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(*) PLAYING TIME: Weeks moves into platoon

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BaseballHQ

Jun 4 2013 11:06pm

(*) PLAYING TIME: Weeks moves into platoon

BaseballHQ

Jun 4 2013

Team-by-team playing time allocation charts can be found in our Teamview pages.

National League \| American League

Brewers \| Rickie Weeks to platoon
Milwaukee Brewers 2B Rickie Weeks will platoon at second base with 2B Scooter Gennett. Weeks will start against left-handers and some right-handers, while Gennett will play against righties. Source: MLB.com - Adam McCalvy

BHQ take: It is assumed here that Weeks, who has recently shown signs of snapping out of his lengthy season-opening slump, will eventually reclaim the bulk of PT. For the short-term, however, 23-year-old call-up Gennett will get a shot to show what he can do. He is profiled in the Callups section. Weeks has struggled even more than usual making contact, with his current 66% ct% a career low. He typically maintains low-mid 70s contact rates, though his 71% ct$ in 2012 marked his previous career low. His 93 PX is also a far cry from his typical 120+ PX, with the power outage contributing to his meager .223 xBA. Weeks is 8-for-24 with four XBH since May 26. —Tom Kephart

Impact: High
Gennett, Scooter	PT Gain: 25%
Weeks, Rickie	PT Loss: -15%



Nationals \| Danny Espinosa to DL
The Washington Nationals placed 2B Danny Espinosa (wrist, shoulder) on the 15-day disabled list Tuesday, June 4, but it's unknown if it's for his shoulder or wrist. Espinosa could need to have shoulder surgery. Source: The Washington Post - Adam Kilgore

BHQ take: Espinosa has been simply awful this season. Over the last month, he's had a 63% contact rate, a .133 xBA and a 58 PX. If he weren't eligible for the DL, he'd likely have been sent to the minors, and Nats' GM Anthony Rizzo has indicated that he might be headed there for awhile even after he's healthy. Who plays second in the meantime—or long-term—is up in the air. Anthony Rendon, recalled on Tuesday, is rated as a 9B prospect by BaseballHQ.com, and he was the Nats' early first round pick in 2011. He has, however, played little at second in his minor league, or college, career. If he can approach the four-figure OPS he put up at Double-A Harrisburg for the first month of this season, one would have to expect him to claim a lot of playing time. However, Tuesday the Nats started Lombardozzi at second. Aside from a solid contact rate—86% so far—and a three-digit Spd over his career, he probably doesn't deserve to be rostered except in deep leagues. —Phil Hertz

Impact: High
Rendon, Anthony	PT Gain: 30%
Lombardozzi, Steve	PT Gain: 10%
Espinosa, Danny	PT Loss: -35%



Dodgers \| Hanley Ramírez activated
The Los Angeles Dodgers activated SS Hanley Ramírez (hamstring) from the 15-day disabled list Tuesday, June 4, and placed SP Chris Capuano (forearm) on the 15-day DL in a corresponding move. Source: MLB.com - Ken Gurnick

BHQ take: We'll take the Dodgers' word that Hanley will continue to play SS, even thought they've debated moving him to 3B for most of the season. 3B looks like a job share between Hairston, the cooling Punto and the surprisingly productive Uribe until further notice. Uribe's 83 PX and 2 HR say he's not generating the pop he once did, and the .244 xBA says his .283 BA has room to fall. But until then, that unprecedented 15% bb% will also help keep him in playing time, though 3B remains a fluid situation. Fife will likely battle Matthew Magill for starts from the #5 spot until either Capuano or Beckett returns from the DL —Jock Thompson

Impact: High
Capuano, Chris	PT Loss: -4%
Fife, Stephen J	PT Gain: 1%
Hairston, Jerry	PT Loss: -5%
Punto, Nick	PT Loss: -5%
Ramirez, Hanley	PT Gain: 5%
Uribe, Juan	PT Gain: 5%



Brewers \| Alfredo Figaro takes rotation spot
Milwaukee Brewers SP Alfredo Figaro replaced SP Mike Fiers in the rotation. Source: MLB.com - Adam McCalvy

BHQ take: Figaro has pitched well out of the bullpen to date. He has shown excellent control, with 1.8 Ctl, contributing to 3.9 Cmd in 34 IP. He recorded 4 K/1 BB in 5 IP in a May 28 spot start, recorded as PQS-3. If he sustains that Ctl/Cmd in the rotation, he will likely enjoy success. Fiers has proven unable to avoid hard contact, with his 26% LD%,26% HR/F and 2.1 HR/9 contributing to his 7.25 ERA being much higher than his unimpressive 4.88 xERA. With Marco Estrada possibly headed to the DL with a hamstring strain, Figaro could get an extended rotation shot. —Tom Kephart

Impact: High
Fiers, Mike	PT Loss: -2%
Estrada, Marco	PT Loss: -2%
Figaro, Alfredo	PT Gain: 4%



Rockies \| Tyler Chatwood's injury not serious
Colorado Rockies SP Tyler Chatwood's (triceps) sore right triceps does not appear to be a serious injury. However, he's flying back to Denver for an MRI exam, and he won't have a bullpen session Wednesday, June 5. He's on schedule to start against the San Diego Padres Saturday, June 8, but it's too early to tell if he'll be able to make that start. 'It's just sore. Anytime I tried to throw fastballs to my glove side, it was sore,' said Chatwood, whose triceps was packed with ice after the game. 'They said it was probably just inflammation, but nothing serious, hopefully.' Source: The Denver Post - Patrick Saunders

BHQ take: Chatwood has pitched well for the Rockies with back-to-back PQS-5 starts and was having another strong outing on June 3 before yielding to the triceps injury. It’s not known if he’ll be in the position to make his next start, which amplifies the recent buzz surrounding Roy Oswalt and his possible return to the majors. When the Rockies signed Oswalt to a minor-league contract on May 2, their stated plan was for him to pitch up to a half-dozen games before considering a promotion, but Chatwood’s injury, Jeff Francis’ prolonged absence, and the overall ineffectiveness of Jon Garland (17 BPV) may have accelerated that timetable. (Among Rockies SP, only Jorge da la Rosa, with 67%, has more quality starts than not.) Oswalt has pitched twice for the Double-A Tulsa Drillers, totaling 11 innings with a 3.27 ERA, with a third appearance scheduled for June 4. Impressive results could catapult him to COL sometime before his contract opt-out date of June 18. This developing story has multiple scenarios and potentially weighty PT considerations; we’ll start conservatively. —Rob Carroll

Impact: Med
Chatwood, Tyler	PT Loss: -1%
Oswalt, Roy	PT Gain: 3%



Mets \| Kirk Nieuwenhuis a candidate to be recalled
New York Mets OF Kirk Nieuwenhuis, who homered twice for Triple-A Las Vegas Tuesday, June 4, to give him eight jacks in the last 14 games, is now on the radar of manager Terry Collins to be recalled to the majors. Nieuwenhuis went 2-for-16 with a walk and eight strikeouts before being optioned to the minors April 23. Las Vegas manager Wally Backman said Nieuwenhuis' home run success hasn't been the result of hitting in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League, and the outfielder has been more aggressive with two strikes. OF Rick Ankiel 2-for-28 with 13 strikeouts recently and has been dropped to No. 8 in the hitting order. Collins also indicated that OF Juan Lagares would probably benefit from more playing time in the minors. Source: ESPNNewYork.com - Adam Rubin

BHQ take: With the Mets barely ahead of the Marlins, the Mets may start playing their younger players. If so, that's bad news for Rick Ankiel. It's not as if Ankiel has been making it difficult to make a move. After a nice first weeks with New York, he has done little as evidenced by a .212 xBA and a 65% contact rate over the last month. After a hot month in Triple-A, Lagares has not been much of a factor with the Mets—his XBA is .195. However, he has put up a 126 PX ad 104 Spd over the last month. At this time a year ago, Nieuwenhuis was widely owned after a hot start with the Mets. Then he essentially went 0 for June got demoted to Triple-A, and got hurt. He started this season with the Mets, but was demoted after a couple of weeks during which he played little. He started slowly with Las Vegas, but has been getting better as the season has progressed. Neither his PX nor his Spd are projected to reach three figures. —Phil Hertz

Impact: High
Lagares, Juan	PT Gain: 15%
Nieuwenhuis, Kirk	PT Gain: 10%
Ankiel, Rick	PT Loss: -5%



Nationals \| Jayson Werth activated
The Washington Nationals activated OF Jayson Werth (hamstring) from the 15-day disabled list Tuesday, June 4. Source: MLB.com

BHQ take: After missing more than a month, Jayson Werth has been activated. What should owners expect? Probably not what they want: the Jayson Werth who played with the Phillies. His PX has fallen precipitously since his days in Philadelphia; last year it fell to 97. We're projecting a slight improvement this year with a PX of 116 the rest of this season. Probably the main playing time loser as a result of Werth's return will be Tyler Moore, who to say the least has been a disappointment. His xBA over the last month is .157 and that comes with an 82 PX. We're projecting an uptick in those numbers the rest of the season, but his playing time may be minimal, especially when Bryce Harper returns from his DL stint. —Phil Hertz

Impact: Med
Moore, Tyler	PT Loss: -5%
Werth, Jayson	PT Gain: 15%



Reds \| Brandon Phillips expects to be ready Friday
Cincinnati Reds 2B Brandon Phillips (forearm) said he expects to be ready to play the first game of an important series against the St. Louis Cardinals Friday, June 7. Source: Dayton Daily News - Hal McCoy

BHQ take: Phillips will miss the entire current COL series, but his loss of PT will be minimal provided he returns as scheduled. Cesar Izturis will continue to fill-in. —Tom Kephart

Impact: Low
Phillips, Brandon	PT Loss: -5%



Giants \| Pablo Sandoval in, Angel Pagan out
San Francisco Giants 3B Pablo Sandoval (foot) is back in the lineup Tuesday, June 4, but OF Angel Pagan (hamstring) remains out. Source: San Francisco Chronicle - Henry Schulman

BHQ take: Pagan has been day-to-day with a right hamstring strain since hitting a walk-off inside-the-park HR on May 25, although he contends that he felt the injury before that final dash abound the bases. The daily prognoses and treatments have accumulated to the point that a return to the lineup is much more imminent than would a trip to the DL. Pagan’s typically good contact rate (87%) isn’t yielding quite the results as in 2012; his 29% hit rate hasn’t been as obliging as last year’s 33%, and he’ll need to pick up the pace if he is to approach the 33 stolen bases that he’s averaged the past three years. The Giants have used the same OF configuration in all eight games in Pagan’s absence, Torres-Blanco-Pence, with the latter starting every game so far in 2013. Torres and Blanco will return to their LF job share when Pagan’s day-to-day runs its course, one way or another. —Rob Carroll

Impact: Med
Blanco, Gregor	PT Gain: 5%
Pagan, Angel	PT Loss: -5%



Pirates \| Jeanmar Gómez to DL
The Pittsburgh Pirates placed SP Jeanmar Gómez (forearm) on the 15-day disabled list with right forearm tightness Monday, June 3, and recalled P Ryan Reid from the minors in a corresponding move. Source: CBSSports.com

BHQ take: Gomez continues to beat the odds of a low-Dom, low Cmd pitcher. Not counting his injury-shortened June 2 outing, he has three PQS-4 and three PQS-0 starts. In those six games, Gomez' maximum pitch count was 79, and he's averaged just under 5 innings per start, making it very hard to help in the Wins category. —Mike Shears

Impact: Low
Gomez, Jeanmar





American League \| National League

Rangers \| To discuss plan for Jurickson Profar to stay
The Texas Rangers plan to discuss options for 2B/SS Jurickson Profar to stay in the majors when 2B Ian Kinsler (rib cage) returns. Source: Fort Worth Star-Telegram - Jeff Wilson

BHQ take: We've been suggesting for a while that, somehow, Profar will find his at-bats. It's unclear just where he'll get them right now when Kinsler returns, but don't be surprised to see him get some time at DH as well as take some AB from current utility man Leury García. —Rod Truesdell

Impact: Med
Profar, Jurickson	PT Gain: 25%



Mariners \| Franklin Gutiérrez not ready to return
Seattle Mariners OF Franklin Gutiérrez (hamstring) is still dealing with problems to his lower half, and he's not ready to return to the team despite the fact that his minor league rehab assignment time is up. Any new rehab assignment for Gutierrez can't start for at least another five days. Source: The Seattle Times - Geoff Baker

BHQ take: After now three-straight injury-marred seasons, it's hard to rely on Gutierrez anymore, although he hasn't really been of much fanalytic use since 2009 anyway. Bay and Ibanez have each put up nice power skills; Ibanez has a 166 PX, Bay a 148 PX with a nice 12% walk rate. Neither will help a lot in the BA department, but if you need a low-priced power source, Ibanez is a better bet; Bay adds a better OB in leagues which utilize that stat. —Rod Truesdell

Impact: Low
Bay, Jason	PT Gain: 5%
Gutierrez, Franklin R	PT Loss: -20%
Ibanez, Raul	PT Gain: 10%



Indians \| Juan Diaz recalled
The Cleveland Indians recalled SS Juan Diaz from Triple-A Columbus Tuesday, June 4, to take the place of SS Asdrúbal Cabrera (quadriceps) on the roster. Source: MLB.com - Jordan Bastian

BHQ take: Updating an earlier item, Cabrera's DL trip ensures short-term regular PT for Aviles. Diaz is likely up only for the duration of Cabrera's DL stint to give CLE a backup SS. His PT is likely to be minimal. Aviles is displaying contact rate at the upper end of his typical mid-high 80s range, with his .274 xBA also slightly higher than in recent seasons. He maintains strong SBO% and typically shows a flyball tendency, helping him to be a moderate across-the-board producer who contributes moderate HR/SB numbers when getting PT, despite pedestrian power and fading speed. —Tom Kephart

Impact: High
Aviles, Mike	PT Gain: 10%
Cabrera, Asdrubal	PT Loss: -15%
Diaz, Juan	PT Gain: 5%



Yankees \| Eduardo Núñez has setback
New York Yankees SS Eduardo Núñez (oblique) had a setback with his oblique injury, and there is no timetable for his return. Source: ESPNNewYork.com - Andrew Marchand

BHQ take: This most recent setback follows a previous setback on May 26, making Nunez's return no better defined than fellow infielders Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez. Jayson Nix has contributed 14 runs in 147 AB, right about his career norm, despite a .195 XBA driven by a 68% contact rate and a 35% hit rate. Reid Brignac has a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage, but only 4 runs scored (and none of those while playing SS). Expect little contribution here through June. —Matt Dodge

Impact: Med
Nunez, Eduardo	PT Loss: -10%
Brignac, Reid	PT Gain: 5%
Nix, Jayson	PT Gain: 5%



Royals \| Kelvin Herrera recalled
The Kansas City Royals recalled RP Kelvin Herrera from Triple-A Omaha Tuesday, June 4, and optioned RP Louis Coleman to Omaha in a corresponding move. Source: MLB.com

BHQ take: Proceed with caution, as five Triple-A outings in nine days with no HR doesn't necessarily mean Herrera's cured. Homers and an inflated flyball rate were issues before the demotion; during his stint at Omaha, he gave up 7 FB, 4 LD and 3 GB. On the positive side, Herrera did strike out at least one batter in each appearance. —Mike Shears

Impact: Low
Coleman, Louis	PT Loss: -1%
Herrera, Kelvin



Orioles \| Taylor Teagarden activated
The Baltimore Orioles activated C Taylor Teagarden (thumb) from the 15-day disabled list Tuesday, June 4. Source: MLB.com - Brittany Ghiroli

BHQ take: Chris Snyder was designated for assignment to make room on the BAL roster. Teagarden takes advantage of a 50% fly ball rate at homer-friendly Camden Yards (+16% for RH batters) for a 144 PX projection, but #2 catchers play very little behind Matt Wieters, who has the most 2013 AB at catcher in the AL. —Matt Dodge

Impact: Low
Teagarden, Taylor	PT Gain: 5%
Snyder, Chris R	PT Loss: -5%



Blue Jays \| Josh Johnson, Rajai Davis activated
The Toronto Blue Jays activated SP Josh Johnson (triceps) and OF Rajai Davis (oblique) from the 15-day disabled list Tuesday, June 4, and placed SP Ramon Ortiz (elbow) on the 15-day DL with a right elbow strain in a corresponding move. Source: CBSSports.com

BHQ take: Davis returns to the TOR OF rotation at a time when the other three regulars (Cabrera, José Bautista and Colby Rasmus) are all playing well, particularly over the last 30 days. Melky has had some nagging hamstring issues though, so Davis can pick up a few AB in LF and the leadoff spot, taking advantage of his 118 Spd projection and his manager's bright green light on the basepaths (52% SBO). The results of Ortiz's MRI are not yet public, so further adjustments on the pitching side will be forthcoming. —Matt Dodge

Impact: Low
Cabrera, Melky	PT Loss: -5%
Davis, Rajai	PT Gain: 5%



Indians \| Zach McAllister to skip a start
Cleveland Indians SP Zach McAllister (finger) will miss his next scheduled start with right middle finger irritation, but he's scheduled to start again against the Texas Rangers next Tuesday. The team said 'it's nothing serious.' Source: MLB.com - Jordan Bastian

BHQ take: The June 6 off-day will allow CLE to skip McAllister without requiring a replacement start. —Tom Kephart

Impact: Low
McAllister, Zach

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Playing Time Key

The playing time percentage changes at the bottom of most news items correspond to BaseballHQ.com's Teamview pages. The percentages approximate changes in AB, IP and Saves in the following manner:

For batters, each 5% of PT% ~ 31 AB (100% total for each position = 618 AB)
For pitchers, each 3% of PT% ~ 44 IP (100% total for a team's entire pitching staff)
For relievers, each 5% of Svs ~ 2 saves (100% of a team's total = about40 saves)

A complete explanation of BaseballHQ.com's playing time allocations can be found in the article "How the Projections are Created."