Gray’s N.Y. debut to come Thursday
Former A’s All-Star Sonny Gray, traded by Oakland on Monday for three prospects, joined the Yankees on Tuesday to find out he will make his debut in pinstripes Thursday in Cleveland.
“Thursday, all I can do is go out there and compete and pitch like I know how to pitch,” Gray told MLB.com. “There’s going to be a really good team behind me. It’s going to make it a lot of fun.”
Gray, who is 6-5 with a 3.43 ERA, is 4-2 with a 1.37 ERA in his past six outings. But despite that surge, manager Joe Girardi said the team isn’t asking Gray to be a savior.
“It’s important that he knows we went and got Sonny because we just wanted Sonny to be Sonny,” Girardi said. Gray said he is feeling good. “I kind of missed the second half of last year, and coming back, I missed most of spring training, so I just wasn’t able to get the repetitions that a starting pitcher needs,” Gray said. “I really feel like in the last month, the last two months, it’s starting to click and I’m starting to — and you’ll see — I’ve started to feel the baseball again and make it do the things that I’ve always been able to make it do.” Bad news in Miami: Miami pitcher Edinson Volquez will require Tommy John surgery for the second time.
The right-hander has been sidelined since July 17 because of a left knee injury, and the team said the elbow issue surfaced during his rehabilitation. An MRI exam disclosed a torn ulnar collateral ligament.
Volquez underwent Tommy John surgery in 2009 while with the Cincinnati Reds.
“It’s a devastating blow,” Marlins executive Michael Hill said of Volquez’s latest injury. “It’s just another thing we’ll have to overcome.”
Volquez, Miami’s Opening Day starter, went 4-8 with a 4.19 ERA in 17 starts and threw the only no-hitter in the majors this year. He’s under contract for $13 million next season.
The Marlins also announced that shortstop J.T. Riddle will miss the rest of the season because of a left shoulder injury. Additionally, the South Florida Sun Sentinel reported that first baseman Justin Bour’s oblique strain is more severe than first believed and he will be sidelined until at least September. Injury report: The Red Sox placed second baseman Dustin Pedroia on the disabled list with knee inflammation . ... The White Sox placed outfielder Willy Garcia on the seven-day DL because of a concussion he suffered in a collision with second baseman Yoan Moncada as they pursued a flyball to shallow right fielder Monday . ... The Reds put outfielder Scott Schebler on the DL with a left shoulder strain . ... The Astros put relievers Michael Feliz (right shoulder discomfort) and Tony Sipp (right calf soreness) on the DL and announced that infielder Colin Moran had surgery to repair facial fractures he suffered after fouling a ball off his face July 22 . ... Former A’s outfielder Brett Eibner, who has been trying to add pitcher to his resume in the Dodgers’ minor-league system, had Tommy John surgery on his right elbow, the Southern California News Group reported. Briefly: Right-hander Yu Darvish will make his debut with the Dodgers when he starts Friday against the Mets in New York. Darvish, a four-time All-Star, was acquired from the Rangers for three prospects Monday . ... The Braves promoted infielder Ozzie Albies, 20, to the majors. He was hitting .285 with nine homers, 41 RBIs and 21 stolen bases for Triple-A Gwinnett this season . ... Lefthander Brett Oberholtzer was designated for assignment by the Blue Jays . ... Baltimore infielder Johnny Giavotella was designated for assignment.