MLB News and Notes: Week of May 21

It has been a while since I treated you to a trivia question. So with people losing their minds, as well as their FAAB budgets with recent call-ups like Juan Soto, here is a trivia question revolving around rookies. Who are the only two MLB players to win Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player in the same year? Answer at the end of the article.

Juan Soto Gets the Call

Even as I wrote about Juan Soto last week, I was still surprised to see the young prospect called up to the big leagues. The move was decided after Washington lost outfielder Howie Kendrick for the season after he ruptured his right Achilles tendon in the first game of Saturday’s doubleheader. Soto’s arrival will conclude a stunningly rapid rise through the Nationals’ farm system. He is hitting .362 with 14 home runs and a 1.218 OPS in 39 games across three levels. FAAB bids should be quite interesting to see and have pushed the news of Austin Meadow’s arrival in Pittsburgh to the back page. Meadows is not a bad pick-up, either, if he is still available in your league.

Newest Nationals OF Juan Soto, 19, hit .323 with a .981 OPS at Double A. Already had been promoted twice this season. Some scouts see him as better offensive prospect than the more heralded Victor Robles. Nats GM Rizzo unafraid; brought Bryce Harper to majors at 19, Robles at 20.

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) May 20, 2018

Cardinals shortstop Paul DeJong will undergo surgery to insert a plate in his left pinkie finger. DeJong sustained the fracture after taking a pitch off of his hand during the eighth inning of last Thursday’s 6-2 loss to the Phillies.  Without him, the Cardinals are expected to utilize veteran corner infielder Jedd Gyorko.

If you end up missing on Juan Soto, keep on eye on Mets prospect Peter Alonso. Before going 0-for-4 in Friday’s doubleheader, Alonso had a .366 average, .485 on-base percentage, and .679 slugging percentage, establishing himself as one of the preeminent hitters in Double-A. Alonso’s 1.164 OPS was tops across the three Double-A leagues, edging Blue Jays prospect Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (1.137), among others.

Link: Mets prospect Peter Alonso having a huge year for Binghamton (Newsday) https://t.co/AuJDfZcUyq pic.twitter.com/W5mO9GJaBp

— Mets Police (@metspolice) May 20, 2018

For more on Alonso, check out Eric Cross’ live scouting report.

Since the Astros were feeling left out, they recalled J.D. Davis on Sunday. Davis slashed .415/.473/.674 in 130 at-bats at Triple-A Fresno before his Sunday promotion. A roster spot was opened up when Derek Fisher was put on the disabled list. Davis made the 25-man opening day roster while Yuli Gurriel recovered from preseason hand surgery, only to strike out in nine of his first 19 at-bats with the big league club. He was then sent to Fresno and has not stop hitting. Davis’ .415 batting average was the second-best at any level of minor league baseball. He may stay under the waiver wire radar as owners focus on Soto.

Madison Bumgarner threw off a mound Monday for the first time since surgery in March to have three pins inserted into the broken pinkie on his pitching hand. He is eligible to return on May 26, and manager Bruce Bochy said he won’t need much more time than that. John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle is reporting that Bumgarner will have his first minor-league rehab assignment next Saturday.

Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw threw a bullpen session for the first time since getting hurt. He will throw another bullpen session before the Dodgers decide the next step in his rehabilitation. Rich Hill went back on the Los Angeles Dodgers’ disabled list Sunday, a day after a blister burst on his left middle finger,

The Atlanta Braves released slumping third baseman Jose Bautista on Sunday. Bautista batted just .143 with two home runs in 12 games with the Braves. Atlanta feels that Johan Camargo deserves the opportunity to play every day at third base. It appears that Bautista’s MLB career and fantasy relevance have come to an end. If you are interested in taking a chance on an elder statesman, the Indians recalled Melky Cabrera on Sunday.

Juan Lagares suffered a hyperextended big toe making a catch, and it’s “likely” he will miss the remainder of the season, as an MRI revealed a complete tear of the plantar plate of the toe. The Mets outfielder was hitting .333/.375/.390 in 59 at-bats this season, primarily against lefties.

The Giants are thin on middle infielders after losing Joe Panik to a torn UCL in his left thumb and backup Alen Hanson to a left hamstring strain. So the answer to their lack of middle infielders may be Pablo Sandoval. That’s right, the artist formerly known as the Kung-Fu Panda has been seen recently taking grounders at second base. Sandoval has impressed at the plate so far this year, batting a healthy .270/.329/.429 with six extra-base hits and a .757 through 70 plate appearances. Adding second base to his fantasy eligibility would make his fantasy value rise quite nicely.

https://twitter.com/joeserrato/status/998247866077347841

Arizona outfielder A.J. Pollock is expected to miss four to eight weeks with a broken left thumb. Arizona manager Torey Lovullo said Tuesday that Pollock has an avulsion fracture, which occurs where a tendon or ligament attaches to the bone. Lovullo said Jarrod Dyson and Chris Owings would be filling in for Pollock.

After he was pulled from Friday’s game with a strained shoulder, the A’s placed left-hander Brett Anderson on the 10-day disabled list. Ryan Dull was recalled from Triple-A but Josh Lucas, who threw 3.2 innings in relief of Anderson, could be an option to get a spot start along with Kendall Graveman.

Angels’ reliever Keynan Middleton will undergo Tommy John surgery on his right elbow, putting an early end to his second big-league season. Middleton was the Angels’ closer in April, recording six saves. He compiled a 2.04 ERA while allowing only four runs in 16 appearances. With Middleton sidelined, the Angels will likely use a committee in the ninth inning, though it was Blake Parker who secured the save on Sunday.

 

The answer to the trivia question: Fred Lynn and Ichiro Suzuki.

Fred Lynn won both awards after the 1975 season when he hit 21 home runs, an American League-leading 47 doubles, and a .331 batting average for the Boston Red Sox.

Ichiro Suzuki won both awards after his 2001 season when he had a major league-leading 242 hits, in addition to 56 stolen bases and a .350 batting average while playing for the Seattle Mariners.

 

What are your expectations for Juan Soto? Let us know @Fantrax!