei Ohtani will take live batting practice over the weekend and could be activated as early as next week. He will play only as a designated hitter this year as he recovers from Tommy John surgery on his pitching elbow. He won't pitch until next year. He had a .285 batting average with 22 home runs and 61 RBI in 367 plate appearances and could exceed that number of plate appearances this year considering he won't have pitching outings to keep him out of the batting order this year. He also stole 10 bases last year to add another burst of fantasy value that is often overlooked on Ohtani's resume.

** Daniel Murphy sat out of Friday's game due to back stiffness. The timing of the new ailment is frustrating considering the Rockies are starting a string of nine games at Coors Field. He hasn't played much yet this year, primarily due to an injury list stint for a finger injury. Murphy looks out of shape, old and unathletic this year, which often leads to a variety of injuries. He missed half of last year with a knee injury. His fantasy owners drool when they think about what he could do when fully healthy in Coors Field, but it's fair to wonder at the age of 34 if he will ever be fully healthy again.
** Anthony Rendon (elbow) may be ready to return from the injured list when he is first eligible on Tuesday. The star third baseman was crushing it before getting hurt. He owns a .356/.442/.740 slash line with six homers, 18 RBI and 21 runs scored in 20 games.
** Christian Yelich sat out again on Friday due to a sore back. The reigning MVP last played on Tuesday. The injury is not severe and he could return to action over the weekend. His presence is dearly missed in fantasy lineups as it's hard to replace a .353/.460/.804 triple-slash with 14 homers, 34 RBI and 26 runs scored.

NL Quick Hits: Kyle Hendricks needed just 81 pitches to complete a shutout in the Cubs' 4-0 victory over the Cardinals.  It's just the fourth time since 1990 that a pitcher has gotten a shutout on 81 pitches or fewer. It was a nice turnaround from his last outing when he coughed up seven runs to the Diamondbacks... Brandon Woodruff limited the Mets to one run over five innings during a 3-1 victory... Tyler Anderson was lit up for six runs on seven hits over four innings in a loss to the Diamondbacks. Coors Field says hello. Anderson has an 11.76 ERA after five starts. Triple-A could be saying hello soon... Robbie Ray yielded five runs -- one earned -- over 5 2/3 innings in a win over the Rockies... Steven Matz took the loss Friday against the Brewers after allowing three runs over 5 2/3 innings... Greg Holland gave up a run but held on for a save against the Rockies... Clayton Kershaw recorded six strikeouts over six innings in a no-decision against the Padres. He is 1-0 with a 2.77 ERA after four starts and fantasy owners who drafted him despite his spring injury woes are looking smart so far... Kenley Jansen struck out three batters in the ninth inning to earn a save against the Padres... Kirby Yates gave up a run in the ninth inning of a tie game and took a loss against the Dodgers... Manny Machado hit a long two-run homer off Clayton Kershaw... Chris Taylor went 2-for-4 with a solo homer to lead the Dodgers to a 4-3 win over the Padres... Josh Hader struck out five batters in two innings and notched a save against the Mets... Lorenzo Cain went 1-for-4 with a solo homer against the Mets... Ryan McMahon went 2-for-2 with a two-run homer and a pair of runs scored in the Rockies’ loss to the Diamondbacks... Charlie Blackmon went 2-for-5 with a two-run homer against the Diamondbacks at Coors Field... Joe Musgrove served up seven runs (five earned) in 2 2/3 innings and took a loss to the Athletics. It was one bad game in what has been an excellent season. He still has a 2.63 ERA even after Friday's beatdown... Will Smith recorded his eighth save of the season against the Reds... Mets released C Travis d'Arnaud... Jose Urena gave up five runs over six innings in a loss to the Braves. He is 1-5 with a 5.45 ERA in seven starts... Freddie Freeman went 2-for-5 with a solo homer in the Braves’ win over the Marlins... Jerad Eickhoff spun five innings of one-run ball on three hits and three walks in a no-decision against the Nationals. He has a 2.05 ERA in 22 innings... Hector Neris converted his fifth save with a scoreless ninth inning against the Nationals... Jeremy Hellickson yielded two runs over 5 1/3 innings in a no-decision against the Phillies... Jean Segura went 2-for-4 with a solo homer and two runs scored against the Nationals... Kurt Suzuki went 2-for-4 with a solo homer against the Phillies... Josh Donaldson went 3-for-5 with three RBI vs the Marlins and now has his OPS up to .913 on the season... Braves' starter Kevin Gausman was ejected in the second inning for trying to bean Marlins' starter Jose Urena... Jack Flaherty fanned nine but was charged with three runs over 5 2/3 innings in a loss to the Cubs... Anthony Rizzo launched a three-run home run and reached base in all four of his plate appearances versus the Cardinals...


AL Quick Hits: Ken Giles struck out the side in the 12th inning to record his eighth save of the season against the Rangers... Brett Anderson spun six innings of one-run ball in a blowout 14-1 victory over the Pirates. He fanned four and allowed six baserunners. He has a surprising 3.89 ERA through seven starts... Matt Chapman finished 3-for-6 with a two-run homer, a double, and two runs scored in a victory over the Pirates... Kendrys Morales went 3-for-4 with an RBI single, a walk, and three runs scored against the Pirates... Reynaldo Lopez surrendered six runs over five innings in a loss to the Red Sox. He fell to 2-4 with a 6.69 ERA... Alex Colome fired a scoreless eighth inning in a non-save situation against the Red Sox. The White Sox were down by six runs but he needed some work. He is still the clear closer for the White Sox despite his odd usage in a blowout loss... Rafael Devers went 2-for-5 with a three-run homer, his first long ball of the season, in the Red Sox’ win over the White Sox... Michael Chavis went 2-for-4 with a two-run homer and a walk to power the Red Sox to a 6-1 win over the White Sox... Yankees optioned 1B Mike Ford to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre... Aroldis Chapman delivered a scoreless ninth inning against the Twins for his sixth save of the season... Kyle Gibson gave up five runs — with just two earned — over five innings in a loss to the Yankees... Nelson Cruz launched a two-run homer and drew a walk against the Yankees... Jay Bruce took Shane Bieber yard for this 10th homer of the season... Shane Bieber took a no-decision against the Mariners on Friday, allowing just one run on six hits over 7 2/3 innings... Brad Hand earned a win by fanning two in one inning of work against the Mariners... Yusei Kikuchi racked up a career-high 10 strikeouts over seven innings of one-run ball in a no-decision against the Indians... Tyler Glasnow allowed three hits and no runs in seven innings to beat the Orioles... Mike Zunino clubbed a three-run homer against the Orioles... Dan Straily surrendered five runs over 4 1/3 innings in a loss to the Rays... Tommy Pham finished 3-for-4 with a walk and two RBI in a victory over the Orioles... Trey Mancini went 0-for-4 with four strikeouts in a loss to the Rays... Jorge Lopez allowed four runs on five hits over his seven innings of work against the Tigers. He has a 5.09 ERA on the season... Jorge Soler went 3-for-3 and hit his eighth homer on Friday against the Tigers... Matthew Boyd delivered another strong performance in Friday's victory over the Royals, racking up nine strikeouts over seven innings of two-run baseball. He is 3-2 on the season with a stellar 3.05 ERA, 0.99 WHIP and 57/11 K/BB ratio across 44 1/3 innings... Shane Greene allowed a run but notched his 13th save on Friday against the Royals... Miguel Cabrera went 3-for-4 with an RBI versus the Royals...

He was ready

It​ was​ Vladimir Guerrero​ Jr.​ poster giveaway​ day last Friday at ​ Sahlen​ Field in​ downtown Buffalo.​ The Triple-A Bisons​ had​ a foot-high​​ stack of glossy prints of a smiling Vladdy to hand out to the fans who braved the cold rainy weather to come to the ballgame.
Less than an hour before scheduled game time, there was a buzz on the stadium concourse. Yes, most everyone came to see Guerrero’s first home game of 2019, after he destroyed Triple-A pitching in five games on the road. But what everybody really wanted to know was: When will baseball’s No. 1 prospect be playing for the Blue Jays?
With the answer to that question achingly close, the Blue Jays’ fan base is perpetually on edge. Even Guerrero’s beloved grandma — his abuela — Altagracia Alvino, has been dealing with the uncertainty. On Friday night she was at home in Tampa, Fla., but soon she will either reunite with her grandson in Buffalo or meet him in Toronto — or someplace else — for his major-league debut.
Meanwhile, business was brisk at the Bisons’ gift shop. Outside the store, fans were checking out a rack full of Guerrero Jr. jerseys, available in Bisons’ red, grey and white, all for $119.95. Inside, more Vlad memorabilia. T-shirts, magnets, baseballs and even a Vlad-themed miniature ball and bat set. And it was all selling. Fast. Anything with Vladdy’s name or face on it was getting snatched up. One fan, 21-year-old Joaquin Chavarria, who came down from St. Catharines, Ont., picked up a white jersey. He hoped in a week’s time, he’ll be buying a blue one, too.


As the relentless rain continued to fall, a small crowd of people was camped out along the right-field line, in hopes that the golden-haired prospect might emerge from the dugout and be so kind as to indulge the fans’ autograph requests. There would be no such luck. Friday’s game was officially postponed due to rain. Saturday’s doubleheader was disrupted, too. The Bisons faithful got a mere glimpse at Guerrero. One plate appearance — he took a walk — in the first inning of a game that ended after only two.
But Vladmania transcends Buffalo city limits, state lines, national borders and team allegiances. Even if they know he’ll be mashing homers against their beloved big-league club in no time, fans wanted a glimpse of the wunderkind as he toured minor-league stadiums last week, perhaps for the final time.
Last Tuesday in Pawtucket, R.I., at McCoy Stadium, deep in Red Sox country, fans young and old peered over the railing above the visitors’ dugout, fishing for autographs by hanging baseballs, cards and other paraphernalia from string and dangling them below. Asked who everyone is waiting for, three young boys turned around and, in unison, answered with one simple word: “Vlad!”
A few seats over, 12-year-old Chamus Barrutt was wearing an oversized grey Montreal Expos jersey that he borrowed from his dad. On the back was GUERRERO 27. The Barrutts are from Bridgewater, Mass. That means Chamus’ favourite team is the Red Sox (duh). But how about those Blue Jays? “Um, I don’t dislike them,” he says, sounding just a tad unsure of himself.

 What he is sure of, however, is that he likes their No. 1 prospect: “He hits it really hard and good and solid,” he said.
Indeed, all this hoopla is because, when it comes down to it, the 20-year-old Guerrero hits the ball so hard, so good and so solid. This past week has been no different. A left oblique strain derailed the second half of his spring training. It forced him to open the season with rehab games in Florida in High A, a level he conquered two years ago when most of his peers were still in high school. If his first week back in Triple A has proven anything, it’s that he’s conquered this level, too.
His five road games produced a .412/.500/.824 slash line. His seven hits included two monster home runs, the second of which was a 440-footer that went over the outfield billboards at McCoy and bounced into the parking lot. Who knows if that ball had even stopped rolling on the concrete before a video of the moonshot was rendered, condensed and shared across the social feeds of any and all baseball fans. Yet another piece of tangible evidence to file under: Guerrero is a ridiculously good baseball player.
In fact, for the past four years, Guerrero has been building a very strong case as the best Blue Jays prospect in a generation. In this last week in the minors, he’s underlined, boldfaced and italicized that statement. He is the consensus No. 1 prospect, an American League Rookie of the Year candidate before he’s even swung at a single major-league pitch. MLB Pipeline says he has “the ceiling of a perennial MVP candidate.” Ask his teammates and they’ll tell you they think he has no ceiling at all. He recently turned 20, and yet, he sees the game like he’s a 35-year-old veteran. He is treated like a superstar everywhere he goes, but he’s humble and unfazed by the attention that comes his way. He is a minor-leaguer today — but those days are numbered. The service-time dilemma has come and gone. His offensive power is elite. His defence and conditioning are works-in-progress, but there’s no reason that work can’t continue in the majors.
He’s primed to be the future face of the Blue Jays franchise. Why wait any longer?
“It’s obvious I am ready,” he said through an interpreter on Friday.

Oh and Stroman threw 7 scoreless innings of 2 hit ball last night.

---

“Anywhere,” he said, flashing his picturesque grin, which immediately prompted laughs from the dozen media members encircling Guerrero outside the Bisons’ clubhouse.
Guerrero has just been asked if he has a preference between making his major-league debut on the road or at the Rogers Centre. Unsurprisingly, Guerrero does not care one bit about the locale. So long as it’s one of the 30 officially sanctioned major-league baseball stadiums, he will be there.
“I just want to get the call,” he said.
But the economic benefit for the Blue Jays of delaying his big-league career meant that even though he hit .336/.414/.564 in 30 games with the Bisons last year, there was no September call-up waiting for him.
The 15 days that were needed to delay his eventual free agency by a year have passed. Since spring, he’s reportedly lost 10 pounds, and while his weight will remain something the player and the team will have to be mindful of, his preparation has improved and he is keenly aware that keeping up with his conditioning is a vital aspect of being a big-leaguer. His pair of gigantic homers serve as evidence enough that his left oblique has healed nicely and can withstand the impact of his violent swing. His defensive potential may lag behind his offensive might, but no matter how many pregame grounders Buffalo manager Bobby Meacham hits at him, there’s only one way to see if he can handle the demands of a major-league third baseman.


The Blue Jays have suggested Guerrero should ideally play in three straight games before he reaches the majors. Guerrero’s patience has appeared unwavering as he hit .331/.415/.531 in 285 minor-league games. What is three more to really drive home the point that he can crush baseballs and should be allowed to do so in the big leagues? He should get a chance to do so this week when the Bisons play four consecutive games in Syracuse, N.Y., before the Blue Jays open a weekend series at home against the Oakland Athletics on Friday. Vladmania might finally be coming to you, Toronto.

Vlad strode the plate in the bottom of the ninth inning and scorched a ball down the first base line for a double. He was replaced by Alen Hanson as a pinch runner, and scores on Brandon Drury's walk off home run. He was ready, for th right moment on the big stage.

Congrats to you Vladdy.