News and notes
Chicago Cubs
Addison Russell was under investigation by Major League Baseball for alleged domestic abuse, but the shortstop said any off-the-field troubles have not impacted his poor season.
Russell’s wife, Melisa, posted a photo on her Instagram account June 7 with a caption suggesting he had been unfaithful to her. Another user, who was described by Melisa as a friend, wrote in another post that Addison had “hit” his wife. Both posts were deleted. Russell, an All-Star last season, was hitting .213 with four home runs in 56 games.
“There’s periods of time where you’re struggling, you’re scuffling and sometimes you stink,” Russell, 23, said. “But I’m here for a reason. It’s because I’m good.”
Right- hander Kyle Hendricks (hand tendinitis) was expected to return this weekend. He was placed on the disabled list, retroactive to June 5, and lefthander Mike Montgomery moved into the rotation. Reliever Seth Frankoff was called up Friday, took the loss in his major league debut that day by giving up two runs in two innings to the Colorado Rockies, then was sent right back to Class AAA (Des Moines) Iowa.
Cincinnati Reds
The Reds figured they were getting a solid utility player, not a history-making slugger, when they claimed Scooter Gennett off waivers from the Milwaukee Brewers during spring training.
Gennett became the first player in club history to hit four home runs in a game, doing it June 6 against the St. Louis Cardinals. He also tied the major league record in becoming the 17th player with a four-homer game.
Gennett’s three previous homers this season had come in his first seven games. He connected 35 times during his first four major league seasons, all with the Brewers, though he set a career high with 14 last year.
“It’s pretty unreal,” said Gennett, a Cincinnati native. “Just being a Reds fan all my life, to be able to do this is just unbelievable. It’ll probably really hit home in the offseason.”
Right- hander Homer Bailey (elbow surgery) made his first rehab start Friday and pitched five scoreless innings for Class AA Pensacola (Fla.). Bailey, who has been on the disabled list all season, will make at least two more minor league starts. Left- handed reliever Tony Cingrani, who missed nearly seven weeks because of a strained muscle in his right side, allowed one run in 21⁄3 innings in his first three games after being activated from the DL on June 6.
Milwaukee Brewers
The Brewers hope to activate right-hander Matt Garza from the disabled list June 15 to start against the Cardinals.
Garza suffered a chest bruise June 3 when he collided with Brewers first baseman Jesus
Aguilar during a play at first base in a game against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Garza had hoped to remain on the active roster but landed on the DL when he felt pain during a between-starts throwing session.
“I felt like I got hit by a truck,” Garza said of running into 250pound Aguilar.
Right-hander Paolo Espino was called up from Class AAA Colorado Springs to take Garza’s place in the rotation but was sent down after giving up three runs in four innings in a loss to the San Francisco Giants on June 8.
Utility infielder Eric Sogard will get most of the playing time at second base while Jonathan
Villar (lower back) is on the DL. Villar was carted off the field Friday after being injured while diving for a ground ball in a game at Arizona Diamondbacks. Highly touted outfield
prospects Brett Phillips and Lewis Brinson made their major league debuts in a span of five days. Phillips was called up from Colorado Springs on June 5, and Brinson followed five days later.
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pirates replaced their struggling closer with two pitchers.
Left-hander Felipe Rivero and right-hander Juan Nicasio will be used in save situations in place of lefty Tony Watson. The move was made after Watson squandered ninth-inning leads in consecutive games at the Baltimore Orioles, giving him five blown saves in 15 chances.
Rivero got his first two saves of the season and fourth and fifth of his three-year career Saturday and Sunday against the Miami
Marlins. He lowered his ERA to 0.53 through 33 games, and Nicasio had a 1.27 ERA in 30 games.
Manager Clint Hurdle would not rule out Watson returning to the closer’s role.
The Pirates were left with two rookie catchers, Elias Diaz
and Jacob Stallings, after Francisco Cervelli was placed on the seven-day concussion disabled list June 7. Cervelli, who took a foul ball off his face mask a night earlier, joined backup Chris Stewart (left hamstring) on the DL.
Right- hander Jameson Taillon (testicular cancer) was activated from the DL on Monday, a little more than a month after having surgery, and pitched five scoreless innings vs. Colorado.
St. Louis Cardinals
Hoping to jump-start their season, the Cardinals shook up their coaching staff.
Mike Shildt, in his first year as quality control coach, was elevated to third-base coach Friday after the Cardinals lost seven consecutive games to drop to 26-32. He replaced Chris Malo
ney, who was reassigned within the organization.
Class AAA Memphis hitting coach Mark Budaska assumed the assistant hitting coach’s role, and Bill Mueller took a leave of absence. Ron “Pop” Warner, an instructor in the farm system, will serve as quality control coach.
“This is all a direct result of how we’ve been playing,” third baseman Jedd Gyorko said. “We’ve got to play better. If we’re 10 games over .500 and in first place, these changes aren’t going to happen.”
The Cardinals ended their skid later that day with a 3-2 victory against the Philadelphia Phillies.
Second baseman Kolten Wong was activated from the disabled list Friday and went 5-for-10 in his first three games. He missed two weeks because of a strained left elbow.
Veteran infielder Jhonny Peralta was designated for assignment when Wong was activated. Peralta, 35, hit .204 in 21 games in the last season of a fouryear, $53 million contract.
“I said I’m just grabbing my bat and going up there. I’m not taking any swings. Probably not the best long-term strategy.” Reds utility player Patrick Kivlehan after hitting a three-run, pinch-hit homer June 7 in a 6-4 victory against the Cardinals