MLB Weekly Digest August 20th Edition

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The last week in MLB was about a pitcher in the American League landing on the disabled list, a division leader losing a critical part of their starting rotation and a first baseman in the National League landing on the DL.

Seattle Mariners Place Starting Pitcher James Paxton on Disabled List with Arm Injury

The Seattle Mariners will be without a critical member of their starting rotation moving forward. The team placed starting pitcher James Paxton on the disabled list with a left forearm contusion.

#Mariners recall RHP Christian Bergman from AAA Tacoma. Seattle places LHP James Paxton on the 10-day disabled list with a left forearm contusion.

Read: https://t.co/3Sl1d1y5h7 pic.twitter.com/XqihqZ7NaW

— MarinersPR (@MarinersPR) August 15, 2018

Paxton suffered the injury when he was struck by a line drive in a game against the Oakland Athletics last week.

This was the fourth start made by Paxton since he returned from the DL a month ago with a back injury.

The absence of Paxton is a monumental blow for the Mariners as he’s not only the staff ace, but the team is battling for a spot in the postseason.

The left-hander has posted 3.68 ERA in 139.1 innings (24 starts) with 176 strikeouts, 37 walks issued, 18 home runs yielded, a 108 ERA+, a 3.13 FIP and a 1.10 WHIP.

Paxton has been the anchor of their rotation for the season and a significant reason the Mariners have had a successful 2018 campaign.

The club recently moved starting pitcher Felix Hernandez to the bullpen due to his struggles, but Hernandez may need to be inserted back into the rotation with the injury to Paxton.

Hopefully, Paxton doesn’t remain on the disabled list for a prolonged period as the Mariners will need their ace healthy for the final weeks of the regular season.

Cleveland Indians Place Starter Trevor Bauer on DL with Leg Injury

The Cleveland Indians won’t have one pitcher from their starting rotation available for several weeks.

The team placed starting pitcher Trevor Bauer on the 10-day disabled list early last week with a right fibula stress fracture.

Roster move:

– RHP Trevor Bauer (right fibula stress fracture) placed on 10-day DL, retro to Aug. 12
– LHP Tyler Olson recalled from Triple-A#RallyTogether pic.twitter.com/OTAys8760Z

— Cleveland Indians (@Indians) August 14, 2018

Bauer is expected to be sidelined four to six weeks, per Jordan Bastian of MLB.com.

“We know Trevor is not going to shortchange anybody.” Bauer likely out 4-6 weeks, plus updates on Martin, Encarnacion and more in today’s notes https://t.co/J8pzalvuTA via @MLB

— Jordan Bastian (@MLBastian) August 17, 2018

The news regarding Bauer is crushing for the Indians as he’s having a fantastic season and the team needs him healthy to have any chance of making a deep run in October.

Bauer has compiled a 2.22 ERA in 166 innings (25 starts) with 214 strikeouts, 56 walks issued, eight home runs surrendered, a 2.38 FIP and a 1.09 WHIP.

Cincinnati Reds Place First Baseman Joey Votto on Disabled List with Leg Injury

The Cincinnati Reds have placed first baseman Joey Votto on the 10-day disabled list with a right lower leg contusion, per an announcement by the team.

The #Reds have placed 1B Joey Votto on the 10-day DL with a right lower leg contusion. Votto was hit by a Ryan Madson pitch on August 4 at Washington.

OF Aristides Aquino has been recalled from Double-A Pensacola. He will be making his ML debut when he first enters a game. pic.twitter.com/GmDf9178mA

— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) August 17, 2018

Votto had been injured since being hit by a fastball from Washington Nationals reliever Ryan Madson to his knee on Aug. 4^th.

Votto is having another solid year at the plate, as indicated by his .282 batting average and .842 OPS in 118 games with 24 doubles, 58 runs scored, nine home runs and 55 RBIs.

The stellar first baseman also leads the National League in walks and on-base percentage at 91 and .422, respectively.

It’s a loss for the Reds to be without one of the best first basemen in the NL, but, hopefully, he can be activated off the DL when eligible and will end the season strong.

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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