Wil Myers Returns to DL after Three Games

By Peyton Wesner

While working his way through the minors, then Kansas City Royals' prospect Wil Myers jumped onto everyone's radar with an outstanding 2012 season in which he crushed thirty-seven homeruns, collected one hundred and nine RBIs, and batted .314 between Double-A Northwest Arkansas and Triple-A Omaha. The following season, he continued to showcase his talent by dominating International League (Triple-A) pitching as a part of the Rays' organization. His performance ultimately led to a promotion to the Major Leagues where he would not squander his opportunity. With his chance, Myers hit .293 with thirteen home runs and fifty-three RBIs in eighty-eight games, which was good enough to claim 2013 American League Rookie of the Year honors. 

Duly noted was the fact that Myers was on the road to stardom, but wrist injuries the past two season have derailed those plans temporarily, if not permanently. Last year it was a stress fracture to his right wrist that held the former third round pick to eighty-seven games (.222 BA, 6 HR, & 35 RBIs) and this season it has been left wrist tendonitis. 

Myers was off to the best start of his career prior to his first stint on the DL as he had five home runs and nineteen RBIs with a .291 average in thirty-one games played while starting to look like the player he was in 2013. When he was back in the lineup a month and a day later, he was not the same and went two for fourteen in three games. But a fourth would not occur as the Padres put their young contributor back on the DL with the same injury.

Currently, San Diego has no timetable for Myers' return, but he has personally said that he wants to avoid surgery to remove the bone spur in his left wrist until the off-season, so he will not miss an extended amount of time during the reason season. Yonder Alonso will replace Myers at first base and if he in addition to Melvin Upton Jr. continue to perform well, the former Tampa Bay Ray may not find his spot at first base or the outfield vacant when he becomes healthy again.

 

FBI Investigating St. Louis Cardinals

By Peyton Wesner

The St. Louis Cardinals are the second most successful franchise in the history of baseball behind the New York Yankees as they have captured eleven World Series crowns and a plethora of National League pennants. So far this season, Mike Matheny's club is off to the superb start of 42-21 with a five and a half game lead over the teams with the second best record, the Kansas City Royals and the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The problem has never been on the diamond for St. Louis, but today an off the field issue has surfaced that could shread the integrity of the organization forever. 

Today, Tuesday, June 16, the FBI has started an investiagtion to find if the Cardinals illegally hacked into computer networks of the Houston Astros with the purpose of stealing classified information. Reports have recently surfaced that the FBI as well as Justice Department officials have evidence that St. Louis tapped into Houston's database for statistics and scouting reports to go along with the Astros' personal opinions of certain players. But how? It is believed that the Cardinals were able to access the files by using a list of passwords in relation to current Astros' General Manager Jeff Luhnow, who worked for the Cardinals from 2003 until 2011.

This morning Major League Basebal issued the following statement: 

“Major League Baseball has been aware of and has fully cooperated with the federal investigation into the illegal breach of the Astros’ baseball operations database.  Once the investigative process has been completed by federal law enforcement officials, we will evaluate the next steps and will make decisions promptly.”

As of now, both the Cardinals and Major League Baseball have been handed subpoenas, but nothing more. If officials from the Cardinals' organization had orders to infiltrate Houston's computer database from higher positioned employees, this could be one of the biggest scandals baseball has ever experienced.

Cubs Promote Kyle Schwarber for Interleague Stretch

By Peyton Wesner

In part two of the classic trilogy Back to the Future, main character Marty McFly is surprised to find that the Chicago Cubs win the 2015 World Series. Obviously, the movie is fiction, but don't tell Chicago Cubs' President of Baseball Operations Theo Epstein or General Manager Jed Hoyer as the organization has made yet another move involving a top prospect with the promotion of slugger Kyle Schwarber from Double-A to the Major Leagues.

Schwarber, who was the fourth overall pick in the 2014 MLB Draft from Indiana University, has started right where he left off last season while playing in the lower levels of the organization (.344 batting average, eighteen home runs, and fifty-three RBIs) by smashing thirteen long bombs and collecting thirty-nine RBIs with a .320 batting average in fifty-eight games with the Tennessee Smokies of the Southern League this season. The third best catching prospect and forty-second top prospect in baseball, according to MLB.com, will join the young stars of Kris Bryant and Addison Russell as highly touted prospects to make their Major League debut in 2015 for the Cubs.

While the thrill of playing in the Big Leagues will be present for the twenty-two year old, Theo Epstein has made it quite clear that Schwarber is simply with the Cubs to serve as the designated hitter in six Interleague games against the Cleveland Indians and Minnesota Twins, meaning he will be optioned to Triple-A Iowa after Sunday's game to further "continue his development as a catcher." Nonetheless, if Schwarber can perform in his Majors like he did in Double-A, he may not be catching his flight to Des Moines Sunday night.

Trea Turner Finally Permitted to Play in Washington's Organization

Major League Baseball rule 3(b)(6) previously stated that a drafted player cannot be assigned or traded to another team until one year after he signs his first contract. The following principle had been around for many years, but was revised this May due to an unprecedented situation caused by a three-team trade last December.

The agreement was between the Washington Nationals, San Diego Padres, and Tampa Bay Rays, and involved the talents of 2013 American League Rookie of the Year Wil Myers, who was moved from Tampa Bay to San Diego, young outfield prospect Steven Souza Jr., who was sent from Washington to Tampa Bay, and a shortstop six months removed from college baseball action named Trea Turner. According to the previously mentioned rule, Turner would have to spend spring training and more than one-third of his 2015 season in San Diego's organization despite his contract being with Washington.

Jeff Berry, the agent of MLB.com's fifty-fourth top prospect, tried to rectify the situation and get Major League Baseball to allow his client to suit up for the club that owned his rights, but his arguing was to no avail. Therefore this season, the former NC State star has been a member of the San Antonio Missions, the Double-A affiliate of the Padres. Never again will he suit up for them though as today marked the one year anniversary of the signing of his first contract after being chosen with the thirteenth overall pick in the 2014 MLB Draft.

The twenty-one year old Turner posted the tremendous statline of a .322 average with five home runs, thirteen doubles, thirty-five runs batted in, and eleven stolen bases in fifty-eight Texas League games. In addition, he has even made himself a likely selection for the 2015 All-Star Futures Game in Cincinnati. Despite the facts, the Nationals have decided to keep the future of their middle infield at the level of Double-A rather than at Triple-A Syracuse. Nevertheless, it must finally feel good for Turner to suit up for HIS team rather than the one that dealt him last offseason.

Philadelphia's Domonic Brown to be Promoted from Lehigh Valley (AAA)

By Peyton Wesner

What can Brown do for Philadelphia? We are about to find out as 2013 All-Star Domonic Brown will make his season debut for the Phillies this afternoon. The twenty-seven year old from Zephyrhills, Florida, smashed a career high twenty-seven homeruns in the Majors two years ago (previous high was twenty in 2010 between Reading (Double-A) and Lehigh Valley (Triple-A)), but has significantly struggled since. Last season. Brown's batting average dipped from his All-Star season's .272 to the anemic mark of .235 while his homerun total withered to ten.

Intially, the outfielder's 2015 campaign was delayed due to soreness in his Achilles' tendon, which bothered him for the duration of Spring Training. After injury rehabilitation in Clearwater and clearance to return to action, Brown started a minor league rehab stint for the Clearwater Thrashers (Single-A Advanced) and went five for seventeen at the plate (.294 batting average) with one homerun and three RBIs in six games played. The next step would be Triple-A, but this is where a hurdle presented itself. For the Phillies' top affiliate, Brown went four for thirty-one (.129 batting average) to conclude his twenty-day rehab period and present his organization with a tough decision on what to do with their former number one prospect on April 28 when he would become eligible to return from the DL. Although, Brown himself thought he was going to be recalled after his twenty days, he was instead activated from the DL and optioned to Lehigh Valley.

As an official member of the Iron Pigs, the lanky six foot, five inch Brown batted .279 with only two bombs and twenty-five RBIs. These numbers are misleading though because he is eight for twenty-two (.364 batting average) with both his long balls coming in his last few games on Lehigh Valley's current roadtrip. With his recent good play, Brown has earned himself a promotion to a struggling forty-one loss Phillies team that seems very much out of playoff contention.

MLB.com's Third Top Prospect to Make ML Debut Sunday

By Peyton Wesner

The time to celebrate has finally come Cleveland fans! No, the Cavaliers have not won the NBA Finals quite yet, but MLB.com's third ranked prospect Francisco Lindor will finally be recalled from Triple-A Columbus to make his Major Legue Debut tomorrow in Detroit.

Lindor, who was the eighth overall pick in the 2011 MLB Draft, has gradually worked his way through Cleveland's system by playing at least eighty-three games in Single-A through Triple-A. 

2015 did not start ideally for the twenty-one year old shortstop as more than halfway through April he was batting only .191. Some players would get discouraged, but not Francisco. Lindor worked his way out of the slump by collecting ten hits in sixteen at-bats in his next four games. Despite other hitless streaks occuring, the former Montverde High School product batted .279 with five triples and two homeruns in fifty-seven games. Oh! And no one can forget his glove! Lindor has been known for his fielding ability since scouts first laid an eye on him, leaving the only concern with his bat. And right now, his bat cannot miss the ball as he is fourteen for thirty-six (.389 batting average) in his last eight games!

Earlier in the week, many thought Lindor was about to head North from the friendly confines of Hunnington Park to Progressive Field with the demotion of third baseman Lonnie Chisenhall and shortstop Jose Ramirez. Surprisingly, Zach Walters and Giovanny Urshela were recalled to take their place. What was Cleveland Indians' General Manager Chris Antonetti waiting for? The Super Two Deadline. Super Two status is given to players that have two years of Major League service, but less than three. What does this have to do with a rookie? Well, if Lindor would have been called up earlier in the season, he would have been eligible for arbitration one season earlier due to the Super Two rule. In other words, money played a huge factor in him being down in Triple-A as long as he was, but now that point is irrelevant because tomorrow the starting shortstop for the Cleveland Indians, will be Francisco Lindor.

Joey Gallo to Make Major League Debut Tuesday

By Peyton Wesner

No need to fear Texas Rangers' fans! Joey Gallo is here! With four time All-Star, Gold Glove Award winner, and Silver Slugger Award winner Adrian Beltre heading to the fifteen day DL with a sprained left thumb suffered in the fifth inning of yesterday's Boston/Texas matchup, two time All-Star Futures Game participant and 2014 All-Star Futures Game Most Valuable Player Joey Gallo will be recalled from Double-A Frisco. Gallo, who is a first baseman turned third baseman because of Prince Fielder's presence in Arlington, was injured to begin the regular season due to surgery to remove his os trigonum bone in his left ankle. The surgery caused MLB.com's ninth top prospect in baseball to miss the RoughRiders's first fourteen games of the season as he played his first on April 25. Since his season debut, the power hitting third baseman has played thirty-four games while batting .314 with nine long balls and thirty-one runs batted in. If those numbers don't impress, Gallo bombed a Minor League baseball best forty homeruns between Rookie League and Hickory (Single-A) in 2013 and the second most in the Minors with forty-two between Myrtle Beach (Single-A Advanced) and Frisco (Double A) in 2014. Although Rangers' general manager Jon Daniels has made it clear that Gallo will be sent back to the farm when Beltre returns, now is his time to belt Texas-sized homeruns on the biggest stage and it will only be a matter of time before he has his first victim.