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Reds Place Vladimir Gutierrez On IL With Forearm Soreness

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The Reds announced today that right-handed pitcher Vladimir Gutierrez has been placed on the 15-day injured list due to right forearm soreness, retroactive to June 4. Fellow righty Jared Solomon has been recalled in a corresponding move.

Gutierrez was a high-profile international signing with the Reds giving him a $4.75MM bonus in September 2016. He made his MLB debut last year and posted serviceable results, making 22 starts with a 4.74 ERA. However, the underlying numbers weren’t as exciting, as he posted a strikeout rate of 17.7%, walk rate of 9.3% and ground ball rate of 43.4%. Unfortunately, things got worse this year, as he currently has an ERA of 7.61 through 36 2/3 innings, with a 16.2% strikeout rate, 13.4% walk rate and 33.6% ground ball rate.

After eight starts, he was bumped from the rotation and made two relief appearances before today’s IL placement. Luis Castillo and Mike Minor both spent time on the IL to start the year but are healthy now, joining Tyler Mahle as the veterans in the rotation. With rookies Hunter Greene and Graham Ashcraft putting up better results than Gutierrez, it seems he’ll have to fight his way back into the mix once he’s healthy again.

The club hasn’t provided any timeline about his recovery process, though it’s always worrisome when a pitcher has an injury to their throwing arm. He’ll join Justin Dunn, Nick Lodolo and Connor Overton as starting candidates currently on the injured list. The Reds are 18-34, the worst record in the National League and better than just the Royals across the majors. With Minor, Castillo and Mahle all candidates to be moved at this year’s trade deadline, that could open up opportunities for whichever starters prove themselves worthy of a late-season audition.

Nick Ahmed To Visit Specialist About Continued Shoulder Soreness

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Diamondbacks shortstop Nick Ahmed has battled right shoulder issues for almost two years, and will now consult with Dr. Neal ElAttrache after continued discomfort in Ahmed’s shoulder led to a shutdown in his rehab process.  Ahmed has already been out of action on the COVID-related injury list, but as D’Backs manager Torey Lovullo told The Arizona Republic’s Jose M. Romero and other reporters on Friday, Ahmed’s shoulder was still giving him problems during a recent rehab game.

Noting that Ahmed bounced more than one throw to first base during the game, Lovullo said it “felt like he was trying to gut things out and the shoulder just was not responding.  It was just a little too much for him to handle, the workload.”

A visit to Dr. ElAttrache doesn’t always equal surgery, yet such a decision might be necessary given that Ahmed’s other treatment methods (including two cortisone shots during the offseason) apparently haven’t worked.  The injury has also intermittently lingered for close to two years, though Ahmed didn’t actually go on the IL due to the shoulder problem until late last September.

Never known as a big offensive threat, Ahmed’s .235/.293/.365 slash line over 744 plate appearances since the start of the 2020 season isn’t far off his overall career numbers.  However, Ahmed’s defensive decline is perhaps the greater sign that something is amiss, as Ahmed has +5 Defensive Runs Saved and 0.5 UZR/150 over that same three-season stretch.  While many shortstops would be quite pleased with these numbers, they represent a step back from Ahmed’s superb glovework from 2015-19 (73 DRS, 4.7 UZR/150), a stretch that saw him win Gold Gloves in both 2018 and 2019.

With only 17 games played in 2022, Ahmed’s season could quite possibly be over, if surgery is needed to finally correct his ailing shoulder.  Even in a best-case scenario, it seems like Ahmed will still miss quite a bit more time before he is healthy enough to get back onto the field.  Until Ahmed returns, Geraldo Perdomo will presumably continue to get most of the reps at shortstop, with Jake Hager also getting the occasional playing time.

Looking at the longer-term picture, Ahmed is in the third season of a four-year, $32.5MM contract extension signed prior to the 2020 campaign.  The extension seemed like a solid investment for the D’Backs at the time, given Ahmed’s defensive excellence and the fact that he was coming off one of his better offensive seasons (a 19-homer, 254/.316/.437 campaign in 2019).  While Ahmed still contributed 2.9 total fWAR over the 2020-21 seasons, his injury problems mean that the contract could be chalked up as another of many moves that simply haven’t worked out during two rough seasons for Arizona.

Ahmed is owed roughly $4.9MM for the rest of this season and then $10MM in 2023.  That’s a notable price tag for a player who will be 33 on Opening Day and possibly coming off a lost season, yet Ahmed’s struggles also mean that the Diamondbacks wouldn’t have much luck in trading Ahmed unless they eat much of that salary or swap Ahmed for another player on an undesirable contract.  The likeliest scenario is that the D’Backs just hang onto Ahmed as the bridge to top prospect Jordan Lawlar, who is shredding A-ball pitching but doesn’t turn 20 until July.

KBO’s LG Twins Sign Robel Garcia

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June 5: Kurtz relays that the Twins have announced a deal with Garcia for $180K.

June 4, 8:38PM: The KBO League’s LG Twins are in talks with Garcia about a contract, according to a Naver Sports report (hat tip to Dan Kurtz of MyKBO.net).

5:08PM: The Cubs have released utilityman Robel Garcia, according to MiLB.com’s official transactions page.  Garcia “is expected to pursue a career overseas,” Tommy Birch of The Des Moines Register reports, so today’s move could be a precursor to Garcia quickly announcing a deal with a non-MLB team.

Garcia made his Major League debut with the Cubs in 2019 and hit a respectable .208/.275/.500 with five home runs over his first 80 plate appearances.  This trip to the big leagues was the culmination of a rather unusual path for Garcia, who was out of affiliated baseball entirely from 2014-16 and then played two seasons in Italy before resurfacing in the Cubs’ minor league system.

From there, Garcia became a popular waiver claim candidate, as he was a member of five different organizations (Cubs, Reds, Mets, Angels, Astros) between July 2020 and February 2021.  After finally landing in Houston, Garcia hit .151/.216/.208 over 117 PA in the Show last season.

This year, Garcia had been on fire with Triple-A Iowa, batting .295/.394/.619 with 12 home runs in 165 PA.  However, as Birch observes, Garcia was seen as an expendable piece given the crowded state of Chicago’s infield.  Even with some injuries recently surfacing within the infield picture, the writing seemed on the wall for Garcia when he wasn’t called up for even a cup of coffee in the majors to fill any of those vacancies.  The 29-year-old Garcia will now look, for the second time, to revive his career with a stint in an international league.

Miguel Andujar Asks To Be Traded From Yankees

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Miguel Andujar told Yankees manager Aaron Boone yesterday that he wishes to be traded, Z101 Digital’s Hector Gomez reports (Twitter link).  Andujar was optioned to Triple-A after last night’s game, as the Yankees needed to open a roster spot for Giancarlo Stanton’s activation from the 10-day injured list today.

As per The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal, this isn’t the first time Andujar has asked to be dealt, as the infielder/outfielder has gone from future cornerstone to a seeming afterthought on New York’s roster.  After finishing second in AL Rookie Of The Year voting in 2018, Andujar has played in only 90 Major League games since the start of the 2019 season.  Injuries have been a factor in this lack of playing time, as Andujar missed most of the 2019 season due to shoulder surgery and also missed a notable chunk of the 2021 campaign due to wrist problems.

With Andujar missing so much time, the Yankees simply moved on to other players — most notably Gio Urshela, who enjoyed a big breakout season when replacing Andujar at third base in 2019.  Andujar wasn’t necessarily seen as a long-term defensive fit at third base anyway, but a shift to mostly outfield and first base work over the last couple of the years also hasn’t created a clearer path to a regular lineup spot.

When not on the IL, Andujar has been shuttled back and forth from Triple-A and the majors.  He is still consistently producing at the Triple-A level, which could give other teams some indication that the 27-year-old Andujar can bounce back in a new environment and with steadier playing time at the big league level.  It isn’t surprising that Andujar has become frustrated over his situation, but between his injuries and his .234/.260/.329 slash line over 319 PA from 2019-22, Andujar’s trade value isn’t exactly high.

Andujar has been mentioned in trade rumors in the past for a few years now, and Newsday’s Erik Boland reported just last March that the Yankees were again shopping Andujar to other teams.  While Yankees GM Brian Cashman was undoubtedly not open to buy-low offers in 2019 or 2020, however, Andujar’s stock simply hasn’t rebounded to the point where New York could still score a big return in a deal.

It’s possible Cashman could look to move Andujar for another post-hype prospect type or reclamation project, or perhaps include Andujar as part of a larger trade package.  Of course, the Yankees are also under no obligation to actually trade Andujar, as he is under team control through the 2024 season.  Andujar is earning $1.3MM in 2022, in his first year of arbitration eligibility.

Pirates To Promote Travis Swaggerty

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8:50PM: Infielder Rodolfo Castro will be optioned to Triple-A to make space for Swaggerty on the 26-man roster, Mackey reports (Twitter link).

7:25PM: The Pirates are calling up outfielder Travis Swaggerty, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.  Swaggerty will officially join the active roster prior to tomorrow’s game, and is likely in line to make his Major League debut.  No 40-man move is required, as Swaggerty was already added to Pittsburgh’s 40-man roster back in November.

The 10th overall pick of the 2018 draft, Swaggerty received some top-100 attention from Baseball Prospectus and MLB Pipeline in advance of the 2019 season.  However, his stock dropped after only an okay year at high-A ball in 2019, no minor league baseball at all in 2020 due to the canceled season, and then a 2021 that was cut short after only 12 games due to shoulder surgery.

Starting the 2022 campaign again at Triple-A Indianapolis, Swaggerty has performed well to date, hitting .280/.362/.439 over 150 plate appearances, with four home runs.  This promising start could help answer lingering doubts about Swaggerty’s bat, as both MLB Pipeline (who rank Swaggerty 13th in Pittsburgh’s farm system) and Baseball America (25th) cite the 24-year-old’s lack of any real track record at the plate.  Swaggerty was showing some improvement due to some adjustments at the plate even as late as the 2019 campaign, but BA’s scouting report considers him “an open question” due to what was essentially two lost seasons.

Swaggerty’s hitting may determine whether or not he can become a regular at the MLB level, but he could stick around as a fourth outfielder based on plus glovework alone.  Bryan Reynolds’ presence would seem to block Swaggerty from the center field job in Pittsburgh, though since Swaggerty has a strong throwing arm, he could also be deployed as a right fielder.  Swaggerty joins Jack Suwinski, Tucupita Marcano, and Calvin Mitchell as left-handed hitting young outfielders on the Pirates roster, though it would seem plausible that any of these players could be optioned to Triple-A in the corresponding move for Swaggerty’s promotion.

With plenty of veterans (including outfielders Ben Gamel and Jake Marisnick) on the injured list, the Pirates have had to dip in their farm system numerous times already in the first two months of the season.  Given that the Bucs are still in the midst of a rebuild, it is quite possible that Swaggerty or any of these other youngsters would’ve gotten the call at some point anyway, and this opportunity gives Swaggerty a chance to establish himself as a building block.

Mariners Acquire Ryan Borucki, Designate Mike Ford

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The Mariners have announced a trade with the Blue Jays that will see left-hander Ryan Borucki head to Seattle in exchange for corner infielder Tyler Keenan.  The M’s have also designated infielder Mike Ford for assignment to create 40-man roster space for Borucki.

The Jays designated Borucki for assignment on Tuesday, and today’s trade officially ends the southpaw’s lengthy stay in the Toronto organization.  Borucki was a 15th-round pick for the Blue Jays back in 2012, and made an impressive debut by posting a 3.87 ERA over 97 2/3 innings and 17 starts in his 2018 rookie season.  However, elbow problems (which required a bone spur surgery) hampered him for much of the next two years, and the Jays turned Borucki into a reliever for the 2020 campaign.

This transition seemed promising, as Borucki had a 2.70 ERA and 28.8% strikeout rate in 16 2/3 frames in the shortened season, though a 16.4% walk rate was a big red flag.  Beyond the injuries, walks and home runs were Borucki’s biggest problems over his last 53 1/3 Major League innings, which saw him post a 5.57 ERA since the start of the 2019 season.

Since Borucki is out of minor league options, the Blue Jays had to pursue the DFA route in order to remove him from their 40-man roster, and the Mariners jumped in to arrange a trade.  Roenis Elias and Anthony Misiewicz are the only left-handers in the Seattle bullpen and neither southpaw is having a particularly strong year, so while Borucki himself hasn’t done well (9.95 ERA in 6 1/3 IP) over limited action in 2022, the M’s are hoping that a change of scenery could help the 28-year-old get on track.

Ford has appeared in 15 games with the Mariners this season, hitting .179./378/.214 over 37 plate appearances and working mostly as a DH and pinch-hitter.  The M’s signed Ford to a minor league deal in March, and this is already the third time that Ford has been designated in less than six weeks’ time.  After Seattle initially DFA’ed him in late April, the Giants acquired Ford in a trade, only for the Mariners to re-acquire Ford a couple of weeks later when San Francisco themselves sent Ford to the DFA wire.

Keenan was a fourth-round pick for the Mariners out of the University of Mississippi during the 2020 draft.  The 23-year-old has spent both of his pro seasons at the high-A level, hitting .212/.317/.367 with nine home runs over 376 total plate appearances.  Keenan has played both corner infield spots, with the bulk of his time coming as a third baseman.

Injury Notes: deGrom, Muncy, Heaney, Flaherty, Dickerson

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Jacob deGrom hit a notable checkpoint in his injury recovery today, as the Mets ace threw a 19-pitch bullpen session.  GM Billy Eppler told reporters (including MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo) that deGrom threw only fastballs of “moderate intensity,” and deGrom will continue to build up his arm strength and readiness with more bullpen sessions in the coming days.

Between the planned program of these bullpens, live batting practice, and then 3-5 rehab starts in the minors, deGrom is tentatively scheduled to make his season debut in July.  This timeline is still fluid, of course, given how today’s bullpen session marked the very first time deGrom has even pitched off a mound since March.  Between a forearm issue that prematurely ended his 2021 season and then a stress reaction in his right shoulder during Spring Training, deGrom hasn’t pitched in a Major League game since July 7, 2021.

More on other injury situations around baseball…

  • Max Muncy and Andrew Heaney began rehab assignments with the Dodgers’ Triple-A affiliate, with both veterans in tonight’s starting lineup.  Muncy was only played on the 10-day IL on May 28, and given how he has been playing with a partial UCL tear since last October, it is a very promising sign to see him already on a rehab assignment, though it isn’t know how many games Muncy will play in Triple-A.  Heaney seems likely to receive multiple rehab starts considering his longer stint on the injured list, as shoulder discomfort sidelined the left-handed back on April 20.
  • Jack Flaherty is also set to start his own rehab assignment, as the Cardinals right-hander is scheduled to pitch Sunday for Double-A Springfield.  Cards manager Oliver Marmol told MLB.com’s John Denton and other reporters that Flaherty will throw 40-45 pitches, and depending on his status following that outing, will then throw either 40-45 pitches or 55-60 pitches in his next rehab start.  Shoulder problems have plagued Flaherty in each of the last two seasons, and he has yet to pitch in 2022 due to inflammation in his right shoulder during Spring Training.
  • In other St. Louis injury news, Corey Dickerson made an early exit from the first game of the Cardinals’ doubleheader with the Cubs.  Dickerson was replaced in right field prior to the bottom of the second inning due to left calf discomfort, and it isn’t clear if the injury was triggered by anything in the game, as Dickerson had yet to make a play in the field or take an at-bat.  After signing a one-year, $5MM free agent deal with St. Louis in March, Dickerson has hit only .194/.245/.286 in his first 106 plate appearances, though he is coming off his best game of the season — Dickerson hit his first two home runs of 2022 in the Cardinals’ 14-5 victory over the Cubs on Friday.

Pirates’ Max Kranick Undergoes Tommy John Surgery

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Pirates right-hander Max Kranick underwent Tommy John surgery yesterday, Jason Mackey of The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.  As per the usual 12-15 month recovery timeline, Kranick will miss the rest of the 2022 season and is in jeopardy of being sidelined for all the 2023 campaign.

It’s a rough turn of events for the 24-year-old, who only just made his MLB debut last season.  As Mackey notes, Kranick has been battling soreness in his forearm and elbow area for much of the year, dating back to Spring Training.  As a result, Kranick was limited to five innings of Major League action and 8 2/3 frames in the minors before he was placed on the Triple-A injured list last month.  Unfortunately for Kranick, he won’t even bank any big league service time during his absence, as he was in the minors when he went on the IL.

Kranick is a Pennsylvania native (born in Scranton) who was selected by the Pirates in the 11th round of the 2016 draft.  With a 3.50 ERA and 5.85% walk rate over 323 2/3 career innings in the minors, Kranick emerged as a rotation candidate, even if his 19.67% strikeout rate left something to be desired.  Kranick started nine games for Pittsburgh last season and struggled to a 6.28 ERA over 38 2/3 innings, before tossing five scoreless innings of relief work over his two MLB appearances in 2022.

Giants Designate Stuart Fairchild For Assignment, Option Sean Hjelle, Reinstate Austin Slater

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The Giants have made a number of roster moves today, optioning Sean Hjelle to Triple-A, reinstating Austin Slater from the injured list, and designating Stuart Fairchild for assignment, per John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle (via Twitter). In addition, Sam Delaplane was added to the 40-man roster and assigned to Class A San Jose. Delaplane is rehabbing from Tommy John surgery.

Slater is the biggest name here in terms of experience. The 29-year-old outfielder was off to a solid start to the season through 34 games before being placed on the injured list. Slater returns to the active roster boasting a .250/.388/.391 triple-slash line through 80 plate appearances. The on-base percentage jumps off the page, buoyed by a solid 18.8 percent walk rate against a 26.3 percent strikeout rate. With just a 10.5 percent walk rate for his career, Slater showed improved discipline thus far, though in a small sample.

The towering 6’11” Hjelle logged four innings while giving up two earned runs in his first bit of Major League action. The former 2nd round pick has served exclusively as a starter in Triple-A, making nine starts with a 5.49 ERA over 41 innings. Baseball America rates Hjelle as the Giants’ 20th-ranked prospect.

Fairchild has already seen time this season with the Mariners and Giants after being drafted by the Reds and making his Major League debut with the Diamondbacks. Fairchild can play all three outfield spots. The 26-year-old outfielder will now be available to the other 29 teams through waivers.

AL Roster Notes: Twins, White Sox, Rays

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The Twins have reinstated Gilberto Celestino from the COVID injured list, per the team. Chi Chi Gonzalez was returned to Triple-A to make room on the active roster. It’s worth nothing that Gonzalez has an opt out clause in his contract that he can trigger next week, per Darren Wolfson of KSTP Eyewitness News (via Twitter). The 30-year-old Gonzalez made just one appearance for the Twins, yielding three earned runs in three innings of work. Let’s check on other roster moves made today in the American League…

  • The White Sox optioned Tanner Banks to Triple-A today to make room for reliever Kyle Crick, per the Athletic’s James Fegan (via Twitter). Crick has 10 appearances on the year with a 3.60 ERA/3.95 FIP across 10 innings with a 11-to-8 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Banks, a 30-year-old rookie, made 14 appearances spanning 21 2/3 innings with a 4.57 ERA/4.44 FIP.
  • Southpaw Ben Bowden, who was designated for assignment earlier this week, has cleared waivers and been assigned to Triple-A Durham, per Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times (via Twitter). Bowden, 27, was claimed off waivers earlier this season from the Rockies. He has not yet seen big league action for the Rays.

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