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Royals Select Walter Pennington

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The Royals announced today that they have reinstated infielder/outfielder Adam Frazier from the injured list and selected the contract of left-hander Walter Pennington. In corresponding moves, they optioned infielder CJ Alexander and right-hander Carlos Hernández. To open a 40-man spot for Pennington, right-hander Dan Altavilla was transferred to the 60-day injured list.

Pennington, 26, signed with the Royals as an undrafted free agent in 2020. That year’s draft was reduced to just five rounds due to the pandemic. Since then, he has been climbing the minor league ladder, getting lots of strikeouts and ground balls but also struggling with command at times.

Last year, he tossed 70 2/3 innings between Double-A and Triple-A, allowing 3.18 earned runs per nine frames. He struck out 25.5% of batters faced and got grounders on more than half of the balls allowed in play, but he also gave out walks at an 11.9% clip. Here in 2024, he’s tossed 53 2/3 innings over 32 Triple-A appearances. He has a huge 35.3% strikeout rate and 52.6% ground ball rate, also reducing his walk rate to 8.8%.

That strong performance will get him called up to the big leagues for the first time. He’ll provide the Royals with a left-handed reliever, one capable of pitching multiple innings per outing. 14 of his 32 appearances this year have been for two innings or longer, with Pennington getting as high as four frames.

As for Altavilla, he landed on the 15-day IL on June 2o due to a right oblique strain. He’ll now be ineligible to return until 60 days from that initial IL placement, which would be the middle of August.

Reds Select Austin Wynns, Edwin Ríos

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The Reds announced that catcher Luke Maile has been placed on the 10-day injured list due to a herniated disc in his back. Outfielder Jake Fraley was placed on the family medical emergency list. To take those two roster spots, the club has selected catcher Austin Wynns and infielder Edwin Ríos. They had one open 40-man spot but opened another by designating infielder/outfielder Levi Jordan for assignment.

Maile, 33, was visibly injured in yesterday’s game. In video provided by Bally Sports Cincinnati on X, he can be seen limping and clutching at his back while running towards first base. It’s unclear how serious the issue is but the Reds have decided to let him sit out for the next ten days at least.

The injury will get Wynns selected to the roster for the third time in the past two weeks. He was first added when Tyler Stephenson was hurt with a day-to-day issue, but removed once Stephenson felt better. Then Stephenson needed to go on the paternity list, getting Wynns a second stint. When Stephenson came back, Wynns was bumped off again and now returns once more.

Every time he’s been nudged off the roster, Wynns has cleared waivers and accepted an outright assignment. As a player with more than three years of service time but less than five, he has the right to reject outright assignments, but doing so means walking away from whatever money is left on his contract. He signed a split deal with the Reds in the offseason that pays him $900K in the majors and $300K in the minors and seemingly wants to keep that on the table for himself.

Now he’ll presumably get at least a stretch of 10 days to serve as Stephenson’s backup while Maile is out. Wynns has hit just .229/.276/.331 in his career but is generally considered to be a competent defender.

Ríos, 30, signed a minor league deal with the Reds in the offseason. He’s taken 203 trips to the plate at the Triple-A level this year, striking out in 28.6% of those but also drawing walks at an 11.8% clip and hitting 11 home runs. He has a .243/.340/.486 line for the year, which translates to a 107 wRC+.

That has generally been the recipe with Ríos, who has previously been with the Dodgers and Cubs. He has 21 home runs in just 325 big league plate appearances but has also been punched out at a 33.5% clip. He’ll provide the Reds with a potent left-handed power bat but also one with some holes in it. Defensively, he’s mostly played first and third base but also the outfield corners.

Noelvi Marté has been at third base most of the time lately, with Jeimer Candelario and Spencer Steer sharing first base and the designated hitter slot. Steer can also play a bit of left field, but the Reds have some other options on the grass. Even with Fraley away from the club, they have Stuart Fairchild, Nick Martini, Will Benson and Blake Dunn as capable outfielders. Ríos is out of options but can be retained beyond this season via arbitration if he manages to hang onto his roster spot through the end of the year.

Phillies Select Tyler Phillips

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The Phillies announced that they have selected the contract of right-hander Tyler Phillips. Fellow righty Yunior Marté was optioned in a corresponding move. To open a spot on the 40-man, righty Luis Ortiz was transferred to the 60-day injured list.

Phillips, 26, has likely been selected to give the club some length out of the bullpen. He has made 15 starts in Triple-A this year, tossing 92 innings, allowing 4.89 earned runs per nine. His 19.8% strikeout rate is subpar but his 9.4% walk rate is fine and he’s been getting grounders at a strong 50.9% clip.

The Philly rotation took a couple of hits recently, with Taijuan Walker and Spencer Turnbull landing on the IL in fairly quick succession. They still have a strong front four consisting of Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola, Ranger Suárez and Cristopher Sánchez, but the fifth spot is a bit shakier. Michael Mercado is in that spot for now but he has just six innings of major league experience to this point.

Nola and Suárez are scheduled to go the next two days with Mercado on Sunday. If there’s any need for someone to eat innings, that could perhaps be Phillips, since he’s been stretched out for a starting role in the minors.

If that comes to pass, Phillips will be making his major league debut, though he’s been on a 40-man roster before. He was originally drafted by the Rangers and that club added him to their 40-man roster back in November 2019, to keep him out of the Rule 5 draft. He had tossed 131 innings in the minors that year with a 3.71 ERA, getting heaps of ground balls.

The minors were canceled by the pandemic in 2020 and then Phillips struggled in 2021, going to the Phillies on a waiver claim. The Phils passed him through waivers shortly thereafter and the righty needed Tommy John surgery at the end of that season, missing all of 2022. Last year, he had a 4.92 ERA in 122 2/3 innings split between Double-A and Triple-A.

As for Ortiz, he started the year on the injured list due to a left ankle sprain. He started a rehab assignment but that was shut down and manager Rob Thomson said last week that the righty will be having Tommy John surgery on July 11, per Tim Kelly of Phillies Nation on X. He’ll miss the remainder of the season and a big portion of 2025 as well.

Guardians Acquire Spencer Howard From Giants

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The Guardians have acquired right-hander Spencer Howard from the Giants, per Shayna Rubin of the San Francisco Chronicle on X. The Giants, who designated the righty for assignment recently, will receive cash considerations in return. The Guardians announced that they have designated righty Wes Parsons for assignment to open up a 40-man spot.

Howard, 27, was with the Giants on a minor league deal at the start of this year and opened the season with ten Triple-A starts. He had a 5.90 earned run average in that time, though he probably deserved better than that. His 32.2% strikeout rate was quite strong and his 9.6% walk rate only slightly on the high side. But he had a .406 batting average on balls in play and 66.1% strand rate in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League, so his 4.12 FIP was almost two runs better than his ERA.

The Giants added him to their roster at the end of May and he spent just over a month with the club in a swing role. He tossed 24 innings over seven outings, two of those being starts, with a 5.63 ERA. It’s possible that luck played a role again, as his .388 BABIP in that time was well above average, but his strikeout rate also plummeted to 18.4% in the majors. His most recent outing was especially tough, as he allowed six earned runs in 2 2/3 innings. Since he’s out of options, he was bumped off the 40-man.

The Guardians are perhaps intrigued by those Triple-A strikeout numbers that Howard had earlier this year, or perhaps his past status as a notable prospect. A second-round pick of the Phillies in 2017, he was considered one of the top prospects in the league, with Baseball America giving him the #27 overall spot in 2020 and 2021. He went to the Rangers in the 2021 deadline deal that sent Kyle Gibson and Ian Kennedy the other way.

Unfortunately, Howard has never been able to find much success in the big leagues. Between his time with the Phillies, Rangers and Giants, he has 139 innings in the majors with a 6.93 ERA, 19.9% strikeout rate and 10.1% walk rate. His work in the minors hasn’t been much better in recent years, as he’s tossed 143 1/3 innings on the farm since the start of 2021 with a 4.83 ERA, though that minor league work has come with a 31.7% strikeout rate.

Since Howard is out of options, the Guards will be hoping that he can quickly start getting punchouts at the big league level, likely in a long relief role. The rotation has lost Shane Bieber to Tommy John surgery and they recently optioned a struggling Triston McKenzie, but they have a starting five of Tanner Bibee, Ben Lively, Gavin Williams, Logan Allen and Carlos Carrasco.

If the Guards can figure out how to get Howard on track, there could be long-term benefits. He’s out of options but can be retained via arbitration for three seasons beyond this one if he holds onto his roster spot for the rest of the year.

Parsons, 31, started the year with the Blue Jays but was designated for assignment in early April and flipped to the Guardians for international bonus pool space. He has spent most of the year in a swing role in Triple-A, with 25 2/3 innings over 12 outings, five of those being starts. He had a 4.21 ERA in that time but may have been lucky to have it that low. He struck out 29.3% of batters faced but also gave out walks at a huge 17.1% clip. Were it not for an 84.6% strand rate, he would have fared much worse, which is why he had a 6.06 FIP for Columbus.

The Guards will now have a week to trade Parsons or pass him through waivers. The recent numbers aren’t too exciting but he is in his final option year and could perhaps appeal to club bit by the injury bug that wants a bit more starting depth in the minors.

Angels Place Luis Rengifo On 10-Day IL, Select Keston Hiura

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The Angels announced that infielder Luis Rengifo has been placed on the 10-day injured list (retroactive to July 4) due to inflammation in his right wrist.  In corresponding moves, the Halos selected the contract of infielder Keston Hiura from Triple-A, and moved right-hander Andrew Wantz to the 60-day injured list.

Rengifo was removed from Wednesday’s game after appearing to injure himself on a swing. Per Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register on X, the club said he had some wrist soreness and would be going for imaging. The X-rays found no break, per Fletcher on X yesterday, but it seems the inflammation and soreness are enough that the club will put him on the shelf for at least a little while.

How he progresses in the coming weeks will be an interesting situation to monitor as he is one of the most straightforward trade candidates this summer. The Angels are 36-50 and one of the few clear sellers this year. Rengifo has just one year of club control beyond this one, making $4.4MM here in 2024 with another pass through arbitration upcoming. The Halos are considered to have a poor farm system, making it unlikely that they will return to contention by next year.

He was a solid contributor for the Halos in the previous two seasons but has seemingly taken a step forward here this year. He slashed .264/.315/.436 over 2022 and 2023, with that production translating to a 108 wRC+. Here in 2024, he currently sports a line of .315/.358/.442 and a 127 wRC+.

At least some of that is probably luck, as Rengifo had a .289 batting average on balls in play in the 2022-23 period but is up to .349 this year. But it’s still his third straight season of producing above-average offense. He also provides plenty of defensive versatility, having played all three outfield spots and the three infield positions to the left of first base. He’s not considered an especially strong defender anywhere, but the versatility is still attractive to clubs. He’s also added a base-stealing component to his game with 22 swipes this year, more than the 18 he had in his entire career coming into this season.

Those on-field contributions, as well as his salary and extra year of club control, will make him very attractive if he’s healthy. The trade deadline is on July 30, so he has lots of time if this is just a minor issue. But if he suffers any sort of setback, the Angels might miss their window to capitalize on his trade value. Injured players can still be traded but it’s rare that they actually happen as the offers usually get dropped to reflect the uncertain health status.

In the meantime, the Angels will have to cobble a lineup together without Rengifo. He has mostly been playing second and third base this year, with Anthony Rendon, Miguel Sano and Brandon Drury all spending time on the injured list. Rendon is still on the IL but Sano and Drury are healthy now and likely to play third and second base, respectively. Luis Guillorme is around as a bench infielder.

Hiura, 27, signed a minor league deal with the Angels just a few weeks ago after being released by the Tigers. He reported to Triple-A Salt Lake and has been on an absurd tear since, hitting 12 home runs in 19 games for a line of .360/.429/.853.

But hitting home runs has never been the problem for Hiura. He has always put the ball over the fence but has also been struck out in huge numbers at the same time. In over a thousand plate appearances in the majors, he has 50 long balls but a 36% strikeout rate. Even while going on that insane speed run with the Bees in the past few weeks, he’s been punched out 28.1% of the time.

For the Halos, there’s little harm in bringing him up to see if they can catch lightning in a bottle. They have been using Willie Calhoun as their primary designated hitter for the past two months. He has a passable line of .273/.337/.391 in 178 plate appearances this year but with just two homers, not the kind of pop that clubs usually hope to get from their DH. Hiura is in the DH spot today with Calhoun on the bench.

The Angels might also be tempted to put Hiura at second base sometimes, as that’s where he played when he first came up as a prospect. But his glovework was considered poor and he has spent more time at first base in recent years. But he did still get a bit of time at the keystone while in Salt Lake, so it’s perhaps not off the table. Nolan Schanuel is having a subpar year at first, hitting .239/.309/.352, and has almost no minor league experience. The club shot him to the majors last year after just 22 games on the farm as they were trying to stay in the playoff race, skipping him over Triple-A entirely. If Hiura is hitting well, perhaps a stint in the minors for Schanuel isn’t out of the question either.

If things don’t go well with Hiura, he is out of options and will have to be removed from the 40-man to be nudged off the active roster. But if things click, he can theoretically be retained for three arbitration seasons beyond this one.

As for Wantz, he was just placed on the 15-day injured list a few days ago with right elbow inflammation. His status is still unclear but the fact that he has been quickly transferred to the 60-day IL is ominous. He’ll now be ineligible to be reinstated until early September.

Nationals Select Juan Yepez

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July 5: The Nats have made it official, announcing that they have selected Yepez and transferred Gray to the 60-day IL.

July 4: The Nationals are planning to promote Juan Yepez, according to Andrew Golden of The Washington Post. The first baseman signed a minor league contract with the team this past December.

Yepez signed with the Braves as an international free agent in 2014, and three years later, the Braves traded him to the Cardinals in exchange for Matt Adams. Another five years after that, Yepez made his MLB debut with St. Louis in 2022, appearing in 76 games, hitting 12 home runs, and producing a 107 wRC+. He went 2-for-5 with another long ball in the playoffs, driving in two of the three runs the Cardinals managed to score against the Phillies in the Wild Card Series.

Despite his strong first impression, Yepez failed to make the Cardinals’ Opening Day roster in 2023. He hit poorly in spring training (60 wRC+), poorly at Triple-A (82 wRC+), and poorly during a few brief stints with the big league squad throughout the season (51 wRC+). St. Louis non-tendered him after the year.

The Nationals took a chance on Yepez this past winter, signing him to a minor league deal and issuing the 26-year-old an invitation to spring training. He did not make the major league roster out of camp, but the righty batter had a much better spring this time around, slashing .382/.405/.559 and striking out only once in 37 trips to the plate. His Triple-A stats aren’t quite as impressive, but he has continued to limit his strikeouts, and his numbers are much better across the board than they were last season. He has been hot over his last 14 games, going 21-for-54 (.389) with a 1.070 OPS and 178 wRC+.

Washington optioned first baseman/designated hitter Joey Meneses to Triple-A Rochester earlier today. Meneses has struggled all season, slashing .235/.294./.310 (72 wRC+), and evidently, the goodwill he earned with the Nationals during his breakout 2022 season has finally run out. He hit poorly last season as well (96 wRC+), but his numbers this season are significantly worse. Meneses ranks among the bottom five qualified hitters in OPS and wRC+.

Presumably, Yepez will see most of his playing time at first base. The Nationals will hope he can provide some of the right-handed thump they were looking to get from Meneses. With Joey Gallo on the injured list and Harold Ramírez hitting pretty much just as poorly as Meneses, Washington doesn’t have a ton of other options at first. Yepez also played the corner outfield with the Cardinals, but he has not played the outfield this year at Triple-A. More to the point, the Nationals don’t need any help in the outfield, with Lane Thomas, James Wood, Jacob Young, and Jesse Winker on the roster.

The Nationals did not immediately replace Meneses on the active roster, so there is an open spot for Yepez on the 26-man roster. However, the team will need to make a corresponding transaction to add Yepez to the 40-man. The most straightforward move would be to transfer Josiah Gray from the 15-day IL to the 60-day IL. Gray has already missed significantly more than 60 days nursing an elbow injury.

Padres Sign Carl Edwards Jr. To Minor League Deal

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The Padres signed right-hander Carl Edwards Jr. to a minors contract, as first reported by the MadFriars X account earlier this week.  Edwards has already gotten onto the field with an appearance yesterday with the Padres’ Arizona Complex League squad.  This is Edwards’ second stint in the Padres organization, after first playing for San Diego in the latter half of the 2019 season following a deadline trade from the Cubs.

That 2019 season ended up being something of an unfortunate turning point in Edwards’ career, as coming off three very solid seasons as a member of Chicago’s bullpen from 2016-18, he stumbled to an 8.47 ERA over 17 innings with the Cubs and Padres in 2019.  San Diego parted ways with Edwards after the season, and he has since bounced around to six different organizations, including another return trip to the Cubs on a minors deal this past offseason.

Chicago released Edwards from that contract in mid-June, as Edwards triggered his opt-out clause in order to force the Cubs’ hand on deciding whether or not to promote him to the big league roster.  Edwards had a 1.85 ERA over 24 1/3 innings for Triple-A Iowa, and even though the Cubs have been hit hard by bullpen injuries in the last few weeks, Edwards’ 14.6% walk rate might have been enough of a sticking point for the Cubs to hesitate about bringing him to the majors.

The 32-year-old Edwards will now look to another former team for another crack at getting his first taste of MLB action in 2024.  Despite his journeyman status, Edwards has posted solid results over the last two years with the Nationals, including a 2.76 ERA in 62 innings in 2022, and then a 3.69 ERA in 31 2/3 innings before a stress fracture in his throwing shoulder ended his season early.

It has now been over a year (since June 19, 2023) since Edwards last pitched in a big league game, and his work Iowa suggests that Edwards is at least healthy, if some questions might remain about whether or not he’s ready to face big league batters.  There’s no risk for the Padres in inking Edwards to a minors deal to see what he’s got, and Edwards now brings an experienced depth option to a San Diego bullpen that has been somewhat inconsistent for most of the year.

Front Office Subscriber Chat Transcript

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Due to the Fourth of July, Darragh McDonald covered the weekly Front Office chat for Anthony Franco.

 

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Brewers Notes: Pitching, Hall, Wilson, Roller

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As the Brewers continue to manage significant injuries in both the rotation and bullpen, the team is continuing to look for “all pitching,” as a source on a rival club tells FanSided’s Robert Murray.  The recent acquisitions of Aaron Civale of the Rays and Dallas Keuchel from the Mariners might be just the first steps for the Brew Crew in bolstering the pitching staff for a possible postseason run, as Milwaukee holds a six-game lead in the NL Central despite dealing with a patchwork rotation.

The Civale/Keuchel moves could provide some insight into the types of deals the Brewers may pursue, as acquiring starters for upside or depth purposes seem likelier than a blockbuster trade for a clear-cut ace.  The latter type of a move would probably come at either (or both) a significant financial or prospect cost, which the Brewers might not want to pursue given both their payroll limitations or the added importance of their minor league pipeline within this more limited financial landscape.  This doesn’t mean president of baseball operations Matt Arnold won’t explore all options in improving the team, of course, as any number of unexpected deals could emerge on Milwaukee’s radar.

The extent of the Brewers’ deadline plans will also naturally hinge on how many of their own pitchers are healthy by July 30.  Some help is coming on this front soon, as DL Hall tossed three innings in a minor league rehab start yesterday, and Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (X link) writes that Hall’s next appearance is expected to be in the majors.

Hall’s last appearance in the Show came on April 20, as he was placed on the 15-day and then the 60-day injured list due to a left knee sprain that involved some MCL damage.  The left-hander is trying to pitch through the discomfort to some extent, and the Brewers have seemingly given Hall plenty of runway in the form of eight minor league rehab outings.  With a 1.84 ERA over those eight games and 14 2/3 total innings, Hall looks to be in good form, though he has only twice hit the 61-pitch plateau, and hasn’t thrown more than 62 pitches.

As Hogg notes, Hall wouldn’t necessarily be returned to the Brewers’ rotation once he is activated, as he could instead work out of the bullpen.  Hall posted a 7.71 ERA in four starts prior to his IL placement, but he had a 3.26 ERA over 19 1/3 frames working out of the Orioles’ bullpen in 2023.  While small sample sizes abound for a pitcher who has only 49 1/3 career innings as a big leaguer, Hall’s relief work last season was highlighted by a 6.2% walk rate — a significant improvement from the control problems Hall has shown throughout much of the rest of his career in both the majors and minors.

Moving Hall to the pen for now wouldn’t close the door on his starting future, of course, as Hall is still just 25 and has long been a staple of top-100 prospect lists.  The Crew could re-examine his potential as a starter next spring or even later this year as circumstances develop, but using Hall as a reliever (and perhaps a multi-inning reliever) might be a canny way of helping the team achieve more immediate success this season.

While it is a reach to say that the Brewers may soon have a surplus of rotation options, Civale’s addition has already led the club to move Bryse Wilson back to the bullpen.  Wilson’s 78 innings rank third among all Milwaukee pitchers this season, as he has started nine of his 20 appearances and worked as a bulk pitcher behind an opener in three more of those outings.

Moved into this pseudo-starter role in the wake of other injuries, Wilson’s initial results have been solid on the whole, if inconsistent.  The righty has a 4.27 ERA over his 78 frames, but a laundry list of below-average Statcast numbers reveal that Wilson has received some good fortune, such as a .261 BABIP and a .321 wOBA that is well below his .355 xwOBA.  Keeping Wilson as a swingman provides Milwaukee with added depth, and his career numbers as a reliever are better than his work as a starter, even if the bulk pitcher/reliever designations don’t provide an entirely clear picture of those stats.

In other Brewers news, the team outrighted outfielder Chris Roller to Triple-A yesterday after he cleared waivers.  Roller was designated for assignment last week, and since this was the first time Roller has been outrighted in his career, he couldn’t reject the assignment in favor of free agency.  He’ll now return to Triple-A Nashville, where he has posted a .201/.238/.321 slash line over 168 plate appearances this season.

The 27-year-old Roller is a veteran of seven pro seasons, all with the Dodgers and Guardians before the Brewers acquired him in a trade last August.  His time in Milwaukee has been highlighted by his Major League debut, as Roller played three innings as a defensive sub on May 15 and received one plate appearance in the Brewers’ 10-2 win over the Pirates.  This marked Roller’s only appearance in the Show, as the Brewers only temporarily needed some extra outfield depth and soon optioned him back to Nashville.

The Opener: NL Powers Clash, Red Sox/Yankees, Baz

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As Shohei Ohtani celebrates his 30th birthday today, let’s look at three headlines from around baseball heading into weekend action…

1. NL’s best square off this weekend

Possible playoff previews abound as the National League’s three division leaders and top wild card team are paired off in three-game series beginning today.  The league-leading Phillies head to Atlanta to kick off a three-game set with the Braves, beginning with a fun Aaron Nola vs. Max Fried pitching matchup in tonight’s game.  Philadelphia enjoys a healthy nine-game lead over Atlanta in the NL East race, though the Braves have won two of the three games between the two division rivals already this season, and 10 remaining head-to-head meetings gives the Braves some opportunity to directly chip away.  Atlanta could be fortunate to be catching the Phils when Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber are both out of action, though the Phillies are 4-2 since their two sluggers were placed on the 10-day injured list.

In a battle of division leaders, the NL Central-leading Brewers head to Los Angeles to face the NL West-leading Dodgers.  The newly-acquired Aaron Civale will make his Milwaukee debut in tonight’s start, taking the hill against a former Rays teammate in Tyler Glasnow.  Among the storylines to watch in the series is the status of Jason Heyward, who will undergo an MRI today on his left knee after suffering an injury in yesterday’s game with the Diamondbacks.  Manager Dave Roberts told reporters (including Jack Harris of the L.A. Times) said Heyward was hurt while jumping to try and snag Joc Pederson’s first-inning home run, and Heyward was pulled from the game prior to the start of the third.

2. Red Sox vs. Yankees

One of baseball’s signature rivalries is renewed in the Bronx this weekend as the Red Sox and Yankees open up a three-game series with both teams in a playoff position.  New York is the AL’s top wild card team, while Boston has taken a half-game edge over the Royals for the third and final wild card slot.  The two clubs last met in a three-game series on June 14-16 that now seems like a bit of a turning point for both sides.

After an 8-1 loss to New York on June 14, the Red Sox won the next two games to capture the series.  That started the run of 12 wins in 16 games that has now firmly put the Sox back into the postseason hunt.  Meanwhile, the Yankees have gone in the opposite direction, with a dismal 4-13 record in their last 17 games.

3. Shane Baz returns after two-year layoff

Shane Baz is expected to start for the Rays against the World Series champion Rangers tonight, marking the end of the right-hander’s long injury rehab.  It was almost exactly two years ago (on July 10, 2022) that Baz made his last MLB appearance, as Tommy John surgery derailed his career and then his already-lengthy comeback trail was extended by an oblique strain this past spring.  Formerly one of baseball’s top prospects, Baz posted a 4.02 ERA over 40 1/3 big league innings in 2021-22, showing just some glimpses of his potential.  Nobody expects Baz to be a frontline arm right away, yet becoming a solid rotation piece and simply getting some Major League innings under his belt would be a nice result for the 25-year-old and his team.

A recent hot streak has got the Rays back over the .500 mark at 44-43, and they sit 3.5 games back of the Red Sox for the last wild card spot (with the Royals and Astros in between).  Tampa Bay will be one of the more interesting teams to watch as the trade deadline approaches, as the Civale deal is an early sign that the club will be looking to both buy and sell in its constant attempt to both manage a tight payroll and build a contending roster.

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