MLB Weekly Digest September 17th Edition............

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The prior week in MLB was about a playoff team in the American League losing a pitcher to injury, an outfielder for another club in the AL is activated off the disabled list, and a team in the National League loses a key member of their rotation.

Oakland Athletics Starter Sean Manaea Could Miss Entire 2019 Season Due to Shoulder Surgery

The Oakland Athletics are surging towards the postseason but will have to do it without starting pitcher Sean Manaea.

The club announced early last week that Manaea would undergo arthroscopic surgery on his left shoulder Sept. 19.

#Athletics Medical Update on LHP Sean Manaea:

Manaea will have arthroscopic surgery on his left shoulder on Sept. 19 at the Cedars-Sinai Kerlan-Jobe Institute in Los Angeles. The club will provide further details after the surgery.

Details: https://t.co/laoqjeUlix pic.twitter.com/5nHhMcKOlx

— Oakland Athletics ????????⚾️ (@Athletics) September 11, 2018

The Athletics didn’t provide a timeframe on when they expect Manaea back as it won’t be known until the procedure is done, but manager Bob Melvin expects Manaea to be sidelined through the 2019 season, per Jane Lee of MLB.com.

Sean Manaea is expected to be sidelined through 2019, Melvin says.

— Jane Lee (@JaneMLB) September 11, 2018

The loss of Manaea is monumental for the A’s as he was having a solid year in their rotation. He posted a 3.59 ERA (27 starts) in 160 2/3 innings with 108 strikeouts, 32 walks allowed, 21 home runs yielded, a 4.25 FIP and a 1.07 WHIP.

The high point of the season for the left-hander happened on April 21^st when he became the seventh pitcher in franchise history toss a no-hitter against the Boston Red Sox.

It will be an uphill battle for the Athletics to have a deep run in October without Manaea, but they’ve proven to be a very resilient team as few expected them to be contending for a playoff spot in the final weeks of the regular season.

New York Yankees Activate Outfielder Aaron Judge from Disabled List

The New York Yankees have received a huge boost to their team as they activated outfielder Aaron Judge from the disabled list a couple of days ago.

Judge will be able to play the field and run bases, but won’t be used a hitter, per Bryan Hoch of MLB.com.

#Yankees are activating Aaron Judge from the disabled list. He can play defense and run the bases, but will not be used as a hitter yet.

— Bryan Hoch (@BryanHoch) September 14, 2018

Judge was on the disabled list for nearly two months with a wrist injury. The slugging outfielder suffered a fractured wrist on July 26^th and was expected to only miss three weeks.

He was having a productive season before the injury occurred. He compiled a .285 batting average and .947 OPS in 100 games with 70 runs scored, 20 doubles, 26 home runs, and 61 RBIs.

The Yankees would probably like to have Judge play a couple of games before the regular season is over, as it wouldn’t be ideal for him to miss several weeks and his first game back in the Wild-Card game.

Arizona Diamondbacks Lose Starting Pitcher Clay Buchholz for 2018 Season Due to Elbow Injury

The Arizona Diamondbacks will be making a push for the postseason without starting pitcher Clay Buchholz.

Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo announced that Buchholz would be shut down for the year, and the reason for him being shut down is he has a flexor mass strain in his elbow, per Zach Buchanan of The Athletic.

Flexor mass strain for Buchholz, btw

— Zach Buchanan (@ZHBuchanan) September 15, 2018

Buchholz was supposed to start last Thursday’s game against the Colorado Rockies but was scratched due to elbow stiffness.

The loss of Buchholz is very substantial to the Diamondbacks, who are fighting for a spot in the postseason.

Buchholz posted a 2.01 ERA in 98 1/3 innings (16 starts) with 81 strikeouts, 22 walks issued, nine home runs surrendered, a 3.46 FIP and a 1.03 WHIP.

He was extremely effective for the Diamondbacks in 2018 and a welcome surprise. Buchholz looked like the pitcher from 2013 with the Boston Red Sox when he posted a 12-1 record with a 1.74 ERA in 108 1/3 innings.

The Diamondbacks will probably have pitcher Matt Koch take Buchholz’s spot in the rotation. Koch has accumulated a 4.48 ERA in 17 games (13 starts) across 78 1/3 innings.

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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