Placed RHP Arodys Vizcaino on the 10-day DL with a right index finger strain.
Recalled RHP Matt Wisler from AAA Gwinnett.
Placed RHP Arodys Vizcaino on the 10-day DL
Vizcaino (2.38 ERA / 4.01 FIP / 2.91 DRA) is enjoying the best season of his career so far, so it’s disconcerting to see him hit the DL. Some of his success isn’t really sustainable – notably that 90% strand rate – but by cutting his walk rate in half without sacrificing too many Ks, Viz has taken a step forward this year.
More than ever, Vizcaino is getting batters to chase bad pitches. Viz’s O-Swing rate, which simply tells us how often batters swing at pitches outside the strike zone, has seen a jump in 2017. Here are Viz’s O-swing %’s by year:
2011: 29.1%
2014: 22.9%
2015: 28.7%
2016: 28.8%
2017: 34.1%
That’s a noticeable and notable jump. and it likely has to do with increased confidence in his curveball, which he is throwing more than ever. His fastball/curve usage split was 74/22 in Chicago. It’s 59/39 now.
Here’s hoping not only that the finger heals quickly, but also that Vizcaino doesn’t lose his feel for the curveball, which has been a key ingredient to his success this year.
Recalled RHP Matt Wisler from AAA Gwinnett
Wisler has logged 17 MLB innings so far this year, and they’ve been largely unhelpful. Wisler’s 7.41 ERA is a constant reminder of that. Some of it is luck-based – a 49.6% strand rate is unlikely to remain so low. However, he’s mostly earned that poor ERA. His DRA is 6.03. In an age of strikeouts, Wisler is one of the worst at generating them, with just 5.9 per 9 in AAA. He should limit walks pretty well, but he’s relying on the defense for a lot. That makes him not the greatest fit for a team playing two first basemen at once.
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