The San Francisco Giants confirmed Monday that right-hander Matt Cain will miss the rest of 2014 after opting for season-ending surgery, according to the San Francisco Chronicle's Henry Schulman.
MLB news: Matt Cain out for season, Bobby Abreu’s playing days may be over
With the NL playoff race tightening up, the Giants have officially lost Matt Cain for the rest of the season, while the Yankees placed yet another starter on the DL in David Phelps.
Jason O. Watson
Cain will have surgery next Monday in San Francisco to remove bone chips in his right elbow after three different doctors recommended the operation.
Although Cain has struggled for two straight seasons, his loss is still a blow to the Giants’ starting pitching depth. The 29-year-old Cain posted a 4.18 ERA in 15 starts this season after finishing with a 4.00 ERA in 2013, his lowest mark in six years. He had thrown at least 184⅓ innings for eight straight seasons.
The Giants currently sit in a tie with the Cardinals for the NL's first Wild Card spot, but three teams sit within 3½ games of San Francisco. Without Cain, the Giants will rely on Ryan Vogelsong and the recently acquired Jake Peavy to fill out the back-end of their rotation behind Madison Bumgarner, Tim Hudson, and Tim Lincecum.
Yanks place Phelps on 15-day DL
The Yankees placed pitcher David Phelps on the 15-day DL with elbow inflammation, according to Sweeny Murti of WFAN.
The Yanks recalled Matt Daley from Triple-A to take Phelps' place, but haven't announced a starter yet for their game Friday night. Per ESPNNewYork's Andrew Marchand, Phelps will not throw a ball for two weeks and could need up to a month before returning to the majors.
Phelps is the fifth Yankees starter to land on the DL this season after Masahiro Tanaka, Ivan Nova, CC Sabathia, and Michael Pineda have all suffered serious injuries. Nova and Sabathia are both out for the rest of the season, while Tanaka might need Tommy John surgery despite throwing for the first time on Monday since tearing the UCL in his right elbow.
The 27-year-old Phelps has actually been one of New York's best starters in 2014, compiling a 4.24 ERA in 108 innings pitched. He had allowed 10 earned runs over five July starts prior to lasting just two innings against the Red Sox on Sunday.
Suarez injures knee, leaves Tigers game early
Tigers shortstop Eugenio Suarez left Monday night's game against the Yankees early with a left knee sprain, the club announced.
The 23-year-old injured his knee while sliding into second base on a steal attempt in the fifth inning. He will be re-evaluated Tuesday.
Detroit came into the season with little depth at shortstop, and Suarez has been the team’s only consistent performer at the position since getting promoted to the majors in early June. Through 46 games, the rookie has hit .255/.333/.383 with 11 extra-base hits.
Losing Suarez for any period of time would be a big loss since the Tigers have few viable alternatives at shortstop. Andrew Romine, who has struggled at the plate in 2014, figures to start at short if Suarez misses any time, and the club will likely call up Hernan Perez from Triple-A if Suarez lands on the DL.
Abreu designated for assignment
The Mets have designated veteran Bobby Abreu for assignment, the team announced Monday afternoon.
Abreu signed a minor league contract with the Mets back in March, but the 40-year-old failed to make much of an impact in New York’s lineup. The Venezuelan native was batting .238/.331/.336 with one home run over 142 plate appearances.
A two-time All-Star and 18-year MLB veteran, Abreu might have played in his last major league game after sitting out all of 2013 and failing to make an impression for the Mets this season.
Among active position players, only Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez have reached base more often than Abreu's career total of 3,973. If Abreu's playing days are over, he will finish his career with 288 home runs, 400 stolen bases and a lifetime .291/.395/.475 line.
Carrera makes great diving catch
The Tigers lost Eugenio Suarez early to an injury and fell to the Yankees, 2-1, on Monday, but center fielder Ezequiel Carrera made the play of the night with this diving catch on a line drive by Jacoby Ellsbury:
Even more impressive, Carrera's catch came with the bases loaded in the third inning and saved multiple runs, although Ichiro Suzuki did end up scoring after tagging up from third base.
Padres narrowing GM search?
The Padres are eyeing Yankees assistant GM Billy Eppler for their open general manager position, according to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports.
Per Heyman, Eppler is currently viewed as the frontrunner for the job, with the club expected to announce its new GM sometime this week.
Other candidates being considered for the position are Rangers assistant GM A.J. Preller, MLB VP Kim Ng, and Red Sox assistant GM Mike Hazen.
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