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Quick Hits: Reds, Nationals, A’s

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The Reds and pitching guru Kyle Boddy are ending their relationship after two seasons, per a press release from Boddy himself. Boddy and Driveline Baseball, his player development organization, surged into the public sphere not long ago as major disruptors in pitching innovation and date-driven development. The Reds’ hiring of Boddy as their minor league pitching coordinator suggested buy-in on Cincinnati’s side, as did their promotion of Boddy to Director of Pitching. That makes this split somewhat surprising, but the relationship clearly did not progress as planned.

What this means for the future of Reds’ development is unclear. Changing philosophies organization-wide can be a slow and clunky process, but it’s certainly possible that the Reds don’t plan to make wholesale changes. Still, moving on from such a public and outside-the-box hire suggests that the Reds will be moving in a different direction in terms of their minor league development strategy. Elsewhere around the game…

  • The Nationals are planning on avoiding a full-scale rebuild, according to comments made by GM Mike Rizzo, provided by Jesse Dougherty of the Washington Post (via Twitter). Perhaps most interestingly, Rizzo says that the players on the squad now will make the foundation of their next championship club. Juan Soto fits the bill, for obvious reasons, but it’s unclear who else might be a part of that supposed core. Keibert Ruiz, Luis Garcia, and Carter Kieboom are the most obvious candidates given their age and prospect status, but none of the three is yet clearly established as an above-average regular. Time will tell if Rizzo is right about this current crop of Nats.
  • The Athletics continue to take steps towards relocating from Oakland to Las Vegas. Per Matt Kawahara of the San Francisco Chronicle, the A’s will winnow a list of potential sites down to a few finalists sometime in November. Although Vegas’ involvement might have seemed like a bargaining ploy to start, there’s clearly a real possibility of a move. This saga is far from done, however, as the city of Oakland remains in negotiations with the A’s about the prospect of building a new stadium.

Shohei Ohtani Battling Arm Soreness, Might Not Pitch For Rest Of The Season

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TODAY: After throwing a bullpen session, the Angels now believe the Ohtani is well enough to start this Sunday’s ballgame against Oakland, per MLB.com’s Rhett Bollinger (via Twitter).

Sept. 16: Shohei Ohtani won’t pitch during the Angels’ three-game series with the Athletics, though the two-way star had been tentatively slated to start tomorrow’s series opener.  Angels manager Joe Maddon told MLB.com’s Ryan Herrera and other reporters that Ohtani came away with a sore arm after a game of catch on Wednesday, so the team will keep him from pitching so his condition can be further monitored.  Ohtani will continue to regularly serve as the Angels’ DH, though it is possible Ohtani may have pitched his last game of 2021.

While the situation “hasn’t gotten there yet” in terms of shutting Ohtani down as a pitcher, Maddon said “we just have to wait and see” if Ohtani could take the hill for the 22nd time this season.

“He’ll continue to do his thing and be playing catch, and then we’ll determine if he feels good enough to [pitch] again,” Maddon said.  “So I don’t know.  I think he can, but we’ve been caught in these circumstances a lot this year.”

There isn’t much left for the Angels to play for this season, so it wouldn’t make much sense for the team to take a risk with Ohtani during what has already been an injury-riddled campaign for the Halos.  Losing Mike Trout and Anthony Rendon for the majority of the season spelled doom for a club that needed all the offensive help it could get considering the Angels’ pitching and defensive struggles.

The one big bright spot has been Ohtani’s season for the ages.  Combining excellent pitching with elite offense, Ohtani has a 3.36 ERA and 28.8% strikeout rate over 115 1/3 innings on the mound this year, and a .254/.336/.599 slash line and 44 home runs over 564 plate appearances.  This incredible performance has evoked comparisons to Babe Ruth, turned Ohtani into a household name, and made him the presumptive frontrunner for the AL MVP Award.

Quite a bit of Ohtani’s production, however, came in the first half of the season.  Ohtani has hit only .191/.331/.376 with seven home runs over his last 172 PA, and his most recent pitching outing (on September 10) saw him allow six runs over 3 1/3 innings of work against the Astros.  Some decline was probably inevitable given Ohtani’s meteoric start, and his unique workload in staying prepared to both pitch and regularly hit against Major League competition.

Ohtani also pitched only 1 2/3 innings total in 2019-20 due to injuries, including a recovery from Tommy John surgery.  That said, whatever wear and tear Ohtani might be feeling has seemingly impacted his bat more than his arm.  Apart from that one mediocre start against the Astros, Ohtani has otherwise posted a 2.20 ERA over 45 innings since the All-Star break.

Giants Place Jake McGee On 10-Day Injured List

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The Giants have placed reliever Jake McGee on the 10-day injured list with a right oblique strain, per Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle. Because the injury placement is backdated to Tuesday when McGee first felt the muscle acting up, he will be available to return to the active roster by September 24 at the earliest.

Not long ago, it would have been scoff-worthy to suggest that McGee would find a role as the nominal closer for the team with the best record in the Majors – but here we are. McGee was one of the Rockies’ ill-fated bullpen signings back in 2017, and by the time that $27MM contract had run its course, McGee had fallen so far out of favor that Colorado released him before the third season was up. The southpaw posted an unfortunate 5.54 ERA over those two seasons in Colorado with unusually high walk and home run rates.

He’s rejuvenated now, however, having performed well for the Dodgers last season before catching on in San Francisco this year. He owns a 2.72 ERA/3.35 FIP across 62 games totaling 59 2/3 innings with an impressive 31 saves. Since leaving Colorado, his walk and home run rates have returned to normal levels – a 4.2 percent walk rate coming in well below the average mark and a 2.9 percent home run rate being exactly league average. McGee is also striking out a solid 24.3 percent of opponents.

Without McGee, the Giants will turn to Tyler Rogers, Tony Watson, and Dominic Leone to close games, writes Slusser. Rogers has played the part already this season, notching 12 saves while appearing in a league-leading 71 games for Gabe Kapler’s club. Leone has been used more as an opener of late, but he’ll be an option from the right side as well. Watson, a trade deadline acquisition this season, can close from the left side, should the match-ups lean that way.

McGee’s roster spot went to Jay Jackson, who was recalled today from Triple-A. Jackson has spent a decent chunk of time on the active roster and begun to earn Kapler’s trust at times. The 33-year-old has pitched in 22 games for a 3.95 ERA across 20 2/3 innings. Given that Jackson had totaled just 34 2/3 innings in the Majors prior to this season, he’s been a pleasant surprise in limited action for the Giants.

MLB To Require COVID Vaccinations For Non-Player Team Personnel To Gain Access To Field In Postseason

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Major League Baseball will require non-player team personnel, including managers and coaching staff members, to be vaccinated against COVID-19 in order to gain access to the field and other restricted areas this postseason, reports Ken Rosenthal of the Athletic (Twitter links). Currently unvaccinated staff members must receive their first dose of the Moderna vaccine by October 4 — with an appointment for their second dose scheduled — in order to have field access, per Rosenthal.

Certain teams — the Nationals, Astros and Cubs reportedly among them — have already mandated vaccinations for full-time employees. (Jesse Dougherty of the Washington Post reported this morning that two former Nationals’ staffers are filing a complaint with the Equal Opportunity Employment Commission after being fired for failure to comply with the organization’s vaccination mandate). This is the first instance of a league-imposed vaccine requirement for team personnel to gain field access. MLB has previously relaxed health and safety protocols for teams that had vaccinated at least 85% of Tier 1 personnel over the course of the season in an effort to encourage widespread vaccination.

The league’s vaccination mandate does not directly impact players. Any potential player vaccination mandate, either on the part of MLB or specific teams, would need to be agreed upon with the MLB Players Association, perhaps as part of talks regarding the upcoming collective bargaining agreement.

Angels Select Jhonathan Diaz, Reinstate Jose Marte

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The Angels have selected the contract of southpaw Jhonathan Diaz and added him to the active roster to start tonight’s ballgame, the team announced. Diaz, 25, will be making his Major League debut.

The Angels also reinstated righty Jose Marte from the injured list. Marte, 25, made just one appearance this season, and in fact, for his career thus far, tossing two scoreless innings against Cleveland on August 20. He was originally signed by the Giants and sent to the Angels this season as part of the Tony Watson deal.

In terms of departures, veteran Junior Guerra was placed on the 10-day injured list with a left hamstring strain and Elvis Peguero was returned to Triple-A. Guerra has soaked up his share of innings for the halos this season, though he’s struggled to the tune of a 6.06 ERA/4.74 FIP over those 65 1/3 innings. Peguero made just three appearances with the club totaling 2 1/3 innings.

Rangers’ John King Undergoes Thoracic Outlet Surgery

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Rangers reliever John King recently underwent surgery to correct thoracic outlet syndrome, the team informed reporters (including Jeff Wilson). He’s expected to be ready for Spring Training in 2022.

King hasn’t pitched since July 9, landing on the injured list with what the team initially called shoulder inflammation. That he required this procedure to address the issue is a bit discouraging, since some pitchers (most prominently Matt Harvey) never regained their effectiveness after bouts with thoracic outlet syndrome. That’s not to say TOS surgery is automatically a crushing blow, however. As one example, the Diamondbacks’ Merrill Kelly underwent a thoracic outlet procedure last September and has been durable (aside from a battle with COVID-19) and essentially as productive this season as he’d been in years prior.

The Rangers have had a below-average relief group this season, but King had been a bright spot before his injury. The southpaw frequently worked multiple innings, tossing 46 frames over 27 appearances. Despite a below-average 20.7% strikeout rate, King posted a 3.52 ERA thanks largely to his ability to keep the ball on the ground. The sinkerballer racked up grounders at a 57% clip, a top thirty mark among the 320 relievers with 20+ innings pitched.

That performance was impressive enough that King was initially reported to be part of the Yankees’ deadline acquisition of Joey Gallo. He was eventually removed from the deal as part of a later reshuffling, with Joely Rodríguez heading to the Bronx instead. (King was already on the IL at the time and didn’t return to pitch this season).

Assuming he’s ready for Spring Training as expected, King should have the inside track at landing a season-opening spot in the Texas bullpen. The 27-year-old isn’t slated to reach arbitration eligibility until after the 2023 campaign at the earliest, and future optional assignments could push back that timeline even further.

Royals Hire Gene Watson As Vice President/Assistant GM

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The Royals announced the hiring of veteran executive Gene Watson as vice president and assistant general manager of major league scouting, relays Alec Lewis of the Athletic. Alden González of ESPN reported Wednesday that Watson would be taking on a role in the Kansas City front office.

Watson is no stranger to the Royals, as he previously spent fourteen years in the organization as a scout and executive. He’d ascended to the role of senior director of pro scouting and assistant to the general manager before departing last December to join the Angels’ front office. Watson interviewed for the Angels’ GM job last winter and ultimately accepted a special advisor role in Los Angeles after the team hired Perry Minasian to lead baseball operations. (He also interviewed for the Astros’ GM job that eventually went to James Click the previous offseason).

Kansas City will welcome the well-respected evaluator back into the fold as part of a broader shakeup of the front office structure. On Tuesday, the Royals promoted longtime GM Dayton Moore to president of baseball operations, bumping assistant GM J.J. Piccolo up to general manager in the process.

Red Sox Activate Chris Sale, Matt Barnes From Injured List

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The Red Sox announced they’ve reinstated ace Chris Sale and closer Matt Barnes from the COVID-19 injured list. Ryan Brasier was optioned to Triple-A Worcester, while Michael Feliz was designated for assignment to clear roster space.

Sale and Barnes become the two latest players to return after testing positive for the coronavirus. The Sox are still without Christian Arroyo, Yairo Muñoz, Jarren Duran, Jonathan Araúz, Danny Santana and Phillips Valdéz for virus-related reasons. Sale and Barnes were perhaps the two most impactful players yet to return from the outbreak before this evening, though.

After missing all of 2020 and a good portion of 2021 recovering from Tommy John surgery, Sale returned to make five starts before testing positive on September 9. He turned in a few vintage performances before contracting the virus, working 25 innings of 2.52 ERA ball with a quality 27.5% strikeout percentage and a tiny 5.5% walk rate. Getting a few more great starts down the stretch would be critical for a Boston team that enters play tonight tied with the Blue Jays and holding a half-game advantage over the archrival Yankees for the American League’s two Wild Card spots.

Barnes missed a bit more time than Sale did, as he tested positive on August 30. That couple weeks on the shelf required him to make a pair of minor league rehab appearances this week before returning to the active roster. One of the league’s best relievers in the first half, Barnes had a disastrous August and will be looking to return to his early-season form down the stretch.

The Red Sox signed Feliz to a minor league deal near the end of August and selected him to the major league club a couple weeks later. He made just four appearances for Boston, tossing 5 1/3 frames of two-run ball before losing his spot. The Red Sox will place the 28-year-old on waivers over the next few days.

Feliz has split the 2021 season between three teams, pitching for the Pirates and Reds in addition to his work with the Sox. He’s posted a 7.32 ERA in 19 2/3 innings between that trio of clubs despite solid strikeout and walk rates (25.3% and 6.9%, respectively). Opposing hitters have popped four home runs off the fly-ball pitcher in that limited body of work.

Mets Activate Brandon Nimmo From Injured List

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The Mets announced they’ve reinstated center fielder Brandon Nimmo from the 10-day injured list before this evening’s game against the Phillies. Reliever Jake Reed was optioned to Triple-A Syracuse in a corresponding move.

Nimmo returns after missing just under two weeks with a right hamstring strain. At the time he went down, the club was still above .500 and within three and a half games of the division-leading Braves. They’ve gone just 3-7 in the ten games since, falling five and a half back of Atlanta and five games behind the Cardinals in the Wild Card race. Their playoff odds, in FanGraphs’ estimation, have dipped from 10.2% to 1.9% in the process, as it’s probably too late for Nimmo to make a meaningful contribution in a postseason push.

The team’s disappointing season hasn’t been the fault of Nimmo, who has continued to excel when healthy. Always one of the game’s best at drawing walks and reaching base, the left-handed hitter owns a .302/.420/.415 line with five home runs over 320 plate appearances. Nimmo doesn’t hit for much power, but he’s one of just five hitters with 300+ plate appearances and an on-base percentage north of .400 (Juan Soto, Bryce Harper, Yasmani Grandal and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. being the others).

In an additional roster move, the Mets activated righty Jordan Yamamoto from the 60-day injured list and optioned him to Syracuse. Doing so required opening space on the 40-man roster, so New York recalled minor league lefty Thomas Szapucki and placed him on the major league 60-day IL. Szapucki, who is out for the year after undergoing ulnar nerve transposition surgery in mid-July, will receive big league pay and service time for the season’s final few weeks.

Mariners Outright Jose Marmolejos

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SEPTEMBER 17: Marmolejos has cleared waivers and been outrighted back to Tacoma, the team announced Friday. He has the right to elect free agency because he’d previously been outrighted in his career, although the team offered no indication he’s planning to do so.

SEPTEMBER 14: The Mariners announced they’ve designated corner outfielder/first baseman José Marmolejos for assignment. Fellow outfielder Jake Fraley has been reinstated from the 10-day injured list in a corresponding move. Marmolejos’ designation also opens a spot on Seattle’s 40-man roster, which now sits at 39.

Marmolejos has already been designated once this season, losing his roster spot back in May after hitting just .139/.266/.278 in his first 94 plate appearances. The 28-year-old cleared outright waivers and was sent to Triple-A Tacoma. He put together an incredible few months with the Rainiers, popping 23 home runs in just 303 plate appearances and mashing at a .360/.452/.700 clip. That earned him another look with the big league club, as the M’s reselected Marmolejos a couple weeks back.

Seattle has given Marmolejos a few starts since he was called back up, but he again struggled in a very small sample of 28 plate appearances. With Fraley ready to return to assume his customary left field role, the front office evidently determined there was no space on the big league club for Marmolejos. Because he’s out of minor league option years, Marmolejos had to again be exposed to waivers to be bumped from the active roster.

While Marmolejos cleared waivers a few months ago, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see another club take a flier on him this time around thanks to his intervening demolishing of Triple-A pitching. Any claiming team would also have to keep the left-handed hitter on the active roster or place him back on waivers themselves.

Fraley has missed a little more than two weeks due to right shoulder inflammation. The 26-year-old got off to a great start to the season but had cooled off significantly before landing on the shelf. He’s still been a productive player overall, though, sporting a season line of .213/.359/.388. It’s an unsightly batting average, to be sure, but Fraley’s massive 18.2% walk rate has helped him post an OBP nearly forty points higher than the .321 league average (excluding pitchers).

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