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Archives for September 2020

Rangers Designate Luis Garcia

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The Rangers announced that they’ve designated right-hander Luis Garcia for assignment. They also activated outfielder Willie Calhoun, recalled righty Demarcus Evans and optioned outfielder Scott Heineman.

The 33-year-old Garcia was a winter minor league pickup for the Rangers, with whom he threw 8 1/3 innings this season but had little luck keeping runs off the board. Opposing offenses battered Garcia for nine runs (seven earned) on seven hits and nine walks. The former Phillie and Angel now owns a 4.26 ERA/4.32 FIP with 8.55 K/9, 4.77 BB/9 and a 55.1 percent groundball rate in 315 major league innings.

Calhoun’s now back after missing just under a month with a left hamstring strain. At 17-30 and in possession of the AL’s second-worst record, playoff hopes are dead for the Rangers, but perhaps Calhoun will be able to end the season on a positive note. The former top 100 prospect seemed to turn the corner at the plate in 2019, but he could only manage a .172/.206/.224 line with no home runs in 63 plate appearances this season before his IL stint.

Astros Activate Jose Altuve

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The Astros have activated second baseman Jose Altuve from the 10-day injured list and optioned right-hander Humberto Castellanos, Jake Kaplan of The Athletic tweets. Altuve’s batting second in the Astros’ lineup against the Rangers on Tuesday.

Altuve went on the IL on Sept. 5 with a sprained right knee, continuing a trend of recent problems in the joint for the former MVP. He also underwent surgery on that knee after the 2018 season. Of course, the problems don’t seem nearly as serious this time, as Altuve is back after spending the minimum amount of time on the shelf.

The hope for Houston, which is a disappointing 23-24 and clinging to a playoff spot, is that Altuve will serve as a key late-season reinforcement. Altuve, for his part, is surely trying to end the season with a flourish after struggling before his absence. The 30-year-old’s a five-time .300 hitter and a three-time 2o-home run man, but he has slashed just .224/.284/.322 with three homers through 155 plate appearances this season. The Astros turned to Aledmys Diaz and Jack Mayfield at the keystone when Altuve was out, but they’ve also logged underwhelming production this year.

Nationals Place Tanner Rainey On 10-Day Injured List

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The Nationals have placed right-handed reliever Tanner Rainey on the 10-day injured list with a flexor strain and recalled fellow righty Aaron Barrett from their alternate site, the team announced.

Considering the nature of his injury, it seems highly questionable whether Rainey will pitch again this season – especially with the Nationals at 17-28 and unlikely to qualify for the playoffs. Not much has gone right for the reigning World Series champions this year, but Rainey has been a bright spot in 2020.

Acquired from the Reds for righty Tanner Roark entering 2019, Rainey was a useful part of Washington’s bullpen in his first season as a member of the club, with which he logged a 3.91 ERA/4.37 FIP and posted 13.78 K/9 and 7.08 BB/9 in 48 1/3 innings. Fortunately, the walks and runs have gone way down this season for the 27-year-old, hard-throwing Rainey, who owns a 2.66 ERA/3.79 FIP with 14.66 K/9 and 3.1 BB/9 over 20 1/3 frames.

Tigers Place Jonathan Schoop On 10-Day IL, Activate Niko Goodrum

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The Tigers have placed second baseman Jonathan Schoop on the 10-day injured list due to a right wrist sprain, the team announced.  Schoop’s placement is retroactive to September 13.  Niko Goodrum will take Schoop’s spot on the MLB roster, as Goodrum has been activated from his own IL stint due to a right oblique strain.

Schoop sprained his wrist swinging, manager Ron Gardenhire told MLB.com’s Jason Beck (Twitter links) and other reporters.  This comes after Schoop was hit by a pitch on that same wrist on September 8, and Schoop has also been dealing with some hamstring issues.  The backdated IL placement means that Schoop could technically still return before the season is over, though with the Tigers fading from playoff contention, it’s possible the infielder could be shut down.

If this is the case, it could mark the end of Schoop’s time in Detroit.  Schoop signed a one-year, $6.1MM deal with the Tigers in the offseason, and hit a solid .278/.324/.475 with eight homers over 177 plate appearances.  While the Statcast metrics weren’t fans of Schoop’s work this year, the veteran positioned himself for another Major League contract as a free agent this winter, and a return to the Tigers might not be out of the question.

Schoop’s chances of suiting up as a Tiger in 2021 could depend on the team’s plans for Goodrum and Willi Castro, as Gardenhire said Goodrum will take over for Schoop at second base so Castro can get some time at shortstop.  The versatile Goodrum can play all over the diamond, so Detroit could explore moving him back into a super-utility role next year if they wanted to go with Castro as an everyday shortstop and perhaps bring Schoop back as the regular second baseman.

On the flip side, Castro hasn’t shown much defensively at shortstop, whereas Goodrum has displayed some strong glovework (+8.7 UZR/150 and +2 Defensive Runs Saved) over 248 innings at the position this season.  Goodrum’s main focus over the season’s final days will likely be getting his bat on track, as Goodrum has hit only .186/.264/.381 in 129 PA in 2020.

Mariners Designate Jimmy Yacabonis, Active Brandon Brennan

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The Mariners have activated right-hander Brandon Brennan from the 45-day injured list, the team announced.  In corresponding moves, righty Jimmy Yacabonis was designated for assignment and right-hander Seth Frankoff was optioned to the team’s alternate training site.

Brennan only pitched in one game before a left oblique strain sent him to the IL on August 2.  The righty will get a bit of time left to try and build on a 2019 rookie season that saw Brennan post a 4.56 ERA, 1.96 K/BB, and 8.9 K/9 over 47 1/3 innings for Seattle.  The results were solid enough to make Brennan look like a nice pickup for the M’s after he was selected out of the Rockies organization in the 2018 Rule 5 Draft.

Seattle acquired Yacabonis from the Padres in August, and the right-hander appeared in two games for the Mariners (allowing one run in 2 1/3 innings).  After spending his entire pro career in the Orioles organization, Yacabonis inked a minor league deal with the Padres in the offseason and now could potentially be joining his third different team of 2020 if he is claimed on DFA waivers.  Yacabonis offers some innings-eating length as a swingman, though he has only a 5.71 ERA over 104 career frames in the majors.

Marlins Place Isan Diaz On 60-Day IL, Reinstate Sean Rodriguez

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The Marlins have placed infielder Isan Diaz on the 60-day injured list due to a left groin strain, according to multiple reporters (including MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro).  Infielder Sean Rodriguez has been activated from the injured list to take Diaz’s spot on the active roster.

The IL placement will officially end a very unusual season for Diaz, who ended up appearing in seven games and hitting .182/.182/.182 over 22 plate appearances.  Diaz played in two games before deciding to opt out of the 2020 season, and then opted to rejoin the Marlins in September after getting permission from both the league and the MLBPA.  All things considered, 2020 is essentially a lost year for the top prospect, though one would think he still projects as a big part of Miami’s future plans.

Diaz had been starting regularly at second base since his return, but the keystone may now be handled by a combination of rookie Jazz Chisholm and Rodriguez, who now seems set to officially begin his Marlins tenure.  Rodriguez signed a minor league deal with the Fish prior to the season and made the Opening Day roster, but was placed on the IL along with a dozen teammates in early August.  While no official reason was given for Rodriguez’s absence, it is probably safe to assume that it was COVID-related, given the outbreak that hit Miami’s roster around that time.

The 35-year-old Rodriguez is a veteran of 12 MLB seasons, with a .226/.302/.380 slash line over an even 2900 plate appearances.  Rodriguez has played all over the field during his career, giving the Marlins a pair of versatile utility pieces in Rodriguez and Jon Berti, once Berti (finger laceration) returns from what is expected to be a minimal injured list stint.

Yankees Reinstate Giancarlo Stanton, Gio Urshela, Jonathan Loaisiga From Injured List

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The Yankees announced that outfielder Giancarlo Stanton, infielder Gio Urshela and right-hander Jonathan Loaisiga have all been reinstated from the 10-day injured list.  Miguel Andujar and Mike Ford were optioned to the alternate training site in corresponding moves, and the Yankees already had an open roster space since right-hander Clarke Schmidt was optioned after Sunday’s game.

Stanton hit the IL with a left hamstring strain back on August 9, and the Yankees and their fans are hoping that the slugger can finally enjoy a sustained run of healthy play after almost two full seasons of inactivity due to various leg injuries.  Stanton played in only 18 games in 2019 and appeared in 14 games this season before going on the injured list, with this year’s absence being particularly disappointing since Stanton was off to a huge start (hitting .293/.453/.585 with three homers in 54 PA).

However, Stanton’s return gives him time to get ramped up prior to the postseason, as the Yankees are starting to get healthy at perhaps just the right time.  Urshela will back to action after a minimal 10-day placement due to a bone spur in his right elbow, and the third baseman has followed up his breakout 2019 campaign with a strong .272/.358/.515 slash line and six homers in 120 PA this season.  Aaron Judge is also expected to soon return from a calf injury.

Loaisiga’s return is also welcome news for the Yankees, especially considering the rather unusual nature of his IL placement.  On September 4, the Yankees said Loaisiga was suffering from “a medical condition that prevents him from playing and necessitates placement on the injured list,” with manager Aaron Boone later specifying that the right-hander’s absence was not due to COVID-19.  Regardless, it is good to see Loaisiga back in relatively quick fashion.  The 25-year-old has a 3.18 ERA, 5.00 K/BB rate, and 10.6 K/9 over 17 innings this season.

Reds Select R.J. Alaniz, Designate Nick Williams

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The Reds have selected the contract of right-hander R.J. Alaniz, the team announced.  Outfielder Nick Williams was designated for assignment to create a 40-man roster spot for Alaniz, while an active roster spot was opened when righty Jose De Leon was placed on the 10-day injured list due to a right groin strain.

Alaniz was claimed off the Mariners’ roster in May 2019 and hasn’t yet appeared in the big leagues this season.  Alaniz made his MLB debut last year, posting a 9.19 ERA over 15 2/3 combined innings for Seattle and Cincinnati.  An undrafted free agent who signed with the Astros back in 2009, Alaniz has a 4.26 ERA, 2.19 K/BB rate, and 7.3 K/9 over 712 career innings in the minors, pitching in the farm systems of five different organizations.

De Leon’s IL placement will likely end his season after six innings with the Reds and an 18.00 ERA.  De Leon was frequently shuttled between the Reds’ active roster and the taxi squad this year, and while this could explain why the righty never found his rhythm, De Leon exhibited some ungainly control problems, with 11 walks over his six innings of work.  Formerly a top prospect during his time in the Dodgers’ and Rays’ organizations, De Leon is still clearly trying to get himself sorted after the Tommy John surgery that sidelined him for all of the 2018 season.

Williams is also a former top prospect, and his appearance on the DFA wire could quite possibly lead to a change of scenery.  Cincinnati claimed Williams from the Phillies exactly one month ago, though the outfielder hasn’t yet seen any Major League action in a Reds uniform.  Despite a solid .269/.330/.446 slash line over 791 PA with the Phillies in 2017-18, Williams didn’t see much playing time last year and eventually became an expendable part in Philadelphia.  It wouldn’t be surprising if a playoff contender tried to claim Williams in order to add outfield depth, or even a team looking ahead to 2021 could put in a claim to give Williams a look on their roster.

Tigers Call Up Eric Haase, Option Grayson Greiner

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The Tigers have made a change to their catching ranks, optioning Grayson Greiner to their alternate training site and calling up Eric Haase.  Acquired from the Indians back in January, Haase is line to see his first action of the 2020 season.

Greiner has hit .118/.182/.333 over 55 plate appearances this season, continuing the offensive struggles that also plagued him over his first two MLB seasons (.577 OPS in 340 PA in 2018-19).  With starter Austin Romine also scuffling, the Tigers opted to bring Haase into the picture as the backup, though Haase also isn’t known for his work at the plate.

Haase has only 34 career MLB plate appearances to his name, and a .094/.147/.188 slash line to show for his brief time in the Show.  In the minors, however, Haase has shown more pop, batting .243/.316/.477 with 130 home runs over 2833 career PA in Cleveland’s farm system.

The other notable aspect of the transaction is that Haase is getting the call rather than Jake Rogers, who has long been tabbed as Detroit’s catcher of the future.  Rogers hasn’t seen any time at the Major League level this season after making his debut in 2019 and hitting only .125/.222/.259 over 128 PA.  Tigers GM Al Avila recently implied that Rogers was unlikely to be called up again this season, so while Haase’s promotion isn’t necessarily a surprise, it does continue to raise questions about whether or not the Tigers still view Rogers as a long-term answer.

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