Stand Up and be counted

One of the most powerful moments in the game in recent memory was reserved for one of its biggest nights, a stunning display of support within the Cleveland baseball family during the All-Star Game.
On Tuesday night, the Stand Up To Cancer tribute began as it always does: a powerful, meaningful moment for so many people battling cancer and the loved ones who are supporting them in their fight. The All-Star Game is halted. The action takes a back seat. Everyone’s attention is redirected to things much more important than baseball.

But during a moment that normally is met with respectful silence, cheers began to erupt around the third-base dugout. Carlos Carrasco, the Indians’ pitcher with a playful spirit who recently revealed that he is battling chronic myeloid leukemia, stepped out of the dugout and stood in foul territory near third base.

Privately, Carrasco has been visiting pediatric leukemia patients at the Cleveland Clinic. But publicly, he hasn’t been too visible since he was placed on the injured list to seek treatment options and information. A video on Saturday was tweeted from the Indians’ official account of Carrasco discussing his diagnosis, and Carrasco was briefly seen in the crowd during Monday’s Home Run Derby. But for the most part, he has dealt with his diagnosis and his fight in a private manner, away from the game.

Carlos Carrasco

Carrasco, standing in foul territory, was then joined by the four Indians All-Stars — Francisco Lindor, Carlos Santana, Brad Hand and Shane Bieber — and manager Terry Francona. For the Stand Up To Cancer tribute, everyone who joined Carrasco had the name “Cookie” written on their card, where everyone in attendance can write the name of someone who is or has fought cancer.
Carrasco’s own card read, “I STAND.” A loud and lengthy standing ovation for Carrasco followed in what was one of the most powerful moments possible in any baseball stadium. It was a moment of strength and support, and it reached far beyond the six individuals standing near third base.
“It’s a message. It’s a message to let him know we stand up for you, we’re all next to you,” Lindor said. “As a team, as a family, we’re all next to you and we’re right there for you. It doesn’t matter. We all believe in him. We all believe he’s gonna kick cancer’s butt and he’ll be fine. At the end of the day, let him know, ’We’re here for you, bro.

Bieber turned in a tremendous fifth inning to earn All-Star Game MVP honors in what was an unforgettable night for him and his family. But standing up there with Carrasco, and the home crowd standing to salute him and his fight, was something truly powerful. Bieber won MVP, but Carrasco walking out onto the field was the night’s top moment and on a much grander scale.
“I think it was extremely special for me, for him, for our teammates, for Terry, and the city of Cleveland as a whole,” Bieber added. “I think that was a really special moment. And for him to be doing what he’s doing and kind of turning it over on its head into a positive light and spending more time at the Children’s Hospital and spending time with kids, it’s something only he would do.”

“And he’s a really special person. I’ve only known him for a year, year-plus and he’s — I said this earlier — but he’s one of the best people I’ve ever met in my life. Nothing but respect for him and we’re standing with him and love him.”

Bieber, Lindor and Hand all said that there weren’t many words spoken. They let the moment’s power speak for itself. But they did remind Carrasco of the love he has from his baseball family.
″[Carrasco] said, ‘Thank you, guys. I love you,’” Lindor said. “We told him, ‘We love you brother. We’re here for you. No matter what happens, we’re here for you because you’ve been there for us in the past.’”

The Polar Bear wins the Derby but the night belonged to Vladdy

The night belonged to Vladimir Guerrero Jr. The trophy and $1 million belongs to Pete Alonso.
Alonso bested Vlad Jr. in the final of Monday’s All-Star Game Home Run Derby, hitting 23 home runs to take the title. The 23 bombs was a record for the final round (Guerrero hit 22, which was also briefly a record before Alonso broke it).

The night will be remembered most for Guerrero’s 91(!) total home runs, which shattered Giancarlo Stanton’s previous record of 61. Forty of those 91 came in the second round, as Vlad needed three tiebreakers to final advance past Joc Pederson.
Guerrero had the longest home run of the night, walloping one that measured at 488 feet. He hit 17 dingers that went at least 450 feet, with the rest of the field combining for 27.
Ultimately, though, while Vlad Jr. stole the show, Alonso will go down as the winner after an incredible performance in his own right. Alonso has promised to donate 10 percent of his winnings to two different charities.

Ryu, Verlander Tapped to Start

All-Star Game skippers Dave Roberts and Alex Cora on Monday afternoon announced their starting pitchers for Tuesday’s Midsummer Classic. It will be the Dodgers’ Hyun-Jin Ryu going for the National League and the Astros’ Justin Verlander taking the ball for the American League.
Ryu became the obvious choice for Roberts once Max Scherzer bowed out due to a back injury, and he was probably going to be the guy regardless of Mad Max’s condition. The left-hander has been fantastic in the first half with a microscopic 1.73 ERA, 0.91 WHIP and 99/10 K/BB ratio over 109 innings. Ryu has allowed more than two earned runs in a start just once, and that came at Coors Field. He boasts a 1.83 ERA in 32 starts since the beginning of last season.
Verlander will be making his second career All-Star Game start and will be hoping things go better for him this time around after he allowed five runs in his inning of work back in 2012. The 36-year-old this season has continued to defy the convention aging curve, putting up a 2.98 ERA, 0.81 WHIP and 153/27 K/BB ratio over 126 2/3 frames.

The starting lineups for the NL and AL squads will look like this:

NATIONAL LEAGUE
1. Christian Yelich, LF, Brewers
2. Javier Báez, SS, Cubs
3. Freddie Freeman, 1B, Braves
4. Cody Bellinger, RF, Dodgers
5. Nolan Arenado, 3B, Rockies
6. Josh Bell, DH, Pirates
7. Willson Contreras, C, Cubs
8. Ketel Marte, 2B, Diamondbacks
9. Ronald Acuna, CF, Braves


AMERICAN LEAGUE
1. George Springer, RF, Astros
2. DJ LeMahieu, 2B, Yankees
3. Mike Trout, CF, Angels
4. Carlos Santana, 1B, Indians
5. J.D. Martinez, DH, Red Sox
6. Alex Bregman, 3B, Astros
7. Gary Sanchez, C, Yankees
8. Michael Brantley, LF, Astros
9. Jorge Polanco, SS, Twins

Quick Hits: Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported Monday that the Astros, Twins, Braves, and Brewers are among the teams showing interest in Madison Bumgarner. … Rosenthal also said Monday that he expects the Indians to be "aggressive listeners" on Trevor Bauer leading up to the trade deadline, with the Yankees potentially being one interested party. … Additionally, Rosenthal also reported that the Cubs have shown interest in David Peralta and the Red Sox are "pushing to add a starting pitcher" and "would prefer to act sooner rather than later”. … Scott Mitchell of The Sports Network has reported that the Yankees and Twins have inquired with the Blue Jays about a trade involving both Marcus Stroman and Ken Giles. La Velle E. Neal III of the Minneapolis Star Tribune has reported that the Twins have also reached out to the Padres about Kirby Yates. … Jonathan Lucroy has been diagnosed with a concussion and a fractured nose as a result of his home plate collision with Jake Marisnick on Sunday. … Jose Alvarado (oblique) is expected to be sidelined for 6-8 weeks … The White Sox claimed A.J. Reed off waivers from the Astros.

Cole shuts out the Halo's

Gerrit Cole wobbled the Angels on Gerrit Cole bobble head night in Minute Maid Park.

The Astros prevailed 4-0 thanks in large part to Cole, who was much steadier than his springy-headed, pint-sized likeness.


Cole, who continued a personal hot streak, allowed no runs on three hits while striking out nine over seven innings.

The Angels' lone hits against Cole were a double in the top off the first inning by Shohei Ohtani and then a couple of harmless singles by David Fletcher and Mike Trout along the way.

The game was scoreless in the bottom of the fourth when Alex Bregman and Yordan Álvarez led off with singles. Bregman moved to third base on a fielder's choice ground ball, and after Robinson Chirinos struck out, Josh Reddick smoothly singled to right field to score Bregman and the game's first run.

The Astros (56-33) added to their slim lead in the bottom of the fifth with two outs, when Bregman mashed an Andrew Heaney offering off the scoreboard in left field, and just under the Crawford Boxes.
 
Angels (45-45) left fielder Jarrett Parker leaped in vain for Bregman's hit, and the ball bounced off the wall for a double. George Springer, who had walked with one out, scored from first base.
The Astros scored again in the bottom of the sixth, this time on Yuli Gurriel's opposite-field home run just inside the right-field foul pole. Gurriel's 13th homer of the season was nearly a duplicate of his 12th, which occurred the night before.

Gurriel has eight homers in his last 10 games, and five in his last four games. He's also hit at least one home run in a career-high four consecutive contests.

Gurriel's eight homers in his last 10 games is the most by an Astro covering the same span since 2006. Morgan Ensberg also had eight in 10 games 13 years ago.

He sure is hotter than the sun at the moment.

Farm Report

The Blue Jays have continued to show over the last week that they are a fun team at the big league level. It didn’t hurt that they got to face the awful Kansas City Royals four times, but those are still big league players to at least some degree, and it’s been exciting to watch the Jays’ young hitters start to look like the kinds of potential stars that fans of the club have been hoping for.
Danny Jansen, Cavan Biggio, and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. have been especially impressive, and with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. still due to break out in a big way, and Bo Bichette still tearing the cover off the ball in Buffalo, things genuinely feel as though they’re looking up for the first time after what was a long slog of a first half.
In the minor leagues, too, good stories continue — and the Jays will need them, because it’s still unclear who is going to be pitching for this team in the years ahead (especially with Marcus Stroman likely on his way out the door, and Aaron Sanchez looking like the shell of his former self). And it’s in this space that every week we’re going to highlight some of the best and brightest among these up-and-comers.

Ryan Borucki — LHP, Toronto (MLB)

Ryan Borucki is currently on the Blue Jays’ 60-day Injured List, so he’s not technically a minor leaguer. But you’ll likely remember that back in spring training, before he was shut down with elbow troubles, he was fighting for a spot in the big leagues. Despite an impressive rookie campaign last year, in which he posted a 3.87 ERA over 17 starts, there was a chance Borucki would end up in Buffalo to start the season because of the Jays’ decision to roll the dice on starters Matt Shoemaker, Clay Buchholz, and Clayton Richard. The door is wide open for him now, though, and he has looked impressive so far as he works his way back. Last week it was three scoreless, hitless innings in the Gulf Coast League (which included three strikeouts), and on Canada Day he moved up to the Florida State League, working four innings, allowing one hit, no runs, while striking out four. He has yet to walk a batter so far in his seven innings of rehab work. While the level of competition he’s faced has obviously been beneath him, it sure looks better to see him having success than not (Julian Merryweather), and he seems poised to join the Blue Jays not long after the All-Star Break.

 

Thomas Pannone — LHP, Buffalo

Thomas Pannone occasionally showed flashes of big league quality during his time in the Blue Jays’ bullpen, but the team eventually made the decision to send him back to Buffalo and stretch him out as starting depth. It appears to have been the correct decision. You could be forgiven for thinking that Pannone isn’t anything more than a back end starter at best, but something might be changing with him. Pannone doesn’t have especially filthy stuff, sitting at 88-90 with a couple extra ticks of velocity when coming out of the bullpen, but through his minor league career he’s done a decent job of accumulating strikeouts, generally at a rate just shy of one per inning. In the big leagues last year he wasn’t quite as good, striking out just 29 in 43 innings, but this season saw a bit of an uptick. Since returning to Buffalo, though, he’s been striking out even more batters — 25 in 17.2 innings over four appearances, including six innings of three hit ball with nine Ks in his last outing. It’s hard to say from here whether something has fundamentally changed or if we’re merely witnessing a blip due to the small sample of data, but it bears watching. A Pannone with more swing and miss ability is certainly a more interesting prospect than the guy we’ve seen so far.

Demi Orimoloye — RF, Dunedin

Acquired last summer for Curtis Granderson, Demi Orimoloye hasn’t exactly been a top name among Blue Jays prospects, but the Nigerian-born, Ottawa-raised outfielder is certainly making an impression of late. While his season stats don’t jump off the page (he’s slashing just .229/.298/.368), he was just named the Florida State League’s player of the month for June. In 22 games for Dunedin since June 1 he’s been red hot, slashing .309/.378/.580, cutting his somewhat problematic strikeout rate down to a respectable 20 percent over that span. Yes, it’s just one month, but Orimoloye has always had impressive tools — speed, power, and his throwing arm in particular — but gets knocked for his lack of a feel for hitting. If his recent performance is a sign that he’s starting to figure that out, the Jays might genuinely have something in the former fourth round draft pick and member of the junior national program.

Dasan Brown — CF, Unassigned

Speaking of Canadians in the Blue Jays organization, the club added another this week, announcing that they had signed their third round pick in last month’s draft, Dasan Brown of Oakville. I wrote about Brown at the time, noting that he “was the first Canadian selected in this year’s draft. He is a speedy centre fielder who — per an excellent team-by-team draft roundup podcast at FanGraphs — is one of the youngest players in the draft, and whose feel for hitting “started coming a little bit this spring.” According to GM Ross Atkins, he has a, “chance to be an above-average defender, a chance to be, dare I say, a five-tool player.” That sounds quite a bit like Orimoloye, and the Jays will be happy to have brought another player with that kind of upside into the fold. There was some question about whether Brown would sign — he’s a high school player who could have gone back into the draft — but the Jays seemed confident throughout that they would be able to get his name on a deal. The club also announced on Tuesday that they have signed three more of their recent draftees, including Philip Clarke, a catcher from Vanderbilt who was a draft-eligible sophomore and considered as potentially among the tougher signees in the Blue Jays’ class.

Rikelvin de Castro — SS

The July 2 international free agent period opened this week, and with it came a slew of signings around the league. The Blue Jays announced 33 of them on Wednesday, and have reportedly spent the biggest chunk of their bonus pool on 16-year-old Dominican shortstop Rikelvin de Castro. He is a “high enery, hard-nosed player with a chance to develop into a plus defender,” according to Baseball America. While MLB Pipeline praises his strength (despite a lean frame), as well as his hands, footwork, and baseball IQ. Shi Davidi of Sportsnet has reported some of the figures going to the other players the club has signed, and notes that this year the club has diversified its spending in this market, especially as compared to last year, “when they devoted roughly 70 per cent of their bonus pool to shortstop Orelvis Martinez.” De Castro has a long way to go before the big leagues, of course, but is a name to keep in your back pocket.

Joey Murray — RHP, Dunedin

Joey Murray is a name that hasn’t really been on anyone’s prospect radar, but the 22-year-old has been putting up some impressive numbers this season, first with Lansing, and now with Dunedin. Murray struck out 40 batters in 30.2 innings while with the Lugnuts, walking only 12 and posting an ERA of 3.82. He’s been even better since moving up a level, striking out 64 in 51.1 innings of Florida State League action, walking 16, and pitching to an impressive 1.58 ERA. He’s allowed just 32 hits so far, holding opposing hitters to a .180 average. In a recent chat at Fangraphs, Kiley McDaniel noted that his fastball is a bit light, and that he’s not really sure, then, how well equipped Murray is for success at higher levels, but if we’re scouting the stat line (which we are!) he looks awfully intriguing. It might just be time we start hearing more about him.

Greg Holland's Opus

 Greg Holland was ranked the very worst closer in the league. He’s outlasted several more highly rated relievers, moving steadily up the tiers. Last week, he was the last closer in the third tier, good for 17th best. His upward mobility went against my better judgment, but it can be hard to argue against positive results. Now it’s time to re-reassess Holland.


Over the last month, he’s posted a 6.75 ERA in eight innings with 4.50 K/9 and 7.88 BB/9. An unlikely .050 BABIP was necessary to avoid a complete disaster over the span. The worst came to pass on Tuesday night. After retiring the first two Dodgers he faced, Holland walked four consecutive batters, tying the game. He was lifted for southpaw T.J. McFarland who proceeded to dispense a walk off walk.

For our purposes, the implications of Holland’s meltdown are somewhat contrary. The Diamondbacks are probably trade deadline sellers. If he continues to struggle, Holland won’t be attractive to contenders. He’ll remain with Arizona – the only place he’s likely to continue earning saves. Of course, if he stays put, it means he’s blowing up his owners’ ERA and WHIP. Kind of a lose-lose situation, huh?

Switching gears, no closer earned more than two saves in the last week. The seasonal lead still belongs to Kirby Yates with 27 saves. Brad Hand, Aroldis Chapman, and Kenley Jansen are tied with 23 saves.

 The Upper Elite (3)

Aroldis Chapman, New York Yankees
Kirby Yates, San Diego Padres
Josh Hader, Milwaukee Brewers

Hader was called upon for a potential two-inning save on Monday. At the time he was nursing an 11.1 inning hitless streak. He proceeded to allow a pair of runs. Jeremy Jeffress was summoned in the ninth inning for his first save of the season. There’s no cause for concern with Hader, he remains uniquely potent despite a modest homer problem.

 The Lower Elite (8)

Roberto Osuna, Houston Astros
Felipe Vazquez, Pittsburgh Pirates
Kenley Jansen, Los Angeles Dodgers
Will Smith, San Francisco Giants
Ken Giles, Toronto Blue Jays
Edwin Diaz, New York Mets
Brad Hand, Cleveland Indians
Sean Doolittle, Washington Nationals

Last Wednesday, Diaz delivered his second disasterpiece of the season, a two-home run, five-run blown save loss to the Phillies. This followed a Hector Neris blown save. Diaz now has a 4.64 ERA – hardly an elite figure. ERA estimators suggest he should have a sub-3.00 ERA which, when paired with 14.73 K/9, is still deserving of a spot among the elite.
The rest of this tier barely pitched over the last week. Doolittle was the only one with a busy week. He allowed a run in a non-save situation. He earned a save of Sunday and a win on Tuesday. Oddly, given his reputation for rarely walking hitters, he surrendered a free pass in each appearance.
To date, Giles has top five closer numbers despite a mere 12 saves. With a 1.24 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, and 15.83 K/9, his owners should be quite pleased. Three factors have me cautious about an overly aggressive promotion. He has a history of deep and painful slumps – typically one per season. His current performance is heavily slider reliant which could sour if he loses feel for the pitch – as he did for nearly all of 2018. Second, the Blue Jays are very likely to trade Giles who is arguably the top reliever on the market (Smith and possibly Yates or Vazquez being the other candidates). It’s not certain Giles would close with a new club. Third, he’s only recently recovered from a minor elbow injury.

 Core Performers (8)

Hector Neris, Philadelphia Phillies
Liam Hendriks, Oakland Athletics
Luke Jackson, Atlanta Braves
Shane Greene, Detroit Tigers
Hansel Robles, Los Angeles Angels
Alex Colome, Chicago White Sox
Raisel Iglesias, Cincinnati Reds
Carlos Martinez, St. Louis Cardinals

Diaz’s ugly blown save (discussed in the Tier 2 write up) was proceeded by a poor outing by Neris. He rebounded on Tuesday by striking out the side. Iglesias’ struggles continued on Sunday. He managed to earn a save despite allowing three runs over two innings. He notched a win on Tuesday. Colome had one of the busiest weeks among closers, picking up a win and two saves in four innings.
Three relievers escaped the mess hall. Even though he was promoted a tier, Martinez was leapfrogged by Jackson and Hendriks based on usage. His only outing of the week was a 2.2 inning appearance against the Padres. As a former starter, the Cardinals may look to use him infrequently for longer outings.

To my eyes, it’s pretty likely Hendriks will retain the Oakland closer role even if Blake Treinen returns. Hendriks hasn’t allowed a run since June 5. In a particularly torrid streak since June 8, he’s posted 16.78 K/9, 0.73 BB/9, and only 10 base runners in 12.1 innings. Jackson isn’t as hot, but his skill set is perhaps more sustainable. As a ground ball pitcher with a hefty strikeout rate, he’s the most useful new closer to emerge this season. Now, he just needs to convince Atlanta to forgo buying a closer on the trade market.

 Mess Hall (7)

Craig Kimbrel, Chicago Cubs
Jose Alvarado, Emilio Pagan, Tampa Bay Rays
Taylor Rogers, Trevor May, Minnesota Twins
Wade Davis, Scott Oberg, Colorado Rockies
Greg Holland, Arizona Diamondbacks
Ian Kennedy, Kansas City Royals
Shawn Kelley, Texas Rangers
Kimbrel received a rude introduction to 2019. After a fairly tame debut, he was touched up for a pair of home runs in his second appearance. His fastball and curve are down about one mph from their usual velocity. He also has a history of command issues. There’s serious upward mobility for Kimbrel, but I’d first like to see a string of positive results.
Alvarado is back. He earned the save on Monday with Pagan notching a hold. As with the previous Alvarado-Castillo alliance, the pair will probably share save situations based on matchup.
Davis is at serious risk of losing his job. He now has an unsightly 5.76 ERA with 9.36 K/9 and 5.76 BB/9. I’m not convinced his command is quite so lost as his walk rate implies, hence his inclusion ahead of a handful of guys with better numbers. Coors Field sure doesn’t help. Now is a good time to stash Oberg - not that he's particularly talented.
Rogers is clawing closer and closer to a full claim on the Twins ninth inning job – just in time to be replaced with a trade acquisition. It’s all but certain Minnesota will put in offers for Smith and Giles. All that remains unknown is if they’ll win the bidding.

 The Forgotten (4)

Brandon Workman, Boston Red Sox
Roenis Elias, Austin Adams, Seattle Mariners
Mychal Givens, Baltimore Orioles
Sergio Romo, Miami Marlins
Elias snagged a loss on Saturday. While that’s not really a bad thing for a rebuilding a club, you have to figure they’ll want to experiment with Adams before too much longer. Elias is a viable placeholder, but Adams has posted mid-tier quality numbers through 23.2 innings including a luck neutral 2.66 ERA, 15.97 K/9, and 4.56 BB/9.
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Injured

Brandon Morrow, Chicago Cubs (elbow)
Corey Knebel, Milwaukee Brewers (partial UCL tear – out for season)
Hunter Strickland, Seattle Mariners (lat)
Arodys Vizcaino, Seattle Mariners (shoulder inflammation – out for season)
David Robertson, Philadelphia Phillies (flexor strain)
Blake Treinen, Oakland Athletics (strained rotator cuff)
Diego Castillo, Tampa Bay Rays (shoulder impingement)
Jordan Hicks, St. Louis Cardinals (torn UCL, out for season)

Robertson and Morrow are nearing rehab assignments. Strickland recently threw a bullpen session and could be on the rehab trail before much longer. Treinen got tagged for three runs in a Triple-A game on Monday. Castillo is scheduled to re-join the Rays on July 12.

The Deposed

Cody Allen, Los Angeles Angels
Jose Leclerc, Texas Rangers
A.J. Minter, Atlanta Braves
Anthony Swarzak, Atlanta Braves
Ryan Brasier, Boston Red Sox
Chris Martin, Texas Rangers
Steve Cishek, Chicago Cubs
Scott Oberg, Colorado Rockies
Matt Barnes, Boston Red Sox
Pedro Strop, Chicago Cubs

An Angel enters Heaven

Tyler Skaggs was passionate about a lot of things. And he really loved pitching in Southern California.

Skaggs pitched for the Angels but didn’t have the typical homegrown-player tale. The tattoos etched along his right arm included “Santa Monica,” where he grew up on the softball fields; his mother, Debbie, coached at Santa Monica High school.

 In cursive on his right triceps were the words “City of Angels.” On his right biceps was an unmistakable “LA” logo.

Growing up, he had visions of wearing blue and pitching at Dodger Stadium. He once was a 17-year-old with a loopy curveball, who grew up with a radio soundtrack provided by K-EARTH 101.1 and Power 106 on the radio, as well as Vin Scully’s Dodger broadcasts. He blossomed as a prospect, a tall lefty with an old-school desire to pitch deep into games and the aptitude to adopt new-school methods. He felt snubbed when the Dodgers didn’t take him with the 36th overall pick in the 2009 MLB Draft.

Four picks later, he was an Angel. It was something he grew to love, particularly after getting traded to Arizona in 2010 and back to Anaheim three years later. After struggling through Tommy John surgery and then pitching through injury last year, he was optimistic. He had a date circled on his calendar, a start he planned to petition manager Brad Ausmus to make. He wanted to pitch at Dodger Stadium this month.
Skaggs had been there before, when he allowed one run over five innings as a rookie with Arizona. But he wanted to go back. He wanted to be at Dodger Stadium in an Angels uniform, pitching in the city he loved while wearing the jersey he loved.
“There’s definitely a big grudge there,” he said just yesterday, sounding determined.
Tragically, he won’t get the chance. Skaggs died in his Texas hotel room, at age 27,  hours before the Angels were scheduled to face the Rangers on Monday.

The Southlake Police Department said Skaggs was found unresponsive in his hotel room and that no foul play was indicated. Suicide is “not suspected,” an SPD spokesperson said, and an investigation will take place. Monday’s Angels-Rangers game was canceled, and the Angels had already left Globe Life Park in Arlington when the announcement was made.
There will be no joy in playing games without him in the coming days.
“It is with great sorrow that we report Tyler Skaggs passed away earlier today in Texas,” the Angels said in a statement.

“Tyler has, and always will be, an important part of the Angels Family. Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife Carli and his entire family during this devastating time.”
The news is shocking, staggering. Skaggs was 12 days from his 28th birthday, recently married — “It was amazing,” a glowing Skaggs said this spring — and optimistic he could channel that first-round talent and steward the Angels staff back to the postseason.
This is an organization that has already dealt with too much loss. Outfielder Lyman Bostock died in 1978, also at age 27, shot and killed while sitting in a car in Gary, Ind., during the team’s road trip to Chicago. Luis Valbuena died last December in a car crash after playing in a winter league game in his native Venezuela; he was 33. In April 2009, the Angels lost right-hander Nick Adenhart in a car crash hours after his best big-league start. That summer, Tyler Skaggs was the first pitcher the Angels drafted.
Skaggs was stubborn, even through his final start on Saturday against Oakland, when he was miffed and protested being pulled in the fifth inning after allowing two runs on two hits, four walks and striking out five. He was straightforward and honest, as always. He thought he should be better, thought he was just getting to turn things around. That was Tyler.

All Star Game

All-Star Game rosters were announced Sunday, and as usual, there’s a lot to discuss.

For the first time in a long time, it might be the National League team that’s favored to win the game, with a star-studded lineup and a pitching staff comprised of many of the best guys going. Hyun-Jin Ryu will start the game for the NL side, and Max Scherzer, Jacob deGrom, Zack Greinke and Walker Buehler, among many others, will be available in relief.

On the American League front, the starting lineup is full of players having great years but not necessarily the household names of the NL club. Guys like DJ LeMahieu, Carlos Santana, Hunter Pence and even Jorge Polanco -- all names known by baseball fans, but not the kind of star power up and down the NL lineup -- were voted as starters, relegating more well-known stars like Mookie Betts and J.D. Martinez to the reserves. On the pitching side, a starter hasn’t been named, but between Justin Verlander, Gerrit Cole, Lucas Giolito, Mike Minor and Charlie Morton, there isn’t a wrong choice.

What the AL lacks in name recognition it makes up for in interesting stories. Whether it’s Pence, the eccentric former Giant who has resurrected his career in Texas; James McCann, a light-hitting platoon catcher turned middle-of-the-order bat for the White Sox; Tommy La Stella, who once famously refused a minor league assignment from the Cubs and instead opted to go home to ponder his future (I guess he was right?); or even Austin Meadows and Daniel Vogelbach, both of whom were once top prospects but who fell out of favor and were eventually traded, only to now have found success at the highest level in their new venues, the AL isn’t short on character.

And how about Francisco Lindor? Coming into the season, the biggest question surrounding the 25-year-old was how soon we might see him, not whether he’d be an All-Star for the fourth straight year. But he returned ahead of schedule in late April and has done nothing but produce, hitting .291/.349/.498 with 12 homers and 12 steals in 64 games.

The NL is not without its surprises, of course. The Mets are a mess this year, but two bright spots have been first-time All-Stars Jeff McNeil and Pete Alonso. Paul DeJong is another first-timer, a low-profile fourth-round pick by the Cardinals out of Illinois State University in 2015. Josh Bell was an outfield prospect, and then he wasn’t, and then he was again, but this time as a first baseman, and now he’s hitting .301 with a 1.001 OPS.

With surprise entrants come some surprise snubs as well. Max Kepler, Yoan Moncada, Trey Mancini, Luke Voit and Eddie Rosario all are certainly worthy of spots on the AL squad. For the NL, Rhys Hoskins, Anthony Rizzo and Manny Machado all probably deserved a look given how well they performed in the first half.

At the end of the day, the NL looks to have the better roster top to bottom, and appears positioned to win its first Midsummer Classic -- and the home-field advantage rights that come with it -- for the first time since 2012. But, as always, that’s why they play the games.

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Snell Sharp In Romp Over Rangers

We don’t regularly celebrate the expected, like successfully tying our own shoes or the alarm clock going off every morning.

So recognizing Blake Snell’s 12-strikeout game Sunday might seem out of place, as though Snell doesn’t often dominate his opponents.

After three consecutive subpar outings, though, there was some concern that the southpaw may not be right. Sure, his velocity was fine, but he was getting hit hard, uncharacteristically hard for the reigning American League Cy Young Award winner.

So with that in mind it was reassuring to see Snell roll over the Rangers on Sunday, keeping the Texas club to three hits and two runs over six innings. Aside from a Joey Gallo two-run moonshot, Snell was devastating, reminding everyone of how dominant he can be when he’s right.

“He looked really good,” said Rays manager Kevin Cash. “Really encouraged by Blake’s outing. We needed that, and he needed that just as much.”

Snell entered Sunday’s contest with a 5.01 ERA, but his 3.47 FIP and 3.20 xFIP -- just a few ticks higher than the 3.16 xFIP he sported during his Cy Young year -- suggested better days were ahead. Snell thought so, too.

“The results aren’t what you guys want to see,” Snell said. “But the way that I see what I’m doing, I believe it’s better than last year.”

That would be quite an encore.

Cease. Fire.

It’s been an exciting first half for White Sox fans dreaming on the future -- with guys like Moncada, Giolito and Eloy Jimenez making people sit up and take notice -- and they’ve got one more card to play before the All-Star break.

Dylan Cease.

The pitcher, ranked as a top-50 prospect before the season by all of Baseball America, MLB.com and Baseball Prospectus, will be promoted to make his MLB debut Wednesday against the Tigers. Cease will start the first game of the teams’ doubleheader.

“He’s done a really nice job of just gathering more knowledge down there (at Triple-A Charlotte) and getting his innings in,” White Sox manager Rick Renteria said Sunday. "This will be a situation now where he comes in here and has to perform. His last few outings over there, he’s been working and trying to get himself back on track.

“I think probably everybody is looking for him to be challenged now. Everybody feels this is the right time.”

The 23-year-old Cubs draftee -- part of the Sox return for Jose Quintana -- has a 4.48 ERA, 1.57 WHIP and 73/32 K/BB ratio across 15 starts at Triple-A Charlotte this year. In 2018 he struck out 160 with a 2.40 ERA and 1.06 WHIP between High-A and Double-A.

His pedestrian numbers at Triple-A this year combined with the fact that Wednesday will be his MLB debut -- and as part of a doubleheader, no less -- might make him a scary streamer, but the light-hitting Tigers are among the most stream-friendly opponents this season. His pedigree and potential to face a diluted lineup make him worth the dart throw.

American League Quick Hits: Khris Davis (hand) remained out of the Athletics' starting lineup for the third consecutive game on Sunday. Athletics' skipper Bob Melvin sounded optimistic about the slugger's prognosis though, indicating that he may be available off of the bench if needed to pinch hit. (He wasn’t.) All signs point to Davis returning to the lineup on Tuesday after Monday's off-day. … Shane Bieber fired off eight innings of shutout ball while striking out 11 in Sunday's 2-0 win over the Orioles. Bieber did not walk a batter on the afternoon and surrendered just three hits over his eight innings of work. He wrapped up the start having thrown 112 pitches (72 for strikes). This sparkling performance marked his fourth game of double-digit strikeouts in his last 10 starts. … Yordan Alvarez (knee) was back in the Astros' lineup Sunday. Alvarez missed two games with a sore left knee but it obviously wasn’t a huge issue. … Matt Chapman went 3-for-5 with a three-run homer and a career-high six RBI to lift the Athletics to a 12-3 blowout win over the Angels on Sunday. Chapman spearheaded the Athletics offensive explosion, launching a line-drive laser to the opposite-field, which barely cleared the right-field fence, in the fifth inning. He also scorched a leadoff triple and came around to score in the eighth, before crushing a bases-clearing three-run double to left-field wall later in the frame. … Dee Gordon (quad) was not in the Mariners' lineup Sunday. Gordon had to leave Saturday's game with a tight quad. It sounds like he'll have a shot to return on Tuesday after Monday's off day. … Gerrit Cole recorded 10 strikeouts over seven innings in a win over the Mariners on Sunday. Cole yielded one run on five hits over seven brilliant frames. He threw 74 of 109 pitches for strikes and generated an eye-popping 17 swinging strikes in this one. A solo homer by J.P. Crawford in the opening frame represented the lone tally against him. The 28-year-old righty has allowed two earned runs or fewer in seven consecutive starts dating back to May 27. With the victory, he improves to 8-5 with a 3.88 ERA and 1.04 WHIP across 18 starts. He also ranks second in the majors, trailing only Nationals ace Max Scherzer, with 161 strikeouts across 109 2/3 innings of work. … Justin Smoak went 2-for-5 with two home runs and three RBI in Sunday's 7-6 loss to the Royals. Smoak, who was just activated off the injured list after missing a few weeks with a strained quad, took a Brad Keller offering deep for a two-run home run with two outs in the second inning. He would come through once more with a solo shot leading off the fifth inning, that one again coming against Keller. … Athletics placed OF Stephen Piscotty on the 10-day injured list with a right knee sprain. Piscotty suffered the injury on a slide into second base Saturday. The hope is that it's not a long-term injury, but we won't know until he has an MRI Monday. Chad Pinder and Mark Canha figure to pick up most of the playing time in right field while Piscotty is out. Franklin Barreto has also been recalled to take his roster spot and he's played some outfield in the minors this season. … Yankees general manager Brian Cashman believes "there's still time" for Luis Severino (lat) to return this season and contribute. Severino was throwing for two weeks before being shut down with renewed soreness in his right lat. Cashman admitted that Sevy should have gotten another MRI prior to throwing again but didn't because "he doesn't like going in the MRI tube." The hope is that the righty will resume throwing sometime within the next week, but Cashman noted that Severino "won’t get back on the mound until it’s 100 percent." Sevy will essentially be starting from scratch again, so it's hard to see him coming back before late August or September at this point.

National League Quick Hits: Max Scherzer struck out 14 and allowed one run over eight innings in Sunday's 2-1 win over the Tigers. Scherzer was holding steady on a 1-0 lead into the seventh inning, having surrendered just three hits to that point, when Brandon Dixon broke the spell with a game-tying solo home run. Anthony Rendon answered in turn in the top of the eighth to help salvage a win for the team's ace. This was the star right-hander's eighth double-digit strikeout performance in 18 starts. He has punched out at least 10 batters in each of his last four outings and five of his last six. … Corey Seager (hamstring) is expected to begin a rehab assignment by the middle or end of this week. Seager was scheduled to take live batting practice Sunday as he continues his rehab from a strained left hamstring. He should be ready to go for the start of the second half if he doesn't encounter any speed bumps. … A.J. Pollock (elbow) was set to take live batting practice Sunday. Pollock is nearing a rehab assignment, as he could be cleared to begin one in the middle or end of this week. He's been on the shelf since late April with an infection in his right elbow but could be back in the Dodgers' lineup shortly after the All-Star break if all goes well. … Madison Bumgarner struck out nine batters over seven innings in a win over the Diamondbacks on Sunday. Bumgarner allowed one run on four hits over seven dominant frames. An Ildemaro Vargas sacrifice fly on the heels of a Nick Ahmed triple in the fifth inning was the lone blemish on an otherwise stellar performance. The 29-year-old lefty has racked up 20 strikeouts over his last two starts combined. He's expected to be one of the most sought after players at the upcoming trade deadline next month. … Mets activated RHP Noah Syndergaard from the 10-day injured list. Syndergaard rejoined the rotation on Sunday against the Braves after missing a couple weeks with a right hamstring injury. The hard-throwing right-hander allowed three runs over 5 2/3 innings in his return. … Anthony DeSclafani tossed six scoreless innings, striking out seven, and the Reds held on for an 8-6 win over the Cubs on Sunday. DeSclafani was staked to an early lead and cruised through his six innings, fanning seven while scattering five hits and a walk. Things got less comfortable for the Reds after he exited, with the Cubs plating six runs in their final three frames, but the bullpen held on to get DeSclafani his fifth win. The right-hander now owns a 4.35 ERA, 1.34 WHIP and 84/24 K/BB ratio in 16 starts this year, and outside of one bad inning his last time out, he's been stellar since the beginning of June. … Cardinals manager Mike Shildt said on his radio show Sunday that Matt Carpenter is dealing with a stomach issue. It's not clear how long he's been battling the ailment, but it at least partly explains why Carpenter hasn't been in the lineup since Tuesday. There's no indication at this point that it's something that could send Carpenter to the injured list. Yairo Munoz was at third base Sunday. … Pablo Lopez (shoulder) will resume his throwing progression on Monday. It was reported previously that Lopez would start throwing again on Saturday, but apparently the Marlins elected to give him a couple more days. There's no timetable for his return, but it will be a while. "It’s a matter of getting him built back up," manager Don Mattingly said. "That’s going to take a little bit of time.”

All Star Ted Williams