Latest On Giants’ Roster Outlook
The Giants activated Joe Panik from the DL yesterday, as Henry Schulman reports in his latest piece for the San Francisco Chronicle. That’s not even the most interesting news, however, as Schulman also reveals a flurry of insight into the clubs plans for utilizing their other players in the near future.
Perhaps chief among these tidbits is the confirmation that veteran Hunter Pence will play in a backup role when he returns from the disabled list, where he’s been shelved with a sprained thumb since mid-April. Skipper Bruce Bochy couldn’t have been more direct, making it clear that Mac Williamson is the club’s primary left fielder while stating that he’d like to get Pence in later in games, “like I would with a fourth outfielder.”
Although Bochy’s plans are hardly surprising considering how much injuries and the aging curve have slowed Pence’s production across the past few seasons, it’s surely disappointing news for the three-time All-Star. Pence was once one of the great players in the game, ranking 33rd in fWAR from 2008-2014 with at least 20 homers in every one of those seasons. This year, however, Pence kicked off the season by hitting .172/.197/.190 with just one extra base hit an alarming 22 strikeouts in 61 plate appearances. He’s in the final year of his five-year, $90MM contract and thus will reach free agency at season’s end.
The oddest thing to come out of Schulman’s piece is the news that Pablo Sandoval is taking ground balls at shortstop. “He’s got good hands and a good first step,” said Bochy. When the club activated Panik, they optioned Kelby Tomlinson to the minors in a related move, leaving Sandoval as the only reserve infielder on the major league roster. That’ll change soon when Alen Hanson returns from his hamstring injury (Schulman notes that this will probably happen early next week), but for the time being it would seem as though the club is prepared to turn to Sandoval as its emergency shortstop in the event that Brandon Crawford has to come out of a game for any reason.
At least one more move is coming, as Madison Bumgarner is slated to make his season debut against the Diamondbacks on Tuesday.
MLB Daily Roster Roundup: Betts, Cabrera, Donaldson, Kershaw, Panik
ROSTER MOVES BY TEAM
(June 1st)
NATIONAL LEAGUE
- CINCINNATI REDS | Depth Chart
- Promoted: C Curt Casali (contract purchased)
- Designated for assignment: OF/INF Rosell Herrera
- COLORADO ROCKIES | Depth Chart
- Activated from 10-Day DL: 2B DJ LeMahieu
- LeMahieu played 2B and batted 1st on Friday.
- Placed on 10-Day DL: OF David Dahl (fractured foot)
- Dahl is expected to miss 6-8 weeks.
- Activated from 10-Day DL: 2B DJ LeMahieu
- LOS ANGELES DODGERS | Depth Chart
- Placed on 10-Day DL: SP Clayton Kershaw (strained lower back)
- Kershaw is expected to miss at least one month.
- Promoted: RP Brock Stewart
- Placed on 10-Day DL: SP Clayton Kershaw (strained lower back)
- MIAMI MARLINS | Depth Chart
- Role change: Kyle Barraclough was named the team’s closer.
- MILWAUKEE BREWERS | Depth Chart
- Placed on 10-Day DL: SP Zach Davies (rotator cuff inflammation)
- The Brewers do not need a No. 5 starter until June 11th.
- Promoted: 1B/OF Ji-Man Choi
- Placed on 10-Day DL: SP Zach Davies (rotator cuff inflammation)
- NEW YORK METS | Depth Chart
- Promoted: C Jose Lobaton (contract purchased)
- Designated for assignment: RP Scott Copeland
- SAN DIEGO PADRES | Depth Chart
- Promoted: SP Walker Lockett
- Lockett made the start on Friday in his MLB debut.
- Optioned: RP Kazuhisa Makita
- Promoted: SP Walker Lockett
- SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS | Depth Chart
- Activated from 10-Day DL: 2B Joe Panik
- Panik played 2B and batted 1st on Friday.
- Activated from 60-Day DL: RP Mark Melancon
- Melancon will start out in a 6th/7th inning role.
- Role change: P Ty Blach has been moved to the bullpen. P Dereck Rodriguez will make a spot start on Sunday.
- Optioned: INF Kelby Tomlinson, P Tyler Beede
- Designated for assignment: RP Jose Valdez
- Activated from 10-Day DL: 2B Joe Panik
- WASHINGTON NATIONALS | Depth Chart
- Activated from 10-Day DL: OF Brian Goodwin
- Goodwin played CF and batted 6th on Friday.
- Optioned: OF Andrew Stevenson
- Activated from 10-Day DL: OF Brian Goodwin
—
AMERICAN LEAGUE
- BALTIMORE ORIOLES | Depth Chart
- Reinstated from Paternity List: INF/OF Danny Valencia
- Optioned: RP Donnie Hart
- BOSTON RED SOX | Depth Chart
- Placed on 10-Day DL: OF Mookie Betts (strained abdominal)
- A corresponding roster move will be made prior to Saturday’s game.
- Placed on 10-Day DL: OF Mookie Betts (strained abdominal)
- CLEVELAND INDIANS | Depth Chart
- Activated from 10-Day DL: OF Bradley Zimmer
- Zimmer was not in the starting lineup on Friday. Greg Allen played CF and batted 9th.
- Optioned: SP Shane Bieber
- The Indians do not need a No. 5 starter until June 12th.
- Activated from 10-Day DL: OF Bradley Zimmer
- DETROIT TIGERS | Depth Chart
- Activated from 10-Day DL: 1B Miguel Cabrera
- Cabrera played 1B and batted 3rd on Friday.
- Placed on 10-Day DL: SP Ryan Carpenter (strained oblique)
- The Tigers will need to fill Carpenter’s rotation spot on Tuesday.
- Promoted: RP Zac Reininger
- Designated for assignment: INF Pete Kozma
- Activated from 10-Day DL: 1B Miguel Cabrera
- LOS ANGELES ANGELS | Depth Chart
- Added to 25-man roster: RP Oliver Drake (claimed off waivers from Indians)
- Optioned: RP Akeel Morris
- OAKLAND ATHLETICS | Depth Chart
- Reinstated from Paternity List: SS Marcus Semien
- Semien was not in Friday’s lineup.
- Optioned: INF Franklin Barreto
- Reinstated from Paternity List: SS Marcus Semien
- SEATTLE MARINERS | Depth Chart
- Promoted: RP Roenis Elias
- Designated for assignment: RP Marc Rzepczynski
- TORONTO BLUE JAYS | Depth Chart
- Placed on 10-Day DL: 3B Josh Donaldson (strained calf)
- Yangervis Solarte played 3B and batted 2nd on Friday.
- Activated from 10-Day DL: INF Aledmys Diaz, OF Randal Grichuk
- Diaz played SS and batted 9th on Friday.
- Grichuk played RF and batted 8th on Friday.
- Promoted: RP Tim Mayza
- Optioned: OF Dwight Smith Jr., RP Jake Petricka
- Placed on 10-Day DL: 3B Josh Donaldson (strained calf)
—
FUTURE EXPECTED MOVES
- SFG: SP Madison Bumgarner will be activated from the 60-Day DL on Tuesday June 5th, according to Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area. OF Hunter Pence will be activated from the 10-Day DL on Saturday June 2nd, also according to Pavlovic.
- STL: C Yadier Molina and SP Carlos Martinez are on track to return from the disabled list on Tuesday June 5th, according to Joe Trezza of MLB.com.
- WSH: There’s a chance that 2B Daniel Murphy could return from the 10-Day DL on Tuesday June 5th, according to Mark Zuckerman of MASN.
Minor MLB Transactions: 6/1/18
Here are the day’s minor moves from around the league…
- Former MLB hurler Ross Detwiler is joining the Mariners organization, per an announcement from the Atlantic League. The 32-year-old had been pitching with the York Revolution, In his nine years in the majors, Detwiler has compiled 578 innings of 4.36 ERA pitching. Detwiler isn’t the only pitcher moving from the Atlantic League to Tacoma. Righty Tyler Higgins, who was with the New Britain Bees, will be doing the same. The former Marlins farmhand has never previously pitched above the Double-A level.
- The D-backs acquired infielder Tyler Ladendorf from the Blue Jays in exchange for cash, Baseball America’s Matt Eddy reports. A second-round pick of the Twins back in 2007, Ladendorf eventually reached the Majors with the A’s but hit just .123/.149/.154 in 68 plate appearances. Ladendorf appeared in just two games with the Jays’ Triple-A affiliate and went hitless in six plate appearances, but he’s a career .256/.324/.347 hitter in parts of eight Triple-A seasons.
- The Reds acquired right-hander Tommy Bergjans from the Phillies in exchange for cash, also per Eddy. Bergjans, 25, went from the Dodgers to the Phillies in the 2016 Carlos Ruiz/A.J. Ellis trade. He struggled to a 6.57 ERA with solid control but just 7.1 K/9 and a whopping 2.37 HR/9 in 50 1/3 innings at the Double-A level last season. He’s allowed just two runs through seven innings this season but has failed to record a strikeout in that time.
Yankees Release Oliver Perez
The Yankees have released veteran lefty Oliver Perez, according to Bryan Hoch of MLB.com (via Twitter). He had joined the organization on a minors deal right at the start of the season after spending spring camp with the Reds.
Perez, 36, received a June 1st opt-out date by virtue of being an Article XX(B) free agent. He spent the past two years with the Nationals, making 114 appearances but throwing only 73 total innings of 4.81 ERA ball with 10.5 K/9 and 3.9 BB/9.
Thus far in 2018, Perez has allowed just four earned runs in his 12 1/3 frames at Triple-A. He has recorded 13 strikeouts against three walks in that span. While there wasn’t an opening for him in the New York pen, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the 15-year MLB veteran sign on with another organization that has a greater opportunity available.
Giants Activate Mark Melancon, Designate Jose Valdez
The Giants have activated veteran reliever Mark Melancon from the disabled list, as Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area was among those to report (via Twitter). To create a roster spot, the club designated righty Jose Valdez for assignment (technically, after activating him from the 10-day DL).
Melancon will appear for the first time this season. He has dealt with ongoing elbow and forearm issues since joining the San Francisco organization on a four-year, $62MM contract before the 2017 season.
Though he signed to be a closer, Melancon is expected to spend some time working up to speed before his role settles out. Hunter Strickland has handled the ninth inning to open the year, performing well though perhaps not putting the job in a stranglehold, either.
It remains to be seen how that’ll all shake out. Generally, it’s preferable to have that problem than for Melancon still to be on the shelf. It is fair to wonder, though: since the Giants are paying Melancon top dollar, perhaps they would prefer to see him return to closing rather than running up Strickland’s future arbitration tab by giving him save opportunities.
Valdez, 28, has been knocked around in five MLB innings on the year, allowing three long balls among eight total base hits. He carries a 6.34 ERA in 55 1/3 total frames at the game’s highest level over the past four seasons.
Cameron Rupp Opts Out Of Rangers Contract
Catcher Cameron Rupp has exercised his opt-out clause with the Rangers, as T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com reported (Twitter link) and the team has since announced. The Texas organization passed on adding Rupp to its MLB roster and has instead given him his release.
Rupp ought to generate interest in free agency, as there’s always a need for catching depth and he has quite a bit of recent MLB experience. He appeared in 274 games for the Phillies in the past three seasons, slashing a combined .236/.301/.417 with 39 home runs.
That power-heavy output is quite solid for a backstop. And Rupp has had no trouble squaring up the pitchers he has faced thus far at Triple-A.In his 125 plate appearances for Round Rock, he’s slashing .264/.328/.509 with seven long balls.
Though he graded poorly as a framer last year, he was within range of average in prior seasons. And Rupp has generally received solid marks in throwing and block. Though it’s hard to know exactly how organizations leaguewide view Rupp’s work behind the dish, it’s notable evidence that he was trusted with so much time by a Phillies organization that was bringing along some young hurlers over the past few years.
All things considered, there’s a case to be made that Rupp could sign directly onto a major-league roster. At a minimum, he should be widely pursued by teams that have any uncertainty at the MLB level and/or opportunity available at Triple-A. Rupp will also be eligible for arbitration at least two more times. He had agreed to a $2.05MM salary this year with the Philadelphia organization, which paid him a buyout of just over half a million dollars by cutting him loose late in camp.
Red Sox Place Mookie Betts On 10-Day DL
The Red Sox have placed star outfielder Mookie Betts on the 10-day DL, the team announced. He has been diagnosed with a left abdominal strain.
Boston had been hoping to avoid this outcome. Betts last played on May 26th, but the move can only be made retroactive to the 29th. That same consideration explains why the team made the placement today: the club will be shorthanded tonight anyway — by two players, in fact, with Dustin Pedroia also in a holding pattern — but this way Betts can return one day sooner.
Clearly, then, there’s going to be another hitter on the way tomorrow. Alex Speier of the Boston Globe tweets that Sam Travis has been pulled from the lineup at Triple-A, which certainly suggests that he will be tabbed to function as a bench bat.
Needless to say, there won’t be any replacing Betts, who has been on an otherworldly tear all season long. He’s sporting a monster .359/.437/.750 slash with 17 home runs, 13 steals, and 24 walks against just 25 strikeouts through 213 trips to the plate thus far in 2018.
While the Sox need everything they can get from their star outfielder, as the division race is shaping up to be a season-long epic, they are surely also mindful of avoiding any complications from what seemed initially to be a fairly minor injury. Hopefully, that’s still the case, but Betts will now be given as much time as he needs to rest and heal up without any concerns as to whether the team will be down a man in a given game.
Brewers Place Zach Davies On 10-Day DL, Recall Ji-Man Choi, Outright Jett Bandy
The Brewers announced a slate of roster moves today. Righty Zach Davies is headed to the 10-day DL with rotator cuff inflammation. He’ll be replaced on the active roster by first baseman/outfielder Ji-Man Choi.
In other news, the Milwaukee organization has outrighted catcher Jett Bandy. He had been designated for assignment recently and will now head to Triple-A after clearing waivers.
Davies, 25, spent nearly a month on the DL already and has struggled in two starts since returning. On the year, he carries a 5.23 ERA with 6.5 K/9 against 3.6 BB/9 in 43 innings over eight starts.
While he has been a solid rotation piece over the past two seasons with less-than-exciting K/BB numbers, Davies has been easier to square up so far in 2018. He has already surrendered seven home runs and has allowed opposing hitters to make hard contact at a hefty 43.8% clip. Still, measures such as fastball velocity, swinging-strike rate, and groundball rate indicate that Davies is still much the same hurler as before.
With Davies on the shelf, the Brewers will need another starter in a few days. For the time being, though, they’ll go with an extra man on the bench. Choi has impressed consistently of late with the bat. in his 154 plate appearances at Triple-A, he has posted a .290/.416/.452 slash with four home runs and 28 walks against 31 strikeouts.
Bandy, meanwhile, will remain available if a need arises behind the dish. The 28-year-old has struggled at the plate, with a .218/.282/.365 slash in his 492 career plate appearances at the game’s highest level. Still, the Milwaukee organization will be glad to retain Bandy, particularly since Stephen Vogt is already likely out for the year and the team’s current MLB duo of Manny Pina and Erik Kratz does not exactly make for an imposing unit.
Dodgers Place Clayton Kershaw On 10-Day DL
6:06pm: Manager Dave Roberts suggests that there’s at least a preliminary expectation that Kershaw will miss over a month of action, Moura tweets.
5:22pm: Star Dodgers hurler Clayton Kershaw returned from the disabled list to start yesterday, but he’s now headed right back to the shelf, as Pedro Moura of The Athletic was among those to indicate on Twitter and the team has now announced. Kershaw has been diagnosed with a lower back strain, as Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times tweets.
It’s really not surprising to hear that Kershaw will need at least at least a brief additional respite. He reported a tight back yesterday that required an MRI and kept him from traveling with the club. During his five innings of action, Kershaw never topped 90 mph with his fastball, which is hardly a promising sign.
At the moment, there’s no firm indication as to the seriousness of Kershaw’s new injury concern. His prior DL stint this year was for biceps tendinitis, but he has dealt with back troubles in the past two years, including a five-week absence last year for an injury with the same description as this one. Until we learn more, though, there’s no way to know how long Kershaw will be down. And the length of the absence will surely be tied to his progress.
Kershaw is hardly the Dodgers’ only injured starter, which complicates matters in the near term. The club just brought up youngster Dennis Santana for his first taste of the majors to help account for the missing arms. Now, righty Brock Stewart will be recalled to take the open spot on the active roster.
Blue Jays Place Josh Donaldson On 10-Day DL
The Blue Jays have placed veteran third baseman Josh Donaldson on the 10-day DL, per a club announcement. Taking the open roster spot will be lefty Tim Mayza, the club also announced.
Calf tightness is the official cause for the placement, which is backdated to May 29th. Donaldson previously missed time this year owing to a shoulder ailment.
It’s obviously disappointing for the Jays to see Donaldson again hit the DL. There had been at least some hope that he’d manage to avoid it, but evidently the injury was not coming along as hoped. His outlook remains largely unknown, though it seems generally promising that the club felt it worthwhile to wait a few days before deciding upon the move.
Donaldson’s every move is under a microscope given the circumstances. He’s a pending free agent playing for a team that is now six games under .500 and already staring at a 13.5 game deficit in the AL East. That makes Donaldson a potentially significant trade chip. And that’s all before considering his status for the upcoming free agent market.
The 32-year-old Donaldson has long been seen as a big part of a much-hyped 2018-19 free agent class. But he has not been quite himself on the field, with a .234/.333/.423 slash through 159 plate appearances, and the injuries are of increasing concern. There’s certainly plenty of time for Donaldson to get back to health and show he’s still capable of playing to his exceedingly lofty standard, though.
Many of the Toronto faithful will perhaps see this as an opening that ought to be filled by top prospect Vladimir Guerrero Jr. The 19-year-old third baseman has laid waste to Double-A pitching all year long, but there’s no indication as of yet that the front office is considering him for a potential MLB promotion.