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Archives for June 2023

Padres Notes: Bogaerts, Odor, Tatis

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Padres manager Bob Melvin provided an update on the injury situations of second baseman Rougned Odor and shortstop Xander Bogaerts after last night’s game against the Cubs. As noted by Annie Heilbrunn of the San Diego Union Tribune, Melvin said that both Odor, who’s dealing with a left groin strain, and Bogaerts, who has struggled with wrist soreness throughout the season, will be assessed today, with Melvin admitting that there is “probably the potential of” a roster move to accommodate their ailing middle infield duo sometime today.

Melvin’s comments come after MLB.com’s AJ Cassavell noted earlier in the day that the Padres are hopeful Odor can avoid going on the injured list. After signing a minor league deal with the Padres this offseason and managing to break camp with the club, Odor has enjoyed a start to the season that, if maintained, would make the 2023 campaign his best since his age-22 season with the Rangers back in 2016. In 99 trips to the plate with the Padres this season, Odor has slashed .216/.303/.420, good for a 101 wRC+ that’s a massive jump from the 78 wRC+ figure he posted across the 2019-2022 campaigns.

Odor’s rebound at the plate has come through a considerable improvement in place discipline, as the lefty has posted a strikeout rate of just 20.2%, a steep drop from the 27.8% rate Odor punched out over the past four seasons. He’s paired the reduced strikeouts with a 10.1% walk rate that would be the best of his career if he can maintain it over the full season.

Bogaerts, meanwhile, commented on his wrist troubles to reporters, with Cassavell relaying that he’ll likely be out of the lineup today, if not longer, though he hopes to avoid a stint on the IL. Melvin confirmed that his shortstop would likely have today off, as Jeff Sanders of the San Diego Union Tribune notes that the manager says they’ll see how Bogaerts responds to a day off before making a decision regarding a potential IL trip. As noted by The Athletic’s Dennis Lin, Bogaerts notes that this is the longest he’s played through wrist discomfort, citing the absence of third baseman Manny Machado as the reason he felt the need to try and push through the ailment.

With Odor and Bogaerts both at risk of missing time, the Padres will likely need to reconfigure their infield picture aside from Machado, who is entrenched at third base. Ha-Seong Kim has experience at both second base and shortstop, while Brandon Dixon has mostly played first base for the Padres this season but has experience at the keystone as well. Jake Cronenworth can play all three positions, while both Alfonso Rivas and Matt Carpenter could factor in at first base as well if necessary.

One solution the Padres seem unlikely to go with is returning Fernando Tatis Jr. to the infield. A shortstop for the majority of his career, Tatis has moved to the outfield full time in 2023, appearing exclusively in right field so far this season. That being said, more positional flexibility could still be in Tatis’s future, as noted by Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union Tribune. Acee elaborates that with Jose Azocar optioned to Triple-A, the Padres lack a proper back-up option in center field behind Trent Grisham.

Tatis, of course, previously expressed a desire to play center field earlier this season, and Acee relays that Melvin appears open to the idea, saying that “He plays pretty good right field for us right now… But if we needed to do something or if something happened in-game or we wanted to give Grish another day off, (Tatis) has been taking fly balls in center field.”

Pirates Select Chase De Jong

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The Pirates have selected the contract of right-hander Chase De Jong, per a team announcement. To make room for De Jong on the active roster, Yerry De Los Santos has been optioned to Triple-A Indianapolis. No corresponding 40-man roster move was necessary to accomodate De Jong, as the Pirates had open space on the 40-man roster, which now stands at 38.

A second-round pick by the Blue Jays in the 2012 draft, De Jong has fashioned a career for himself as a journeyman reliever since his big league debut with the Mariners in 2017, when he posted a 6.35 ERA in 28 1/3 innings of work. Following his time in Seattle, De Jong joined the Twins and Astros organizations before arriving in Pittsburgh on a minor league deal in January of 2021. Since then, he’s pitched to a 2.70 ERA in 43 1/3 innings at the Triple-A level while posting a 4.33 ERA 124 2/3 innings of work at the big league level.

That includes a brutal start to his 2023 campaign, where De Jong posted a 10.61 ERA in 9 1/3 innings of work with identical 10.6% strikeout and walk rates. That led the Pirates to designate De Jong for assignment last month, though he eventually accepted an outright assignment to Triple-A, paving the way for today’s return to the roster. De Jong figures to join Angel Perdomo and Yohan Ramirez in covering the middle innings for the Pirates going forward.

As for De Los Santos, the 25-year-old returns to Triple-A just one day after being recalled to the roster for his 2023 debut. De Los Santos recorded two outs for the Pirates in yesterday’s game while recording a strikeout and a walk. He’ll return to Indianapolis and act as bullpen depth going forward.

Cardinals Select Luken Baker

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The Cardinals have selected the contract of first baseman Luken Baker, per a team announcement. The club also formally announced that catcher Tres Barrera has been designated for assignment. The moves are hardly surprising after Barrera himself told reporters that he had been placed on waivers last night, leading to speculation that Baker, who wasn’t in the Triple-A lineup last night, could be his replacement.

A second round pick by the Cardinals in the 2018 draft, the 26-year-old slugger tore up the lower minors at every level from 2018-2021 before spending the full 2022 season at the Triple-A level. Baker faced his first pronounced struggles as a professional at the level, slashing just .228/.288/.394 with a 78 wRC+ in 124 games.

Baker appears to have put those struggles behind him, however, as the slugger has torn up Triple-A in his return to the level this season. In 244 plate appearances at the level this season, Baker has slashed a phenomenal .313/.434/.641 with a wRC+ of 165. In addition to the vastly improved slash line, Baker has cut his strikeout rate to just 21.7%, his lowest figure since his professional debut in 2018, while his walk rate has skyrocketed to a whopping 17.6%.

That performance has paved the way for Baker to make his MLB debut later today, batting seventh against the Pirates. Going forward, Baker figures to compete with the likes of Juan Yepez and Alec Burleson for DH at-bats with the big league club, while potentially also spelling Paul Goldschmidt at first base on occasion.

As for Barrera, the 28-year-old catcher managed to get into just six games for St. Louis, drawing only two plate appearances. Should he go unclaimed on waivers, he’ll have he option to elect free agency, as he’s received an outright assignment previously in his career. Barrera figures to be an attractive catching depth option on a minor league deal should he hit the open market.

Diamondbacks Extend Torey Lovullo Through 2024

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According to The Arizona Republic’s Nick Piecoro, the Diamondbacks and manager Torey Lovullo have agreed to a one-year contract extension, leaving Lovullo poised to return for an eighth season as Arizona’s manager in 2024. As Piecoro notes, this marks the third consecutive one-year deal for Lovullo. The vote of confidence in Lovullo comes after a hot start to the 2023 campaign where the Diamondbacks have surpassed preseason expectations, posting a 35-24 record that leaves them tied with the Dodgers for first place in the NL West.

Lovullo’s managerial career began with the Diamondbacks in 2017, when the club made the playoffs with a solid 93-69 record that earned him the NL Manager of the Year award. Over the years since then, Arizona has seen the veteran core of that club, which included Paul Goldschmidt, Zack Greinke, Patrick Corbin, and AJ Pollock, depart through trades and free agency. While Lovullo managed to lead the team through the 2018 and 2019 seasons without falling below .500, the club finished the shortened 2020 season with a 25-35 record that left them in last place in the NL West.

Arizona’s struggles would grow even more pronounced in 2021, as injuries and under-performance plagued virtually every player on the team en route to a brutal 110 loss season. GM Mike Hazen’s front office stood by Lovullo through that brutal season, however, and awarded him a contract extension in September of 2021. That decision began to pay off in 2022 as the club slowly began to improve, playing to a record near .500 (34-36) after the All Star break. That improvement was brought about in part by the emergence of young players like Corbin Carroll and Jake McCarthy, along with right-hander Zac Gallen establishing himself as one of the best young starters in the game.

Despite the club beginning to lay groundwork for a bright future at the end of last season, few expected Arizona to be as successful as they have been over the first two months of the 2023 season. An offseason swap that saw Daulton Varsho sent to Toronto in exchange for Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and Gabriel Moreno has already paid dividends, Ketel Marte has rebounded from a difficult season in 2022, and strong performances from young players like Carroll, Geraldo Perdomo, and Emmanuel Rivera have combined to produce an offense that ranks top 5 in the majors in runs scored. On the pitching side, Gallen and Merrill Kelly have formed an enviable top of the rotation, the club’s offseason commitment to Andrew Chafin has paid dividends in the bullpen, and young arms like Drey Jameson and Tommy Henry have begun to contribute as well.

Overall, Lovullo has a 446-483 record as manager of the Diamondbacks with just one playoff appearance. Nonetheless, as Arizona’s future appears to have arrived ahead of schedule the club’s front office has made the decision to assure Lovullo of his role in guiding the up-and-coming club back to the playoffs for the first time since his managerial debut in 2017.

Minor MLB Transactions: 6/3/23

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Catching up on some minor moves from around baseball…

  • Jimmy Yacabonis cleared waivers and has been outrighted off the Mets’ 40-man roster.  There isn’t yet word as to whether or not Yacabonis will accept the assignment to Triple-A, as since he has previously been outrighted during his career, Yacabonis has the right to reject the assignment and test free agency.  New York designated Yacabonis for assignment earlier this week, after the right-hander posted a 9.00 ERA over an even nine relief innings this season.

Injury Notes: Garrett, Altuve, Rosario, Rodriguez, Avisail

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The Royals placed Amir Garrett on the 15-day injured list yesterday, with a retroactive May 29 placement date.  The left-hander is suffering from a valgus extension overload in his throwing elbow, which manager Matt Quatraro told reporters (including MLB.com) is like a bone bruise.  Garrett will miss roughly 3-4 weeks in total, and will be shut down for the next 5-7 days before being re-examined.

Since Kansas City already seems out of the pennant race, that means Garrett should be able to return well before the trade deadline, and perhaps establish himself as a trade chip for a Royals team that is already open to moving relievers.  Garrett is a free agent this winter, making him even more of an obvious trade candidate as a rental player.  Beyond his current health issue, however, the biggest obstacle in the way of a Garrett deal is his garish 17.7% walk rate, the highest yet for a pitcher who has struggled with control over most of his seven MLB seasons.  While Garrett has only a 3.00 ERA over 21 innings and his strikeout (25%) and grounder (48.1%) rates are both respectable, the walk rate certainly stands out as a red flag for any interesting suitors.

More on other injury situations around baseball…

  • Jose Altuve didn’t play today and likely won’t play on Sunday, as Astros manager Dusty Baker told reporters (including Danielle Lerner of the Houston Chronicle) that Altuve is dealing with a minor oblique problems.  The second baseman felt discomfort after a swing in Friday’s game, and while the injury isn’t deemed serious enough to merit an MRI, the Astros are naturally being careful with Altuve given how oblique problems can linger or become easily aggravated.  It’s a day-to-day situation for now, though Houston doesn’t have an off-day on the schedule until June 12.
  • The Guardians removed Amed Rosario from today’s game in the fourth inning due to left knee soreness.  Rosario is day-to-day for now, and since Cleveland has an off-day on Monday, it seems very likely that Rosario will be sat for Sunday’s game to give him two full days to rest and recover.  Rosario has struggled badly this season, hitting only .224/.270/.314 over 226 plate appearances, and he has the fourth-lowest fWAR (-0.7) of any qualified player in 2023.  Any of Gabriel Arias, Tyler Freeman, or Brayan Rocchio could get more playing time at shortstop if Rosario has to miss an extended amount of time.
  • Joely Rodriguez was warming up in preparation of entering tonight’s Rays/Red Sox game, but Sox manager Alex Cora told reporters (including Julian McWilliams of the Boston Globe) that Rodriguez had to halt his warmup due to soreness in his bicep and shoulder area.  More will be known once some tests are run, but it certainly looks like Rodriguez could be headed back to the IL.  An oblique injury in Spring Training already delayed Rodriguez’s season debut until May 17, and the left-hander has struggled to an 18.00 ERA over his four innings and five appearances.
  • The Marlins told reporters (including Daniel Alvarez-Montes of El Extra Base) that Avisail Garcia’s rehab assignment has been temporarily halted, as he will receive examination on his sore back.  Garcia has already been on the IL since April 29 due to lower back tightness, so while the team described the setback as “minor,” it is a little worrisome to see Garcia further delayed.  The outfielder has played in four games with Triple-A Jacksonville during his rehab assignment.

Cardinals Place Tres Barrera On Waivers

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8:15PM: As noted by Denton, Goold, and several others on Twitter, prospect Luken Baker isn’t playing for Triple-A Louisville tonight, and could be on his way to the majors as Berrera’s replacement on both the 40-man and active roster.  A second-round pick for the Cards in the 2018 draft, the 26-year-old Baker has broken out with a huge season at Triple-A, hitting .313/.434/.641 with 18 homers over 244 PA.  Since Baker is a first base-only player, Paul Goldschmidt is blocking him from his natural position in St. Louis, so Baker would serve as a DH (probably against left-handed pitching, since Baker swings from the right side).

7:40PM: The Cardinals have placed catcher Tres Barrera on waivers, as the catcher himself told reporters (including the St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s Derrick Goold and MLB.com’s John Denton).  According to Goold, the Cards will be replacing Barrera on the active roster with another position player.

Barrera signed a minor league deal with St. Louis during the offseason, and his contact was selected in early May when the Cardinals made the decision to temporarily limit Willson Contreras to DH duty.  When Contreras was returned to the catcher role just over a week later, it basically ended any chance Barrera had of significant playing time, since Andrew Knizner had already won the backup job out of Spring Training.  All in all, Barrera appeared in six games with the Cardinals as a late-game sub, only receiving two plate appearances.

The 28-year-old Barrera has now appeared in parts of four MLB seasons since 2019, though with only 57 games and 164 PA on his big league resume.  A longtime member of the Nationals’ farm system, Barrera’s previous Major League experience came in limited action in Washington, and the Nats outrighted him off their 40-man roster after last season.  Given the lack of catching depth around baseball, it seems likely that some team will take a look at Barrera on another minor league contract.

Cubs Place Justin Steele On 15-Day Injured List

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The Cubs placed left-hander Justin Steele on the 15-day injured list due to a left forearm strain.  The placement is retroactive to June 1.  Taking Steele’s spot on the active roster is catcher Miguel Amaya, who was called up from Triple-A Iowa.

As detailed in reports earlier today, the MRI on Steele’s forearm revealed no structural damage, leaving even some possibility that Steele might miss a start but avoid doing on the injured list altogether.  However, it appears as though the Cubs have decided to err on the side of caution, which is understandable given the larger-scale injuries that can be associated with forearm problems.  For now, it would seem possible that Steele might be able to return after the minimum 15 days, making this IL stint perhaps just a blip in what has been an otherwise excellent season for the 27-year-old southpaw.

Steele has a 2.65 ERA over 12 starts and 68 innings, along with a strong 5.9% walk rate and an elite 28% hard-hit ball rate.  Steele’s 21.4% strikeout rate is well below average, but his ability to both keep the ball on the ground (48.4% grounder rate) and induce soft contact has been a winning recipe for success, and even a step up from his quality numbers in 2021-22.

The forearm problem arose during Steele’s start on Wednesday, as he was perfect over three innings against the Pirates before being removed from the game.  Hayden Wesneski is slated to take Steele’s spot in the rotation, and Wesneski is scheduled to start on Tuesday against the Angels.

Amaya made his MLB debut by playing in six games for Chicago earlier this season, and the former top-100 prospect will now get another look at the big league level.  With Yan Gomes and Tucker Barnhart taking up the catching duties, it remains to be seen how much playing time Amaya might get during this latest stint in the Show, and it might end up being a relatively brief stay until the Cubs feel the need to call up a fresh arm.

Brewers Place Tyrone Taylor, Darin Ruf On 10-Day Injured List

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Prior to today’s 10-8 win over the Reds, the Brewers placed outfielders Tyrone Taylor and Darin Ruf on the 10-day injured list.  Taylor (whose placement is retroactive to June 2) is dealing with a right elbow sprain, while Ruf has a laceration on his right knee.  In corresponding moves, Milwaukee called up Blake Perkins from Triple-A, and as reported yesterday, Jon Singleton’s contract was selected from Triple-A.

The new faces delivered today, as Perkins hit a grand slam to help the Brewers score the victory in Cincinnati.  However, losing Taylor and Ruf further thins the Brewers’ depth, as the club now has 14 players (six of them position players) on the injured list.  It isn’t yet known when either player could be back, as Bally Sports’ Sophia Minnaert notes, since Ruf’s laceration is quite severe and Taylor will undergo tests to determine the nature of his elbow problem.

Taylor first sprained his right elbow in late February, which kept him out of action for Spring Training and delayed his 2023 debut until May 2.  Whether due to the lost spring prep time, lingering elbow soreness, or both, Taylor has badly struggled at the plate, hitting only .160/.179/.240 over 78 plate appearances.  It’s a big dropoff for a player who had a solid .241/.303/.453 slash line over 729 PA of part-time duty in 2019-22, and it seemed like Taylor might have been in line for a larger role given the rather unsettled nature of Milwaukee’s outfield.

Ruf just signed the Brew Crew in the middle of May, coming to Milwaukee after he elected free agency rather than accept an outright assignment to the Giants’ Triple-A affiliate.  Stepping into a first base platoon as the right-handed hitting complement to Rowdy Tellez, Ruf also wasn’t hitting much (.531 OPS) over his first 30 PA for Milwaukee before he badly cut his knee during Friday’s game.  Ruf was chasing a foul ball when he collided with the tarp rolled up on the sidelines at the Great American Ballpark.

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