Injury Notes: Grandal, Belt, Miller, Akiyama
After suffering a twisted knee early in camp, Yasmani Grandal played in his first game of the spring today. Grandal was in the White Sox lineup as a DH, and it isn’t yet known when he might return to his usual spot at catcher. Grandal told reporters (including NBC Sports Chicago’s Vinnie Duber) that he is focused on his catching preparation, saying “right now, repetition behind the plate is probably No. 1. I could (not) care less if I start off the season hitting or not. I know the bat is going to come through at some point, and once that happens, then it’s a done deal.”
Given the length of time between now and Opening Day, it doesn’t seem like Grandal will require any sort of injured list trip to allow him another week to get fully ready. With James McCann now signed with the Mets, Chicago’s backup catching options include the inexperienced Zack Collins and veteran Jonathan Lucroy (in camp on a minor league deal), and Grandal is expected to take more of the catching load in 2021.
More on some injury situations from around the league…
- Brandon Belt‘s readiness for the Giants‘ opener is more of a question, as he got a late start on Spring Training and still hasn’t played in any games. Belt told reporters (including Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle) that he spent several weeks recovering first from a positive COVID-19 diagnosis and then a case of mono almost immediately afterwards. Beyond these twin illnesses, Belt’s readiness for Opening Day was already a bit up in the air due to his heel surgery from last October. While Belt is a major contributor to the Giants’ offense, the team at least has quite a bit of first base depth — Darin Ruf, Wilmer Flores, Austin Slater, Tommy La Stella, or even Buster Posey — to fill the gap until Belt is ready to play.
- Brad Miller was a late scratch from today’s Phillies lineup after suffering a ribcage injury during a running drill. Manager Joe Girardi told NBC Sports’ Jim Salisbury and other reporters that Miller suffered a “tweak” and will get further testing done to determine the extent of the injury. There certainly appears to be some concern that Miller has hurt his oblique, which would require at least a few weeks out of action and an IL stint. After initially playing for the Phillies in 2019, Miller spent last season with the Cardinals before signing a one-year, $3.5MM deal this winter to return to Philadelphia. The 31-year Miller brings both multi-positional value and a solid bat (.247/.343/.510 with 20 home runs over 341 plate appearances in 2019-20) to the roster, making him a difficult player to replace for the Phils if indeed Miller does end up on the IL.
- Reds outfielder Shogo Akiyama left tonight’s game with a tight left hamstring and will be re-evaluated tomorrow. In his first MLB season, Akiyama hit .245/.357/.297 in 183 PA, though he hit significantly better in September and October once he became more adjusted to Major League pitching. Between this improved bat and some solid glovework, Akiyama was being counted on for at least a big part-time role in Cincinnati’s outfield, though those plans could be altered should his hamstring injury prove serious.
MLBTR Chat Transcript
Click here to read the transcript of tonight’s live baseball chat
AL West Notes: Adell, Marsh, Flexen, Kozma
Jo Adell was removed during the second inning today’s game after the Angels outfielder collided with the wall in search of a fly ball. The move was made for precautionary reasons, as Adell said he “felt something” after the crash, manager Joe Maddon told the Los Angeles Times’ Jack Harris and other reporters. Team trainers didn’t find anything in the way of a hyper-extension after examining Adell, so the youngster may have escaped any real harm.
Considered one of the game’s top prospects prior to his MLB debut last season, Adell is a big part of the Halos’ future outfield plans, along with fellow up-and-comer Brandon Marsh. A lingering shoulder injury from last season has kept Marsh from any outfield action this spring, though he is expected to be back on the grass next week and Marsh tells MLB.com’s Rhett Bollinger that he believes he’ll be ready for the start of the season. Adell and Marsh will both likely begin the season at the Angels’ alternate training site and then with their Triple-A team, before factoring into the Major League roster at some point during the year.
More from the AL West…
- Chris Flexen was one of a relative few free agent pitchers to sign a multi-year deal this winter, inking a two-year contract (plus 2023 club option) with the Mariners that will pay the right-hander at least $4.75MM in guaranteed money. Tom O’Connell, Flexen’s agent, tells The Athletic’s Corey Brock that Seattle was one of “four or five teams very interested in Chris,” and the Mariners sealed the deal after Flexen was impressed by GM Jerry Dipoto’s pitch of the organization’s merits during a Zoom call. The M’s had done their homework on Flexen in the KBO, as assistant GM Justin Hollander said that during the league shutdown, the Mariners had extra scouts breaking down film of games from Korea and Japan — both to give the scouting staff some work, and also to hunt for any potential hidden-gem offseason targets. Clearly Seattle liked what it saw in Flexen, who had only an 8.07 ERA over 68 career MLB innings with the Mets from 2017-19 but excelled with a 3.01 ERA and 28K% over 116 2/3 innings as a starter with the KBO’s Doosan Bears in 2020.
- The Athletics are giving Pete Kozma a long look in Spring Training, as the veteran infielder has thus far played in all of Oakland’s spring games, MLB.com’s Martin Gallegos writes. Kozma is trying to make his way back to the majors for the first time since 2018, and while Kozma has long been known as a glove-first player, he has been on fire at the plate in the Cactus League. The A’s already have Chad Pinder and Tony Kemp slated for both second-base duty and as utilitymen, though Kozma is making a case for himself for a bench job. It probably doesn’t hurt Kozma’s chances that Jed Lowrie (also in camp on a minors deal, and a veteran with a much longer MLB track record) has only just returned to game action as Lowrie tries to return from the leg injuries that have plagued his last two seasons.
Indians Release Billy Hamilton
TODAY: The Indians announced that Hamilton has been released.
MARCH 11: The Indians have informed veteran outfielder Billy Hamilton, who is in camp with them on a minor league deal, that he will not make the Opening Day roster, manager Terry Francona announced to reporters this morning (Twitter link via MLB.com’s Mandy Bell). The organization made the decision quickly and will “attempt to help him land” with another club, per Francona.
Hamilton always faced an uphill battle in making the Indians’ roster, given the presence of Eddie Rosario, Oscar Mercado, Josh Naylor, Jordan Luplow, Bradley Zimmer, Daniel Johnson, Amed Rosario and Jake Bauers on the 40-man roster. But Cleveland’s outfield picture got even more crowded not two weeks after Hamilton inked his deal with the club on Feb. 12, as the Indians wound up claiming Harold Ramirez off waivers from the Marlins.
It’s not clear whether Cleveland will quickly release Hamilton or simply try to find a nominal trade that could send him to another club with more of a need in the outfield. Either way, it seems likely Hamilton will be with another club before too long.
The 30-year-old speedster was a fixture in the Reds’ outfield from 2013-18 but has begun to bounce around the league in journeyman fashion since that time. He split the 2019 season between the Royals and the Braves before spending time with the Giants, Mets and Cubs organizations in 2020. (He did not appear in the Majors with San Francisco.) Hamilton remains one of the game’s fastest players and most gifted outfield defenders, but he’s batted just .237/.294/.317 across his past four seasons in a total of 1578 plate appearances.
Pitching Notes: Tigers, A’s, Orioles
Not only is veteran Julio Teheran hitting as high as 94 mph on the radar gun, but he got three strikeouts on his slider in his most-recent outing, writes Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press. Said Teheran, “My slider is the best it’s been in a while. The last time I felt my slider was like this was my 2016 All-Star season. That’s the kind of confidence I have right now. I feel like I can throw my pitches anytime I want. My command is there. Just a different game when you have everything working.” The Tigers will owe Teheran $3MM at minimum if he makes the team, so there is a financial component to audition. Still, Detroit has an active payroll of only around $75MM, per Spotrac, and a projected luxury tax payroll of around $94MM. Fangraphs‘ estimates for those payroll numbers to be closer to $81MM and $100MM, respectively. In either case, the Tigers shouldn’t need worry about an extra few million if Terehan proves worthy of a rotation spot. In other pitcher news…
- Mike Fiers suffered a setback and is now questionable for opening day. The Athletics’ right-hander will have an MRI done on his hip/back tomorrow, per John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle (via Twitter). In a best case scenario, Fiers would be competing with A.J. Puk for the A’s fifth starter spot, though neither has appeared in a spring contest as of yet. Puk has the higher ceiling, but Fiers would seem to have the inside track on the role after posting a palatable 4.58 ERA/4.94 FIP across 59 innings last season. While he’s out, Daulton Jefferies, Grant Holmes, or James Kaprielian could receive a look out of the rotation. Puk remains a candidate, though they’re likely to be cautious with his usage.
- Hunter Harvey had been one of the few locks to start the season in the Orioles’ bullpen, but with his latest setback, opportunity knocks for another of Orioles’ hurler, per Jon Meoli of the Baltimore Sun. With so many roster spots still up for grabs, the Orioles could use Harvey’s spot to secure a job for another short-stint arm, like Cole Sulser, Dillon Tate, or Travis Lakins. But they could also take the opportunity to have yet another starter/piggyback arm on the roster. Even the Orioles’ likely rotation arms – John Means, Keegan Akin, and Dean Kremer – aren’t locks to pitch deep into games. Bruce Zimmermann seems a decent candidate to make the roster as a swingman – and a near lock to see time on the Major League roster at some point in 2021 – but he may need some help filling the middle innings. Tyler Wells would be one such candidate. A starter in the Twins’ system, Wells is a Rule 5 pick who needs to make the roster in order to stay in the organization.
NL Notes: Mike Soroka’s Return, Cardinals’ Rotation Health
Alex Anthopolous spoke to Craig Mish of Sportsgrid about when Mike Soroka might be ready to return to a big-league mound. Anthopolous suggested he’ll be more-or-less ready in April, and though it sounds like he isn’t likely to be on the opening day roster, joining the club before the end of the season’s first month appears likely. That’s great news for an Atlanta rotation that’s looking better by the day. Max Fried remains at the top of their projected pitching staff, while Ian Anderson continues to look the part of a Major League hurler. In the meantime…
- Huascar Ynoa, Kyle Wright, and Bryse Wilson continue to compete to be Soroka’s understudy. Because of the way the schedule shakes out, the Braves could open the season with a four-man rotation of Fried, Anderson, Charlie Morton, and Drew Smyly. But one of Ynoa, Wright, and Wilson would still likely make the team in that case as a long-man out of the pen, writes MLB.com’s Mark Bowman. All three young pitchers have some experience in that role, but Ynoa, in particular, has struggled somewhat pitching deep into games, which the Braves are monitoring closely this spring, writes Bowman. If the Braves prefer Ynoa as a couple-innings-at-a-time-type arm out of the pen, that could bode well for his chances to make the opening day roster.
- The Cardinals, meanwhile, might be without yet another starter when the season opens. Manager Mike Shildt put Kwang Hyun Kim in the same camp as Miles Mikolas concerning their readiness for opening day. Kim missed his most recent start after his back tightened up on him during a bullpen session, per MLB.com’s Jeff Jones (Twitter links). There’s not much concern long-term regarding Kim’s health, but there are now a couple of open rotation spots behind Adam Wainwright, Jack Flaherty and Carlos Martinez. John Gant is the favorite to nab one of those two spots, with Daniel Ponce de Leon, Jake Woodford and Johan Oviedo among the candidates to start games early in the year.
- The Cardinals have come to terms with 24 pre-arbitration players, per Jones (via Twitter). This is notable because it means they didn’t have to renew anyone’s contract, an option that teams retain under the current arbitration system. While pre-arbitration players don’t have the right to arbitration yet, they do still have to come to terms on a new deal each season. In cases where an agreement can’t be made, the team can unilaterally renew a player’s contract. The Cardinals had had to renew contracts in the past for Flaherty and Jordan Hicks, and while it’s hard to quantify long-term damage, it certainly paints a poor portrait of team-player relations. It is a good sign, in this case, that the Cardinals found common ground with all of their pre-arbitration players.
Andrés Giménez Likely To Be Named Starting Shortstop
During a Zoom call with reporters including Zack Meisel of the Athletic, Indians’ manager Terry Francona all but named Andrés Giménez the team’s everyday shortstop. Francona spoke glowingly of Giménez’s pace and understanding of the game from a defensive standpoint. He also noted that their confidence in Giménez was a primary driver behind Amed Rosario being asked to get reps in centerfield (and elsewhere).
Giménez became a fan favorite during his one season with the Mets as a 21-year-old. While he doesn’t project for much punch at the plate (nor patience), a triple slash line of .263/.333/.398 showed enough for the Indians to saddle him with the weighty responsibility of replacing franchise legend Francisco Lindor.
Offensively, he won’t come close to matching Lindor’s all-around play, but he does have the skill set to more-or-less replace Lindor’s contributions with the glove. None of ZiPS, Steamer, The Bat X or ATC think very highly of Giménez’s ability at the plate: The four projection systems forecast a range of .296 wOBA to .306 wOBA, despite a .321 wOBA in 2020. Even if he outperforms his forecasts, he’ll likely need to excel defensively to make a positive on-field impact in 2021.
Lindor tied for second among shortstops in 2020 with seven outs above average, but Giménez finished with four OAA himself with a six percent success rate added – the best such mark among shortstops. Lindor posted a three percent success rate added. For what it’s worth, Giménez managed saw just 182 innings in the field, which can both help and hurt his defensive metrics. Essentially, Giménez figures to be a strong performer with the glove, but just how strong isn’t exactly clear. Francona noted his sure-handedness with the glove, and it’s at least within the realm of possibility that he grows into one of the better gloveman at the position.
With Giménez likely to man short, Rosario will be pushed into a utility role. Rosario has long been viewed as having the tools to provide plus defense, but he’ll have to do so from various spots around the diamond. It will be a new challenge for the 25-year-old, who has played all but three career innings at shortstop. With César Hernández and José Ramírez at second and third, the infield is largely spoken for – though Rosario will have opportunities to spell both players, as well as Giménez at short. One would think he would start most games against southpaws somewhere on the infield.
Because of Rosario’s $2.4MM contract, there’s little doubt that Rosario will make the roster. His exact role, however, will be a situation worth watching through the season’s first couple of months. Giménez might have seen some time in the minors as a pre-arbitration player with three options remaining, but that now appears less likely.
Injury Notes: Kelenic, Long Jr., Choi
Let’s get some injury updates from the American League…
- Jarred Kelenic is progressing well as he tries to get his left knee back to full strength, per the Athletic’s Corey Brock (via Twitter). The young outfielder plans to meet with the training staff today and set a course to return to action. Kelenic himself was bullish about his ability to make a quick return. Assuming no setbacks, there’s no reason that Kelenic shouldn’t be ready for the season opener. Whether or not he makes the Mariners’ opening day roster will be one of the more closely watched roster decisions around the game. The 21-year-old certainly expects to make the roster, despite only 21 games of experience at Double-A.
- Shed Long Jr. lost his starting second base job to Dylan Moore last season, and he looked to make a strong impression this spring. Instead, inflammation in his surgically-repaired right shin has kept him out of action entirely, writes the Athletic’s Corey Brock. It now seems unlikely that Long will even be ready in time to make the team. The Mariners had high hopes for Long’s role in 2021, even if he wasn’t the starter at second. After making a bid for a number of utility types in free agency, the Mariners came up empty, presumably leaving room for Long to take on that role – even after slashing .171/.242/.291 in 128 plate appearances in 2020.
- Ji-Man Choi had his knee examined by the team doctor yesterday after experiencing some tightness, per Adam Berry of MLB.com (via Twitter). The issue hasn’t kept Choi from participating in drills, so the team is not overly concerned at the moment. While Choi’s splits and defensive limitations somewhat minimize his potential role on the team, he brings much-needed thump when he is in the lineup. He also adds to the club as a recognizable and likeable personality. The sometimes-switch-hitting slugger adds the most value against right-handed pitching. He has a career 125 wRC+ against righties. Were he to miss significant time, Yoshi Tsutsugo could step in, while Brandon Lowe could slide over from second or Francisco Mejia could fill the lineup spot as well. The Rays would have a number of potential ways to re-shape their roster. Hopefully, however, no changes will be necessary. That said, Choi is likely to be shut down for a week to ten days, adds Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times (via Twitter).
Royals Roster Moves
The Royals announced a number of roster moves today. Daniel Tillo and Angel Zerpa were both optioned to the minor leagues, while a third southpaw, Eric Skoglund, was reassigned to minor league camp. Both Tillo and Zerpa are on the Royals’ 40-man roster.
Though both Tillo and Zerpa are on the 40-man, neither seemed particularly likely to make the roster out of camp. The 24-year-old Tillo made it as high as Double-A in 2019, throwing 23 1/3 innings for Northwest Arkansas with a 3.47 ERA/3.62 FIP. He has been rehabbing from Tommy John surgery, notes the Athletic’s Alec Lewis (via Twitter). Fangraphs has Tillo as the Royals’ 38th-ranked prospect. Zerpa, meanwhile, is a 21-year-old southpaw out of Venezuela who has yet to play above rookie ball.
Skoglund will be more familiar to Royals’ fans. The 28-year-old made a total of 27 appearances (22 starts) for the Royals from 2017 to 2019. Over those three seasons, he pitched to a 6.61 ERA/5.50 FIP across 109 innings with a 39.3 percent groundball rate, subpar 13.8 percent strikeout rate, and so-so 8.2 percent walk rate. Skoglund was served an 80-game PED suspension in January of 2019. He returned late that season to spend a little time in the rotation, but without much success. He was designated for assignment last season and brought to camp as a non-roster invitee.
AL West Notes: Rangers, Lyles, Astros, Díaz, Odorizzi, Javier
Jordan Lyles won’t get turns as a traditional starter to open the season for the Rangers, and he’s not thrilled about it, per Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News (via Twitter). Rangers manager Chris Woodward told the 6’5″ right-hander that he’s likely headed for 50-60 pitch outings, at least to start the season. Lyles surrendered more earned runs than any other pitcher in 2020, finishing with a 7.02 ERA/5.95 FIP in 57 2/3 innings. Outside of a 2-inning outing to start the season, Lyles served as a starter, though he did twice enter the game following an opener. Despite his struggles, Lyles averaged 88 pitches per outing as a starter/follower. The Rangers presumably want to protect Lyles while getting an extended look at some of their younger hurlers like Taylor Hearn and Brett Martin. Staying in Texas…
- Chander Rome of the Houston Chronicle wonders if Aledmys Díaz might make some sense as a trade candidate for the Astros. The utility man is set to make $3MM this year, and the Astros would love to trim a little off the top of their payroll. Díaz has slashed .265/.337/.470 in 306 plate appearances the past two seasons as one of the first guys off the bench. Robel Garcia and Abraham Toro are competing for the second utility guy off the bench, and it certainly makes some sense to consider a Díaz trade if there’s one to be had. That said, Diaz is the best fit as a backup at shortstop, and Carlos Correa hasn’t exactly been an iron man. The Astros could also try to move Brooks Raley ($2MM), Joe Smith ($4MM) or Martin Maldonado ($3.5MM) as a way to trim the payroll, though the latter isn’t particularly likely.
- Elsewhere on the Astros’ roster, they’re going to need to utilize their pitching depth from the jump. Recently-signed Jake Odorizzi isn’t likely to be ready for opening day, neither is Pedro Baez, currently on the COVID-19 injured list. Cristian Javier is also a bit of a question mark, not having pitched in a game since March 2, writes MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart. Zack Greinke, Lance McCullers Jr., and Jose Urquidy remain at the top of the rotation, but the final two spots may be up for grabs. If Javier and Odorizzi aren’t ready for opening day, Luis García and Bryan Abreu are back in camp and ready to audition.