MLB News and Rumors

The San Francisco Giants declined to tender a one-year contract with closer Brian Wilson by Friday night’s deadline, allowing him to become a free agent.
Wilson, who is recovering from a second ligament-replacement surgery on his right elbow, made only two appearances for the World Series champions this year after suffering the elbow injury in April.  He underwent Click Link Below to Read More!

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The Dodgers continued a trend Wednesday night, one that has seen their offense decline in June.

Los Angeles scored one run on just three hits against Tommy Milone, and the Athletics’ rookie left-hander pitched a complete game while earning a 4-1 win. The Dodgers have scored just one run on five hits in two games at Oakland.

Since Matt Kemp was placed on the disabled list May 31, the Dodgers have averaged just 3.74 runs per game and have hit .233 as a team, with a .311 slugging percentage and five home runs in 19 games.

The Dodgers have managed to go 10-9 in Kemp’s absence, but they are sorely missing the bat that hit .355 with 12 home runs and a .719 slugging percentage in 36 games. The team has scored two runs or fewer in nine of the 19 games without Kemp.

There is no set timetable for Kemp’s return, as the Dodgers want to make sure the center fielder doesn’t rush back. He was injured May 30, just one day after returning from his first stint on the disabled list this season.

The Dodgers were 9-5 during Kemp’s first DL stay, but their luck without their superstar has appeared to run out.

NOTES, QUOTES
Lilly close to starting a throwing program
–LHP Ted Lilly, on the disabled list with left shoulder inflammation, could begin throwing by the end of the week, manager Don Mattingly said. Lilly hasn’t thrown since May 23, the day he last pitched and five days before was placed on the disabled list.
–RHP Nathan Eovaldi allowed three runs in six innings Wednesday in Oakland, suffering his third loss of the season. Eovaldi has a 2.35 ERA in five starts, but he is 0-3 and the Dodgers have lost all five starts. He is the first Dodgers starter to allow three runs or fewer without a win in his first five starts of a season since Elmer Dessens started the 2005 season with seven such starts in a row.
–CF Matt Kemp, who has missed 33 games through Wednesday in two stints on the disabled list with a left hamstring strain, is expected to return close to the All-Star break. Dodgers trainer Sue Falsone told MLB.com that the club wants Kemp to have a rehab assignment longer than the two games he played with Class AAA Albuquerque prior to his May 29 return. He came back to play just two games with the Dodgers before re-injuring his hamstring.
–OF Tony Gwynn Jr., who hit .304 (17-for-56) in 14 games when thrust into a regular role during CF Matt Kemp’s first stint on the disabled list this season, has hit just .208 (11-for-53) in 17 games since Kemp was placed on the disabled list a second time.
–INFOF Jerry Hairston Jr. had an infield single in the seventh inning Wednesday to snap an 0-for-19 skid. Hairston, who hit .457 (16-for-35) with five extra-base hits in 11 games in May, is hitting .213 (10-for-47) with four extra-base hits in 16 games in June.
BY THE NUMBERS: 5 — Home runs hit by the Dodgers in their last 22 games.
QUOTE TO NOTE: “For the last few days, we’ve kind of scuffled at the plate, but it’s not for a lack of effort.” — C A.J. Ellis, to the Los Angeles Times, on the Dodgers’ lack of offense.

ROSTER REPORT MEDICAL WATCH:
–CF Matt Kemp (strained left hamstring) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to May 14. He began a rehab assignment with Class AAA Albuquerque on May 27, and he was activated May 29. He re-injured the hamstring May 30 and left the game. He went back on the 15-day disabled list May 31, and he is expected to be out until at least late June. He had resumed taking batting practice as of mid-June. He is expected to play more than two minor league rehab games before rejoining the Dodgers.
–LHP Ted Lilly (left shoulder inflammation) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to May 24. An MRI showed no damage, so he won’t need surgery. He might resume throwing during the weekend of June 22-24.
–RHP Blake Hawksworth (arthroscopic right elbow surgeries in January 2012 and February 2012) went on the 60-day disabled list March 27. He played in an intrasquad game at the Dodgers’ Arizona facility on May 24. He is scheduled to pitch in a pair of rehab games June 21 and June 22 with high Class A Rancho Cucamonga.
–RHP Javy Guerra (right knee inflammation) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to June 3. He underwent surgery June 5 and will be out until July.
–INF Justin Sellers (bulging lower back disk) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to May 23. The problem was causing him numbness in his right leg. He received a second epidural injection in early June.
–2B Mark Ellis (left leg surgery) went on the 15-day disabled list May 19. He had to have a second surgery May 21 to drain his swollen left leg, two days after having an emergency fasciotomy to relieve pressure in the leg. He was hitting off a tee in mid-June and took batting practice June 15, and he has resumed baseball activities. There is no timetable for his return.
–RHP Matt Guerrier (right elbow tendinitis) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to April 19, and he was transferred to the 60-day DL on June 4. He threw a bullpen session May 16 and then had to rest for three days with elbow soreness. He had more elbow pain May 23, slowing his recovery again. He isn’t expected to return until after the All-Star break.
–RHP Rubby De La Rosa (Tommy John surgery in August 2011) went on the 60-day disabled list March 26.

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MINNEOLIS Twins closer Joe Nathan is alone at the top.With a perfect ninth inning Wednesday against Boston, Nathan because Minnesota’s all-time leader in saves with 255, passing Rick Aguilera. “To get No. 255, it’s obviously an honor to me to pass such a great pitcher in Aggie, a good human being,” Nathan said. “To be able to take over his record means a lot to me. To be able to stick around this organization, it’s pretty cool.” For Nathan, the last few years of his Twins career have been up-and-down. He missed all of 2010 following Tommy John surgery, and had a shaky start to 2011. At one point this season, he took himself out of the closer’s role.But since resuming his ninth-inning duties, Nathan has been sharp. His save Wednesday was his ninth of the season.”Just with the surgery and everything, the bumps in the road, I think it made it mean even more to me, to be able to come back and accomplish this,” Nathan said. “More importantly, we got a win. We’ve obviously needed so wins, so I think that’s the biggest thing.”Aguilera was in town last weekend as part of the 20-year reunion for the 1991 Twins team that won the World Series. Nathan caught up with Aguilera briefly, and caught a ceremonial first pitch from him. But after tying Aguilera on July 26, the chance to pass him while he was in town didn’t come.”I got a chance to talk to him then. He was obviously very nice and (congratulatory) and all that,” Nathan said. “He said he wished he had a chance to call me, but he knew he’d be coming out and seeing me live. He said it was better to say it face-to-face anyway.” Nathan made four All-Star appearances in his career, including the 2009 season in which he saved a career-high 47 games. Since joining the Twins in 2004, Nathan recorded 40 or more saves three times.Since tying Aguilera, Nathan had made four relief appearances prior to Wednesday the Twins haven’t had many save opportunities during that span. But after Minnesota scored three runs in the eighth inning Wednesday to take a 5-2 lead, Nathan’s shot at history finally came.”I’ve been through long stretches where there hasn’t been opportunities,” Nathan said. “I really hadn’t been thinking about it too much, just really going through my daily routines and trying to be ready for whenever the day was. I think I thought about it more when I was tying him than surpassing him. I definitely thought about that one a lot more, even though it seemed like this one took forever to get it done.”I think I was able to just stay the course and keep going out there and concentrating on trying to help this team win.”

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Neftali Feliz saved 40 games, went to the All-Star game and World Series, and won the American League Rookie of the Year award last year. Now the team is seriously considering moving the 22-year-old to the starting rotation.

But that leaves a big hole at the back end of the bullpen, and Texas Rangers manager Ron Washington wants an experienced closer to take his place. Yet, the Rangers do not have that pitcher in camp right now, MLB.com reports.

"I have confidence in [general manager] Jon Daniels and our scouts that if that’s the case, I’m 100 percent certain they can go out and find somebody," Washington said, according to the site.

MLB.com reports that the best in-house candidates to become the closer are Mark Lowe and Alexi Ogando, neither of whom have ever been full-time closers.

Let the rumors come to you. Follow Scoop du Jour on Twitter or Facebook.

MLB – Scoop Du Jour – Yahoo! Sports

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It appears as though the love between Michael Young and the Texas Rangers is over.
While Young and the team have had some disagreements in the past, that the face of the franchise of a team who just appeared in its first ever World Series wants out of Dodge so badly is a surprising turn of events.  This is especially true since Young is a six time All Star who has posted a WAR of 2.5 or higher for each of the past six years and is generally recognized as a pillar of the team and community.
The knocks against Young include the million remaining on his contract over the next 3 years, as well as his.704 OPS in the second half of last season.  Given Young's consistent production over his career this could be more easily overlooked if it weren't for the fact that he just turned 34 years old.
And now that the Rangers have signed Adrian Beltre means Beltre's universally-recognized amazing glovework will bump Young away from the third base position he inhabited for the last two seasons …
Yardbarker: MLB

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