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Diamondbacks Release Anthony Swarzak

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TODAY: The Diamondbacks announced that Swarzak has been released.

APRIL 18: The Diamondbacks announced this morning they’ve designated reliever Anthony Swarzak for assignment. Right-hander J.B. Bukauskas has been recalled from the alternate training site, while outfielder Tim Locastro was placed on the 10-day injured list.

Selected to the D-Backs’ roster a week and a half ago, Swarzak went on to log 4.2 relief innings across six appearances for Arizona. The veteran righty allowed five runs on seven hits, struck out four and issued a walk. That marked his first MLB action since 2019, when he pitched to a 4.56 ERA/4.65 SIERA over 53.1 frames.

He’ll be replaced on the active roster by Bukauskas, a former first-round pick now slated to make his major league debut. The 24-year-old was drafted fifteenth overall by the Astros in 2017 coming out of the University of North Carolina. He wound up dealt to Arizona as part of the four-player return for Zack Greinke at the 2019 trade deadline. Baseball America placed Bukauskas 26th in the Arizona system entering the year, lauding his three-pitch mix but noting that he’s often plagued by below-average control.

Locastro dislocated his finger attempting to steal a base yesterday and was known to be headed to the injured list. The recently-acquired Nick Heath is getting the nod in center this afternoon against Nationals righty Paolo Espino.

Blue Jays Acquire Jeremy Beasley

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The Blue Jays have acquired right-hander Jeremy Beasley from the Diamondbacks in exchange for cash, the team announced. Righty Tom Hatch was moved to the 60-day injured list to open a spot on the 40-man roster. Arizona designated Beasley for assignment earlier in the week. He’s been optioned to the Jays’ alternate training site for now. ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported the trade would take place shortly prior to the Jays’ announcement (Twitter link).

Beasley, 25, was a 30th-round pick of the Angels back in 2017 and landed with the D-backs by way of 2020’s Matt Andriese trade. He made an extremely brief big league debut last summer, facing three batters and striking out one of them in his lone appearance. Beasley has a generally solid minor league track record, with the exception of a rough showing in a tiny sample at the Triple-A level in 2019. Like the majority of the pitchers in the Pacific Coast League that year, he was clobbered with what most believe to be a juiced ball, surrendering a dozen runs in 13 2/3 innings.

On the whole, Beasley carries a 3.56 ERA across parts of three minor league seasons. He’s punched out 22.9 percent of his opponents against a solid 8.2 percent walk rate while managing to keep the ball on the ground at a roughly average 44.4 percent clip. He pairs a low to mid-90s heater with a splitter that FanGraphs described as a plus pitch in 2019 and that Baseball America called a legitimate out pitch in its most recent scouting report. He has all of his minor league options remaining, making him a nice depth piece with some flexibility beyond the 2021 season if the Jays choose to hang onto him.

Diamondbacks To Place Tim Locastro On Injured List

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The Diamondbacks will place speedster Tim Locastro on the injured list after today’s ballgame, per Steve Gilbert of MLB.com (via Twitter). Locastro jammed his finger at second base while getting caught stealing for the first time in his big league career, notes Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic (via Twitter). He had been successful in his first 29 stole base attempts, a Major League record to start a career.

The former Dodger has hit .260/.339/.320 through 56 plate appearanes this season, though he only recently had the benefit of everyday reps in center. Locastro does a nice job getting the bat on the ball (18.4 percent career strikeout rate), but he has yet to hit for much power (.102 career ISO) or take his walks at the big-league level (6.9 percent career walk rate).

The Diamondbacks will be down to their third-string centerfielder when Locastro joins Ketel Marte on the shelf. Rookie first baseman Pavin Smith took over in center for the remainder of today’s game in Washington. The Diamondbacks are flush with versatile defenders, from Josh Rojas to Andrew Young to Wyatt Mathisen, Smith, and Asdrubal Cabrera. Unfortunately, none are particularly suited to centerfield. Catcher/outfielder Daulton Varsho could be a consideration, as could the newly-acquired Nick Heath.

Diamondbacks Acquire Nick Heath

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The Diamondbacks acquired outfielder Nick Heath from the Royals this afternoon, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic was among those to relay (Twitter link). Right-hander Eduardo Herrera is headed back to Kansas City in return. To clear space for Heath on the 40-man roster, Arizona designated righty Jeremy Beasley for assignment.

The Royals had designated Heath for assignment earlier this week. The speedy outfielder has only taken 18 MLB plate appearances and has only picked up marginally more playing time at Triple-A. He does have rather significant experience at the Double-A level, though, where he’s compiled a .255/.333/.372 line over 500 plate appearances. The 27-year-old Heath also has all three minor league option years remaining, so he’ll give Arizona a center field capable player with roster flexibility. Ketel Marte is currently on the injured list with a hamstring strain.

Beasley’s MLB experience consists of a third of an inning in one relief appearance. The 25-year-old has  worked as a starter in the minors, compiling a 3.59 ERA in 153 career innings at Double-A. Arizona will have a week to trade Beasley or attempt to pass him through outright waivers.

Herrera was originally signed by the D-Backs as a position player, but he converted to the mound in 2019. He has struck out 40 and issued 19 walks in 25.2 low minors innings. FanGraphs’ Eric Longenhagen wrote last month that Herrera throws in the mid-90’s but has inconsistent breaking ball feel and command, hardly a surprise for someone so new to pitching.

D-backs Activate Zac Gallen

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The Diamondbacks announced Tuesday that they’ve activated right-hander Zac Gallen from the 10-day injured list. Righty Matt Peacock was optioned to their alternate site in order to open a spot on the active roster. Gallen was diagnosed with a hairline fracture in his right forearm last month — an injury he sustained while taking batting practice late in camp. Assuming there are no setbacks, it seems Gallen’s injury will only cost him a couple weeks of regular-season action.

Gallen, 25, will return to a D-backs rotation that has struggled thus far in 2021, thanks largely to uncharacteristically rough showings from Madison Bumgarner and Merrill Kelly. Bumgarner has been hammered for 17 runs in just 13 2/3 innings — walking eight of the 73 batters he’s faced (10.9 percent) and plunking another three. Kelly, who is trying to work his way back from thoracic outlet surgery that ended an excellent 2020 campaign prematurely, has surrendered nine earned runs in 10 frames.

Gallen will take the place of Riley Smith in the team’s rotation, manager Torey Lovullo tells reporters (Twitter link via MLB.com’s Steve Gilbert). If he’s back to full strength, he should step in as the team’s top starter. Already traded twice in his young career, Gallen landed with the D-backs in the 2019 deadline swap that sent Jazz Chisholm to Miami. The move was a surprise at the time, given Gallen’s six years of remaining club control and his hot start to his rookie campaign that year. He’s been every bit as good in 115 2/3 innings with the Snakes as he was in 36 1/3 frames with the Fish, pitching to a combined 2.80 ERA with a 28.5 percent strikeout rate and a 9.1 percent walk rate following the trade.

Diamondbacks Sign Josh Reddick To Minor League Deal

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The Diamondbacks have signed outfielder Josh Reddick to a minors contract, according to Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic (Twitter link).  Reddick will receive $750K in guaranteed salary if he makes the team’s Major League roster.

It was a quiet offseason for Reddick news, as there weren’t any publicly-known reports of teams interested in the 34-year-old’s services on the free agent market.  Reddick’s contract with the D’Backs could have been aided by a couple of personal connections — as Piecoro notes, both GM Mike Hazen and assistant GM Ariel Sawdaye were both working in the Red Sox organization when Reddick began his career in Boston.

A veteran of 12 big league seasons with the Red Sox, Athletics, Dodgers, and Astros, Reddick comes to Arizona on the heels of a four-year, $52MM free agent contract with Houston signed prior to the 2017 season.  Reddick arguably delivered on that commitment in the first season alone, hitting .314/.363/.484 over 540 PA to help the Astros capture the 2017 World Series title.

Over the last three years, however, Reddick has produced at a below-average (92 OPS+, 96 wRC+) pace, hitting .258/.318/.400 over 1247 PA.  He also became essentially a reverse-splits player, with his left-handed bat doing better against southpaws than against right-handed pitching.

Reddick will provide some outfield depth to a D’Backs team that is missing its best player in Ketel Marte, who is on the injured list with a strained hamstring.  Reddick could theoretically see a bit of center field action in a pinch, but is better served as a corner outfielder, though his right field defense took a big dropoff last season in the view of the Outs Above Average (-5), Defensive Runs Saved (-3) and UZR/150 (-22.3) metrics.  The Diamondbacks don’t have much in the way of experience among their backup outfield options, though like Reddick, Josh Rojas, Josh VanMeter, and Pavin Smith are all left-handed hitters.  (Corner outfield starters David Peralta and Kole Calhoun also swing from the left side of the plate.)

NL Injury Notes: D-backs, Carrasco, Lamet

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Diamondbacks right-hander Zac Gallen will make his first start of the season on Tuesday, Steve Gilbert of MLB.com tweets. The Diamondbacks had to open the year without Gallen, their No. 1 starter, as a result of a hairline fracture he suffered in his right forearm roughly three weeks ago. Gallen thrived with the Marlins and D-backs during his first two years in the majors, in which he combined for a 2.78 ERA and struck out 28.5 percent of batters in 152 innings.

Here’s more regarding Arizona and a couple of other National League teams…

  • The Mets’ Carlos Carrasco suffered a torn hamstring last month, but manager Luis Rojas said Monday that the righty “is doing really good right now,” per Anthony DiComo of MLB.com. Carrasco is stretched out to throw four innings and will soon report to the Mets’ alternate site to begin fielding work, according to DiComo. Still, there isn’t an exact timeline for the offseason acquisition’s Mets debut. It was reported when Carrasco went down that he would need six to eight weeks to recover, so he could still be another month-plus away.
  • Righty Dinelson Lamet won’t rejoin the Padres’ rotation until he pitches at least one more time at their alternate site, Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune tweets. Lamet has been delayed while working back from elbow issues that brought a premature end to a breakout 2020 effort in which he put up a 2.09 ERA/3.16 SIERA in 69 innings and finished fourth in NL Cy Young voting. The Padres have roared to an 8-3 start without Lamet, but he should make the World Series hopefuls even more formidable upon his return.
  • The Diamondbacks placed first baseman Christian Walker on the 10-day injured list Monday with a right oblique strain and recalled infielder/outfielder Andrew Young to take his spot, per a team announcement. Whether Walker will need more than 10 days to recover isn’t known, but oblique problems often lead to extended absences. Before going on the IL, Walker amassed 44 plate appearances and hit .179/.250/.282 – a far cry from the .271/.333/.459 line he posted in 243 PA last year.

Injured List Activations: Ahmed, Stewart, Adams

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After a flurry of injury news and updates around baseball today, here are some players who are getting back to action…

  • The Diamondbacks activated shortstop Nick Ahmed from the 10-day injured list.  Ahmed suffered some right knee inflammation near the end of Spring Training and received a PRP injection as part of his treatment.  The two-time Gold Glove winner is now ready to begin his 2021 season and take his usual place as the defensive anchor of the Diamondbacks infield.  Infielder Geraldo Perdomo was optioned to the alternate training site after last night’s game in preparation for Ahmed’s return.
  • The Orioles reinstated DJ Stewart from the 10-day IL, and Stewart is set for his season debut tonight, scheduled to hit fifth in Baltimore’s lineup.  Due to a left hamstring strain, the outfielder hasn’t seen any game action since a Spring Training outing on March 5.  While strikeouts continue to be a troublingly large part of Stewart’s offensive game, he has hit .224/.334/433 with 14 homers at the MLB level, good for an above-average 107 OPS+/108 wRC+ over 301 career plate appearances.
  • Right-hander Austin Adams has been reinstated from the Padres’ 10-day IL, and righty Nabil Crismatt has been optioned to the alternate training site to make room on the active roster.  Adams had been suffering from a minor elbow strain during Spring Training.  San Diego acquired Adams as part of their seven-player deal with the Mariners last August, and he stands out as a potentially nasty bullpen weapon if he can get his free passes in check.  Adams has an eye-popping 70 strikeouts over 42 career innings in the majors, but control has also been a major issue (a 15.8% walk rate).

Health Notes: S. Gray, K. Calhoun, Jays, Tigers, Astros

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Reds right-hander Sonny Gray doesn’t appear far from making his 2021 debut. Gray will throw a simulated game Saturday, and if that goes well, he’ll start for the Reds next week, C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic tweets. Gray has been behind schedule for about a month because of a back injury, thus robbing the Reds of one of their top starters. The 31-year-old has thrived with the Reds since they acquired him from the Yankees before 2019, having recorded a 3.07 ERA with a 29.4 percent strikeout rate and a groundball percentage of 50.9 over 231 1/3 innings.

  • The Diamondbacks activated outfielder Kole Calhoun from the 10-day injured list before their game against Cincinnati on Friday. Calhoun had been on the shelf for over a month after undergoing surgery on a torn right meniscus. He was a vital part of the Diamondbacks’ offense last season, when he batted .226/.338/.526 with 16 home runs in 228 trips to the plate.
  • Angels outfielder Dexter Fowler departed their game Friday with a left knee contusion, per the team. Fowler left on a cart after stepping awkwardly on second base, though manager Joe Maddon indicated afterward that he dodged a serious injury. Fowler has been the Angels’ primary choice in right field this year, and if he does need to sit out for an extended period of time, they have Jared Walsh, Juan Lagares and Jose Rojas on hand as potential subs on their MLB roster.
  • The Blue Jays sent Tyler Chatwood to the 10-day IL on Friday with right triceps inflammation, per Shi Davidi of Sportsnet. Chatwood,  a former Angel, Rockie and Cub whom the Blue Jays signed to a $3MM guarantee in the offseason, has thrown 2 2/3 scoreless innings this year with three strikeouts.
  • The Tigers scratched righty Julio Teheran from his start Friday because of tightness in his triceps. The team replaced Teheran with lefty Derek Holland, who surrendered three earned runs in 2 2/3 frames in a loss to Cleveland. It’s unclear whether Teheran will miss any more time. The Tigers signed Teheran to a non-guaranteed deal in the wake of a terrible 2020 with the Angels, and after earning a roster spot with Detroit during the spring, he debuted with a five-inning, one-run performance in a win over Cleveland last Saturday.
  • The Astros placed righty reliever Enoli Paredes on the 10-day IL and recalled fellow righty Nivaldo Rodriguez, the team announced. Paredes’ placement on the IL was expected after he left his appearance Thursday with discomfort in his side.

Diamondbacks Place Ketel Marte On 10-Day Injured List, Recall Andrew Young

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The Diamondbacks have placed Ketel Marte on the 10-day injured list with a right hamstring strain, the team announced. Andrew Young has been recalled from the Taxi Squad to take his roster spot.

This is a tough blow for the Diamondbacks, who are off to a 2-4 start this season. Marte is off to an incredible .462/.500/.846 start to the season, already posting 0.7 fWAR in six games. The long-term outlook is as of yet unclear. That said, the initial plan was to have Marte assessed with an MRI tomorrow in Phoenix before making an decision, per MLB.com’s Steve Gilbert (via Twitter). That they went ahead and made the move prior to that evaluation isn’t a great sign.

Young, 26, came to the Diamondbacks from the Cardinals as part of the Paul Goldschmidt deal. He made his Major League debut last season with 34 plate appearances across 12 games. Young, like Marte, can move around the diamond defensively. Tim Locastro is playing centerfield today, where Marte started each of the first six games.

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