Kuzul

Georgia high school outfielder Austin Meadows is many things. 

He’s a 6’3″, 200-pound prospect who has a great chance to be taken inside the top five of the 2013 MLB first-year player draft on Thursday, and many scouting reports have him listed as a potential four- or five-tool athlete roaming the outfield for a big-league club. 

Add major coup to that list if he does start to slip down the draft board a little bit after the first few picks are made on Thursday. 

Much has been made of Meadows and his Georgia counterpart Clint Frazier, both of whom graced the cover of Sports Illustrated this month as the national audience takes a break from the marathon 162-game regular season to see which prospect is the next Mike Trout, Bryce Harper or Stephen Strasburg. 

Projections over the last few weeks in mock drafts and scouting reports alike have listed Meadows as a fringe top-five player—directly behind Georgia buddy Frazier if you listen to MLB.com’s Jonathan Mayo—who could go anywhere in the first 10 picks. 

Jim Rice of the Greenville News had this tweet (via a projection from Sporting News writer Anthony Witrado) noting that the projection had the Miami Marlins taking the young man with pick No. 6:

So what does it all mean?

Well, for starters, Meadows is garnering national attention as one of the best outfield prospects in the game—and he’s still in high school. The pride of Grayson High has a smooth stroke, already has the size to be considered an outfield prospect in the bigs and has a ho-hum attitude about his business on the diamond. 

Bleacher Report MLB writer Adam Wells listed Meadows as a prospect with one of the biggest ceilings in this year’s draft, but noted that there might be more risk concerning his selection because of the flatter swing (less power) and consistency at the dish at the next level. 

The consensus around Meadows is simple—though a slightly riskier pick than Frazier because he will likely need some time to develop at the next level, there’s a good chance he will wind up taking top honors when we revisit this draft in a few years. 

And that statement has coup written all over it. 

With high-profile Oklahoma arm Jonathan Gray hogging draft boards because of his immense talent and potential at the next level, there’s a good chance the second tier of the first few picks is going to be really, really good. 

A college player has gone first in three of the last four drafts, so it’s nothing new that MLB’s selection process tends to fluctuate from high school stars back to college studs. Meadows falls in the first category, and his place in this draft will be determined as the first few dominoes begin to fall. 

Should he go past pick No. 7 or No. 8, then there’s little doubt a team like Pittsburgh will be waiting to snatch him up right away. With the talent, the raw gifts and the mindset to compete at the next level right away, Meadows is already gaining steam as a top pick in this draft. 

Depending upon where he’s selected, there’s a good chance he’ll be a coup someday, too. 

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

The Washington Nationals decided to recall infielder Anthony Rendon to the 25-man roster on Tuesday, one of many moves the team made as Jayson Werth returned from the disabled list and Danny Espinosa took his place. 

Now that Rendon is back in the bigs, it’s time to give him the reigns at second base—even if such a move might be a bit of a growing period as Rendon adjusts to an unfamiliar position. 

Here’s the team’s Twitter post as the move became official prior to Washington’s showdown with the New York Mets on Tuesday evening:

Amanda Comak of the Washington Times also had a report as the Nats prepared to make a splash at a position that has plagued them for most of the season. Per this report on Twitter, Comak expects the Nats to use Rendon in a 2B-only role during his second career MLB stint:

Although a move to use Rendon in a position that is foreign to his listed one (third base) would be a bit of a reach for the second-place Nationals, times are tough in the nation’s capital and bringing up a top prospect in a position of need hasn’t exactly hurt Washington over the past few years. 

It’s time to see what Rendon can do, and if he can help stabilize the middle of the infield and a lineup that currently doesn’t have a second baseman on the stat list this season (Espinosa and Steve Lombardozzi) hitting above .231. 

Rendon was well above that mark in the minors this season and was even above that output during a short eight-game stint to start the season (.240) when Ryan Zimmerman was on the disabled list. Although he wasn’t flashy, Rendon did have a double, an RBI and drew six walks in 30 plate appearances with the Nats during his first taste of pro ball. 

The 22-year-old Texas native had totaled six hits in 25 at-bats when Zimmerman became ready to reclaim his starting job at third. The Nats made the decision to send him back to Double-A Harrisburg, where he continued to prove why he was catching eyes in spring training this year. 

Impressing enough to move up to the next level of the organization, Washington had already promoted Rendon to Triple-A Syracuse over the weekend, a move that now looks like a preemptive tune-up for the youngster to get some game action at second base before a move to the majors. 

ESPN’s Jim Bowden had this tweet on Sunday with Rendon‘s splits in the minors this year and a ploy by the Nats to bring him up to speed with a new position via the “trial by fire” method:

Tuesday’s decision gives Washington a chance to do just that. 

Not scheduled to be part of the lineup on Tuesday, Rendon should have roughly two weeks to lay claim to the starting 2B job for the remainder of the season.

Sure, the Nats are only seven games out and this is in no way time to start preparing for the future, but an answer needs to be found if the franchise wants to have a chance at catching Atlanta or holding off Philadelphia for the second spot. 

Just to play devil’s advocate, it certainly won’t be easy. As noted by Dan Kolko of MASNSports.com, the last time the natural three-bagger played second base on a regular basis was all the way back during his Little League days:

It certainly catches your eye, but hopefully it doesn’t cloud Washington from making a pure baseball decision with respect to its infield. If you can field the ball at third base, you can learn to field the ball at second and give the team a lift at the dish in the process. 

If you listen to Nick J. Faleris and Bret Sayre of Baseball Prospectus talk about Rendon, the fact that he’s suffered through ankle injuries and some arm issues should actually make a move to second base more plausible for long-term success at the MLB level. 

The scouting report on Washington’s top prospect is simple: Although there’s a road block in front of him in Zimmerman, he can help this team out at the plate by shifting positions. There’s something to be said for versatility in the pros, and if Rendon can make this switch without conceding normal defense or good at-bats, he can help this team on into October. 

It’s something that the Texas Rangers are doing right now with top prospect Jurickson Profar, playing the young shortstop phenom at second base because Elvis Andrus is a top American League SS and Ian Kinsler has been banged up. 

If Rendon cannot make the switch, the Nationals will likely have to return to the Espinosa platoon option or look elsewhere (trades) for help prior to the summer deadline. 

However, the Nationals have been bold enough to call the young stud to the pros at the ripe age of 22 and are doing so for the second time this season. It’s obvious he factors into their long-term plans in some way, or we wouldn’t be seeing him up when another option would have sufficed. 

Now that this move is official, it’s time for Davey Johnson to let it ride with his top prospect and see what he can do up the middle while Espinosa tries to regain his former form. It might be overstated in baseball, but you don’t call up top guys to sit on the bench. 

Expect Rendon to see the field early and often after Tuesday’s game with the Mets is in the books. It might be a move that helps to turn Washington’s up-and-down season around. 

Follow B/R Featured Columnist Ethan Grant on Twitter:

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

The New York Yankees had just welcomed outfielder Curtis Granderson back into the lineup after an injury forced him out of action for the early part of the 2013 season, but on Friday night against the Tampa Bay Rays, the 32-year-old had another medical scare. 

UPDATE: Saturday, May 25, at 1 p.m ET by Michael Cahill

MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch is reporting that Granderson is headed to the DL:

—End of update—

UPDATE: Friday, May 24, at 10:46 p.m. ET by Ian Hanford

According to MLB.com reporter Bryan Hoch, Granderson will miss a minimum of four weeks:

—End of update—

UPDATE: Friday, May 24, at 9:50 p.m. ET by Ian Hanford

According to New York Daily News reporter Mark Feinsand, Granderson has a fracture in the fifth metacarpal of his left pinky finger:

—End of update—

Hit on the left hand by a pitch in the top half of the fifth inning by Rays reliever Cesar Ramos, Granderson did not return to the outfield for the bottom half of the frame. 

ESPN’s Buster Olney tweeted as Granderson left the lineup:

Bryan Hoch of MLB.com then reported that Ichiro had replaced Granderson in right field:

Granderson was originally forced out of the lineup prior to the season after a fastball thrown by Toronto Blue Jays starter J.A. Happ drilled him on the right forearm. 

As Jack Curry later noted on Twitter, the way teammates were patting him on the back in the dugout could indicate a serious malady that will need attention in the next few days:

He made his return to the lineup on May 14 against the Seattle Mariners, going 0-for-3 with a walk and a run scored in his first MLB action of the 2013 season. 

Playing in seven other games since, Granderson had seven hits (one home run) in 26 at-bats heading into Friday night’s showdown with Tampa Bay. He was 0-for-2 when he exited with the hand injury, but did come around to score in the fifth after being struck. 

Granderson is a career .262 hitter and has 211 home runs during his time in the pros. 

Traded to the Yankees prior to the 2010 season, Granderson had no problem staying healthy during his first three seasons in pinstripes. He played in 156 and 160 games, respectively, during the past two seasons and was an All-Star in both. 

He also led the league in runs scored and RBI during the 2011 campaign.

As Olney noted on Twitter, this would be the definition of bad luck for the Grandy Man if he is forced to return to the disabled list due to an injury that is similar in nature to the one that originally forced him out of the lineup:

After Granderson exited the game and headed to the locker room after the inning, all we can do now is await the news of further tests on his left hand to see what the diagnosis might be. 

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

The Los Angeles Dodgers have been without starting pitcher Zack Greinke for over a month with a broken collarbone, but the 29-year-old ace will return to the mound on Wednesday against the Washington Nationals. 

The team’s official Twitter account confirmed the news on Tuesday afternoon:

Greinke hasn’t pitched since April 11, when he and San Diego Padres outfielder Carlos Quentin grabbed headlines in the sixth inning. Pitching to Quentin on a 3-2 count, Greinke plunked Quentin in the right shoulder, and the outfielder charged the mound in what led to a bench-clearing brawl between the two clubs. 

Greinke broke his collarbone in the process, taking on the charging Quentin with his left (non-throwing) shoulder. 

The news couldn’t come at a better time for Dodgers fans.   

L.A. was 6-3 at the completion of the April 11 win over San Diego, but since then injuries and poor play have started to mount. The Dodgers are just 9-19 since that game, and will boast a meager 15-22 record heading into Tuesday night’s showdown with the Nationals.

The team also lost eight straight games to open up the month of May before finally breaking through against the Miami Marlins on Saturday. 

Greinke will hopefully provide a spark that has clearly been missing in the rotation since he has been sidelined with injury. Clayton Kershaw and Hyun-Jin Ryu have been bright spots so far (seven wins between the pair) but the rest of the rotation has been lacking, lowlighted by Josh Beckett’s winless start (0-5). 

The former Kansas City Royals and Milwaukee Brewers ace was 1-0 with a 1.59 ERA at the time of the injury and holds career marks of 92-78 and a 3.75 ERA. He’ll face a tough test on Wednesday night when the Nats are in town for the final matchup of a three-game set. 

Greinke signed a massive six-year deal with the team in the winter that could be worth up to $158 million if he meets all the incentives (h/t Los Angeles Times).

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

The Washington Nationals are chasing the Atlanta Braves at the top of the National League East, but it looks like they’ll have to continue their climb for the next couple of weeks without starting outfielder Jayson Werth. 

Nationals beat writer Dan Kolko reported on Twitter that Werth is likely headed to the disabled list soon with a hamstring issue that has bugged him for the majority of the month of May:

Werth hasn’t played since May 2, when he left Washington’s game against Atlanta after five innings with hamstring tightness. 

Washington Times reporter Amanda Comak helped confirm the news (via Twitter) and had a look at some of the prospects the Nats might use to fill Werth‘s spot while he fully recovers from the leg ailment on the DL:

An initial MRI scan proved to be negative earlier in the week (h/t Washington Post), but the news on Werth on Friday did not give team doctors enough to believe he would be ready to return to Davey Johnson’s lineup in the next week or so. 

On the season, Werth is hitting .260 with four home runs and 10 RBI in 27 games. 

After signing a massive seven-year, $126 million contract in the winter of 2010 (h/t Jeff Passan of Yahoo! Sports), Werth was expected to help the Nationals start contending again in the NL East.

Bryce Harper and Stephen Strasburg have done more to accomplish that feat than the pricey Werth, but the 33-year-old slugger still has a knack for flair—including hitting a walk-off home run to help the Nationals win Game 4 of the 2012 NLDS. 

A career .267 hitter with 149 career home runs, Werth is the kind of veteran presence who has helped these Nationals crawl out of the basement and into the national conversation on a weekly basis. He’s had some health concerns in parts of three seasons in D.C., though, forcing the Nats to monitor his health more than some would like. 

His latest setback won’t keep the Nationals from staying the course in the early part of the season, and hopefully this trip to the DL will help Werth get fully healthy before returning to his post in right field for good. 

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

MLB admitted on Friday that the umpiring crew botched a call in Thursday night’s Los Angeles Angels-Houston Astros game, but more news from the league office came later in the afternoon. This time in the form of a suspension and fine for the crew responsible for the mishap. 

Crew chief Fieldin Culbreth, the man in charge of the decision that allowed Astros manager Bo Porter to change pitchers twice before the original reliever threw a single pitch, has been suspended for two games (h/t Jon Heyman of CBS Sports):

MLB on Twitter also confirmed the news:

In the seventh inning on Thursday night, Porter summoned Wesley Wright to the mound in relief. Angels manager Mike Scioscia countered with pinch hitter Luis Jimenez.

Porter then immediately changed pitchers again, without a single pitch thrown by Wright, this time bringing Hector Ambriz to the mound. 

After a lengthy meeting between the managers and umpiring crew, and the ire of both broadcasting teams toward what looked to be an easy decision, Culbreth ruled that Ambriz could in fact face Jimenez and that no rule had been broken. 

According to the MLB rulebook, here is the call that Culbreth and crew missed on Thursday night:

If the pitcher is replaced, the substitute pitcher shall pitch to the batter then at bat, or any substitute batter, until such batter is put out or reaches first base, or until the offensive team is put out, unless the substitute pitcher sustains injury or illness which, in the umpire-in-chief’s judgement, incapacitates him for further play as a pitcher. 

The crew clearly missed the call, and the uproar has forced the league to take swift action. 

While the outrage over the incident follows a tough week for MLB fans in the wake of Angel Hernandez and company’s missed home run call Wednesday in the A’s and Indians matchup, the decision by Porter to insert Ambriz in the first place is one that has some people raising eyebrows. Porter publicly apologized to Culbreth and his crew for making the move in the first place on Friday (h/t Mark Berman):

Culbreth first started umpiring in 1993 and has worked his way up the umpiring ladder to the position of crew chief, umpiring two World Series and an All-Star Game along the way. 

Despite the botched call, Los Angeles managed to hang on and beat Houston, 6-5—an outcome that helped kill some of the firestorm from the two-pitcher switch on Thursday night. 

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

The St. Louis Cardinals will not have reigning National League saves king Jason Motte as their closer at any point during the 2013 season. 

According to a report on Twitter from Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Motte will not pitch this season following the decision by team officials to proceed with Tommy John surgery to his right arm:

Motte, who led the NL in saves last year with 42, has done everything he could in rehab to avoid a trip to the operating table. He felt good in late April after throwing from 60 feet (h/t Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com), but his latest throwing session revealed that the problem would not fix itself. 

According to general manager John Mozeliak, Motte will have the surgery early next week (h/t Brian Stull of 101ESPN.com). The Cardinals are also not seeking bullpen help through a trade as of now:

The 30-year-old closer has 54 saves, a 17-13 record and a 2.87 ERA in parts of a five-season MLB career—all with the Cardinals. He was also a member of the team’s 2011 World Series championship team, getting the clinching out in Game 7 of the series against the Texas Rangers. 

He broke on the scene in 2008 as a rookie, holding a 0.82 ERA in 12 games. From there, Motte established himself as a front-end bullpen guy and took over the closer job late in the 2011 season, a move that Tony LaRussa has to feel like is one of his finest after the results of the 2011 postseason. 

While trading for bullpen help isn’t likely right now, the Cardinals could be in the market for such a deal in the very near future. 

Mitchell Boggs flamed out in the closer’s role to start the season and was sent down minors on Friday—hours before the team made the announcement that Motte would miss the season (via St. Louis Post-Dispatch). 

Edward Mujica has been much better as the closer since being moved into the role by manager Mike Matheny, completing seven straight saves dating back to his first appearance as the closer on April 18. 

While the news on Motte is troubling for Cardinals fans, it’s a move that many expected after an April MRI revealed he tore a ligament in his throwing elbow (via MLB.com). If everything goes according to plan, he could return by this time next season, and an early recovery schedule might place a return somewhere in the area of spring training in 2014. 

The Cardinals currently have a team ERA of 3.14 (heading into Friday night)—the second-best mark in baseball. They will miss Motte down the stretch, though, and almost certainly will have to do something to add depth to the ‘pen if a playoff push is in their future. 

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

New information has emerged in the South Florida performance-enhancing-drug scandal that has implicated MLB stars Alex Rodriguez, Melky Cabrera and Nelson Cruz.

According to an ESPN report from Mike Fish and T.J. Quinn, the Miami clinic in question used forged documents and prescription slips to buy PEDs and then avoid a paper trail, unbeknownst to the doctors and medical professionals whose names were on the forms:

Anthony Bosch, the self-described biochemist who operated a series of wellness clinics, used prescription forms that contained forged signatures, stamped with the names and license numbers of legitimate physicians who apparently were unaware of the scheme, sources and documents indicate. Those drugs were prescribed to Bosch’s friends and associates and then delivered to professional athletes in order to avoid a paper trail, sources said.

As Quinn notes on Twitter when linking to the story, the latest information surrounding this three-month-long saga could mean severe legal action is swiftly approaching:

The detailed report goes on to describe the step-by-step process Bosch and his associates used to get the PEDs from pharmaceutical representatives to the players in question, and includes information about the documents that link Dr. Daniel Carpman—an “anti-aging” specialist located in Coral Gables, Fla.—as the forged signature on most of the documents.

Carpman denies all culpability in the forged signatures—a position a Miami handwriting specialist confirmed in the report—but does not deny knowing of Bosch or his now-defunct clinic.

Carpman is now a big piece of the Bosch puzzle, as he has witnessed Bosch’s self-proclaimed greatness with respect to helping clients for quite some time now. In the article, he notes how Bosch’s ego has kept his PED pipe dream alive, at one point reportedly telling the clinic director, “Listen Tony, you’re not a doctor.”

The intricate plan to deceive both suspicious parties and medical professionals on documents involves differing telephone information, address listings and falsified signatures, and includes the elder Bosch, Pedro, being used as a contact and the clinic’s principle medical director on most forms.

Avoiding a paper trail meant Bosch did not keep computer records or accept benefits like Medicare, which he felt would just further complicate keeping his clinic under the radar (per the report):

Bosch was known to deal only in performance-enhancing and anti-aging substances, not narcotics or prescription pills, sources said. He also was known to favor maintaining written records and logs, fearing computer files would leave a more traceable trail. He didn’t accept insurance or Medicare, which would have created another level of legal trouble. Instead, multiple sources said he dealt only in cash.

Tim Elfrink of the Miami New Times first reported in January that MLB stars had been tied to PED use in connection with the Biogenesis of America offices in Miami.

MLB filed a lawsuit against Bosch in March (h/t New York Daily News) citing “intentional interference” with league players in regard to a ban on PEDs. The MLB investigation surrounding Bosch and players implicated in Elfrink’s and other media outlets’ subsequent reports is ongoing.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

The Detroit Tigers chose not to bring Jose Valverde back to the team after the 2012 season, but fate has a strange way of bringing two sides together. 

Valverde will sign a one-year deal to return to Detroit, as confirmed by the Tigers’ Twitter account, and he will take over as the team’s closer when he gets to town:

After a 2012 season that included 35 saves and a 3.78 ERA, the two sides were not close to a deal this offseason. In fact, there weren’t many teams interested in the 35-year-old closer, and he took a minor league deal with the Tigers after the 2013 season began in an attempt to work his way back to the bigs. 

That strategy paid off handsomely. 

After a shutout inning for the Single-A Lakeland Tigers on Friday night (h/t MLB.com), the plan was for Valverde to continue to stomp through minor leaguers until Detroit felt comfortable bringing him back on board. 

After three blown saves to start the season and Octavio Dotel going on the disabled list, that time frame had to be moved up considerably to help the Tigers keep pace in the American League Central. 

A 10-year veteran, Valverde has a career 3.11 ERA and 277 career saves, but fell off the wagon somewhat during the 2012 postseason—characterized best by Raul Ibanez’s game-tying, Game 1 home run in the 2012 ALCS.

In four total appearances over the three rounds that the Tigers participated in, Valverde gave up nine earned runs, and his ERA over the final two rounds of the postseason was an astronomical 54.00—a big reason why Detroit was comfortable allowing Phil Coke, Joaquin Benoit and other prospects to anchor the pen.

The Valverde-Detroit marriage has certainly been a strange story, but the Tigers are in desperation mode after some of their early season struggles in the bullpen, and there are few closers in baseball who have had more success than Valverde over the past six seasons. 

Follow @DowntownEG

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

When a tragedy on the scale of the Boston Marathon bombings strikes a nation, the aftermath of the situation transcends the luxuries of life—including sports. 

Prior to Saturday afternoon’s game between the Boston Red Sox and Kansas City Royals, fans in attendance were offered a chance to reminisce, reflect and hopefully start the healing process in the wake of the second bombing suspect’s capture.  

As the Red Sox got back on the field to take on the Royals just one day after a scheduled game between the two was postponed due to the Watertown manhunt, it was clear that the Sox were playing for more than just a “W” in the win column. 

They were playing for Boston, and, in some respects, the Sox were supported by the entire country. 

Before the game began, the team honored the fallen, the injured and the city of Boston with a touching ceremony not soon forgotten by fans of the team, Major League Baseball or anyone affected by the events of the week. 

The message was loud, clear and unequivocally representative of the sold-out crowd on Saturday afternoon: We are all “Boston Strong.”

Starting with a video montage, navigating through players addressing the crowd and including an emotional fan rendition of the national anthem, the Red Sox made sure the city felt like it was more important than anything that could happen on the baseball diamond. 

Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz—activated off the disabled list to play in his first game of the 2013 season on Saturday—was one of the players who grabbed a mic and spoke to the crowd.

He sent the loudest shockwaves through the Fenway faithful, shown here via this tweet from the team’s official account:

His message could become the calling card for Boston’s healing process. 

Although the traditional home uniforms feature the mascot name across the chest, the Red Sox decided to forgo the traditional lettering on the front of their home jerseys, instead going with B-O-S-T-O-N in red letters over a white background. 

A better choice could not have been made (h/t Fox Sports):

While the pre-game festivities took precedence, the on-the-field product wasn’t bad either. 

Trailing 2-1 in the eighth inning, a two-out Mike Napoli walk paved the way for a Daniel Nava three-run home run, which would turn out to be just enough ammunition to oust the Royals and cap a memorable day of afternoon baseball. 

It was just the ending fans were hoping for. 

In terms of presentation, respect, lamentation, honor and getting a victory that will be dedicated to the victims of this horrific tragedy, the Red Sox couldn’t have done it any better on Saturday afternoon at Fenway—not far from where the bombing took place. 

There was a special feeling in the air at Fenway Park on Saturday afternoon—one that comes when all in attendance are pulling toward the same goal.

That feeling was healing.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com