Dusty Baker is swiftly moving up the ladder as far as managerial wins and postseason appearances are concerned. Brandon Carr breaks down the facts about the OG, who’s entering his 11th postseason.
Per MLB.com, Los Angeles Angels outfielder Justin Upton will miss the rest of the season due to a right lumbar strain. The diagnosis sent Upton to the 10-day Injury list at the beginning of the month, but the injury has not progressed enough for the veteran to return.
https://t.co/JlxzXfjlhm is reporting that @Angels outfielder @JUST_JUP is out for the rest of the 2021 season due to a right lumbar strain.
The diagnosis sent J-Up to the 10 day IL at the beginning of the month but the injury hasn't progressed enough for the vet to return. pic.twitter.com/ZrCv87RR7o
— Brandon L. Carr (@Carrpediem21) September 21, 2021
When the team initially placed him on the IL earlier this month, Angels manager Joe Madden said he did not anticipate Upton returning during the last leg of the season as the team was already out of playoff contention.
Madden told OCRegister.com, “I like the guy a lot. He has leadership qualities among the group. He really does, and I would like to believe that there is more of what we saw when he was really hot. He carried us for about a month.”
Upton rode the wave of his 2020 finale at the start of the year as he hit .320 with an on-base plus slug of 1.020 throughout a 25-game span.
The numbers spike came at the hands of Madden shuffling the lineup to have Upton bat leadoff from early April to late May.
This was around the time his back discomfort started taking shape, which led to his extended stint on the IL.
Numerous injuries caused the 34-year-old to come up short for the third consecutive season for the Angels; Two of which were due to back injuries, as mentioned earlier.
He finished the year averaging .211 with an on-base plus slugging percentage of .705, 41 RBI, and 17 home runs in 89 games.
Although he finished the pandemic shortened season on fire, J-Up struggled so much in the earlier parts of the season that his performance relegated him to pine; And the 2019 season resembled 2021 as he missed most of the year due to a plethora of injuries.
Upton is a career .262 hitter throughout numerous stops around the league with the Arizona Diamondback, Atlanta Braves, San Diego Padres, Detroit Tigers, and Angels with 1,000 RBI and 324 homers in 1,828 games.
With high praise from his manager to the organization’s respect and being a leader for his peers, Upton will be roaming the grass in the city of angels if he has the willpower to overcome the injury kryptonite.
But if this is the end of an illustrious career, well, let’s say it’s been a heck of a ride.
Brandon Carr was inspired by Baltimore Orioles outfielder Cedric Mullins’ incredible catch.
He takes you on a journey through some of the most memorable wall crawls, incredible leaps and classic grabs by MLBbros over the years.
According to reports, Houston Astros outfielder Michael Brantley resumed baseball activities on Sunday for the first time since being placed on the 10-day injury list for knee soreness, retroactive to September 11.
After watching him swing the bat and get in some glove work, Houston Astros manager Dusty Baker spoke to the media on Sunday and gave an informative declaration for the 2021 all-star opt-out. Baker told Mark Berman of Fox 26 that Brantley is coming along pretty good.
@astros will receive high-quality reinforcement ahead of their playoff run. #MichaelBrantley https://t.co/3FKihrCCuc
— Brandon L. Carr (@Carrpediem21) September 20, 2021
He said, “We miss Brantley. The other guys have been doing a good job, but we miss Michael Brantley. He is a quality player, (a) quality defensive player who adds balance to our lineup with another lefty because you know we are right-handed strong right now. You don’t know how much you miss a guy until he is gone.”
Brantley traveled to Anaheim for a four-game series against the Los Angeles Angels yesterday. Although the timetable for his return isn’t exact, the earliest he could be activated is Wednesday, September 22.
The 34-year-old has a long history of injuries dating back to his days in Cleveland; Before this stint, he spent 15 days on the IL earlier this season with some hamstring discomfort. Besides that, with the Astros, he’s been relatively healthy.
Brantley is still hunting the American League batting crown with a little over 10 games remaining as he is ranked second in votes behind Toronto Blue Jays slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
To qualify for the batting title, a player must make at least 502 at-bats. The big-league outfielder posted an average of .315 at the plate with an on-base percentage of .367 and a .441 slugging percentage in 493 plate appearances.
Baker indicated to the Houston Chronicle that Brantley’s return would come into play when he regains his pro form as Sunday was the first time, he swung a bat since he sustained the initial injury.
Baker implied, “It is a matter of communication when you talk to (Brantley). At this point in your career, you know yourself, and you know what it feels like to have your act together. Some guys get it quickly, and some guys, it takes a long time. Some guys never lose it. That is rare. So, we will see.”
Triston McKenzie continued his stellar return from injury as his Cleveland Guardians took game one of Tuesday’s doubleheader against the Minnesota Twins (3-1).
McKenzie dominated on the mound as he had seven strikeouts — three of which came against fellow MLBbro Byron Buxton — while giving up three hits and one walk.
It was the Brooklyn-born rookie’s fifth straight appearance of six innings or more where he allowed one run or less. He’s now retired 96 out of the last 112 batters he has faced.
Today, @T_eazy24 became The first pitcher in Guardians history with 6+ innings pitched and 3 or fewer hits allowed in 5 consecutive starts.
He’s also the first pitcher in club history with 6+ innings pitched and 5 or fewer hits allowed in 7 consecutive starts.@MLBbrodotcom pic.twitter.com/nVvXhyTC4S
— Brandon L. Carr (@Carrpediem21) September 15, 2021
According to Elias Sports Bureau, this performance puts him in rarefied air, joining elder bro Dwight Gooden and three other rookies who too achieved such success.
@T_eazy24 in rarefied air. https://t.co/gpl5g9t972
— Brandon L. Carr (@Carrpediem21) September 15, 2021
McKenzie recently spent 10 days on the disabled list with right shoulder fatigue, which was a little concerning after the lanky magician of the cowhide stint seemed lengthy.
Still, miraculously, time spent was minimal as he is an elite superstar on the horizon, and the numbers speak for itself.
During the recent streak of dominance, he collected 19 strikeouts in 15 total innings while only giving up three hits and one run.
But everything wasn’t all sunshine and roses for McKenzie earlier in the season. The 24-year-old made numerous trips to Cleveland’s Triple-A affiliate for mechanical reasons. Still, those minor setbacks made for significant comebacks, and from the looks of it, a peripeteia is long gone.
Triston McKenzie Gets Sent Back To The Minors For Some Fine-Tuning
“That was pretty much the sole purpose of me going down there (Triple-A), to figure out my control and figure out how to attack the strike zone.” He continued, “The past month in a half, past two months, has just been a culmination of all the work that was put in.”
Guardians manager DeMarlo Hale added on the situation, “When he needs to throw a strike, he’s been able to put multiple pitches that he has in the strike zone.”
McKenzie deserves all props received thus far, showing why he no longer belongs in the minors. He is holding up to his end of the bargain, and the numbers indicate so as well.
In 22 games played, “sticks” has an earned run average of 4.28 with a WHIP of .1.06. He is holding batters to a .171 average with 127 strikeouts under his belt.