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Major League Baseball notebook: St. Louis Cardinals' Reyes expected out for season

[June 07, 2018] St. Louis Cardinals right-hander Alex Reyes is facing a second straight lost year after needing surgery Wednesday to reattach a tendon in his right lat.

Reyes is expected to miss the remainder of the season following the procedure, which carries a recovery timetable of six months.

Reyes, who missed all of 2017 after undergoing Tommy John surgery, pitched in the majors for the first time in 20 months against the Milwaukee Brewers last Wednesday. He went four scoreless innings and gave up three hits and two walks while striking out two, though he showed noticeable fatigue despite throwing only 73 pitches.

The next day, the Cardinals placed the 23-year-old on the 10-day disabled list with what was termed a "significant" right lat strain. Reyes, among the top prospects in all of baseball, made his major league debut in 2016, posting a 1.57 ERA in 12 games (five starts).

--The Tampa Bay Rays will promote standout first base prospect Jake Bauers from Triple-A Durham ahead of their Thursday game against the Seattle Mariners.

A corresponding move has yet to be announced. Bauers will make his major league debut if he takes the field for the Rays.

The 22-year-old is the No. 5 prospect in the Rays' organization, according to MLB.com. In 52 games at Durham this season, Bauers has hit .279 with five home runs, 24 RBIs and 10 stolen bases.

--Pittsburgh Pirates infielder Jung Ho Kang said he has stopped drinking since his December 2016 arrest on suspicion of driving under the influence in South Korea, his third such arrest.

"Obviously, I'm not touching a drop of alcohol moving forward," Kang told reporters through his interpreter, Mark Kim, who is also Kang's personal driver.

Kang, 31, was granted a work visa to re-enter the United States in April and started a rehab assignment with high Class-A Bradenton last week. He has three home runs in five games with Bradenton, and he is expected to be promoted to Triple-A Indianapolis soon. Kang sat out the entire 2017 season following his arrest, for which he received an eight-month suspended prison sentence

--Chicago Cubs right-hander Yu Darvish is still "a couple weeks away" from returning to the rotation, according to pitching coach Jim Hickey.

Darvish underwent an MRI exam on his pitching arm but no structural damage was detected, the club announced last week. Hickey says Darvish has begun a throwing program but hasn't resumed throwing off the mound yet.

Darvish (1-3, 4.95 ERA) is currently on the disabled list due to a right triceps injury. The MRI displayed inflammation in the triceps, according to the Cubs.

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Cardinals pitcher Alex Reyes (29) throws a pitch in the first inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

--No. 9 overall draft pick Kyler Murray signed a deal with the Oakland Athletics that guarantees him nearly $5 million and also allows him to play quarterback for the Oklahoma Sooners in 2018, according to a FanRag Sports report.

Murray, the odds-on replacement for Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Baker Mayfield, told reporters on a conference call Monday night after he was drafted, "I will be playing football this season. Confirmed."

Oakland director of scouting Eric Kubota said the A's were fine with Murray playing football this fall before potentially starting his pro baseball career in the spring.

--Houston third baseman Alex Bregman had some fun telling his younger brother A.J. that the Astros selected him in the 35th round of the MLB draft.

A.J., a left-hander out of Albuquerque Academy, appeared shocked by the news, pulling out his phone after his older brother had told him, "Why don't you check Twitter, bro?" Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow later came over to offer his congratulations.

Bregman isn't the only Astros star who saw a relative join the organization via the draft. Shortstop Carlos Correa's younger brother, right-handed pitcher J.C. Correa, was selected by the team in the 33rd round out of Alvin Community College.

--Oregon State ace left-hander Luke Heimlich wasn't selected by any team by the conclusion of the MLB draft.

It's the second year in a row Heimlich has gone undrafted after it was uncovered that he admitted to sexually assaulting his 6-year-old niece when he was 15 years old. Heimlich is among the best college players in the nation, posting a 15-1 record with a 2.42 ERA through 17 games (16 starts) at Oregon State.

In recent interviews with Sports Illustrated and The New York Times, Heimlich has denied committing the act, saying he pleaded guilty to end the ordeal for the sake of the family. However, the girl's parents have opposed his denial, insisting the abuse took place.

--Field Level Media

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