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After an eventful Monday, the baseball world cooled down a bit on Tuesday, April 8. Without much to report in the way of signings and trades, much of the notable happenings involved injuries, as has been the theme of the season early on, particularly for starting pitchers. We've got it covered for you:
Injuries
- Tampa Bay Rays starter Matt Moore's injury could be more serious than initially expected, reported Yahoo Sports' Jeff Passan. Moore left his start against the Royals on Monday due to elbow soreness, and the injury was thought to be minor at the time. However, the left-hander underwent an inconclusive MRI on Tuesday, and will visit Dr. James Andrews to get a second opinion on his elbow. The injury apparently involves Moore's UCL, the ligament often connected to Tommy John surgery. Additionally, Moore has been placed on the 15-Day DL.
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- Los Angeles Angels outfielder Josh Hamilton left Tuesday's game due to a left-thumb injury, according to the Los Angeles Times' Mike DiGiovanna. Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register reported that Mike Scioscia said the thumb is "pretty swollen." Hamilton will have an MRI on Wednesday after an X-ray came back negative, per DiGiovanna.
- Detroit Tigers outfielder Torii Hunter left the game on Tuesday after colliding with the wall attempting to catch a foul ball. Hunter initially stayed in the game, but left three innings later. The Tigers announced that Hunter is day-to-day after being diagnosed with a knee contusion.
- Rangers third baseman Adrian Beltre exited Tuesday's game after feeling tightness in his left quad. According to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram's Jeff Wilson, Beltre will fly to Texas tomorrow to receive an exam on on his left quad. Josh Wilson would likely serve as Beltre's replacement should the latter miss any time.
- Cincinnati Reds starter Mat Latos was scratched from his rehab start at Triple-A Louisville on Tuesday, according to the team's Twitter account. Left-hander Dave Holmberg received the start in place of Latos.
- Washington Nationals third baseman Ryan Zimmerman is dealing with an arthritic right shoulder, as reported by manager Matt Williams in a radio interview with CBS Sports. The announcement provides further support for Zimmerman's impending move to first base, which could create a murky situation with Adam LaRoche already manning the position.
- Mariners starter James Paxton left Tuesday's game with a strained lat muscle, and will be evaluated Wednesday, per CBS Sports' Matt Snyder. The Everett Herald's John Boyle reported that Paxton didn't sound overly concerned about the injury.
Roster Moves
- The Cincinnati Reds activated reliever Jonathan Broxton, according to Reds Assistant Director of Media Relations Jamie Ramsey, while Trevor Bell was sent to the DL. Broxton should serve as the Reds closer as long as Aroldis Chapman is out.
- Pirates right-hander Vin Mazzaro cleared outright waivers and has been assigned to Triple-A Indianapolis, according to the Pittsburgh Pirates Twitter account. He will have three days to either accept or reject the assignment, giving him the chance to opt for free agency.
- The Dodgers recalled catcher Tim Federowicz from Triple-A Albuquerque after officially placing A.J. Ellison the 15-Day DL, according to the team's Twitter account. Federowicz posted a .231/.275/.356 slash line in 56 games (173 plate appearances) last season.
Rumors
- After it appeared yesterday that Pablo Sandoval might be on his way to signing a deal with the San Francisco Giants, CSN Bay Area's Andrew Baggarly reported today that both parties have tabled talks about the contract, for now. Via Baggarly's article, general manager Brain Sabean spoke on the matter:
"We’ve given our best shot with good faith intended to try to get him signed and they’ve drawn a line in the sand that we’re not going to beat nor should we meet. Things have been tabled and we’ll see what happens up the line, but we’re not going to have ongoing talks from this time forward."
- Philadelphia Phillies starter Cole Hamels could return to action before long, according to NJ.com's Matt Lombardo. Here's what Hamels had to say, per Lombardo's article:
"I believe the big test is the pitch count," Hamels said. "If I'm able to get 90 pitches, I know that I'm game-ready, because that gives me enough pitches and enough reps with my pitches to be able to go out there and have the confidence I can throw, especially to the big-league guys."
Hamels tossed lightly from the mound on Tuesday and hopes to make a pair of rehab starts before being activated from the DL and returning to the big league club.
Miscellaneous
- Giants first baseman Brandon Belt clubbed his fifth home run of the season, tying him with the Diamondbacks' Mark Trumbo for first in the majors.
- Brewers outfielder Ryan Braun hit three home runs to go along with seven RBI as the Brewers topped the Phillies 10-4.
- Royals rookie starter Yordano Ventura blanked the Rays over six shutout innings, allowing two hits and no walks in a no-decision. Rays starter Chris Archer also look a no-decision in the game, going seven strong innings without allowing a run. The Rays came away with a 1-0 victory.