Baseball Daily Dose: Daily Dose: Ventura Sidelined
Yordano Ventura continues to find new and creative ways to leave games early.
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Unlike some of the self-inflicted exits that Ventura made earlier this season, the right-hander left Friday’s start against the Cardinals after three innings with right hand weakness. He allowed four hits and two runs before leaving, ending up with his sixth loss of the year.
The Royals hope they didn’t lose more than the game. Ventura told reporters after the game that three fingers on his right hand went numb during the start, saying afterwards that the hand felt “just a little better. Not much better.”
Royals manager Ned Yost said Ventura will have tests done Saturday in hopes of determining the cause of the numbness.
“I’m not speculating on anything until we get a better grasp on what it is,” Yost said Friday.
It’s certainly not a promising development for the 24-year-old, who has had his issues this season. Ventura has left starts due to a thumb cramp and a calf cramp and has twice been ejected for his role in dust-ups. He owns a 4.68 ERA and 1.26 WHIP after Friday’s outing.
The Royals should have a better idea of what they’re dealing with, and what Ventura’s near future looks like, on Saturday.
Back Injury Bites Betts
It was a game of highs and lows for Mookie Betts on Friday.
The outfielder launched his sixth home run of the season in the first inning, part of the Red Sox’ five-run onslaught against Jays starter Drew Hutchison in the inning, but he left following the second inning after running into the outfield wall. Betts was diagnosed with a sprained back.
After the game, Red Sox manager John Farrell said X-rays taken of Betts’ back were negative and that the outfielder wasn’t showing symptoms of a concussion. His availability for Saturday was still up in the air late Friday.
“He took quite an impact, obviously,” Farrell said. “I would say the impact of the wall and then also when he landed, there was a little bit of a twisting effect where he’s got a sprain in the back. He’s a little sore right now.
Fortunately for the club, if there’s one area in which the Red Sox can afford an injury it’s in the outfield. Shane Victorino continues to work his way back from a calf strain — he’ll likely begin a rehab assignment sometime next week — and they’ve got Alejandro De Aza, who replaced Betts in Friday’s game, on the big league club. At Triple-A Pawtucket, outfielders Allen Craig, Jackie Bradley Jr. and the recently demoted Carlos Peguero could all be options.
It’s a tough break for Betts, who has had ups and downs in his first full year in the majors. On the plus side, the 22-year-old has six homers and 10 steals through 61 games, showing the dual threat ability that made him one of the more coveted unproven players in fantasy drafts this March.
It hasn’t been all good, though. Betts been moved down in the lineup — a lineup that hasn’t lit the world on fire through 62 games — while posting a pedestrian .237/.296/.381 line.
Lynn Lands on DL
The hits keep coming for the Cardinals.
The team has already lost Adam Wainwright, Matt Adams and Matt Holliday for significant periods of time due to injury, and on Friday the club placed Lance Lynn on the 15-day disabled list with a right forearm strain.
Lynn originally felt soreness in the arm during Sunday’s start against the Dodgers, and an MRI on Tuesday showed the strain. Tyler Lyons will make Lynn’s scheduled start against the Royals on Saturday.
Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak expressed optimism that Lynn would be back after the short break.
“We just felt like with the tightness he was experiencing, giving him a layoff would help,” Mozeliak said. “I think we just have to keep an eye on him. He’s a unique pitcher in that he throws a lot of fastballs, likes to change speeds with that and that should help him in the long run.”
Lynn is having another strong season, one the team needed after Wainwright went down in late April. The 28-year-old owns a 3.07 ERA, 1.30 WHIP and 77/23 K/BB ratio over 73 1/3 innings.
Unlike Wainwright, Lynn isn’t expected to miss much more than the necessary 15 days. It would be a rare bit of good luck for the team this year.
National League Quick Hits: Stephen Strasburg (trapezius) threw live batting practice on Friday, the last step before potentially embarking on a rehab assignment. Strasburg has been on the disabled list since May 30 … after missing over a week with a left wrist injury, the Giants placed Hunter Pence on the disabled list retroactive to June 3. It’s the second disabled list stint for Pence this year … Jon Morosi of FOX Sports reports the Nationals have had trade discussions with the Reds for all-everything closer Aroldis Chapman. A deal isn’t close, and Chapman likely wouldn’t come cheap with another year of team control left before he hits free agency … Noah Syndergaard will have his start pushed back to Monday, with Dillon Gee making his Saturday start. The six-man rotation isn’t hard and fast, though, so Gee will only make starts when it makes sense, according to the club … Todd Frazier had another big day Friday, finishing 2-for-5 with a home run, two RBI, three runs scored and a stolen base. The third baseman is having another tremendous year offensively, now hitting .290/.358/.606 with 18 homers, 39 RBI and seven steals … Jaime Garcia continued his strong comeback from a shoulder injury, shutting out the Royals over eight innings Friday. Garcia struck out six without walking a batter and allowing only four hits, marking the fifth consecutive quality start he’s turned in since coming off the disabled list on May 21. Garcia is now 2-3 with a 2.06 ERA and 0.89 WHIP through five starts … Chase Anderson tried to give the Giants a taste of their own medicine, taking a no-hitter into the seventh inning Friday. Anderson allowed an infield single to Buster Posey to break up the no-no, but he earned the win with seven shutout innings.
American League Quick Hits: Jose Altuve left Friday’s game with a right hamstring strain. Despite the scary-sounding diagnosis, the team is calling him day-to-day. Altuve will sit out Saturday’s game, and it’ll be, well, day to day going forward … Shane Greene‘s season hit its lowest point Friday, as the starter was optioned to Triple-A Toledo. Greene started the year 3-0 with a 0.39 ERA through three starts, but he’s posted a 8.60 ERA while going 3-7 in 10 starts since … Torii Hunter was fined an undisclosed amount and suspended two games for his ejection from Wednesday’s game. Hunter will appeal the suspension, which was handed down after he berated the home plate umpire and partially disrobed on the field … David Price stymied the Indians on Friday, allowing seven hits while striking out eight in a complete-game shutout. The shutout was the third of Price’s career and his first since the middle of the 2012 season … Carlos Correa swatted a home run in his home debut, giving him two in his first four MLB games. The shortstop is hitting .313 with two homers, four RBI and a stolen base thus far, proving to be as advertised since being promoted … on the other side, it was a rare off night for Felix Hernandez. The Mariners ace actually endured the worst start of his magnificent career, allowing eight runs while recording just one out before being removed.
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