AL CENTRAL
Chicago White Sox Yoan Moncada is starting to
live up to the hype.
The rookie second baseman was considered the top prospect in baseball by many analysts coming into the season but struggled after being called up July 19 from Class AAA Charlotte (N.C.) on July 19. However, he has heated up in September.
“I knew the results would validate my approach,” Moncada said. “I just needed to keep doing what I was doing.”
Moncada began using a bat given him by first baseman Jose
Abreu and went 13-for-29 (.448) in his next six games. That lifted his batting average to .233 with six home runs after it had been as low as .100.
Monacda was one of four prospects acquired from the Boston Red Sox during the offseason in a trade for left-hander Chris Sale.
Outfielder Willy Garcia (concussion) was activated from the disabled list Sept. 14 after missing six weeks. The rookie made 11 starts in right field, nine in center field and six in left field before being injured in a collision with Moncada on July 31 in a win over the Toronto Blue Jays.
Outfielder Rymer Liriano will miss the remainder of the season to be with his wife, who is due to give birth. He played in 12 games and hit .200 with one homer after being called up Sept. 2 from Charlotte.
Cleveland Indians
The Indians won their second consecutive American League Central title after making history.
They clinched the division Sept. 16, two days after setting the AL record with their 22nd straight win. Kansas City snapped the streak the next night with a 4-3 victory, leaving the Indians four short of the major league record of 26, held by the 1916 New York Giants.
However, the Indians have their sights set on winning their first World Series since 1948 after losing to the Chicago Cubs in seven games last season.
“Our goal is to go out there and win games and make it as far as we can in the postseason,” short-
stop Francisco Lindor said.
Two- time All-Star second baseman Jason Kipnis (right hamstring) was activated from the disabled list Sept. 17 after missing 31⁄ weeks and started in 2 center field against the Royals. The Indians are looking at options at the position after rookie Bradley Zimmer broke his left hand Sept. 10 diving headfirst into first base.
Kipnis hadn’t played in the outfield since 2009 with shortseason Class A Mahoning Valley (Niles, Ohio).
Left- hander reliever Andrew Miller (right knee tendinitis) was activated from the DL on Sept. 14 after sitting out three weeks and pitched 11⁄ scoreless 3 innings in his first two games.
Detroit Tigers
Ace Michael Fulmer will be sidelined for the remainder of the season following elbow surgery but is expected to be ready for the start of spring training.
The right-hander had ulnar nerve transposition surgery Sept. 12. The procedure is expected to stop the numbness Fulmer had been feeling in his right hand.
“Even to his last very last start, he was adamant that he was fine,” manager Brad Ausmus said. “It would come and go and show up after starts. I guess it’s impossible to have no impact, but he claims he was completely capable of pitching.”
With Fulmer out, the Tigers got an ace-like performance Sept. 17 from left-hander Matthew Boyd, who came within one out of a no-hitter against the White Sox.
Right- hander Buck Farmer and rookie catcher John Hicks were absolved by Major League Baseball of trying to intentionally harm home plate umpire Quinn Wolcott, who was struck by a pitch on the right shoulder and knocked to the ground Sept. 13.
The incident came two batters after Wolcott ejected Ausmus and catcher James McCann for arguing balls and strikes.
Ausmus said designated hitter Victor Martinez was in “good spirits” after undergoing a procedure Sept. 11 to correct an irregular heartbeat.
Kansas City Royals
Pitching for the Royals represents a homecoming for Mike Morin.
The right-handed reliever was claimed off waivers Sept. 11 from the Los Angeles Angels. The 26year-old graduated from Shawnee Mission South High School in the Kansas City suburbs and often attended Royals games at Kauffman Stadium.
“I remember coming to games with the Hy-Vee level seats up top for $5 with a student ID,” Morin said. “I remember coming and watching a Cardinals game when Mark McGwire was doing his thing. It was cool.”
The Royals selected Morin in the 40th round of the 2009 amateur draft following his senior year of high school, but he chose to attend the University of North Carolina.
The Angels picked him in the 13th round in 2012.
Left- hander Onelki Garcia was designated for assignment to clear a 40-man roster spot for Morin. Garcia was tagged for nine runs over six innings while making one start and one relief appearance.
Left- hander Danny Duffy (left elbow impingement) was activated from the disabled list Sept. 17 and gave up two runs, one earned, on just one hit with eight strikeouts in five innings in a loss at Cleveland.
Minnesota Twins
The Twins were eliminated from the AL Central race Sept. 16 when the Indians clinched their second consecutive division title.
However, Minnesota’s postseason chances remained alive.
The Twins held a two-game lead over the Los Angeles Angels for the second AL wild card with 13 games to play and were four games behind the New York Yankees for the first wild card.
The playoff run comes a year after the Twins went 59-103, the worst record since the franchise moved from Washington in 1961.
The Twins haven’t been to the postseason since 2010.
“We’ve thought we’ve had something special since the AllStar break, so our mindset really has not changed,” closer Matt Belisle said.
Third baseman Miguel Sano (stress reaction in left shin) continues to have a slower than expected recovery. He has been on the disabled list since Aug. 20, and there is concern that he might not return this season.
Rookie left-hander Adalberto Mejia (arm strain) was activated from the DL on Sept. 16 and lost to the Toronto Blue Jays, allowing three runs in three innings, after missing five weeks.
“What they did is utterly amazing. Unfathomable. To go over three weeks without losing a game, that’s incredible.”
Royals manager Ned Yost after his team ended the Indians’ American League-record 22-game winning streak Sept. 15 with a 4-3 win at Cleveland