Athletics' Scott Alexander: Scoreless rehab frame Tuesday
Rotowire
Alexander (ribs) fired a scoreless seventh inning in Triple-A Las Vegas' win over El Paso on Tuesday, recording a strikeout.
The left-hander had failed to record an out while giving up five total runs in his most recent rehab outing Friday, so the scoreless frame Tuesday was a particularly welcome sight. Alexander might be ready to return from his long IL stint at any moment, and perhaps Tuesday's clean outing will qualify as the final box that needed checking before the Athletics deem him ready for activation.
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Athletics' Scott Alexander: Hit hard in latest rehab appearance
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Alexander (ribs) allowed five runs (four earned) on three hits, a walk and a hit batsman without recording an out during a rehab appearance Friday for Triple-A Las Vegas.
The veteran southpaw had fired a scoreless frame with two strikeouts against San Jose in his second rehab outing Tuesday, but Friday's appearance saw Alexander fall apart in alarming fashion. Given the results, Alexander, who threw 22 pitches Friday, may be in line for at least one more rehab appearance in order to build some momentum before being activated.
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Athletics' Scott Alexander: Rehab assignment close
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Alexanders (ribs) is tracking toward starting a minor-league rehab assignment sometime next week, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.
Alexander has been on the shelf since mid-March after being diagnosed with a left rib stress reaction. The veteran southpaw will probably make a handful of rehab appearances before being activated, but since he's a one-inning reliever, he won't require an extended ramp-up period.
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Athletics' Scott Alexander: Heads to IL
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The Athletics placed Alexander on the 15-day injured list Thursday with a left rib contusion.
According to MLB.com, Alexander has been taking part in plyometric work since suffering the injury earlier this month, but he has yet to resume playing catch. Alexander won't require much buildup time as a matchup lefty who typically doesn't work more than an inning in his appearances, but he's still expected to be sidelined beyond the minimum 15 days.
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Athletics' Scott Alexander: Next steps identified
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Alexander, who's been sidelined with a left rib stress reaction, will progress to playing catch as his next step when he's ready, Jason Burke of SI.com reports.
The southpaw was diagnosed in mid-March and didn't receive an initial recovery timetable, so Monday's report provides only marginally more information. Alexander is eventually expected to serve as a veteran left-handed presence in the sixth and seventh innings for the Athletics, acting as a bridge to the likes of Zach Jackson, Dany Jimenez and Mason Miller in the eighth and ninth frames.
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Giants' Scott Alexander: Shut down with hamstring strain
Rotowire
The Giants placed Alexander on the 15-day injured list Saturday with a left hamstring strain.
It's an early shutdown for Alexander, who finishes with a 4.66 ERA, 1.37 WHIP and 31:11 K:BB in 48.1 innings of work for San Francisco. The 34-year-old lefty reliever is scheduled to become a free agent this winter.
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Giants' Scott Alexander: Handed loss as opener
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Alexander (7-3) allowed two unearned runs on one hit in two-thirds of an inning to take the loss in Game 2 of Saturday's doubleheader versus the Rockies.
It wasn't a great first inning for the Giants overall, and their offense never caught up, leaving Alexander to take his first loss since Aug. 8. The southpaw hasn't strung together more than two scoreless appearances in a row since July, pitching to a rough 7.36 ERA and 2.05 WHIP over his last 14.2 innings. He's at a 4.47 ERA, 1.32 WHIP and 29:11 K:BB through 46.1 innings overall, and he's added a save, eight holds and two blown saves this season.
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Giants' Scott Alexander: Opening nightcap
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Alexander will be the opener for the second game of Saturday's doubleheader against the Rockies, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
Alexander has been the first pitcher on the mound on seven previous occasions this season. Only once did he throw more than one inning in that role, and he never threw more than 1.2 frames. Expect a similarly brief outing Saturday before he turns the ball over to a bulk reliever, with Jakob Junis the most likely candidate.
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Giants' Scott Alexander: Opening again Friday
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Alexander will serve as the Giants' opening pitcher Friday versus the Rangers, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.
Ross Stripling had been projected to start, but he'll instead likely operate in bulk relief. This is the sixth opener assignment of the year for Alexander, who has posted an overall 4.01 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and 18:7 K:BB across 33.2 innings (40 appearances) this season with San Francisco.
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Giants' Scott Alexander: Serving as opener Tuesday
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Alexander will serve as the Giants' opening pitcher Tuesday versus the Angels, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
Alex Wood is expected to follow him and handle the majority of the innings. This will be the fifth opener assignment of the year for Alexander, who has registered an overall 3.21 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and 18:7 K:BB across 33.2 innings (39 appearances) this season with San Francisco.
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Giants' Scott Alexander: Opening Thursday
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Alexander will start Thursday's game against Arizona, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
Alexander has fallen into a somewhat regular role as an opener recently, as Thursday will mark his third start since July 24. The 34-year-old lefty holds a solid 3.13 ERA and 0.98 WHIP through 31.2 innings on the year but will likely only remain on the mound for an inning or two.
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Giants' Scott Alexander: Takes loss as opener Sunday
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Alexander (6-1) allowed two runs on two hits over two-thirds of an inning to take the loss Sunday. He did not walk or strike out a batter.
Alexander was the opener for the second time this season, but it ended up being a poor outing for the southpaw, as he gave up multiple runs for the first time since April 29. He's emerged as a somewhat high-leverage option for the Giants this season, logging seven holds and one save over 32 appearances, though he's far from challenging Camilo Doval for the closer role. Alexander now has a 3.62 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and 15:6 K:BB through 27.1 innings and should return to his usual role going forward.
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Giants' Scott Alexander: Secures sixth win
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Alexander (6-0) allowed a hit and struck out three over one inning to earn the win Tuesday over the Reds.
Alexander has allowed one unearned run in 3.2 innings since returning from a hamstring injury. The southpaw worked the sixth inning of a tie game Tuesday, and ended up with the win when the Giants pulled ahead in the seventh. Alexander continues to function well as a middle reliever with a 3.04 ERA, 1.01 WHIP and 15:6 K:BB over 26.2 innings this season. He's picked up a save, seven holds and two blown saves, but he's usually only an emergency option for late-inning work.
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Giants' Scott Alexander: Returns from injured list
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San Francisco activated Alexander (hamstring) from the 15-day injured list Tuesday, Maria I. Guardado of MLB.com reports.
Alexander will return to the Giants' bullpen Tuesday against the Mariners after missing exactly 15 days with a left hamstring strain. The 33-year-old southpaw carries a 3.52 ERA, 0.96 WHIP and 11:5 K:BB in 23 innings this season.
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Giants' Scott Alexander: Likely heading to IL
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Alexander (hamstring) will likely require a trip to the injured list, Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic reports.
Alexander exited Sunday's game against the Dodgers with left hamstring discomfort, an issue he's been dealing with for some time. He'll presumably be re-evaluated Monday before the Giants officially determine whether he'll require an IL stint, but Sean Hjelle was scratched from his minor-league start Sunday and is a candidate to be called up if Alexander is sidelined.
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Giants' Scott Alexander: Managing hamstring discomfort
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Alexander was removed from Sunday's game against the Dodgers due to left hamstring discomfort, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
Alexander exited Sunday's matchup after being examined by a trainer in the bottom of the ninth inning, and he's dealing with a hamstring issue that has plagued him recently. It's unclear whether he'll require a trip to the injured list, but he should be considered day-to-day for now.
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Giants' Scott Alexander: Collects fifth win
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Alexander (5-0) earned the win, pitching a perfect inning versus the Rockies on Thursday.
Alexander has racked up 9.1 consecutive scoreless innings over his last 10 appearances, and he's given up just two hits, a walk and one hit-by-pitch in that span. The southpaw's strong work has helped him move up the leverage ladder slightly, though the Giants have plenty of late-inning options that will generally keep him out of the conversation for saves. He has one save, six holds and two blown saves while posting a 3.57 ERA, 0.88 WHIP and 11:4 K:BB over 22.2 innings this season.
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Giants' Scott Alexander: Serving as opener Thursday
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Alexander will serve as the Giants' opening pitcher for Thursday's game against the Brewers, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
Alexander will likely work an inning or two before the Giants turn the game over to the bullpen. In 21 appearances this season, the veteran lefty has registered a 4.42 ERA with a 9:4 K:BB over 18.1 innings.
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Giants' Scott Alexander: Notches save Monday
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Alexander earned a save against the Twins on Monday with a scoreless inning of work.
Giants closer Camilo Doval pitched both Saturday and Sunday, so Alexander was called upon in the ninth inning with his team up 4-1. The lefty hit the first batter he faced before inducing a double play and a lineout to wrap things up. Alexander isn't likely to see many more (if any) save chances this season, but he's been getting more high-leverage work of late, picking up three holds and two wins while allowing just one run over 7.1 frames over his past eight appearances.
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Giants' Scott Alexander: Earns fourth win
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Alexander (4-0) walked one without allowing a hit or a run in two-thirds of an inning to earn the win Friday over the Marlins.
The left-hander inherited a runner on second base with one out when he relieved Anthony DeSclafani in the sixth inning. Alexander then walked Joey Wendle but retired the next two batters to end the threat with the Giants down 2-1, and they rallied ahead with a three-run inning to put Alexander in line for the victory. With one run allowed over his last 6.1 innings, the 33-year-old is emerging as a sort of fireman in the San Francisco bullpen. He has a 4.96 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and 9:4 K:BB across 16.1 innings but has also picked up four holds and appears to have the trust of manager Gabe Kapler in a variety of situations. Alexander is unlikely to compete for saves.
