The Marlins had a rough week
Rumors of a second Major League manager firing were finally realized, while a blooming young star in Colorado was firmly “planted.” Rusney got ready to be a regular at Fenway, but Boston’s struggling rival called up a top prospect of their own. Plus, Matt Harvey’s implosion is the least of the Mets’ worries.
This is The Week That Was.
Redmond Takes the Fall
After almost failing to hit the ball against Shelby Miller in 6-0 loss on May 17, the Miami Marlins decided to part ways with manager Mike Redmond after a 16-22 start. Many rumors had spread about who may replace him. USA Today’s Bob Nightengale initially vouched for ex-Marlin Jeff Conine.
Jeff Conine, the #Marlins new manager, has been special assistant to President Mike Hill. An original Marlin
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) May 18, 2015
The Miami Herald’s Clark Spencer saw Brett Butler as the favorite to take charge until the Marlins found a suitable replacement.
Third base coach Brett Butler is thought to be favored to become #Marlins interim manager.
— clarkspencer (@clarkspencer) May 17, 2015
ESPN’s Buster Olney speculated about Eduardo Perez as a possibility.
Eduardo Perez would be an interesting name for the Marlins: roots with the org., knows the players, success as a manager in winter ball.
— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) May 17, 2015
In a fully unexpected move, however, Marlins’ general manager Dan Jennings was asked to step away from the front office and make his way to the dugout to be their fourth manager in five seasons. Mind you, he hasn’t managed a baseball club since 1985…and that was a high school team.
ARI@MIA: Jennings welcomed to Marlins with tie https://t.co/HmAS7GjFg8 via @YouTube
— Jonathan Ebanks (@hogz4lyfe) May 23, 2015
-This video was uploaded to YouTube by MLB
It was an odd move for a team that most experts believed could make the jump to the postseason. That train of thought was fueled by their ability to stay in the 2014 wild-card hunt into September and finish 77-85 with a roster substantially less talented than their 2013 iteration. Also, the acquisitions of Dee Gordon, Mat Latos and Michael Morse helped create hope around this ball club during the winter. As weird and crazy as the Marlins’ choice to replace Redmond was (read more about the shocking replacement here), it’s no excuse for this…
After losing their seventh-straight game, paying fans became sorely disappointed when Marlins’ players decided not to attend a charity event. The huge kicker was that event advertised that players would actually show up for it and fans would get a chance to mingle with their favorite Marlins’ athletes. Plus, the event was to help inner-city baseball programs. Fans complained on social media, but team president David Samson shared their disappointment.
Before Friday’s matchup, Samson said, “Win or lose, what we do in the community matters most. When you have a commitment with the community, you’ve got to do it. The job doesn’t end at the 27th out.” Player attendance was optional, but some players had already committed to going.
This raised questions as to whether the players were protesting Redmond’s firing, but it was supposedly just a move done in frustration after having lost seven straight games at the time, according to reliever Steve Cishek. Even though event attendees Dan Jennings and David Samson have both sung the same tune as Cishek as to why the players didn’t show up, I don’t know if I completely buy it.
Regardless, not showing up just because you’re losing is a far worse reason than not showing up because you’re protesting a potential organizational injustice a la Redmond’s firing. Seriously, if you’re gonna screw over the paying fans and the charity programs that are helping to promote your sport in your city just because you’re stinking up the joint, then you have no one to blame but yourself. Protesting your manager’s firing makes you an activist. Sitting out an event as a group because you’re melancholy about failing miserably at your job makes you losers! ‘Nuff said.
Disabled Dickerson
Having just one at-bat in each of the three games after aggravating the plantar fasciitis in his left foot on May 16, Corey Dickerson was finally placed on the 15-day disabled list. The ailment has lingered since late in Spring Training and it was just taking its sweet little time recovering. Manager Walt Weiss did say, “It’s reasonable to think he’ll be ready by the end of the DL stint.” If the injury isn’t fully healed by then, though, you’d have to expect the Rockies to keep him out until he’s completely recovered if they are still at least nine games back in the NL West. You don’t want to jeopardize your young star’s health by pushing him through pain in what has been a bleak season.
MLB.com’s Thomas Harding broke the news of the the Rockies calling up Ben Paulsen before Tuesday’s tilt with Philadelphia.
#Rockies have a locker for OF-1B Ben Paulsen, expected to announce placing OF Corey Dickerson on 15-day DL (plantar fasciitis)
— Thomas Harding (@harding_at_mlb) May 19, 2015
Dickerson had tried to tough it out, playing in 33 of the Rockies’ first 35 games and putting up a slash line of .306/.342/.523 with 15 runs, five homers and 16 RBI in 111 at-bats. He was doing pretty well, and, if there aren’t any setbacks, he should be back at the end of his DL stint.
Below is Weiss talking about Dickerson after his setback on May 16:
COL@LAD: Weiss on status of Dickerson https://t.co/DS8Wq1N7j1 via @YouTube
— Jonathan Ebanks (@hogz4lyfe) May 23, 2015
-This video was uploaded to YouTube by MLB
Rusney Returns
TB@BOS: Castillo hits his first career home run https://t.co/17j7LGPWF0 via @YouTube
— Jonathan Ebanks (@hogz4lyfe) May 23, 2015
-This video was uploaded to YouTube by MLB
There will be more of these homers from Rusney to come, Red Sox fans. Rusney Castillo returned to the majors for the first time since a 10-game stint in September 2014 after being recalled from Triple-A Pawtucket on Friday. Jackie Bradley Jr. was optioned to Triple-A to make room. Turns out the birth of Castillo’s second child wasn’t the only great news for the Castillo family this week, huh?
Castillo, the Red Sox’ sixth starting right fielder this season, batted eighth in Friday’s 12-5 loss to the Angels and finished with an error on a dropped fly ball and one hit with a run in four at-bats.
The decision to call up the 27-year-old Cuban defector was really just a move to spark their offense and actually get some production from right field for a change. Considering that Castillo is being paid $72.5 million over seven years, coupled with the fact that the Red Sox right field has a sad slash line of .159/.255/.241 during their first 42 games, I think Boston made the right choice in giving him a shot now.
Castillo looked remarkable during his 10-game stint last season, hitting two home runs and producing a .333/.400/.528 line. Red Sox Nation already acknowledges that he won’t be a savior, but those are the type of numbers that make fans and fantasy owners so giddy about this guy. There was a chance Castillo could have started the season with the team, but his oblique injury gave him a late start and spurred the club to leave him in the minors while they worked through their other options at right field.
His six steals in eight attempts, two homers and six RBI with a line of .293/.341/.440 in 18 games at Triple-A Pawtucket this year doesn’t look like the statline of a savior. However, Castillo first drew comparisons to a vintage Rajai Davis, but with power, after hitting .319/.383/.516 in 360 Cuban games. His speed is his best asset, but he’s got some good pop, too. Pair those with impressive contact and you have someone who can contribute in all five standard fantasy categories. He will not make the Red Sox winners, but he’ll certainly add some much-needed electricity to the lineup.
Can Jacob Lindgren Get Yankees Back on Track?
The Texas Rangers mauled the reeling New York Yankees on Friday and Saturday to give the Yanks five straight losses and nine losses in their last 10 games. Crazy how on Thursday the Yankees were actually leading the AL East, because they’ve looked like an absolute joke over the last couple of weeks.
Michael Pineda and C.C. Sabathia were blown apart in the third inning of both Friday and Saturday’s contests. The Bronx Bombers gave up seven runs during the third inning Friday, but since that wasn’t enough, they were extra generous and allowed 10 runs in the third on Saturday.
The Yankees have been so bad, they made a desperate move to add some fresh blood to their pitching on Saturday evening by calling up top RP prospect LHP Jacob Lindgren. The final straw was reliever Branden Pinder throwing 48 pitches during the Rangers’ 15-4 smashing on New York Saturday.
So who is Lindgren and why do the Yankees need him? Well, for starters, he hasn’t allowed a run in his last 11 2/3 innings over the course of seven appearances, while striking out 15. His 77 strikoeuts in just 46 2/3 career minor league innings gives him an obscene K/9 of 14.8. This season alone, Lindgren has notched three saves to go with 29 strikeouts and a 1.23 ERA in 22 innings.
It’s clear to see that on a basic statistical basis, the guy has a penchant for making batters consistently look foolish. His minor league instructors have even given him the name “The Strikeout Machine.” He’s got a mean slider and his fastball is pretty decent. His tendency to create ground balls has also been well documented. This guy is quickly going to make a name for himself as an absolutely filthy pitcher in this league…and after watching his slider in action, you’ll hop on the bandwagon, too.
GIF: Yankee's Jacob Lindgren flashing an elite slider in yesterday's Spring Training appearance – http://t.co/vz0BmRXybe
— Pitcher List (@ThePitcherList) March 4, 2015
Burnett’s Bucs Burn Harvey…But Mets Have Bigger Issues
Matt Harvey’s phenomenal return from elbow surgery experienced a sudden setback on May 23. Nothing is wrong with his arm, although you would assume something was up considering how inaccurate and inconsistent he was against A.J. Burnett and the Pittsburgh Pirates in the Mets’ 8-2 loss. The seven allowed runs in just four innings of work were both career worsts for the young star.
New York Mets vs Pittsburgh Pirates | Highlights | May 23, 2015 | MLB Se… https://t.co/r3plzfrTOb via @YouTube
— Jonathan Ebanks (@hogz4lyfe) May 24, 2015
-This video was uploaded to YouTube by MLB Game Recap
In fact, he surrendered two fewer runs during his previous five starts combined than he did in his latest outing. Regardless, Harvey is still looking spectacular overall with his now 5-2 record and 2.91 ERA. Plus, he was riding a streak of 16 scoreless innings spanning three games before Saturday’s blowout. That span included two shutout performances in which he fanned nine batters in each appearance. In short, Harvey’s bad game was just an anomaly and isn’t something the Mets should worry about. They have something far worse to deal with…
…And that something is David Wright’s rather disturbing spinal stenosis diagnosis. The brother of Peyton and Eli Manning, Cooper, would have played college football as an NFL-hopeful wide out if it wasn’t for being diagnosed with spinal stenosis. So what is it? It is the narrowing of the spine. One hit in the wrong spot could have easily left Cooper paralyzed, but what effect would that injury have for a third baseman?
The extra pressure placed on the spinal nerves could cause pain and muscle weakness in his lower back. As a result, the flexibility required to play the hot corner would be hampered, along with his ability to swing the bat well. This is something Wright may decide to play through, but it’s evident that the 32-year-old’s body is finally breaking down.
New Yorkers know all too well what spinal stenosis can do to athletes. In August 2014, former New York Giants running back David Wilson had to retire after acquiring spinal stenosis from a 2013 neck injury. Just three years after being the runner-up for NL MVP and winning the pennant with the Phillies in 1993, ex-Met Lenny Dykstra had to hang it up because of spinal stenosis, too.
Wright won’t be back anytime soon, but the Mets remain optimistic about his career prospects since they owe him $107 million through 2020 and really need his bat to help their mediocre offense. They’ve averaged just 3.1 runs a contest over a 28-game span right after their 11-game winning streak ended on April 23. In that same span, they’ve been outscored 107-88, while going 11-17.
Now the poor Mets’ offense isn’t even making use of Harvey’s starts anymore. The club has gone 1-3 in Harvey’s last four appearances in which the Mets only scored a grand total of six combined runs. Even though they’ve been shutout four times since their 13-3 start, their offense only managed to muster up 4.3 runs a game then, too.
So yes, while Harvey will be fine, the Mets’ offense depends on Wright’s bat, but who knows if he’ll even return to baseball? ‘Tis a bad time for the Metropolitans.
Jonathan Ebanks is a correspondent at FantasyPros. To read more from Jonathan, check out his archive and follow him @hogz4lyfe.
