Michael Wacha - Page 32 - MLB News, Rumors, & Updates

Odor snaps late tie with 1st hit as Yankee, NY tops Rays 8-4

Rougned Odor snapped a 10th-inning tie with his first hit as a Yankee, Gio Urshela homered and drove in three runs, and New York rallied Sunday to avoid a weekend sweep with an 8-4...

APRIL 11, 2021 • Associated Press

Set for bulk-relief role Wacha is expected to serve as a bulk reliever behind opener Brent Honeywell in Sunday's game against the Yankees, Adam Berry of MLB.com reports.

Impact Though Honeywell was once of the top starting pitching prospects in all of baseball, Berry notes that the Rays are likely just planning on the right-hander covering an inning or two before giving way to Wacha. As a result of pitching behind an opener, Wacha may struggle to reach the five innings he covered in his Rays debut April 5 against the Boston, but the arrangement should improve the 29-year-old's chances of factoring into any decision.

APRIL 11, 2021 • ROTOWIRE

Meadows, Arozarena homer, AL champ Rays beat Yankees 4-0

Austin Meadows and Randy Arozarena homered off Domingo Germán, helping the Tampa Bay Rays extend their mastery over the New York Yankees with a 4-0 victory

APRIL 10, 2021 • Associated Press

Struggles in Tampa debut Wacha (0-1) took the loss Monday as the Rays were routed 11-2 by the Red Sox, giving up five runs (four earned) on eight hits and two walks over five innings. He struck out six.

Impact The whiffs were nice but otherwise it was a rough Rays debut for Wacha, who tossed 65 of 90 pitches for strikes. Tampa has plenty of rotation alternatives in the organization, so the right-hander may need to turn things around quickly to keep his spot, but his track record (4.53 ERA and 1.43 WHIP since 2016) isn't encouraging. Wacha faces a tough test in his next scheduled start Sunday at home against the Yankees.

APRIL 6, 2021 • ROTOWIRE

Bogaerts has 4 of Boston's 16 hits in 11-2 win over Rays

Xander Bogaerts had four hits and the Boston Red Sox got on the board with 16 hits and their first win of the season, 11-2 over the Tampa Bay Rays

APRIL 6, 2021 • Associated Press

Red Sox take 3-game skid into matchup with Rays

Boston will try to break its three-game losing streak when the Red Sox take on Tampa Bay

APRIL 5, 2021 • Associated Press

Orioles' sweep sends Red Sox to 2nd 0-3 start ever in Fenway

The Red Sox fell to their first 0-3 start at Fenway Park since 1948 and their second ever as Trey Mancini and Austin Hays hit two-run doubles during a seven-run third inning that c...

APRIL 4, 2021 • Associated Press

Seems ready for season Wacha finished Grapefruit League play with an 0.60 ERA, 0.73 WHIP, .176 BAA and 12:2 K:BB across the 15 innings covering his five appearances.

Impact The veteran right-hander tuned up for his scheduled regular-season debut Monday against the Red Sox with three scoreless, three-hit innings versus the Tigers on Tuesday, a game in which he actually served as the bulk reliever behind opener Cody Reed. Adam Berry of MLB.com reports Wacha is still more likely than not to serve as a conventional starter versus Boston, but manager Kevin Cash noted "it's all a possibility" when asked how he might deploy the offseason acquisition during his first regular-season turn in a Rays uniform.

APRIL 1, 2021 • ROTOWIRE

Betts hits 2 HRs in final spring training game of the year

Mookie Betts put an exclamation point on the exhibition season

MARCH 30, 2021 • Associated Press

Stays hot in latest start Wacha allowed an earned run on four hits, a walk and a hit batsman across five innings in a Grapefruit League loss to Atlanta on Thursday. He struck out five.

Impact The right-hander continued his spring dominance while facing an Atlanta lineup that had plenty of regulars. Wacha now has a minuscule 0.75 ERA across 12 innings, and he'll take the mound once more in Grapefruit League play against the Tigers on Tuesday before opening the regular season as the No. 3 starter.

MARCH 27, 2021 • ROTOWIRE

Chisox star Jiménez out 5-6 months, Rays' Anderson ailing

A week before opening day, the Chicago White Sox found out slugger Eloy Jiménez will be closed down for most of the season

MARCH 26, 2021 • Associated Press

Brilliant in latest start Wacha fired four scoreless innings in a Grapefruit League loss to the Twins on Saturday, allowing just one hit and no walks while recording three strikeouts.

Impact Wacha worked up to 53 pitches, with Adam Berry of MLB.com reporting the veteran right-hander's fastball got as high as 94.9 mph according to Statcast. Wacha featured a four-pitch mix overall that also included an effective cutter and a changeup that he got four swings and misses on, three of those third strikes.

MARCH 22, 2021 • ROTOWIRE

Yanks star Stanton off to strong start after smashing finish

Giancarlo Stanton is picking up where he ended the postseason last year

MARCH 21, 2021 • Associated Press

Next up for Rays: Saturday at Twins, 6:05 Michael Wacha will be on the mound for the Rays’ only night game of the spring.

MARCH 20, 2021 • TAMPABAY.COM

Goes three-plus in intrasquad game Wacha was impressive while logging three innings and facing one batter to simulate the start of a fourth frame in an intrasquad game Saturday, Adam Berry of MLB.com reports. "He cr...

Impact Wacha's primary three-pitch arsenal of a fastball, cutter and changeup has worked extremely well for him thus far this spring ahead of what both the Rays and the veteran right-hander hope will be a resurgent season. Prior to Saturday's outing, Wacha had logged three scoreless frames across his first two Grapefruit League outings against the Red Sox and Twins.

MARCH 14, 2021 • ROTOWIRE

Remains sharp second time out Wacha fired two scoreless innings in a Grapefruit League loss to the Twins on Sunday, allowing one hit and no walks while recording a strikeout.

Impact Adam Berry of MLB.com reports Wacha threw 15 of 21 pitches for strikes and averaged an impressive 94.4 mph on his fastball, an uptick from the 93.6 mph figure he logged with the Cardinals in 2020. Manager Kevin Cash noted after the game that pitching coach Kyle Snyder is particularly enthused with Wacha's cutter, which the veteran right-hander got two called strikes and three outs with on the seven occasions he used it against Minnesota.

MARCH 8, 2021 • ROTOWIRE

Indians minus Ramírez, Reyes after they break virus protocol

The Cleveland Indians have broken COVID-19 protocols for the third time in less than a year, this time costing them third baseman José Ramírez and slugger Franmil Reyes

MARCH 8, 2021 • Associated Press

Encouraging results in debut Wacha, who fired a scoreless first inning during his Grapefruit League debut against the Red Sox on Tuesday, continued his effective 2020 practice of relying on his changeup during...

Impact Despite a forgettable 1-4 record, 6.62 ERA and 1.56 WHP across 34 innings over eight appearances (seven starts) for the Mets last season, Wacha did have success with his changeup, generating an impressive 40.8 percent whiff rate while throwing the pitch a career-high 29.2 percent of the time. He deployed it at key moments with success again Monday while overcoming a leadoff walk to Enrique Hernandez, striking out J.D. Martinez before getting Rafael Devers on an inning-ending groundout. Wacha threw 21 pitches overall during his one frame, and he projects to take the next step toward prepping for his projected mid-rotation role in the coming season with a potential start against the Twins on Sunday.

MARCH 3, 2021 • ROTOWIRE

Twins newcomer Happ back on mound after positive virus test

Eager for a fresh start with a new team, J

MARCH 2, 2021 • Associated Press

AP source: LHP Hill, RHP McHugh agree to deals with Rays

A person familiar with the deals tells The Associated Press that pitchers Rich Hill and Collin McHugh have agreed to one-year contracts with the Tampa Bay Rays

FEBRUARY 13, 2021 • Associated Press

AL East teams at the start of spring training

A team-by-team look at the American League East entering spring training, including key players each club acquired and lost, and dates of the first workout for pitchers and catcher...

FEBRUARY 11, 2021 • Associated Press

NL East teams at the start of spring training

A team-by-team look at the National League East entering spring training, including key players each club acquired and lost, and dates of the first workout for pitchers and catcher...

FEBRUARY 11, 2021 • Associated Press

Moves to Tampa Wacha signed a one-year, $3 million contract with the Rays on Friday, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Impact The Rays' reputation is such that it's generally safe to assume that if they want a player, he's probably better than he seems. In Wacha's case, his 6.62 ERA in 34 innings for the Mets last season came with a solid set of peripherals, as he struck out 23.7 percent of opposing batters while walking a career-low 4.5 percent. He did also see his groundball rate plummet from 48.0 percent in 2019 to 35.5 percent in 2020, however. Still, there's enough there to suggest that he should have a decent chance to carve out a successful season as a back-end starter or in whatever creative role the innovative Rays elect to deploy him.

DECEMBER 18, 2020 • ROTOWIRE

This Date in Baseball

This Date in Baseball for Oct. 18, 2020

OCTOBER 14, 2020 • Associated Press

Bumpy season ends in big disappointment for frustrated Mets

Like so many things in everyday life this year, little went according to plan for the New York Mets

SEPTEMBER 28, 2020 • Associated Press

MICHAEL WACHA NEWS

NEWS

BIO

STATS

VIDEOS

GAME LOG

INJURIES