The San Francisco Giants released Pablo Sandoval on Thursday, parting ways for a second time with the former fan favorite and 2012 World Series MVP.
Sandoval ends a second stint with the club after he rejoined the Giants following parts of three seasons away with the Red Sox after winning a third World Series in five years with the Giants in 2014.
The Giants posted a thank you to the Kung Fu Panda on their Twitter page. A switch-hitter, the 34-year-old Sandoval was batting .220 with one home run and six RBI in 33 games. He had a prorated salary of $740,741.
He came back this spring from Tommy John surgery on his right elbow last September, after retired manager Bruce Bochy — a father figure to the Venezuelan slugger — gave him one final at-bat. But Sandoval arrived at summer training in July noticeably heavier. He recently shared how his wife and children healed from the coronavirus, and manager Gabe Kapler gave him time off to monitor the situation from afar.
Newly acquired infielder Justin Smoak was added to the major league roster.
In addition, left-hander Drew Smyly was activated from the 10-day injured list after dealing with a sprained index finger on his pitching hand. Right-hander Rico Garcia was optioned to the team’s Sacramento alternate site.
Nationals recall 32-year-old rookie OF Yadiel Hernández
The Nationals have selected the contract of 32-year-old rookie Yadiel Hernández, who played professionally for five years in his native Cuba before signing with Washington in 2016.
Hernández has put up impressive numbers in the minors but has yet to play in the majors, stuck in the Nationals’ system behind younger outfielders like Juan Soto and Victor Robles.
Washington manager Dave Martinez said Hernández reminded him of his former teammate Jim Morris, a relief pitcher who made his major league debut at age 35 and whose story was dramatized in the Dennis Quaid movie “The Rookie.”
“It’s an older guy trying to live out his dream and that’s to play in the major leagues,” Martinez said. “To be the guy to tell him, yeah, ‘Congratulations, you worked really hard, keep doing what you’re doing.’ … To see his face today was awesome.”
Hernández hit 33 homers in the minors last year and was Washington’s minor league player of the year. Martinez said the Nationals chose Hernández over other players at the team’s alternate training site in Fredericksburg, Virginia, because of his power.
“One, it’s a feel-good story. Two, this guy can hit. This guy can hit home runs,” Martinez said. “In a situation when we need a left-handed bat off the bench, he can pop one for us.”
Hernández could see playing time in the outfield because Soto, who recently missed five games with a sore left elbow, is being limited to designated hitter for the time being.
Hernández takes the roster spot of infielder/designated hitter Howie Kendrick, who was placed on the 10-day injured list Wednesday with a strained left hamstring. Kendrick, who hit the go-ahead homer for the Nationals in Game 7 of last year’s World Series, has been dealing with the hamstring issue for a while. The 37-year-old is hitting .275 with two homers and 14 RBIs in 25 games. He will be a free agent after the season.
“If we can keep Howie, you know, and he can play three or four times a week, five times a week, he does a lot of good things for us,” Martinez said. “He feels like he still has something left in the tank and we believe that, so hopefully we can get him right.”
Former All-Star 3B Jake Lamb DFA’d by D-backs
Former All-Star infielder Jake Lamb has been designated for assignment by the Arizona Diamondbacks after struggling for nearly three straight seasons.
The 29-year-old Lamb looked like a future star at third base just a few years ago. He hit 29 homers in 2016 and then made the NL All-Star team in 2017 while setting career-highs with 30 homers and 105 RBIs. Since then, he’s battled injuries and inconsistency and hit just 12 homers over the past three seasons.
He didn’t get much playing time for the D-backs this season and had just five hits in 43 at-bats for a .116 average. He had a prorated salary of $2,042,593.
The team made the move on Thursday and thanked Lamb for his seven years in the desert on social media.
Lamb’s spot on the roster was taken by first baseman/outfielder Pavin Smith, who was the No. 7 overall pick in the 2017 draft. The 24-year-old Smith, who played in college at Virginia, will be making his major league debut.
Braves’ LHP Tommy Milone (elbow) to IL
The Atlanta Braves’ banged-up starting rotation suffered another setback Thursday when left-hander Tommy Milone was placed on the 10-day injured list with left elbow inflammation.
Milone, acquired from the Baltimore Orioles at the trade deadline, has a 14.90 ERA in three starts for NL East-leading Atlanta. He allowed eight runs in 3 1/3 innings in the Braves’ 29-9 victory over Miami on Wednesday night.
The Braves recalled right-hander Huascar Ynoa to the active roster and outrighted utilityman Charlie Culberson to the team’s alternate training site.
Atlanta has six pitchers on the IL, including ace Max Fried, and the team has used 11 starters in its 43 games. Robbie Erlin was Thursday’s starter against the Washington Nationals after he worked three innings out of the bullpen on Monday.
