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Dodgers Select Eddy Alvarez, Transfer Kevin Pillar To 60-Day IL

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7:58 pm: The Dodgers have announced that Alvarez has had his contract selected, with Kevin Pillar being transferred to the 60-day IL in order to open up a spot on the 40-man roster. The Pillar move isn’t terribly shocking, as he was placed on the 10-day IL just yesterday due to a fractured left shoulder, with a months-long absence seeming like a possibility.

6:48 pm: The Dodgers are planning to select utilityman Eddy Alvarez onto the big league roster, manager Dave Roberts told reporters (including Fabian Ardaya of the Athletic). Corner infielder Edwin Ríos is headed to the injured list after tearing his right hamstring during last night’s game.

Alvarez is going to the majors for the first time this season. He appeared in 36 games with the Marlins from 2020-21, hitting .188/.287/.287 through 115 plate appearances. That’s obviously not a great showing, but the right-handed hitter had a much more impressive .288/.423/.441 line in 31 games with the Fish’s Triple-A affiliate. Alvarez took some time off to suit up with the US national baseball team at last summer’s Tokyo Olympics. He was part of the Silver Medal-winning club, adding to a silver he’d won in 2014 at Sochi as a speed skater.

Los Angeles inked the 32-year-old to a minor league contract during the lockout. Alvarez has played the season at Triple-A Oklahoma City and mashed to the tune of a .304/.430/.500 clip. He’s walked in an excellent 13.4% of his plate appearances and hit five home runs while splitting time between both middle infield spots.

Ríos is hitting .244/.293/.500 through 92 plate appearances. He’s overcome a 38:5 strikeout-to-walk ratio by making a massive power impact, blasting seven home runs as a part-time player. Roberts indicated the tear won’t require surgical repair, but the left-handed hitter will miss some time recovering. It’ll be the second consecutive season with a notable injury for Ríos, who underwent shoulder surgery in May 2021 that ended his campaign 25 games in.

Rockies’ Ryan Rolison, Colton Welker Expected To Undergo Shoulder Surgery

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The Rockies will lose two players — left-hander Ryan Rolison and third baseman Colton Welker — to shoulder surgery, reports Nick Groke of the Athletic. According to Danielle Allentuck of the Colorado Springs Gazette (Twitter link), both players will be out for the rest of the season.

Rolison may be the more well-known of the duo, even though he’s yet to make his major league debut. Colorado selected him with the 22nd overall pick in the 2018 draft, and he’s been one of the more highly-regarded arms in the organization for the past few years. The Ole Miss product’s stock has dipped a bit recently, however, as he’s not had a ton of reps since the end of the 2019 campaign.

After the pandemic resulted in the cancelation of the 2020 minor league season, Rolison was limited to 14 starts last year. He underwent an appendix procedure and missed two months between June and August. Even when healthy, Rolison struggled to a 5.91 ERA through ten Triple-A starts — albeit in a very hitter-friendly environment in Albuquerque. Baseball America nevertheless ranked him the #4 prospect in the system over the offseason, writing that he could be a back-end starter, but he’ll now lose a full season of reps.

Colorado added Rolison to the 40-man roster over the winter, but he’s spent the entire season on the 60-day injured list. He’ll collect a full year of MLB service time and a $700K salary while rehabbing.

Welker is also on the 40-man, counting against the roster while on the minor league injured list. Colorado could recall him and put him on the MLB 60-day IL to free a spot, although they’d have to pay him the prorated portion of the league minimum for any time on that list.

The 24-year-old infielder appeared in ten games with the Isotopes, hitting .324/.422/.514. He’ll lose virtually all of the season, his third straight limited campaign. After the 2020 season cancelation, Welker missed most of last year serving an 80-game suspension following a positive test for a performance-enhancing substance. He made his big league debut last September, appearing in 19 games.

Yankees Acquire Jake Bauers From Reds

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The Yankees have acquired first baseman/corner outfielder Jake Bauers from the Reds in exchange for cash, according to team announcements. He’s not on the 40-man roster and has been assigned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

Bauers has appeared in parts of three big league seasons, suiting up with the Rays, Indians and Mariners. The left-handed hitter was a highly-regarded prospect, seen by many as a potential plus hitter based on the strength of his minor league numbers. Bauers hit for high batting averages and drew plenty of walks on his way up the ladder, and he appeared among Baseball America’s Top 100 prospects list each season from 2016-18.

The California native has never carried over that success during a lengthy run against MLB arms, though. While he’s continued to draw walks at a strong 11.5% clip in the big leagues, he’s also fanned in 26.4% of his trips to the plate. Bauers hit 11 home runs in 96 games with Tampa Bay as a rookie, but he’s not made much extra-base impact in the seasons since then.

Seattle outrighted Bauers off their 40-man roster at the end of last season, at which point he elected minor league free agency. The 26-year-old caught on with the Reds via minor league contract, and he’s appeared in 29 games with their top affiliate in Louisville. Bauers has gotten off to a dreadful start there, hitting .135/.276/.271 with a 28.4% strikeout rate for the Bats.

Despite that slow start, New York decided to add Bauers as non-roster depth at the upper levels. He’s continued to show quality plate discipline, at the very least, and he’s only a few years removed from being seen as one of the better young bats in the minors.

Cubs To Promote Caleb Kilian

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The Cubs are planning to promote pitching prospect Caleb Kilian to make his major league debut tomorrow against the Cardinals, manager David Ross told reporters (including Jordan Bastian of MLB.com). The right-hander is not yet on the 40-man roster, so Chicago will need to formally select his contract tomorrow. The Cubs’ 40-man is full, meaning there’ll be a corresponding move forthcoming.

Chicago acquired Kilian last summer, adding him alongside outfield prospect Alexander Canario from the Giants for Kris Bryant minutes before the trade deadline. San Francisco had selected Kilian in the eighth round of the 2019 draft out of Texas Tech, and he’s elevated his stock with a strong showing in the minor leagues. The right-hander owned an excellent 2.43 ERA through 63 Double-A innings at the time of the trade, and he’s continued to thrive since changing organizations.

Kilian made four starts with the Cubs Double-A affiliate down the stretch, then has started this season at Triple-A Iowa. He’s worked nine starts and tossed 39 1/3 innings, pitching to a 2.06 ERA with solid strikeout and walk rates (24.8% and 9.1% respectively). Kilian has induced grounders on nearly 60% of batted balls against him — well north of the 43.1% MLB average.

Baseball America recently ranked Kilian the #5 prospect in the Chicago system, writing that he’s improved his raw stuff since entering pro ball. According to BA, the 6’4″ hurler works in the low-mid 90s on his fastball and has a trio of average or better secondary offerings (curveball, cutter and changeup). The outlet credits Kilian with plus control, while FanGraphs wrote this offseason that he may wind up with plus-plus command (a 70 on the 20-80 scouting scale) at peak. Both publications suggest he’s likely to be a long-term starting pitcher — probably a middle or back of the rotation arm.

The Cubs would’ve had to add Kilian to the 40-man roster after this season to keep him from being taken in the Rule 5 draft, and they’ll bring him aboard a few months early. It remains to be seen whether the first call will be more than a spot start, as the Cubs and Cards are slated for a doubleheader. Whether it’s immediate or at some point a bit down the line, though, the retooling club figures to install Kilian as a regular rotation member fairly soon.

Even if Kilian is in the majors from here on out, he won’t reach a full year of service time this season. He won’t be eligible for free agency until after the 2028 campaign at the earliest. Kilian would be in strong position to qualify for early arbitration after 2025 as a Super Two player, but optional assignments back to Iowa could change that trajectory.

Cubs’ Prospect Brennen Davis Undergoes Back Surgery

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Cubs top prospect Brennen Davis underwent back surgery yesterday, as Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune first reported. According to Montemurro, the procedure cauterized some blood vessels that had been causing Davis discomfort; he’s not dealing with any structural issues.

A more specific recovery timetable will become clear after he undergoes further testing next week, but Sahadev Sharma of the Athletic reports that he’s expected to miss multiple months. The organization isn’t ruling out the possibility the 22-year-old could return this season, but Sharma suggests there’s a chance he’ll be out for the year. He is expected to make a full recovery, and the Cubs don’t anticipate it being an issue beyond this season.

Baseball America recently ranked Davis the game’s #41 overall prospect, the top farmhand in the Chicago system. The former second-round pick is credited by evaluators with a rare blend of power and athleticism, and the Cubs are certainly hopeful he’ll develop into a long-term regular. BA suggests Davis has All-Star upside, although he’s not without some questions about his bat-to-ball skills. He’d been off to a slow start to the 2022 campaign with Triple-A Iowa, hitting .195/.286/.299 with a 34.1% strikeout rate through 91 plate appearances. Montemurro suggests he’s been dealing with back soreness dating back to Spring Training, so it’s certainly possible the injury played into his subpar performance.

Davis wasn’t going to earn a call-up before turning things around, but he seemed a candidate for a midseason promotion if he righted the ship offensively. The surgery seems to make a 2022 big league debut unlikely. Even if Davis can return to the playing field this year, it stands to reason the Cubs would want to see him have a lengthier run of success against Triple-A arms before adding him to the majors.

While he recovers, Davis will remain on the minor league injured list — where he’s been for a few weeks. If he’s not promoted during the season, Chicago will have to add him to the 40-man roster at the start of the offseason to keep other teams from selecting him in the Rule 5 draft.

Royals Designate Dairon Blanco For Assignment

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The Royals announced they’ve designated outfielder Dairon Blanco for assignment. Kansas City also reinstated center fielder Michael A. Taylor from the COVID-19 injured list, activated newly-acquired reliever Albert Abreu and optioned southpaw Foster Griffin to Triple-A Omaha.

Blanco spent about two weeks on the roster, coinciding with Taylor’s absence. The speedster picked up a pair of starts in center field and tallied his firsts seven big league plate appearances, collecting a pair of singles. Prior to his call-up, Blanco hit 113 times with the Storm Chasers and had a solid .263/.381/.442 slash line. The 29-year-old swiped 13 bases in only 31 games, hitting five home runs with an excellent 15% walk rate but a lofty 25.7% strikeout percentage.

Kansas City will have a week to trade Blanco or place him on waivers. A Cuba native, he didn’t make his affiliated debut until his age-25 season. His advanced age has diminished his prospect status, but he draws praise for blistering speed and has a solid track record in the upper minors.

Taylor returns after a couple weeks out of action, where he’ll presumably assume his standard everyday center field role. Signed to a two-year, $9MM extension shortly before he would’ve hit free agency last winter, he’s gotten off to a nice start this year. Taylor is hitting a roughly league average .238/.333/.337 with a pair of homers.

That kind of offensive production is more than sufficient considering his status as one of the sport’s top defensive outfielders. With the Royals at the bottom of the American League standings, Taylor could draw some trade interest this summer from contenders looking for center field help. He’s under cheap control through 2023, though, so the Royals won’t feel pressured to move him for a mediocre return.

Twins Select Jharel Cotton, Ian Hamilton

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The Twins announced a series of roster moves ahead of this weekend’s series in Toronto. Minnesota selected the contracts of right-handers Chi Chi González, Jharel Cotton and Ian Hamilton while recalling outfielder Mark Contreras from Triple-A St. Paul. González will start this evening’s game, as had been reported yesterday.

In corresponding moves, four players — Max Kepler, Emilio Pagán, Trevor Megill and Caleb Thielbar — have been placed on the restricted list. That’s typical procedure for players who haven’t been vaccinated against COVID-19 on teams heading to Toronto. The Canadian government prohibits unvaccinated athletes from crossing the border, so that quartet will be out of action until next week.

Cotton has bounced on and off the roster a couple times this season. Claimed off waivers from the Rangers last winter, he’s made four appearances in relief for the Twins. Over 6 2/3 innings, Cotton has allowed just two runs but issued six walks. He’s impressed in St. Paul, allowing four runs in 11 2/3 frames while striking out 18 batters against three walks.

Hamilton is in line for his team debut, nearly a year and a half after Minnesota claimed him off waivers from the Phillies. The Twins outrighted the Washington State product off their 40-man roster a few weeks later, and he spent the entire 2021 campaign in St. Paul. He posted a 4.12 ERA across 59 innings last year, striking out an excellent 33.5% of opponents but walking a sky-high 15.2% of batters faced. The 26-year-old maintained that strikeout prowess while getting his walk rate to a more manageable 9.6% this year, allowing only one run in 12 2/3 frames. Hamilton has 14 games of MLB experience under his belt, with the 2018-20 White Sox.

While the Twins didn’t specify that González, Cotton and Hamilton were coming up as designated COVID substitutes, that appears to be the case. Dan Hayes of the Athletic tweets the trio won’t have to pass through waivers when the others are able to return to the roster. That’s unique to COVID substitutes, who won’t occupy a permanent 40-man roster spot.

The commissioner’s office has the unilateral authority to grant teams permission to designate players as substitutes, which it does when it determines a club has been particularly affected by virus protocols. In all likelihood, each of González, Cotton and Hamilton will come off the 40-man roster on Monday.

Brewers Make Series Of Roster Moves

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JUNE 3: Milwaukee recalled Alex Jackson to serve as Caratini’s backup today. Hall has been designated for assignment. The Brewers also recalled Luke Barker and Pablo Reyes, optioned Peter Strzelecki and placed Mike Brosseau on the 10-day injured list due to a right ankle sprain.

JUNE 2: The Brewers placed catcher Omar Narváez on the COVID-19 injured list, just a half-hour before tonight’s contest with the Padres. That’ll force them to start Víctor Caratini behind the dish today, and the time constraints have led to an atypical corresponding roster move. To take Narváez’s place on the active and 40-man rosters, the Brew Crew selected backstop Alex Hall from High-A Wisconsin.

That decision was pressed upon them by geographic constraints as the Brewers scramble to get a second catcher to Milwaukee. Hall will make the trek from Appleton, where the Timber Rattlers are based — a far easier commute than it would’ve been to get help from Durham, where the club’s Triple-A affiliate is playing on the road.

Hall, 23 next week, was an amateur signee out of Australia in December 2017. He had a nine-game stint in Triple-A in 2019 but has otherwise played in the low minors for his entire career. He’s only played six games with Wisconsin this season, as he’s been a backup option for the Timber Rattlers. This stay on the 40-man roster will surely be brief, but the unique situation affords Hall an opportunity to join the big league club and possibly get some MLB action were Caratini to suffer an injury during tonight’s game.

Hyun Jin Ryu Diagnosed With Forearm Strain

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The MRI results came back for Blue Jays left-hander Hyun Jin Ryu, and the diagnosis is alarming. He has suffered a forearm strain and elbow inflammation, manager Charlie Montoyo told reporters (including Keegan Matheson of MLB.com).

Toronto didn’t provide much else on Ryu’s timetable. Montoyo said he’d be out “multiple weeks,” and he’s slated to undergo further testing to determine the severity of the issue. A forearm strain diagnosis is always alarming given how often that terminology is a precursor to Tommy John surgery, but there’s no indication that’s on the table at this time.

Ryu is no stranger to health concerns, having spent time on the injured list in every full season — excluding the shortened 2020 schedule — since 2013. He’s dealt with a litany of issues, but the most alarming was a combination of shoulder surgery and elbow tendinitis that cost him virtually all of the 2015-16 seasons. Ryu’s more recent injuries were mostly lower-half related, but he hit the IL earlier this year on account of forearm inflammation.

The 35-year-old returned from that bout of inflammation after a few weeks, but he made just four starts before again dealing with discomfort. Ryu suggested that his latest issue felt similar to the early-season problem, and the Jays placed him on the 15-day IL yesterday.

Ryu is in the third season of a four-year contract. He was exceptional in 2020, posting a 2.69 ERA with strong peripherals through 67 innings. While he made 31 starts and soaked up 167 frames last year, he wasn’t as effective on a rate basis. Ryu posted a 4.37 mark, continuing to demonstrate strong control and ground-ball numbers but watching his strikeout percentage fall from 26.2% to 20.4%. That rate has dropped to a well below-average 14.2% this season, while Ryu’s ERA has spiked to 5.33 over six outings.

It remains to be seen when Ryu might be able to reclaim his rotation spot in Toronto. In the interim, swingman Ross Stripling will step into the starting five alongside Alek Manoah, Kevin Gausman, José Berríos and Yusei Kikuchi. That’s still a strong group, particularly with Manoah and Gausman performing brilliantly. Stripling has started five of his 13 outings this season, posting a 4.22 ERA with an excellent 54.5% ground-ball percentage.

Big Hype Prospects: Thompson, Rodriguez, Pratto, Perez, Bello

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This week, we take one last check-in on an uber-prospect then turn our attention to new fast-risers.

Five Big Hype Prospects

Zack Thompson, 24, SP, STL (AAA)

44.1 IP, 11.37 K/9, 3.05 BB/9, 4.67 ERA

The Cardinals recently announced Thompson will join the Major League roster, presumably to start one of the games this weekend. Reading the tea leaves, this might be a single-appearance arrival in the big leagues. He should eventually be a fairly regular member of the rotation at times during this season. Like fellow left-handed Cardinals pitching prospect Matthew Liberatore, Thompson’s individual pitches draw strong grades from scouts. However, the repertoire as a whole might leave something to be desired, especially since his fastball and curve don’t tunnel effectively. In other words, they look different out of his hand. That could partly explain his elevated Triple-A ERA despite strong strikeout and walk rates.

Liberatore, a 22-year-old former Rays farmhand, was dinged for a 5.54 ERA in three starts and generated just 6.1 percent swinging strikes. Scouts from multiple outlets have noted the similarities between these left-handed starters. We’ll see if Thompson can make a stronger claim to Major League readiness.

Julio Rodriguez, 21, OF, SEA (MLB)

205 PA, 6 HR, 15 SB, .272/.322/.424

Through the first two weeks of the season, Rodriguez hit a miserable .154/.233/.179 with a 41.9 percent strikeout rate. He struggled, in part, with bad strike calls. Since then, the precocious prospect is batting .303/.346/.487 with all six of his home runs and 11 steals. His strikeout rate during that span is down to 25.9 percent and slowly improving as the season progresses. He’s rapidly establishing himself as one of the most dynamic players in the league.

The obvious next step in his development is improved plate discipline. Rodriguez drew a healthy number of walks in the minors last season, though that could have been a function of opponents working around him. Thus far, he’s proven especially susceptible to swinging outside of the zone. His early experience with egregious strike calls might have taken a mental toll. If he can improve to even a league average swing rate outside the zone, superstardom will be his.

Nick Pratto, 23, 1B, KC (AAA)

186 PA, 10 HR, 4 SB, .221/.349/.461

Prior to this season, Pratto was seen as ahead of teammate Vinnie Pasquantino. Now, it’s not so clear. Both players are first basemen with sufficient thump to make their presence felt out of the designated hitter slot too. The trouble is the Royals entered 2022 with a logjam of cornermen and are resistant to setting aside their veterans. In particular, Carlos Santana has performed poorly since the start of 2020, batting just .203/.322/.311 in 1,061 plate appearances. Their loyalty in the face of contrary evidence is a factor in their 16-33 record.

While Pasquantino is having the spicier season, Pratto’s bat has come alive in the last two weeks. Over his last 59 plate appearances, he’s batting .217/.390/.565 with five home runs. He profiles as a slugger in the mold of Kyle Schwarber, one whose patience and penchant for fly ball contact will serve both as a strength (walks and home runs) and weakness (strikeouts and low batting average).

Eury Perez, 19, SP, MIA (AA)

38 IP, 13.26 K/9, 2.13 BB/9, 3.79 ERA

Unless I’m mistaken, Perez is the youngest member of Double-A, and he’s absolutely thriving. A looming 6’ 8’’ on the bump, Perez has uncanny command for a player his size and generates swinging strikes with ease. To that end, he’s recorded an 18.8 percent swinging strike rate against Double-A competition. He has a traditional repertoire of mid-90s fastball, curveball, and changeup. His build remains youthful. Given his height, Perez will probably add 30 or more pounds within the next couple years.

The Marlins have carefully managed his workload, keeping him to between 18 and 21 batters faced in most starts. In all probability, we won’t see Perez in the Majors this season. He might, however, find his way to the doorstep in time for an early 2023 debut.

Brayan Bello, 23, SP, BOS (AAA)

17 IP, 13.76 K/9, 4.24 BB/9, 3.18 ERA

The Red Sox have a number of interesting starting pitcher prospects headlined by Bello. While their big-league rotation is solid, they desperately need reinforcements in the bullpen. Bello kicked off 2022 in Double-A where he posted a 1.60 ERA with 11.23 K/9 and 3.21 BB/9 in 33.2 innings. He’s hardly missed a beat since joining the Triple-A rotation. A slight uptick in walk rate is the only sign he’s been challenged. Bello features a three-pitch repertoire of above average offerings. His fastball sits in the upper-90s and could play up in relief. He also throws a tight slider and a wipeout changeup.

Bello is poised to immediately reinforce the Red Sox pitching staff, either by joining the bullpen directly or freeing Garrett Whitlock to resume a late-inning role.

Five More

Grayson Rodriguez (22): Rodriguez was 20 batters into what many (including me) believe was his final minor league start when a lat strain ended his outing a few batters early. Such injuries can be complex and difficult to rehab. He’ll likely be shut down for at least several weeks before a throwing program is considered.

Ethan Small (25): Small received his first cup of coffee last Monday. He’s a southpaw whose fastball and changeup blend together beautifully even if they lack the big velocity associated with this era. His third pitch, a slider, lags behind the others. With Freddy Peralta and Brandon Woodruff sidelined, the Brewers might need Small again soon.

Taj Bradley (21): Bradley has built upon his breakout 2021 season with a mirror replica in Double-A. He’s posted a 2.20 ERA with 11.20 K/9 and 2.20 BB/9 in 41 innings. A promotion to Triple-A should be forthcoming, at which point he’ll become one of the youngest players at the level.

Gunnar Henderson (20): Speaking of young Double-A players on the cusp of reaching Triple-A, Henderson has put together an otherworldly .433/.500/.767 line over his last 30 plate appearances. Overall, he has more walks than strikeouts along with eight home runs and 12 steals in 200 plate appearances. A promotion is overdue.

Jordan Westburg (23): Although his overall performance hasn’t been as emphatic as Henderson’s, Westburg was just as hot since May 25. He’s batting .406/.486/.594 over his last 37 plate appearances. While Henderson appears to be mid-breakout, Westburg is merely showing modest skills growth.

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