(*) PLAYING TIME: Aaron Hill and the ARI IF shuffle

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BaseballHQ

Apr 16 2013 11:06pm

(*) PLAYING TIME: Aaron Hill and the ARI IF shuffle

BaseballHQ

Apr 16 2013

Team-by-team playing time allocation charts can be found in our Teamview pages.

National League \| American League

Diamondbacks \| Aaron Hill to DL
The Arizona Diamondbacks placed 2B Aaron Hill (hand) on the 15-day disabled list with a broken left hand Tuesday, April 16, and recalled SS Didi Gregorius from Triple-A Reno in a corresponding move. Source: The Arizona Republic - Nick Piecoro

BHQ take: The injury-plagued Diamondbacks will employ an all-hands-on-deck approach to help counter the loss of Hill. The team would have preferred Gregorius to get more Triple-A at-bats, but the “shortstop of the future” is now present tense. After a productive spring cut short by a strained elbow, he had a 1.069 OPS in 31 rehab AB at AAA-Reno – with only one strikeout. Expect him to get extensive PT, replacing Cliff Pennington, who will pick up some AB as a 2B sidekick to Martín Prado, who was already seeing playing time there in Hill’s absence. Prado’s move across the diamond also puts Eric Chavez in line for more 3B action even as his splits against RHP and LHP have become more pronounced (.274 BA, 19 HR versus righties and .194 BA, zero HR versus lefties since 2010). It obviously bears watching how manager Kirk Gibson juggles his lineup, and fantasy owners are poised to reap the benefit of players acquiring multi-position eligibility even while lamenting the loss of Hill. —Rob Carroll

Impact: High
Gregorius, Didi	PT Gain: 25%
Pennington, Cliff	PT Loss: -20%
Chavez, Eric	PT Gain: 10%
Hill, Aaron W	PT Loss: -20%



Cubs \| Roster moves
The Chicago Cubs claimed 3B Cody Ransom off waivers from the San Diego Padres Tuesday, April 16, and designated RP Hisanori Takahashi and INF/OF Brent Lillibridge for assignment to make room for RPs Kevin Gregg and Kameron Loe. Source: MLB.com - Carrie Muskat

BHQ take: Ransom replaces Lillibridge in the reserve IF role. Ransom showed more power than previously in 2012, with career-best 176 PX, but sacrificed contact in the process, with a career-low 56% ct% in a career-high 246 AB. Ransom has always been contact-challenged, having never reached the 75% contact level in his MLB career. —Tom Kephart

Impact: Low
Lillibridge, Brent	PT Loss: -10%
Ransom, Cody	PT Gain: 10%



Giants \| Jeremy Affeldt to DL
The San Francisco Giants are placing RP Jeremy Affeldt (oblique) on the 15-day disabled list with an oblique injury Tuesday, April 16. RP Jean Machi will be recalled from the minors. Source: San Francisco Chronicle - Henry Schulman

BHQ take: The LH mainstay of the Giants’ bullpen, Affeldt out-pitches his xERA with his 60% groundball rate and Dom hovering around 8.0. No such track record exists for Machi, an 11-year career minor leaguer who made his big-league debut at age 30 by pitching a handful of innings (and surrendering a pair of HR) for SF in 2012. He may contend with fellow right-hander George Kontos for a few random IP, but nothing in Machi’s minor-league resume – 3.81 ERA, 1.41 WHIP, 1.8 Cmd - suggests that he will be a fantasy contributor while he’s in town. —Rob Carroll

Impact: Low
Affeldt, Jeremy	PT Loss: -1%
Machi, Jean M



Padres \| Chase Headley expected to return Wednesday
San Diego Padres 3B Chase Headley (thumb) will play one more rehab game with Single-A Lake Elsinore Tuesday, April 16, and he's expected to return from the disabled list Wednesday, April 17. Source: MLB.com - Corey Brock

BHQ take: A relatively quick return to full projection for Headley, though he may need a few more off-days early than expected. Jedd Gyorko moves back to 2B, while Alex Amarista returns to off-the-bench status. Jesus Guzman's incremental 3B AB are likely at an end, barring another injury. —Jock Thompson

Impact: Med
Headley, Chase	PT Loss: -5%





American League \| National League

Red Sox \| Joel Hanrahan to DL
Boston Red Sox RP Joel Hanrahan (groin) was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a groin pull. RP Steven Wright was recalled from Triple-A Pawtucket. Source: MLB Network - Peter Gammons

BHQ take: Initially reported as a day-to-day situation, Hanrahan gets a DL stint to rest his leg. Subsequent reports indicate he could start a rehab stint in as little as 5-7 days, so a return within the minimum timeframe is possible. Despite the fact that Andrew Bailey blew his first save opportunity as the fill-in closer on Monday, it's possible that Hanrahan will have trouble regaining the 9th-inning gig upon his return. —Ray Murphy

Impact: High
Bailey, Andrew	SV Gain: 15%
Hanrahan, Joel	PT Loss: -1% SV Loss: -15%



Yankees \| More on Derek Jeter
Updating a previous report, the New York Yankees are saying that when SS Derek Jeter (ankle) returns to game action in extended spring training, he will likely need close to a full spring training before he's ready to return to the majors. 'He is not ready to play in games. I don't think they necessarily have an exact date where they know he is going to play in games. We'll just go day by day and see how he feels,' manager Joe Girardi said. Source: ESPNNewYork.com - Andrew Marchand

BHQ take: The referenced "previous report" stated that Jeter is now unlikely to return by May 1, news that prompts us to chop his projected playing time a bit further. We're now at 65%, which would reflect nearly full-time play beginning in mid/late-May. Eduardo Núñez and Jayson Nix will continue to pick up the slack. —Ray Murphy

Impact: Med
Nix, Jayson	PT Gain: 5%
Nunez, Eduardo	PT Gain: 5%
Jeter, Derek	PT Loss: -10%



Indians \| Michael Bourn headed to DL
Cleveland Indians manager Terry Francona said OF Michael Bourn (finger) will land on the 15-day disabled list in the next few days with a right index finger laceration. Source: MLB.com - Jordan Bastian

BHQ take: Drew Stubbs replaces Bourn in CF during his DL stint, while Ryan Raburn is likely to get bulk of RF PT in Bourn's absence. Raburn has ample power, as he displayed with three straight 130+ PX seasons (2009-11), before his power collapsed in 2012. Stubbs is contact-impaired, with perennial sub-70% contact rate. He has exceptional speed, with consistent 140+ Spd, but he can't steal 1B. —Tom Kephart

Impact: Med
Stubbs, Drew	PT Gain: 5%
Raburn, Ryan	PT Gain: 10%
Bourn, Michael R	PT Loss: -10%



Blue Jays \| Brett Lawrie activated
Toronto Blue Jays 3B Brett Lawrie (oblique) was activated from the 15-day disabled list. RP Sergio Santos (triceps) was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a strained right triceps. Source: MLB.com - Evan Peaslee

BHQ take: No further PT adjustments for Lawrie here, just confirmation that he returned. With José Bautista out on Tuesday, it remains to be seen whether the Jays will follow through on the previously-reported option of playing Lawrie at 2B and Bautista at 3B, or whether that flexibility will remain theoretical. Santos' injury further cements Casey Janssen in the closer's role, as Janssen has thus far answered all questions about his offseason shoulder issues. —Ray Murphy

Impact: Low
Lawrie, Brett
Santos, Sergio	PT Loss: -1% SV Loss: -10%
Janssen, Casey C	SV Gain: 10%



Red Sox \| David Ortiz could return Friday
Boston Red Sox manager John Farrell said DH David Ortiz (heel, Achilles') could return to the lineup Friday, April 19. Source: Boston Herald - Scott Lauber

BHQ take: There are still a couple of intervening days where Ortiz could suffer a setback or this plan could get derailed, but we'll take the leap and give Ortiz a minimal PT bump, and pull back Gomes' DH time accordingly. —Ray Murphy

Impact: Low
Gomes, Jonny	PT Loss: -5%
Ortiz, David	PT Gain: 5%



Indians \| Roster moves
The Cleveland Indians recalled 3B Cord Phelps from Triple-A Columbus Tuesday, April 16, and optioned C Omir Santos to Columbus in a corresponding move. P Robert Whitenack was outrighted to Class AA also. Source: MLB.com - Jordan Bastian

BHQ take: Phelps is likely a short-term replacement, filling in while others are on the DL. He had previous cups of coffee in 2011 and 2012, but has yet to earn a shot at regular PT. Having shown sub-80% ct% and sub-70 PX, there is no reason to expect that to change in his current cameo appearance. —Tom Kephart

Impact: Low
Phelps, Cord	PT Gain: 5%
Santos, Omir	PT Loss: -5%

News feed provided by:

Playing Time Key

The playing time percentage changes at the bottom of most news items correspond to BaseballHQ.com's Teamview pages. The percentages approximate changes in AB, IP and Saves in the following manner:

For batters, each 5% of PT% ~ 31 AB (100% total for each position = 618 AB)
For pitchers, each 3% of PT% ~ 44 IP (100% total for a team's entire pitching staff)
For relievers, each 5% of Svs ~ 2 saves (100% of a team's total = about40 saves)

A complete explanation of BaseballHQ.com's playing time allocations can be found in the article "How the Projections are Created."