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AL Notes: Orioles, Twins, Red Sox, Astros

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John Means left his start today in the first inning with what’s currently being identified as “left shoulder fatigue,” per Rich Dubroff of Baltimorebaseball.com. Said Means after the game, “This is something I’ve been battling the last few weeks. Not really during the games, but after games. I felt it more so in warmups when I was out there, the last couple of pitches when I really started to let it eat.” The O’s lefty will undergo an MRI on Sunday morning. Elsewhere in the American League…

  • The Twins have not gotten the kind of production they need from Matt Shoemaker this season. The 34-year-old veteran gave up eight earned runs while recording just one out against the Royals on Friday. For the season, Shoemaker’s 7.28 ERA/5.98 FIP rank last by a fair margin among starters with at least 50 innings this season. He will continue to make his turns in the Twins’ rotation for now, per the Athletic’s Dan Hayes.
  • Even if the Twins wanted to make a move, they’re somewhat hampered by recent injuries in their minor leagues. Minor league hurlers Lewis Thorpe and Matt Canterino were placed on the injured list today, per Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com (via Twitter). They are dealing with a left shoulder strain and right elbow strain, respectively. Canterino, pitching in High-A, was not likely to help out at the big league level this season, but Thorpe already has 14 innings in four appearances (three starts) with the Twins this season. He has pitched exclusively out of the pen at Triple-A.
  • J.D. Martinez was a late scratch from the Red Sox’ lineup with a sore wrist, per Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe (via Twitter). He appeared to jam his wrist sliding into second base during play on Friday. The injury does not appear to be serious. Per Christopher Smith of Masslive.com, manager Alex Cora commented on the situation, saying, “…we’ll take care of him today, get treatment. If he feels good and we need him late in game, then probably we’ll use him.”
  • Aledmys Diaz will undergo X-Rays after being hit by a pitch and suffering a left hand contusion, per Mark Berman of Fox 26 (via Twitter). Diaz would be missed. He’s posted a solid .281/.339/.439 line in 124 plate appearances this season.

Padres Injury Notes: Grisham, Nola, Pomeranz

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Trent Grisham will need a rehab assignment before returning to the lineup, but the Padres are hopeful that their centerfielder could be back in a week or so. San Diego anticipates rehab assignments for Austin Nola and Drew Pomeranz as well, though they aren’t expected back until closer to the end of the month, per the Athletic’s Dennis Lin (via Twitter).

Grisham’s absence, in particular, changes the dynamics of the Padres’ position player group. The Gold Glove award winner plays a strong centerfield, and in 2020, he was a multi-faceted weapon on offense: he walked at an above-average 12.3 percent clip, stole 10 bases, and provided pop with a .205 ISO. The 24-year-old has kept his foot on the gas when healthy this season, posting a 149 wRC+ in 154 plate appearances with an 11.7 percent walk rate, seven stolen bases, and a .213 ISO.

A foot contusion landed Grisham on the injured list for the second time this season on May 24th. Jurickson Profar has seen the most playing time in Grisham’s stead, and while he’s made some impressive plays with both his arm and his glove, he does not have the same offensive potency that Grisham can provide.

Like Grisham, Nola has a pair of stints on the injured list, but he’s missed more time in the aggregate. Nola has accounted for just 38 percent of the Padres’ playing time behind the plate this season, second behind his theoretical backup Victor Caratini. Nola brings more bat to the position with a 108 wRC+ in 59 plate appearances (versus 88 wRC+ in 138 plate appearances for Caratini).

Pomeranz, meanwhile, is a power arm whom the Padres would like to use to supplement Tim Hill in the bullpen’s lefty cohort. With Ryan Weathers in the rotation and Pomeranz on the injured list, Hill is the sole southpaw available out of the pen right now. Before landing on the IL with lat tightness, Pomeranz had a 1.98 ERA/2.70 FIP in 13 2/3 innings over 14 appearances.

On the whole, the Padres have been perhaps the most snake-bitten teams of the 2021 season with 842 total days accrued on the injured list, per the injury ledger from Baseball Prospectus. That mark leads the league by a fair margin – the Rays are second with 674 days missed.

With that in mind, the Friars are sticking with a six-man rotation for the time being, per AJ Cassavell of MLB.com (via Twitter). Yu Darvish, Blake Snell, Joe Musgrove, Chris Paddack, Weathers, and Dinelson Lamet are currently all healthy and lined up to start games. As the youngest of the group, Weathers is probably the man on the bubble, though he has held his own with a 2.30 ERA/4.82 FIP in 27 1/3 innings as a starter this season.

Mariners Latest Roster Moves

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The Mariners announced a number of roster moves today. Following yesterday’s trade for Yacksel Rios, the Mariners have selected his contract and added the right-hander to the active roster. The hard-throwing 28-year-old will have a chance to make an impression in the Mariners’ injury-depleted bullpen.

Drew Steckenrider will join Rios in the pen. Steckenrider has been reinstated from the injured list. The 30-year-old right-hander has been out since May 21st as part of the COVID-19 protocols. Prior to landing on the IL, the former Marlin had appeared 14 times and logged 18 1/3 innings with a 2.45 ERA/2.32 FIP.

To make room for Rios and Steckenrider, Robert Dugger and Daniel Zamora have been optioned to Triple-A. Dugger started yesterday’s game in an Opener capacity, tossing 2 1/3 innings and yielding a pair of earned runs. Zamora, 28, has made four appearances on the year, tossing 4 1/3 innings and giving up three earned runs.

Major League Baseball To Crack Down On Pitchers’ Use Of Foreign Substances

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June 5: Major League Baseball is working quickly to finalize and implement the plan to address the use of foreign substances by pitchers throughout the game, per ESPN’s Buster Olney. The new plan will require umpires to check for foreign substances during games, including random searches. The league hopes to put the plan in action “within the next 10 days to two weeks.”

June 4: Sports Illustrated’s Stephanie Apstein thoroughly explores the issue in a must-read column, which features on-record and off-record quotes from players, team executives and managers around the game. Charlie Blackmon, Richard Bleier and Adam Duvall each weigh in on the rampant use of foreign substances, with Blackmon in particular sounding off and voicing frustration.

Apstein quotes multiple big league pitchers who anonymously discuss their use of foreign substances, and the well-researched column also provides interesting data on which teams have seen the greatest increase in spin rate as well as the league-wide uptick in four-seam spin over the past few years. As MLB reportedly prepares to begin levying actual punishments, Apstein’s piece provides invaluable context and is well worth a full read.

June 3: Major League Baseball will begin to crack down on pitchers’ use of foreign substances “in earnest,” reports Jon Heyman of MLB Network (Twitter link). Ball doctoring was among the topics discussed at today’s owners meeting, per Heyman, with the league and owners evidently deciding it was rampant enough to warrant stepping in. The league will remain in communication with the MLBPA, umpires association, and teams throughout the enforcement process, notes Ken Rosenthal of the Athletic (Twitter link).

Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported last weekend the league was planning on more stridently targeting and preventing foreign substance use in the coming weeks. It wasn’t precisely clear at the time what form that would take, but Joel Sherman of the New York Post now sheds some light on the situation. MLB’s current plan seems to involve three main areas of focus: placing a greater onus on teams to limit substance use among their own pitchers, empowering umpires to evaluate pitcher equipment (likely as they enter the game), and increasing enforcement in the minor leagues.

It’s not yet apparent how the league hopes to spur teams to self-check their substance use. MLB is leaving open the possibility of suspending players when provided proof of altered baseballs, Sherman notes. Fear of suspension could disincentivize some players from using grip enhancers, although there’s still no indication the league plans to levy suspensions and/or fines against anyone other than the offending pitcher himself.

Empowering umpires to examine players is a little more straightforward. In fact, we’ve already seen this in practice. Last week, umpire Joe West confiscated the hat of Cardinals reliever Giovanny Gallegos as he entered the game, after making the determination that an illegal substance had been applied to the brim. Gallegos was not ejected, but Cardinals manager Mike Shildt was thrown out after voicing his displeasure.

The league has also begun to increase enforcement of foreign substance usage in the minors. Four minor league pitchers (Marcus Evey, Sal Biasi, Kai-Wei Teng and Mason Englert) have been suspended this year for the practice, notes Jake Seiner of the Associated Press. Those bans were each for ten games. The latter three players were all suspended last weekend, suggesting the league has increased its enforcement at the lower levels rather dramatically in the past few days.

Of course, foreign substance usage has become prevalent because of its performance-enhancing effects. Using a tacky substance to improve one’s grip on the ball correlates with increases in spin rate and accompanying pitch movements. Travis Sawchik of The Score demonstrated the impact of grip enhancers on spin this morning in a piece that’s worth checking out in full.

That’s become increasingly of concern for MLB as whiffs have continued to climb. The league entered play today with a .240/.316/.401 slash line (excluding pitchers), with an all-time high 23.6% strikeout rate. Certainly, foreign substance use isn’t the only potential contributor to the strikeout uptick. Pitch velocities are higher than ever, and the increasing lack of action on the basepaths incentivizes hitters to adopt more of an all-or-nothing approach at the plate. Nevertheless, MLB has concluded foreign substances have a significant enough impact to warrant further scrutiny.

This isn’t the first time the league has suggested they’d more aggressively ferret out substance use. MLB sent a memo to teams in Spring Training suggesting the league office would look for dramatic shifts in pitcher spin rates to identify potential infractions. The league also informed teams of plans to pull random samples of game balls to send for laboratory testing. In spite of those warnings, MLB has played things rather slowly over the first couple months. The league commenced an investigation into Dodgers starter Trevor Bauer in early April, collecting “suspicious baseballs” from his second start of the season. It’s not clear what, if anything, arose from that investigation.

Sherman notes the league has deliberately taken a hands-off approach over the season’s first couple months, collecting playing equipment and monitoring clubhouses and player video/data to determine which players it believes to be among the more egregious offenders. It now seems the league feels sufficiently prepared to intervene, which could result in more situations like the equipment confiscations with Bauer and Gallegos (and perhaps suspensions at the major league level).

Increased enforcement to curtail such a pervasive practice will almost certainly come with growing pains. Last November, Eno Sarris of the Athletic spoke with a group of team personnel who generally estimated that greater than three quarters of MLB pitchers were using some sort of grip enhancer. In April, Sarris and colleague Ken Rosenthal examined various challenges the league would stand to face as they ramped up enforcement efforts. Both pieces are well worth full reads for those interested in this topic.

Agent: Ben Zobrist’s Playing Days Are Over

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Ben Zobrist’s name surfaced in the news over the last few days, as a tweet from Heritage Auction Sports claimed that Zobrist’s World Series ring from the 2016 Cubs was going to be up for bids in August.  However, Zobrist’s agent Scott Pucino told Paul Sullivan of The Chicago Tribune that the ring wasn’t going to be sold, and that Zobrist told him that ” ’Why would I sell this ring?  It makes no sense.  I’m never going to get rid of this ring — never, never, ever.’ ”

That would seem to put that curious matter to rest, and Pucino also confirmed what has seemed increasingly obvious over the last two years: Zobrist has ended his playing career.  Though Zobrist has not officially retired, Pucino said that Zobrist is focusing on taking care of his children while going through a divorce.  “He’s a devoted dad and grabbing the bull by the horns and taking hold of the situation,” Pucino said.

Zobrist last played in 2019, his 14th Major League season.  He only played in 47 games during that final year, as his divorce led him to spend much of the season on personal leave — the money surrendered by Zobrist for his time on the restricted list allowed the Cubs enough luxury tax wiggle room to sign Craig Kimbrel, so Zobrist’s impact is still being felt on the Cubs to this day.

Of course, Zobrist had already long since made his mark on Chicago baseball history due to his role in the Cubs’ curse-breaking 2016 championship run.  Signed to a four-year, $56MM free agent deal in the 2015-16 offseason, Zobrist hit .272/.386/.446 over 631 PA during the regular season, and then won World Series MVP honors by batting .357/.419/.500 over 31 PA during the Fall Classic.  That came on the heels of another big performance for Zobrist in the previous year’s World Series, as Zobrist was acquired by the Royals before the trade deadline in 2015 and then helped Kansas City capture the title.

Over 14 MLB seasons, the switch-hitting Zobrist batted .266/.357/.426 over 6836 PA for the Rays, Athletics, Royals, and Cubs.  The Astros initially drafted Zobrist in the sixth round in 2004, and after being dealt to Tampa in July 2006, Zobrist went from being mostly a full-time shortstop into the super-utilityman position that defined his career.

Through far from the only “Swiss Army Knife” of a player in history (Jose Oquendo and Tony Phillips stand out for fans of 80’s and 90’s baseball), Zobrist’s name became synonymous with on-field versatility in this generation.  He made 794 of his 1503 career starts as a second baseman, but also 363 starts in right field, 196 starts at shortstop, 107 starts in left field, as well as time as a center fielder and at both corner infield slots.  Between his multi-position ability and productive switch-hitting bat, Zobrist could be moved around the diamond and utilized in a number of different fashions by Rays manager Joe Maddon and future skippers throughout Zobrist’s career.

While Zobrist ranks third in fWAR (behind Evan Longoria and Carl Crawford) on the Rays’ all-time franchise list, it can be argued that Zobrist might be the “greatest Ray ever” for both on-field value and symbolic reasons, as he exemplifies how the Rays have looked to mold a seemingly endless array of multi-positional players since Zobrist’s time with the franchise.  Beyond just Tampa Bay, teams all over baseball in recent years have looked to maximize bench depth by having super-utility types on the roster.

From 2009-16, Zobrist generated 40.5 fWAR, a total surpassed by only eight players in baseball during that eight-season span.  These prime years saw him reach three All-Star teams, finish as high as eighth place in AL MVP voting (2009), and capture those two World Series titles with the Royals and Cubs in consecutive years.

MLBTR wishes all the best to Zobrist in his post-playing days, and congratulates him on an outstanding career.

Angels Reinstate Jose Iglesias From Injured List, Option Jose Rojas

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The Angels have reinstated shortstop Jose Iglesias from the injured list, per Jack Harris of the LA Times (via Twitter). Jose Rojas was optioned to create the open roster spot.

Iglesias went down on May 28th with a left hamstring strain, though by the looks of it, that move was made retroactive to May 25th, the last time Iglesias appeared in a ballgame. Regardless, he’s back and easing back into action as the designated hitter tonight. For the season, he’s hitting .283/.317/.396 with four home runs and two stolen bases over 167 plate appearances.

Rojas, 28, made his Major League debut this season, and he’s seen relatively regular duty for most of the season. Appearing in 43 games, the multi-positional, lefty-swinger has batted .190/.246/.364 across 130 plate appearances. Rojas has started 10 games at second, 11 at third, one game in left and seven in right field while also appearing in two games at first.

With Anthony Rendon healthy, the Angels are hoping they won’t need as much coverage at the hot corner, and Iglesias’ return mitigates their need up the middle. Kean Wong and Phil Gosselin will be the primary backups on the infield, while Taylor Ward has laid claim to a role as a corner outfielder. Gosselin and Wong are also both capable of playing in the grass.

Tigers Option Zack Short, Activate Jose Urena From Injured List

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The Tigers optioned infielder Zack Short to Triple-A Toledo after today’s ballgame, the team announced. Starter Jose Urena will be reinstated from the 10-day injured list tomorrow. He will re-join the rotation.

Short was recalled on his 26th birthday, May 29th. Though he did not appear in a game on his birthday, he did make three appearances, starting two games at shortstop. He made just nine plate appearances, but Short can consider it a success after going 2-for-6 at the plate with three walks, a couple of runs, and his first career stolen base.

All that said, the Tigers will welcome Urena back to the rotation, as they’re a little short-handed on the hill. The Tigers not only placed Spencer Turnbull on the 10-day IL, but an injured list stint could follow for Michael Fulmer as well. He has been unavailable the past couple of days because of arm fatigue, tweets Chris McCosky of The Detroit News. Fulmer has mostly pitched out of the pen, but he’s been a reliable source of innings with 35 innings pitched across 20 outings (four starts). His 3.34 ERA/3.57 FIP are the best run prevention numbers posted by Fulmer since his rookie campaign in 2016.

Urena has provided solid innings through ten starts this season, and the Tigers will hope he can get right back to it. He owns a 4.14 ERA/3.84 FIP across 54 1/3 innings on the season.

Rockies Place Jon Gray, Jordan Sheffield On 10-Day Injured List

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3:31PM: Gray has been placed on the 10-day IL with a right flexor strain, the Rockies announced.  Right-hander Jordan Sheffield is also headed to the 10-day injured list due to a right lat strain.  Left-handers Ben Bowden and Lucas Gilbreath have been called up from Triple-A to fill the roster spots.

8:29AM: Rockies right-hander Jon Gray left Friday’s game after 2 1/3 innings due to what manager Bud Black described as right elbow soreness and tightness in Gray’s forearm.  Gray was charged with five runs in the abbreviated outing, with the injury clearly a factor.

“When I spoke to Jon, he indicated that his soreness impacted his pitching,” Black told The Denver Post’s Patrick Saunders and other reporters.  “I don’t think he felt it on every pitch.  It started to tighten as the game went on.  That’s when we noticed the variability with his pitch-making and with his mannerisms.”

In the bigger picture, any sort of forearm or elbow issue is naturally a major concern for a pitcher.  It seems likely that Gray will miss at least one start for precautionary reasons if nothing else due to the nature of the injury, and a trip to the injured list shouldn’t be ruled out until Gray undergoes further testing and medical examination.  Gray has generally avoided any major arm injuries over the years, apart from the shoulder inflammation that prematurely ended his 2020 season in early September.

While it’s too early to ring the alarm on a potential Tommy John surgery, an injury that sidelines Gray for any noteworthy amount of time will have some ramifications on both his future and the Rockies’ trade deadline plans.  In the opinion of MLBTR’s Steve Adams, Gray is nothing less than the top trade candidate in baseball at this point in the season, owing to Colorado’s spot near the bottom of the standings, Gray’s decent numbers through 63 innings, and the righty’s impending free agent status.

An IL stint of anything more than a month or so would throw a wrench into Gray’s trade value, or perhaps prevent a deal altogether if teams are concerned about Gray’s arm.  Similarly, Gray’s ability to score a lucrative multi-year deal in free agency this winter could be hampered, perhaps to the point where he’d have to settle for a one-year deal.

Gray had been inconsistent in the three starts prior to last night’s injury-shortened appearance, and for the season, he has posted a 4.29 ERA/4.72 SIERA over 63 innings.  His 18.5% strikeout rate and 10% walk rate are both below average, but Gray’s overall Statcast outlook is not bad, and his 52.4% grounder rate is a career high.  Though Gray has been much better at Coors Field than on the road this season, he has some value as a potential change-of-scenery candidate who could perhaps thrive in a more normal pitching environment than the thin air of Colorado.

Yadier Molina Leaves Game Due To Left Knee Contusion

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Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina made an early exit from today’s game due to a left knee contusion.  Reds shortstop Kyle Farmer sent a foul tip off of Molina’s kneecap in the top of the fourth inning, though Molina remained in the game after taking a few moments to walk the pain off.  Andrew Knizner then pinch-hit for Molina in the bottom half of the inning.

It remains to be seen if Molina’s contusion is a day-to-day situation (and an injury not uncommon for a catcher), or if it’s an injury that may require more time off, or an injured-list placement. Molina already missed 11 games this season on the 10-day IL due to a tendon strain in his right foot.

Molina is hitting .277/.314/.493 over 159 plate appearances, with much of that damage coming prior to his IL visit.  He hit a scorching .323/.366/.631 over his first 71 PA, and the veteran backstop has perhaps unsurprisingly cooled off after that big start.

Cubs Activate Jason Heyward, Designate Nick Martini, Claim Dakota Chalmers

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3:47PM: Left-hander Brad Wieck was optioned to Triple-A in a corresponding move for Abbott’s call-up, the Cubs announced.

3:14PM: The Cubs announced a trio of roster moves, including Jason Heyward’s activation from the 10-day injured list.  (The Athletic’s Meghan Montemurro was among those to report the news.)  Chicago also designated outfielder Nick Martini for assignment, thus opening up a 40-man roster spot for right-hander Dakota Chalmers, who was claimed off waivers from the Twins.  Right-hander Cory Abbott is also being called up from Triple-A to make his big league debut, FanSided’s Robert Murray reports (via Twitter)

A left hamstring strain forced Heyward to the IL on May 20, and the injury hiatus could allow the veteran outfielder something of a reset of his season.  Heyward has hit just .183/.254/.341 over his first 138 plate appearances, an unfortunate slow start after the strong numbers he posted during the 2020 season.  Through Heyward’s tenure in Wrigleyville (he’s in the sixth year of an eight-year, $184MM contract) has been marked by a lack of offensive production, Heyward was one of the team’s best bats in 2020, hitting .265/.392/.456 with six homers over 181 PA.

Martini was signed to a minor league deal in February, and saw his contract selected by the Cubs in May.  The 30-year-old Illinois native has appeared in 12 games this season, mostly working as a pinch-hitter but he was only 1-for-12 in 15 total plate appearances.  Martini has hit .261/.363/.366 over 303 total PA with the A’s, Padres, and Cubs at the MLB level, though much of that production came with Oakland during his 2018 rookie season.  Martini has experience at all three outfield positions as well as first base, so this versatility and his knack for setting on base could potentially entice another team to claim him off the waiver wire.

Speaking of waiver claims, Chalmers joins the Cubs after being DFA’ed by Minnesota earlier this week.  Chalmers made his debut at the Double-A level this season but the results haven’t been good, with a 9.49 ERA over 12 1/3 innings.  Between Tommy John surgery and the canceled 2020 minor league season, Chalmers tossed only 39 2/3 total frames from the start of the 2018 season to the start of the 2021 minor league campaign.

Abbott has only a 6.39 ERA in 25 1/3 innings at Triple-A Iowa this season, his first experience of Triple-A ball.  The 25-year-old will still get a look in the Show, potentially as a starter or as a reliever.  MLB Pipeline ranks Abbott 15th on its list of the Cubs’ top 30 prospects, with his slider and curveball acting as his top pitches.  “With an easy delivery that he repeats well and a fearlessness about challenging hitters, Abbott provides consistent strikes,” according to the Pipeline scouting report.  Abbott was a second-round pick for the Cubs in the 2017 draft, and he posted some solid numbers in his first three pro seasons before hitting his Triple-A struggles.

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