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Twins Option Louie Varland, Select Ronny Henriquez

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The Twins announced a series of moves today, activating outfielder Max Kepler from the injured list and selecting the contract of right-hander Ronny Henriquez. Those two will take the roster spots of right-hander Louie Varland and catcher Jair Camargo, who have been optioned. Right-hander Daniel Duarte was transferred to the 60-day injured list to open a 40-man spot for Henriquez.

The Minnesota rotation has shifted quite a bit since last year, as Sonny Gray, Kenta Maeda and Tyler Mahle all reached free agency after the 2023 season. Mahle was already out of the picture after undergoing Tommy John surgery in May of last year, but the departures of Gray and Maeda left big holes relative to late last year.

The club acquired Anthony DeSclafani in the winter to take one rotation spot and it was hoped the remaining innings could be taken up by a healthy Chris Paddack or continued development from Varland. Unfortunately, none of three plans have worked for the Twins thus far. DeSclafani required flexor tendon surgery last month, which will keep him on the injured list for the entire year. Meanwhile, Paddack has an earned run average of 8.36 so far this year while Varland is even higher at 9.18.

The Twins’ faith in Varland wasn’t totally without merit, as he showed some encouraging signs last year. He tossed 68 innings for the big league club, striking out 25.1% of batters faced while walking just 6%. His ERA was up at 4.63 thanks to allowing 16 home runs, a 21.1% rate of fly balls leaving the yard. That was about double league average, which is part of the reason why his 3.77 SIERA was almost a full run lower than his ERA. He also had a 3.97 ERA in his Triple-A work last year.

Here in 2024, he’s already allowed six homers in just 16 2/3 innings, a massive 35.3% rate. That would naturally regress going forward, which is why his 4.30 SIERA this year is less than half of his ERA, but that doesn’t entirely wave away his results so far this season. Varland’s strikeout rate has dropped to 20.7% and his walk rate to 10.3%, both significantly worse than last year. After yesterday’s start, where Varland didn’t make it through the third inning, manager Rocco Baldelli was noncommittal about Varland sticking in the rotation.

“We have a whole lot of things we have to talk about,” Baldelli said, per Aaron Gleeman of The Athletic. “We have to have really almost anything on the table right now to find a way to improve.” He also said: “We’re going to have to be open to making roster moves and finding new ways to use players and figure some things out.”

Those rotation struggles have played a big part in the Twins limping out of the gate this year. The defending division champions are currently 7-13, putting them in a distant fourth place in the early going. They will obviously have to get the group in better shape as the season rolls along to get back in contention, and that starts with giving Varland a breather in the minors.

He’ll head to Triple-A and look to get himself back in good form. The length of his optional assignment could potentially impact him from a service time perspective, depending on when he comes back and for how long. He came into this season with 108 days of service time, meaning he needs to accrue 64 days this year to get to 172 and hit the one-year mark.

The Twins could have Paddack, Pablo López, Joe Ryan and Bailey Ober throw the next four games but will need someone to retake Varland’s spot by Friday at the latest. It’s possible that will be Simeon Woods Richardson, who came up to start one game of the club’s doubleheader on April 13. Brent Headrick and Matt Canterino are also on the 40-man roster but the former is on the IL with a forearm strain and the latter has been dealing with a rotator cuff strain and hasn’t pitched in the minors yet this year.

For now, Henriquez takes a spot on the roster and could give the club a multi-inning option out of the bullpen. He has thrown 13 1/3 Triple-A innings over seven appearances so far this year with a 4.05 ERA, striking out 14 opponents while giving out just two walks.

He has 11 2/3 innings of major league experience, which came with the Twins in 2022, but he struggled in the minors last year and was non-tendered. The Twins re-signed him to a minor league deal and he’ll now rejoin the roster, giving a fresh arm to a bullpen that had to cover a lot of innings after Varland’s poor start yesterday. Henriquez still has an option and can be sent back down to Triple-A at a later date without having to be exposed to waivers.

As for Duarte, it was reported over the weekend that he would require season-ending elbow surgery, so his move to the 60-day IL was an inevitability.

Mets Designate Michael Tonkin For Assignment

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The Mets have designated right-hander Michael Tonkin for assignment and optioned righty Grant Hartwig to Triple-A Syracuse, per a team announcement. It’s the second time they’ve designated Tonkin for assignment within the season’s first three and a half weeks. The Mets traded him to the Twins for cash last time, only to claim him back off waivers from Minnesota late last week when the Twins also designated him. The roster spots for Tonkin and Hartwig will go to right-hander Sean Reid-Foley and lefty Josh Walker. Reid-Foley is returning from the 15-day IL, while Walker is being recalled from Syracuse.

Tonkin’s second Mets stint last only two appearances and three innings. The 33-year-old righty pitched both Saturday and Sunday, allowing a pair of runs over three innings. He’s logged nine innings in the majors this season, yielding six earned runs (plus another six unearned) on 10 hits, four walks and four hit batters with 11 strikeouts.

Tonkin spent the 2023 season in the Braves’ bullpen, logging a 4.28 ERA, 24.2% strikeout rate and 9.1% walk rate in 80 innings. That set a new career-high MLB workload for the journeyman right-hander, who owns a career 4.44 ERA (4.54 FIP, 3.70 SIERA) with a 23.1% strikeout rate, 8% walk rate and 39.5% grounder rate in 235 1/3 big league innings between Minnesota, Atlanta and New York. Tonkin has also pitched in the D-backs and Brewers systems in addition to stints with the independent Atlantic League’s Long Island Ducks, the Mexican League’s Toros de Tijuana, and the Nippon-Ham Fighters in Japan.

As with Tonkin’s prior DFAs, he’ll either be traded, passed through outright waivers or released within the next week. He’d have the option to reject an outright assignment to Triple-A in the event that he goes unclaimed, though doing so would require forfeiting the remainder of the salary on the $1MM split major league contract he signed over the winter.

The Opener: Casas, White Sox, Giants

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As the 2024 regular season continues, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:

1. Casas to undergo testing:

The Red Sox suffered a huge blow over the weekend as the club placed first baseman Triston Casas on the 10-day injured list due to a left rib strain. The 24-year-old is reportedly set to undergo an MRI in Boston today to determine the extent of his injury as well as a potential timetable for his return, but manager Alex Cora already told reporters yesterday that he was “concerned” that the youngster may be facing a lengthy absence.

If Casas does end up missing considerable time, it would put Boston’s offense in a difficult position. While certain key offensive pieces like Vaughn Grissom, Rafael Devers, and Tyler O’Neill could be returning to the lineup in the coming days, Casas has gotten out to a .244/.344/.513 start (137 wRC+) and swatted six homers in 90 plate appearances. Bobby Dalbec is perhaps the most likely candidates to take over at first base for the Red Sox in the short-term, though it’s possible the club makes additional roster moves to supplement their waning positional depth in the coming days.

2. Mendick to be selected:

Reporting last night indicated that the White Sox are expected to make a change to their bench mix ahead of this evening’s game against the Twins in Minnesota, with veteran infielder Danny Mendick joining the big league roster. Infielder Lenyn Sosa is set to be optioned out to make room for Mendick on the active roster, but an additional corresponding move will be necessary to clear space on the club’s 40-man.

Mendick, 30, was a 22nd-round pick by the White Sox in 2015 and spent parts of four seasons in the majors with the club before departing for the Mets in free agency last year. He returned this winter on a minor league deal and figures to offer Chicago some versatility off the bench in spite of a meager .242/.298/.354 slash line for his career.

3. White to join the Giants:

Right-hander Mitch White is slated to join the active roster in San Francisco prior to the Giants’ game against the Mets at Oracle Park this evening, as noted by Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area. White is already on the club’s 40-man roster, but the Giants will need to make an active roster move to accommodate the righty prior to tonight’s game.

White’s arrival comes on the heels of the Giants making a cash deal with the Blue Jays over the weekend to acquire the 29-year-old. It’s a homecoming for White in more ways than one, as the Bay Area native will return to the NL West after pitching for the Dodgers in parts of three seasons from 2020 to 2022. He posted a solid 3.58 ERA and 3.87 FIP during his time with L.A. but struggled badly upon joining the Blue Jays, with a 7.26 ERA in 65 2/3 innings despite a decent 4.10 FIP.

Astros Place Cristian Javier On 15-Day Injured List

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Right-hander Cristian Javier has been scratched from his scheduled start against the Nationals this afternoon and will be placed on the injured list, Astros manager Joe Espada told reporters (including Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle). Right-hander Hunter Brown will take the ball against the Nationals today in Javier’s stead, while righty Spencer Arrighetti is being recalled to replace Javier on the club’s active roster.

Javier has been a rare bright spot in what has been a brutal start to the 2024 campaign for the 7-15 Astros. None of that can be pinned on the 27-year-old righty, however, as Javier has dominated to the tune of a 1.54 ERA and a 3.66 FIP in 23 1/3 innings of work across four starts so far this season. Unfortunately, he’ll now take a seat for at least 15 days, though Espada indicated (as relayed by Kawahara) that the goal of Javier’s placement on the injured list was simply to “give him time” to recover, suggesting a fairly short absence could be on the table.

Even if Javier’s trip to the injured list is a fairly short one, it’s still tough news for the Astros. The club just returned veteran ace Justin Verlander from the injured list last week, and now Javier will join Framber Valdez, Jose Urquidy, Luis Garcia, and Lance McCullers Jr. on the shelf for the time being. Of that group, only Valdez appears to be nearing a return. The lefty was placed on the injured list earlier this month due to elbow soreness but avoided a more serious injury, with Kawahara relaying that Espada even left the door open to Valdez returning to the club’s rotation sometime this week to pitch alongside Verlander and J.P. France against the Cubs at Wrigley Field.

If Valdez can return in the coming days, it should be a fairly seamless transition into the rotation with off-days on Monday and Friday allowing the club additional flexibility if necessary. The southpaw made just two starts prior to going on the injured list at the beginning of the month but looked good in both of them, pitching to a 2.19 ERA with a 3.55 FIP and 10 strikeouts in 12 1/3 innings of work.

Should Valdez need a bit longer before he’s ready to be activated, the Astros figure to turn to Arrighetti to make a start at some point. The 24-year-old rookie made his MLB debut earlier this season and struggled badly in two starts, allowing nine runs on 11 hits and five walks in just seven innings of work, though he did manage to notch eight strikeouts. If Arrighetti doesn’t end up being needed to make a start in the coming days, the Astros could instead look to use him to bolster a bullpen that has posted a worrisome 5.29 ERA to this point in the 2024 season, better than only the Rays among AL clubs.

White Sox To Select Danny Mendick’s Contract

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The White Sox will select the contract of infielder Danny Mendick prior to tomorrow’s game with the Twins, Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times reports (X link).  Infielder Lenyn Sosa will be optioned to Triple-A to make room on the 26-man roster, and another transaction will need to be made to make space for Mendick on the 40-man.

Mendick is a familiar face on the South Side, as he made his big league debut with the White Sox in 2019 and hit .251/.309/.366 over 446 plate appearances from 2019-22.  He played mostly second base and shortstop in a utility capacity, while also seeing sporadic action as a third baseman and in both corner outfield spots.  A torn ACL in June 2022 ended not just Mendick’s 2022 season but also his tenure in Chicago, as the Sox non-tendered him that winter.

The Mets inked Mendick to a one-year, $1MM big league deal and he hit .185/.232/.277 in 69 PA and 33 games of part-time action in 2023.  Mendick then reunited with the White Sox on a minor league contract, and he has booked a ticket back to the Show thanks to one of the biggest hot streaks of his professional career.  The 30-year-old has homered in each of his last five games with Triple-A Charlotte, and is hitting an absurd .317/.388/.817 over 67 PA this season.

While nobody expects Mendick to keep up this kind of production against big league pitching, the White Sox can’t be faulted for going with the hot hand given the dire state of their lineup.  Sosa is one of several Chicago players producing next to nothing at the plate, and Mendick might well cut into the playing time of starting second baseman Nicky Lopez (who is batting only .176/.288/.176 in 61 PA).  Shortstop Paul DeJong is also day-to-day after being hit on the elbow by a pitch in Saturday’s game, so Lopez could slide over to shortstop with DeJong out and open up the keystone for Mendick entirely.

NL Central Notes: Montas, Alzolay, Cardinals

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The Reds’ 3-0 shutout of the Angels today saw five relievers combine for 8 1/3 innings of work, after a forearm bruise forced starter Frankie Montas out of the game in the first inning.  Montas was struck by a Taylor Ward line drive and was still able to throw Ward out at first base, though he then left the mound after an examination from the team trainer.  X-rays revealed no fractures, though Montas told reporters (including Charlie Goldsmith of the Cincinnati Enquirer) after the game that there is enough soreness and swelling that it seems unlikely that he’ll make his next start.

That next start is set for Friday against the Rangers, and since the Reds don’t have another off-day until May 2, another start would have to be covered if Montas needs more recovery time than just the one turn through the rotation.  It seems like the injured list might therefore be a possibility for Montas just so the Reds aren’t left short-handed, though the team figures to evaluate Montas over the next few days before making a decision.  Montas has a 4.19 ERA over 19 1/3 innings for Cincinnati this season, as he followed up two strong opening starts with much shakier performances in his two outings prior to today’s abbreviated appearance.

More from around the NL Central…

  • Adbert Alzolay pitched a perfect eighth inning in the Cubs’ 6-3 loss to the Marlins today, as manager Craig Counsell indicated before the game that Alzolay wouldn’t be used in a save situation.  After emerging as Chicago’s closer last season, Alzolay has blown four of seven save opportunities in the early going this year, prompting Counsell to tell reporters (including Steve Greenberg of the Chicago Sun-Times) that “we’ve got to get Adbert some confidence.”  For his part, Alzolay said mechanical problems were more to blame than any lack of self-belief.  As to who will handle closer duties until Alzolay works his way back into the mix, Counsell said it’s “kind of like a day-to-day thing,” though Hector Neris and Mark Leiter Jr. seem like the most natural candidates.
  • The Cardinals called up catcher Pedro Pages and right-hander Nick Robertson from Triple-A Memphis prior to today’s game, while optioning righty Andre Pallante and outfielder Victor Scott II.  Pallante has worked as a reliever over the last two seasons but will start in Triple-A as a way of getting more work in on his scuffling two-seam fastball, Cards manager Oliver Marmol told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s Daniel Guerrero and other reporters.  Scott will be getting his first taste of Triple-A baseball, as the Cardinals included him on their Opening Day roster due to some outfield injuries, and as a nod to the impressive 2023 numbers that got Scott some recognition on top-100 prospect lists.  Unfortunately, Scott has looked overwhelmed by Major League pitching, with only an .085/.139/.136 slash line to show for his first 65 plate appearances in the Show.  Pages’ presence will allow the Cards some flexibility in using fellow backstops Willson Contreras and Ivan Herrera in the same lineup at catcher and DH, as Contreras and Herrera are two of the few productive bats within the struggling St. Louis offense.

Mets Place Brooks Raley On 15-Day Injured List

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5:44PM: Manager Carlos Mendoza told MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo and other reporters that Raley’s MRI came back clean for any structural damage, so the expectation is that Raley could miss just the minimum 15 days.

3:40PM: The Mets announced that left-hander Brooks Raley has been placed on the 15-day injured list due to elbow inflammation.  Righty Grant Hartwig was called up from Triple-A in the corresponding move.

Raley has been untouchable so far this season, with a spotless 0.00 ERA (with two hits and three walks) over seven innings out of the New York bullpen.  He last pitched on Friday, tossing 20 pitches in two-thirds of an inning in the Mets’ 9-4 win over the Dodgers.  Raley’s previous outing was back on Monday, so it could be that he had been trying to pitch through his elbow soreness after taking a couple of days, or perhaps his elbow simply started barking after Friday’s game.

It was almost exactly a year ago that Raley was also placed on the Mets’ 15-day IL with a bout of elbow inflammation, and he was able to return after just a minimal absence.  Raley and the Mets can only hope that this latest injury is similarly minor, as Raley has an important role as the team’s chief southpaw reliever.  With Raley now sidelined, Jake Diekman is the only left-hander in New York’s relief corps.

Raley has posted a 2.58 ERA, 27.3% strikeout rate, and nine percent walk rate over 115 1/3 innings since the start of the 2022 season.  While he had a 4.78 ERA in 2021 with the Astros, the advanced metrics indicated a performance level closer to his 2022-24 numbers, so the Rays’ decision to give Raley a two-year, $10MM deal in the 2021-22 offseason ended up being a very canny move.  The Mets acquired Raley in a trade in December 2022, and then this past fall exercised their $6.5MM club option on Raley’s services for the 2024 campaign.

Brewers Place DL Hall On 15-Day Injured List

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The Brewers have placed left-hander DL Hall on the 15-day injured list due to a left knee sprain.  Left-hander Jared Koenig was called up from Triple-A Nashville to take Hall’s place on the active roster.

As manager Pat Murphy told MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy and other reporters, Hall hurt his knee while fielding a bunt single from Michael Siani in the second inning.  The southpaw ended up lasting 3 2/3 innings and allowing four runs on five walks and five hits, though the sprain can’t be blamed for all these struggles, as Hall had already given up three walks and two hits before Siani’s single.

It remains to be seen how much time Hall could miss, as while Murphy described the strain as “mild,” the injury was still under evaluation.  However, the 15-day absence only adds to what has been a dreadful start to both Hall’s 2024 season and his Brewers tenure altogether.

Acquired from the Orioles as part of the Corbin Burnes trade package, Hall worked almost exclusively as a reliever in his two previous MLB seasons in Baltimore, but the Brewers opted to stretch him out as a starter.  The results haven’t been pretty — Hall has a 7.71 ERA, 15.5% strikeout rate, and an 11.9% walk rate across four starts and 16 1/3 innings.  Murphy told reporters yesterday that things would have to improve in order for Hall to stick in Milwaukee’s rotation, though this injury could put that decision on hold for at least a couple of weeks.

McCalvy figures that Bryse Wilson will likely be moved into the rotation in Hall’s place for the time being, both because of Wilson’s recent experience as a spot starter and due to a relative lack of other healthy options.  Hall joins Jakob Junis on the big league injured list, and top prospect Robert Gasser is on the IL at Triple-A.  Koenig has some starting experience but has worked primarily as a reliever since the start of the 2023 campaign, so it seems likelier that he’ll just replace Wilson in the long relief role.

NL West Notes: Kelly, Buehler, Cobb

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Diamondbacks right-hander Merrill Kelly was scratched from his start in San Francisco this afternoon, with Kelly telling Steve Gilbert of MLB.com that he’s suffering from an injury involving his teres major strain. Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic adds that, per manager Torey Lovullo, Kelly has already undergone an MRI and is going to head back to Phoenix to be evaluated by team doctors. Piecoro adds that the club remains hopeful that the veteran hurler can avoid a stint on the injured list.

Missed time for Kelly would be a serious blow to the Diamondbacks’ rotation, which has already been without veteran southpaw Eduardo Rodriguez to this point in a season due to a lat strain. Losing Kelly, who sports a 3.26 ERA and 3.75 FIP over 67 starts dating back to the 2022 campaign, would compound the loss of Rodriguez and right-hander Ryne Nelson, who was placed on the injured list with a right elbow contusion last week. Kelly’s start this afternoon will instead go to right-hander Slade Cecconi, who posted a 4.33 ERA and 4.37 FIP in 27 innings of work for Dbacks last year.

If Kelly misses more than just today’s start, the club would likely need a fifth starter to go along with Cecconi, Zac Gallen, Jordan Montgomery, and Brandon Pfaadt. One possible option could be left-hander Tommy Henry, who has pitched 154 1/3 innings of work across 30 appearances with the Diamondbacks since his debut in 2022 but has generally struggled in those appearances. While he posted a roughly league average ERA of 4.15 with the club last year, he allowed 15 runs (14 earned) in just 18 1/3 innings across four starts in the majors this year and holds a career ERA in the big leagues of 4.84 with a 5.18 FIP.

More from around the NL West…

  • The Dodgers are having some rotation issues of their own, with Bobby Miller, Kyle Hurt, and Emmet Sheehan all joining arms such as Clayton Kershaw, Dustin May, and Tony Gonsolin on the shelf in recent weeks. Of the club’s many injured starters, right-hander Walker Buehler appears to be the only one nearing a return, though even he won’t be an immediate solution to the club’s rotation puzzle. As noted by Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register, manager Dave Roberts recently told reporters that Buehler will make at least one more rehab start before returning to the big league club. Said start is scheduled for Wednesday, meaning the earliest Buehler could be expected to pitch in the majors would be April 29. In the meantime, the club figures to lean on right-hander Landon Knack to fill out the rotation alongside Tyler Glasnow, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, James Paxton, and Gavin Stone.
  • The Giants placed right-hander Alex Cobb on the 60-day IL yesterday after the right-hander suffered a setback in his rehab from hip surgery earlier this week. While that news initially appeared to be somewhat ominous, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area relays this afternoon that manager Bob Melvin told reporters that it’s “realistic” that Cobb could be activated as soon as he’s first eligible to return on May 27. That’s great news for San Francisco, as the club has leaned on Cobb more than any pitcher besides Logan Webb since he joined the club on a two-year deal prior to the 2022 season. In that time, he’s made 56 starts for the Giants while pitching to a 3.80 ERA with an even stronger 3.41 FIP. Young righty Keaton Winn has filled out the club’s rotation alongside Webb, Blake Snell, Kyle Harrison, and Jordan Hicks while Cobb has been out of commission.

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