NL Central Focus: 5/3/16

The injury bug bites the NL Central with a vengeance as the Cubs continue to best the Pittsburgh Pirates and the rest of the division.

Before we jump into a breakdown of everything that happened over the past week in the NL Central, here’s the division standings.

Chicago Cubs

The Cubs 2016 story is starting very similar to the Cardinals 2015 story. The injury bug can have a serious bite, as the Cubs have quickly learned. After losing Kyle Schwarber for the season and an injury scare with Kris Bryant, the Cubs have to deal with the next wave in Matt Szczur and Jason Heyward both facing injury concerns at the start of the series with the Pirates. Szczur underwent an MRI on his right hamstring after he experienced tightness following a double steal attempt Monday night. Heyward sat out the series opener with a sore wrist. Heyward is in a 0-17 slump at the plate.

Riding high atop the NL Central and buying into the hype as baseball’s crowned pre-season champions, the Cubs held their first themed road trip. Most teams do interesting things like this on their cross-country excursions. The Pirates held a superhero road trip last summer. For the Cubs, this trip was a zany suit trip. Whenever you look anything but ridiculous on the field, anyone can be forgiven for atrocious sense of style off the field. The fashion police will certainly be in touch with Joe Maddon this week.

In major league history, pitchers have thrown 295 no-hitters. The Cubs’ Jake Arrieta threw the second of his career this season, but it was a different no hitter which garners attention this week.  Ninety-nine years ago yesterday, Hippo Vaughn and Fred Toney paired up, for the Chicago Cubs and Cincinnati Reds respectively, to throw the only dual no-hitters in history. In the top of the tenth, the Reds broke through for a run on ten hits to pick up the win.

St. Louis Cardinals

Sidelined due to thumb surgery he underwent during spring training, Jhonny Peralta is ahead of schedule in his rehab. Peralta was supposedly fielding ground balls on Sunday. He has yet to hit and do any sliding practice. Once those stages are complete, Peralta can begin the arduous process of performing at a level worthy of a major league shortstop. Tommy Pham hopes to begin his rehab stint soon, as well, recovering from a strain in his left side.

Carlos Martinez is in the middle of a legal battle after a civil suit was filed against him. Martinez has been charged with knowingly risking transmission of a sexually transmitted disease to a sexual partner. The accuser is seeking $1.5 million in damages. Martinez is also accused of battery in the filings of the lawsuit. The MLB has announced it will not investigate the incident under its domestic violence policy due to its nature as a civil suit. In this writer’s opinion, it’s a great injustice when an international organization turns a blind eye to domestic violence connected to one of its employees.

As a whole, the Cardinals have issues going on at home. Traditionally, one of the best when playing with home field advantage, the Cardinals have struggled this season at home. The Cardinals are 6-7 at Busch Stadium in 2016, and in a year in which they are sitting at .500 in third place in the NL Central after 26 games, the Cardinals will have to do better, not just to have any chance at repeating as division champions, but simply to avoid watching the playoffs at home this year.

Milwaukee Brewers

Typically, when Ryan Braun changes his no-trade clause annually, it gets little media attention. Braun is the face of the Milwaukee franchise and a staple in the Brewers lineup. He is a thorn in the side of his opponents, but in a year in which the Brewers have committed to a rebuild effort, Braun could become a thorn in the Brewers side. This year, Braun’s partial no-trade clause lets him choose for which teams the Brewers don’t need his approval for a trade. In 2016, those teams include the Angels, Diamondbacks, Dodgers, Giants, Marlins, and Padres. Looking over the list, it appears Braun is less concerned with playing for a contender and more concerned with finding some place to avoid the cold.

One player who will have to find a way to deal with the cold is Taylor Jungmann. He was optioned this week to the Colorado Spring Sky Sox after yet another poor outing, this time against the Cubs. On the season, Junmann is 0-4 with a 9.15 ERA. David Goforth took his place on the roster, and Zach Davies is expected to replace Jungmann in the rotation. Jungmann started the season as the Brewers’ number three starter in the rotation.

On the injury front, the Brewers got more bad news with Scooter Gennett, the team’s best hitter for the first month of the season, on the disabled list with right oblique tightness. Gennett was slashing .258/.361/.516 with four home runs through his first 72 plate appearances. Hernan Perez was recalled in a corresponding move. Yadiel Rivera is likely to replace Gennett until he returns. Matt Garza was transferred to the 60-day disabled list to make room for Perez.

Cincinnati Reds

The Reds and Blue Jays are dueling for the title of worst bullpen in baseball. Both have broken streak records this season, but it is the rotation making headlines this week. In six-plus innings, Tim Adleman made his major league debut Sunday against the Pirates in a superb effort. He made the emergency spot start in place of Raisel Iglesias after Iglesias was diagnosed with an impingement in his throwing arm and placed on the 15-day disabled list. Adleman showed command many rookie pitchers lack. Control, or rather self-control, is what the Reds will need to exhibit as Homer Bailey experienced discomfort and tightness following his second rehab start on April 26. Bailey was shut down for a few days.

In other injury news, as if the Reds haven’t had enough of that the last couple weeks, Devin Mesoraco has been diagnosed with a torn labrum in his non-throwing shoulder. Mesoraco has been placed on the 15-day disabled list while he weighs his options. His choices are limited to having season-ending surgery or playing through the pain and risk his play being diminished, as well as potentially risking worsening the injury.

Diminished play is exactly the same concern shared by Mesoraco’s teammate Joey Votto. Votto is used to being one of the best sluggers in baseball for much of his career, so his performance in April, the worst of his career in which he played the whole month, took the first baseman by surprise. In quotes he made released yesterday, Votto said he would rather retire than continue to struggle at the plate. The news was made public just hours before hitting a home run to center against his former teammate Johnny Cueto at Great American Ballpark Monday night.

That’s a wrap for this week. Be sure to check back next week for the latest news concerning the NL Central.

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