Orioles' Mychal Givens: Spring debut set for next week
Rotowire
Givens will make his Grapefruit League debut next week, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.
Givens has been doing work on the back fields rather than pitching in early spring games. Manager Brandon Hyde didn't offer up a specific debut date for Givens. The right-hander logged a 3.38 ERA and 1.32 WHIP with a 71:25 K:BB across 61.1 innings between the Cubs and the Mets last season. He figures to serve in a middle-relief spot to begin 2023, though a strong start to the campaign could see him in line for setup work.
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Orioles' Mychal Givens: Signs with O's
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Givens signed a one-year, $5 million deal with the Orioles on Monday, Robert Murray of FanSided.com reports.
The 32-year-old reliever spent the first five-plus years of his career in Baltimore, recording a 3.32 ERA and 1.14 WHIP between 2015 and 2020. Givens has been consistently reliable for most of his career, and his ability to strike batters out (10.56 career K/9) will allow him to pitch in plenty of high-leverage situations out of the bullpen in 2023.
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Mychal Givens: Cut loose by Mets
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The Mets declined their portion of Givens' $3.5 million mutual option for 2023 on Wednesday, Will Sammon of The Athletic reports.
The veteran right-hander was acquired from the Cubs at the trade deadline and had a 4.79 ERA over 20.2 innings for the Mets. Givens has a 3.41 ERA in 135 appearances over the past three seasons, but he's played with six different teams during that time and is now headed back to free agency.
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Mets' Mychal Givens: Reinstated from COVID-19 IL
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Givens (illness) was activated from the COVID-19 injured list and will start Wednesday's game against the Nationals, Tim Healey of Newsday reports.
The 32-year-old has been sidelined the past few weeks but will rejoin the Mets for the final game of the regular season. Givens will make his first start as a professional and shouldn't record more than a few outs before giving way to the bullpen.
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Mets' Mychal Givens: Completes rehab outing
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Givens (illness) struck out two over a scoreless inning in his rehab start Wednesday for Triple-A Syracuse.
According to Anthony DiComo of MLB.com, Givens checked out fine during the rehab outing and is set to rejoin the Mets now that he's fully cleared all COVID-19-related protocols. He could be reinstated from the injured list in advance of Friday's series opener in Atlanta.
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Mets' Mychal Givens: Lands on injured list
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Givens was placed on the injured list for undisclosed reasons Saturday.
Not only did the Mets not give a reason for Givens' absence, they also didn't denote which injured list he was placed on, which fits the pattern teams have used when placing players on the COVID-19 injured list. Stephen Nogosek (oblique) returned from the injured list to take his place on the roster.
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Mets' Mychal Givens: Secures seventh win
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Givens (7-3) picked up the win in Friday's 7-3 victory over the Nationals, walking one and striking out one over 1.2 scoreless innings of relief.
The right-hander took over from David Peterson in the top of the sixth inning and was in the right place at the right time to benefit from a Pete Alonso go-ahead home run in the bottom of the frame. Givens had an ugly first appearance for the Mets -- five earned runs in 0.2 innings -- back on Aug. 3 and has seen little high-leverage work since, but over the 13.1 innings following that implosion he's posted a palatable 4.05 ERA, 1.27 WHIP and 11:4 K:BB with one win and one hold.
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Mets' Mychal Givens: Moves to Mets
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The Cubs acquired Givens from the Mets on Tuesday in exchange for right-hander Saul Gonzalez, Gordon Wittenmyer of NBC Sports Chicago reports.
Givens temporarily looked to be the next man in line for saves with the Cubs, but he'll wind up leaving the Windy City along with David Robertson, Scott Effross and Chris Martin. It would take an injury to Edwin Diaz for Givens to have any shot at save chances in his new home, but he could fill a key setup role for the Mets.
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Cubs' Mychal Givens: Notches second save
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Givens struck out one in a perfect ninth inning Tuesday to record his second save of the season in a 4-2 win over the Pirates.
Closer David Robertson pitched Saturday and Sunday, but his absence from this game will undoubtedly spur more trade rumors around the 37-year-old. Instead it was Givens who got the call in a save situation -- perhaps to showcase him for a deal to a contender, or perhaps as an audition for the closer role if Robertson does get moved -- and he breezed through the middle of Pittsburgh's batting order. The right-hander has six wins and six holds this season in addition to his saves, and he hasn't allowed an earned run in 15 straight appearances, posting a 0.98 WHIP and 18:6 K:BB through 16.1 innings over that impressive stretch.
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Cubs' Mychal Givens: Earns sixth win of season
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Givens (6-2) worked around a hit and a walk to pitch a scoreless inning of relief and earn the win Monday against the Pirates. He struck out two.
Givens got into some trouble and needed 24 pitches to work through the eighth inning, but the righty managed his 14th straight outing without allowing an earned run. His six wins this season are actually second on the team, which is a bit of good luck but also indicative of the struggles of Chicago's rotation. Either way, Givens has been able to deliver some fantasy value from the bullpen despite not serving as the team's closer, though it's hard to count on the wins to keep coming.
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Cubs' Mychal Givens: Walks three in rough outing
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Givens allowed four runs without recording an out during Tuesday's loss to the Padres. He gave up one hit and three walks.
Givens replaced Scott Effross after the latter allowed consecutive singles to start the seventh inning. Givens promptly allowed a walk, a double and two more walks before getting the hook. It was easily the worst outing of the season for the righty, who saw his ERA climb from 3.09 to 4.63 in the process. Givens' track record suggests he'll bounce back, though it may take a little while for his ERA to come back down below 4.00.
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Cubs' Mychal Givens: Improves to 3-0
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Givens (3-0) recorded two outs in relief and earned the win Saturday against the Diamondbacks.
Givens has now earned a win in each of his last two appearances despite allowing two earned runs on three hits across 1.2 innings. That's given the righty a 3.38 ERA for the season, which is in line with the 3.35 ERA he posted last year. Expect similar results for Givens moving forward, though he's unlikely to keep picking up wins at this rate. With David Robertson on the COVID-19 injured list, Givens could also see some save opportunities in the near future, though Rowan Wick earned the save Saturday.
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Cubs' Mychal Givens: Blows save but earns win
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Givens (2-0) allowed two runs on two hits in an inning of work but managed to earn the win Wednesday against the Padres. He struck out two.
Givens allowed two solo home runs in the seventh inning and was charged with his second blown save of the season, but the righty earned the win when the Cubs scored twice in the top of the eighth. With David Robertson on the injured list for undisclosed reasons, which fits the pattern teams have used when a player lands on the COVID-19 injured list, it was Rowan Wick who saw end-game work Wednesday. The situation could be fluid until Robertson returns, but it appears that Givens will set up Wick.
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Cubs' Mychal Givens: Secures save Thursday
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Givens recorded a save against the Rockies on Thursday, pitching a scoreless inning during which he allowed one hit and struck out two.
The right-hander was summoned in the ninth inning to protect a three-run lead and did so successfully, working around a one-out single to post a scoreless frame. He struck out two in the outing, giving him seven punchouts over 3.1 frames to begin the season. David Robertson picked up the first two saves of the campaign for the Cubs, but he wasn't called upon Thursday despite not pitching the previous day. It's possible that manager David Ross will use a committee to close out games this season, with Robertson and Givens appearing to be the early frontrunners for save opportunities.
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Cubs' Mychal Givens: May work in closer rotation?
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Chicago manager David Ross may use multiple pitchers to close out games this season, which could put Givens in the mix for saves, Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reports.
Givens had eight saves a season ago with the Reds and Rockies and recorded 11 back in 2019 with the Orioles, so he has some experience in the closer role. Rowan Wick is the presumptive favorite to lead the Cubs in save opportunities early on, but the 31-year-old Givens certainly appears to be in the mix and could earn a bigger share of ninth-inning work if he pitches well to start the year.
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Cubs' Mychal Givens: Signs with Cubs
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Givens signed a one-year, $3.5 million contract with the Cubs on Thursday, Jesse Rogers of ESPN.com reports.
Givens served as a late reliever for the Reds and Rockies in 2021 and posted a 3.35 ERA and 1.37 WHIP in 51 innings across 54 relief appearances. During that time, he converted eight of 11 save opportunities and racked up 11 holds. Rowan Wick converted five of eight save chances last year and entered spring training as the favorite to serve as the Cubs' closer, but Givens will have the chance to compete for ninth-inning duties ahead of the 2022 campaign.
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Reds' Mychal Givens: Secures relief win
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Givens (4-3) earned the win in relief Saturday against the Nationals after tossing a scoreless inning. He didn't record a walk or strikeout.
Givens entered the game to pitch the ninth inning with the game tied 6-6, and he was able to deliver when it mattered the most -- he tossed just six of his 11 pitches for strikes but still retired the side with a groundout, a popout and a flyout. The right-hander bounced back from his previous outing, when he gave up three runs in just two-thirds of an inning, and that has been the lone instance in which he's given up runs over his last four contests.
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Reds' Mychal Givens: Blows save chance
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Givens allowed three runs on three hits and two walks in Friday's win over Washington. He recorded two outs, including one strikeout, and was charged with a blown save.
Givens entered a 7-4 game and quickly retired the first two batters he faced. He then coughed up three runs, including a two-run single by Luis Garcia. The 31-year-old is now 8-for-11 in save chances this season with a 3.12 ERA through 49 innings.
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Reds' Mychal Givens: Collects eighth save
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Givens picked up the save Thursday after tossing a scoreless inning against the Pirates. He allowed two walks and no hits while striking out two.
With a tight 1-0 lead and one out in the ninth, Givens walked back-to-back batters. The right-hander quickly minimized the threat, however, leading him to convert his eighth save out of nine tries since joining the Reds in July. In that span, Given has compiled a 3.06 ERA and 1.36 ERA across 17.2 innings.
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Reds' Mychal Givens: Secures seventh save
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Givens picked up the save against the Cardinals on Friday with a scoreless inning during which he allowed one hit and struck out two.
Givens continues to shine in the closer role for the Reds, as he has successfully converted seven of eight save opportunities since joining the team in late July. He worked around a one-out single versus St. Louis on Friday to close out the 4-2 victory, striking out a pair of batters in the process. Givens has compiled a 2.76 ERA and 49:22 K:BB across 45.2 frames this season. With the Reds fighting for the second NL wild card, Givens likely has a secure hold on the team's closer position as long as he continues to be effective.
