Baseball Daily Dose: Daily Dose: Get Carter
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Convinced that his inconsistency and big strikeout numbers weren’t worth the power he provided, the Astros non-tendered Chris Carter over the winter. Carter is doing his best to make them regret the decision.
Carter launched a pair of mammoth home runs in Tuesday’s victory over the Angels. It was the first baseman’s second two-homer game already in May and he’s now batting .287/.356/.713 with nine longballs and 21 RBI over his first 25 games this season.
The book on Carter has been out for a while now. He averaged 30 homers per season from 2013-15 but also hit just .218 while averaging 182 strikeouts. But is he a changed hitter this season?
Well, maybe?
Carter noted recently that he worked over the offseason on hitting more balls to center and right field rather than trying to pull everything. It seems to have worked, at least in the early going, as six of his nine homers have gone to center or the opposite field. From 2013-15, about one out of every four of Carter’s homers went to center or right. This year it’s been two out of every three. Even most of Carter’s flyouts have also been going to right field, so there does appear to be a conscious effort to hit the ball the other way.
The bad news is that Carter’s flyball rate this season has been well below his career mark, and his HR/FB rate surely won’t keep up at this pace, not even with him calling Miller Park home. Carter is also still striking out a bunch (although a little less than his career rate), and his recent homer binge was preceded by a 0-for-12 stretch.
Ultimately, it’s just too soon to know whether Carter’s altered approach will stick and whether it will pay dividends. So far, so good, though.
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Park It
Speaking of hitting homers to the opposite field, Byung-ho Park did that on Tuesday as he continues to provide power for the Twins.
Park’s dinger against the Astros was his third in his last six games and seventh overall on the season. The Korean import has given the Twins the sock in the designated hitter spot which they sought when they won the bid and ultimately signed him to a four-year contract over the offseason.
But, as has been the case during Carter’s career, Park has piled up a bunch of strikeouts to go along with those home runs. The 29-year-old has struck out in just a shade under 30 percent of his plate appearances thus far for the Twins. To give you an idea as to how high that rate is, Chris Davis led baseball with his 31 percent strikeout rate last season.
Ultimately, the Twins will surely put up with the swings and misses if Park is going to keep putting balls over the boards. The DH is currently on pace for 150 strikeouts but also 42 homers. That’ll play.
Danks DFA’d
The White Sox currently have the best record in the American League, but that didn’t stop them from designating their longest-tenured player for assignment on Tuesday.
Veteran left-hander John Danks was given the heave-ho by Chicago after posting a 7.25 ERA over four April starts. The struggles extend much farther back than that, though. Danks holds a 4.92 ERA across 97 starts since the beginning of 2012 and hasn’t put up an ERA lower than 4.71 in any of those seasons. The southpaw just hasn’t been the same pitcher since having shoulder surgery in August of 2012.
Danks is still owed roughly $13 million on the final year of his five-year, $65 million contract, so obviously he’s going to pass through waivers before officially being released. He might have to settle for a minor league deal at this point in his career.
Taking Danks’ spot in the White Sox’ rotation will be Erik Johnson. Johnson holds a pedestrian 4.17 ERA and 66/43 K/BB ratio over 86 1/3 innings in his 16 career starts at the major league level. He posted a 3.34 ERA over six outings last season, though, with 30 punchouts across 35 innings. The 26-year-old right-hander has put up a 2.45 ERA and 152/48 K/BB ratio over 154 1/3 frames at Triple-A Charlotte since the beginning of last season. Johnson is worth a shot in AL-only formats.
National League Quick Hits: Anthony Rendon hit his first home run of the season in Tuesday’s loss to the Royals … Jeff Samardzija recorded nine strikeouts over eight frames of one-run ball in a victory over the Reds on Tuesday … Aaron Nola pitched seven scoreless innings, striking out seven in a win over the Cardinals on Tuesday … Marcell Ozuna homered for the third straight game in Tuesday’s win over the Diamondbacks … Billy Hamilton was removed from Tuesday’s game against the Giants after aggravating his left thumb injury … Ben Revere (oblique) is on track to rejoin the Nationals this weekend in Chicago … Matt Kemp went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in Tuesday’s win over the Rockies … Jonathan Lucroy went 2-for-3 with a home run, two RBI and two runs scored in Tuesday’s win over the Angels … Howie Kendrick went 4-for-5 with two RBI and two runs scored as the Dodgers defeated the Rays … Matt Wisler permitted just one hit over eight shutout innings in Tuesday’s victory over the Mets … Jake Arrieta yielded just two hits across seven shutout innings in Tuesday’s victory over the Pirates … Robbie Erlin needs Tommy John surgery … Ender Inciarte (hamstring) will begin a rehab assignment Wednesday … Jason Heyward (wrist) remained out of the lineup on Tuesday …
American League Quick Hits: Pablo Sandoval underwent season-ending surgery Tuesday to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder … Aroldis Chapman is expected to make two appearances this week in the minors before joining the Yankees next Monday. He will immediately take over the closing duties … Justin Smoak tied the game in the ninth with a homer and won it with another homer in the 10th in Tuesday’s victory over the Rangers … Mark Trumbo homered twice Tuesday in the Orioles’ defeat of the Yankees … Alex Rodriguez will undergo an MRI and could need a stint on the disabled list after straining his hamstring Tuesday … Francisco Lindor went 3-for-4 with a three-run homer and three runs scored in Tuesday’s win over the Tigers … Alcides Escobar went 4-for-5 with an RBI, two runs scored and a steal in Tuesday’s win over the Nationals … Kyle Seager went 2-for-4 with a three run home run in Tuesday’s win over the A’s … Hisashi Iwakuma went seven innings of four-hit, one-run ball against the A’s on Tuesday … Jose Quintana held the Red Sox to one run over eight innings in Tuesday’s win … Chris Tillman whiffed nine while tossing seven frames of one-run ball in a win over the Yankees … Tony Zych was placed on the disabled list with rotator cuff tendinitis … Joe Kelly (shoulder) will begin a rehab assignment Friday … Ervin Santana (back) is on track to return from the disabled list Saturday versus the White Sox … Avisail Garcia (hamstring) is aiming to return to the White Sox starting lineup Wednesday …
