Archive for July, 2012

Logan Morrison has been a major disappointment for the Marlins this season, and now it looks like his season has come to an end. The Marlins placed Morrison on the disabled list Sunday with inflammation in his right knee, but he still needs to undergo an MRI. The concern is that he could have a tear of his patellar tendon. If that’s the case, Morrison would need season-ending surgery. Morrison has had issues with his right knee in the past and and played through the pain for much of last season. Morrison finally admitted to the Marlins and manager Ozzie Guillen over the weekend that the knee does not feel right. If Morrison is done for the season, he’ll end the year with a disappointing .230 batting average, 11 homers and 36 RBI. Austin Kearns seems likely to benefit the most playing time but Donovan Solano and Bryan Petersen will be in the mix for playing time.

In other fantasy news…..

• Clayton Kershaw was brilliant on Sunday as the Dodgers completed a three game sweep of the San Francisco Giants. Kershaw threw a complete game five-hit shutout in the 4-0 victory. He struck out seven and walked one in his fifth career shutout, beating the Giants for the first time in three starts this season.
• Zack Greinke made his debut for the Angels in Sunday’s series finale against the Rays. He was overshadowed by his counterpart – Jeremy Hellickson. Greinke allowed two runs on seven hits over seven innings of work in the 2-0 loss.
• John Axford and Francisco Rodriguez were knocked around Sunday. The Brewers are going with a closer-by-committee, and Kameron Loe might be the next guy to get a shot.
• Carl Crawford is considering Tommy John surgery for his left elbow. He’ll make a decision in 7-10 days.
• Mike Trout (knee) was scratched from Sunday’s lineup due to a left knee contusion. It’s not considered serious, and he could return Monday for the series opener against the Rangers.
• Adam LaRoche (back) exited Sunday’s game with back tightness. He’s considered day-to-day.
• Huston Street signed a two-year extension with the Padres that includes a team option for a third year. The Padres have now removed two potential trade targets from the market after locking up Street and Carlos Quentin.
• Justin Morneau went 3-for-4 with a two-run homer in Sunday’s win over the Indians. He’s heating up just in time to possibly be dealt to a contender. In 13 games since the All-Star break, Morneau has a .327 BA.
• Brandon League will reportedly be traded soon, though it’s not clear which teams have the most interest in the veteran reliever that has a 1.96 ERA since the beginning of June.
  

When Troy Tulowitzki had surgery in June to remove scar tissue from a nerve in his groin, he was expected to miss six-to-eight weeks. This placed his return somewhere around mid-to-late August. Recently, not much has been reported on his progress, but reports surfaced on Thursday that the Rockies are considering shutting him down for the rest of the season. Fortunately for fantasy owners, those reports seem to be incorrect.  Troy Renck of the Denver Post spoke with Tulowitzki, who said that he has begun hitting off a tee and continues to do light running. Tulo plans to increase his baseball activities as his body allows him to do it. So while there’s no clear timetable for his return, Tulo would like to play down the stretch to know where he is at heading into 2013.

While fantasy owners would be smart to keep Tulowitzki  in a DL-spot, rookie Josh Rutledge will continue to fill in at shortstop. Rutledge is batting .356 (16-for-45) and provides fantasy owners with a little bit of everything.  In his first 12 games with the Rockies, he has one homer, six RBI and three stolen bases. Rutledge will certainly be in the mix for a starting position next year. He’s well worth a look in deeper mixed formats right now.

In other fantasy news….

• Welcome Starling Marte! Marte wasted no time to hit his first major league home run. On the first pitch, he hammered from left-hander Dallas Keuchel over the fence in left-center field. Marte went on to add a single and finished 2-4. Marte earned this promotion from Triple-A Indianapolis after hitting .286 with 12 homers, 62 RBI, 21 stolen bases over 99 games this season. He swings at everything and the plate discipline needs work, so his transition to the majors might be a little bumpy, but it looks like the Pirates will continue to start him in left field and use him out of the leadoff spot. He is a five-tool athlete that should be an immediate add in NL-Only leagues and deep mixed leagues.
• Matt Harvey made his debut as well on Thursday. He struck out 11 batters over 5 1/3 shutout innings in a 3-1 win over the Diamondbacks in Arizona. Harvey allowed three hits and three walks while throwing 105 pitches. Harvey consistently was hitting the mid-90s with his fastball while his slider was absolutely nasty.
• Francisco Rodriguez blew a pair of saves this week against the Phillies,which led Brewers manager Ron Roenicke to announce that he will utilize a closer-by-committee for the time being.
• As trade rumors are approaching a boil, Brewers General Manager Doug Melvin announced that he is having ongoing conversations with a number of teams involving Zack Greinke. It appears that Greinke will certainly be moved by the trade deadline.
• Evan Longoria (hamstring) began a minor league rehab assignment Thursday with Triple-A Durham and went 0-for-3 with a walk.
• Carlos Santana continues to rack up hits since the All-Star Break. He hit another home run in Thursday’s win over the Tigers and is hitting .333 (14-for-42) with three homers and eight RBI since the break.
• A.J. Burnett made it look pretty easy as he earned his 12th win Thursday by allowing two runs over 7 1/3 innings against the Astros. Burnett continues to put together a solid campaign for the Pirates.
• Edwin Encarnacion established a new career-high with his 27th homer Thursday. He has been mashing the ball all year and shows no signs of letting up.
• James Shields racked up 10 strikeouts, but did allow five runs over six innings in a loss to the Orioles.

The trade winds are already blowing strong this morning. With the trade deadline just six days a away, big name players are on the move.

Late last night, the Los Angeles Dodgers acquired  Hanley Ramirez and left-handed reliever Randy Choate from the Miami Marlins for right-hander Nathan Eovaldi and minor-league pitching prospect Scott McGough. Ramirez, 28, is a three-time All-Star and former National League Rookie of the Year. He led big league shortstops with 124 home runs from 2006 through 2010, but he’s been a major disappointment over the past two seasons. This is a trade that the Marlins should have made during the offseason once Jose Reyes signed as a free agent. I think the Dodgers are going to get a really happy player and Don Mattingly and his staff will do a great job motivating Ramirez to return to his All-Star level of play.

In other fantasy news….

• The Pittsburgh Pirates are finally buyers and not sellers for the first time in over a decade. On Tuesday, the team acquired left-hander Wandy Rodriguez in a four-player deal with the Houston Astros. In exchange for Rodriguez were three prospects — outfielder Robbie Grossman and left-handers Rudy Owens and Colton Cain. The Astros continue to add necessary depth to their minor league system.
• Cole Hamels will be staying in Philadelphia for six more years and $144 million. Hamels was going to get this money now or in the offseason after Matt Cain signed his deal with the Giants. Hamels is in the upper tier of pitchers and just got paid like it. But, how do the Phillies continue to afford Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, and Hamels? The three pitchers combine to make roughly $60 million a year. Rumors are beginning to swirl around Lee that he could be on the move, but the Phillies must feel confident in their revenues that they can afford all three aces.
• Adam Wainwright out pitched Clayton Kershaw and earned his eighth win of the season Tuesday against the Dodgers. In four July outings, Wainwright has three quality starts, as he’s gone 2-2 with a 2.70 ERA.
• Alex Rodriguez left Tuesday’s game against the Mariners in the eighth inning after getting hit by a pitch on his left hand. He was plunked by Felix Hernandez and immediately fell to the ground. A-Rod has a fractured hand and is headed to the disabled list, but it appears that he will avoid surgery.
• Francisco Cordero has absolutely no fantasy value anymore. He proved that once again on Tuesday night in his first save opportunity as the Astros new closer. He gave up a 2-1 lead on against the Reds, allowing three earned runs on three hits and two walks. He now has a 6.25 ERA  in 36 total innings this season.
• Paul Konerko went 4-for-4 on Tuesday an is now batting .336 on the year.
• A.J. Pierzynski is day-to-day with a minor right oblique strain. He hopes to return on Friday.
• Lance Berkman left Tuesday’s game against the Dodgers with a knee bruise after getting hit with a Clayton Kershaw slider.
• Pablo Sandoval left Tuesday night’s game with a hamstring strain. Sandoval will undergo an MRI exam on his left hamstring today to gauge the extent of his strain.
• Diamondbacks owner Ken Kendrick said Tuesday that Justin Upton is unlikely to be moved this summer.
• Miguel Cabrera belted his 24th home run of the season and now has 81 RBI this year.

The Nationals tried to keep Ian Desmond from being placed on the disabled list as he struggled through an oblique injury. Ultimately, that did not work and Desmond will be placed on the 15-day disabled list . An MRI revealed a torn left oblique muscle, an injury that has finally sent the All-Star shortstop to the disabled list. Desmond is expected to miss a large amount of time with the injury, as he will be rested for a full two weeks before the team re-evaluates him. It’s a big blow for the offensively-challenged Nationals and there is no timetable on when he’ll come back. A return in late August is probably the best-case scenario.

While Desmond is out of the Nationals lineup, Danny Espinosa will play shortstop and Steve Lombardozzi will take over as the starter at second base. Espinosa made his sixth start of the season at shortstop Sunday, and he came up through the minors primarily playing that position, so Washington should be fine defensively. Mark DeRosa will be the primary backup middle infielder. He hasn’t played either position a single time this season.

In other fantasy news…..

• Carlos Quentin was expected to be one of the biggest bats moved at the trade deadline. Instead, the Padres signed him to a three-year extension that includes a mutual option for a fourth year. The Padres are also hoping to sign Mark Kotsay and Huston Street to long-term deals.
• Erick Aybar is dealing with a contusion on his right big toe, and the Angels are discussing the possibility of placing him on the disabled list. Aybar did not start Sunday against the Rangers after leaving Saturday’s game with the injury.
• Coco Crisp went 3-for-4 with a run scored to spark the A’s in a 4-3 win over the Yankees. It was Crisp’s fifth multi-hit game in 10 games during the month of July.
• Many thought when Matt Garza left Saturday’s game against the Cardinals that he had been traded. However, it turns out Garza was dealing with a triceps injury. It appears that he’s already feeling better and might not even miss a start.
• Ryan Zimmerman went 3-for-5 with two home runs, three runs scored, and three RBI to help lead the Nationals past the Braves on Sunday. He has hit safely in six straight and nine of his last 10 games.
• Jason Kubel went 3-for-5 with three home runs and six RBI in the Diamondbacks’ win over the Astros on Saturday. On Sunday, he followed up that performance with another home run as part of another 3-for-5 effort.
• Jim Johnson joined the 30 save club on Sunday as the Orioles won their fifth straight and remain right in the thick of the American League Wild Card race.
• Miguel Cabrera hit two home runs on Sunday to join the 300 home run club.
• Adrian Gonzalez homered Sunday for the third time and is hitting .438 in eight games since the All-Star break.

The Nationals continue to say that Stephen Strasburg will be shut down at some point this season. It’s really just a matter of when. There have been alot of “experts” assuming that the Nats will likely limit him to around 160 innings, similar to what they did with Jordan Zimmerman last year in his first full season back from Tommy John surgery. In an interview with ESPN on Wednesday, Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo said “they have no set number in mind” and “it will be the eye test”.  Rizzo went on to say that it be him and him alone that makes the decision. Strasburg, who turns 24 on Friday, underwent Tommy John surgery in September of 2010. He has an excellent 2.66 ERA this season and does not appear to be wearing down at this point in the season.

The Nationals host the Atlanta Braves on Friday with a 3 1/2 game lead over the Braves in the National League East. For the first time since the organization moved to Washington D.C., the Nationals (a.k.a Montreal Expos) have an excellent chance to go to the postseason. Can you imagine the criticism that will follow if Strasburg is shut down in September and the team falters down the stretch? A bright spot is that the Nationals are saying that Strasburg could possibly go higher than 160 innings, so perhaps fantasy owners will get more out of him than originally expected on draft day.

In other fantasy news…..

• Chris Carpenter racked up 273 innings between the regular season and playoffs last year en route to the Cardinals’ 11th World Series title, but he will not throw a pitch in 2012. After fighting through nerve issues in his neck and shoulder dating back to spring training, Carpenter underwent season-ending surgery Thursday to correct his thoracic outlet syndrome.
• David Wright belted two more homers and drove in five runs Thursday against the Nationals.
• David Price threw seven shutout innings Wednesday against the Indians to become the first pitcher in the majors to reach 13 wins.
• Brandon Phillips hit a home run, a double, and drove in five runs Thursday in the Reds victory over the Diamondbacks.
• Vernon Wells is scheduled to begin a rehab assignment Friday with Triple-A Salt Lake. In a recent blog at BEONDECK, we discussed what the Angels plan is for Wells upon his return.
• Edinson Volquez gave up just one-hit in a complete game shutout Thursday night against the Padres.
• Dustin Pedroia (thumb) went 1-for-4 with a run scored in his return from the disabled list Thursday.
• Josh Collmenter will take the rotation spot of Trevor Bauer. Bauer was demoted to Triple-A Reno on Wednesday after another rough outing.
• Robinson Cano went 1-for-4 in Thursday’s loss against the Athletics and now has a 22-game hitting streak.
• Drew Storen (elbow) was activated from the disabled list Thursday and threw a scoreless ninth inning against the Mets in a non-save situation. Fantasy owners that were patient for Storen to return should be rewarded with save opportunities for the remainder of 2012.
• Todd Helton (hip) is scheduled to begin a minor league rehab assignment Friday with the Rockies’ rookie league affiliate in Grand Junction.

Francisco Rodriguez has been collecting holds for the past 11 months, which provides little value in all non-holds fantasy leagues. The Brewers finally pulled the plug on John Axford after he blew his sixth save of the season on Monday night against the St. Louis Cardinals. Rodriguez is now the closer and it appears that Axford will begin collecting holds. In his first save opportunity on Tuesday night, K-Rod made things interesting against the Cardinals. He gave up a leadoff double to David Freese and a single to Yadier Molina, but he was able to work his way out of trouble and the Brewers escaped with a 3-2 victory. K-Rod has a 3.59 ERA  and has thrown the ball much more effectively than last year. He needs to be owned in all formats.

In other fantasy news…..

• Joey Votto had surgery yesterday to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee. The Reds are reporting that the surgery went well and Votto will be sidelined for 3-4 weeks. Todd Frazier will play first base while Votto is on the disabled list.
• Jed Lowrie was diagnosed Tuesday evening with nerve irritation in his lower right leg. He’ll be in a protective walking boot through Saturday and is expected to miss 4-6 weeks.
• The Blue Jays placed Jose Bautista on the 15-day disabled list on Tuesday. An MRI taken Tuesday morning on Jose Bautista’s left wrist showed no structural damage, but just some irritation around the joint.
• Johnny Cueto threw another gem on Tuesday night as he lowered his ERA to 2.28 as the Reds defeated the Diamondbacks. Cueto was able to work his way out of a bases loaded jam in the fifth and sixth innings and then watched the Reds bullpen get the final nine outs.
• Just another night at the ballpark for Mike Trout. Trout collected four more hits in the Angels 13-0 victory over the Detroit Tigers. He now owns a .355 BA with 13 homers, 44 RBI and 30 steals in just 69 games this season. He currently is leading the league in hitting and stolen bases as a 20-year-old.
• Buster Posey racked up a season-high five RBI in the Giants’ victory over the Braves in Atlanta.
• Ryan Braun is day-to-day after tweaking a groin strain that forced him to miss games earlier in the season.
• Carl Crawford has quietly returned to the Red Sox lineup and is producing for a change. Crawford went 3-for-4 with three stolen bases and two runs scored on Tuesday night in a loss to the White Sox. Crawford is now 4-for-7 (.571) with four runs scored since being activated from the 60-day disabled list on Monday afternoon.
• Matt Holliday is day-to-day after exiting Tuesday’s game against the Brewers with a left thigh contusion.
• Kevin Youkilis hit a three-run homer on Tuesday as the White Sox topped the Red Sox at Fenway Park. As expected, Youkilis has returned to Boston with a chip on his shoulder and leaving no doubt that he can still play at a high level.

Jason Hammel has been a bright spot in the Orioles’ rotation this season. Unfortunately, the O’s will now have to get by without him for a while. Hammel aggravated a nagging right knee injury in Saturday’s start, and the decision has been made that he will undergo surgery Monday. The operation is expected to sideline him for 3-4 weeks, but the O’s are not counting on Hammel return to the rotation until September. The knee has bothered Hammel for most of the season and he was planning to have surgery in the offseason, but the pain he felt Saturday could not be ignored and Hammel decided to move forward with surgery now. The Orioles want to leave Brian Matusz at Triple-A Norfolk to continue to work on things, so it looks like we’ll see Tommy Hunter taking Hammel’s spot in the rotation Wednesday.

In other fantasy news from the weekend….

• Erick Aybar went 2-for-4 with a walk, a solo homer, and two RBI during the Angels’ victory over the Yankees on Sunday.  Aybar, hit his fourth home run of 2012, has hit three long balls in his past four outings.
• Dan Haren (back) will make a rehab start Monday and is expected rejoin the Angels’ rotation on Sunday.
• The Nationals are not expected to activate Drew Storen back from the disabled list. Storen has appeared in three rehab games, but the Nationals do not want arm strength to be an issue when he returns to the Nats bullpen.
• Johnny Cueto was scratched from Sunday’s start due to a blister, but he was able to throw a bullpen session and is fully expected to be ready to start Tuesday.
• Coco Crisp will have his left shoulder checked out Monday. It’s possible he’ll need to be placed on the disabled list.
• Ben Sheets was fantastic Sunday in his first major league start since 2010. Sheets threw six shutout innings and allowed just two hits while striking out five. I recommended to stay away from Sheets last week, but was I wrong. I still don’t think he’ll be this good moving forward, but Sheets is a worthy gamble in NL-Only fantasy leagues.
• Roy Halladay (lat) will return from the disabled list to start Tuesday against the Dodgers. He’ll be on a pitch count initially but should be back in fantasy lineups immediately.
• Carl Crawford is set to return to the Red Sox on Monday.
• Yovani Gallardo was brilliant on Sunday as he fanned 14 Pirates.  Gallardo, who had last pitched July 6 in Houston, struck out two Pirates in each of the first three innings.
• Justin Verlander dominated the Orioles on Sunday. Verlander improved his record to 10-5, and saw his earned-run average dip to 2.43 with his eight-inning masterpiece. Three hits were all he allowed to the O’s, while striking out eight.

Vernon Wells is expected to rejoin the Angels by the end of July, but the question is what the team’s plans are for him? Wells was batting just .244 with six homers and 12 RBI over 38 games before going down with a thumb injury at the end of May. He was playing regularly before getting hurt, but since he went down, Mark Trumbo has produced at a high level and Mike Trout has become a star. There is little doubt that Torii Hunter will continue to get everyday at-bats and Kendrys Morales has done a nice job as the designated hitter. And, what about Peter Bourjos? I can’t believe trading Bourjos is an option for the Angels, so that leaves Wells without a role. The Angels don’t want to pay Wells $21 million to sit on the bench, but it’s probably the best option for the team. The Angels were 18-24 and in last place in the AL West when Wells went down, and since then they’ve gone 30-14 and have a firm grasp on one of the American League Wild Card spots. Trading Wells is almost impossible even if the Angels eat most of the contract. Don’t forget about the no-trade clause that Wells has in his pocket and only one can assume he won’t be waiving it anytime soon.

In other fantasy news…..

• The Marlins are likely to begin using a closer-by-committee once games resume at the end of the week. Manager Ozzie Guillen finds himself in a tough spot with Heath Bell.  Steve Cishek figures to be first in line for saves. Randy Choate and Edward Mujica could also get opportunities in certain situations. Juan Carlos Oviedo will rejoin the Marlins at the end of July after serving an eight-week suspension.
• Jacoby Ellsbury (shoulder) is all systems go to return tomorrow against the Rays and Carl Crawford (elbow) is expected to make his season debut Monday against the White Sox.
• Dillion Gee is scheduled to have shoulder surgery and could be done for the year.
• The Dodgers appear to be getting healthy as Matt Kemp (hamstring) is scheduled to return to centerfield on Friday against the Padres and Andre Either (oblique) should be back on Monday.
• The Diamondbacks are listening to offers for Justin Upton. This goes far beyond the baseball field and Upton’s struggles in the first half of the season. Upton and upper management have been at odds for awhile now with comments made in the press and if the team can get back two top level prospects, Upton will be on the move.
• Ben Sheets could be starting for the Braves on Sunday. There is not one format that I can comfortable recommend Sheets to you. The fact that the Braves are even entertaining this possibility should scare the crap out of all Braves fans. Stay away.
• Emilio Bonifacio (thumb)  will be activated from the disabled list on Friday. He went 2-19 in his minor league rehab, but the most important part is that Bonifacio came out healthy.
• Lance Berkman (knee) should return to the Cardinals lineup on Monday.

Heath Bell imploded again Sunday and the Miami Marlins big offseason acquisition has been a disaster from Day 1 and one of the main reasons the Marlins sit nine games out of first place at the All-Star break. Bell allowed three runs on three hits and he walked two batters in Sunday’s walk-off loss to the Cardinals. It was Bell’s sixth blown save of the season, and he’s now the owner of a hideous 6.75 ERA through 40 appearances this season. After this meltdown, Marlins manager Ozzie Guillen indicated after Sunday’s that a change in the ninth inning might be coming. Guillen had already indicated before Bell’s latest blown save Sunday that Juan Carlos Oviedo could at least have a chance to share the closer job when he returns later this month.

In other fantasy news from the weekend…..

• In the same article that I reference above, it was mentioned that Emilio Bonifacio (thumb) will return to the lineup on Friday and bat towards the bottom of the lineup. Marlins manager Ozzie Guillen wants more speed at the bottom.
• Giancarlo Stanton will miss at least a month following surgery on his right knee. With Emilio Bonifacio returning from the disabled list Friday, Justin Ruggiano will slide over to play right field.
• Yoenis Cespedes left Sunday’s game with a sprained left thumb. We’ll see how long he is out, but having off until Friday will certainly provide sufficient time for the Athletics to evaluate the situation.
• Andrelton Simmons suffered a broken right pinkie finger in Sunday’s game and is expected to miss 4-6 weeks. Tyler Pastornicky could be called back up to fill in for Simmons.
• C.J. Wilson has been scratched from the All-Star game due to a blister on his pitching hand. He’s expected to be fine and should be ready for his turn after the break. Jake Peavy replaces him on the roster
• Roy Halladay (shoulder) will begin a rehab assignment with High-A Clearwater Thursday if he gets through Tuesday.
• Trevor Bauer’s third career start was his best, as he threw six shutout innings while allowing just two hits and a walk.
• Brian McCann belted a homer in his fourth straight game Sunday. McCann has been red-hot since getting some hitting tips from his brother

Chipper Jones was named to the National League All-Star roster on Tuesday when Dodgers outfielder Matt Kemp was officially ruled out of the game due to a hamstring injury. Chipper celebrated by going 5-for-5 with two doubles and four RBI in the Braves’ 10-3 victory over the Cubs in Atlanta. Jones singled in his first at-bat extending his season-high hitting streak to 10 games. Jones’ bases-clearing double in the sixth helped the Braves widen the lead and cruise to an easy victory.  The .304 career hitter is batting .313 through 46 games and should remain relevant in mixed fantasy leagues until the very end.

In other fantasy news….

• Roy Oswalt was pounded for nine earned runs over 4 2/3 innings on Tuesday evening in Chicago in a blowout lose, 19-2, by the White Sox. Oswalt gave up 13 hits — three of which were homers — and used a total of 112 pitches without making it through five frames.
• Mike Trout hit another home run on Tuesday in Cleveland. He is up to 10 homers, 22 steals and 36 RBI after another big night.
• A.J. Burnett had one of his roughest outings, allowing six earned runs and 12 hits in five-plus innings. He entered Tuesday having allowed six earned runs in his previous seven home starts combined. Just a bump in the road for Burnett that was expected after winning his previous 8 starts. Burnett will pitch on Sunday before the All-Star break.
• Aramis Ramirez drove in four runs on Tuesday, including the walk off home run win over the Marlins.
• Chris Sale won his 10th victory on Tuesday after throwing 7 1/3 innings of one-run ball against the Rangers. Sale got all the run support he needed as the White Sox provided 19 runs in a blowout victory.
• Tim Lincecum gave up a career-high eight runs (seven earned) Tuesday in a loss to the Nationals. Lincecum had put together back-to-back strong outings and many thought he was finally putting things together in 2012. But, his effort last night is definitely a step backwards.
• Wei-Yin Chen carried a perfect game into the seventh inning Tuesday night against the Mariners. He struck out nine. He was perfect through 6 1/3 innings before giving up a solo homer to Casper Wells.
• Andrew Cashner left the game before the bottom of the third inning after experiencing a discomfort in his right side. He was later diagnosed with a strained lat muscle and could be sidelined for a month.
• Drew Storen (elbow) is scheduled to begin a minor league rehab assignment Thursday.
• Jose Tabata has been struggling most of the season and on Tuesday, he was demoted to the minors. Tabata is batting just .235 this year and has not provided the Pirates the consistent production they thought they would when they committed $15 million to him.