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Injury Notes: Voit, Haniger, Kim, Gregorius

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The Yankees announced yesterday first baseman Luke Voit was beginning a rehab assignment with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. The 30-year-old has missed a little less than three weeks after suffering a Grade 2 oblique strain. It’s been an injury-marred campaign so far for Voit, who also missed the first six weeks of the season with a meniscus tear in his knee. Last season’s home run leader, Voit has only managed 50 plate appearances in between the two IL stints. His forthcoming return will be a welcome development for the Yankees, whose first baseman have hit a dreadful .176/.266/.270 in 2021. Only the Indians have gotten less offensive production at the position this season.

More injury updates from around the game:

  • Mariners outfielder Mitch Haniger left yesterday’s game in the first inning after fouling a ball off his left knee. It seems he’s dodged serious injury, though, as manager Scott Servais told reporters (including Corey Brock of the Athletic) he suffered a deep bone bruise but avoided any fractures. Haniger, who missed the second half of 2019 and all of 2020 due to injury, has rebounded to post a strong .259/.310/.518 line with 16 homers across 274 plate appearances this season.
  • The Cardinals are likely to activate lefty Kwang-hyun Kim to start tomorrow night’s game against the Marlins, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat was among those to relay. The 32-year-old went on the IL on June 5 with back stiffness, but he’s apparently in line to return after a minimal stint. Kim has tossed 40 innings of 4.05 ERA/4.29 SIERA ball this season. The St. Louis rotation has been hit hard by injuries in recent weeks, with Miles Mikolas and Jack Flaherty both landing on the IL for extended periods. That makes the rotation an obvious area to target if the Cardinals look to acquire outside help before the trade deadline.
  • Phillies shortstop Didi Gregorius suffered a setback in his rehab process from a right elbow impingement, manager Joe Girardi told reporters (including Jim Salisbury of NBC Sports Philadelphia). It doesn’t seem to be particularly worrisome, as Girardi said it was “a little stiffness and a little soreness” and that the organization is still hoping to get him back in relatively short order. It’s been a tough season for Gregorius, who hit just .229/.266/.364 in 128 plate appearances before landing on the IL last month.

The Reds Could Be One Of The Deadline’s Most Interesting Teams

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We’re a little more than six weeks away from the trade deadline, and it appears July is going to be a month of difficult decisions for the Reds front office. Cincinnati sits at 32-31, third place in the NL Central. They’re slightly ahead of the Cardinals and five games back of the Cubs and Brewers, who are tied for the division lead. With the Giants surprisingly leading the star-studded Dodgers and Padres out west, the two wild card spots will be hard to come by in the National League.

By most measures, the Reds look like an average team. Their record is marginally above .500, while their -10 run differential is eighteenth among the league’s thirty clubs. FanGraphs’ rest of season projections have the Reds playing at an 80-82 pace; when coupled with their current record, they’d land right at 81-81 if they perform at that projected level from here on out.

Finishing .500 wouldn’t be enough to make the playoffs, but the Reds also aren’t that far away from the postseason picture. The Cubs and Brewers have played well to this point but each has some obvious deficiencies on the roster (starting pitching for Chicago, the bottom of the lineup in Milwaukee). It doesn’t seem either team will run away with the division. Indeed, FanGraphs’ playoff odds give the Reds a 14.6% chance of making it to the postseason- unlikely, but not out of the question.

It’s possible the team will just define itself one way or another in the coming weeks. They still have 40 games to play before the July 30 deadline. If they go 25-15, they’d look like legitimate division contenders. A 15-25 swoon would make them an obvious seller. But what if Cincinnati plays .500 ball over the next month and a half- as they have so far and as the projections expect them to the rest of the way? The Reds would still be a long shot at that point, with playoff odds likely a bit lower than they are now (since they’d have even less time to make up ground on the teams in front of them). But they wouldn’t be completely out of contention, and selling at the deadline would be a tough sell to the fanbase.

Cincinnati suffered through six consecutive losing seasons from 2014-19. The organization made a concerted effort to end that run late in the 2019 season, acquiring Trevor Bauer with an eye towards 2020 and signing Mike Moustakas and Nick Castellanos the following offseason. They did snap the streak of below-average records in last year’s shortened season, but it took a playoff expansion for them to get into the postseason, where they were swept by the Braves without scoring a run. (That marked the 25th consecutive season since the Reds last won a playoff series, the longest active draught in MLB).

They’ve already lost to Bauer to free agency, and Castellanos could soon depart himself. The 29-year-old is having a fantastic season, sitting on a .361/.416/.635 line with 13 home runs in 255 plate appearances. Given that level of performance, it’d take a massive collapse or injury for him not to opt out of the remaining two years and $34MM in guarantees on his contract. Castellanos opting out wouldn’t preclude the Reds from re-signing him, of course, but it’s not clear ownership would be willing to sign off on another significant outlay.

The Reds slashed payroll from $147MM in 2020 (prior to prorating) to $122MM this season on the heels of last year’s revenue losses. Next year, they’ll still be on the hook for substantial salaries to Joey Votto ($25MM), Moustakas ($16MM), Eugenio Suárez ($11.286MM) and Sonny Gray ($10.867MM), per Cot’s Baseball Contracts, before accounting for arbitration raises for a group including Jesse Winker and Luis Castillo. Unless ownership is willing to again increase spending on player payroll, it could be tough to commit to a raise for Castellanos.

If the Reds aren’t going to re-sign Castellanos, there’s a case they should field offers on him this summer. As the sport’s third-best qualified hitter (behind only Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Winker), he’d draw no shortage of interest. Castellanos would almost certainly command a prospect return greater in value than the compensatory draft pick the Reds would receive if they allowed him to depart as a free agent after making a qualifying offer. Trading away one of the game’s top bats would be a tough sell to a fan base that has seen very little recent success, though, particularly if the Reds remain only a handful of games back in the division race.

Maybe the team’s performance will make the Reds direction obvious by July 30. If they continue to play at the level they have been, however, their front office will have some very difficult decisions to make.

Astros Notes: Click, Luxury Tax, McCullers, Garcia

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The luxury tax “is a factor,” in what the Astros will do at the trade deadline, GM James Click told broadcaster Robert Ford on the team’s pregame radio show (hat tip to Chandler Rome of The Houston Chronicle).  However, Click also noted that the Competitive Balance Tax “is not a hard cap,” which is something of a broad remark that could imply the Astros are willing to exceed the $210MM threshold if necessary, or it could just be a simple statement of fact.  Houston is currently quite close to the $210MM threshold — Cot’s Baseball Contracts has the team’s estimated tax number just shy of $207MM, while Roster Resource has the Astros with even less breathing room at roughly $208.8MM.

The Astros exceeded the CBT threshold last year, though since they didn’t top the threshold by more than $20MM and it was their first time in excess, the club paid the minimal first-timer rate of a 20 percent tax on the overage (for a total bill of $3,263,800).  For passing the threshold again, the Astros would be taxed at 30 percent of the overage, though that again wouldn’t represent a big payout assuming they stayed under the $230MM mark.

As The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal has pointed out, however, if the Astros were tax-payors, their additional penalty would include lesser draft pick compensation if a qualifying-offer rejecting free agent (i.e. Carlos Correa or Justin Verlander) left for another team.  It would also cost Houston higher draft picks off their own board as compensatory picks if they were to sign a QO-rejecting free agent of their own.  The Astros may have to get creative in adding any sort of salary at the trade deadline if they are to stay under the tax threshold, since doing nothing would seem like a wasted opportunity for a club that has the look of playoff contender.

More from Houston…

  • Lance McCullers Jr. is scheduled to return from the injured list and start Tuesday’s game against the Rangers, manager Dusty Baker told MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart and other reporters.  McCullers went on the 10-day IL on May 26 due to a sore right shoulder, and he’ll be on a pitch limit as the Astros will look to ease him back into action.  Jake Odorizzi will work as the piggyback pitcher behind McCullers, as he too is working his way back to full strength following an IL stint due to a forearm strain.
  • Both McCullers and Odorizzi will be part of a six-man rotation Houston will deploy over a stretch of 20 games in 20 days, beginning on Tuesday.  It is quite possible that further injuries or lack of performance could alter the Astros’ plans over the next three weeks, but assuming everyone is healthy and effective, Chandler Rome thinks Luis Garcia could be the odd man out once the rotation reverts to a five-man staff that would consist of Zack Greinke, Jose Urquidy, Framber Valdez, McCullers, and Odorizzi.  Garcia has pitched quite well this season, with a 2.98 ERA/3.64 SIERA over 63 1/3 innings and above-average strikeout and walk rates.  Despite several injuries to the rotation earlier in the year, Houston is now in “good problem to have” territory with a surplus of arms — Cristian Javier has already been demoted to the bullpen after delivering good results as a starter.  With Garcia also possibly joining the mix in July, he could provide a nice boost to the Astros’ middle-of-the-pack relief corps.

Twins Haven’t Recently “Initiated” Extension Talks With Jose Berrios

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Though the Twins are getting some notable reinforcements back from the injured list in the coming days, the 26-39 club has a big hill to climb to even approach the postseason race.  With this in mind, speculation has swirled around the Twins as a trade deadline seller, and Jose Berrios stands out as a major potential trade chip depending on how big of a reload Minnesota wishes to make.

Berrios has one final year of arbitration eligibility remaining before hitting free agency in the 2022-23 offseason.  As to whether or not his time in Minnesota could continue beyond the 2022 season, SKOR North’s Darren Wolfson reports (Twitter link) that the Twins haven’t “initiated any talks in recent weeks” with Berrios’ representatives at Wasserman about a potential contract extension.  Of course, this might not be that surprising a detail considering that most players prefer to not discuss contractual matters in-season.

If such extension talks did place, it would seem that the Twins would be making such overtures as something of a last-ditch effort to lock up Berrios, and if a deal couldn’t be reached, the club would be more open to moving him prior to the July 30 trade deadline.  The issue with that scenario, however, is that Minnesota isn’t under any immediate pressure to make a decision on Berrios’ future, since he is still under contract through 2022.  The Twins could wait until the offseason to shop Berrios to a wider market of interested teams, or they could take the time to revisit extension talks heading into their final year of control over Berrios.

Even if neither a trade or an extension is worked out, it wouldn’t be out of the question that the Twins would just keep Berrios in the fold for 2022.  Despite this season’s struggles, it would seem like Minnesota is still planning to regroup and make another run at contention next year, so Berrios has plenty of value in the Twins’ own rotation going forward.

The 27-year-old Berrios is having another solid season, with a 3.49 ERA/3.61 SIERA and an above-average strikeout rate (26%) and walk rate (6.4%) over 77 1/3 innings.  The overall Statcast metrics aren’t quite as positive, as Berrios’ xwOBA and hard-hit ball numbers have been subpar for the second consecutive season, but the righty has continued to be a durable and effective arm in the front end of Minnesota’s rotation.

Back in March 2019, Berrios said the Twins had made him an extension offer that he declined, though he was open to more negotiations.  “We’re waiting for the best for both sides. If it doesn’t happen this year, maybe next year,” Berrios said.  Rather than a contract extension, the two sides went to a hearing the next spring to determine Berrios’ salary for his first arb-eligibility, with the Twins winning the hearing and paying Berrios $4.025MM rather than his desired $4.4MM figure.  This past winter, the two sides reached a deal to avoid arbitration, with Berrios receiving a $6.1MM salary for the 2021 season.

Even with another raise in his final arb year, Berrios is still a very affordable option for any team looking for rotation help, which only elevates his trade value.  The Twins could be hard-pressed to decline if another club makes a truly spectacular trade offer for Berrios, despite his importance to the 2022 team.  Michael Pineda, J.A. Happ, and Matt Shoemaker are all scheduled to be free agents this winter, so moving Berrios would create another hole for the Twins to address in their starting staff.

NL East Notes: Acuna, Marlins, Betances, Strasburg

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Ronald Acuna Jr. left today’s game in the bottom of the fifth due to right pectoral tightness, but Braves manager Brian Snitker doesn’t believe the injury is too serious.  Snitker told reporters (including The Athletic’s David O’Brien) that the current belief is that Acuna won’t miss any games at all, as the star outfielder will get a chance to rest and recuperate during Atlanta’s off-day on Monday.

Acuna exited games twice earlier in the season with what turned out to be minor injuries — a bruised pinkie after a hit-by-pitch, and a mild abdominal strain suffered while on the basepaths.  A few missed games haven’t slowed down what is shaping up as an MVP-caliber season from the Atlanta superstar, as Acuna is hitting .282/.390/.597 with 18 home runs through 259 plate appearances.

More from the NL East…

  • Jose Devers and Corey Dickerson each left today’s Marlins game with injuries — Devers with right shoulder discomfort after a big swing early in the game, and Dickerson with foot soreness.  Manager Don Mattingly indicated to reporters that Dickerson’s removal was “precautionary,” while Devers could require more examination since the rookie’s shoulder has been bothering him for several days now.
  • Dellin Betances is set to begin a minor league rehab assignment today, Mets manager Luis Rojas told MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo and other reporters.  The right-hander pitched in one game before going on the injured list April 8 due to a shoulder impingement, and while it been a lengthy road to recovery for Betances, the early returns are promising.  “He’s had some really good reads with his fastball.  We’re pretty optimistic about him going into this assignment and keeping ramping things up….He did a good job in the progression, in strengthening the shoulder,” Rojas said, noting that Betances’ fastball was sitting in the 93-94mph range during live batting practice sessions.  Since signing with New York in the 2019-20 offseason, Betances has posted a 7.82 ERA and tossed only 12 2/3 innings over 16 appearances, due to an IL stint due to lat tightness in 2020 and this season’s shoulder problems.
  • Nationals manager Davey Martinez provided an update on Stephen Strasburg, telling reporters (including Chelsea Janes of The Washington Post) that the right-hander has yet to start throwing, as Strasburg is still feeling nerve irritation in his neck.  Strasburg was placed on the 10-day IL on June 2, and it isn’t yet clear when he might be back in action.  This is already Strasburg’s second IL trip of the year, as between shoulder inflammation and his current neck issue, the righty has tossed only 21 2/3 innings.  This comes on the heels of a 2020 season that saw Strasburg pitch five innings total due to carpal tunnel syndrome.  Injuries all over the roster have contributed to Washington’s 27-35 record, and Strasburg’s status could certainly factor into whether the Nats will keep trying for a late-season push, or perhaps look to sell at the trade deadline.

Twins Notes: Maeda, Pineda, Buxton, Arraez, Kepler

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The Twins have been plagued by injuries in recent weeks, but they’re on the verge of getting several key players back. Right-hander Kenta Maeda will be activated from the injured list to start tomorrow night’s game against the Mariners, manager Rocco Baldelli told reporters (including Dan Hayes of the Athletic). He hasn’t pitched since May 22, when he went on the IL due to a groin strain.

It’s been a difficult season for Maeda, last year’s AL Cy Young award runner-up. The 33-year-old has managed just a 5.27 ERA over his first nine starts. Maeda’s strikeout rate has fallen from an elite 32.3% in 2020 to a below-average 20.5% this season. He’s also seen rather significant drops in his swinging strike and groundball rates, with opposing hitters making much harder contact off him.

Those struggles aside, the Twins will assuredly be happy to get their Opening Day starter back on the mound. Minnesota’s assortment of back-end starters (Matt Shoemaker, J.A. Happ, Randy Dobnak, Bailey Ober) have struggled to varying degrees, perhaps the biggest reason for the team’s horrible 26-39 start. Making matters worse, righty Michael Pineda is day-to-day after leaving this afternoon’s start with right forearm tightness (notes Betsy Helfand of the St. Paul Pioneer-Press). Baldelli suggested Pineda could require an IL stint of his own (via Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com).

While the rotation has been a massive disappointment, the Twins also haven’t been helped by a series of injuries to some of their top position players. Byron Buxton was off to an MVP-level start, but he went down with a right hip strain on May 7. Buxton has been on the IL for the past five weeks, but Baldelli said the star center fielder will accompany the team to Seattle (via Park). The same is true of utilityman Luis Arráez, who’s been out since May 26 with a right shoulder strain.

Buxton and Arráez have been on rehab assignments at Triple-A St. Paul, but they’re evidently nearing a return to the majors. They should be followed in relatively short order by Max Kepler. The 28-year-old outfielder began a rehab assignment of his own today, serving as the designated hitter in St. Paul. Kepler put up a .212/.303/.424 line in 152 plate appearances this season before straining his left hamstring.

Rangers Release Khris Davis

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The Rangers announced they’ve placed Khris Davis on unconditional release waivers. This was the expected outcome after the club designated Davis for assignment on Tuesday.

Texas acquired the designated hitter/corner outfielder from the A’s over the winter. While they surely hoped he’d rebound from back-to-back down seasons at the plate, the primary motivation for the trade was financial. The Rangers sent Elvis Andrus, owed $14MM in each of 2021 and 2022, to Oakland in exchange for Davis’ expiring $16.75MM contract and a pair of prospects. (Texas is paying down $13.5MM of Andrus’ contract over the next two years). The deal allowed the Rangers to assume more money in 2021, when they didn’t expect to contend anyhow, to shave nearly $7MM off their 2022 books.

Ultimately, the Rangers didn’t give Davis much of a leash. He began the year on the injured list and received just 61 plate appearances- putting up a poor .157/.262/.333 slash line- before Texas cut bait. It’s the third consecutive year of well below-average hitting for Davis, who was one of the game’s top power bats during his 2016-18 peak in Oakland.

Technically, teams will have 48 hours to put in a claim for Davis. That’s a moot point, as he’ll assuredly pass through waivers unclaimed. Any team that claimed Davis would assume the remainder of his salary. No team will do that, leaving the Rangers on the hook for the money.

Once he clears the wire, Davis will be free to sign with any team. A signing club would then only owe him the league minimum salary for any time he spends on the major league roster, which would be subtracted from Texas’ outlay. Given his lack of defensive value and recent offensive woes, it’s possible he’ll have to settle for a minor league deal once he hits the open market.

Angels Claim Jack Mayfield Off Waivers From Mariners

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The Angels claimed Jack Mayfield off waivers from the Mariners, per announcements from both teams. Los Angeles has optioned Mayfield to Triple-A Salt Lake. The Angels already had a vacancy on the 40-man roster, so no other move was necessary.

Seattle designated Mayfield for assignment earlier this week. The utilityman now heads back to Los Angeles, where he began the 2021 season. The Angels acquired Mayfield from the Braves in exchange for cash considerations back in February but designated him for assignment two months later. Seattle claimed the 30-year-old off waivers, but his stint in the Mariners organization comes to an end after just over a month.

Mayfield has appeared in the big leagues in each of the past three seasons, spending the entirety of his time in the AL West. He broke in with the Astros in 2019 and has seen the briefest of time with the Angels and Mariners this season. He’s done very little offensively at the highest level, hitting just .168/.195/.259 across career 150 plate appearances. Nevertheless, his combination of defensive versatility and roster flexibility (he has a pair of minor league option years remaining) has continued to generate interest from teams.

Pirates Outright Wilmer Difo

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JUNE 13: Pittsburgh announced that Difo has cleared waivers and been sent outright to Indianapolis. Having previously been outrighted in his career, the 29-year-old had the right to elect free agency. He’s apparently accepted a minor league assignment, though, as he’s listed on the Triple-A club’s active roster.

JUNE 8: The Pirates have designated infielder/outfielder Wilmer Difo for assignment, per a team announcement. In other moves, Pittsburgh reinstated two players – right-hander Mitch Keller and outfielder/infielder Phillip Evans – from the injured list and optioned lefty Austin Davis to Triple-A Indianapolis.

Formerly a member of the Nationals, Difo joined the Pirates on a minor league contract over the winter. The 29-year-old earned a major league spot at the beginning of April and has since hit .244//.287/.366 with a home run in 87 plate appearances, while receiving playing time at second base, third base and multiple outfield positions.

Defensive flexibility is nothing new for Difo, who debuted in the bigs in 2015, though the switch-hitter has not had a great deal of success offensively. His lifetime .247/.308/.349 line over 1,147 PA doesn’t look much different than his output this season.

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