Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Major league notes
Chapman throws in simulated game
TAMPA, Fla. — New York Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman struck out three and walked 1 in 1 inning during his first simulated game since going on the 10-day disabled list in mid-May because of a left shoulder injury.
Chapman threw 18 pitches against minor leaguers Saturday at the Yankees’ complex in Tampa, Fla. The hard-throwing lefty has not pitched in a game since May 12 because of what Yankees Manager Joe Girardi has called tendinitis and bursitis in the shoulder.
Girardi said Chapman reached 98 mph with his fastball, and will pitch one inning Tuesday in a Class A rehab outing. Girardi said he thought Chapman was scheduled to throw an inning at Class AA Trenton on Friday.
After that, “hopefully he joins us,” Girardi said.
Chapman is 1-0 with 7 saves and a 3.55 ERA in 14 games this season.
MARLINS Stanton hit on wrist
PITTSBURGH — Miami Marlins slugger Giancarlo Stanton left the game in Pittsburgh on Saturday with a bruised right wrist after being hit by a pitch.
Stanton was struck in the first inning by a pitch from Trevor Williams. Stanton made his way to first base, but after consultation with the team trainer, he was replaced by Ichiro Suzuki. Stanton was the second batter of the game.
X-rays were negative and Stanton was listed as day to day.
The star outfielder hit a 449-foot home run on Friday night against the Pirates. He has 16 home runs this season.
Stanton missed the last month and half of 2016 with a groin strain. He missed all but 74 games of the 2015 season with an injury in his left hand.
CUBS
Russell back in lineup
CHICAGO — Addison Russell returned to the Chicago Cubs’ lineup on Saturday, two days after Major League Baseball began an investigation of the All-Star shortstop in the wake of domestic violence allegations.
Russell batted eighth as the Cubs met the Colorado Rockies at Wrigley Field. The Cubs told him not to come to the ballpark Thursday for a game against the Rockies, and he rejoined the team on Friday and didn’t play.
“You’ve just got to throw him back out there and have him try to work through the whole thing,” Manager Joe Maddon said.
Russell’s wife, Melisa, posted a photo Wednesday on Instagram with a caption suggesting he was unfaithful to her. In another post, a person — described as Melisa’s close friend — accused Russell of “mentally and physically abusing her.” The posts have been deleted.
Russell, 23, did not address questions about the accusations Friday. He reiterated his written statement from Thursday that said: “Any allegation I have abused my wife is false and hurtful. For the well-being of my family, I’ll have no further comment.”
Russell is batting .209.
ASTROS Ex-Hog recovering from ailment
HOUSTON — Houston ace and former Arkansas Razorback Dallas Keuchel won’t begin throwing again for about a week as he recovers from neck discomfort that has landed him on the disabled list for the second time this season.
Keuchel was scratched from his start on Wednesday at Kansas City and placed on the 10-day disabled list a day later, a move retroactive to June 5. It’s the same problem that put him on the disabled list earlier and caused him to miss one start.
“It’s not something that I want to keep re-aggravating every time I go out there every five days,” Keuchel said. “I’d rather nip it in the bud right now and make sure it’s fully gone than go back out there and enjoy being healthy.”
He isn’t sure when he’ll return, but expects to miss at least two more starts.
Keuchel has been one of the best pitchers in the majors this season, posting a 9-0 record and a 1.67 ERA, both MLB bests. His return to form this season after struggling last year in the follow-up to a 2015 season where he won the American League Cy Young Award has helped the Astros to the best record in the majors.
He said the pain in his neck varies from a dull ache to a more sharp pain when he pitches. Keuchel acknowledged that he probably came back a bit too quickly from his first stint on the disabled list. But at the time he thought he had improved enough to return.
“If I had to look back right now, I maybe would have missed one more start instead of coming back after just one,” he said. “But I felt in a good enough position to go at it again and think it’s gone.”
When Keuchel was scratched on Wednesday, the team said that he was dealing with an illness before the Astros revealed on Thursday that his neck problem had returned.
He said Saturday that he had been fighting through a virus for the past week that had caused him to lose about 10 pounds, which made it more difficult to deal with his neck issue.
“It just compounded it,” he said. “I’m just finally getting over that.”