Mining the News (9/8/23)

• Shōta Imanaga will likely be posted this offseason.

Sources: LHP Shōta Imanaga will be posted to @MLB teams this offseason by the Yokohama DeNA BayStars.

Imanaga, who won gold at @WBCBaseball, has a career-best 8.21 SO/W ratio in 133 1/3 IP this year.

Imanaga joins Yoshinobu Yamamoto as the top NPB stars available.@MLBNetwork

— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) September 6, 2023

American League

Angels

• Shohei Ohtani will have some surgery this offseason …

Balelo says surgery of some kind is “inevitable” for Ohtani.

— Dylan Hernández (@dylanohernandez) September 4, 2023

… and when he had shoulder surgery last time, he didn’t hit until May. He probably will not have the layoff this time.

In 2018, he had surgery on Oct. 1 and was not able to hit the following season until May. Why is it different?

It’s a different scenario this time. I’m not going to get into that. But the doctors are basically telling me it’s a completely different scenario, based on certain things that we can do. At this time, I’m not getting into that. But it is a different situation. So he’ll be fine.

Astros

• Jeremy Peña is trying to make some changes to lift the ball more.

So, sometime last month, Peña approached Kanzler and asked the question everyone watching the Astros wondered: “Why can’t I get the ball in the air?” Confronting the problem became the first step to fixing it.

…

Peña is a better overall hitter now. His pitch recognition, plate discipline and ability to adjust in-game have improved dramatically, even if counting stats suggest otherwise. Fixes this September are more subtle, sort of foundational pieces of Peña’s offensive makeup.

“The starting positions are better. They’re way more consistent — his whole load and the hands are really quiet. He’s obviously seeing the ball better. His August was the best plate discipline of his career. This year has been better plate discipline,” Kanzler said.

• Chas McCormick isn’t playing more because he’s fat and not a “big boy“.

Curiosity remains as to why McCormick doesn’t play more, with few answers to be found and the issue seemingly one that goes beyond just matchups and defensive alignments. This week, four people with knowledge of the team’s inner workings said that McCormick’s weight has become a talking point for Baker.

On Wednesday, before starting another game on the bench, McCormick said he has not spoken to Baker about his playing time this season. Asked to characterize his relationship with Baker, McCormick replied, “Right now, we’re OK. It’s really all about winning each game here on out (with) no distractions. We’re good.”

Asked on Wednesday whether McCormick’s weight is a concern for him, Baker replied, “No, why (would) you even ask that?”

“That’s something that you’re always aware of, you know what I mean,” Baker continued. “As long as it doesn’t affect your performance, then it’s not really that much of a concern.”

…

“He ain’t a big boy yet,” Baker said before Wednesday’s 12-3 bludgeoning of the Rangers. “It’s hard to be a big boy right out the gate. What is this, Chas’ third or fourth year? The big boys are Altuve, Bregman, Tucker, those are the big boys. The other boys are approaching big boys.”

Aren’t those the same thing?

Rangers

• Prospect Jack Leiter might be turning a corner with his control.

Leiter spent more than a month on the Development List. He remained in Frisco with the club, but also threw live BP in front of much of the front office at Globe Life Field during the big league club’s last homestand, on Aug. 27. According to a team spokesperson, Leiter was just throwing in Arlington so the Rangers could gather some biomechanical data with the technology that was not available in Frisco.

What they saw, they must have liked because Leiter was activated less than a week later.

In his first start since July 7, Leiter allowed just one hit — a first-inning home run — while striking out four over three innings in Frisco’s 8-2 win over Midland. More importantly, he walked none.

“There’s improvement,” Young said. “He is not a finished product. There was real improvement, and I think it was evident in his strike throwing. The one run he gave up had an exit velocity of 85 mph that got up in the jet stream, but he threw very competitive strikes. It was exciting. He’s worked so hard and he’s earned the opportunity to be back out there with his work ethic and commitment. But that said, it’s going to continue to grow and I think we saw a glimpse of progress in terms of what he can grow into.”

Young said that the time on the Development List was spent mostly working on Leiter’s mechanics and tweaking his delivery so that it would be more consistent pitch after pitch. The good results from his outing are a byproduct of his mechanics being in the right place to drive the ball most effectively and consistently.

Tigers

• Javier Báez won’t be playing every game.

McCosky also relayed recent comments from manager AJ Hinch regarding shortstop Javier Baez’s playing time going forward. Hinch admitted to reporters that playing time would be “at a premium” going forward with the expanded rosters, and that as a result Baez will “play a little more sporadically than we’re used to” going forward.

National League

Braves

• Spencer Strider struggled in his last start.

“I just didn’t give us a chance, it’s happened a few too many times this year,” Strider said. “I’ve got to find a way to be effective when everything doesn’t go my way. Otherwise, it’s going to keep happening. Hopefully, I can make an adjustment.”

As Strider allowed six runs and struck out five over just 2 2/3 innings, he might have bid adieu to his Cy Young Award candidacy and the chance to tally 300 strikeouts.

Two items seem to leading to his struggles. First. he pitches much better with the bases empty. This season, he has a 2.48 xFIP (34% K%-BB%) with the bases empty and 3.53 xFIP (24% K%-BB%) with someone on base.

Second, hitters seem to be adjusting to his simple two-pitch mix. Here are his K%-BB% for different time frames and times-thru-the-order (TTO).

Strider is a special starter with the ability to get a ton of strikeouts and also Wins since he’s on Atlanta but some flaws are starting to come to the surface.

• Kyle Wright is about done with his rehab starts.

In three rehab starts, Wright has a 3.24 ERA and .179 opponents’ average, including one start in High A and two in Triple A. He has allowed five hits and three runs with four walks and 12 strikeouts in 8 1/3 innings, with all of the runs and three of the hits coming in 1 2/3 innings in the first of his two starts with Gwinnett. In the other two rehab outings, he’s allowed two hits and two walks with 11 strikeouts in 6 2/3 scoreless innings.

Here is the only report I could find on his fastball velocity.

#Braves Kyle Wright allowed 3 ER on 3 H in 1.2 IP with 2 BB and 1 K in his 2nd rehab start and first with Triple-A Gwinnett. The final batter he faced hit a 2-run double.

He threw 31 pitches / 15 strikes.

Fastball was sitting 93-94 mph and topped out at 95 mph.

— Grant McAuley (@grantmcauley) August 31, 2023

Early this season, his fastball was down at 93 mph and during his 2022 breakout, it was at 94.7 mph.

I’m a little tepid on his return.

Dodgers

• Clayton Kershaw struggled with his command during his last start.

From the first inning it was obvious that Kershaw didn’t have the best command of his pitches and that his velocity was dipping, both of which were issues in his prior start at Dodger Stadium against the D-backs.

Despite the left-hander retiring the side in order in the first, his hardest pitch in the frame was an 89 mph four-seam fastball, which is two mph slower than his season average. In the second, the command — paired with the dip in velocity — started to elude him.

The biggest issue with Kershaw has been a declining velo.

And now it’s come out that he’s dealing with shoulder pain.

Dodgers News: Clayton Kershaw Still Dealing With Shoulder Injury #LADodgers #Dodgers #HereToPlay https://t.co/pIr1t4O4LK pic.twitter.com/ooWLuDMJ3A

— Ron Bohning (@RonBohning) September 7, 2023

Pirates

• Johan Oviedo doesn’t feel “comfortable” for some games.

“I didn’t feel comfortable with anything,” Oviedo said.

Oviedo repeatedly emphasized his lack of comfort on the mound on Sunday after grinding through one of his shortest outings of the season. In the Pirates’ 6-4 loss to the Cardinals at Busch Stadium, Oviedo allowed four hits and walked six batters as he allowed five runs (three earned) across 3 2/3 innings, a stark contrast to the shutout he tossed against the Royals just days prior.

Oviedo didn’t dive into what, specifically, was uncomfortable, keeping the specifics close to his chest. The 25-year-old did note that this discomfort — not necessarily a physical discomfort — has happened “a lot” over the course of the season.

“The worst part is it’s out of my control,” Oviedo said. “I just need to keep moving forward with it.”

Evidenced by his inability to consistently find the strike zone, Oviedo clearly never found the same comfort in St. Louis that he possessed at Kauffman Stadium. The right-hander threw 49 balls to 48 strikes against the Cardinals, the first time this season that he threw more balls than strikes in a single outing.

It’s tough to read into the vagueness but doing a quick look at his catchers show a major difference (ignoring Austin Hedges who is on the Rangers).

Catcher: ERA, Games Caught
Jason Delay: 5.64, 10
Endy Rodríguez: 3.45, 8

• The team might go to a six-man rotation.

Keller and Oviedo have thrown 169 2/3 and 154 1/3 innings this season, respectively, the most that both have thrown in a professional season. Keller ranks fifth in the sport in innings pitched, trailing only Zac Gallen (173 1/3), Gerrit Cole (174), Sandy Alcantara (176 2/3) and Logan Webb (180 1/3).

“I think we have to monitor it, and we will monitor it probably appearance by appearance,” said manager Derek Shelton. “Some of the bigger things is giving them five days off at times — put ‘em on a six-day rotation. We’re through a stretch where we can do that and be a little more aggressive with that. But I do think we’ll monitor that because their overall health is the most important thing.”

Reds

• Jake Fraley is playing with a fractured foot.

Fraley missed 24 games with a stress fracture in the fourth toe of his left foot. It still isn’t fully healed, but he returned from the injured list ahead of Friday’s doubleheader vs. the Cubs. Team doctors approved letting him play, even if there is still discomfort.

“If there is any silver lining, this happening at this point of the year is a blessing in the sense that it allows me the opportunity to play through,” Fraley said. “It’d be a lot different if it was in April and you have the whole season ahead of you. At that point, it’s probably not a good idea.

Rockies

• Tyler Kinley is the closer.

But Kinley, 32, who was installed as the Rockies’ closer just before the game, picked the best way to pick up his mates Tuesday night. He threw a spotless ninth inning to preserve a 3-2 victory over the D-backs at Chase Field.

• Nolan Jones is trying to be more aggressive early in the count.

As July ended, Jones took in advice from hitting coach Hensley Meulens to be more aggressive early in counts. Pitchers noticed his strategy to see pitches early, so they challenged with fastballs inside. Those were already challenges to his swing, but not swinging made them automatic strikes.

Now early strikes are a risk. Jones is 8-for-13 (.813) on the first pitch. The other numbers justify putting the first strike in play — 7-for-14 (.500) on 1-0 and 2-for-2 on 2-0. He has yet to jump on a 3-0 pitch.