Monday night featured the first two rounds of the MLB draft, with the Baltimore Orioles picking first overall. While there were several interesting picks throughout the night, the Orioles kicked things off by selecting Oregon State catcher Adley Rutschman. He can not only hit from both sides but hits for average and power while being solid behind the plate. Unlike leagues like the NBA and NFL, prospects in baseball often take at least a couple of years to see whether they will pan out or not, but the Orioles are certainly hoping that Rutschman can be a building block for a team that is desperately trying to overhaul its system.
Bruce Traded To Phillies
Jay Bruce is jumping from the West Coast to the East Coast. On Sunday, a deal was finalized between the Seattle Mariners and the Philadelphia Phillies, sending Bruce to Philly in exchange for minor league third baseman Jake Scheiner. Seattle is also sending a boatload of money, as they are going to pay more than $18.5 million of the remaining $21.3 million left on the contract.
For Philadelphia, this is a great opportunity to get some outfield depth, especially after Odubel Herrera was put on administrative leave while the league looks into a domestic violence incident. The move also allows Bruce to go from worst to first as the Mariners ranked last in the AL West, but the Phillies are first in the NL East.
For Seattle, this is simply an opportunity to shed some money while trying to recoup some assets. It was believed that both Bruce and Edwin Encarnacion were on the trade market stemming all the way back to the offseason, but Seattle was just now able to find a taker. Do not be surprised to see more moves by the Mariners as players like Encarnacion, Dee Gordon, Ryan Healy and others could all be on their way out of town before the trade deadline.
Nelson To Start For Brewers
Jimmy Nelson will be getting one heck of a birthday gift on Wednesday. He will be celebrating his birthday by making his first start in almost two years as he has been trying to work his way back from labrum surgery. When he last pitched in 2017, Nelson was enjoying a bit of a breakout season as he was 12-6 with a 3.49 ERA, 1.25 WHIP and had struck out 199 in 175 1/3 innings.
Two years later, at age 30, he will be trying to rekindle some of that 2017 magic as he returns to action in the majors. While it is unlikely that he will be able to replicate his 2017 season, if he is anywhere close, it could be a huge boost for the Brewers’ rotation as they battle in the NL Central.
Nelson’s return is good timing for the Brewers, who have lost two players over the last couple days to the injured list. Gio Gonzalez was put on with a “dead arm,” and Jhoulys Chacin was also put on the injured list with a lower back strain.
Correa To Miss Four to Six Weeks
In what is one of the odder injuries of the 2019 season, All-Star Houston Astros shortstop Carlos Correa will miss approximately four to six weeks with a fractured rib. Why is it so odd? He apparently fractured his rib while getting a massage. For Correa and the Astros, this comes at a frustrating time as they are already without Jose Altuve and George Springer, further depleting their lineup.
Correa was having a great start to the 2019 season, hitting .295/.360.547 with 11 home runs, 35 runs batted in and 26 runs scored. In his absence, Jack Mayfield has been getting some starts at shortstop with Alex Bregman also occasionally moving over. Luckily for the Astros, they currently hold an 8.5-game lead over the second-place Texas Rangers and can afford to make sure their stars get healed. Still, it is frustrating for fans, the organization, and Correa, who has dealt with injuries on and off for the last couple of years.
Gallo Hits The IL
Despite sitting 8.5 games behind the Houston Astros in the division, the Texas Rangers have played surprisingly well as they are 30-27. A large part of that success is, unfortunately, hitting the injured list as Joey Gallo was placed on it due to a left oblique strain. This season, Gallo is hitting .276/.421/.653 with 17 home runs, 41 runs batted in and 41 runs scored (he leads the team in all three categories). While he still strikes out a ton (76 versus 42 walks), he has had a phenomenal year for the Rangers. Oblique strains can be tricky, and he might end up being out for a few weeks, but the Rangers are obviously hoping to get him back in the heart of their lineup sooner than later. Delino DeShields Jr. was recalled to take his spot.
Injured List Update
While Gallo hits the injured list, a few others are coming off of it. For the Brewers, they will welcome back Travis Shaw, who was activated after rehabbing from a wrist injury. In a corresponding move, Keston Hiura was sent back to the minors.
Additionally, the surging Minnesota Twins have reinstated Nelson Cruz and optioned Luis Arraez. Cruz had missed a few weeks with a left wrist strain.
Lastly, San Diego’s Fernando Tatis Jr. began a rehab assignment on Monday. Tatis has been rehabbing a left hamstring strain for over a month.
In other moves around the league, Hunter Dozier was put on the injured list by the Royals. Also, the Baltimore Orioles have promoted catcher Chance Sisco to the big leagues, while the Cubs called up Carlos Gonzalez, who had been picked up after being released by the Cleveland Indians.
