New York Yankees pitcher CC Sabathia is expected to check out of alcohol rehab late this week or early next week, CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman reports.<\/p>\n
What It Means:<\/p>\n
Sabathia entered a rehab facility just before the American League Wild Card Game on October 6. Ron Berkowitz, the Public Relations Director for Roc Nation (the agency Sabathia is represented by), understandably declined comment on the left-hander’s status. Sabathia will enter the final year of his contract in 2016.<\/p>\n
His struggles with addiction may provide a partial explanation for Sabathia’s poor numbers this season. After the All-Star break, he had a 4.35 xFIP thanks to issuing 4.03 walks per nine innings. Those numbers were 3.75 and 1.79 respectively in the first half. With his postseason over, he’ll look toward getting healthy and improving on his 3.99 xFIP next year.<\/p>\n
Source: Rotoworld.com<\/p>\n
MLB 5 hours and 7 minutes<\/p>\n
The Texas Rangers are expected to discuss a long-term contract extension with Rougned Odor after the World Series, CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman reports.<\/p>\n
What It Means:<\/p>\n
Odor is under team control through 2019, but the Rangers apparently are interested buying out some of his arbitration years.<\/p>\n
Slated to turn just 22 next February, Odor got off to a slow start this season and was sent to the minors, but he returned to bat .292\/.334\/.527 with 15 homers and 52 RBI over his final 91 games.<\/p>\n
Source: Rotoworld.com<\/p>\n
MLB 6 hours and 11 minutes<\/p>\n
Second baseman Chase Utley\u2019s agent, Joel Wolfe, told Joel Sherman of the New York Post that his client plans to return in 2016.<\/p>\n
What It Means:<\/p>\n
Utley has a $15 million option for next season, which is expected to be declined by the Los Angeles Dodgers, thus making him a free agent. Wolfe said, “One hundred percent he is playing next year.”<\/p>\n
Utley had a disastrous regular season, posting a line of .212\/.286\/.343 and a .274 wOBA, 14th worst in baseball among hitters with at least 400 plate appearances. Between a significant drop-off in performance and that he’ll be 37 by the time the 2016 season starts, Utley will have a difficult time finding a starting role.<\/p>\n
Source: Rotoworld.com<\/p>\n
MLB 8 hours and 23 minutes<\/p>\n
Don Mattingly’s managerial interview with the Miami Marlins “went well” according to reports from Joe Frisaro of MLB.com.<\/p>\n
What It Means:<\/p>\n
Mattingly and the Los Angeles Dodgers decided to move on from each other after they were eliminated from the playoffs. He appears not only to be the front runner for the Marlins’ open manager position, but Frisaro also reported that “the next step appears to be ironing out a deal.”<\/p>\n
Mattingly would be taking over a team that posted a .302 wOBA, which was fifth worst in baseball this season. This was hurt by the absence of Giancarlo Stanton, who played in just 74 games. The Marlins also had the ninth worst team xFIP at 4.23, so there are some things for Mattingly to work on if he takes the job.<\/p>\n
Source: Rotoworld.com<\/p>\n
MLB 8 hours and 36 minutes<\/p>\n
Toronto Blue Jays infielder\/designated hitter Edwin Encarnacion underwent surgery Tuesday to repair a sports hernia.<\/p>\n
What It Means:<\/p>\n
It was known that Encarnacion was dealing with an injured finger during the playoffs, but the hernia was not disclosed. He’s expected to be ready for spring training.<\/p>\n
Encarnacion had a monster regular season, hitting 39 home runs and posting the eighth best wOBA at .392. His 151 home runs from 2012 through this season are the second most in baseball. Encarnacion’s line over 47 plate appearances in the playoffs was .275\/.383\/.400 with 1 home run. He started the series against the Kansas City Royals hot, recording four hits in the first three games, but cooled off over the final three games, with just one hit.<\/p>\n
Source: Rotoworld.com<\/p>\n
MLB 8 hours and 37 minutes<\/p>\n
Utility man Kelly Johnson will serve as designated hitter for the New York Mets in Game 1 of the World Series against the Kansas City Royals on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
What It Means:<\/p>\n
This confirms our blurb from Monday that Johnson would be the Mets’ designated hitter against Royals starter Edinson Volquez. Johnson will bat ninth.<\/p>\n
Johnson has just six plate appearances thus far in the postseason and has one hit. He hit 14 home runs in the regular season, 13 of which came against right-handed pitchers, which Volquez is. Johnson’s 18.7 home run to fly ball ratio would have ranked 19th best in baseball if he had enough plate appearances to qualify.<\/p>\n
Source: Rotoworld.com<\/p>\n
MLB 9 hours and 7 minutes<\/p>\n
Kansas City Royals manager Ned Yost will use his standard lineup for Game 1 of the World Series against the New York Mets.<\/p>\n
What It Means:<\/p>\n
Yost is riding the lineup that has worked for him thus far, and his hitters will be facing Matt Harvey in Game 1.<\/p>\n
The table-setter for the Royals will remain Alcides Escobar, who was named MVP of the Championship Series after hitting .478\/.481\/.652 against the Toronto Blue Jays. Escobar had just a .295 on-base percentage during the regular season, but he caused fits for the Blue Jays all series with 11 hits in 6 games.<\/p>\n
Source: Rotoworld.com<\/p>\n
MLB 9 hours and 8 minutes<\/p>\n
The Kansas City Royals have purchased the contract of infielder Raul Mondesi from Double-A Northwest Arkansas.<\/p>\n
What It Means:<\/p>\n
This is the 20-year-old Mondesi, not his father. To make room for him, the Royals will not carry the speedy Terrance Gore.<\/p>\n
Mondesi stole 19 bases over 338 plate appearances on the year to go with his .243\/.279\/.372 slash. Clearly, he’s not coming up for his bat. Mondesi could become the first person to make his big-league debut in the World Series, but his value is more in the future than the present.<\/p>\n
Source: Rotoworld.com<\/p>\n
MLB 11 hours and 52 minutes<\/p>\n
The New York Mets will carry infielder Juan Uribe (chest) on their roster for the World Series.<\/p>\n
What It Means:<\/p>\n
Uribe hasn’t played since September 25th because of the injury, leading to his being left off of the roster for each of the first two rounds. Matt Reynolds was left off the roster to make room for Uribe.<\/p>\n
Uribe’s name will be added to the list of bats off the bench, of which the Mets have a good number. Uribe’s hard-hit rate decreased to 28.1 percent with a 23.8 soft-hit rate this year, but he did still crack 14 home runs in 397 plate appearances. Uribe likely won’t start as the Kansas City Royals don’t figure to start any left-handed pitchers in the series.<\/p>\n
Source: Rotoworld.com<\/p>\n
MLB 12 hours and 49 minutes<\/p>\n
Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Domonic Brown has elected free agency, meaning he can sign with any team.<\/p>\n
What It Means:<\/p>\n
The Phillies had outrighted Brown off of their 40-man roster earlier in the offseason, meaning he could choose to become a free agent or go to the minors.<\/p>\n
While Brown is unlikely to receive a Major-League deal, he presents an interesting case in free agency. He posted a .272\/.324\/.494 slash with 27 home runs back in 2013 and is entering his age-28 season. He was outrighted for a reason as his hard-hit rate had dipped all the way to 25.5 percent, but a team may be willing to gamble on the upside he once showed.<\/p>\n
Source: Rotoworld.com<\/p>\n
MLB 13 hours and 7 minutes<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"