Weekly Wrap: August 25, 2017

To The DL

Mets RHP Justin Dunn is … done … for the season with right shoulder stiffness, so this is a mere update from last week. Be on the lookout for a player debate between Steve and me.

Mets C Patrick Mazeika was placed on the DL with an undisclosed injury. He was promoted last week and spoke about the experience here, here and here.

Another Mets prospect, INF Gregory Guerrero, has been out a few games, nursing a right shoulder injury. He was the subject of a 10-pack earlier this season here.

Pirates LHP Braeden Ogle was placed on the 60-day DL. He is the Pirates’ tenth-best prospect.

Brewers 2B Keston Hiura was placed on the DL with a bad hammy. Hiura was 10-packed last week, which you can read about here. Another Brewers prospect, SS Isan Diaz, missed two weeks with a sore hand. He was not placed on the DL, however. Greg Goldstein wrote about him here.

Yankees OF Estevan Florial is on the DL with an undisclosed injury. A toolsy prospect, Florial was also profiled by Goldstein here. Another prospect, big-armed RHP Domingo Acevedo, was also placed on the DL for an injury undisclosed. Seidler 10-packed him here.

Another big arm, LHP Jason Groome, was placed on the DL for an undisclosed injury. He was 10-packed earlier this season.

Athletics RHP Norge Ruiz was placed on the DL with a sore elbow. He signed for $2 million this offseason.

Giants CF Heliot Ramos, a 2017 first-rounder, is on the active DL after suffering a hit-by-pitch to the head. He was 10-packed here by Matt Pullman.

Off the DL

Cubs RHP Oscar De La Cruz is off the DL after being out since June 1 with a tender throwing arm. Heading into this season, he was ranked number eight in the Cubs system.

Yankees RHP Albert Abreu was activated after hitting the DL with a forearm strain for the second time this season. I spoke about him here.

Astros 2B Nick Tanielu is on rehab assignment with the GCL Astros. He is coming back from ACL surgery.

White Sox OF Blake Rutherford was activated from the DL. Greg Goldstein wrote about him here.

Athletics LHP Dalton Sawyer was activated from the DL.

Tigers RHP Gerson Moreno was also activated from the DL.

Blue Jays SS Bo Bichette was MIA for a few games due to a sore ankle. He is back in the lineup, and went 2-5 with a stolen base in his first game. Clearly, the ankle is fine. Oh, you haven’t heard of Bichette? Well read any of the three Eyewitness Reports here, here or here.

Up the Ladder

The Padres promoted 18-year-old SS Fernando Tatis Jr. to Double-A, skipping High-A. Tatis Jr. was 10-packed this past Monday. There are notes and video on him there. I encourage you to see and read.

Orioles RHP Hunter Harvey was promoted to Low-A. Supposedly his stuff is still there. His season line would indicate so: 13 IP 7 H 0 ER 4 BB 20 SO.

Detroit 2014 first-rounder CF Derek Hill was promoted to High-A. Several injuries, including undergoing Tommy John surgery last summer, have delayed his development, but not his athleticism and speed.

Giants promoted CF Steven Duggar to Triple-A from High-A San Jose. Duggar was 10-packed by Wilson Karaman here.

The Angels promoted RHP Jaime Barria to Triple-A Salt Lake. The 21-year-old stuck out 47 and walked 15 batters to a 53.3 percent flyball rate against Double-A batters in 61.2 innings. You can read about him here, thanks to Karaman again.

The White Sox promoted right-handed flamethrower Michael Kopech to Triple-A. He too was 10-packed recently by Scott Delp, which you can read here. In Kopech’s first Triple-A start, against the Norfolk Tide, he went five innings, earning four Ks, two walks and two runs to six hits allowed.

After catching many looks at them this season, the Mets are finally promoting their better prospects from the squad, starting with C Patrick Mazeika. 3B Jhoan Urena was promoted to Triple-A. A switch-hitting third baseman who can spray the ball all over the field, Urena has grown on me. He has taken a step forward in offensive production, showing a solid approach and an understanding of the zone. He has sneaky speed, and will rob bags if you do not pay attention to him. The glove is below average, and better profiles defensively at 1B/LF. This means he will need to hit for more power and average, and there is a chance for a second-division regular there.

1B Pete Alonso was promoted, too. With a well below-average glove—yes, he can cover first base if you need him to, but is a liability over long exposures— Alonso profiles to be a DH. A tough profile to fulfill, yes, but Alonso has 7 raw power and uses it in-game by crushing fastballs, which is your job as a pro hitter, and pitches middle-in. Conversely, he will need to learn to hit the softer stuff and to the outside half of the zone to provide solid value.

The Reds promoted 2017 third-round pick LHP Jacob Heatherly to Short-Season A Ball. In 30.2 innings in AZL ball, the 19-year-old struck out 26 and walked 16 with a 2.93 ERA.

The Brewers promoted RHP Cody Ponce to Double-A. John Eshleman wrote about him here. 40; mid-relief/backend SP; Avg FB is culprit, esp when he's behind in counts. SL best pitch, but it's probably a 55 to go w 45 FB; when he has his long levers in sync and stays on line well enough to locate his fastball around the zone, you can see a Role 5, but I need to see it work at AA before going there.

The Marlins promoted SS Cleulius Rondon to Double-A. A 20/20 bat, Rondon’s value comes in his plus defense. He plays short quite masterfully; it’s worth the price of (MiLB) admission alone. The 23-year-old giving up switch-hitting to become a left-handed hitter full-time. He is an emergency glove who can play up the middle.

The Yankees promoted LHP Stephen Tarpley to Double-A. When healthy, Tarpley is a solid reliever. In 30.2 innings in High-A, Tarpley recorded 36 strikeouts to 16 walks over 115 total batters faced.

The Yankees also promoted RHP Nolan Martinez to Rookie-Plus, from the GCL Yankees. He is their third-round pick from 2016.

The Twins promoted LHP Lewis Thorpe to Double-A.

Down the Chutes

Marlins CF Cameron Baranek was suspended 50 games for PEDs. Baranek, a bright spot in the Marlins 2017 draft, is a solid runner with good instincts who mans centerfield well with a plus arm and a fair hit tool, as well as below average power at the plate. The projectability is limited thanks to his medium, stocky, filled-out frame, but there is a fourth outfielder/reserve future here.

The Reds released RHP Ian Kahaloa. Kalahoa was serving a 50 game suspension while on the Short-Season Billings Mustangs roster, after failing a positive drug test. Several videos surfaced of his drug use prior to the start of the season. The Hawaiian fifth-round selection in 2015 evidently did not show enough progress throughout the program. However, the 19-year-old, according to his agent, is drawing interest from several teams.

The Marlins demoted LHP Jose Quijada from Double-A to High-A. His stats show that his control went wayward, which is unusual since his control is solid as a reliever. I still believe the 21-year-old has a major league future in his sights with his 70 fastball, solid curveball and change-up.