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AL Central Notes: Kipnis, Martinez, Gose, Rodon

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Indians second baseman Jason Kipnis was hit by a pitch on his left hand during a rehab outing tonight, as Jordan Bastian of MLB.com tweets. He’s expected to sit out at least one contest, though at this point there’s no indication that he has suffered a significant injury. Cleveland is no doubt looking forward to the return of Kipnis, who is working back from a shoulder injury. As Bastian writes, the club’s bats have stalled in the early going.

More from the American League Central…

  • Tigers right fielder J.D. Martinez has begun taking batting practice and could be activated from the disabled list by early May, writes Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press. Manager Brad Ausmus tells Fenech that Martinez is “slightly ahead of schedule,” though he declined to get into any specifics about the length or location of a potential rehab assignment for the slugger. Martinez has been on the shelf since Opening Day due to a Lisfranc injusry in his left foot, and in his absence, the Tigers have utilized Tyler Collins and Mikie Mahtook in right field while young JaCoby Jones in center field.
  • Former outfielder Anthony Gose, who is converting to the mound, has begun facing hitters in extended Spring Training, tweets Evan Woodbery of MLive.com. Tigers manager Brad Ausmus got positive reports on Gose’s curveball in particular. At the time he was drafted, Gose was considered a two-way prospect, as Baseball America noted in its draft report on him that he featured a “blistering fastball” that peaked at 97 mph. While many liked him better as a pitcher, Gose had some shoulder troubles prior to the draft that prompted the move to the outfield.
  • White Sox lefty Carlos Rodon is progressing in his recovery from biceps bursitis, as Colleen Kane of the Chicago Tribune writes. Though Rodon has yet to take the mound while he works back to strength, manager Rick Renteria says he’s “moving along positively” and is continuing to work through a throwing program. While the Sox would no doubt love to see the young southpaw working to take the next steps in his development at the major league level, the rebuilding club is obviously taking a conservative course in bringing him back to full speed.

Offseason In Review: Cincinnati Reds

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This is the latest entry in MLBTR’s Offseason In Review series. The full index of Offseason In Review posts can be found here.

Brandon Phillips became the latest longtime Reds veteran to be traded as the franchise continued its rebuilding process.

Major League Signings

Trades And Claims

Notable Minor League Signings

Notable Losses

Cincinnati Reds Depth Chart; Cincinnati Reds Payroll Information

Needs Addressed

With Jose Peraza and Dilson Herrera knocking on the door as Cincinnati’s second baseman and shortstop of the future, the Reds needed to clear some room up the middle.  Phillips had already used his no-trade protection to reject two proposed deals to the Nationals and D-backs last offseason, and given the lack of a robust market for the 35-year-old, it seemed like the Reds were willing to simply move Phillips as soon as any sort of trade could be arranged.  It may or may not have taken multiple attempts to deal Phillips to his home state of Georgia, though in the end, the Reds eventually traded Phillips to the Braves for two unheralded young arms (Andrew McKirahan and Carlos Portuondo) and only $1MM in salary relief from the $14MM owed to Phillips in 2017.

Former Brewer Scooter Gennett was claimed on waivers at the end of Spring Training, giving the Reds some veteran depth in the middle infield behind new starting second baseman Peraza.  Between Gennett, Arismendy Alcantara, and Patrick Kivlehan (the latter two originally acquired in late-season waiver claims), the Reds have a versatile trio of bench players who can all fill in at multiple positions.  Veterans Desmond Jennings and Ryan Raburn were also signed to minor league deals this winter, but were released at the end of Spring Training.

Scott Feldman | Frank Victores-USA TODAY Sports

The backups’ positional flexibility has allowed the Reds to begin the season with just a four-man bench, giving the team more room to add extra bullpen arms in a very fluid pitching situation.  With Anthony DeSclafani and Homer Bailey sidelined, Cincinnati gave rotation spots to rookies Amir Garrett and Rookie Davis, with former Red Bronson Arroyo currently occupying the fifth spot in the rotation.  Arroyo rejoined the team on a minor league deal over the winter and is attempting a comeback after missing over two and a half seasons due to Tommy John surgery and rotator cuff injuries.  It’s unknown what Arroyo can bring to the table after such a long absence, though the 40-year-old promises to be a good clubhouse influence for the young Reds. If he can recapture any of his old soft contact-inducing, innings-eating form, he’ll be a boost to an inexperienced rotation.

The Reds’ higher-priced rotation addition was Opening Day starter Scott Feldman, who signed for $2.3MM in guaranteed money with almost as much available in potential bonuses as both a starter and a reliever.  Given the aforementioned injury problems in the rotation, Feldman served as the team’s Opening Day starter, and his rotation role could potentially make him a trade chip at the deadline.  Feldman can give Cincinnati some rotation stability as somewhat of a younger version of Arroyo — a pitch-to-contact veteran who doesn’t miss many bats. The 34-year-old has shown some solid durability as a starting pitcher in the past, when teams haven’t moved him into a bullpen role.  He steps into Dan Straily’s spot in the rotation, as the Reds dealt Straily to the Marlins for a package of three prospects. (More on that later.).

Drew Storen was the Reds’ other MLB signing this winter, as the former Nationals closer looks to rebound after a rough 2016 season (though he already showed some signs of a turn-around after a midseason trade to the Mariners).  He’ll join Michael Lorenzen as the setup men behind stopper Raisel Iglesias, giving the Reds an intriguing back-of-the-bullpen combination, though “back” may not exactly be accurate, as the Reds have already shown some creativity in their deployment of relievers.

Finally, the Reds completed a long-discussed front office move this winter, promoting GM Dick Williams to president of baseball operations.  Former president Walt Jocketty will remain in the organization as an advisor to team CEO Bob Castellini.

Questions Remaining

As you can tell, it was a pretty quiet winter for the Reds on the transactions front, perhaps indicative of this stage in their rebuilding process.  While there’s no doubt Cincinnati is committed to building for the future, there’s some uncertainty over whether several of the interesting young position players around the diamond (such as Billy Hamilton or Eugenio Suarez) are true building blocks or maybe just potential trade chips to further add young talent to the system.  It hasn’t helped that between the Phillips deal and last winter’s critically-panned trades of Aroldis Chapman (under difficult circumstances) and Todd Frazier, Cincinnati hasn’t gotten much in return for three of its key veterans.  Three players from the Chapman and Frazier trades (Peraza, Davis, and Scott Schebler) look to be regulars for the 2017 Reds, though of that group, it’s arguable that only Peraza projects as a true long-term piece. We’ll have to wait and see how those players pan out, though, and they’ll get their first full tests in 2017.

More trades seem likely, as it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Feldman or Storen flipped prior to the non-waiver deadline.  Hamilton was only available at a very high price tag this winter for teams (such as the Rangers) who inquired about a trade, though the Reds did seem willing to move him and could still do so if a club meets that price.  DeSclafani also drew some trade speculation during the offseason, but since a sprained UCL will sideline until until at least June, the Reds will have to wait to see what they really have in the promising righty.  It’s also fair to note that injuries have hampered the Reds’ efforts both on the field and in their rebuild — besides DeSclafani, either Bailey or Devin Mesoraco could’ve been shopped or dealt by now had either player been healthy over the last few seasons.

It was perhaps a little surprising that Zack Cozart was still in a Reds uniform on Opening Day, given that the veteran shortstop was almost traded to Seattle last summer and the Reds were keen to create room for younger infield pieces.  The Mariners’ acquisition of Jean Segura, however, took Cozart’s top trade suitor off the board, and the Padres were the only other team linked to Cozart on the rumor mill.  You’d think that some team would eventually have interest in a superb defender like Cozart, though with so many contenders already set at the shortstop position, the Reds may have to wait for an injury or another unforeseen situation to develop before the trade deadline to finally move Cozart, who is a free agent at season’s end.

No discussion of Reds trade candidates is complete with mentioning Joey Votto, even if both the team and the star first baseman insist that they are happy to continue their relationship.  Of the two, Votto’s statement carries a bit more weight given his no-trade rights.  Despite Votto’s continued superb play, his age (33) and salary (owed just under $179MM through the 2023 season) already limit his potential market.  Even if he did eventually consent to a trade, any decline will greatly hamper the Reds’ ability to get either a good prospect return or a good chunk of Votto’s salary off their books.

Nobody expected a rebuilding team to break the bank on pitching upgrades, especially with so many young hurlers in the system.  Still, given how dreadful the Reds’ bullpen was in 2016, the club certainly could’ve justified adding more newcomers than just Storen.  Cincinnati is putting a lot of faith in the Iglesias/Lorenzen combo, not to mention in improvement from Tony Cingrani and Blake Wood and rookies Wandy Peralta and Barrett Astin.  The Reds did discuss Jeremy Jeffress with the Rangers as part of trade talks for Hamilton, DeSclafani, and Straily, so once the deadline rolls around, Cincinnati could well target more controllable relief pitching.

Deal Of Note

Since I noted the Reds’ somewhat questionable returns on some of their trades of veteran players, it’s only fair to mention how much value they received from Straily’s one-year tenure with the team.  Cincinnati claimed Straily off waivers from the Padres just prior to Opening Day 2016, and the right-hander ended up being the Reds’ most reliable starter, posting a 3.76 ERA, 7.62 K/9 and 2.22 K/BB rate over 191 1/3 innings.

Dan Straily

On paper, a pitcher coming off that sort of a season who is also under club control through 2020 would project as a long-term piece for a rebuilding team.  Instead, however, the Reds dealt Straily to Miami for right-handers Luis Castillo and Austin Brice, plus 20-year-old outfield prospect Isaiah White.  Brice will begin the year on the DL with an elbow injury but could factor into the Major League bullpen mix later on, White is an interesting speedster and Castillo is a very promising rotation option.  Ranked as the second-best prospect in Miami’s system by Baseball America last December, Castillo owns a high-90s fastball and a potentially above-average slider (as per BA’s scouting reports).  ESPN’s Keith Law thinks enough of Castillo to rank him as the 94th-best prospect in all of baseball.

Will the Reds miss Straily, especially with their rotation again thinned by injuries?  It’s possible, though there is evidence that Cincinnati may have sold Straily at the peak of his value.  The righty’s ERA indicators (4.88 FIP, 5.02 xFIP, 4.67 SIERA) weren’t impressive last season, as Straily benefited from a .239 BABIP and 81.2% strand rate.  A fly-ball pitcher throughout his career, Straily allowed a league-high 31 homers in 2016, and that was despite posting some very good numbers at the hitter-friendly Great American Ballpark.

Straily was only a borderline MLB pitcher in 2014-15, managing only a 6.42 ERA over 68 2/3 IP for the Astros, Cubs and Athletics.  Even if Straily has turned a corner and 2016 represents his new normal rate of production, the Reds still did a good job of selling high on a pitcher that cost them nothing to obtain from San Diego.

Overview

The Reds almost certainly won’t be contenders in 2017, though they have started the season on an impressive 7-and-2 run. The highlight of their first half may end up being picking second overall in the June amateur draft.  It will be another season of development in Cincinnati as the team continues to plot its course through the rebuilding wilderness, though strong showings from Garrett, Davis and/or Cody Reed would go a long way towards solidifying the future rotation.  The Reds will be a team to watch in the weeks leading up to the July trade deadline.  Cozart, Feldman, Storen, Suarez, and Hamilton stand out as potential names on the move, there could be a Straily-esque under-the-radar player that also emerges as a trade chip, and business would pick up considerably if Votto consented to a deal.

What’s your take on the Reds’ winter?  (Link for app users.)

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Injury Notes: Kaprielian, Ross, Beltre, Bush, Gutierrez, Bailey, M’s

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Yankees pitching prospect James Kaprielian is weighing whether or not to undergo surgery, GM Brian Cashman told reporters including Erik Boland of Newsday (Twitter links). Cashman didn’t make clear just what surgical options might be on the table for the 23-year-old, who is said to have experienced elbow pain recently, but all the hints suggest it could be a significant injury. “The rehab process has not been successful,” said Cashman, “so he’s facing some decisions.” Kaprielian also dealt with elbow problems last year, limiting his ability to gain minor-league experience, but there were still suggestions that the 2015 first-rounder might factor at the MLB level this year.

Here’s more on some health situations from around the game:

  • The Rangers have provided some updates on several players, all via T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com (links to Twitter). Righty Tyson Ross will need to hold off on his rehab for a bit after experiencing upper back spasms. While it doesn’t appear as if there’s any broader concern, it will slow his timeline by at least a week. Meanwhile, Adrian Beltre’s new calf injury will likely cost him enough time to be measured in weeks rather than days, per assistant GM Mike Daly. Understandably, the club is charting a cautious course with the veteran, who had been nearing his return from calf issues before suffering another strain in a different area of the muscle. Finally, the team will wait to see how setup man Matt Bush responds to an injection before determining whether he’ll need a DL stint for his sore shoulder.
  • Dodgers outfielder Franklin Gutierrez is headed to the 10-day DL with a hamstring strain, as Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times reports (Twitter links). He’ll be replaced for the time being by Trayce Thompson, but skipper Dave Roberts says it’s expected to be only a one-to-three-week layoff.
  • The Angels have placed righty Andrew Bailey on the 10-day DL to rest his inflamed shoulder, per a club announcement. He’ll be replaced on the active roster by fellow righty Daniel Wright. It’s not yet clear just how long Bailey will be down. For Wright, this’ll be his third call-up to the majors; he saw action last year with both the Reds and Angels, working both as a stater and from the pen.
  • Mariners righty Tony Zych could be nearing a return, as Bob Dutton of the Tacoma News Tribune reports, with Steve Cishek not farm behind him. It remains to be seen whether Zych will head to the MLB roster, as he could also be optioned. Manager Scott Servais praised the righty’s form after a sim game, saying he looked “very sharp.”

Clay Buchholz Diagnosed With Partial Tear Of Flexor Pronator Mass

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5:00pm: Buchholz has been diagnosed with a partial tear of the flexor pronator mass in his pitching arm, per a club announcement. He is headed to visit Dr. James Andrews for a second opinion.

As things stand, it’s not clear what treatment will be undertaken for the injury. That’ll be sorted out after the trip to Dr. Andrews’s office — which is never where a pitcher hopes to find himself.

Clearly, though, Buchholz is headed for a layoff of some duration. Surgery isn’t always required in cases of strains (slight tears) or partial tears, but in such cases a fairly lengthy rest-and-rehab protocol is typically followed.

Many pitchers have missed time but returned to health without going under the knife. Buchholz’s situation will obviously be unique to himself, but here are a few data points: Stephen Strasburg and Tyler Skaggs both mulled returns late in 2016 following September injuries; though they didn’t get back on the hill last year, neither required surgery. There are more serious examples, too. The injury more or less ended the career of Cliff Lee, though that was perhaps a more significant tear and the veteran elected not to undergo surgery to repair it. Homer Bailey ultimately required surgery for his tear. Meanwhile, Andrew Miller required only a missed about a month in 2015 with what was classified as a pronator strain.

7:19am: Phillies right-hander Clay Buchholz has a flexor tendon strain and will receive an MRI on Wednesday to assess the severity of the issue, per Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com. Buchholz will end up on the disabled list as a result of the injury, Salisbury adds.

There’s no way to discern exactly how long Buchholz will be out until doctors evaluate his MRI results, but flexor tendon issues typically aren’t a minor malady. Buchholz was rocked by the Mets on Tuesday, surrendering six runs on eight hits and a walk with two strikeouts in just 2 1/3 innings — a dismal effort that inflated his ERA to an unsightly 12.27 on the young season.

Buchholz becomes the second Phillies starter to exit a game early in the past few days, though his injury sounds considerably more serious than the forearm cramp that abbreviated Jeremy Hellickson’s most recent start. With Buchholz almost certainly DL-bound, the Phillies will have to tap into their Triple-A reserve sooner than they’d have hoped. However, the Phils have no shortage of intriguing arms from which to choose on the 40-man roster, thanks largely to the plethora of trades they’ve completed over the past two and a half years while rebuilding. Right-handers Zach Eflin, Jake Thompson, Nick Pivetta, Ben Lively and Mark Appel have all been acquired from other organizations and are all in the rotation at Triple-A Lehigh Valley.

There may be a pair of arms added to the Phillies’ roster tomorrow, in fact, as the team announced after tonight’s 14-4 bludgeoning at the hands of the Mets that southpaw Adam Morgan has been optioned to Lehigh Valley. His demotion clears a spot to not add a fresh arm to a depleted relief corps, in addition to the potential replacement for Buchholz.

The Inner Monologue of @DimTillard Road Trippin’

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It’s 11:32am on Wednesday April 12th 2017.  “ALLOW ME TO REINTRODUCE MYSELF!  MY NAME IS” not Jay-Z… it’s Tim Dillard.  And this is my fifth entry for MLB Trade Rumors.  The check cleared!  So I’m back, chronologically writing down all my baseball thoughts.

11:34am  I’m a sidearm relief pitcher for the minor league Colorado Springs Sky Sox baseball team.  A few nights ago we bused from The Springs to Denver, then flew on a United Airlines commercial plane to Memphis, Tennessee.  This is where we will start a four game stint against the Memphis Redbirds, the St. Louis Cardinals class Triple-A affiliate.

11:37am  During the flight out here, our plane experienced some above average turbulence.  Like on a scale from one to ten, this turbulencity was probably a six and a half or maybe seven.  I mean, personally I really don’t mind flying.  But for some reason, a few of my teammates just seem to be uncomfortable in a… 450-ton pressurized man-made metal machine screaming through the sky at 500 knots while 7 miles up in the atmosphere!

11:40am  But it was fine.  AND it reminded me of another eventful road trip I once had!

11:41am  Back in 2007, I was on a really turbulent team flight with current Braves knuckleballer and former Cy Young Award winning pitcher R.A. Dickey. (name drop: successful)  We sat together a lot that year… I think it goes alphabetically.  Anyway, on this particular flight, if your seatbelt wasn’t buckled, you were hitting the ceiling!  Or the seat in front of you!  Or the person sitting beside you.  Or body-slapping the window! (it was at least an EIGHT on the bumpy scale)

11:45am  Well… after several minutes of gripping the armrests as hard as I could, trying to stay calm, and hearing the shrieks from the other scared passengers, my friend R.A. Dickey looked up at me.  And I looked up at him, and I was staring straight into his eyes when he opened his beardy mouth and yelled, “Dilly! It’s like we’re riding on a Dickey Knuckleball right now!”

11:50am  Pretty sure I laughed AFTER we landed.

11:50am  The hotel maid may have just knocked on my door.

11:53am  Yeah it was the maid. I thought I put the “Do Not Disturb” sign out, but it was one of those two-sided signs. The other side says “Please Service My Room, Thank You!”  Crap.  Just told her I’d be out in thirty minutes.

11:54am  Okay, so where was I… oh yes “Dilly!”

11:55am  You know, every road trip has a story or something meaningful happen if you look hard enough.  Like in 2006, when our team bus slammed into a giant wood utility poll that had fallen off the back of a semi at 2:30am.  Or in 2013, when I had to jump onto the back of a moving pickup truck to catch a ferry back to the mainland after playing a baseball game on some island in Mexico.

11:59am  Actually, before we left on this current road trip, a teammate brought two boxes of delicious donuts into the clubhouse.  That was pretty special.  BUT… there are only two reasons why a player would think to bring community donuts into the clubhouse:  Either they just want to be a good and thoughtful teammate, OR… they can read MINDS!  Either way, I’m keeping my eye on you Eric Sogard, but maybe… you already knew that. (name drop: numero dos)

12:04pm  Dang.  Another knock.  This hotel maid really wants to clean this room.

12:06pm  Something weird about myself:  I’ve kept every key card from every hotel I’ve stayed at my entire career dating back to 2003.  The only key I didn’t keep was a real key, like a real metal key, from a motel in Montana.  Because the fee for taking or losing that real key was $25.

12:09pm  Not to mention all the “free” hotel pens I’ve acquired over the years.  I remember in 2008 I was at my house looking for a pen.  I looked in every drawer, basket, bag, purse, and glove compartment.  Didn’t even see a stupid pencil.  And after searching for a long time, I realized that my wife and I did not have a single writing utensil in the entire house.  So this frustration gave birth.  And shouted, “NEVER AGAIN!”  So now I’m proud to be the “owner” of over 4oo hotel pens!

12:09pm  I also keep movie ticket stubs.  I have over 350 ticket stubs from movies I’ve seen dating back to 1999! <-(and yes, I put an exclamation point here because I’m proud of this, but also realize how nerdy and lame this makes me appear)

12:11pm  What else?  Oh yeah, my sticker bench!  I have a bench in my office at home that has stickers all over it.  I started letting my kids slap stickers on it for fun, but over the years it has gotten a little more serious.  Now every city I travel through, or restaurant I eat, or basically any business establishment I encounter, I find myself asking if they have stickers.  Maybe one day I will consider it finished, and then lacquer the crap out of that thing.  And BOOM! …family heirloom!

12:14pm  I have no idea what I’m writing at this point.  Honestly I can’t believe people read my blog things.  But I guess a year in the Big Leagues and over thirteen in the minor leagues can qualify a person to write opinions and experiences about baseball stuff.

12:16pm  Yesterday a kid messaged me over Twitter.  My alias on Twitter is @DimTillard.  I chose @DimTillard because when I went to sign up, there were 25 other “Tim Dillards”.  So after finding out how UNspecial I was… I went with @DimTillard.  Anyway, this kid messaged me contemplating quitting college baseball at the end of the season.  I told him everyone’s baseball path is different.  I said it doesn’t mean your path is more or less special, it just means that it’s your path to walk down.

12:19pm  Being late at night and tired… that actually made total sense to me.  But in the light of day, I think what I meant to say was something like:  Over my many baseball seasons, I’ve learned it doesn’t matter whether you only played t-ball or have a 10-year MLB career.  What matters is baseball and the relationships.  Baseball was here before I got here, and baseball will be here long after I’m gone.  It’s how we treat the game and the people… that really matters.

12:23pm  Ok yeah it’s time to leave the room.  This hotel maid has camped outside the door and is ready for me to vacate.  Too bad I made my bed, and refolded the towel I used.  Ha!  Good luck Jacquelyn!

To Be Concluded…

Mariners Outright Casey Fien, Recall Evan Marshall

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The Mariners announced that they’ve outrighted reliever Casey Fien to Triple-A Tacoma, thus removing him from the 40-man roster. Fien’s spot on the 25-man roster will go to fellow right-handed reliever Evan Marshall, who has been recalled from Tacoma.

While the move also opens a 40-man spot, that’ll be accounted for, too. Minor league outfielder Boog Powell has been reinstate from the restricted list after serving an 80-game suspension for a failed PED test.

The 33-year-old Fien had a fairly solid bounceback run last year with the Dodgers, leading to a MLB deal with Seattle over the winter. It’s not immediately clear whether that contract includes language allowing the team to escape the full $1.1MM salary that it carried; per the reporting at the time, it came with a minor-league split salary.

Things didn’t go quite as hoped for Fien in the early going. In five outings, he was tagged for seven earned runs on seven hits (two of them long balls) and three walks, while logging five strikeouts. He was still showing a 93 mph average fastball, though, and was missing bats (16.9% swinging-strike rate) in his brief stint, so it wouldn’t be too surprising to see him back up — whether or not it’s with the M’s — at some point this year.

Marshall, who’l soon turn 27, was claimed recently off waivers. GM Jerry Dipoto is a long-time fan of the sinkerballer, who’s looking to return to the success he showed as a rookie back in 2014. Marshall hasn’t yet regained traction in the majors since suffering a scary skull fracture, but it seems he’ll get a shot at locking down a role in Seattle.

AL West Notes: Bush, Cashner, Mariners, A’s

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Rangers setup man Matt Bush is headed back to Texas to have the sore AC joint in his shoulder examined and to receive an injection for the pain, per Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News. While that sounds ominous for an already banged-up Rangers club, Grant notes that the team currently believes that Bush will avoid a trip to the disabled list. Bush dealt with a similar issue at times in 2016, per the report, so it’s not entirely new issue. That said, even a brief absence for Bush thins out a Rangers relief corps that has struggled greatly in the season’s early stages. Closer Sam Dyson has had a nightmarish start to the year, yielding a staggering 11 runs on 11 hits (two homers) and three walks in just three innings of work. Dyson coughed up a five-run lead to the Angels in the ninth inning last night while Bush was deemed “unavailable” by manager Jeff Banister. Given Dyson’s catastrophic meltdown and Bush’s ailing shoulder, it wouldn’t be a surprise to Jeremy Jeffress and/or Tony Barnette get some save opportunities in the near future.

More notes out of Arlington and the rest of the AL West…

  • Rangers right-hander Andrew Cashner feels that he’s ready to join the rotation after throwing five shutout innings in an extended Spring Training game, writes Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. The Rangers, though, have yet to make a decision on whether to activate the oft-injured righty. Texas may elect to give Cashner another rehab outing in an effort to further build up some arm strength, which would make sense given the current state of the bullpen. As Wilson notes, being able to exceed 100 pitches would be preferable in an ideal scenario, as that’d spare the Rangers’ relief corps some extra work. Righties Dillon Gee, Nick Martinez and Eddie Gamboa could make a spot start in the interim, Wilson adds.
  • The Mariners will have a few roster moves to make today, Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times notes (Twitter links). Outfielder Boog Powell is set to be reinstated after receiving an 80-game suspension for a failed PED test late last June, and Seattle will need to open a 40-man spot to accommodate him. Additionally, Divish reports that the Mariners are slated to promote right-hander Evan Marshall from Triple-A Tacoma to get a fresh arm into their ’pen.
  • Though the Athletics opened the season with a closer-by-committee approach, that committee has narrowed to include just two pitchers, manager Bob Melvin said yesterday on MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM (Twitter link). Per Melvin, left-hander Sean Doolittle and right-hander Santiago Casilla will share ninth inning duties and be called upon based on the matchups the A’s are facing heading into the final inning. That means that righties Ryan Madson (last year’s primary closer) and Ryan Dull will each function primarily as setup men.

Yankees Designate Johnny Barbato, Select Jordan Montgomery’s Contract

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The Yankees announced that they’ve designated right-hander Johnny Barbato for assignment in order to clear a spot on the 40-man roster for left-hander Jordan Montgomery, whose contract has now been officially selected from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Montgomery will make his Major League debut against the Rays today after winning the fifth spot in the Yankees’ rotation.

The 24-year-old Barbato, originally acquired in the trade that sent right-hander Shawn Kelley to San Diego, struggled in his Major League debut with the Yanks last season, as he surrendered 11 runs in 13 innings of work. On the plus side, Barbato did post an impressive 15-to-5 K/BB ratio in that short time while averaging 94.6 mph on his fastball. Barbato’s numbers in Triple-A last season were solid as well: a 2.61 ERA with 9.1 K/9, 4.3 BB/9 and a 46.3 percent ground-ball rate in 48 1/3 frames.

Montgomery, also 24, was barely on the radar for a rotation spot heading into Spring Training despite a strong performance between Double-A and Triple-A last season. But, a 3.20 ERA and a 17-to-3 K/BB ratio in 19 2/3 innings paired nicely with last year’s combined 2.13 ERA, 8.7 K/9 and 2.9 BB/9 in the minor leagues to give Montgomery the edge for the final rotation slot in the Bronx. He’ll join Masahiro Tanaka, Michael Pineda, CC Sabathia and Luis Severino in manager Joe Girardi’s starting five for the time being, although the overall rotation mix could still be fluid to some extent. Severino struggled in his first outing of the season, while the top three arms all come with fairly notable injury risk.

Montgomery will make his first MLB start on the same day as battery-mate Kyle Hiashioka, who was recalled from Triple-A after Gary Sanchez hit the disabled list this past weekend. The 26-year-old Higashioka has struggled to get on base in the Triple-A level to this point in his career but demonstrated some pop, as evidenced by his .237/.287/.473 batting line in 45 games at that level.

Nationals Place Stephen Drew On DL, Select Contract Of Grant Green

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The Nationals announced on Wednesday that they’ve placed infielder Stephen Drew on the 10-day disabled list due to a right hamstring strain and selected the contract of infielder Grant Green from Triple-A Syracuse to take his spot on the Major League roster. The Nationals’ 40-man roster was only at 39 players before today’s transaction, so there’s no need for the team to make a corresponding 40-man move to accommodate Green.

The loss of Drew to the disabled list comes shortly after the Nationals placed starting shortstop Trea Turner on the 10-day DL with a hamstring strain of his own. With both Turner and Drew on the shelf, the Nats will turn to the inexperienced Wilmer Difo as their primary shortstop, while Green serves as a versatile utility infield piece.

The 29-year-old Green was once a well-regarded prospect, but the former first-round pick has never solidified himself as a big league regular or bench piece. In 350 plate appearances with the A’s, Angels and Giants, Green is a .251/.286/.339 hitter, though his lifetime .312/.350/.468 batting line in Triple-A is far more respectable. Green began his career playing mostly shortstop and second base, but he’s begun to bounce around the diamond more in recent seasons and now comes with experience at all four infield positions and in the corner outfield.

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