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Diamondbacks Place Alek Thomas On Injured List With Strained Hamstring

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The Diamondbacks announced that outfielder Alek Thomas has been placed on the 10-day injured list due to a strained left hamstring. Outfielder Jorge Barrosa was recalled in a corresponding move and will be making his major league debut as soon as he gets into a game.

Thomas, who turns 24 later this month, left last night’s game with some hamstring tightness and it seems the injury is serious enough that he’ll have to miss some time. Per Alex Weiner of AZ Sports, manager Torey Lovullo described it as “high Grade 1” since it’s between Grade 1 and Grade 2.

The young outfielder isn’t much of a hitter, having slashed .230/.273/.362 in his career thus far, but he is a strong defender in center. In 1,857 1/3 innings of big league work thus far, he has produced 11 Defensive Runs Saved and 11 Outs Above Average. Corbin Carroll has slid over from right field to center tonight and may stay there for as long as Thomas is out, with Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and Jake McCarthy likely to get regular work in the corners.

The injury to Thomas has allowed the 23-year-old Barrosa to get called up to the big leagues for the first time in his career and he’ll jump into the mix for outfield playing time. An international signing out of Venezuela, the switch hitter split his 2022 between High-A and Double-A. He hit 13 home runs in 123 games while walking in 12.1% of his trips to the plate and striking out at just a 15.4% clip. His combined batting line of .278/.372/.439 translated to a wRC+ of 112 and he stole 26 bases on the year.

The Snakes added him to their roster in November of that year to keep him out of the Rule 5 draft. He spent all of 2023 in Triple-A, pairing a 15.9% walk rate with a 16.3% strikeout rate. He added another 13 home runs and swiped another 15 bags. His .274/.394/.456 line led to a wRC+ of 110. Baseball America ranked him the club’s #23 prospect coming into this year while FanGraphs had him at #10 as of June of last year.

Kendrick: D-backs Open To Further Payroll Increases At Trade Deadline

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The Diamondbacks enter the season with an approximate payroll of $168MM (per RosterResource), shattering their prior franchise record of about $131MM. And while Arizona is among the many clubs to have been impacted by the recent bankruptcy filing of Diamond Sports Group, it doesn’t sound like concerns regarding the television outlook will prevent the club from adding further, if needed. Managing partner Ken Kendrick tells Theo Mackie of the Arizona Republic that he’s “absolutely” willing to green-light further expenditures if needs arise prior to the summer trade deadline.

From a luxury tax standpoint, Arizona sits at a projected $216MM — about $21MM shy of the first-tier threshold. They shouldn’t have many, if any, limitations with regard to the competitive balance tax, as it’s quite rare for any team to take on that much prorated annual value at the deadline. Kendrick pointed to his team’s 2017 acquisition of J.D. Martinez as a prior example of an aggressive deadline approach and said he’ll be “prepared to do that yet again” if the right player is available this July.

Kendrick didn’t delve into this aspect of deadline shopping, but Arizona’s payroll is also well-positioned from a long-term standpoint. The Diamondbacks shouldn’t have an issues adding a player who is signed or arb-eligible beyond the current season. In fact, it could be argued they’d be wise to target such players, given the slate of high-profile free agents the D-backs have at season’s end. First baseman Christian Walker, closer Paul Sewald and left-hander Jordan Montgomery are all slated to hit free agency. Designated hitter Joc Pederson has a mutual option, as do reliever Scott McGough and outfielder Randal Grichuk. Mutual options are almost never exercised, so they’ll all likely hit the market, too.

That large slate of names coming off the books leaves the Diamondbacks with just $63.5MM on next year’s books, per RosterResource. That’ll jump when Kelly’s $7MM club option is picked up and when Gallen receives a hefty raise on this year’s $10.011MM salary in arbitration. But the rest of the D-backs’ arb class consists of middle relievers and first-time eligible players, meaning it shouldn’t be overly expensive. Ryan Thompson, Kevin Ginkel, Joe Mantiply, Ryne Nelson, Geraldo Perdomo and Alek Thomas make up the rest of the class. Given this year’s new highwater mark and the comparatively minimal commitments on the docket in 2025, the Diamondbacks could add a player on a notable contract.

When we’re this far from the deadline, there’s no telling what exactly the Diamondbacks will be targeting — outside of bullpen help. That’s not a knock on Arizona’s relief corps, but rather just an observation that virtually every contending club shops around to deepen its bullpen at the deadline. The D-backs’ lineup is quite deep and largely set with established players. In the rotation, lefty Eduardo Rodriguez is expected to miss about a month with a lat strain and the aforementioned Montgomery is ramping up down in the minors. Once they’re both active, they’ll join Zac Gallen, Merrill Kelly and Brandon Pfaadt in what should be one of the most talented rotations in the game.

Injuries can quickly change that calculus and necessitate short-term acquisitions. Kendrick’s comments suggest he’ll be willing to be flexible in allowing GM Mike Hazen and his staff when they look to fortify a roster that hopes for another deep postseason run.

NL West Notes: Flores, Jefferies, Thomas, Grichuk, Buehler

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Giants first baseman Wilmer Flores exited before the second inning of today’s game against the Padres after falling into the opposing dugout while attempting to catch a foul ball. He initially stayed in the game but was replaced by a pinch hitter before his first plate appearance. During the game, the team told reporters (including Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area) that Flores had suffered a right shoulder contusion. Afterward, Pavlovic added that the first baseman also had a cut on his finger and the Giants will reevaluate his condition tomorrow. Flores confirmed to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle that he had not hit his head.

Flores, 32, is coming off a career year for the Giants, in which he hit 22 doubles and 23 home runs with an .863 OPS over 126 games. His overall defensive metrics were not particularly impressive, but as usual, he did his best work at first base, producing 6 DRS and 1 OAA. He made just two errors in 61 games.

In additional Giants news, starting pitcher Daulton Jefferies also left the game early on Sunday, after giving up nine runs (five earned) in just two innings of work. According to Slusser, the righty felt some discomfort in his left hip. Like Flores, he will be re-evaluated tomorrow.

Jefferies, 28, had his contract officially selected today, ahead of his first MLB start in nearly two years. He underwent surgery for both thoracic outlet syndrome and a torn UCL in 2022, so he and the Giants will hope his latest injury is nothing more serious than mild discomfort.

In other news from around the NL West…

  • Diamondbacks center fielder Alek Thomas left Sunday’s game against the Rockies in the fourth inning with what the team later announced as “left hamstring tightness.” Speaking after the game, manager Torey Lovullo told reporters that he decided to take Thomas out of the game, while the center fielder wanted to stay on the field (per Arizona Sports). Hopefully for the D-backs, that is a sign that this was merely a precautionary measure. Lovullo said the team will continue evaluating the 23-year-old over the rest of the night.
  • Earlier in the day, Lovullo provided an update on another one of his outfielders. Randal Grichuk, 32, is currently on a rehab stint with the Triple-A Reno Aces, and the skipper told reporters (including Alex Weiner of Arizona Sports) that he expects him to return soon after his minimum 10 days on the IL are up. Lovullo said Grichuk is already prepared to face major league pitching, but he needed a little more time to prep in the outfield after missing all of spring training recovering from ankle surgery.
  • Walker Buehler made his first rehab start today, pitching into the fourth inning for Triple-A Oklahoma City. His fastball velocity sat around 94 mph (h/t to Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic), not quite as high as it was in 2021 and ’22, but promising for an early rehab appearance. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters (including Jack Harris of The Los Angeles Times) that Buehler would need to make around four rehab starts, with Juan Toribio of MLB.com noting that Buehler likely needs to build up to throwing 90 pitches; his goal today was 40-45.

Diamondbacks Sign Kevin Newman To New Minors Contract

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TODAY: Newman re-signed with the Diamondbacks on a new minors deal, and was in the lineup for Triple-A Reno yesterday.

MARCH 27: Infielder Kevin Newman opted out of his minor league contract with the Diamondbacks, reports Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic. He’s now a free agent and free to sign with any club in need of some infield depth.

Newman, 30, spent the 2023 season with the Reds and posted a .253/.311/.364 batting line in 253 plate appearances while shortstop, second base and third base. He’s spent the other five seasons of his career with the Pirates, who selected him 19th overall back in 2015. He had  the look of a potential big league regular back in 2019 when he hit .308/.353/.446 in 130 games, but that’s the only productive season of the former top prospect’s big league career to date. On the whole, he’s a .259/.304/.358 hitter who’s drawn mixed reviews for his glovework at shortstop and moved more into a utility role in recent seasons.

Those may be unappealing numbers overall, but the right-handed-hitting Newman is a solid .279/.336/.395 hitter against lefties to this point in his career. Paired with above-average speed and some defensive versatility, that could be enough to garner interest for clubs seeking some right-handed infield depth to round out their bench (or to stash in the upper minors).

On paper, there was a potential path to a bench spot for Newman in Arizona. Eugenio Suarez, Geraldo Perdomo and Ketel Marte are lined up at third base, shortstop and second base, respectively, but the bench options are more suspect. Veteran Jace Peterson has an infield/outfield role locked down because of his on-base skills, defense at third base, and his contract. Newman could’ve been a right-handed complement to the lefty-swinging Peterson, but it seems the Snakes will stick with out-of-options Emmanuel Rivera and perhaps prospect Blaze Alexander instead.

NL West Notes: D’Backs, Montgomery, Buehler, Monfort

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The Diamondbacks officially introduced Jordan Montgomery at a press conference yesterday, with Montgomery, agent Scott Boras, and several team officials answering questions from the Arizona Republic’s Nick Piecoro, Alex Weiner of Arizona Sports, and other media.  D’Backs managing general partner Ken Kendrick said that the club initially checked in on Montgomery early in the offseason but weren’t eager to meet the asking price at the time.  As Montgomery’s stay in free agency ended up stretching almost to the very end of Spring Training, GM Mike Hazen and assistant GM Amiel Sawdaye started to explore the idea of re-engaging with the southpaw, and negotiations both started and ended within just a few days’ time.

The two sides agreed to a one-year, $25MM contract with a $20MM vesting player option and opt-out clause covering the 2025 season.  Boras said Montgomery had some longer-term offers but “Jordan’s edict to me was, ’I want to play for a competitive team.  I want to make sure that I’m there and if I have to take something short-term to play for a competitive team, I will.’….It resulted in I think a deal that served our purposes in the short term and certainly served Jordan’s competitiveness needs and put an evaluation on I think his performance for this year and potentially next year that was appropriate for what he’s done.”

From Arizona’s perspective, adding Montgomery boosts payroll to a team-record $168MM for 2024, yet Kendrick and team president/CEO Derrick Hall are comfortable with the extra spending in order to keep the team in championship contention.  While Hall hinted that the D’Backs might need another lengthy postseason trip to sustain a higher payroll into 2025, Arizona’s run to the World Series last year already provided enough of an extra revenue boost (both in ticket sales during the playoffs and more tickets already sold for this season) to justify more of all-in push in 2024.

Some other items from the NL West…

  • Walker Buehler will throw four or five innings in a Triple-A rehab start on Sunday, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters (including Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register and Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times).  Sunday’s outing will be the first of four rehab starts for Buehler, as per the team’s current plans, though things remain fluid as the Dodgers want to be as careful as possible in managing Buehler’s return after undergoing Tommy John surgery in August 2022.  Buehler is already well beyond the normal 13-15 rehab window, though obviously not every recovery process is the same for every pitcher, plus this was also the second TJ procedure of Buehler’s career.  If all goes well at Triple-A, Buehler should be on track to be part of the L.A. rotation before April is over.
  • “I do feel like we are on the right track,” Rockies owner Dick Monfort told the Denver Post’s Troy Renck, with Monfort citing his team’s up-and-coming core of young talent and his ongoing trust in GM Bill Schmidt and manager Bud Black.  Colorado has had only five winning seasons since the Monfort family bought the team in late 2005, and things seemed to bottom out last year when the Rox lost a club-record 103 games.  Still, Monfort believes in the “organic” strategy of relying on homegrown prospects and only mid-range payrolls, as Monfort is critical of the revenue disparities among Major League franchises.  Denver fans have themselves long been critical of Monfort’s approach due to the lack of on-field success, and Monfort has frequently come under fire for his perpetually over-optimistic view of his team’s fortunes and the Rockies’ reliance on long-time employees.  While Monfort admitted that he worries about being too loyal at times, he noted that when looking to replace former GM Jeff Bridich, he wasn’t impressed by external candidates’ plans to fix the team.  “They would tell me how to win at altitude and everything they mentioned, it would not have worked, or it’s all things we have tried.  I think in any business you have to have people you can trust, and I trust [Schmidt and Black],” Monfort said.

Diamondbacks Sign Jordan Montgomery

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March 29: The Diamondbacks have made it official, announcing Montgomery’s signing today, adding that Montgomery has been optioned to Triple-A Reno. Players with more than five years of service time can’t be optioned without their consent, but the lefty presumably agreed to be sent down so that he could get in some work after missing Spring Training while unsigned. The lefty is targeting April 19 for his first start with the Snakes, per Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic.

March 26: The Diamondbacks and left-hander Jordan Montgomery are reportedly in agreement on a one-year, $25MM pact. The deal includes a $20MM vesting player option for the 2025 season, with Montgomery earning the ability to opt out if he starts at least ten games in 2024. Montgomery’s option will vest at $20MM if he makes ten starts, with an additional $2.5MM added to the option upon reaching 18 starts and 23 starts during the 2024 season. The deal is pending a physical.

The deal brings to a close a lengthy free agency for Montgomery, who defeated the Diamondbacks in the 2023 World Series alongside the Rangers just five months ago. Arizona will be the 31-year-old’s fourth team in the past three seasons. Montgomery’s free agent odyssey dragged on longer than anyone could have reasonably anticipated heading into the offseason, when he was widely expected to command a long-term, nine-figure contract. The 2023-24 offseason, however, will be one remembered as an oddity, given the stark number of clubs dealing with uncertainty regarding their television broadcast rights — Montgomery’s incumbent Rangers among them — and about a third of the league facing luxury-tax concerns of some degree.

All of that combined to limit the market for Montgomery and other top-tier free agents, although the left-hander’s lofty asking price on the heels of a career-year punctuated by postseason heroics surely didn’t do him any favors. Even as late into the offseason as early March, the left-hander and agent Scott Boras were reported to be seeking a six- or even seven-year deal. A six-year deal under conventional market circumstances early in the offseason might’ve been attainable, but this offseason’s market simply didn’t bear that. The nature of this new contract with the D-backs will allow him the opportunity to take another bite at the free agent apple next offseason, with some added insurance in the form of a player option that safeguards against a late-season injury.

After spending his entire career until the 2022 trade deadline in a Yankees uniform, Montgomery was swapped to St. Louis in exchange for center fielder Harrison Bader. The southpaw found great success in St. Louis, delivering a 3.31 ERA and 3.50 FIP in 32 starts for the club before he was once again swapped in a deadline deal, this time going to Texas as the Cardinals faced their first 90-loss campaign of the 21st century. His strong performance continued in Texas as he pitched to a sterling 2.79 ERA down the stretch before delivering a 2.90 ERA in 31 postseason innings as the Rangers claimed their first World Series championship in franchise history.

While Montgomery has emerged as a starter capable of comfortably pitching at the front of a playoff rotation in his 50 appearances (both postseason and regular season) since leaving New York, he showed himself to be a quality mid-rotation arm even during his days in the Bronx. While he missed much of the 2018 and 2019 campaigns rehabbing from Tommy John surgery, the lefty pitched to a respectable 3.94 ERA and 3.90 FIP in 98 appearances across five-and-a-half years with the club. During his time in New York, he struck out 22.7% of batters faced while walking just 6.9% and generating grounders at an above-average 43.7% clip. Those peripheral numbers are fairly consistent with the ones he’s posted during his breakout over the past two seasons; since the start of the 2022 campaign, Montgomery has struck out opponents at a 21.6% clip while walking 5.6% with a 45.3% groundball rate.

For the Diamondbacks, the addition of Montgomery further strengthens a starting rotation that the club already took a major step toward addressing when they signed left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez to a four-year, $80MM deal back in December. When at full strength, the club’s rotation now figures to feature NL Cy Young Award finalist Zac Gallen and Montgomery at the front, with Rodriguez and veteran righty Merrill Kelly in the middle, and youngster Brandon Pfaadt bringing up the rear. It’s a massive upgrade from the club’s 2023 group, which pitched to a combined 4.67 ERA last season. That was a bottom-ten figure in the majors last year and placed the club dead last among all 2023 playoff teams. By signing Montgomery, the Diamondbacks have successfully converted one of their biggest weaknesses in 2023 into a clear strength ahead of the 2024 season, at least on paper.

Of course, it remains to be seen whether that on-paper strength in the rotation will yield results. Availability remains a major question mark for the starting staff in Arizona entering the regular season, as neither major pitching addition will open the season in the club’s rotation. Rodriguez was shut down last week due to a lat strain and has no announced timetable for return. As for Montgomery, John Gambadoro of 98.7FM Phoenix reports that the club doesn’t expect him to be ready for at least “a few weeks.” Previous reports had indicated that Montgomery had built up to 75 pitches in his offseason workouts, though said training is no replacement for facing live hitting in organized ball.

Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic reports that the delayed start to the southpaw’s season comes with what could prove to be a significant financial benefit. Because Montgomery has agreed to start in the minor leagues to ramp up for his D-backs debut, Piecoro indicates that the left-hander will be rendered ineligible to receive a qualifying offer should he return to free agency this winter. That removes perhaps the most significant drawback Montgomery faced in signing a short-term deal this winter, as his midseason trade from St. Louis to Texas allowed him to enter free agency unencumbered by draft pick compensation. Had he been eligible for the QO this coming winter, he’d run the risks of facing a deflated market as a qualified free agent. That possibility is now no longer a concern.

The addition of Montgomery sends Arizona’s already franchise-record payroll to new levels after an offseason spending spree. In addition to Montgomery and Rodriguez, the club also fortified their outfield mix with Joc Pederson, Randal Grichuk, and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. in free agency while swinging a deal to land third baseman Eugenio Suarez to bolster their infield. Those additions wound up bringing the club’s estimated payroll (per RosterResource) to more than $167MM, with a $215MM figure for luxury tax purposes. Both numbers blow Arizona’s past records of $132MM in 2018 and $155MM in 2023 (per Cot’s Baseball Contracts) out of the water as the club enters 2024 eager to return to the postseason and establish themselves as a top contender in the NL alongside clubs such as the Dodgers, Braves, and Phillies.

ESPN’s Jeff Passan first reported the sides had reached an agreement. Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported the salary terms for 2024 as well as the 2025 vesting option. USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reported additional details regarding the nature of the vesting option.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

E-Rod Expected To Miss One Month, Could Throw Off Mound Within A Week

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  • The Diamondbacks lost Eduardo Rodriguez to a lat strain late in spring training — a discouraging development for the left-hander, who inked a four-year deal worth $80MM over the winter. No timetable was provided at the time of the injury, but manager Torey Lovullo told the team’s beat yesterday that Rodriguez could throw off a mound in about five days (X link via Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic). Jon Heyman of the New York Post, meanwhile, writes that the Snakes expect Rodriguez to be down for about a month. That’d be a notable absence but far from a worst-case scenario, as lat strains for pitchers can often result in multiple months on the shelf. In 152 2/3 frames last season, E-Rod notched a 3.30 ERA, 23% strikeout rate and 7.7% walk rate for the Tigers.

Diamondbacks Designate Emmanuel Rivera For Assignment

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The Diamondbacks have designated third baseman Emmanuel Rivera for assignment, reports Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic. He’s out of minor league options and didn’t make the cut for the team’s Opening Day roster. They’ll instead turn his spot on the 26-man roster over to infield prospect Blaze Alexander, who’ll make his MLB debut the first time he gets into a game.

Rivera came to the D-backs in a 2022 trade deadline swap that sent righty Luke Weaver to the Royals — Rivera’s original organization. Kansas City selected the now-27-year-old Rivera in the 19th round of his Puerto Rico high school back in 2015. He ranked among the Royals’ top 30 prospects for several years, drawing praise for his arm strength and bat-to-ball skills, but he’s yet to provide much in the way of offense with either Kansas City or Arizona.

In 740 career plate appearances as a major leaguer, Rivera is a .247/.304/.380 hitter (88 wRC+). His 21.6% strikeout rate is a bit lower than league-average, but so is his 7.2% walk rate. He popped a dozen homers in a career-high 359 plate appearances in 2022 but hasn’t hit for power in either of his other two MLB campaigns. Rivera also has pretty notable platoon splits (.273/.327/.410 versus righties; .233/.293/.364 versus lefties), which isn’t ideal given that he’s on the short side of any platoon arrangement.

Defensively, he’s turned in sound marks at the hot corner. Defensive Runs Saved credits him at +9 in just under 1400 career innings, and Outs Above Average has him at +2. He’s only made 12 errors in his big league career at third base, and he’s also logged 94 innings at first base. The D-backs likely hoped that Rivera could emerge as an under-the-radar pickup who could help out at third base for several years, but last winter’s signing of Evan Longoria and especially this offseason’s pickup of Eugenio Suarez signaled that he wouldn’t be handed the everyday role.

The D-backs will have a week to trade Rivera, attempt to pass him through outright waivers, or release him. Since he’s out of minor league options, any team that acquires him will need to carry him on the big league roster or else attempt to pass him through waivers themselves.

Guardians Acquire Peter Strzelecki From D-backs, Zak Kent From Rangers

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The Guardians announced this morning that they’ve completed a pair of trades for pitching depth. Cleveland acquired right-hander Peter Strzelecki from the Diamondbacks in exchange for cash and acquired righty Zak Kent from the Rangers in exchange for international bonus pool space. Arizona designated Strzelecki for assignment earlier in the week. Both pitchers will be added to the Guardians’ 40-man roster, which had two vacant spots but is now at capacity.

Now 29 years old, Strzelecki broke into the majors as an unheralded 27-year-old rookie with the 2022 Brewers and quickly became a vital part of their bullpen that season. The undrafted righty made 30 appearances out of the ’pen and tossed 35 innings with a 2.83 ERA, 27% strikeout rate and 10.1% walk rate in 35 innings. As an extreme fly-ball pitcher (31.1% ground-ball rate) in a hitter-friendly park who’d had some good fortune in terms of home runs (0.51 HR/9, 5.3% homer-to-flyball rate) there was always some potential for regression, but Strzelecki stumbled in 2023 for what appeared to be different reasons.

While Strzelecki managed to continue yielding home runs at a much lower rate than the average pitcher, he also lost more than a mile per hour off his fastball and saw his strikeout rate drop notable, from 27% to 22.7%. He offset some of that drop in whiffs with more grounders (38.1%) and fewer walks (7.4%), but his earned run average still jumped to 4.38 in last year’s 37 frames. Metrics like FIP (2.94 in 2022, 3.93 in 2023) and SIERA (3.47 in ’22, 3.93 in ’23) felt his jump in ERA was deserved, though perhaps not quite to the extent it actually increased.

The Brewers sent Strzelecki to the D-backs in a deadline swap that brought veteran lefty Andrew Chafin back to Milwaukee. Arizona only gave him 1 1/3 innings in the big leagues following that trade, and Strzelecki was designated for assignment earlier this week when a spot on the 40-man roster was needed for backup catcher Tucker Barnhart. The right-hander still has a minor league option remaining and is controllable for five more seasons if he can get back on track in his new surroundings.

Kent, 26, was the Rangers’ ninth-round pick back in 2019 but climbed into the middle tiers of the Rangers’ top 30 prospects and was selected to the 40-man roster following the 2022 season. At the time, the move was made to protect Kent from being selected in that year’s Rule 5 Draft — which seemed quite likely to happen had he gone unprotected. Kent had just wrapped up a 2022 season that was split between Double-A and Triple-A, wherein he pitched a combined 109 2/3 innings of 3.94 ERA ball with roughly average strikeout and walk rates. Baseball America credited him with a plus heater and slider in addition to a solid-average curveball but below-average command.

Kent missed time in 2022 with back, hip and oblique injuries, and health troubles (oblique and shoulder issues) hindered his 2023 season even further. He pitched just 40 2/3 frames last year — plus another 16 2/3 in the Arizona Fall League. He showed slightly improved strikeout and walk rates when healthy, though he was still hit hard during AFL play. Kent appeared in three spring games for the Rangers but was tagged for five earned runs with more walks (three) than strikeouts (two) in 3 2/3 innings. He still has a pair of minor league option years remaining.

The Guards are opening the season with righty Gavin Williams on the injured list and will be without frequently injured pitching prospect Daniel Espino for the entire season. They also lost setup man Trevor Stephan to Tommy John surgery, while relievers James Karinchak (elbow) and Sam Hentges (finger) are on the injured list as well. Strzelecki and Kent aren’t likely to step right onto the active roster, but they’ll give Cleveland some additional depth to help navigate that slew of injuries to begin the season.

Randal Grichuk To Open Season On Injured List

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  • The Diamondbacks will begin the season without outfielder Randal Grichuk, who manager Torey Lovullo confirmed will begin the season on the injured list to reporters (including Alex Weiner of AZ Sports) earlier today. That’s hardly a surprise, as Grichuk did not make it into game action this spring while rehabbing from offseason surgery to remove bone spurs from his ankle. Upon signing with Arizona last month, Grichuk indicated that the issues wasn’t expected to cause a lengthy absence, adding that if he were to miss Opening Day due to the issue he may be ready to return as soon as a week into the regular season. The 32-year-old veteran slashed a roughly league average .267/.321/.459 in 118 trips to the plate in Colorado and Anaheim last year and is slated to act as a right-handed complement to the likes of Corbin Carroll, Alek Thomas, and Joc Pederson in Arizona’s outfield mix this year.
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