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Archives for May 2021

Yankees Place Giancarlo Stanton On 10-Day Injured List

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The Yankees announced that slugger Giancarlo Stanton has been placed on the 10-day injured list due to a left quad strain.  Stanton’s placement is retroactive to May 14.  Right-hander Albert Abreu has been called up to take Stanton’s spot on the active roster.

The specter of Stanton hitting the IL is an ominous one for the Yankees and their fans, given how the 31-year-old has so often been sidelined by injuries throughout his career as a whole, and particularly his tenure in the Bronx.  A variety of leg injuries (and a biceps strain) limited Stanton to only 18 games in 2019 and 23 games in 2020, which led the Yankees to make Stanton into a full-time designated hitter prior to last season.

While New York’s lineup as a whole hasn’t lived up to its usual standard, Stanton has been a major bright spot, hitting .282/.347/.534 with nine home runs over 144 plate appearances.  Despite all the injuries, Stanton has always been a very dangerous bat when he has been able to play, which naturally only adds to the concern over this MVP-level hitter seemingly being unable to stay on the field.

The severity of Stanton’s quad strain isn’t yet known.  Given his track record, it’s probably safe to predict that the Yankees will hold Stanton out beyond the 10-day minimum just to be completely sure that this injury won’t linger (and result in another extended absence).

There is no way to really replace Stanton’s offensive contributions, of course, but the Yankees could now rotate a few players through the DH spot.  Rougned Odor is expected back from the injured list relatively soon, to add to the position player mix.  Speculatively, the absence of Stanton (not to mention Aaron Hicks and Gleyber Torres) could open up some playing time for Miguel Andujar, as the former Rookie Of The Year candidate has been lacking in consistent playing time since his own injury-ruined season in 2019.

Mike Trout Suffers Right Calf Strain

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Angels center fielder Mike Trout left their game against the Indians on Monday with a right calf strain, the team announced.  He exited after just one inning and was replaced by Juan Lagares.

This hopefully won’t lead to a stint on the injured list for Trout, who has been in typically great form to begin the season. The 29-year-old has batted .333./.466/.624 with eight home runs in 146 plate appearances.

There would be no way for the Angels to effectively replace Trout, a future Hall of Famer, for an extended span. Trout aside, the Angels have used Scott Schebler – whom they outrighted earlier this month – and Lagares at center this season. It goes without saying that those two pale in comparison to Trout.

Latest On Rockies, Jon Gray

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Jon Gray has stood out as a potential trade candidate for months, and the Rockies indeed “began putting feelers out to teams regarding Gray during Spring Training,” according to FanSided’s Robert Murray.  Gray is eligible for free agency after the season and has only improved his trade value by posting a 2.93 ERA/4.19 SIERA over 46 innings so far into the 2021 campaign.

There isn’t any sense that a deal could be particularly close, since teams usually don’t make major trades this far in advance of the July 30 trade deadline.  In addition, the Rockies’ front office has also undergone a sea change since Spring Training, as Bill Schmidt took over as interim general manager earlier this month after Jeff Bridich resigned his GM post in late April.

While the GM change could make a Gray trade (and perhaps a wider-scale rebuild for the Rockies) more likely, it would count as a surprise if the right-hander was moved quite so early in the season.  That said, as Murray notes, an aggressive team could benefit by landing Gray now, and Colorado would land a larger trade package if Gray was a “rental player” for more than just the last two months of the regular season.

Gray has rebounded well from a rough 2020 season that saw him spend a lot of time on the injured list due to shoulder inflammation, and post a 6.69 ERA over 39 innings.  Looking at his 2021 numbers, that difference between his ERA and SIERA indicates that Gray’s performance hasn’t exactly been ace-level, as his strikeout (22.9%) and walk (9.9%) rates are both below average and he has enjoyed a .250 BABIP.  On the plus side, Gray has done a very good job of limiting hard contact, and his usually-solid grounder rate has risen to a new career best of 53.7%.

Gray has pretty even home/road splits over his career, which is no mean feat considering his home ballpark is Coors Field.  Interestingly, Gray has generally pitched better at home than on the road in recent years, including a startling split of a 2.00 ERA in 36 innings at Coors Field this season as opposed to a 6.30 ERA in 10 innings on the road.  Granted, these are very small sample sizes, but Gray’s ability to pitch effectively in the thin air of Denver makes it intriguing to see how he would fare in a more normalized pitching environment.

Some executives, in fact, believe the Rockies should try to capitalize on Gray’s success at Coors Field and try to sign him to a contract extension.  Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post also thinks extension talks are a possibility, but with an “emphasis on ’attempt,’ ” meaning that the likelihood of Gray signing a new deal seems pretty low, this close to his trip to the free agent market.  Saunders ultimately believes Gray will be traded elsewhere prior to July 30.

Mariners Select Brady Lail, Designate Domingo Tapia

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The Mariners announced that they have selected the contract of right-hander Brady Lail and designated righty Domingo Tapia for assignment. The club also optioned infielder Jack Mayfield to Triple-A Tacoma.

Lail was an 18th-round draft pick of the Yankees in 2012 who pitched with them, the White Sox and Mariners during the previous two seasons. He picked up just 19 innings in those years and registered a 5.21 ERA with a 17.3 percent strikeout rate against a 9.9 percent walk rate. The 27-year-old owns a similar 5.15 ERA in 327 Triple-A frames.

Tapia, 29, went to Seattle when it claimed him from Boston last offseason. He threw two scoreless innings with the Mariners before they designated him, giving him 6 1/3 frames of one-run ball in the majors. Tapia has notched a 4.21 ERA in 141 Triple-A frames.

Latest On Noah Syndergaard

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Mets right-hander Noah Syndergaard is about to take a notable step in his recovery from March 2020 Tommy John surgery. The hard-throwing 28-year-old will begin a minor league rehab assignment at the Low-A level on Wednesday, Tim Healey of Newsday reports.

The Mets have gone the past season-plus without Syndergaard, who was among the game’s most valuable starters before he went under the knife. Syndergaard has pitched to a terrific 3.31 ERA/3.37 SIERA with above-average strikeout and walk percentages of 26.4 and 5.6, respectively, across 716 innings in the majors. He’s now in his final year of team control, making this season all the more crucial for him.

For their part, the Mets have designs on winning the National League East – a division they lead by a half-game – so Syndergaard (and fellow righty Carlos Carrasco, who has been out with all year with a hamstring strain) will be a key reinforcement when he’s ready to come back. Jacob deGrom has continued to dominate as the leader of the Mets’ rotation this year, though he’s now on the IL with tightness in his right side. Marcus Stroman and Taijuan Walker have served as more-than-capable complements to deGrom, but a healthy Syndergaard would nonetheless be a welcome in-season addition for New York.

Giants Claim Braden Bishop

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The Giants have claimed outfielder Braden Bishop off waivers from the Mariners, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area tweets. They shifted reliever Reyes Moronta to the 60-day injured list in a corresponding move, per Kerry Crowley of the Bay Area News Group.

The 27-year-old Bishop is returning to his native Bay Area and joining the same organization as his brother, Hunter, a fellow outfielder and the 10th overall pick of the Giants in the 2019 draft. Hunter Bishop hasn’t reached the majors yet, but Braden Bishop has taken 99 plate appearances at the sport’s highest level. He only hit .133/.188/.156 as a Mariner, leading the team to designate him for assignment last week.

Despite his struggles in the bigs, Bishop has at least a couple things working in his favor. For one, he still has a minor league option left, so the Giants can call him up and send him down at their leisure for the rest of the season. And Bishop has shown that he can handle Triple-A pitching, having batted .267/.355/.465 in 231 PA there.

Reds Moves: Feliz, Romano

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The Reds have added right-handed reliever Michael Feliz to their roster, Bobby Nightengale of the Cincinnati Enquirer tweets. They also optioned righty Art Warren to Triple-A Louisville. Meanwhile, righty Sal Romano has cleared waivers and elected free agency.

The 27-year-old Feliz became a Red on Friday when they claimed him off waivers from the division-rival Pirates. Feliz began the season well with 7 2/3 innings of three-run (two earned) ball with eight strikeouts against one walk, though he averaged a personal-worst 93.5 mph on his fastball along the way. Overall, Feliz has recorded a 5.07 ERA (with a far better 3.31 SIERA) in 234 1/3 major league innings.

Romano, whom the Reds designated for assignment to make room for Feliz, will now look for his second big league organization. He joined the Reds as a 23rd-round pick in 2011 and has since tossed 271 innings and amassed 83 appearances (41 starts) in the majors. The 27-year-old has logged a 5.15 ERA/4.82 SIERA in the bigs.

Braves Place Huascar Ynoa On 10-Day Injured List

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Braves righty Huascar Ynoa is headed to the injured list after suffering a broken right hand, manager Brian Snitker told MLB.com’s Mark Bowman and other reporters.  The Braves made the official announcement shortly after Snitker’s meeting with the press, as Ynoa was placed on the 10-day IL and righty Edgar Santana was called up from Triple-A.

Ynoa broke his hand after punching the dugout in frustration following a tough outing yesterday against the Brewers, and will now spend approximately two months or more in recovery.  It’s a very unfortunate setback for a player who has become an unexpectedly big part of Atlanta’ rotation this season.

Even after yesterday’s struggles against Milwaukee (five earned runs allowed on nine hits and two walks over 4 1/3 innings), Ynoa still had a 3.02 ERA/3.28 SIERA over 44 2/3 total frames of work for the Braves.  Though Ynoa has been allowing a lot of hard contact, he has delivered an above-average 27.9% strikeout rate and 6.1% walk rate.

Considering Ynoa had only a 7.30 ERA in 24 2/3 innings for the Braves in 2019-20, his emergence was a major plus for an Atlanta pitching staff that has struggled to stay healthy and pitch effectively.  Since Mike Soroka’s timetable to return from the IL is still uncertain, the path was clear for Ynoa to remain in the rotation prior to his own injury.  With Ynoa out, the Braves could turn to some combination of rookie southpaw Tucker Davidson (who was called up earlier today), Bryse Wilson, or Kyle Wright to fill the open spot in the rotation.

Mets Place Michael Conforto, Jeff McNeil On Injured List

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3:03pm: The Mets have announced the moves, Healey tweets . They also transferred Lugo to the 60-day IL, meaning he won’t return before May 31.

12:01PM: Khalil Lee will be called up from Triple-A along with Fargas, according to Newsday’s Tim Healey (via Twitter).

11:31AM: The Mets will place both Michael Conforto and Jeff McNeil on the 10-day injured list due to hamstring injuries, Deesha Thosar of the New York Daily News reports (Twitter link).  Outfield prospect Johneshwy Fargas will be called up from Triple-A to fill one of the spots on the active roster.

The news isn’t a surprise, as both Conforto and McNeil left yesterday’s game due to injury — Conforto with tightness in his right hamstring, and McNeil with a similar issue in his left hamstring.  McNeil already missed a couple of games earlier this week due to cramping problems, and he stated after yesterday’s game that his latest hamstring problem was related those previous cramps.

Usually two of the Mets’ more consistent offensive performers, both Conforto (.230/.356/.336 in 135 PA) and McNeil (.242/.336/.374 in 113 PA) have been pretty average thus far in 2021.  Conforto’s performance has been under a particular microscope, as he is scheduled to hit free agency this winter and extension talks with the Mets didn’t seem to gain much traction.

While Conforto and McNeil hadn’t been hitting like their usual selves, they at least represented two active regulars on a Mets team that now has 12 players on the injured list.  J.D. Davis and Seth Lugo could both soon be starting rehab assignments and ace right-hander Jacob deGrom could be back as early as Friday, but in the near term, the Mets are still very short-handed.

The outfield is a particular issue, with Dominic Smith and Kevin Pillar holding down the fort in left and center field, while converted infielders Jake Hager and Jose Peraza aren’t reliable fill-in options for Conforto.  This opens the door for Fargas, a full-time outfielder who is now set to make his MLB debut after eight minor league seasons.

An 11th-round pick for the Giants in the 2013 draft, Fargas spent much of his career in San Francisco’s farm system before signing with the Mets in the 2019-20 offseason.  The 26-year-old is known to have a solid glove (capable of playing all three outfield positions) and some notable speed, with 243 stolen bases in 344 attempts during his minor league career.  Fargas has hit .255/.331/.343 over 2289 plate appearances in the minors, and hadn’t reached Triple-A prior to this season.

Peraza and Hager can likely handle McNeil’s duties at second base until Davis returns, which will give the infield some breathing room as Jonathan Villar can then move from third base to factor into the second base picture.  Given this infield depth on hand, the Mets could opt to call up another outfielder to fill the other roster hole.  Outfielder Khalil Lee could be a candidate for another promotion, as he was recently called up and sent back down to Triple-A without making an appearance in any big league games.

Pirates Claim Ildemaro Vargas, Designate Troy Stokes Jr.

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The Pirates have claimed infielder Ildemaro Vargas off waivers from the Cubs.  Outfielder Troy Stokes Jr. has been designated for assignment to create room for Vargas on Pittsburgh’s active roster.

Chicago DFA’ed Vargas on Saturday, after the 29-year-old hit .143/.250/.238 over 24 plate appearances this season.  Vargas came to the Cubs via a waiver claim off the Diamondbacks roster last September, and this is the second time he has been designated for assignment by the team — Vargas cleared waivers in April and was outrighted to the Cubs’ alternate training site.

This time, however, Vargas found a home with a new team, joining a Pirates squad in search of depth.  With Ke’Bryan Hayes, Colin Moran, and Phillip Evans all on the injured list, Vargas can add some versatility to the bench.  Vargas has mostly played second base over his five MLB seasons, but he has experience all over the infield, and has also made a couple of appearances as a corner outfielder.  This multi-positional flexibility has been Vargas’ calling card rather than his bat, since he has hit only .246/.280/.380 in 322 career PA with the D’Backs, Twins, and Cubs.

Stokes also joined the Pirates through the waiver wire, as the Bucs claimed the outfielder off the Tigers’ roster back in January.  Like Vargas, Stokes already has one DFA under his belt in 2021, as the Pirates designated and outrighted Stokes not long after acquiring him from Detroit.  Originally a fourth-round pick for the Brewers back in 2014, Stokes made his Major League debut this season, hitting .111/.200/.167 in 20 PA over eight games with Pittsburgh.

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