-
by RotoWire Staff | RotoWire
Matt Murton: Transitions to post-playing career
Matthew Henry Murton has retired from playing professional baseball and has been working as a scout in the Cubs organization this season, Emily Waldon of The Athletic Detroit reports.Murton attended spring training in 2017 with the Tigers and opened that season at Triple-A Toledo, but appeared in just seven games before getting released. After failing to latch on elsewhere following his exit from the Detroit organization, Murton officially ended his career this March after accepting the scouting position with the Cubs, the team with which he had made his MLB debut back in 2005. The 36-year-old ended up playing parts of five seasons in the big leagues with the Cubs, Athletics and Rockies and hit .286 with 29 home runs in 346 games, but he hadn't appeared in the majors since 2009 after a prolonged, record-setting stint in Japan with the Hanshin Tigers of Nippon Professional Baseball.
-
by RotoWire Staff | RotoWire
Matt Murton: Released by Tigers
Matt Murton was released by the Tigers on Monday.He was 4-for-26 in a brief stint with Triple-A Toledo, and was cut loose to clear a spot on the roster for recently signed James Loney.
-
by RotoWire Staff | RotoWire
Tigers' Matt Murton: Lands with Detroit on minor league pact
Matt Murton agreed to a minor league contract with the Detroit Tigers on Monday.The 35-year-old journeyman spent time playing in Japan from 2010 through 2015, but as a member of the Cubs organization last season, he pieced together a .314/.349/.398 slash line in 76 games with their Triple-A affiliate. The Tigers' outfield is pretty crowded as things stand now, so Murton will likely have to settle for an organizational depth role unless injuries plague Detroit's outfielders.
-
by RotoWire Staff | RotoWire
Cubs' Matt Murton: Two RBI since returning from DL
Matt Murton is 3-for-12 with a run and two RBI since returning from the disabled list Saturday.Murton was dealing with an oblique strain since May 5, but he was able to return to the lineup after a bit over two weeks on the disabled list. Now that he's healthy, the 34-year-old should continue acting as one of the main outfielders with Triple-A Iowa going forward.
-
by RotoWire Staff | RotoWire
Cubs' Matt Murton: Placed on DL with oblique strain
Matt Murton was placed on the disabled list with an oblique strain, Carrie Muskat of MLB.com reports.Murton was plagued by appendicitis earlier this year, and it appears his luck hasn't gotten any better. Strained obliques are notorious for taking a good amount of time to rehab, so he could be on the shelf for a while. A better timetable for his return should come forth once he gets further in his rehab process.
-
by RotoWire Staff | RotoWire
Cubs' Matt Murton: Cut from camp
Matt Murton was reassigned to minor league camp Friday, Carrie Muskat of MLB.com reports.Murton was always going to be a long shot to make the team after being overseas for several years, but a bout of appendicitis made it impossible for him to show his old team what he could do.
-
by RotoWire Staff | RotoWire
Cubs' Matt Murton: Makes spring debut
Matt Murton (appendix) made his spring debut Friday, going 0-for-2 and playing left field.Murton's appendix was removed at the beginning of March, and while it's nice to see him back on the field, he's an extreme long shot to make the team.
-
by RotoWire Staff | RotoWire
Cubs' Matt Murton: Four at-bats in simulated game
Matt Murton (appendix) had four at-bats in a simulated game Tuesday, the Chicago Cubs' official site reports.Murton, who hopes to get in a Cactus League game in the next few days, singled and doubled against Jon Lester. He's attempting to make a comeback in 2016 after six seasons in Japan, but a recent bout of appendicitis has kept him off the field.
-
by RotoWire Staff | RotoWire
Cubs' Matt Murton: Hits off batting tee for first time since appendectomy
Matt Murton (appendix) was able to hit off a batting tee Monday, Carrie Muskat of Chicago Cubs.com reports.After undergoing an appendectomy in February, Murton is showing signs of progress by hitting off a tee. He should continue to add more to his recovery regimen and eventually return to full baseball activities. However, given that he hasn't played in an MLB game since 2009, it is unlikely he will have a big-league impact this season.
-
by RotoWire Staff | RotoWire
Cubs' Matt Murton: Has appendix removed
Matt Murton had his appendix removed Saturday and rejoined the team Wednesday, MLB.com's Carrie Muskat reports.It is unclear when he will get back in game action, but it's possible he will be sidelined for a little bit, as players often miss a good chunk of time following this procedure. The fact that the 34-year-old is back in spring training with the Chicago Cubs after being out of pro baseball since 2009 is a good story, but he doesn't have a realistic shot of making the club out of spring training or contributing at the big league level this season.