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Rangers Place Kohei Arihara on Injured List, Claim Jack Kruger

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Before this afternoon’s game against the Mariners, the Rangers placed starter Kohei Arihara on the 10-day injured list with a right middle finger contusion. Utilityman Eli White has been recalled in his place. Additionally, Texas announced they’ve claimed catcher Jack Kruger off waivers from the Angels. Right-hander Kyle Cody was transferred to the 60-day injured list to open space on the 40-man roster. Cody has a right shoulder impingement.

After a productive career with the Nippon-Ham Fighters of Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball, Arihara signed a low-cost, two-year deal with the Rangers. His MLB career hasn’t gotten off to a good start, as the righty has worked to a 6.59 ERA/5.54 SIERA over his first seven starts. Arihara has thrown a decent amount of strikes, but his 6.3% swinging strike rate and 13.4% strikeout rate are among the worst in the league. He’s also been too susceptible to the home run ball, having coughed up seven dingers in just 28 2/3 innings. With Arihara on the shelf, the Rangers could turn to Hyeon-jong Yang or Kolby Allard to fill his spot in the rotation.

Kruger is a 26-year-old catcher who made his MLB debut with Los Angeles this year. Ironically enough, he lost his spot on the Angels’ 40-man roster when L.A. acquired fellow backstop Drew Butera from the Rangers for cash considerations earlier in the week. The two catchers will essentially wind up swapping places. Kruger has a .262/.309/.354 line in 560 career Double-A plate appearances.

Padres Reinstate Chris Paddack From Injured List

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The Padres are reinstating right-hander Chris Paddack from the COVID-19 injured list to start today’s game against the Giants, the team announced. To create 40-man roster space, outfielder Jorge Oña was transferred to the 60-day IL. Oña underwent arthroscopic elbow surgery earlier this week and is expected to be out for six to eight weeks. Reliever Nabil Crismatt was optioned to clear active roster space.

Paddack went on the Covid IL on April 30, but he’ll return after just ten days away. The 25-year-old made five starts in the season’s first month, managing a 5.40 ERA/4.03 SIERA over 23 1/3 innings. It’s been a disappointing start on the heels of a similarly pedestrian 2020 season that saw Paddack work to a 4.73 ERA/3.91 SIERA in twelve starts.

Of course, there’s still plenty of time for Paddack to right the ship. He boasts a mid-90’s fastball and quality changeup, and Paddack’s 6.7% walk rate is far better than average. He’s also not far removed from a 2018 season when he tossed 140 2/3 innings of 3.33 ERA ball and looked to be emerging as a high-end starter. Paddack will slide back into the star-studded San Diego rotation alongside Yu Darvish, Blake Snell, Joe Musgrove and Dinelson Lamet.

Astros’ Framber Valdez Could Return In June

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Astros starter Framber Valdez could return to the team at some point in June, manager Dusty Baker told reporters (including Brian McTaggart of MLB.com) this afternoon. That’s the first timeline the organization has defined since the left-hander fractured his left ring finger on a comebacker during Spring Training.

In the initial aftermath of the injury, it was reported Valdez could require season-ending surgery. A second opinion suggested he may instead be able to rehab without surgery, and he’s continued to make progress since electing that course of action. In Valdez’s absence, Houston starters have managed a solid 3.82 ERA, albeit with a less impressive 4.17 SIERA that ranks eighteenth league-wide. Valdez figures to improve those numbers after tossing 70 2/3 innings of 3.57 ERA/3.23 SIERA ball last year. The 27-year-old posted strong strikeout and walk rates (26.4% and 5.6%, respectively) while inducing ground balls at a massive clip (60%).

Valdez’s injury spurred the Astros to sign Jake Odorizzi to a two-year, $23.5MM guarantee in mid-March. Unfortunately, the righty wound up on the injured list himself after just eight regular season innings, leaving his third start of the year early with forearm tightness. Odorizzi threw 40 pitches in a simulated game yesterday, though, and he’s soon to join Triple-A Sugar Land for a minor-league rehab assignment (McTaggart links).

Valdez and Odorizzi aren’t the only high-profile Astros starters on the injured list. Justin Verlander, who underwent Tommy John surgery last September, met with reporters this week and confirmed his rehab is on track (via McTaggart). Verlander conceded he was unlikely to return this season (no surprise, given the timing of his surgery and the procedure’s typical 13-16 month recovery timeline). However, the 38-year-old stressed he has no plans to retire, tweeting Friday he “(plans) on still pitching for a long time.” Verlander will be a free agent at the end of the year.

Pirates Claim Ben Gamel, Designate Michael Feliz

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The Pirates have claimed outfielder Ben Gamel off waivers from the Indians, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette was among those to pass along (Twitter links). To create space on the 40-man roster, righty Michael Feliz was designated for assignment.

Gamel signed a minor-league contract with the Indians over the offseason and earned an Opening Day roster spot with a productive Spring Training. The 28-year-old couldn’t carry that over into the regular season, though, going just 1-17 with three walks and six strikeouts before Cleveland moved on. Tough start to 2021 notwithstanding, Gamel has been an acceptable role player for much of his MLB career. Also a former Yankee, Mariner and Brewer, the left-handed hitter has managed a .259/.330/.385 line (95 wRC+) over parts of six major league seasons.

The Pirates have cycled through a handful of outfielders in the season’s first month-plus. Dustin Fowler and Anthony Alford were quickly waived after terrible starts, and the Pirates are currently without Gregory Polanco due to a COVID-19 protocol violation. General manager Ben Cherington did say this afternoon on 93.7 The Fan that the Pirates expect Polanco back shortly (h/t to Mackey). Left fielder Bryan Reynolds is currently day-to-day with lower body soreness (via Rob Biertempfel of the Athletic), so Gamel will add some depth to a shortened outfield.

That outfield shuffling comes at the expense of Feliz, who joined the Pirates as part of the Gerrit Cole trade. The 27-year-old reliever has tossed 113 1/3 innings of 5.00 ERA ball since, mostly between 2018-19. Feliz has only allowed three runs (two earned) through 7 2/3 innings with quality strikeout and walk rates, but he’s been fortunate to not allow a home run despite a paltry 13.6% grounder rate. The Pirates have a week to trade Feliz or expose him to waivers, where his affordable $1MM salary could appeal to a rival club.

Blue Jays Select A.J. Cole, Move Alejandro Kirk To 60-Day IL

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MAY 9: Dolis is indeed being placed on the IL to open active roster space for Nate Pearson, who’s getting the start this afternoon, Mitchell tweets.

MAY 8, 4:18 pm: Dolis isn’t yet heading to the injured list, manager Charlie Montoyo told TSN’s Scott Mitchell and other reporters.  Dolis has a Grade 1 calf strain but the team is hopeful that he can recover within a few days.

MAY 8, 3:11 pm: The Blue Jays will place reliever Rafael Dolis on the 10-day injured list after he injured his calf in yesterday’s ballgame. A.J. Cole will be added to the roster, per Ben Wagner of Sportsnet (via Twitter). Ty Tice, meanwhile has been optioned to Triple-A after four appearances, and Alejandro Kirk was moved to the 60-day injured list, per Scott Mitchell of TSN sports (via Twitter).

It seems that the back end of Toronto’s bullpen is a touch snakebit this season. It started with losing free agent signing Kirby Yates to Tommy John surgery, but since the season started, alternative high-leverage options Jordan Romano, Julian Merryweather, and now Dolis have all spent time on the injured list.

Dolis has been a workhorse early on, appearing in 15 of the Blue Jays’ 31 games so far this season. He’s totaled 12 2/3 innings with a 4.26 ERA/4.66 FIP, three saves and a hold. Dolis has been the acting closer of late, though Romano is now back off the injured list and could take on a bigger role in Dolis’ absence.

Cole could also be an option for some high-leverage opportunities, as the 29-year-old has performed well the past couple of seasons. With Toronto in 2020, Cole logged 23 1/3 innings in 24 appearances with a 3.09 ERA/4.31 FIP.

Pirates Place Colin Moran On Injured List, Select Troy Stokes Jr.

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The Pirates are placing first baseman Colin Moran on the 10-day injured list with a left groin injury, Rob Biertempfel of the Athletic was among those to relay. The club has selected the contract of outfielder Troy Stokes Jr. in a corresponding move. To create 40-man roster space for Stokes, Pittsburgh transferred third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes to the 60-day injured list.

Moran left yesterday afternoon’s game against the Cubs after suffering the injury trying to dive to the first base bag. His absence leaves the Pirates without one of their most productive hitters in the season’s early going. The 28-year-old is hitting .297/.352/.468 with four home runs over his first 122 plate appearances. He was a productive offensive player last year as well, when he slashed .247/.325/.472 with ten homers in 200 plate appearances.

As an arbitration-eligible player on a rebuilding Pirates’ squad, Moran could find himself on the trade market this summer. He has been more patient at the plate this year and is hitting far fewer ground balls, which could pique the interest of contending teams. Moran certainly won’t sustain a .392 batting average on balls in play, and he’s mostly been limited to first base over the past two years after breaking in as a third baseman. Still, it’s easy to see clubs having interest in a more patient and productive lefty power bat come July. The Pirates didn’t provide a timetable for Moran’s return, but there’s no indication at this point he’s in danger of an extended absence that could impact his trade value.

He’ll be replaced on the active roster by Stokes, whom the Pirates outrighted over the winter. The 25-year-old has bounced from the Brewers to the Tigers to the Pittsburgh organizations in recent seasons. He has a .233/.340/.390 mark in 391 career Triple-A plate appearances and will be making his major league debut if/when he gets into a game. Stokes likely would’ve played in the majors with Detroit last season, but an ill-timed hand fracture cost him the year.

Hayes’ transfer to the 60-day IL may raise some eyebrows, but the procedural move isn’t cause for alarm. The 60-day IL placement means Hayes must miss at least 60 days from the time of his initial IL placement (April 4), not today’s transfer. Manager Derek Shelton stressed there’s been no change in Hayes’ prognosis. The 24-year-old was known to have suffered a setback in his recovery from a wrist injury last month and has made incremental progress in the weeks since, but he was apparently not in position to return anytime before early June.

Red Sox Place Christian Arroyo On Injured List, Shut Down Tanner Houck

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The Red Sox have placed infielder Christian Arroyo on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to May 7, due to a left hand contusion. Fellow infielder Jonathan Araúz has been recalled to take his place on the active roster.

Arroyo has picked up the majority of playing time at second base this season. The former top prospect has held his own at the dish, hitting .275/.333/.377 over 76 plate appearances. With Arroyo and Kiké Hernández both on the injured list, it seems Marwin González is in line to pick up the majority of starts at the keystone for now. As usual, the 32-year-old González has bounced around the diamond a lot this season, but he’s only hitting .208/.319/.313 over 113 plate appearances. González is starting at second and hitting leadoff this afternoon against the Orioles.

In other Red Sox injury news, they’re shutting down right-hander Tanner Houck after he experienced some soreness in his flexor muscle. Manager Alex Cora says the team “is not overly concerned,” telling reporters (including Steve Hewitt of the Boston Herald) that Houck is “actually feeling better right now” and the shutdown is one “we feel…is going to be short term.” The 24-year-old has worked to a 4.35 ERA with fantastic strikeout and walk numbers (26.7% and 2.2%, respectively) in 10 1/3 MLB innings this year. Because Houck was optioned to the alternate training site before suffering the injury, he won’t be placed on the MLB injured list, meaning he will not accrue major league service time while he recovers.

Mariners Select JT Chargois, Place Ljay Newsome On Injured List

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The Mariners announced they’re selecting the contract of reliever JT Chargois. Right-hander Ljay Newsome has been placed on the 10-day injured list with right elbow inflammation.

Chargois, 30, was once a well-regarded relief prospect in the Twins’ and Dodgers’ systems. The righty has a power sinker/slider combination that allowed him to miss bats and induce ground balls at the major league level between 2016-19. Despite posting career-best strikeout and walk numbers in 2019, though, Chargois only managed a 6.33 ERA in 21 1/3 innings for Los Angeles. He then signed with the Rakuten Eagles of Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball but posted terrible numbers there last year, working to a 5.81 ERA with only 19 punchouts and 14 walks in 26 1/3 relief innings.

Seattle signed Chargois to a minor-league deal over the offseason, and he’s now in line for his first MLB action in two years. The opportunity presented itself after the Mariners used seven pitchers in last night’s 9-8 loss to the Rangers. Newsome left his appearance yesterday early with the aforementioned elbow injury (via Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times). The 24-year-old swingman has a 7.98 ERA/3.56 SIERA in 14 2/3 innings this season.

Marlins Select Luis Madero, Option Daniel Castano

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The Marlins are selecting the contract of right-hander Luís Madero, Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald was among those to relay (Twitter link). Lefty Daniel Castano was optioned to Triple-A Jacksonville, while right-hander Jorge Guzman was transferred to the 60-day injured list to clear 40-man roster space.

Madero has bounced between a few organizations in his pro career but has yet to make his MLB debut.  Originally signed by the Diamondbacks as an international amateur, he was sent to the Angels at the 2017 trade deadline for reliever David Hernández. Madero eventually worked his way onto Los Angeles’ 40-man roster and was named the #19 prospect in the organization entering the 2019 season by Baseball America. He struggled at Double-A that year, though, working to a 5.72 ERA in a pitcher-friendly environment. The Angels designated him for assignment and lost him on waivers to the Giants after the season.

San Francisco passed Madero through waivers shortly thereafter, and he spent the 2020 season at their alternate training site. He didn’t make it back on the roster and wound up electing minor-league free agency. Miami signed Madero to a minors deal in January, and he’s earned a major league call after just one Triple-A appearance. Madero has plenty of starting experience in the minors, so he offers rotation and/or long relief depth for the Fish. The 24-year-old still has a pair of option years remaining, so he can be sent back-and-forth between Miami and Jacksonville if he keeps his spot on the 40-man.

Castano, 26, has started four games for the Marlins this year but hasn’t found much success. The soft-tossing lefty has been knocked around for a 5.19 ERA/5.47 SIERA over 17 1/3 innings. Castano prevented runs at a strong clip over seven games last season, but his peripherals always suggested that was unlikely to continue. He simply hasn’t missed enough bats to establish himself as a big league starter, compiling a minuscule 10.8% career strikeout rate.

Guzman, one of the Marlins’ better pitching prospects, has been battling elbow inflammation. General manager Kim Ng told reporters in March he’d be “out for a bit,” so it’s not particularly surprising to see him wind up on the 60-day IL.

Snitker: Ronald Acuna Jr. Could Return To Lineup Today After Hit-By-Pitch

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MAY 9: Fortunately, it seems Acuna avoided any major injury. The Braves announced last night he was day-to-day with a left pinky contusion and that X-rays had come back negative. After the game, manager Brian Snitker told reporters (including Mark Bowman of MLB.com) the team “dodged a bullet” and said Acuna could be back in the starting lineup as soon as this evening if he feels fine during pregame batting practice.

8:59PM: Ronald Acuna Jr. was removed from tonight’s game in the seventh inning after the Braves star was hit in the left hand by a pitch.  Phillies reliever Sam Coonrod hit Acuna with a 97.8mph sinker, and Acuna almost immediately left the field (in visible pain) after a visit from the trainer.

More will be known post-game, though the worst-case scenario would be a serious hand injury that would sideline Acuna for several weeks or months.  Such a loss would be a potential disaster for an Atlanta lineup that has been inconsistent despite Acuna’s MVP-level performance thus far in the season.

Through 137 plate appearances, Acuna is hitting .313/.409/.652 with 10 home runs.  Entering Saturday’s action, Acuna was leading the NL in both slugging percentage and OPS, and was leading the majors in both homers and runs scored (29).  With Freddie Freeman, Ozzie Albies, Marcell Ozuna, Dansby Swanson, and (the currently injured) Travis d’Arnaud all off to slow starts in 2021, it isn’t a huge exaggeration to say that Acuna has carried the Braves’ offense.

This isn’t Acuna’s first injury scare of the season, as he suffered a mild abdominal strain that forced him out of a game back on April 18.  That issue ultimately didn’t require a visit to the injured list, however, and Acuna was back in action by April 23.  It should be noted that Acuna has hit only .200/.328/.400 in the first 61 PA since that abdominal injury, though some regression was probably inevitable after Acuna’s red-hot start.

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