MLB Weekly Digest June 25th Edition

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The previous week in MLB was about a team in the National League making a significant move to upgrade their bullpen, a club places a starting pitcher on the disabled list, and a prospect will undergo season-ending surgery.

Washington Nationals Acquire Reliever Kelvin Herrera from Kansas City Royals for Three Prospects

The Washington Nationals made a huge move to strengthen their bullpen last week. They acquired reliever Kelvin Herrera from the Kansas City Royals for minor league infielder Kelvin Gutierrez, outfielder Blake Perkins and right-handed pitcher Yohanse Morel, per Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com.

Royals confirm the trade of Kelvin Herrera to Nationals for prospects three Minor Leaguers infielder Kelvin Gutieerez (No. 10 prospect) , outfielder Blake Perkins (No. 11) and pitcher Yohanse Morel.

— Jeffrey Flanagan (@FlannyMLB) June 19, 2018

Ken Rosenthal of the Athletic provided some details on each prospect the Royals are receiving in the deal:

What #Royals get: Double A 3B Kelvin Gutierrez, who was on #Nationals’ 40-man; High A OF Blake Perkins, a former 2nd-rounder with good tools; RHP Yohanse Morel, a 17-year-old Dominican who has yet to play in U.S, but some Nats officials compare to the #WhiteSox’s Reynaldo Lopez.

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) June 19, 2018

Herrera was expected to be available as the Royals are having a bad year, and he’ll also be a free agent at the end of the season.

The reliever is having another superb season, as indicated by his 1.05 ERA in 27 games (25 2/3 innings) for the Royals with 22 strikeouts, a 2.63 FIP and two home runs yielded.

However, Herrera has already surrendered two runs in three innings for the Nationals, but it’s expected he’ll pitch better as the season progresses.

The right-handed reliever gives the Nationals a potent combination with closer Sean Doolittle at the end of games.

The move for Herrera by the Nats was smart as they acquired him before any other clubs had a chance to make the Royals an offer.

St. Louis Cardinals Place Starting Pitcher Michael Wacha on DL with Left Oblique Strain

The St. Louis Cardinals will be without one member of their starting rotation for quite some time. The team announced a couple days ago starting pitcher Michael Wacha has been placed on the 10-day disabled list with a left oblique strain.

The #STLCards announced prior to tonight’s series opener in Milwaukee that they have placed RHP Michael Wacha on the 10-day disabled list (left oblique strain) and have recalled RHP John Gant from Memphis (AAA). pic.twitter.com/tPYEh5tMxC

— St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) June 21, 2018

This is the type of injury in which the recovery time varies for pitchers. Some pitchers come back in a couple of weeks, and other instances require a month or two for the injury to fully heal.

The loss of Wacha for an extended period is a massive blow for the Cardinals. The right-handed starter is having a solid season as he has posted a 3.20 ERA in 84 1/3 innings with 71 strikeouts, 36 walks issued and a 1.23 WHIP.

The Cardinals are still without starter Adam Wainwright, who is sidelined with an elbow injury and isn’t expected to return until after the All-Star break.

They’re in a battle with the Chicago Cubs and Milwaukee Brewers to be the best team in the National League Central and the injury to Wacha will only complicate things moving forward.

Cincinnati Reds Third Base Prospect Nick Senzel will Undergo Season-Ending Finger Surgery

The Cincinnati Reds are in the midst of another sub-par performance on the baseball diamond, and one of the better prospects in their farm system is done for the 2018 season.

Third baseman Nick Senzel will have season-ending surgery on Tuesday to repair a torn tendon in his right index finger, per an announcement by the team.

Nick Senzel on Tuesday will have season-ending surgery to repair a torn tendon in his right index finger after suffering the injury last night. In 44 games with Triple-A Louisville, Senzel hit .310 with 12 2B, 2 3B, 6 HR, 25 RBI and 8 SB. #RedsMiLB

— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) June 23, 2018

Senzel was having a very productive year at Triple-A Louisville before the injury.

He compiled a .310 batting average and .887 OPS in 44 games with 23 runs scored, 12 doubles, two triples, six home runs, 25 RBIs and eight stolen bases.

Senzel would’ve been an option to receive a promotion to the Majors at some point this season and will have to wait until the next year to debut with the Reds.

About Post Author

Chris Lacey

Chris is a New Jersey native whose favorite sports team is the Arizona Diamondbacks. He previously attended Western New England College to study Sports Management. Chris has been following the Diamondbacks since he was 12. You can find him on Twitter at @aecanada12.

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