Mariners
• Jorge Polanco had knee surgery.
Seattle Mariners second baseman Jorge Polanco underwent surgery to repair the patellar tendon in his left knee and expects to be ready for the beginning of spring training, sources told ESPN. Read the rest of this entry »
MLB.com has a unique news section where each team updates their injuries and transactions. I’ve found this information useful but it’s unique. Each team’s webpage (not an article) is in flux with information constantly appearing and disappearing. I plan to check for updates (each blurb is dated) and report any information. I’ll quote the page to preserve the information. The information disappears into the abyss so quoting the source is the only way to keep it.
I won’t report headline news but will try to dig a little deeper. Additionally, I want this article to be a quick reference so don’t expect a certain word count. I’ll provide the useful info and then fantasy managers can figure out how best to utilize it.
The last edition was on October 4th, so any news was taken on or after that date.
Free Agents
• José Abreu hopes to increase his value by playing winter ball.
Sources: José Abreu signed with the Senadores of San Juan in Puerto Rico’s winter ball.
Abreu will begin his journey toward an MLB comeback in 2025.
He will soon report to the Senadores for the winter season, which starts in early November. pic.twitter.com/XNwG3RiwvV
— Francys Romero (@francysromeroFR) October 9, 2024
Free Agents
• Tomoyuki Sugano and…
Right-hander Tomoyuki Sugano, the most successful Japanese pitcher of his generation to have spent his whole career in Nippon Professional Baseball, will come to Major League Baseball as an international free agent this winter, sources told ESPN.
Sugano, who turns 35 in a week, is in the midst of a renaissance season that has seen him post a 1.67 ERA over 24 starts for the Central League champion Yomiuri Giants. He is a two-time winner of the Sawamura Award — the equivalent of the Cy Young — two-time Central League MVP and four-time ERA champion, and his reemergence paved the way for him to finally reach MLB.
…Shinnosuke Ogasawara plan to be posted this offseason.
Left-hander Shinnosuke Ogasawara is looking to move to the majors, and as per a report from Yahoo Sports Japan (Japanese language link), he’ll ask the Chunichi Dragons to make him available to MLB teams via the posting system this offseason. The Yakyu Cosmopolitan also reported earlier this year that Ogasawara was aiming to pitch for a big league team in 2025, and MLB Network’s Jon Morosi reported (via X) back in April that Major League scouts were watching Ogasawara pitch in Japan.
While the pair are eight years apart in age, their production last season was similar making their comps similar when comparing them to other pitchers coming from Japan to the States. Read the rest of this entry »
MLB.com has a unique news section where each team updates their injuries and transactions. I’ve found this information useful but it’s unique. Each team’s webpage (not an article) is in flux with information constantly appearing and disappearing. I plan to check for updates (each blurb is dated) and report any information. I’ll quote the page to preserve the information. The information disappears into the abyss so quoting the source is the only way to keep it.
I won’t report headline news but will try to dig a little deeper. Additionally, I want this article to be a quick reference so don’t expect a certain word count. I’ll provide the useful info and then fantasy managers can figure out how best to utilize it.
The last edition was on September 27th, so any news was taken after that date.
Note: There are a ton of end-of-season team reviews I need to get through. Here is round one. Once I get through this group of articles, the news cycle dries up.
Angels
• Brandon Drury blames his struggles on migraines, nagging injuries, and attempts at adding exit velocity.
Migraines and some nagging injuries played a role in these struggles, but Drury told Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register that some swing changes last offseason might’ve been the biggest culprit, as his attempts to add exit velocity backfired badly.
Astros
• Tayler Scott pitched through a back injury.
Scott is on the injured list with what the Astros described as a “thoracic spine strain” — a back injury he acknowledged trying to pitch through all month. Scott surrendered nine hits, five walks and four earned runs in 5 2/3 September innings, inflating an already unsustainable workload.
Blue Jays
• Will Wagner will have his knee operated on, should be ready for Spring Training, and the team sees him as a second baseman.
Will Wagner will get his left knee scoped on Thursday after meeting with specialists in Cleveland, and while the procedure will come with some rehab time, the Blue Jays expect him to be ready for Spring Training next February without any issues.
…
“I think he’s probably a little bit relieved that he’s getting this taken care of now,” John Schneider said Wednesday. “It’s also about him understanding from us and the organization how he’s viewed, the way he played and what we’re looking for from him heading into the offseason and next year. He’s shown really well. He’s a guy we’re confident in, and rightfully so.”
…
Schneider wants to leave as many doors open as possible, but it’s clear that Wagner has impressed him enough to get a shot at playing second base on a near full-time basis.“He can play first and we dabbled at third with him in Buffalo, but we like what we see at second,” Schneider said. “We think he’s got a really good game for that spot. There’s a fine line between the versatility aspect, which we do value, and keeping a guy regular at a certain spot. I can see him getting a lot of reps at second.”
Angels
• Mike Trout might move to a corner outfield spot or DH next season.
Angels superstar Mike Trout said his twice surgically repaired left knee is feeling better and he’s open to potentially moving to a corner outfield spot or serving as designated hitter more often to try to stay healthy.
Angels
• Logan O’Hoppe tries to regain his swing as he works through some fatigue.
“After that game, we hopped in and worked on some things, felt really different,” O’Hoppe said. “So that was a good sign, you know? I mean, it wasn’t beating my head against the wall like it was the past month. So I’m just looking to build on it.”
O’Hoppe wouldn’t get into detail on the changes he made, but he said that both coaches pointed out things that were different with his swing during his recent skid.
“They pointed a lot of things out to me that I didn’t realize had changed over time,” O’Hoppe said. “There was a lot going on, so I don’t want to get into the specifics of it, but I’m grateful for them and kind of keep leaning on them.”
…
“We’re supposed to be tired right now in September,” O’Hoppe said. “I didn’t just admit that I am tired. Don’t take it the wrong way, but I really do believe that we’re supposed to be tired right now.”