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Archives for September 2023

Walker Buehler Won’t Return This Year

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The Dodgers announced that right-hander Walker Buehler, who recently began a rehab assignment after undergoing Tommy John surgery last year, won’t return to the club this year. He will instead focusing on getting healthy for 2024.

“My goal since last year has been to return to a major league mound this season,” Buehler says in a club statement. “After many conversations with my doctor, the Dodgers’ front office, training staff and my family, we concluded that waiting until next season is the right course of action. I am disappointed that I will not be able to help this team go after a title in the 2023 postseason, but I look forward to returning fully healthy in 2024 and bringing another World Series to L.A.”

Buehler, 29, underwent Tommy John surgery in August of last year. Given that the recovery period for that procedure often pushes to 14 months or more, his ability to return in 2023 was questionable right from the get-go. Nonetheless, he planned to give it a try, saying earlier in the year that he was targeting a September return. That plan still seemed to be on track as recently as this weekend, when Buehler started a rehab assignment, tossing two innings for Triple-A Oklahoma City on Sunday.

But it seems that Buehler, along with the various other parties he mentioned, have decided that it’s no longer feasible. It’s unclear exactly what the situation is, but Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times reports that there was no setback and that Buehler still feels good physically. He just hasn’t progressed enough and pushing himself in the next few weeks comes with too high a risk of re-injury.

While it sounds like both the pitcher and the club have agreed that prioritizing his long-term health is the sensible approach, it will be a significant challenge for the club in the short-term given the other challenges they are facing in the rotation. Dustin May required flexor tendon surgery earlier this year and Tony Gonsolin required Tommy John surgery not too long ago. Both of them are now out for the remainder of this year and at least part of next year as well. Julio Urías was placed on administrative leave earlier this week as the league investigates him for a possible domestic violence violation. His situation is unclear but it seems unlikely he will be returning anytime soon.

Those absences, along with today’s news about Buehler, make the rotation start to feel a bit flimsy. The Dodgers are in a healthy place overall with a record of 85-54, putting them 13 games up on the Diamondbacks in the division and eight games ahead of the Brewers for a bye through the first round of the playoffs. But starting pitching takes on magnified importance in the postseason when teams lean on their top pitchers more often.

The Dodgers still have Clayton Kershaw on the active roster, though his health is a big question mark at the moment. He already missed over a month of the season, from early July to the middle of August, due to a shoulder issue. While on the IL, he spoke about how he felt fine but was being told to rest after undergoing an MRI. He’s now been back for over a month but it seems that situation is lingering.

Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic looked into the details this week, highlighting that Kershaw failed to hit 90 mph with his fastball at any point in his most recent outing, despite averaging over 91 mph with the pitch earlier in the year. Kershaw continues to assert that he feels fine, in spite of the clearly diminished stuff. Manager Dave Roberts conceded that Kershaw was still not 100% healthy but insisted he would continue to pitch. “He’s going to keep going until he can’t,” Roberts said. “If he is able to take the baseball, he’s going to take the baseball.”

There’s also Lance Lynn, acquired from the White Sox at the deadline, though he has an earned run average of 6.09 on the year. That mark was 6.47 with Chicago and he initially showed better results after changing jerseys, but he went on to allow 15 earned runs over his two most recent starts. Ryan Yarbrough has a 3.80 ERA but the club doesn’t seem to trust him beyond pitching bulk innings out of the bullpen.

Beyond them, the club is relying on rookies, with some encouraging results in there. Bobby Miller has a 3.80 ERA on the year in his 17 starts and Ryan Pepiot is at 0.86 in his four outings. On the less encouraging side, Emmet Sheehan has an ERA of 5.31 while Michael Grove is at 6.61 and currently rehabbing a lat strain.

All in all, there are plenty of questions in that mix, either due to health or a lack of experience or general ineffectiveness. Bringing Buehler back could have been a difference maker, as he has a 3.02 career ERA in the regular season and a 2.94 mark in the postseason. However, it seems that’s not in the cards and the Dodgers will have to cobble together a playoff rotation without him. Buehler will instead set his sights on the 2024 campaign, which will be important for him personally, as that will be his final arbitration season before he is slated to reach free agency.

MLB Places Julio Urias On Administrative Leave

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Sept. 8: ESPN’s Paula Lavigne reports that the alleged altercation occurred outside BMO Stadium in downtown Los Angeles following a Major League Soccer game between LAFC and Inter Miami. Los Angeles Department of Public Safety assistant chief Chris Carr tells Lavigne that a civilian captured the incident on video, and said video is now in the possession of local law enforcement.

Sept. 6: Major League Baseball has placed Dodgers starter Julio Urías on administrative leave, according to a league announcement. That’s the standard procedure for players who are being investigated for a possible violation of the MLB/MLBPA domestic violence policy.

“Per an agreement between MLB and the MLBPA, Julio Urías has been placed on Administrative Leave until further notice as MLB continues its ongoing investigation,” the league said in a statement. “The administrative leave, which is effective immediately, is not disciplinary under the Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Policy.  We will refrain from further comment until the appropriate time.”

Urías was arrested on a felony domestic violence charge on Sunday. He was released on bond and reportedly has a court date scheduled for September 27. The Dodgers announced on Monday that Urías would not be traveling with the team, though he technically counted against the club’s roster until today.

As the league noted, administrative leave is not a finding of fact nor a disciplinary action. It’s a jointly agreed upon measure between the league and players union that keeps the player off the field while MLB conducts its investigation. Players continue to be paid while on leave, though they would retroactively forfeit salary if MLB ultimately levies a suspension. The league can impose discipline even in the absence of a criminal conviction. Urías was suspended for 20 games for a violation of the domestic violence policy during the 2019 season.

The Dodgers now have an opening on the active and 40-man rosters. It seems they’ll fill the MLB spot by recalling right-hander Ryan Pepiot, who’d been optioned to Triple-A last week. Manager Dave Roberts told reporters (including Juan Toribio of MLB.com) that Pepiot will take the ball tomorrow against the Marlins for what would’ve been Urías’ turn in the rotation.

Padres Select Jurickson Profar

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Sept. 8: The Padres have formally announced the Profar and Rosario moves. San Diego has placed Sanchez on the 10-day injured list and moved righty Alek Jacob to the 60-day IL in order to open space on the roster.

Sept. 7: The Padres will select Jurickson Profar back onto the major league roster, reports Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune. The Friars also plan to recall infielder Eguy Rosario from Triple-A. San Diego will presumably announce the moves before tomorrow’s series opener in Houston.

Profar returns to San Diego for the first time this year. The one-time top prospect spent the 2020-22 campaigns with the Friars. He hit .244/.333/.375 over that stretch, including a .243/.331/.391 showing in 152 games a year ago. He opted out of the final season of his contract and joined the Rockies on a $10MM free agent deal late in Spring Training, presumably after not finding the multi-year pact he’d been anticipating.

The 30-year-old’s stint in Denver didn’t work out. Profar slumped to a .236/.316/.364 slash despite spending half his games at Coors Field. While the delayed start to the season probably didn’t do him any favors, he never seemed to find a rhythm. Profar was hitting just .210/.288/.324 from the start of the second half until Colorado released him on August 27.

A few days later, the Padres brought him back on a minor league deal. Profar only suited up in four games for their top affiliate in El Paso before earning a return to the MLB roster. San Diego will have to formally select him onto the 40-man roster, though that won’t be an obstacle. The Friars could place any of Jake Cronenworth, Gary Sánchez or Ji Man Choi on the 60-day injured list to create a spot.

Profar has played exclusively left field at the MLB level over the past two seasons but picked up a couple starts at first base in Triple-A. He had plenty of infield experience earlier in his career and could potentially move around off the bench. With San Diego’s playoff hopes extinguished, it’s simply a depth add for the final few weeks. Profar will return to free agency at the start of the offseason. San Diego will pay him at the prorated $720K minimum level with the Rockies on the hook for the rest of his salary.

Nationals’ Riley Adams Diagnosed With Hamate Fracture

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Nationals catcher Riley Adams has been placed on the injured list due to a fractured hamate bone in his left wrist, the team announced. The move is retroactive to Sept. 7. The Nats didn’t announce whether Adams would undergo surgery — as is common with hamate fractures — but with under four weeks remaining on the regular season schedule, the injury will surely bring his season to a close.

Adams, 27, served as the primary backup to Keibert Ruiz in 2023 and enjoyed a strong year at the plate. In 44 games and 158 plate appearances, he logged a .273/.331/.476 batting line with four home runs, 13 doubles and a pair of triples. The 2017 third-round pick walked at a 7% clip and fanned at a 28.5% rate. Adams drew poor framing grades behind the plate but also posted a 22% caught-stealing rate that’s higher than this season’s 19% average, and Statcast grades him as above-average when it comes to blocking pitches in the dirt.

Acquired in the 2021 trade that sent lefty Brad Hand to the Blue Jays, Adams has now appeared in parts of three big league seasons. He’s a .224/.308/.391 hitter in that time. The Nationals can control Adams for another four seasons, and he won’t reach arbitration eligibility until the completion of the 2024 campaign.

Ruiz, who signed an eight-year contract extension over the winter and has swatted a career-high 16 home runs in 2023, is locked in as Washington’s starter for the foreseeable future. Adams has the inside track on continuing to serve as Ruiz’s backup, but the Nats also have catchers Drew Millas and Israel Pineda as alternatives on the 40-man roster. The 25-year-old Millas, who was recently promoted for his MLB debut, figures to fill that backup role in the season’s final few weeks now.

Marlins To Designate Devin Smeltzer, Select Enmanuel De Jesus

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The Marlins plan to designate left-hander Devin Smeltzer for assignment prior to today’s game, reports Noah Berger of Fish On First. Daniel Alvarez Montes of El Extra Base adds that Smeltzer’s spot on the roster will go to southpaw Enmanuel De Jesus, whose contract is being selected from Triple-A Jacksonville.

This marks a jarring fourth DFA of the season for Smeltzer, who signed a minor league contract with Miami over the winter. He’s had his contract selected to the big league roster on four different occasions but been jettisoned to waivers after a brief stay in each instance. Most recently Smeltzer mopped up 3 2/3 innings in yesterday’s blowout loss to the Dodgers. Pitching on his 28th birthday, Smeltzer came into a 6-0 game and was tagged for four runs, though he spared the Marlins from depleting their bullpen in a game that was largely out of hand before he took the mound. In 22 1/3 innings this year, Smeltzer has a 6.45 ERA.

Smeltzer, a former Dodgers draft pick, went to the Twins as part of a Brian Dozier trade and spent parts of four seasons with Minnesota, pitching to a combined 3.99 ERA in 140 innings of work. That includes 70 1/3 frames of 3.71 ERA ball last year, though that success came with a tepid 13.9% strikeout rate. Smeltzer has never missed many bats at the MLB level, evidenced by a career 16.5% strikeout rate, but he’s also only walked 6% of his opponents — a far better-than-average mark. Overall, he has a 4.32 ERA in 162 1/3 big league innings. He’ll be placed back on waivers for a fourth time within the next five days.

De Jesus, 26, will make his big league debut the first time he takes the mound. Originally a Red Sox signee, he spent the 2022 season in the Giants’ minor league system and signed a minor league pact with the Marlins over the winter. He’s pitched 87 minor league frames for the Fish this year (all but seven coming in Triple-A), logging a 4.86 ERA with a 17% strikeout rate, 12.4% walk rate and 40% ground-ball rate.

In parts of three seasons at the Triple-A level, De Jesus has worked to a 4.69 earned run average. He’s been working out of the rotation in Jacksonville and could give Miami some length in the bullpen. The Marlins also still have Sunday’s starter listed as TBD, so De Jesus could potentially be an option that day if he’s not used in relief prior to that contest.

Cubs Reinstate Brad Boxberger

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The Cubs reinstated right-hander Brad Boxberger from the 60-day injured list and optioned fellow righty Keegan Thompson to Triple-A Iowa, the team announced. The activation of Boxberger, who’s been out since mid-May with a forearm strain, brings Chicago’s 40-man roster to capacity.

Boxberger, 35, signed a one-year deal worth a guaranteed $2.8MM this offseason (in the form of a $2MM salary and an $800K buyout on a $5MM mutual option). He’s been limited to just 14 2/3 frames on account of this injury, however.

As one would expect from a pitcher dealing with forearm issues, the results in that timeframe were far from Boxberger’s previously established levels. The veteran righty’s velocity was down 0.8 mph from its 2022 levels and 1.5 mph from where it sat in 2021, and Boxberger was tagged for nine runs on 13 hits and nine walks. The resulting 5.52 ERA would be the worst mark of his 12-year MLB career, while his 20% strikeout rate would be his second-worst and his 13.8% walk rate would tie for his third-worst.

Difficult as the early stages of the season were for Boxberger, he of course has a lengthy track record of success. The right-hander spent the past two seasons with the division-rival Brewers, for whom he compiled 128 2/3 innings of 3.15 ERA ball while picking up five saves and 52 holds. Boxberger has pitched to a sub-4.00 ERA in eight of his 11 full big leagues seasons and dropped under the 3.00 mark four times (most recently last year’s 2.95). He carries a lifetime 3.51 earned run average in the Majors, with a hearty 28.8% strikeout rate against an 11.5% walk rate that has been his primary downfall during his worst seasons. Boxberger has 92 career holds and 84 saves, so he’s no stranger to working in leverage spots.

The Cubs will hope that they’re getting a healthier version of Boxberger whose results align more closely with his broader track record. Boxberger stumbled early in his minor league rehab stint but made four straight scoreless appearances (totaling 3 2/3 innings) before being activated — including scoreless outings on back-to-back days (his first time working on consecutive days since early May).

Injury Notes: McClanahan, Rengifo, Kershaw, Stroman

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News that Rays ace Shane McClanahan would require Tommy John surgery already strongly implied that he’ll miss not just the remainder of the 2023 season but perhaps the entire 2024 campaign as well — and McClanahan has effectively confirmed as much to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. Topkin writes that the 26-year-old McClanahan expects to be sidelined until 2025 after renowned surgeons Dr. Neal ElAttrache and Keith Meister both made the same recommendation. Meister, who performed the procedure, also “cleaned up” some bone chips in McClanahan’s elbow, the pitcher added.

“I was really frustrated when I found out, but I can’t control that,” McClanahan tells Topkin. “…I want to control how hard I work, the quality of teammate I am and the consistency on the field. And ultimately, the next year, year and a half, whatever it may be, I’m going to work my butt off to make sure that when I’m healthy, it’s going to be the same me.” Topkin’s piece contains plenty of quotes from McClanahan on his injury, the surgery and his mindset as he embarks on a lengthy rehab process, so Rays fans in particular will want to check it out in full.

A few more injury notes from around the league…

  • Angels infielder/outfielder Luis Rengifo exited last night’s game with a strained left biceps that he apparently sustained taking swings in the on-deck circle prior to his first at-bat, per Sarah Valenzuela of the Los Angeles Times. The Angels are further evaluating him today, but manager Phil Nevin conceded that the injury “doesn’t look good.” Further details will surely follow once the 26-year-old Rengifo has undergone imaging. A Rengifo injury of note would be the latest in a series of unwelcome developments for the Angels. He’s been the team’s hottest hitter for the past six weeks, evidenced by a scalding .342/.393/.602 batting line with nine homers, nine doubles, three triples and just a 14.6% strikeout rate in that time. On the whole Rengifo is hitting .264/.339/.444 in what has easily been the most productive all-around season of his still-young career. He’s under club control for an additional two seasons beyond the current campaign.
  • Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw still isn’t pitching at 100% following the shoulder strain that sent him to the injured list this summer, writes Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic. Kershaw didn’t reach 90 mph in his most recent start, and his average fastball velocity of just 88.4 mph in that outing was the second-lowest of any appearance in his career. Kershaw, however, is adamant that he can continue to pitch through the issue — and the Dodgers appear willing to let him do so. “If he is able to take the baseball, he’s going to take the baseball,” manager Dave Roberts said of the left-hander.
  • Marcus Stroman hasn’t pitched since July 31 due to inflammation in his hip and, more problematically, a rib cartilage fracture that was discovered as he was on the cusp of returning from that hip issue. However, he tossed 29 pitches during a live batting practice session yesterday, per Maddie Lee of the Chicago Sun-Times, and Cubs manager David Ross acknowledged that the right-hander appears to be ahead of schedule in his recovery. Stroman will likely require at least one minor league rehab start (if not two), but it seems there’s a good chance the 32-year-old could return before season’s end — and perhaps factor into the postseason rotation. How Stroman fares down the stretch will be worth watching with a particularly close eye, as he has a $21MM player option for the 2024 season but has long appeared likely to decline that and return to the market in search of a lengthier pact.

The Opener: Betts, Royals, Means

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As the 2023 regular season continues, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:

1. Betts on crutches:

The Dodgers are facing an injury scare with superstar Mookie Betts, as Isaac Azout of Fish On First noted last night that the MVP candidate left loanDepot Park on crutches. Jack Harris of the L.A. Times echoed that report while also indicating that Betts underwent x-rays on his foot after fouling a pitch off of it earlier in the game. Those x-rays came back negative, with MLB.com’s Juan Toribio indicating that they were precautionary. Betts will be re-evaluated today.

With so little time left in the regular season, even a fairly short absence would impact both the NL MVP race and the Dodgers’ odds of catching the Braves for the top seed in the NL this postseason. Betts, teammate Freddie Freeman, and Braves outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. are the favorites in the Senior Circuit’s Most Valuable Player race. Betts trails only Shohei Ohtani in wins above replacement this year, per both FanGraphs and Baseball-Reference, thanks to his sensational .314/.411/.609 batting line, 38 home runs and solid defense around the diamond (right field, second base, shortstop). Acuna is hitting .331/.411/.579 and is the first player to ever hit 30 home runs and steal 60 bases in the same season.

From a team vantage point, an absence of any note would be devastating for a Dodgers club that has leaned heavily on Betts and Freeman for offensive production throughout the season; the duo have combined for a whopping 14.7 fWAR this year, while the rest of L.A.’s 23 total position players used this season have combined for 15.0 fWAR.

2. Royals roster move incoming:

The Royals transferred lefty Daniel Lynch to the 60-day injured list yesterday and optioned infielder Matt Beaty to Triple-A yesterday, creating openings on both the 40-man and active roster. With a roster move necessary before tonight’s game in Toronto and 60-day IL moves typically followed by a corresponding 40-man addition, Kansas City seems likely add a player to the 40-man today. That could be an activation from the 60-day IL like right-hander Brad Keller, or it could be a contract selection of a player in the minors. Of course, it’s also possible that the club could leave the 40-man roster spot open and simply activate Nick Pratto from the 10-day IL to replace Beaty on the roster. Both Keller and Pratto have been on rehab assignments since August.

3. Means to be activated this weekend:

As noted on MLB.com, the Orioles intend to move to a six-man rotation upon the return left-hander John Means, whom Jacob Calvin Meyer of the Baltimore Sun indicates will be activated off the 60-day injured list at some point this weekend. The Orioles have announced Kyle Bradish, Jack Flaherty, and Grayson Rodriguez as the starters for the club’s series in Boston this weekend, so it’s possible Means will pitch out of the bullpen as a long reliever rather than join the club’s rotation. Whatever role Means fills, he figures to help boost an Orioles pitching staff that recently lost closer Felix Bautista to injury and is looking to keep starters like Bradish, Rodriguez, and Kyle Gibson healthy ahead of the postseason.

Rockies Outright Coco Montes

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The Rockies have sent infielder Coco Montes outright to Triple-A Albuquerque, according to the transactions log at MLB.com. He was designated for assignment on Tuesday and apparently went unclaimed on waivers.

Montes, 27 next month, made his MLB debut with the Rox this season. He appeared in 18 games, hitting .184/.244/.316 through his first 41 trips to the plate. Montes saw most of his limited action at second base while the club was without Brendan Rodgers.

The former 15th round pick has played the majority of the year on optional assignment to Albuquerque. He’s hitting well, even in the context of a very hitter-friendly setting. Montes has hit .313/.397/.550 with 19 homers over 443 plate appearances. He’s striking out in just over a quarter of his trips but has walked at a strong 11.3% clip.

This is Montes’ first career outright assignment. He doesn’t have the service time to elect free agency, so he’ll remain in the organization and try to play his way back onto the Colorado roster.

MLB Teams Scouting Kazuma Okamoto

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9:52pm: Morosi now reports that Okamoto isn’t on track to surpass the nine-year NPB service threshold for international free agency until the 2026-27 offseason. While the Giants could ostensibly still make him available via the posting system, there’s not much incentive for them to do so until after the ’25 campaign.

9:48pm: Yomiuri Giants corner infielder Kazuma Okamoto is on the radar of major league clubs, tweets Jon Morosi of MLB.com. Morosi doesn’t cite any specific MLB teams with interest but notes that clubs have been evaluating the 27-year-old in case he becomes available during the upcoming offseason.

Okamoto has played parts of nine seasons in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball. He wasn’t established at the NPB level until 2018, however, so he’ll still have less than nine full seasons of NPB service time. As a result, he won’t be eligible for unrestricted international free agency until the 2024-25 offseason.

It’s not uncommon for NPB teams to make a player available to MLB clubs the winter before their free agent year via the posting system. That’d entitle the NPB club to compensation, as a signing MLB organization has to pay a release fee to the NPB team to sign a player who’d been posted. If the NPB team waits until the player hits international free agency, they’d receive no money if he departs.

The Giants previously posted Shun Yamaguchi, paving the way for him to sign with the Blue Jays during the 2019-20 offseason. They made Tomoyuki Sugano available via the posting system the ensuing offseason, though he eventually re-signed with Yomiuri and has never made the jump to MLB. Whether they’d be willing to make Okamoto available is unclear.

If he hits the market, Okamoto would be an intriguing upside play in a class light on bats. He’s raking at a .301/.393/.627 clip over 504 plate appearances this season. He has already connected on 37 home runs, leading qualified NPB hitters by 11 longballs. He unsurprisingly also tops the league in slugging and ranks fifth in on-base percentage.

Okamoto has established himself as one of Japan’s more consistent power bats. He has eclipsed 30 homers in six straight seasons. This is trending as a career year — he had a comparatively modest .252/.336/.469 slash a season ago — but he clearly brings right-handed power. Okamoto represented Japan in this year’s World Baseball Classic, connecting on a homer off Kyle Freeland in an eventual 3-2 win in the championship.

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