AP No big surprise, but the Indians have sent top prospect Trevor Bauer to Triple-A after he was in the mix for the final rotation spot.
Cleveland previously reassigned Daisuke Matsuzaka to minor-league camp, taking him out of the rotation mix, but fellow reclamation projection Scott Kazmir remains in the running along with Carlos Carrasco.
Bauer was acquired from the Diamondbacks in the big swap that saw Shin-Soo Choo leave Cleveland and has No. 1 starter upside if he can consistently throw strikes, but at age 22 and with just 14 starts at Triple-A he was a longshot to make the Opening Day roster.
Letting him dominate for a month or two in the International League before a call-up is certainly a reasonable idea. Plus, it potentially gives our own Craig Calcaterra a chance to make the trek to Columbus to see Bauer pitch and, more importantly, perhaps talk him into a rap battle or at least a nice lunch date.
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Nationals to designate right-hander Yunesky Maya for assignment
May 25, 2013, 11:24 AM EDT
AP
The Nationals thought they were getting a potential rotation staple when they signed Cuban right-hander Yunesky Maya to a four-year, $6 million deal back in 2010, but they are now prepared to turn the page. According to Mark Zuckerman of CSNWashington.com, the Nationals will designate Maya for assignment in order to make room for infielder…
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Alex Sanabia says he didn’t know the spitter was against the rules
May 25, 2013, 10:48 AM EDT
Marlins right-hander Alex Sanabia was seen spitting on the baseball during his start Monday night against the Phillies, a clear violation of MLB rules. However, it went unnoticed by umpires and it appears that he will not receive any sort of punishment. As for Sanabia’s defense, well, he’s pleading ignorance on the whole thing. The…
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Brandon Beachy makes first rehab start since Tommy John surgery
May 25, 2013, 10:07 AM EDT
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The Braves currently sit at 28-18 on the season and hold a four-game lead over the Nationals in the National League East, but they could get even stronger soon. Brandon Beachy began a minor league rehab assignment with Triple-A Gwinnett last night and allowed two runs over four innings. The 26-year-old right-hander has already thrown…
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Jim Henderson has pitched really well since taking over the closer role from John Axford in Milwaukee, but he could be headed for an extended absence. Henderson strained his right hamstring in the ninth inning last night while attempting to finish off the Brewers’ victory against the Pirates. He appeared to suffer the injury as…
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Chris Davis tore through the first couple of weeks of the season before slowing down a bit, but he’s terrorizing pitchers once again. Davis went 3-for-5 with his major-league leading 16th homer last night as the Orioles defeated the Blue Jays 10-6 in Toronto. Davis’ solo shot in the third inning was one of four…
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It wasn’t a very good night for first-base umpires Friday. Angel Hernandez cost the White Sox a win over the Marlins in the 10th, though they did come back and prevail in the 11th anyway. MLB.com has the video and, more importantly, also has the audio as Hawk Harrelson reacts to the call. Alex Rios was…
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Rangers put one over on Jeff Nelson, get free out against Mariners
May 25, 2013, 1:19 AM EDT
Two on, none out for the Mariners in the bottom of the second inning Friday against the Rangers. Jesus Sucre, making his first major league start, his a grounder to first that appeared to be turned into a 3-6-3 double play. Except…
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Pirates starter Jeff Karstens felt pain in his right shoulder during his throwing program today. As a result, the Pirates have shut him down, per the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review’s Travis Sawchik. Karstens has not thrown a pitch this season due to the shoulder injury, but was expected to return in early June. Karstens finished 2012 with…
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Ike Davis entered tonight’s series opener against the Braves hitting .147 with a .481 OPS. The first baseman has heard rumors of a possible demotion to Triple-A amid an avalanche of criticism. He did nothing to alleviate concerns as he earned the illustrious golden sombrero, striking out four times tonight. As ESPN Stats & Info…
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Angels starter Jered Weaver has been on the shelf since suffering a fractured left elbow in his second start of the season against the Rangers on April 7. After tossing a light bullpen session earlier today, Weaver feels good, according to manager Mike Scioscia. He’ll have one more bullpen over the weekend before the Angels…
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Rockies activate Michael Cuddyer; Rafael Betancourt and Jeff Francis make progress
May 24, 2013, 10:20 PM EDT
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The Rockies have activated Michael Cuddyer from the 15-day disabled list, tweets Troy Renck. The outfielder had been sidelined due to an inflamed cervical disc, halting a fantastic start to the year. The 34-year-old carried a .319/.383/.580 line through May 8, his last appearance. It should be noted his numbers are much better at Coors…
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Well, that’s not nice. Here’s the full quote from T.J. Simers of the L.A. Times: Mattingly’s critical comments of the team and Ethier came a day after being assured by Colletti that he had management’s support. I’ve been writing it for years: Ethier is the most selfish athlete in town and counterproductive to a team’s…
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Tigers starter Anibal Sanchez has no-hit the Twins through seven innings tonight in Detroit. The only base runners he has allowed came on walks to Jamey Carroll and Chris Parmelee, and he has retired each of the last 17 batters he has faced. Parmelee, Eduardo Escobar, and Aaron Hicks are slated to face Sanchez when…
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Yankees outfielder Curtis Granderson was hit in the hand by Rays reliever Cesar Ramos in the fifth inning of tonight’s game against the Rays. He stayed in the game to run the bases, scoring on a bases loaded walk by Jayson Nix, but exited before the top of the sixth. Ichiro Suzuki took his place…
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The Braves are in Queens, New York tonight to open up a three-game series against the Mets. Catcher Evan Gattis isn’t starting, but figures to be used as a pinch-hitter late in the game if the Braves are in need of some offense, as the 26-year-old came up with two big home runs recently: on…
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Two articles were posted recently in stark contract to one another. The first is a very insightful piece by ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick, detailing Reds first baseman Joey Votto‘s approach to hitting. The second was a not-so-insightful piece by Paul Daugherty of the Enquire, taking a swipe at Votto because he doesn’t have many runs batted…
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Davey Johnson refuses to shave until the National offense wakes up
May 24, 2013, 7:10 PM EDT
AP
Nationals manager Davey Johnson isn’t happy with his team’s offense, which enters tonight’s series opener against the Phillies having averaged 3.38 runs per game, the second-worst rate in the league. Looking for a quirky way to motivate his team, Johnson says he will not shave until the offense makes an appearance: The Nationals manager apologized…
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AP
This is a quick look at the very best and worst each major league lineup spot has to offer this year. Posted along with each line is the player most responsible. We’ll start out with the good before moving on to the bad. 1. Reds: .292/.442/.517, 9 HR, 37 R, 20 RBI, 5 SB (Shin-Soo…
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The K-Crew at Royals games are people who roam the stands, dance on the dugout and fire up the fans. One of them also happens to be a nurse, and she helped save a 14 year-old fan’s life last Friday: Sam Sapenaro, 26, was working her second job as a member of Kauffman Stadium’s K-Crew…
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AP
Mark Teixeira laid out his rehab schedule for Wallace Matthews of ESPN New York, saying the current plan calls for him to play four games in the minors next week and then come off the disabled list to rejoin the Yankees by the end of the week. It’s worth noting that Teixeira has repeatedly laid…
