LDN - Sports

MLB notebook: Padres rookie SS Tatis on IL

[May 01, 2019] The San Diego Padres placed shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. on the 10-day injured list Tuesday with a strained left hamstring.

The 20-year-old rookie phenom was injured during Sunday's game against the Washington Nationals when he awkwardly did the splits. An MRI exam revealed no structural damage. San Diego manager Andy Green said third baseman Manny Machado will be the primary shortstop while Tatis is sidelined, and rookie Ty France will play third.

The Padres haven't pinpointed how long Tatis will be sidelined, but he could end up missing several weeks. He is batting .300 with six homers, 13 RBIs and six steals in 27 games.

"For the organization, he means a lot to us. He means a lot to our future," Green told reporters prior to Tuesday's game against the Atlanta Braves. "We're not going to be cautious just to be cautious. We're going to make sure he is ready to take every step he's taking. Hopefully, he'll be back relatively quickly."

--Outfielder Lewis Brinson, acquired by the Miami Marlins in a high-profile trade that sent Christian Yelich to the Milwaukee Brewers before the 2018 season, was optioned to Triple-A New Orleans.

To take his place on the roster, Miami activated outfielder Garrett Cooper from the injured list after he was out the past month with a left calf strain.

The 24-year-old Brinson was considered a top prospect before the trade, but has struggled since joining the Marlins. After batting .199 last season, Brinson is hitting .197 with five doubles and no home runs in 27 games in 2019.

--The Los Angeles Dodgers placed center fielder A.J. Pollock on the 10-day injured list due to inflammation in his right elbow.

Pollock has undergone two operations on the elbow -- first in 2010, then in 2016 -- and it hasn't yet been determined how long he may be sidelined.

He is batting .223 with two homers and 14 RBIs in 28 games this season.

--The Washington Nationals placed hot-hitting third baseman Anthony Rendon on the 10-day injured list with a left elbow contusion.

Rendon was on a 17-game hitting streak, the longest in the majors this season, when he was hit by a pitch in the third inning of a 9-3 loss to the Miami Marlins on April 20.

Rendon, 28, has made one appearance since then, going 0-for-3 in Friday's 4-3 loss to the San Diego Padres. He is batting .356 with 10 doubles, six homers, 18 RBIs and 21 runs scored in 20 games.

--The Pittsburgh Pirates reinstated center fielder Starling Marte from the 10-day injured list.

Marte had been out since April 19 with contusions to his ribs and abdominal wall, suffered in a full-speed outfield collision with shortstop Erik Gonzalez. Gonzalez suffered a broken collarbone.

Marte, 30, is batting .203 with two homers, nine RBIs and three stolen bases in 16 games this year. Outfielder Jason Martin was optioned to Triple-A Indianapolis to make room on the 25-man roster.

[to top of second column]

San Diego Padres shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. (23) celebrates with teammates in the dugout after scoring in the tenth inning against the San Diego Padres at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports/File Photo

--The Seattle Mariners demoted slumping center fielder Mallex Smith to Triple-A Tacoma and recalled outfielder Braden Bishop.

Smith is batting just .165 with one homer and five RBIs in 97 at-bats, and last got a hit on April 18.

Smith, who turns 26 on Monday, was acquired from the Tampa Bay Rays in the offseason as part of the package in which catcher Mike Zunino and outfielder Guillermo Heredia were dealt by the Mariners.

--Recently retired outfielder Ichiro Suzuki began his next chapter with the Mariners, starting his new role as a team instructor.

Mariners general manager Jerry Dipoto said the 45-year-old franchise legend would work with the major league and Triple-A clubs, focusing on outfield play, baserunning and hitting.

Ichiro will work the majority of Seattle's home games, with the vast majority of his time spent with the players during pregame activities, the team said. He will maintain his title of special assistant to the chairman but will report to Dipoto.

--The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum named longtime Los Angeles Angels executive Tim Mead as its new president.

Mead, 61, has worked with the Angels organization for 40 years, the last 22 as the team's vice president of communications.

"Tim is deeply respected throughout the baseball industry, among players, executives and media alike," Hall of Fame chairman Jane Forbes Clark said in a statement.

--Houston Astros minor league first baseman J.J. Matijevic drew a 50-game suspension from Major League Baseball for a second positive test for a drug of abuse.

The suspension of Matijevic, who is currently on the roster of Double-A Corpus Christi of the Texas League, is effective immediately. He would be eligible to return on June 20.

Matijevic, 23, is batting .240 with two homers, seven RBIs and 29 strikeouts in 19 games with Corpus Christi.

--Field Level Media

Back to top