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Diamondbacks Claim Cole Tucker From Pirates, Designate Jacob Webb

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The Diamondbacks have claimed Cole Tucker off waivers from the Pirates, reports Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. The club later announced the claim, with right-hander Jacob Webb being designated for assignment to create a spot for Tucker on the 40-man roster. Tucker has been optioned to Triple-A.

This will be a homecoming for Tucker, as he was born in Phoenix, played high school ball at Mountain Pointe High there, and committed to the University of Arizona before being selected by the Pirates in the first round of the 2014 draft.

Despite being a former first round selection, Tucker has struggled to cement himself in the big leagues so far. In 154 career games, he’s hit just .211/259/.314 for a wRC+ of 53. Though the club initially hoped that he could be their shortstop of the future, his tepid performance at the plate pushed them into moving him around the diamond in the hopes of creating a super utility player. As such, Tucker’s seen time at each infield position, as well as appearances in center and right field.

With the Diamondbacks, they likely intend to use Tucker to help with his original shortstop position. Nick Ahmed has been on the COVID IL for a couple of weeks and is still trying to get answers about the shoulder issues that have been plaguing him for years. With Ahmed out, the club has given the bulk of their shortstop starts to Geraldo Perdomo, who is taking walks but adding no power, producing a slash line of .215/.338/.277, 82 wRC+.

Tucker, 25, is in his final option year, meaning the D-Backs can give him regular playing time in Reno and see if he can get into a groove at the plate and earn his way onto the big league roster, though he’ll be out of options next year and will need to hold onto a spot on the active roster or else be sent into DFA limbo again.

As for Webb, he pitched for the Braves in each of the previous three seasons but was designated for assignment in April, landing in Arizona on a waiver claim. He had dealt with his share of injuries but provided good results when healthy. In 76 2/3 career innings in the big leagues, he has a 2.47 ERA, 21.9% strikeout rate, 9.6% walk rate and 38.7% ground ball rate. He’s logged just 5 1/3 Triple-A innings so far this year. He is in his final option year, meaning any team lacking in depth could be interested in picking him up and stashing him in Triple-A. Arizona will have a week to trade him or put him on waivers.

Nick Ahmed To Visit Specialist About Continued Shoulder Soreness

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Diamondbacks shortstop Nick Ahmed has battled right shoulder issues for almost two years, and will now consult with Dr. Neal ElAttrache after continued discomfort in Ahmed’s shoulder led to a shutdown in his rehab process.  Ahmed has already been out of action on the COVID-related injury list, but as D’Backs manager Torey Lovullo told The Arizona Republic’s Jose M. Romero and other reporters on Friday, Ahmed’s shoulder was still giving him problems during a recent rehab game.

Noting that Ahmed bounced more than one throw to first base during the game, Lovullo said it “felt like he was trying to gut things out and the shoulder just was not responding.  It was just a little too much for him to handle, the workload.”

A visit to Dr. ElAttrache doesn’t always equal surgery, yet such a decision might be necessary given that Ahmed’s other treatment methods (including two cortisone shots during the offseason) apparently haven’t worked.  The injury has also intermittently lingered for close to two years, though Ahmed didn’t actually go on the IL due to the shoulder problem until late last September.

Never known as a big offensive threat, Ahmed’s .235/.293/.365 slash line over 744 plate appearances since the start of the 2020 season isn’t far off his overall career numbers.  However, Ahmed’s defensive decline is perhaps the greater sign that something is amiss, as Ahmed has +5 Defensive Runs Saved and 0.5 UZR/150 over that same three-season stretch.  While many shortstops would be quite pleased with these numbers, they represent a step back from Ahmed’s superb glovework from 2015-19 (73 DRS, 4.7 UZR/150), a stretch that saw him win Gold Gloves in both 2018 and 2019.

With only 17 games played in 2022, Ahmed’s season could quite possibly be over, if surgery is needed to finally correct his ailing shoulder.  Even in a best-case scenario, it seems like Ahmed will still miss quite a bit more time before he is healthy enough to get back onto the field.  Until Ahmed returns, Geraldo Perdomo will presumably continue to get most of the reps at shortstop, with Jake Hager also getting the occasional playing time.

Looking at the longer-term picture, Ahmed is in the third season of a four-year, $32.5MM contract extension signed prior to the 2020 campaign.  The extension seemed like a solid investment for the D’Backs at the time, given Ahmed’s defensive excellence and the fact that he was coming off one of his better offensive seasons (a 19-homer, 254/.316/.437 campaign in 2019).  While Ahmed still contributed 2.9 total fWAR over the 2020-21 seasons, his injury problems mean that the contract could be chalked up as another of many moves that simply haven’t worked out during two rough seasons for Arizona.

Ahmed is owed roughly $4.9MM for the rest of this season and then $10MM in 2023.  That’s a notable price tag for a player who will be 33 on Opening Day and possibly coming off a lost season, yet Ahmed’s struggles also mean that the Diamondbacks wouldn’t have much luck in trading Ahmed unless they eat much of that salary or swap Ahmed for another player on an undesirable contract.  The likeliest scenario is that the D’Backs just hang onto Ahmed as the bridge to top prospect Jordan Lawlar, who is shredding A-ball pitching but doesn’t turn 20 until July.

Diamondbacks Transfer Luke Weaver To 60-Day Injured List, Reinstate Kyle Nelson, Option Tyler Holton

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The Diamondbacks made a number of roster moves today. They reinstated southpaw Kyle Nelson from the injured list, optioned Tyler Holton to Triple-A, and transferred Luke Weaver to the 60-day injured list, per the team.

Weaver faced just five batters this year before hitting yet another injury roadblock. He worked through blister issues in the spring, returning to find a spot on the active roster. But after just two thirds of an inning in relief, he was placed on the 10-day injured list with right elbow inflammation. At this stage, the change in designation means Weaver won’t be able to return before June 7, though his long-term outlook remains unclear at this point.

Nelson, meanwhile, returns from the COVID injured list. The 25-year-old has a 1.23 ERA/1.57 FIP in 15 appearances covering 14 2/3 innings so far this season. Nelson was selected off waivers from the Guardians this past November. The former 15th-round pick had made just 11 career appearances for the Guardians without much success, yielding 14 earned runs in just 10 1/3 innings. Needless to say, Nelson is off to a better start in Arizona.

As for Holton, the 25-year-old southpaw made two appearances, tossing three scoreless innings for the Snakes. He’ll head back to Triple-A for now, where he owns a 5.65 ERA over 14 1/3 innings of work.

Diamondbacks Reinstate Cooper Hummel

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The Diamondbacks announced that outfielder Cooper Hummel has been reinstated from the injured list, with infield Drew Ellis being optioned to make room on the active roster.

Hummel, 27, was acquired from the Brewers in the Eduardo Escobar trade at last year’s deadline. He made his major league debut with the Snakes this year, getting into 32 games on the campaign so far. His propensity for taking walks in the minors has carried over into the big leagues in his limited time, as he’s posted a 15.2% walk rate in his young career, nearly double the 8.5% league average. However, big league pitching has also vaulted his strikeout rate to 30.3%, well above any of his seasons in the minors. On the whole, he’s hitting .190/.313/.345 for a wRC+ of 90.

The team’s outfield/DH mix is a bit crowded, with David Peralta, Jordan Luplow, Jake McCarthy, Pavin Smith, Alek Thomas and Hummel all competing for the four lineup spots. However, Hummel’s ability to hit from both sides of the plate gives the team some flexibility to have him fill in for the others at strategically opportune times.

Hummel was one of many D-Backs players placed on the injured list for undisclosed reasons, which points to a COVID-related reason. Players on the COVID-IL don’t count against a team’s 40-man roster. The club had an open spot on the 40-man, which is now full, though Jose Herrera, Nick Ahmed and Kyle Nelson are still out for undisclosed reasons and aren’t being counted against that tally. As those players return to health, corresponding roster moves will be required.

Diamondbacks Activate Jose Herrera

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MAY 24: Herrera has been reinstated from the injured list. Greiner, who’d apparently been selected as a designated COVID substitute, has been returned to Reno and removed from the 40-man roster.

MAY 19: The D-Backs have selected catcher Grayson Greiner onto the major league roster. Fellow backstop José Herrera has been placed on the COVID-19 injured list in a corresponding move.

Greiner signed a minor league deal with the Snakes during Spring Training. That marked his first experience outside the Tigers’ organization, as he’d spent seven-plus seasons with Detroit since they nabbed him in the third round of the 2014 draft. Greiner tallied 477 big league plate appearances between 2018-21, hitting .201/.274/.309 with nine home runs.

The righty-hitting backstop has spent this season with Triple-A Reno. He’s mashed at a .351/.429/.514 clip through ten games, and he’s now in line for his first MLB action of the season. The Diamondbacks are without Carson Kelly because of an oblique strain, leaving Daulton Varsho as the primary backstop.

Herrera had been Varsho’s backup, but he’ll be out for an indeterminate amount of time. Arizona has also lost Kyle Nelson, Cooper Hummel and Nick Ahmed to the virus list in recent days. Herrera, 25, is hitting .125/.222/.150 through his first 18 MLB games.

D-backs Release Humberto Mejia, Ryan Meisinger

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The Diamondbacks have released right-handers Humberto Mejia and Ryan Meisinger from their Triple-A affiliate in Reno yesterday, according to the transactions log at MiLB.com. Mejia was designated for assignment and outrighted to Triple-A earlier this season. Meisinger inked a minor league deal late in Spring Training and didn’t appear for the big league club this season.

Mejia, 25, was one of three players acquired in the 2020 trade that sent Starling Marte from Arizona to Miami. Lefties Caleb Smith and Julio Frias also landed in Arizona by way of that deal, which was largely driven by finances. The D-backs reportedly had no intention of picking up Marte’s $12.5MM option for the 2021 season on the heels of a shortened 2020 slate with no gate revenue.

At the time of the swap, Mejia was an interesting name. He’s posted huge numbers across two Class-A levels in 2019 and, due to a lack of a minor league season in 2020, made a brief big league debut with Miami that summer. He opened the 2021 season with Arizona’s Double-A affiliate and pitched reasonably well, logging a 4.22 ERA with far more impressive strikeout and walk rates, but Mejia has been clobbered both in Triple-A (86 2/3 innings, 6.23 ERA) and in the Majors (22 1/3 innings, 7.25 ERA) with the Diamondbacks. Mejia has solid strikeout and walk rates throughout his minor league career, but he’s also battled shoulder injuries and, since reaching the upper minors, become increasingly susceptible to home runs.

The 28-year-old Meisinger has now been with five organizations since being selected by the Orioles in the 11th round of the 2015 draft. He’s seen big league time in Baltimore (2018), St. Louis (2020) and with the Cubs (2021) but only tallied 31 total innings in the Majors. He’s been tagged for a grisly 7.26 ERA in that stretch, thanks to home-run troubles of his own as well as a bloated 13.8% walk rate.

Meisinger tossed 14 2/3 innings with Triple-A Reno this season and yielded 10 runs on 19 hits and seven walks with 16 strikeouts. It was a rough showing, but his broader track record in Triple-A remains strong. Even with this year’s 6.14 ERA, Meisinger carries a lifetime 3.37 mark through 117 2/3 innings in Triple-A and a 3.32 ERA in 81 1/3 Double-A frames. He’s fanned 29.7% of his opponents throughout his minor league career against a solid 7.9% walk rate. Things didn’t work out with the D-backs organization, clearly, but his strong minor league track record could earn him a look elsewhere.

Diamondbacks Acquire Paul Fry From Orioles

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The Orioles announced they’ve traded reliever Paul Fry to the Diamondbacks for minor league righty Luis Osorio. Arizona immediately optioned him to Triple-A Reno, and the club had a pair of 40-man roster vacancies after placing Cooper Hummel and Kyle Nelson on the COVID-19 injured list this afternoon.

Baltimore had designated Fry for assignment over the weekend. That marked a fairly swift downturn after the southpaw got off to an excellent start to the 2021 campaign that seemed as if it’d make him a deadline trade chip. From the start of the 2021 season through the All-Star Break, Fry held opposing hitters to a pitiful .210/.326/.218 slash in 33 innings. His 4.09 ERA was fairly ordinary, but he struck out 31% of opposing hitters while inducing grounders on over half the balls in play against him.

Unfortunately, Fry’s performance has taken a sharp downward turn since that point. Going back to the All-Star Break, the Michigan native has an 8.54 ERA in only 26 1/3 frames. Fry has continued to keep the ball on the ground, but his strikeout rate has plummeted to a below-average 22% while his walk percentage has spiked to an untenable 19.7%. The O’s have optioned Fry a couple times in that span and eventually moved on altogether after he allowed nine runs in his 12 frames this year.

It’s possible the Snakes’ acquisition was motivated by Nelson’s loss to the virus list, but that they relinquished a minor league arm would seemingly indicate Fry could hold a 40-man roster spot. Osorio, 19, signed with the D-Backs out of Venezuela. He spent last season in the Dominican Summer League.

Diamondbacks Place Kyle Nelson, Cooper Hummel On Injured List

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The Diamondbacks announced a series of roster moves, including the placement of left-hander Kyle Nelson and outfielder Cooper Hummel on the injured list.  No designation was specified, which indicates that the placements are related to COVID-19.  With right-hander Edwin Uceta also optioned to Triple-A after yesterday’s game, the D’Backs will fill the three roster vacancies with infielder Yonny Hernandez and right-handers Luis Frias and Jacob Webb.  Frias was called up from Triple-A, while Hernandez and Webb were recalled from the taxi squad.

Nelson has been one of the most effective members of Arizona’s bullpen, posting a 1.23 ERA, 30.2% strikeout rate, and a 3.8% walk rate over his first 14 2/3 innings of the season.  After struggling at both the Triple-A level and in 10 1/3 big league innings with Cleveland in 2019-20, Nelson’s early-season performance could indicate that he has harnessed the big strikeout potential he showed throughout his minor league career.  The Diamondbacks claimed Nelson off waivers from the Guardians back in November.

Hummel is in his rookie season, with a .190/.313/.345 slash line (92 wRC+ and OPS+) to show for his first 99 plate appearances as a big leaguer.  The switch-hitter has seen a lot of DH and pinch-hitting duty, and Hummel has also received some starts in left field when a left-hander is on the mound (thus relegating David Peralta to the bench).  Hernandez is also a switch-hitter, though Jordan Luplow figures to more directly take over Hummel’s role while Hummel is sidelined.

As always with the COVID list, it is possible Nelson or Hummel could be activated as early as tomorrow, if their placement was only due to a close-contact situation or symptoms without a positive test.  If either has tested positive, Nelson/Hummel will miss a minimum of 10 days, unless they meet the criteria (two negative tests, clearance from three physicians, 24 hours without a fever) for early activation.

Diamondbacks Select Jake Hager

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The D-Backs announced tonight they’ve selected infielder Jake Hager onto the big league roster. Nick Ahmed has been placed on the COVID-19 injured list in a corresponding move.

Hager is up for the first time this season. The righty-hitting utilityman reached the big leagues last year, appearing in 14 games between the Mets and D-Backs. The Snakes outrighted him off their 40-man roster in September, and he reached minor league free agency after the season. Arizona brought him back via non-roster deal, and he’s spent the year with Triple-A Reno.

In 21 games for the Aces, Hager has a .239/.363/.380 line with one home run. He hit .240/.311/.461 in 344 Triple-A plate appearances a season ago. The 29-year-old doesn’t have a great offensive track record in the minors, but he’s played quite a bit of shortstop in his pro career. He’ll give manager Torey Lovullo some middle infield cover while Ahmed’s out.

It’s not clear for how long that’ll be, as the team hasn’t specified whether the shortstop tested positive for the virus. Ahmed, who began the year on the IL because of a right shoulder problem, is hitting .231/.259/.442 with three homers through 17 games. Geraldo Perdomo is getting the start at shortstop tonight against the Dodgers and figures to be the primary option there while Ahmed’s sidelined.

NL West Notes: Melancon, Dodgers, Bryant

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Diamondbacks closer Mark Melancon took his fifth loss Saturday — a remarkable stat given that he entered the year with 30 losses in 13 prior seasons — and manager Torey Lovullo answered somewhat vaguely when asked whether the four-time All-Star would remain in the closer’s role (link via Jose M. Romero of the Arizona Republic). “We’re going to still have some more discussions about his availability,” Lovullo said while also accepting responsibility for some of Melancon’s struggles, which have come amid a heavy workload. Melancon spent a week on the Covid list from April 29 through May 6 and then made six appearances in a span of nine days following his activation. He yielded 10 runs in 3 2/3 innings during that time.

Signed by the D-backs to a two-year, $14MM contract over the winter, Melancon has surrendered 14 runs (11 earned) on 20 hits and five walks with just four strikeouts in 11 2/3 frames thus far. His fastball, which averaged 92.2 mph in 2021, is now sitting at just 90.8 mph. Melancon’s swinging-strike and chase rates are actually better than last season’s marks, though, and he’s been plagued by a sky-high .396 average on balls in play. If the Diamondbacks do go in another direction, veteran Ian Kennedy has ample experience and is second on the team with five holds, having been Lovullo’s primary eighth-inning option thus far.

Some more notes from the division…

  • Dodgers lefties Clayton Kershaw and Andrew Heaney could both be ready for bullpen sessions this week, manager Dave Roberts said at yesterday’s media session (Twitter links via The Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya). Kershaw felt some minor soreness while playing catch but could be cleared for a ’pen session by Wednesday. There’s no specific day set for a Heaney bullpen, but he’s also been playing catch. Kershaw has a 1.80 ERA through five starts and 30 innings this season but recently landed on the shelf owing to a hip issue that was treated with an epidural. Heaney has been out since mid-April due to shoulder trouble but opened plenty of eyes early in his Dodgers tenure. In 10 1/3 innings, Heaney allowed only an unearned run on four hits and three walks with a whopping 16 strikeouts. Brandishing a new-look slider in place of his former curveball and having all but scrapped his changeup, Heaney posted a mammoth 20.5% swinging-strike rate and 36.5% opponents’ chase rate prior to landing on the IL. He inked a one-year, $8.5MM deal with the Dodgers at the beginning of the offseason. Kershaw signed a one-year, $17MM deal to return not long after the lockout lifted.
  • Kris Bryant is joining the Rockies’ Triple-A affiliate for a pair of minor league rehab games this week, tweets Danielle Allentuck of the Denver Gazette. If all goes well, he could be back in the lineup for the Rox by the weekend. Out since April 26 due to a back injury that the team hoped would require a minimum IL stay, Bryant will instead wind up missing three-plus weeks of action, at least. As Nick Groke of The Athletic writes, Bryant received a cortisone shot last week after an initial period of rest didn’t fully remedy his ailment. Bryant’s return could push the struggling Sam Hilliard to Triple-A, particularly with the out-of-options Yonathan Daza hitting well at the moment and thus giving the team a productive fourth outfield option. Utilityman Garrett Hampson is also capable of playing all three outfield spots, though he’s been primarily used as an infielder in 2022.
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