There has been a fair amount of roster movement today. We’ll use this post to keep tabs on the players moving onto MLB rosters:
- After shipping out first baseman Justin Bour earlier today, the Marlins announced they would replace him by selecting the contract of outfielder Rafael Ortega. The 27-year-old Ortega got a solid shot with the Angels in 2016 but could not take advantage. He had a productive season last year with the plate at Triple-A and has been solid as well at the highest level of the minors in 2018, though he hasn’t sustained the power he showed in 2017. In the current season, he has slashed .275/.375/.404 with an impressive combination of 44 walks and 31 strikeouts over 328 plate appearances.
- The Twins will select the contract of righty Kohl Stewart, according to Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer-Press (via Twitter). Chosen fourth overall in the 2013 draft, Stewart is now slated for his MLB debut after being left unprotected from the Rule 5 draft last winter. Through 108 2/3 innings this season in the upper minors, he owns only a 4.47 ERA. But Stewart has seen a real boost in his K/BB numbers over past years. He’s carrying 8.4 K/9 against 2.7 BB/9 along with a 57.3% groundball rate on the season.
- As part of a series of pitching moves, the Braves purchased the contract of righty Chad Sobotka. He and lefty Chad Bell will join the active roster as the team has optioned down relievers Wes Parsons and Adam McCreery. Sobotka is a 25-year-old reliever who came to the Atlanta organizatino as a fourth-round pick in 2015. He had already climbed to Triple-A for the first time after dominating performances at High-A (2.21 ERA, 28:7 K/BB in 20 1/3 innings) and Double-A (2.89 ERA, 37:13 K/BB in 28 innings). He has been giving out too many free passes so far at the highest level of the minors (eight in 6 1/3 frames) but has still been getting strikeouts and keeping runs off the board.
- The Giants announced that they selected the contract of righty Casey Kelly, bumping Johnny Cueto to the 60-day DL as he continues to rehab from Tommy John surgery. Kelly, a first-round pick way back in 2008, has seen brief MLB action in parts of three seasons. He owns only a 4.78 ERA in his 130 Triple-A innings this year, with 7.2 K/9 against 2.6 BB/9.
Wow, Casey Kelly is a name that I haven’t heard in a long time.
I was really hoping Sobotka’s first name would be Frank when I saw the headline.
You’re more like me than you know. You’re a Sobotka. Great show!
Best show ever made. Period.
Jake Marisnick was injured in tonight’s Astros-Mariners game and Kyle Tucker was removed from the game in Fresno so he is probably being recalled to replace Marisnick.
Sobotka will be the next solid contributor and the next member in the Braves’ long line of youngsters to come up this year and immediately make an impact..
His stuff is absolutely filthy, and his outstanding two pitch mix will make him a real asset for the Braves. I realize the Braves are simply rotating bringing up AAA arms, because of their ridiculously harsh schedule of games, but this will be one spot that should be settled for the remainder of the season.
In his debut tonight, Sobotka started off by striking out Milwaukee’s Aguilar with a 99 MPH rising fastball up in the strike zone. Then, he quickly retired their next two batters in order, inducing consecutive groundouts to Swanson at SS. It was an excellent debut, and I honestly didn’t expect anything less from Sobotka..
As with many of their young fireballers, I think the Braves staff with work out his issues with walks. They have already put in a ton of work to help Sobotka’s penmates, Minter, Winkler, Biddle, Carle, Vizcaino, Jackson, and formerly Venters. Plus, the Braves pitching coordinators have tremendously helped Folty, Newk, and Sanchez have career years. Not to mention, they’re already in the process of making adjustments with their new additions, Brach and Gausman. Which, BOTH pitchers are already starting to show signs of that work paying dividends.
So, with all of that being said, whether it’s through pitch sequencing, having him primarily working in the stretch, or making some adjustments in his actual throwing motion, etc. I have the upmost faith in the Braves pitching staff. Sobotka is in great hands, and with his already nasty arsenal, he’ll quickly become a solid and consistent weapon for the Braves moving forward…
Just watch out, because up next, we will see an even more talented pitcher in Touki Toussaint. His curveball is a meme waiting to happen, his change-up just dies as it enters the strike zone, ohhh, and his 97-100 MPH Fastball, with excellent run, doesn’t hurt either..!! Touki could very well make his debut this upcoming week, and it’ll certainly be must-see TV!!
Touki has to be the most exciting pitching prospect for the braves. If he doesn’t do great as a starter, he would probably be a lights out late inning reliever. I hope he can stay in the rotation though.
Thanks Dbacks. Give my regards to Shelby.
Sobotka had a great debut against the Brewers. Hopefully he throws enough strikes in the majors to be effective.
Anyone heard any trade offers to the Cardinals for John Mozeliak??
All offers will be considered. Possibility of Mozeliak and a corresponding amount of millions of dollars of the owners money he flushed down the toilet for his signings over the past 4 years. Also included will be Brett Cecil, Luke Gregerson, Leone, and Dexter Fowler at no extra charge or compensation. Would accept a good clean up man in trade for the President of Baseball operations Suite at Busch Stadium.
thanks for Jeff Lunhow.
Cut the man some slack. He’s had as many good signings as he’s had bad. Go back and look at the Rasmus trade, which turned out to be a genius move. If you were GM, I’m sure you could be on 12 world series since 2007.
be on= have won