Red Sox’ Zack Kelly To Undergo Elbow Surgery
5:25pm: The Red Sox issued an update to reporters, including Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe. His UCL and brace are both in tact, but he needs an ulnar nerve transposition. Three to five months is the expected range of his recovery, but it also could be longer.
3:27pm: Red Sox right-hander Zack Kelly will undergo right elbow surgery in the coming days, manager Alex Cora announced to the team’s beat this afternoon (Twitter link via Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com). While he won’t require Tommy John surgery, Kelly will require a procedure to repair a previous internal brace that was inserted into his pitching elbow.
Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic tweets that Kelly originally had an internal brace operation — an increasingly common Tommy John alternative that can be performed on some but not all ligament tears (dependent on the extent and placement of the damage) — performed back in 2020. Cora did not indicate whether Kelly might pitch again in 2023, only stating that he’ll be out “for awhile.” Kelly was already placed on the 60-day IL earlier this week when Boston claimed lefty Brennan Bernardino from the Mariners.
The 28-year-old Kelly sustained his current elbow injury when pitching against the Rays last week (video link via MLB.com). After letting go of an errant pitch that plunked infielder Yandy Diaz, Kelly immediately removed his glove, clutched his elbow, and dropped into a crouch. Trainers came to the mound, and an emotional Kelly walked off the field, clearly fearing that he’d incurred a substantial injury. That indeed was the case, as McCaffrey indicates the previously installed brace came detached on that ill-fated pitch. His ligament is intact, but the new procedure will reattach the brace.
The emotion shown is particularly understandable for Kelly, a 28-year-old journeyman who made his big league debut in Boston last season after going undrafted out of college and grinding through six minor league seasons between three organizations before finally getting his first cup of coffee. He pitched 13 2/3 innings with a solid 3.95 ERA in his debut campaign, and he’d tossed another 7 1/3 frames with three runs allowed in 2023. Overall, in 21 Major League innings, Kelly has a 3.86 ERA and 17-to-10 K/BB ratio.
Red Sox Promote Enmanuel Valdez
The Red Sox announced that they have recalled infielder/outfielder Enmanuel Valdez from Triple-A, taking the place of infielder Yu Chang, who has been placed on the paternity list. Valdez himself revealed the news on Instagram prior to the official announcement, as relayed on Twitter by Christopher Smith of MassLive.
Valdez, 24, spent his entire career in the Astros’ organization until he came to the Red Sox as part of the Christian Vázquez trade at last year’s deadline. His minor league career was somewhat unremarkable until a big breakout campaign in 2021. Between High-A and Double-A that year, he hit 26 home runs and slashed .255/.326/.534 for a wRC+ of 122. That continued into 2022, as he was hitting .327/.410/.606 at the time of the trade. His line slipped a bit from there, as he hit .237/.309/.422 after the deal, but he still impressed the Boston brass enough that they targeted him in the deal and then added him to their 40-man roster in November to protect him from being selected in the Rule 5 draft. He was ranked the club’s #19 prospect by Baseball America coming into this year.
The youngster will make his major league debut tonight, as he’s playing second base and batting ninth. The Sox have been playing a bit of musical chairs in their middle infield this season, which started when Trevor Story required internal brace surgery on his throwing elbow in the offseason. With Xander Bogaerts having opted out and signed with the Padres, the club had to turn to backup plans, moving Enrique Hernández in from center field to take over shortstop and partner with Christian Arroyo at second base. Adalberto Mondesí was acquired to be part of the picture but he’s still recovering from last year’s torn ACL. Adam Duvall was signed to cover center field but he’s now dealing with a fractured wrist. Hernandez moved out to center again for a while with Chang taking some starts at short, though Jarren Duran was recently recalled to bolster the outfield mix. With Arroyo dealing with some hamstring issues recently and Chang stepping away, it all got a little more tenuous, which required the recall of Valdez. Bobby Dalbec had been on the roster until he was optioned a few days ago, meaning he isn’t eligible to return until 10 days from that optioning, unless someone goes on the injured list.
Red Sox Outright Jake Faria
The Red Sox announced Wednesday that right-hander Jake Faria went unclaimed on outright waivers and has been assigned to Triple-A Worcester. Faria’s contract was selected over the weekend when the Sox needed a fresh arm, but he didn’t get into a game before being designated for assignment on Monday morning. He’s been outrighted in the past and will thus have the option of rejecting the assignment in favor of free agency if he chooses.
The 29-year-old Faria hasn’t appeared in the Majors since 2021, when he tossed 32 2/3 innings of 5.53 ERA ball with the Diamondbacks. He spent the 2022 season with the Twins’ Triple-A affiliate but was hit hard in 43 1/3 innings, and his 2023 start in Worcester hasn’t gone any better. In five frames, Faria has more earned runs and walks (six apiece) than he does strikeouts (five).
Faria had a strong debut season with the Rays back in 2017, when he appeared in 16 games (14 starts) and tossed 86 2/3 innings of 3.43 ERA ball. The former tenth-round pick fanned 23.5% of his opponents that season against a solid 8.7% walk rate and looked like he’d be a valuable member of Tampa Bay’s staff for the foreseeable future.
Things didn’t pan out that way, however. Faria’s sophomore season with the Rays resulted in 65 innings of 5.40 ERA ball, as his strikeout, walk and home-run rates all trended in negative directions. The Rays traded him to the Brewers in exchange for Jesus Aguilar at the 2019 trade deadline in a move that worked out better for Tampa Bay but didn’t pay huge dividends for either party. (The Rays placed Aguilar on waivers after the season and lost him to the Marlins.)
Overall, in 116 2/3 frames since that impressive debut, Faria carries a 5.65 ERA with a middling 19% strikeout rate and a bloated 10.9% walk rate. He posted sharp Triple-A results earlier in his career, but more recent struggles there have bumped his lifetime Triple-A earned run average to 4.59 in a total of 308 innings.
Red Sox Announce Several Roster Moves
The Red Sox announced a series of roster moves ahead of this morning’s game against the Angels. The club has optioned infielder Bobby Dalbec to Triple-A and designated right-hander Jake Faria for assignment, while activating right-hander Brayan Bello from the 15-day injured list and recalling outfielder Jarren Duran from Triple-A.
Faria, 29, was selected to the roster just yesterday, is DFA’d without making an appearance for Boston. A career 4.70 ERA (90 ERA+) pitcher with a 20.9% strikeout rate and 10% walk rate in the major leagues, Faria will now likely look to catch on with another club, as the Red Sox have seven days to waive, trade, or release the right-hander. Faria last pitched in the major leagues in 2021, as he spent all of the 2022 season in the minors with the Twins.
Bello’s activation is no surprise, as he had already been announced as the starter for this morning’s game against the Angels. Long considered to be one of the club’s top prospects, Bello made his major league debut in 2022 and held his own, posting just a 4.71 ERA (90 ERA+) in 57 1/3 innings of work, though his strong 2.94 FIP, inflated .404 BABIP, and somewhat low 68.2% strand rate all indicate there was some bad luck baked into Bello’s performance last year. The 23 year-old will step into the Red Sox rotation, potentially replacing fellow young right-hander Tanner Houck in the long term, though the club appears poised to use a six-man rotation for the time being.
Dalbec, 28 in June, was a 4th round pick by the Red Sox in the 2016 draft, and impressed early in his career with a 114 wRC+ in 545 plate appearances in the 2020 and 2021 seasons. That impressive start to his career had a major red flag, however, as Dalbec was striking out in 35.8% of his plate appearances over that time. That penchant for strikeouts has continued in the years since, while Dalbec’s power dissipated. Dalbec hit 33 home runs, 24 doubles, and 5 triples from 2020-2021, but has managed just 12 home runs, 9 doubles, and 2 triples in 364 plate appearances since the start of the 2022 season. Dalbec will now head to Triple-A and serve as infield depth for the club going forward.
Duran, 26, figures to make his season debut today against the Angels. Despite an impressive .299/.366/.468 career slash line in the minors, including a .266/.353/.498 line in 641 Triple-A plate appearances, Duran has struggled mightily at the major league level since his debut in 2021, posting a career wRC+ of just 68 and -0.8 fWAR in 91 career games in the big leagues. Duran figures to provide further outfield depth behind starters Alex Verdugo and Masataka Yoshida in the corners and the current center field platoon of Raimel Tapia and Rob Refsnyder.
Red Sox Select Jake Faria, Place Chris Martin On 15-Day IL
10:38PM: There are “no red flags as far as structure” to Martin’s shoulder, manager Alex Cora told MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo and other reporters. The Red Sox are hopeful that Martin might be facing just a minimal 15-day absence.
12:12PM: The Red Sox announced a series of roster moves this afternoon, placing right-hander Chris Martin on the 15-day IL (retroactive to Thursday) with right shoulder inflammation. To replace Martin on the active roster, the club has selected the contract of right-hander Jake Faria from Triple-A. To clear a 40-man roster spot for Faria, the club has transferred right-hander Wyatt Mills, who is suffering from right elbow inflammation, to the 60-day IL.
Martin debuted with the Rockies back in 2014, but struggled to a 6.19 ERA in the first two seasons of his big league career before departing for Japan, where he dominated in the NPB to the tune of a 1.12 ERA in 88 1/3 innings of work. That performance earned him another shot in the big leagues, where he’s been a successful setup man ever since. Since the start of the 2018 season, Martin has posted a 3.41 ERA (135 ERA+) with a 3.06 FIP in 221 2/3 innings of work.
While his top-level run prevention numbers last season left something to be desired in the beginning of his season as a member of the Cubs, his 4.31 ERA in his 31 1/3 innings as a Cub were inflated by a .393 BABIP. Underlying metrics saw him strike out 30.1% of batters while walking just 3%, leaving him with a 3.01 FIP during his time with in Chicago. Those strong underlying stats manifested in a dominant stretch run following a midseason trade to the Dodgers: in 24 2/3 innings in Dodger blue, Martin posted a fantastic 1.46 ERA with a microscopic 1.13 FIP.
That left Martin entering free agency with a 3.05 ERA, 2.18 FIP, 32.9% strikeout rate, and 2.2% walk rate in 2022. Those numbers were strong enough to net him a two-year, $17.5MM deal with the Red Sox, where he figured to slot into the back of the Boston bullpen alongside fellow offseason signing Kenley Jansen. Those plans will now be put on hold for awhile, however, with Martin headed to the IL. No timetable has been announced for his return. While Martin is on the IL, John Schreiber and Josh Winckowski figure to handle late-inning duties alongside Jansen.
With Martin on the shelf, the Red Sox turn to Faria. The 29 year old did not pitch in the majors in 2022, though he has a career 4.70 ERA (90 ERA+) with a matching 4.74 FIP in 203 big league innings with a 20.9% strikeout rate a 10% walk rate. After spending 2022 in the minors with the Twins, where he struggled to a 7.48 ERA in 43 1/3 innings of work, Faria signed a minor league deal with the Red Sox back in February.
Mills was acquired from the Royals in a trade this winter, but was shut down last month with elbow inflammation. He has a career 6.21 ERA in 42 big league innings, albeit with a much more palatable 3.84 FIP.
East Notes: Fried, Bello, Red Sox, Donaldson, Bader, Garcia
Left-hander Max Fried is slated to make his return to the mound on Monday, when the Braves open up a three-game series against the Padres. Atlanta manager Brian Snitker told reporters (including David O’Brien of The Athletic) that Fried will be activated from the 15-day injured list prior to the game. Fried will end up missing only 16 days due to a strained left hamstring, as he went to the IL on April 4 but with a backdated placement of April 1, so ensure a quicker return as long as the hamstring issue turned out to be pretty minimal.
With Fried and Kyle Wright now healthy, Atlanta’s rotation is more or less back in its expected form, with Fried, Wright, Spencer Strider, and Charlie Morton comprising the top four, and Bryce Elder pitching well in a bid to cement his spot. The Braves had planned to use Jared Shuster or Dylan Dodd as the fifth starter heading into the season, but while the two rookies have struggled against MLB hitters, while Elder has an impressive 1.53 ERA over three starts and 17 2/3 innings.
More from both the NL and AL East divisions…
- Brayan Bello is also expected to be activated from the 15-day IL on Monday, as the Red Sox righty will make his season debut in a start against the Angels. Bello dealt with some forearm tightness early in Spring Training, which delayed his ramp-up enough that a short IL stint was necessary to open the season. With Bello expected to be a regular starter, the Boston Globe’s Alex Speier suggested that the Sox might utilize a six-man rotation until their next off-day on April 27, in order to give a bit more rest to a pitching staff that hasn’t many good results early in the season. Tanner Houck might ultimately be the odd man out of the rotation, and while Houck told Speier that he would prefer to stay as a starter, “I don’t have much say over it. We’ll have conversations, but I can only go out there and compete and put my best foot forward and continue to fight for the spot.”
- The Yankees are likely to activate Josh Donaldson from the 10-day IL on Wednesday, manager Aaron Boone told ESPN’s Marly Rivera and other reporters. Donaldson will play in a minor league rehab game on Tuesday and then take the field against the Angels on Wednesday. A right hamstring strain sent Donaldson (retroactively) to the injured list on April 6, and his return will provide some relief to a lineup that is missing Giancarlo Stanton and Harrison Bader. In Bader’s case, he has been working out and taking part in baseball activities at Yankee Stadium, and Boone indicated that a minor league rehab assignment might begin this week as Bader makes his way back from a left oblique strain.
- X-rays were negative on Avisail Garcia‘s right wrist after the Marlins outfielder was hit while swinging at a pitch in today’s game. Jesus Sanchez had to replace Garcia to finish the rest of the plate appearance, but Garcia looks to have avoided serious injury, even if the Marlins might hold him out a day or two to monitor the wrist. After a rough first season in Miami, Garcia’s struggles have continued in 2023, as he has hit only .162/.225/.270 over his first 41 plate appearances.
Red Sox Claim Brennan Bernardino From Mariners
The Red Sox announced that left-hander Brennan Bernardino has been claimed off waivers from the Mariners. Bernardino was designated for assignment earlier this week. To create 40-man roster space, the Sox moved righty Zack Kelly to the 60-day injured list.
Beginning his pro career as a 26th-round pick for the Reds in the 2014 draft, Bernardino finally made it to the big leagues last season, appearing in two games for Seattle and posting 2 1/3 innings of work. Some nice numbers with Triple-A Tacoma in 2022 helped pave the way for Bernardino’s MLB debut, but the results haven’t been there in a small sample size this year, as the southpaw had a 12.00 ERA in six innings for Tacoma this season.
Bernardino’s career has taken him through the affiliated minors (with Cincinnati, Cleveland, and Seattle) and also to the Mexican League for parts of three seasons. He’ll now add Boston to his resume, giving the Red Sox some extra left-handed relief depth. Richard Bleier is the only lefty in Boston’s Major League bullpen, as Joely Rodriguez is on the injured list and Ryan Sherriff is at Triple-A. In all likelihood, Bernardino will join Sherriff as the top left-handed options in Worcester should the Sox feel the need for more southpaw help in the Show.
Kelly was placed on the 15-day IL three days ago due to elbow inflammation, though Kelly was so obviously distraught while leaving the mound that it certainly seemed like he had suffered a more serious injury. Sox manager Alex Cora told reporters (including MLB.com’s Ian Browne) yesterday that Kelly’s MRI results were going to be viewed by the doctor who performed Kelly’s internal bracing procedure in 2020. No official word has come about Kelly’s status, though the 60-day IL placement will keep the right-hander on the shelf until at least mid-June.
AL Notes: Urias, Ortiz, Romano, Red Sox, Springs
Ramon Urias is in concussion protocol after a scary incident in the Orioles‘ 7-6 loss to the White Sox today. Urias was hit in the head by a Kendall Graveman fastball in the seventh inning of the game, but fortunately the infielder was able to leave the field under his own power. At the very least, Urias certainly doesn’t look like he’ll be playing in Sunday’ game, and it remains to be seen if a stint on the seven-day concussion-related injury list is necessary. Urias had a single and two walks prior to his HBP today, boosting the Gold Glover’s slash line to a productive .250./.388/.400 over his first 49 plate appearances of the season.
Infielder Joey Ortiz would be the roster replacement if Urias is sidelined, as MASNsports.com’s Roch Kubatko was among the reporters who noted that Ortiz was removed from the lineup for Triple-A Norfolk tonight. Since the Orioles don’t play on Monday, it’s possible the club might not make a roster move prior to Sunday’s game, in order to give Urias more time to recover and undergo further examination in the hopes that an IL stint could be avoided. Ortiz has yet to make his MLB debut, and is yet another talented youngster from Baltimore’s farm system — both MLB Pipeline and Baseball America included Ortiz near the end of their preseason top-100 prospect lists.
More from around the AL East…
- Jordan Romano earned a save in painful fashion today, as the Blue Jays closer was hit by a hard Wander Franco comebacker to the mound in the final out of a 5-2 win over the Rays. The Jays told reporters (including The Athletic’s Kaitlyn McGrath) that Romano suffered a right rib contusion on the play, though x-rays were negative. After pitching on three of the last four days, Romano was probably already going to be unavailable for Sunday’s game, but it remains to be seen if the closer will have to miss any more time. Romano has five saves and a 3.86 ERA over seven innings this season, with all three of his runs allowed during a disastrous outing against the Angels last Sunday.
- With the Red Sox shorthanded in the middle infield, assistant GM Brian O’Halloran told MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo that the Sox are “comfortable with the group we have,” though the team is “always looking to find ways to improve the roster. Especially when you have injuries, and significant injuries. That’s even more heightened.” Enrique Hernandez has had to move from shortstop to center field to fill in for the injured Adam Duvall, subtracting from a middle infield mix that was already thin with Trevor Story and Adalberto Mondesi on the 60-day IL. Cotillo notes that it’s pretty early in the season for any significant trade to take place, though a lower-level swap or even a waiver claim could help the Red Sox fill some holes.
- Jeffrey Springs struggled to a 7.08 ERA over 20 1/3 innings with the Red Sox in 2020, and Springs told Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe that he regretting having “severely underperformed” during his lone season in a Sox uniform. “I think I put too much pressure on myself there,” Springs said. “I felt like I had to put up a zero every time and that made it harder on myself. That’s a bad mentality to have.” The Sox pivoted by dealing Springs to the Rays as part of a four-player trade during the 2020-21 offseason, yet now that deal is looking like a regret on Boston’s part, as Springs has become the latest pitcher to blossom in Tampa Bay. Springs has an outstanding 2.53 ERA in 196 innings in a Rays uniform, but his great start to the 2023 season has now been interrupted by ulnar neuritis in his left arm, resulting in what will be a lengthy IL visit.
Red Sox Notes: Duvall, Bello, Paxton
Adam Duvall‘s hot start to the season was cruelly halted when he sustained a distal radius fracture in his left wrist. There was relief initially that Duvall wouldn’t require surgery, but it still appears it’ll be a lengthy recovery time, with Duvall telling Alex Speier of the Boston Globe that he won’t be able to swing the bat for six weeks.
“[It’s] maybe six weeks before I can swing again. I’m going to keep running and keep throwing to stay in shape,” Duvall said.
It’s still hard to pinpoint exactly when Duvall might be ready to return to action, but certainly six weeks plus time to build back up again would suggest a return well into the summer. Duvall, a lifetime .233/.292/.472 hitter, went 15-for-33 over his first eight games of the season, slugging four home runs while manning center field for the Red Sox.
It’s a much shorter timeline for starter Brayan Bello to return to the team. The youngster is slated to return on Monday against Shohei Ohtani and the Angels on Boston Marathon day, per Speier. Bello was slowed this spring discomfort in his elbow. Such discomfort is usually hugely alarming in a young pitcher, but it seems it was in fact minor and Bello will only miss the first few weeks of the season.
Bello worked to a 4.71 ERA over 57 1/3 innings last year with a 20.5% strikeout rate and a 10.1% walk rate. Bello was tagged for a .404 opponent BABIP, which suggests he might expect to be a little more fortunate in that department over a larger sample size, and indeed his FIP sat at 2.94.
It’ll be intriguing to see how Boston’s rotation shapes up over the next few weeks. Bello’s return will likely be followed by veteran James Paxton, who made another minor league rehab start as he works his way back from a hamstring injury. According to Speier, manager Alex Cora expects Paxton to make at least one more rehab start, but it seemingly won’t be long before he too can be activated from the IL.
Since 2020, Paxton has made just six starts for the Yankees and Mariners, getting tagged for a 6.65 ERA in that small number as he battled injury. He signed with the Red Sox last season, but Tommy John recovery and a lat strain prevented him from ever taking to the mound. He exercised a $4MM player option ahead of the 2023 campaign, but the hamstring injury sustained in spring training delayed his debut.
When he does return the Red Sox will have some decisions to make in their rotation. Chris Sale and Corey Kluber likely aren’t going anywhere, which would leave Tanner Houck, Nick Pivetta and Garrett Whitlock as the options to be forced out. The Sox seemed determined to give Whitlock a shot at becoming a starter, but if he struggles he might be an easy option to return to a relief role where he found tremendous success. Of course, given the injury history of a number of Boston’s starters, it’s possible all of this just figures itself out or they opt to go with a larger rotation to reduce the workload on their arms.
Injury Notes: Cueto, Kelly, Acevedo
Right-hander Johnny Cueto departed his first outing for the Marlins after recording just three outs and was later placed on the 15-day injured list with biceps tightness. The club hasn’t provided any updates on his expected return timeline but Barry Jackson and Craig Mish of the Miami Herald provided a pessimistic update this week, reporting that Cueto could be out of action for several weeks.
That still doesn’t provide much clarity, though it does at least indicate that the 37-year-old Cueto seems ticketed for more than a minimum stay on the IL. That’s a frustrating development for the club, who just signed Cueto to a one-year, $8.5MM deal this offseason. It now seems possible that the veteran could miss a decent chunk of the campaign. He’s coming off a strong 2022 season, but injuries have had an impact on him in previous years. He only made 13 starts over 2018 and 2019 combined due to an ankle injury and Tommy John surgery. He then struggled in 2020 before having improved results over 2021 and 2022.
Without Cueto, the Marlins should still have a good rotation consisting of Sandy Alcantara, Edward Cabrera, Jesús Luzardo, Trevor Rogers and Braxton Garrett, though the depth will be weaker as long as Cueto is out of the picture. The club has a $10.5MM option for his services in 2024 that comes with a $2.5MM buyout. How they feel about that net $8MM decision will surely be impacted by when he returns and how effective he looks at that point.
Some other injury notes from around the league…
- The Red Sox announced earlier today that they recalled right-hander Kutter Crawford while placing fellow righty Zack Kelly on the 15-day injured list with right elbow inflammation. Chris Cotillo of MassLive reported on the moves prior to the official announcement. Kelly was removed from yesterday’s game in obvious distress, both physical and emotional, alternating between grabbing at his elbow area and hiding his face in his hands. “Definitely emotional for two reasons,” Kelly said to Cotillo after the game. “One, because I care. I care about this game, these guys and I enjoy doing this. Two, just all the s*** I went through to get here. It’s just a lot. Whenever something like that happens, you get emotional about it.” Kelly, 28, was an undrafted free agent who toiled away in the minors for many years before finally reaching the big leagues last year. He posted a 3.95 ERA over 13 appearances in 2022 and had a 3.68 mark through six games here in 2023. More information will surely come after Kelly and the club do further testing, but it’s a concerning development for a guy who has obviously walked a long road to make it to the big leagues.
- The Athletics placed right-hander Domingo Acevedo on the 15-day injured list yesterday. It seems it was an unfortunate freak accident that led to this move, as manager Mark Kotsay told Joe Trezza of MLB.com that Acevedo slipped walking into the dugout on Monday and suffered a left back strain. It’s unclear how long he will be out of action, but the issue is significant enough that Acevedo underwent an MRI, with those results still not publicly known. The 29-year-old righty had a solid season last year, posting a 3.33 ERA over 70 appearances for the A’s, striking out 21.8% of opponents while walking just 6.4%. He has a 13.50 ERA this year, but in a small sample of just five appearances. His return to action will become more clear once the club gets a chance to examine his MRI results.