Reds Place Jake Fraley, Jonathan India On Injured List
1:05 pm: In yet another injury blow for the Reds, second baseman Jonathan India is going on the injured list due to an injury to his right hamstring. The move is retroactive to April 30. Alejo Lopez has been recalled to take his place.
Last year’s National League Rookie of the Year, India has been off a bit of a slow start to the year, perhaps because of this hamstring issue, which first put him on the shelf April 16. His .295/.311/.341 line amounts to a wRC+ of 85, which is 37 points below last year’s mark. Matt Reynolds, playing second base today, could see more time with India out. Mike Moustakas could also play more third base, with Brandon Drury sliding over to the keystone.
Of course, Lopez could also figure into that mix, as he’s capable of both playing second and third base, as well as shortstop and left field. He’s off to a slow start in Triple-A this year, but hit .303/.386/.446 there last year, walking more than he struck out and putting up a 126 wRC+.
12:56 pm: The Reds announced to members of the media, including Charlie Goldsmith of The Cincinnati Enquirer, that outfielder Jake Fraley is headed to the injured list with right knee inflammation. Fellow outfielder TJ Friedl has been recalled to take his place.
This is yet another domino in what has been a very frustrating series of events for the fans of the Reds. In the offseason, a number of the club’s better players were shipped out as the club attempted to lower payroll. One such move was the deal that sent Jesse Winker and Eugenio Suarez to the Mariners, with four players coming back the other way, one of those being Fraley. Once the season began, a rash of injuries took a toll on the players who remained, with the club limping out to a 3-18 start to the season, easily the worst in the league.
Fraley had a solid season in Seattle last year but hasn’t played well since moving to Cincy, perhaps because of this knee issue. This isn’t something that just popped up suddenly, as he also missed a few games earlier in the season because of it. On the year, he’s hitting .116/.208/.233, but will now take some time to heal up and hopefully come back healthier and more productive.
The club’s outfield depth has also taken a hit with a couple of notable cuts, as both Shogo Akiyama and Aristides Aquino have been released this season. Friedl will slot into the outfield mix alongside Tommy Pham, Tyler Naquin, Nick Senzel and Matt Reynolds. Friedl hasn’t hit much in his MLB action thus far, though in a small sample of just 17 games. In 128 Triple-A games, however, he’s hit a decent .256/.356/.412.
Angels Place Matt Duffy On Injured List, Recall Jack Mayfield
The Angels announced that they have placed infielder Matt Duffy on the injured list. No injury designation was given, indicating Duffy is going on the Covid-related IL. Fellow infielder Jack Mayfield has been recalled to take his place on the active roster.
After slumping in 2019, Duffy had to settle for minor league deals in 2020, ultimately missing out on playing any official games when the pandemic wiped out the minor league seasons that year. He had a nice bounceback with the Cubs in 2021, getting into 97 games and hitting .287/.357/.381, 102 wRC+. He’s carried that over into 2021 so far, playing 14 games and hitting .278/.366/.306, wRC+ of 108.
With Duffy on the shelf, Mayfield will take over his role as the 31-year-old utility infielder off the bench. He’s already gotten into 10 games this year and played well, hitting .281/.343/.469, for a wRC+ of 142. With Duffy on the Covid-IL, the club will have an open spot on their 40-man roster. However, should they use that slot, they will need to make room for him once he’s eligible to return.
Brewers Place Jake Cousins On Injured List, Reinstate Victor Caratini
The Brewers have announced that they have placed right-handed pitcher Jake Cousins on the 10-day injured list with right elbow effusion, relays Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. The same news was relayed by Adam McCalvy of MLB.com, who describes the injury as a buildup of fluid. Catcher Victor Caratini returns from the Covid-related injured list in a corresponding move. Players on the Covid-IL don’t count against a club’s 40-man roster, but the Brewers had an open spot in that regard, negating the need for a move there.
Cousins, 27, made his MLB debut with the Brewers last year, throwing 30 innings with a 2.70 ERA, excellent 35.2% strikeout rate but high walk rate of 15.2%. He’s largely carried over that profile this year so far, logging another eight innings with a 4.50 ERA, 13 strikeouts and 5 walks. The club hasn’t provided a timeline for the injury, but it’s always somewhat concerning when a pitcher has issues with his elbow.
Caratini went on the Covid-IL April 26 and now returns five days later. After Pedro Severino was given an 80-game suspension during Spring Training, the Brewers had to scramble and quickly traded for Caratini and Alex Jackson just a few days before Opening Day. Caratini has been great so far, in the small sample of eight games, hitting .238/.360/.429, 132 wRC+. Jackson was called up to take Caratini’s place when the latter went on the shelf, but seems to be sticking around for now. Along with Omar Narvaez, that gives the club three catchers for the time being. However, rosters are shrinking from 28 to 26 after today’s game, meaning Jackson could be optioned back to Triple-A.
Derek Holland To Opt Out Of Minor League Deal With Red Sox
Left-handed pitcher Derek Holland will be opting out of his minor league deal with the Red Sox, reports Chris Cotillo of MassLive.
MLBTR reported yesterday that the new collective bargaining agreement contains a provision whereby any Article XX(B) free agent — that is, a player with at least six years of service time who finished the prior season on a big league roster or injured list — who signs a minor league contract will have three uniform opt-out dates in his contract, so long as that minor league deal is signed 10 days prior to Opening Day. Those opt-out dates are five days before the start of the regular season, May 1 and June 1.
That report identified 12 players who fit this criteria and have the ability to opt out today, with Holland being one of them. The negotiations of that CBA led to a delayed and shortened spring training, which perhaps played a role in the fact that these dozen players didn’t exercise their first opt-out opportunity before Opening Day. Holland essentially laid out this logic when not exercising his first opt-out back in early April, saying “I’ve only been able to showcase two innings” as his reason for sticking with the club. Now that the minor league season has been going for close to a month, it’s possible that this is the first of many opt-outs today, as any of those listed players that are healthy could reasonably try to find a better opportunity with another club.
Now 35, Holland has appeared in each of the past 13 MLB seasons. A starting pitcher for most of his career, he’s transitioned into an innings-eater out of the bullpen in recent years. Last year, he threw 49 2/3 innings for the Tigers with a 5.07 ERA, with a 22.7% strikeout rate, 8.9% walk rate and 45.4% ground ball rate, with all of those being close to league average. Through 9 1/3 innings with Triple-A Worcester this year, he has a 5.79 ERA, striking out ten batters but walking six of them. The path to a job with the big league club isn’t smooth right now, as they has five healthy starters, with Garrett Whitlock recently bumping Tanner Houck into a piggyback/long relief role in the bullpen. Rosters are also shrinking after today’s game, with a 14-pitcher maximum taking effect. Boston currently has 15 hurlers on the active roster, meaning they will have to squeeze someone out.
Rays Make Multiple Roster Moves
10:02 am: The Rays are also placing Ji-Man Choi on the injured list due to loose bodies in his elbow, per Solondz. The move is retroactive to April 28. Isaac Paredes is being recalled to take his place on the roster.
Losing Choi is certainly a blow to the club, as he’s off to an incredible start to the year. After 53 plate appearances, he’s slashing .357/.491/.595, good enough for a wRC+ of 226. No timeline has been given for his absence.
Paredes, along with a draft pick, was the return the Rays received for sending Austin Meadows to the Tigers. Just 23 years old, Paredes already has 57 games of MLB experience. He hasn’t done much in that time, hitting .215/.290/.302. However, he’s done much better in the minors, including this year. In 19 Triple-A games this season, he’s hitting .270/.356/.500, 125 wRC+. He’s split his time between third and second base this year, giving the Rays another versatile infield option, alongside Yandy Diaz and Taylor Walls. With Choi out, Diaz could get the bulk of first base playing time, with Walls and Paredes taking starts at third or coming off the bench.
9:32 am: The Rays have selected the contract of right-handed pitcher Robert Dugger, reports team broadcaster Neil Solondz. Fellow righty Javy Guerra has been designated for assignment in a corresponding move.
Once he gets into a game, this will be the fourth straight season of MLB action for Dugger. He made his debut with the Marlins in 2019 and pitched for them again in 2020, before spending 2021 with the Mariners. He hasn’t had much success in the majors so far, throwing 70 2/3 innings with a 7.39 ERA, 14.4% strikeout rate, 9.6% walk rate and 36.1% ground ball rate.
He’s off to a decent start this year, making five starts for the Triple-A Durham Bulls. He’s only thrown 16 innings over those five starts, but with gradual lengthening, throwing two innings, then three innings twice and four innings twice. He has a 3.94 ERA, 19.1% strikeout rate and 10.3% walk rate. The Rays currently have ten pitchers on the injured list, putting a strain on the remaining members of the staff. Furthermore, MLB rosters are going to be shrinking from 28 to 26 tomorrow, with all teams limited by a 14-pitcher maximum. The Rays currently have 15 arms on their active roster, meaning the staff will have to be squeezed after today’s game. Dugger’s ability to cover multiple innings could be valuable in taking a load off some of his teammates. He is out of options, however, meaning he will have to be exposed to waivers if the club continues its usual roster churn and needs another fresh arm down the line.
Guerra, also 26, spent his entire big league career with the Padres until being acquired by the Rays a couple of weeks ago. In 7 1/3 innings this year between the two clubs, he has an unfortunate 11.05 ERA in that small sample size. He doesn’t have a ton of innings on his record overall, as he was a shortstop prospect that switched to pitching in 2019. Also out of options, he’ll likely head onto the waiver wire in the coming days and see if another team gives him a shot. Despite the lack of results so far, he can hit triple digits on the radar gun, which could be enough for some team to take a shot at harnessing that weapon.