MLB Prospect Watch

Injury Update: Schoop, Graham

Schoop Strains Back

The Baltimore Orioles have placed Jonathan Schoop on the 7-day DL with a back strain, reports Eduardo Encina of The Baltimore Sun, who notes that the "injury isn't expected to be serious."

Schoop has spent the entire 2013 in Triple-A, hitting .268/.331/.368 on the season.  I noted before the year that this was a make-or-break year for Schoop to prove that he could hit right-handed pitching more consistently, but even after a strong fall league and a solid World Baseball Classic, he still has yet to prove he can consistently hit same-handed pitching.

So far this season in a limited sample of games, Schoop has kept with his career trends:

 

Split	G	PA	AB	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS
vs RHP as RHB	33	110	101	26	3	0	3	11	7	19	.257	.318	.376	.694
vs LHP as RHB	19	34	30	9	3	0	0	9	3	7	.300	.382	.400	.782

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 5/16/2013.

The limited sample from this year wouldn't be enough to make the determination on it's own, but when pared with his totals from last year's dramatic splits...

Split	G	PA	AB	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS
vs RHP as RHB	121	387	339	74	16	0	8	41	30	78	.218	.291	.336	.628
vs LHP as RHB	71	168	146	45	8	1	6	22	20	25	.308	.399	.500	.899

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 5/16/2013.

...it becomes worrisome.

This injury has little to do with his on-field production and shouldn't prohibit the Orioles from calling him up later in the season if they choose to do so, but for now, Schoop will take a week off and rest his ailing back.

 

Braves' Graham Out with Shoulder Issue

The Atlanta Braves have put pitching prospect J.R. Graham on the disabled list with shoulder issue they are calling a strain but really have yet to identify, says Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com.

Graham left his last start after just two innings, but doctors were unable to identify what in his right shoulder was giving him issues.  Due to the ambiguity of his injury, there is no current timetable for his return.

It's logical to question how long Graham has been having issues with his shoulders, given his struggles over his last two starts.  Graham hadn't been dominant all year, but prior to his seventh start on the season in May 8th, he had a 3.41 ERA and 25 strikeouts in 29 innings.  In his two starts since then, however, he struck out just three batters in seven innings.  Obviously the sample size is ridiculously small, but a drop in strikeout rates can sometimes be due to a drop in velocity which could be due to discomfort in his shoulder.

Of course, it could also just be a coincidence.

Either way, Graham is out for the time being until the Braves can get a better grip on what is wrong with his arm.  Given that it's a shoulder issue, the Braves will likely handle him conservatively, especially until they can figure out exactly what is causing his discomfort.

Prospect Action - 5/5/13

Triple-A

• Zack Wheeler put together the best start of his season, throwing six shutout innings and walking just one, according to Jonathan Raymond of MiLB.com.  Wheeler has now put together back-to-back solid starts after struggling to begin the year.
• Dellin Betances threw five no-hit innings on Sunday, reports Ashley Marshall of MiLB.com, but true to form for the Yankees right-hander, he walked four in the outing.  It was a season-high in walks for Betances, who has given out 16 free passes in 24 innings.
• A two-run double for Mike Zunino proved to be the difference on Sunday, notes The Seattle Times.  The Mariners catcher got off to a hot start at the beginning of the season, but is just 3-for-30 over his past eight games.
• Jake Odorizzi and his Rays teammates combined on a no-hitter on Sunday, says Jake Seiner of MiLB.com.  Odorizzi struck out three and walked four in the outing, lowering his ERA to 2.65 on the season.

Double-A

• Dodgers outfielder Joc Pederson, often times over-shadowed within his own organization, broke out of a early-season slump on Sunday with a 4-for-6 day at the plate that included a home run, notes Raymond.
• Aaron Northcraft lowered his ERA to 3.46 on Sunday with five scoreless innings and six strike outs.  The Braves prospect broke out last season in the Carolina League, but has alternated good starts with poor ones so far in the Southern League.
• Kevin Gausman dropped to 1-4 on the season despite allowing just two runs in seven innings of work.  The Orioles 2012 first-rounder has now allowed two earned runs or less in his last three starts.

High-A

• Domingo Tapia threw six innings of two-hit ball, reports Seiner,  lowering the Mets right-hander's ERA to 2.23 on the season. Tapia has been strong this season in his second year in full-season ball, striking out 28 batters in 32 1/3 innings.
• Giants slugger Angel Villalona hit his sixth home run of the season and now has his batting average up to .214 thanks to 11 hits in his last 10 games.
• Gregory Polanco raised his batting average to .321 on the year with a 3-for-5 day at the plate that included a double and a home run.  The Pirates outfielder is now slugging .486 on the season and also has 10 steals.

Low-A

• Twins prospect Jose Berrios advanced to 3-0 on the season after striking out eight batters in six innings of work.   The 2012 first-round pick now sports a 2.55 ERA on the season with 21 strike outs in 17 2/3 innings.
• Tyrell Jenkins threw a complete game shutout on Sunday, lowering his ERA to 4.97 on the season.  The Cardinals prospect needed just 97 pitches to complete the outing.

Prospect Action - 5/3/12

Triple-A

• Allen Webster, back in the minors after a major league spot start, earned his first win of the season, as the Red Sox prospect struck out nine over six innings of work, says Jonathan Raymond of MiLB.com.
• James Paxton struck out nine batters in five innings and the Mariners left-hander retired the first 13 batters he faced, reports T.J. Cotterill of The Tacoma News Tribune.
• Michael Kickham struck out eight over 7 1/3 innings of shutout baseball on Friday, notes Sam Dykstra of MiLB.com.  The Giants left-hander entered the game having allowed at least five runs in each of his previous three starts.
• Kyle Gibson's inconsistencies continued on Friday as the Twins prospect continued to alternate strong starts with poor ones, allowing five runs in 4 2/3 innings in his latest outing.
• Joey Terdoslavich continued his hot hitting this season, as the Braves prospect, playing right field on Friday, went 3-for-4 with a home run.

Double-A

• George Springer had another hot day at the plate, going 3-for-5 with a double and a home run, the ninth blast of the season for the Astros outfielder.  Springer is now hitting .305/.402/.638 on the season.
• A 1-for-5 day at the plate left Xander Bogaerts still hitting .303 on the season, and the Red Sox shortstop hit his second home run of the year in the game.
• Alex Wood made it just four innings before reaching his 85-pitch limit for the night, but he did strike out seven batters in the process.

High-A

• A.J. Cole tossed a gem on Friday, striking out nine over six innings of shutout baseball for his first win of the season.  Cole is back in the Nationals organization after being traded for Gio Gonzalez, but was returned in the Mike Morse three-team trade.
• Noah Syndergaard was strong again, allowing just a run over six innings while striking out five.  The Mets right-hander now sports a 2.90 ERA on the season.
• Nolan Fontana put together a four-hit night and is now hitting .384 on the season.  The Astros shortstop is hitting .514 over the past ten games and has a .515 on-base percentage on the season. 

Low-A

• Rock Shoulders, America's favorite prospect name, hit his sixth home run of the season.  The Cubs first base prospect is now hitting .366/.449/.656 on the season, his first in full-season ball.
• Joey Gallo hit his 10th home run of the season as part of a 2-for-4 day at the plate.  The Rangers third baseman has now homered in back-to-back games and is now leading the South Atlantic League in home runs.

Prospect Action - 5/2/13

Triple-A

• Sean Gilmartin has been very sharp lately, and the Braves was at it again on Thursday, taking a no-hitter into the sixth inning before allowing three runs in 6 2/3 innings to take his first loss of the season, according to Sam Dykstra of MiLB.com.
• Oscar Taveras hit his third home run of the season, as the Cardinals outfielder is how hitting .313 on the season.
• Mike Zunino and Nick Franklin weren't able to join in the offensive party with their Mariners teammates on Thursday, as both went 0-for-4 with a pair of strikeouts each.  Franklin, playing shortstop on this night, has been the subject of promotion rumors given the Mariners offensive struggles this season in the majors and his red-hot start.
• Jonathan Villar had a huge day at the plate, as the Astros shortstop prospect went 4-for-4 with a home run, reports Robert Emrich of MiLB.com.  Villar is now hitting .442 over his past 10 games and is in the midst of an eight-game hitting streak.

Double-A

• Jameson Taillon allowed at least three runs for the third straight start, although this time out, just two of them were earned.  Taillon was able to strike out six batters in as many innings, but took the loss in the outing, the third of the year for the Pirates right-hander.
• In a somewhat unlikely pitcher's duel, Yankees lefty Nik Turley struck out eight over six innings of one-run baseball to defeat Blue Jays right-hander Deck McGuire, who allowed just two runs over six innings of his own.  Both pitchers entered the game with ERA's over 5.00.
• It took Anthony Ranaudo 85 pitches to get though 5 1/3 innings before being removed due to the Red Sox pitch limit restrictions, but during his time in the game, he managed to allow just one run while striking out four.
• Archie Bradley appeared to have no trouble making the transition to Double-A, as the Diamondbacks through a six-inning complete game in a shortened contest, striking out seven batters in six innings and allowing just one run.  Bradley, recently promoted to Mobile, has battled control issues last season, but has showed much improvement this year and walked just two in his first start at his new level.
• Yasiel Puig hit his fifth home run of the season, but it wasn't enough run support for fellow Dodgers prospect Chris Reed, who got roughed up in the start, allowing six runs in 4 2/3 innings.

High-A

• Aaron Sanchez was dominant on Wednesday, striking out six batters and allowing just one run in 3 2/3 innings. Sanchez has been good again this season and now has a 3.16 ERA and a 2.54 FIP on the year.
• Marlins pitcher Jose Urena got hit around in his latest start, allowing six runs (five earned) in five innings of work, but still managed to earn a win.
• Sam Selman, the Royals second-round pick last year, struggled again, allowing five runs (four earned) in 3 2/3 innings of work.  The left-hander is walking too many batters, having now allowed 18 free passes in 21 innings.

Low-A

• Byron Buxton hit his fifth home run of the season as the Twins prospect continues to dominate the Midwest League.  The second overall pick from last season is now hitting .388/.509/.694 on the season and could earn himself a promotion in the next month. 
• Joey Gallo hit his ninth home run of the season and fellow Rangers teammate Lewis Brinson hit fifth en route to a 6-3 victory.

Prospect Action - 4/26/13

Triple-A

• Mariners prospect Andrew Carraway took a no-hitter into the seventh inning on Friday night, reports Todd Dewey of The [Tacoma] News Tribune, striking out five in the outing and lowering his ERA to 3.38 on the season.
• Andre Rienzo allowed six runs (five earned) in 5 1/3 innings, notes the Charlotte Observer.  For the White Sox right-hander from Brazil, the rough outing raises his ERA to 7.71 on the season.
• Sean Gilmartin threw eight innings of one-run baseball as the Braves left-hander advanced to 2-0 on the season and lowered his ERA to 2.40.
• Nick Castellanos went 3-for-5 with a home run and the Tigers top prospect is now six for his last 12 and has homered in three of his past four games.

Double-A

• Despite taking a loss on the night, Mets right-hander Rafael Montero was strong once again, allowing two runs in five innings but striking out eight in the process.
• No matter where Marcell Ozuna plays, he hits for power.  The Marlins outfield prospect added another home run on Friday night, his fourth in his last three games, and he's now hitting .345 in his first seven games since being promoted to Double-A.
• Tyler Matzek showed just how dominant he can be if he keeps his control in check, as the Rockies left-hander walked just one batter over five strong innings, striking out six and allowing just three hits.

High-A

• Maikel Franco had a huge night at the plate, hitting a pair of home runs en route to a seven-RBI day.  The Phillies third base prospect is now hitting .300/.351/.544 on the season.  
• Twins prospect Miguel Sano hit his 9th home run of the season.
• Angel Villalona is still getting re-acclimated to professional baseball, hitting just .193 on the season, but the Giants slugger did hit his fifth home run of the season on Friday, showing that the power is still there.

Low-A

• Rangers slugger Joey Gallo homered again, his 8th of the season, and has his batting average up to .228.
• Robert Stephenson didn't pitch terribly, but the Reds prospect still dropped to 0-3 after allowing two runs in 5 2/3 innings.