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Archives for September 2021

AL Notes: Mariners, Lewis, Castillo, Misiewicz, White Sox, Giolito

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The Mariners were hopeful that reigning Rookie of the Year Kyle Lewis would begin a rehab assignment on Friday, but those plans were dashed by soreness in his surgically-repaired right knee, per The Athletic’s Corey Brock. Lewis went under the knife in June after just 147 plate appearances. His offense was down a little to a .246/.333/.392 triple slash line, but even ignoring the small sample caveat, that’s still good for a 107 wRC+.

Lewis’ delay is unfortunate, especially given the struggles of Jarred Kelenic in center.  Jake Fraley and Taylor Trammell have helped out in center as well, but Fraley is on the injured list and Trammell is in Triple-A. Somewhat improbably in the playoff hunt, the Mariners could certainly use better than the 50 wRC+ that Kelenic is providing, but given this latest setback for Lewis, any improvement will likely have to come from Kelenic himself. In other news…

  • The Mariners expect bullpen reinforcements soon. Diego Castillo and Anthony Misiewicz are on their way back from the injured list, per Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times (via Twitter). Misiewicz has been one of their more reliable relievers on the season, and Castillo was intended to take over the closer role when he was acquired at the deadline. Paul Sewald has claimed that job for now, so it will be worth watching where manager Scott Servais chooses to work Castillo back into the mix. [UPDATE: the Mariners have officially reinstated Castillo and Misiewicz from the IL.]
  • Lucas Giolito’s hamstring strain may ultimately be a good thing for the White Sox righty. A short stint on the injured list will allow him to reset and adjust some of his mechanics, per Bruce Levine of 670 The Score. On finishing his delivery, Giolito said, “When my finish gets violent, I am recoiling on the pitch and my leg stiffens out. It’s almost like I am falling backwards. I don’t want to be there. It’s a bad habit. When I am strong on my front leg, even with a little bend, it allows me to get through the pitch, which leads to more extension going forward. I feel I am more consistent when I am more athletic and stronger through my finish.”

Tigers Select Drew Carlton

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The Tigers have selected the contract of Drew Carlton from Triple-A. When he appears in a game, it will be his Major League debut. The Tigers 40-man roster still has two spots open.

The 25-year-old was a 32nd round draft pick out of Florida State back in 2017. Since then, the unheralded righty has done nothing but shove. His 3.12 ERA in Triple-A this season is his highest such mark at any level of the minors.

In a piece last December from Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press, Carlton spoke about his arsenal, saying, “I really take pride in my command of all three of my pitches. They’re not good by themselves, but with the command, they are pretty good. I’ve had to really work my tail off to produce the numbers I have. That’s the only way I’m going to be able to get up there (to the majors).”

Carlton has made it now, and he’ll have the chance to prove himself again while pitching out of the Tigers’ bullpen. Hard to say how long his stay will be in the Majors, but hopefully Carlton at least gets in a game during this stint. Regardless, he’s on the 40-man roster now, which is in and of itself a positive sign that suggests Carlton will get a chance at the Major League level.

Blue Jays Activate Jake Lamb, Option Kirby Snead

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The Blue Jays have activated recently acquired third baseman Jake Lamb in time for today’s ballgame. In a corresponding move, Kirby Snead was optioned to Triple-A, per Shi Davidi of Sportsnet (via Twitter).

Davidi also notes that Cavan Biggio took batting practice today. That could mean a short stay for Lamb, given that Biggio has been Toronto’s regular third baseman when healthy. Biggio can move around the diamond, of course, so there might be room for both on the roster. Kevin Smith and Breyvic Valera will also be candidates to lose their roster spot when Biggio returns.

Lamb showed some versatility himself during his stint with the White Sox. He appeared at a couple of games at first and third, but mostly, he was used in the outfield corners. He was a league-average hitter in that time, slashing .212/.321/.389 in 131 plate appearances.

Snead’s time in the Majors was short, but productive. He posted a 2.35 ERA across seven appearances totaling 7 2/3 innings. He gave up seven hits, but walked just two while striking out seven.

Pirates Activate JT Brubaker, Option Kyle Keller

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The Pirates activated JT Brubaker to start today’s game against the Cubs. To make room on the roster, Kyle Keller was optioned to Triple-A, per Kevin Gorman of Tribune-ReviewSports (via Twitter).

The 27-year-old Brubaker has started a career-high 23 games for the Pirates, pitching to a 5.27 ERA/5.23 FIP in 121 1/3 innings. Brubaker may not be considered a long-term piece for Pittsburgh, but he has eaten valuable innings this year and will probably have the opportunity to do so again next season. He has a 23.7 percent strikeout rate, 6.9 percent walk rate, and 43.1 percent groundball rate, all of which are close to league average.

Keller has made 23 appearances out of the bullpen, pitching to a 7.13 ERA/7.62 FIP. The 28-year-old has suffered from wandering command, walking 16.1 percent of batters while only striking out 22.3 percent of opponents.

Mets Activate James McCann

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The Mets have activated James McCann from the injured list, per MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo. No corresponding move is needed at this time, as he will serve as the 29th man for today’s doubleheader.

The move comes just at the right time, as Chance Sisco was involved in a collision at the plate in the ninth inning of yesterday’s game. He’s still being evaluated today, but it wouldn’t be a shock to see him involved in some kind of roster move tomorrow. McCann and Patrick Mazeika will split the catching duties in today’s twin bill.

McCann has been out for a little more than two weeks because of back spasms. Unfortunately for the Mets, even when healthy, he’s been closer to the Tigers’ version of McCann than the White Sox’ version from the past two seasons. In the first year of a four-year deal, McCann is hitting .240/.303/.357 in 337 plate appearances.

Red Sox Add Taylor Motter, Option Connor Wong

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The Red Sox have added Taylor Motter to the active roster, optioning Connor Wong to Triple-A, per the team. Motter was only recently claimed off waivers from the Rockies.

Motter played in 13 games with the Rockies, slashing .150/.227/.150 in 22 plate appearances. The 31-year-old utility man can play all over the diamond, which will be particularly helpful for a Boston team with nine players on the COVID-related injured list. In his career, Motter has bounced around, suiting up for the Rays, Mariners, Twins, and Rockies, as well as a short stint in the KBO.

Wong, 25, has appeared in just six games, but he’s had success in the early going. Wong has four hits in 14 plate appearances, including a double, triple, and a walk. He has also struck out seven times, however.

Cubs Activate Willson Contreras, Place Keegan Thompson On 10-Day Injured List

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The Cubs have activated Willson Contreras from the injured list, and in a corresponding move, they have placed Keegan Thompson on the 10-day IL with right shoulder inflammation, per Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune (via Twitter).

Contreras went on the injured list back on August 12 because of a right knee sprain. He’s the rare familiar face in the Cubs lineup, though he hasn’t been there of late. Austin Romine and Robinson Chirinos have handled the catching duties in his absence. On the year, Contreras has hit .226/.333/.417, good or a 105 wRC+, a solid mark from behind the plate.

Thompson was excellent for the Cubs in small samples out of the pen, but he has struggled while getting a few turns in the rotation. In total, the 26-year-old righty owns a 3.54 ERA/5.13 FIP across 48 1/3 innings with the big league club. Thompson’s spot in the rotation is due to come up again on Tuesday against the Reds.

MLBTR Poll: Amed Rosario’s Future

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Amed Rosario found his swing in August. The Indians shortstop slashed .372/.397/.584 in 121 plate appearances across 26 games in August. That effort buoyed his overall line to .288/.327/.422, two percent better than average by measure of wRC+. Among qualified shortstops, Rosario ranks 13th in the Majors, firmly between Javier Baez and Nicky Lopez. Both Baez and Lopez are considered plus defenders, however, while the jury is still out on Rosario (-8 DRS, 1.4 UZR,-1 OAA in 876 innings).

In fact, there’s question as to whether Rosario will be a shortstop at all next season, writes Ryan Lewis of the Akron Beacon Journal. The uncertainty is driven not so much by his glovework, however, but because of Andres Gimenez, whose defensive prowess makes him a better long-term fit for the position. Gimenez has yet to hit for the Indians, but he tore up Triple-A with a .287/.342/.502 line. Still just 22-years-old, the Indians hope that he can seize shortstop as his own next season. If that happens, Rosario could be expendable.

When played together, Cleveland has put Gimenez at the keystone, though that doesn’t seem to be the long-term plan. That might speak to an uneasiness about playing Rosario at second, or it could be that they’d just rather keep the consistency of Rosario at short for this season. In theory, Rosario could have a future at second, but we haven’t seen him play there yet, and Lewis suggests he’s more likely to be utilized in the outfield.

Rosario’s development at the plate, therefore, hasn’t solidified Cleveland’s shortstop picture, but it does provide the organization with the one thing every front office wants these days: flexibility. Rosario could well be used at shortstop, but he could also return to the outfield or even be used as trade bait, Lewis notes.

If he does go back to the grass, it’s more likely to be in one of the corners than in center. Myles Straw has stabilized center, allowing Rosario to slide to a corner to potentially cover for Josh Naylor until he’s healthy enough to return. Rosario spent 123 1/3 innings in center this year, not enough of a sample to make a decision about his defensive ability there, but enough to grant credence to the idea of Rosario as a supersub.

The concern would be that Rosario’s bat doesn’t yet play as a plus in an outfield corner. That said, the depth at shortstop league-wide is such that the positions aren’t as far apart as in the past. By wRC+, Rosario would rank 18th among right fielders with at least 400 plate appearances, or 14th among left fielders – suggesting that Rosario could be a passable option in a corner.

He certainly could have a role as a supersub who plays everyday, but he might bring more value to a club who wants to install him as their everyday shortstop. He has two years of team control remaining, which adds to his appeal.

What happens next might depend on how the 25-year-old finishes the season. Cleveland has time to figure this out, but if Rosario has finally established himself as an everyday regular, the rest is gravy. Now they just have to figure out what to do with him. Can we point them in the right direction?

(poll link for app users)

Nationals Select Josh Rogers

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The Nationals have selected the contract of lefty Josh Rogers, per the team. Rogers will be added to the active roster to be the 29th man for their doubleheader today. He’s likely to start one of the two games against the Mets today.

Rogers was released by the Orioles in June, signing on with the Nats just a couple of days later. Between the Triple-A affiliates of both clubs, Rogers has a 4.48 ERA across 90 1/3 innings. He last appeared in the Majors with the Orioles back in 2019. He currently owns an 8.65 ERA in 26 career innings between 2018 and 2019.

To make room on the 40-man roster, Kyle McGowin was transferred to the 60-day injured list. McGowin is awaiting a final diagnosis, but he is potentially facing Tommy John surgery. Regardless, he won’t make it back to the hill this season.

McGowin had transitioned to a full-time role in the bullpen this season after multiple years as a swingman for the Nats. The 29-year-old had perhaps his best season as a pro, tossing 30 innings across 27 appearances with a 4.20 ERA/4.59 ERA.

Cardinals Notes: Wainwright, Flaherty, Fernandez

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The Cardinals just keep playing the Cardinal Way. They haven’t been as good as the Brewers, as dramatic as the Cubs, or as divisive as the Reds, but after trouncing Milwaukee last night, the Cardinals are just 1.5 games out of the second wild card spot. It was a familiar pair leading the way as Adam Wainwright and Yadier Molina synced up as the starting battery for the 300th time. They are now the fourth most-prolific duo of all-time, and if they make 25 more starts together, they’ll be at the top of the all-time list.

Unsurprisingly, the Cardinals are planning a one-year extension offer for their longtime ace, whenever he’s ready, writes Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Molina is already locked in for 2022 — his final season before retirement. There are not sufficient superlatives to quantify Wainwright’s standing in baseball, but even isolating his contributions this year, he’s one of the most reliable starters in the game: 27 starts, 176 innings, 2.91 ERA, 3.6 fWAR. The 40-year-old amazingly ranks third in the Majors in innings pitched, behind only Zack Wheeler and Walker Buehler.

In terms of the Cardinals’ other ace, Jack Flaherty could return this season in a bullpen/piggyback role, notes Goold. Just a few weeks ago it seemed that the prudent call would be to shut Flaherty down for the year, but with a wild card spot very much in play, Flaherty could still make an impact. An oblique injury put Flaherty on the 60-day injured list earlier, but after a brief return, he went back on the shelf with a shoulder strain. His return could be a huge boon to the Cardinals in September if he’s able to come back firing on all cylinders.

Junior Fernandez, however, has been shut down for the year with a Grade 2 right lat strain, per MLB.com’s Zachary Silver (via Twitter). The injury will not require surgery, and Fernandez should have no problem getting ready for 2022. The 24-year-old has made 18 appearances out of the pen, tossed 20 2/3 innings, and logged a 5.66 ERA/5.14 FIP.

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