Baseball Daily Dose: Dose: Life After Stanton
We’ve been down this road before haven’t we? Each year we wonder if this will be the year Giancarlo Stanton finally stays healthy. Well we can keep wondering. 2016 won’t be the year.
It’s been an interesting season for Stanton, which is usually the case. Stanton was his usual dinger-smashin’ self in April but his bat went into a deep slumber during the middle months of the season. Between May and June, Stanton hit just .205 with a measly seven homers and 21 RBI. The power switch turned on again in July as Stanton slugged his way to seven round-trippers, not including the 61 he let rip in the Home Run Derby at Petco Park.
Just when it looked like Stanton was hitting his stride, he got greedy. With the Marlins trailing by a run in the ninth inning Saturday against the White Sox, Stanton lifted a popup that fell just out of the reach of charging right fielder Adam Eaton. The opportunistic Stanton tried to stretch his bloop single into a double but was gunned down at second and hurt himself on the play. Stanton’s MRI revealed a strained groin, which will keep him sidelined for the rest of 2016. Suddenly the Marlins, a surprise Wild Card contender in the National League, have a huge hole in the middle of their batting order. Can anyone fill Stanton’s shoes?
The short answer is no but that won’t stop the Marlins from looking for reinforcements. Carlos Gomez is one player the Marlins will likely monitor in the coming days. The Astros designated Gomez for assignment last week and he should be available in a trade if the Marlins are interested. Gomez has had a down year (.210, 5 HR, 29 RBI in 85 games) but his past success makes him a worthy reclamation projection. He’s only two years removed from a glorious 2014 season that netted 23 homers, 34 steals and a .284 average. If the Marlins are able to land Gomez, the 30-year-old would likely form a platoon in right field with Ichiro Suzuki.
You’ll hear the calls for Alex Rodriguez. Finishing his career in Miami, the city he was raised in, would be the Hollywood ending A-Rod deserves. But as I discussed in Friday’s Dose, the National League’s lack of a DH makes Rodriguez an odd fit for the Marlins. Martin Prado is having a career year at third base and Rodriguez doesn’t have much experience at first, where Chris Johnson has been filling in for the injured Justin Bour. A-Rod did blast 33 homers last year and could benefit from a change of scenery after wearing out his welcome in the Bronx. But unless he can learn first base on the fly (Scott Hatteberg did it), A-Rod’s farewell tour won’t be stopping in Miami.
The Marlins are only a half-game behind St. Louis for the final Wild Card spot but injuries are beginning to pile up. Adam Conley (finger tendinitis) joined Stanton on the disabled list Sunday while All-Star closer A.J. Ramos is already out with a fractured middle finger. Opening Day starter Wei-Yin Chen (sprained elbow) resumed throwing recently but the Marlins aren’t counting on him to be a factor down the stretch. The Marlins still boast an impressive lineup (.271 AVG is third-best in MLB) and a legitimate ace in Jose Fernandez. But getting to October without Stanton could prove to be a Herculean task, especially with the Cardinals and Dodgers picking up steam.
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Mookie Hits the Hat Trick
Power hitters are usually cut from a similar cloth. The best ones look a lot like Giancarlo Stanton: hulking giants with ripped muscles. Some are a bit huskier (David Ortiz and Prince Fielder) but all of them bring an imposing presence to the plate.
That’s where Mookie Betts breaks from tradition. At 5’9 and 180 pounds, Betts is built like a leadoff man. He doesn’t hit like one, though. For the second time this season, Betts clubbed three homers in the same game, this time while leading the Red Sox to a 16-2 win over the visiting Diamondbacks. Two of his three blasts came off former Cy Young winner Zack Greinke, who was lit up for nine runs while recording just five outs. Sunday’s meltdown raised Greinke’s season ERA from 3.67 to 4.31.
Betts’ four-hit, eight-RBI effort was the latest masterpiece in a season full of brilliant hitting. He’s now up to 26 homers, which ties him with David Ortiz for the team lead. Who knew Betts, a 23-year-old bowling enthusiast (I may have glanced at his Wikipedia page), had this much pop in his bat? It seemed a bit fluky when Betts supplied 18 homers in 2015, but obviously there was much more where that came from.
Betts is well on his way to his first 100 RBI season, which would make him the first Sox outfielder to reach that number since Jacoby Ellsbury accomplished the feat in 2011. Fortunately for fantasy owners, Betts hasn’t let his newfound power come at the expense of his speed. The nimble right fielder has swiped 18 bags this year and has only been caught three times. He’s hit for average too, batting .313 in 492 at-bats. That ties him with teammate Xander Bogaerts for fourth-best in the American League. Dustin Pedroia, who provided five hits in Sunday’s 16-run outburst, is also in the top 10 in that category.
Lost in all the offensive fireworks was another strong showing from Rick Porcello. The right-hander held the D’Backs to three hits and a single run in Sunday’s seven-inning gem. Porcello is now tied for the major league lead with 16 wins. Nobody could have seen that coming after Porcello limped through a tough year in 2015 (9-15, 4.92 ERA). He’s done his best work since the All-Star break with a 2.40 ERA in six second-half starts.
Porcello’s emergence has helped offset some of David Price’s struggles. Advertised as a perennial ace, Boston’s $217-million man has disappointed with a 4.29 ERA over 25 appearances. If the Red Sox had to play a win-or-go-home Game 7 right now, starting Porcello would be the easy choice.
AL Quick Hits: All-Star knuckleballer Steven Wright was placed on the disabled list with a right shoulder injury he suffered while pinch-running for David Ortiz against the Dodgers last week. Clay Buchholz will draw the start in Wright’s place Thursday against the Tigers … Carlos Santana returned to the Indians’ lineup Sunday after missing two games with a head contusion. The power-hitting DH went 1-for-4 with a single in a win over the Angels … Athletics manager Bob Melvin has acknowledged that Sonny Gray may not return this season. Gray is dealing with a strained forearm and isn’t close to beginning a throwing program … James Paxton felt good after Saturday’s bullpen session and is now in line to start Tuesday against the Angels. Paxton had his start pushed back after being struck in the elbow by a comebacker in his last outing … Matt Wieters helped the Orioles erase a six-run deficit by delivering a career-high five hits Sunday in a win over the Giants. He finished a home run shy of the cycle while boosting his average from .232 to 245.
NL Quick Hits: Brandon McCarthy is headed back to the disabled list, this time for right hip stiffness. McCarthy first suffered the injury while fielding a bunt against the Rockies on August 2. He hasn’t looked right in his last two starts, issuing 10 walks over that span … Brett Anderson was activated Sunday following a lengthy recovery from back surgery. He endured a disastrous return, allowing five hits and five runs in one inning against the Pirates before leaving with a sprained left wrist. He could be headed back to the disabled list … Rich Hill completed a bullpen session on Sunday. He had been slated to make a rehab appearances Monday for Triple-A Oklahoma City but that’s off the table now. Hill has missed most of the last month with a blister that won’t seem to go away … Clayton Kershaw threw on flat ground Sunday for the third straight day. Kershaw hasn’t pitched in a game since June 26 because of a herniated disc in his lower back … Justin Turner was sidelined again for Sunday’s series finale against the Pirates. He’s missed the Dodgers’ last two games with a bruised right hand but won’t require a DL stint … Starling Marte was originally listed in the Pirates’ lineup Sunday against the Dodgers but was scratched with upper back stiffness. Adam Frazier started in his place and went 4-for-5 with four singles … Bryce Harper returned to the Nationals’ lineup Sunday after sitting out the previous five games with neck spasms. He went 1-for-3 with an RBI double in a win over the Braves … Buster Posey was scratched from Sunday’s starting lineup after feeling tightness in his lower back. He returned as a pinch-hitter and was intentionally walked in his only plate appearance … Steven Matz took a no-hitter into the eighth inning Sunday against the Padres. Alexei Ramirez ended the no-hit bid on a single to right field with one out in the eighth inning … The Diamondbacks shook up their starting rotation by replacing Patrick Corbin with Zack Godley. Corbin will move to the bullpen after yielding eight runs (four earned) Friday in a loss to Boston … Brandon Phillips exited Sunday’s game with a bruised knee. Phillips has been red-hot this month, batting .439 with two homers and 11 RBI over his last 41 at-bats … Tyler Chatwood left Sunday’s game against the Phillies with upper back tightness. He had a tough day, allowing six runs (four earned) and five walks in only four innings.
