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Archives for April 2022
Dodgers Select Reyes Moronta, Designate Darien Nunez, Place David Price On COVID-IL
6:36PM: Price tested positive for COVID-19, manager Dave Roberts told reporters (including Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times). Price is showing symptoms but is vaccinated, and Roberts doesn’t expect anyone else on the team to hit the COVID-IL due to infection or close-contact situations.
3:05PM: McKinstry has now been quickly recalled from his Triple-A assignment since David Price has been placed on the injured list. No specific reason was given for Price’s placement.
2:43PM: The Dodgers made a few roster moves prior to today’s game, according to their transactions tracker at MLB.com. Right-handed pitcher Reyes Moronta had his contract selected. To make room on the active roster, utility player Zach McKinstry was optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma City. To clear a spot for Moronta on the 40-man roster, left-hander Darien Nunez was designated for assignment.
Moronta seemed to emerge as an elite bullpen weapon for the Giants in 2018 and ’19. Over those two seasons, the righty threw 121 2/3 innings with a 2.66 ERA. His 13.8% walk rate was certainly concerning, but he paired that with a 29.3% strikeout rate. Unfortunately, shoulder surgery caused him to miss the entirety of the shortened 2020 campaign. Last year, a flexor strain limited him to four innings in the majors and 18 innings in Triple-A.
The Giants outrighted him at the end of the season, with Moronta electing free agency. He signed a minors deal with the Dodgers that would guarantee him $1.5MM if he cracked the roster. With his selection today, the 29-year-old has now secured himself that salary. As of today, Moronta has exactly four years of MLB service time, as well as still being able to be optioned to the minors. If he can hold onto his 40-man roster spot through the remainder of the season, the Dodgers could opt to keep him around via arbitration. In six Triple-A innings so far this year, he has an ERA of 1.50, with 10 strikeouts but 4 walks.
As for Nunez, it was announced yesterday that he will need to undergo Tommy John surgery. Nunez was in the minors at the time, meaning that the Dodgers could have merely placed him on the minor league injured list. However, in that scenario, he would continue to occupy a spot on the 40-man roster. The club also had the option of placing Nunez on the major league injured list. Doing so would have opened up a roster spot, but also would have meant Nunez would earn an MLB salary and service time over the remainder of the year.
The Dodgers have instead decided to designate him for assignment. Injured players cannot be placed on outright waivers, meaning Nunez will have to be placed on release waivers. A team could theoretically claim him if they were willing to give him the service time and MLB pay that the Dodgers opted against. A similar situation occurred last year when the White Sox designated Luis Gonzalez for assignment, who was claimed by the Giants, with the latter club placing him on the MLB injured list. However, that situation happened in mid-August with just about six weeks remaining in the season. Since Nunez is undergoing Tommy John surgery, he won’t be back for at least a year and probably longer, which likely reduces the chances of him following in Gonzalez’s footsteps.
AL Central Notes: Kwan, Tigers, Funkhouser, Manning, Mize, Kirilloff
The Guardians suffered a 10-2 defeat to the Yankees and also lost outfielder Steven Kwan to right hamstring tightness in the third inning. Kwan started the game in left field and made his first two plate appearances before being replaced in the field in the bottom of the third. Guardians manager Terry Francona told MLB.com’s Joe Trezza and other reporters that it was a “preventative” removal for Kwan, and that the outfielder is day-to-day.
Making his MLB debut on Opening Day, Kwan has been one of the season’s early stories, hitting a whopping .341/.456/.500 over his first 57 plate appearances. Quite a bit of that production came in Kwan’s first five games, yet there is still plenty of hope that the rookie can stick as Cleveland’s everyday left fielder. Depending on his hamstring’s status, however, Kwan might soon be making his first trip to the big league IL. Kwan missed almost seven weeks of the 2021 Triple-A season while dealing with a strain of that same right hamstring.
More injury updates from around the AL Central…
- Kyle Funkhouser has yet to pitch this season due to a right shoulder strain, and the Tigers moved him yesterday from the 10-day IL to the 60-day IL. “We’re trying to resolve the symptoms before we can progress more aggressively,” Hinch said. “The timeline made it virtually impossible for him to be back prior to the 60 days,” manager A.J. Hinch told reporters (including The Detroit News’ Chris McCosky). Hinch also noted that Funkhouser is speaking with doctors about whether or not surgery could be required, so the reliever could be facing a much longer absence than just the minimum 60 days.
- In other Tigers news, Hinch said that Casey Mize will be resuming his throwing program today at the team’s spring training facility in Lakeland. Mize was placed on the 10-day IL on April 15 with a sprained MCL, though there were already early indications that the former first overall pick wouldn’t be out of action for too long, and that he has escaped a more serious injury. Matt Manning is also headed to Lakeland but won’t yet begin throwing, as his right shoulder was still feeling some discomfort when Manning threw off flat ground yesterday. Despite this update, Hinch said Manning didn’t have “a setback. It’s nothing we are overly concerned about. It’s just a slower ramp to playing catch before we get him back on the mound.”
- Twins outfielder Alex Kirilloff is slated to begin a Triple-A rehab assignment on Tuesday, according to multiple reporters (including Betsy Helfand of The St. Paul Pioneer Press). Right wrist inflammation sent Kirilloff to the injured list on April 13, so between the injury absence and a dismal 1-for-17 start to the season, Kirilloff will be looking for a reset once he returns to Minnesota’s lineup. Most importantly, Kirilloff and the Twins hope that this is the end of his wrist problems, as the former top prospect also underwent ligament surgery last year.
Reds Claim Matt Reynolds, Designate Ryan Hendrix
The Reds announced that they have claimed infielder Matt Reynolds off waivers from the Mets. Right-handed pitcher Ryan Hendrix has been designated for assignment in a corresponding move, reports Mark Sheldon of MLB.com.
Reynolds, 31, made his major league debut with the Mets in 2016. Since then, he’s bounced around to the Nationals and Royals, as well as a stint in the minors for the White Sox. He returned to the Mets on a minor league deal and was selected to their 40-man roster a couple of weeks ago when Brandon Nimmo and Mark Canha tested positive for Covid-19. As they returned to reclaim their roster spots, Reynolds relinquished his, being designated for assignment last week.
Reynolds hasn’t hit much at the major league level thus far in his career, putting up a line of .212/.282/.323 in 131 games. However, his Triple-A numbers are much more encouraging, coming in at .282/.363/.434 in 585 games at that level. The Reds will be hoping Reynolds can carry some of that production up to the majors. Their infield has taken a number of hits in the early going this year, as Mike Moustakas, Jose Barrero, Jonathan India, Donovan Solano and Max Schrock are all on the injured list. Reynolds has played all over the infield in his career, while also seeing limited action in the outfield corners.
Hendrix made his major league debut last year, throwing 31 2/3 innings out of Cincinnati’s bullpen. His 5.97 ERA was on the high side, but he at least paired that with a decent 24.6% strikeout rate and tolerable 11.3% walk rate. Things have gone sour this year, however, as his ERA has shot up to 8.10, with a 22.2% walk rate. We’re talking about a miniscule sample of 3 1/3 innings, but the Reds are nonetheless willing to take the risk of Hendrix clearing waivers and sticking with the organization. The 27-year-old does have an option, which could give him some appeal to teams in need of pitching depth.
Rangers Announce Several Roster Moves
The Rangers announced a series of roster moves prior to today’s game. Right-handers Spencer Howard and Dennis Santana were reinstated from the injured list, with the latter coming off the Covid-IL. Fellow righty Spencer Patton will head onto the injured list with an oblique strain while yet another righty, Nick Snyder, was optioned to Triple-A Round Rock.
Howard and Santana each went on the IL on April 14 and return after the 10-day minimum. Howard had a blister/cracked fingernail issue while Santana was on the Covid-IL after reportedly showing symptoms. He wasn’t counted against the club’s 40-man roster while he was out. Now that he’s returned, the club’s 40-man roster is again full. It was at 39 before today and a corresponding move won’t be necessary to bring Santana back.
As for Patton, it’s an unfortunate break after a decent start to his season. In seven innings out of the Rangers’ bullpen, he has a 3.86 ERA. His 17.2% strikeout rate is below average, but his 52.6% groundball rate is strong. The club didn’t provide a timeline on his absence, but oblique injuries are notoriously tricky and can often keep players sidelined for weeks or months.
Guardians Reinstate Owen Miller
The Guardians are activating Owen Miller from the Covid-related injured list prior to today’s game, per Ryan Lewis of the Akron Beacon Journal. Konnor Pilkington is being optioned to make room for Miller on the active roster. Players on the Covid-IL don’t count against a team’s 40-man roster, but the club had an open spot, meaning they won’t be required to make a corresponding move in that regard.
Miller was one of several Guardians players who went on the Covid-IL last week. That interrupted an otherworldly start to the season for Miller, who hit .500/.545/.964 in his first nine games. That amounts to a wRC+ of 334. That’s obviously a very small sample, but it’s nonetheless encouraging for a Cleveland team that was widely expected to have strong pitching but mediocre offense. In order to stay competitive in a strong American League playoff race, they will need some of the young players on their roster, like the 25-year-old Miller, to take steps forward.
With Miller’s return, the club’s 40-man roster is now full. However, Yu Chang and Anthony Castro aren’t currently occupying spots due to being on the Covid-IL and will need to be added back once they are available to return.
As for Pilkington, the 24-year-old was just called up in recent days and made his MLB debut, throwing five scoreless innings with five strikeouts and just a single walk.
Padres Place Luke Voit On 10-Day IL, Recall Luis Campusano
The Padres have announced that first baseman/designated hitter Luke Voit has been placed on the 10-day injured list with a biceps tendon injury. Catcher Luis Campusano has been recalled to take his place on the roster.
After excellent campaigns with the Yankees in 2019 and 2020, injuries have been the focus of the Luke Voit story since then. Last year, he made multiple trips to the IL due to various injuries, only getting into 68 games on the year and hitting a disappointing .239/.328/.437. That still amounted to a wRC+ of 111, or 11% better than league average, but was a drop from his 126 in 2019 and 153 in the shortened 2020 season.
The Yankees seemed to give up on considering Voit their everyday first baseman, acquiring Anthony Rizzo in a deadline deal last year and then re-signing him in the offseason. That was followed by flipping Voit to San Diego. In his short time as a Padre, Voit has been dealing with this bicep issue and struggling to a line of .143/.315/.167 in 13 games. He’ll take some time off and try to heal, hopefully coming back more productive.
As for Campusano, he’s considered one of the best catching prospects in baseball. He made his MLB debut last year, struggling in a tiny sample of 11 games. The club already has Austin Nola and Jorge Alfaro available on the roster for catching duties. However, with Voit on the shelf, the DH slot could be used to spread some of the at-bats around. Campusano is off to a great start at the plate this year, hitting .359/.375/.487 in 9 Triple-A games.
Pirates Select Beau Sulser, Designate Anthony Alford
The Pirates have announced that they have selected the contract of right-handed pitcher Beau Sulser. To make room for Sulser on the 40-man roster, outfielder Anthony Alford was designated for assignment. (Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette had the news of Sulser’s promotion before the official announcement.)
Sulser, the younger brother of Marlins hurler Cole Sulser, was a 10th round selection of the Pirates in 2017. He’s never gotten a ton of attention from prospect evaluators but has shown well so far in this young season. He got his first taste of Triple-A in 2019, making 24 starts and a pair of relief appearances, putting up a 5.65 ERA in 122 2/3 innings. This year, however, he’s made three starts, logging 12 2/3 innings with a 2.13 ERA. His 26.9% strikeout rate on the young season is greatly improved over the 18.1% rate he had at Triple-A in 2019. He’s also dropped his walk rate from 9.4% to 3.8%. Based on those improved results, the Bucs want to see how he fares against big league hitters. Sulser will turn 28 next month.
Alford, on the other hand, is a former top prospect, getting as high as #25 on Baseball America’s Top 100 list in 2016. Unfortunately, injuries have largely kept him from getting into a good rhythm over the years. He’s appeared in each MLB season from 2017 to 2022 but his career high for games in a season is 49, which he set last year. He was designated for assignment in April last year, clearing waivers and being outrighted to the minors. He showed enough promise to earn his roster spot back and finished well. However, yet another injury, a right wrist sprain, put him back on the injured list to start this season. He was activated and got into two games before being sent into DFA limbo for a second time.
Players who have previously been outrighted in their careers have the ability to reject an outright assignment and declare free agency. If Alford were to clear waivers again, he could opt to see if there are any other opportunities available to him. He’s still only 27 years old and has that prospect pedigree attached to his name, which could potentially lead to some interest, despite the length injury history.
Mike Yastrzemski Tests Positive For Covid-19
The Giants have informed reporters, including Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic, that Mike Yastrzemski has tested positive for Covid-19. The club doesn’t have time to bring in anyone else as a corresponding move before today’s game, per Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle. Baggarly adds that Yastrzemski had a sore throat yesterday and tested positive today, despite feeling better.
Under the league’s 2022 health-and-safety protocols, players who test positive are subject to a 10-day absence from the club, though it’s possible to be reinstated in less time if the player has gone 24 or more hours without a fever, received a pair of negative PCR tests, and been given approval from a team physician and the MLB/MLBPA joint committee (a panel of one league-appointed and one union-appointed physician).
With Yaz on the shelf, this will add to the challenges the Giants are facing in the outfield. LaMonte Wade Jr. has yet to make his 2022 debut due to a bone bruise in his left knee, although he’s not terribly far away as he did begin a rehab assignment last night. Steven Duggar was placed on the 60-day IL on Friday, meaning he won’t be an option until late June at the earliest. That means the Giants will have an outfield mix of Joc Pederson, Luis Gonzalez, Darin Ruf, Austin Slater and Mauricio Dubon, at least until Yaz and/or Wade can return.
The club will be able to make a corresponding move before their next game, which could help the outfield depth. However, the pitching staff is also a bit short-handed right now, as both Alex Cobb and Anthony DeSclafani are currently on the injured list. That means the Giants may need Yaz’s roster spot for a fresh arm instead of another outfielder.
Rays Place Jeffrey Springs On Covid-IL, Reinstate Yandy Diaz
The Rays have placed left-handed pitcher Jeffrey Springs on the Covid-related injury list due to a close contact situation, per Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. He’ll swap places with Yandy Diaz, who comes off the Covid-IL after just a day.
The virus seems to be floating around the Rays team, as some staff members have tested positive in recent days. That was followed by catcher Francisco Mejia testing positive on Friday, which landed him on the injured list. Diaz was placed on the injured list yesterday after experiencing some symptoms. However, he must have tested negative due to his quick return.
As for Springs, the 29-year-old is off to a great start this year. He’s thrown seven scoreless innings out of the bullpen for the Rays, with a 34.6% strikeout rate and 11.5% walk rate. Until he returns, the club will have Brooks Raley, Colin Poche and Jalen Beeks as the available lefties in their bullpen.
Diaz is off to a fairly standard start to the year for him, hitting for contact but not a lot of power. His .275/.383/.326 line adds up to a 127 wRC+, with his 10.6% strikeout rate well below his career rate of 16.2%, which was already better than league average.
