Headlines

Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Angels’ Jose Quijada, Austin Warren To Miss Extended Stretches

By | at

A pair of Angels relievers are in for long-term absences. Left-hander José Quijada has been on the 15-day injured list due to elbow inflammation. Halos skipper Phil Nevin told reporters this evening that an MRI revealed ligament damage (relayed by Sam Blum of the Athletic). Things are slightly better for right-hander Austin Warren. He’s being shut down from throwing for four-to-six weeks due to elbow discomfort of his own, tweets Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com.

It’s particularly unfortunate news for Quijada. The 27-year-old is sure to be shut down for some time. Elbow ligament damage raises the possibility of surgery. That’s still to be determined, with Nevin noting that Quijada is headed for a second opinion.

Initially claimed off waivers from the Marlins over the 2019-20 offseason, Quijada has been a situational relief option for the Halos for the past three-plus years. He owns a 4.56 ERA in 79 frames as an Angel. He’d allowed seven runs (six earned) with eight strikeouts and three walks in nine innings of relief this season.

Quijada entered the season with over two years of major league service. He’ll be eligible for arbitration for the first time next winter. If he’s forced to undergo surgery that costs him the bulk of the 2023 campaign, he’d be a non-tender candidate.

Warren, also 27, has made 32 appearances over the past three seasons. The former sixth round selection had a 1.77 ERA in 20 1/3 innings as a rookie but allowed nearly six earned runs per nine over 16 frames last year. The Halos ran him through waivers and outrighted him off the 40-man roster over the offseason. They reselected his contract in mid-April before losing him to injury two appearances in.

While it doesn’t seem there’s any consideration of surgery in Warren’s case, the lengthy shutdown means he’s likely out for multiple months. He’d need to rebuild strength through a throwing program and minor league rehab work before he’s in consideration for MLB action. Even barring any setbacks, he could be out until around the All-Star Break. Both Quijada and Warren could find themselves on the 60-day injured list as the Halos manage their 40-man roster over the coming weeks.

Nationals To Recall Jake Irvin For MLB Debut

By | at

The Nationals are recalling right-hander Jake Irvin from Triple-A Rochester, manager Dave Martinez told the team’s beat (relayed by Andrew Golden of the Washington Post). He’ll start tomorrow evening’s game against the Cubs in what’ll be his big league debut. Washington optioned right-hander Cory Abbott to open a spot on the active roster.

Irvin, 26, has been in the organization for four-plus seasons. The Nats selected the Oklahoma product in the fourth round of the 2018 draft. The 6’6″ hurler has appeared towards the back half of the organization’s top 30 prospects since that point. Baseball America has slotted him between 10th and 23rd over the past four years, including the #22 placement last winter.

Keith Law of the Athletic slotted Irvin 11th in the system. Both Law and BA write that Irvin’s heater sits in the mid-90s. They each praise an above-average to plus curveball while raising questions about his changeup. Baseball America suggests he’s a likely back-of-the-rotation type, while Law feels he’s likelier to settle into a bullpen role.

The Nationals added Irvin to their 40-man roster last November to keep him out of the Rule 5 draft. That came on the heels of a 3.83 ERA showing in 24 starts between High-A Wilmington and Double-A Harrisburg. He logged five innings in big league Spring Training before being optioned to Rochester for his first Triple-A work. Irvin has taken the ball five times for the Red Wings, working to a 5.64 ERA across 22 2/3 innings. His 20.4% strikeout rate and 11.2% walk percentage are each a little worse than average.

Washington has a vacancy in the final rotation spot. The Nats placed Chad Kuhl on the 15-day injured list yesterday. While it initially seemed as if Abbott would take the fifth starting role, he pitched two innings of relief on Monday before being optioned back out. If Irvin can get out on a strong foot in his MLB career, he could vie for a back-end role behind Josiah Gray, MacKenzie Gore, Trevor Williams and Patrick Corbin. Kuhl had struggled prior to his IL stint, so his hold on a rotation job could be tenuous even once he recovers from the toe sprain that knocked him out of action.

Zack Kelly Undergoes Nerve Procedure, Could Return This Season

By | at

Red Sox right-hander Zack Kelly underwent an ulnar nerve transposition revision in his throwing elbow, the club announced. The Sox had announced a few weeks ago that Kelly would require surgery, though the procedure didn’t take place until today.

While Boston didn’t provide a recovery timetable, Chris Cotillo of MassLive reports the team isn’t ruling out a return in September. That the 28-year-old reliever could potentially make it back to an MLB mound this season counts as good news considering Kelly’s injury initially seemed disastrous. He was visibly distraught when he sustained it on a pitch during an April 12 outing in Tampa Bay. The general concern was he’d suffered some form of ligament damage, but an MRI instead revealed it was a nerve issue.

Fortunate as it is Kelly won’t require Tommy John surgery, he’s still in line for an extended absence. The Sox have already placed him on the 60-day injured list. He’ll be paid at the MLB minimum rate while he recovers.

In other Boston pitching news, righty Garrett Whitlock went for a medical evaluation today. Whitlock himself is on the injured list due to ulnar neuritis, though his issue seems far less serious than Kelly’s. Jen McCaffrey of the Athletic reports that Whitlock avoided any new symptoms during today’s examination (Twitter link). According to McCaffrey, he’s been cleared to begin throwing from 45 feet.

Whitlock will be out until at least the second week of May. It’s not clear if or how long beyond the minimal stint he’ll require on the shelf, though it’s a relief he’s throwing within five days of his IL placement. Manager Alex Cora has already told reporters the Sox will keep Whitlock in the rotation — where he’s pitched this year after bouncing between starting and relief last season — whenever he’s ready to return.

Jose Abreu’s Slow Start In Houston

By | at

The Astros didn’t make many outside additions over the winter. They were content to generally run things back with last year’s World Series roster minus Justin Verlander and deadline rentals Christian Vázquez and Trey Mancini. The only significant upgrade the Astros successfully pursued was at first base. They allowed Yuli Gurriel to depart and signed longtime White Sox slugger José Abreu to a three-year, $58.5MM deal.

Going to three years at a premium average annual value was not without risk. Abreu is 36 years old and offers limited defensive value. It was a bet on the bat, though it’s easy to see why Houston targeted the former AL MVP as a lineup upgrade. Abreu had hit .289/.366/.489 over the three seasons leading up to free agency. That included a .304/.378/.446 platform showing. He still looked like an impact hitter last November.

One can’t draw definitive conclusions on a move one month into a three-year contract. Yet it’s hard to envision Abreu getting off to a much worse start to his Houston tenure. Entering play Tuesday, the three-time All-Star owns a .235/.266/.269 batting line over 124 trips to the plate. He’s managed only four doubles and zero home runs. Out of 181 qualified hitters, he’s 170th in on-base percentage and 177th in slugging. This April was only the second month in Abreu’s career (July ’16 being the other) in which he played 20+ games and didn’t connect on a single homer.

The drop isn’t power isn’t a completely new development. Last year’s 15 homers and .446 slugging mark each represented the lowest figures of Abreu’s career. He was still a very productive hitter but the offensive profile was more driven by singles and doubles than by home runs.

Last year’s relative power drop was primarily a result of a dip in the frequency with which Abreu got the ball in the air. His hard contact rate was strong as ever, but he’d negated some of its impact by hitting a few more grounders than he had previously. That’s not the case this season. Abreu just isn’t hitting the ball with any kind of authority right now. His 35.9% hard contact rate is down dramatically from last year’s 51.7% figure. He has lost five MPH on his average exit velocity (down from an excellent 92.2 MPH to a pedestrian 87.2 MPH).

Abreu is more frequently chasing pitches outside the strike zone. While he’s never been an especially patient hitter, this year’s 41.2% swing rate on pitches outside the zone and 3.2% walk percentage would be the worst marks of his career. He’s doing a decent job putting balls in play but without any kind of impact.

It’s coincidentally a similar approach to the player whom Abreu replaced in Houston. Gurriel has been an elite hitter at times in his career, including when he secured the 2021 AL batting title. His final season in Houston wasn’t particularly effective, though, as he posted just a .242/.288/.360 line with eight homers and a 5.1% walk rate in 546 plate appearances. Gurriel had a good postseason but the Astros nevertheless let him depart to the Marlins on a minor league contract over the winter in recognition of the middling power and dearth of walks. (Gurriel made Miami’s Opening Day roster and is off to a .306/.358/.449 start through 14 games in a part-time role.)

It’s far too early to write Abreu off. He’s been such an accomplished hitter throughout his career that it wouldn’t be a surprise if he finds his stride over the coming weeks. The Astros have little choice but to count on him to figure things out for now. It’s too soon for any team to make meaningful trades. Houston wouldn’t look to upgrade over their top offseason signee after one bad month anyhow. It could raise an unexpected question mark for the club if Abreu is still floundering in six weeks, particularly since the lineup around him hasn’t picked up a ton of the slack.

The defending champions are tied for 12th in runs, 15th in OBP, and 22nd in slugging as a team. That’s in large part because of Abreu, although they’ve also predictably gotten no offense from their catchers and have been without Jose Altuve and Michael Brantley all season. Mauricio Dubón has stepped up in Altuve’s absence but certainly doesn’t offer the kind of power potential of Houston’s star second baseman.

Altuve seems likely to miss another month as recovers from his late-spring thumb fracture. Houston’s rotation has also taken some injury hits over the past couple days. They’re certainly not in dire straits — they enter play with a 16-13 record and are only a game and a half behind their in-state rivals in the AL West — but they’ll need more out of Abreu to help weather some of their poor health luck thus far.

Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.

Cardinals Recall Guillermo Zuniga, Option Zack Thompson

By | at

The Cardinals recalled reliever Guillermo Zuñiga before tonight’s matchup with the Angels. In a corresponding move, left-hander Zack Thompson was optioned to Triple-A Memphis. Thompson will stretch out as a starting pitcher in the minors, tweets Jeff Jones of the Belleville News Democrat.

Zuñiga, 24, is now in position to make his major league debut. The Colombian-born hurler signed with the Dodgers over the 2017-18 offseason. He spent five years in the Los Angeles organization, topping out at Double-A. When the Dodgers elected not to add him to the 40-man roster last winter, he qualified for minor league free agency. Zuñiga landed a 40-man spot from the Cardinals in November.

Last offseason, Baseball America named the 6’5″ hurler the #30 prospect in the St. Louis farm system. The outlet credits him with an upper-90s heater that touches triple digits and a plus breaking ball but raises questions about his control. Zuñiga has thrown strikes in a small sample of work with Memphis this year, only walking two of 35 batters faced. He’s punched out nine and allowed five runs in 8 2/3 innings. He’ll add a power arm to the MLB mix for skipper Oli Marmol and can bounce on and off the active roster for the extended future, as he’s only in the first of three minor league option seasons.

Thompson, the Cardinals’ first round pick in 2019, has worked exclusively in relief this year. The hard-throwing southpaw has tossed 11 2/3 innings over 11 outings. The Kentucky product has fanned 18 but walked nine and surrendered seven runs. Thompson had a stronger go last year as a rookie, working to a 2.08 ERA with a huge 53.7% ground-ball percentage in 34 2/3 frames over 22 outings (all but one in relief).

While he’s only made one start at the major league level, Thompson has functioned primarily as a starter in the minors. The Cards apparently don’t want to foreclose that option entirely. It’d appear primarily a move with an eye towards 2024. St. Louis has a starting staff of Jordan Montgomery, Steven Matz, Miles Mikolas, Jack Flaherty and Adam Wainwright for this season. Wainwright hasn’t pitched in the majors this season but will be reinstated from the injured list for his debut on Saturday, according to Lynn Worthy of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (Twitter link). Jake Woodford is on hand behind that group.

Montgomery and Flaherty are headed for free agency at the end of the season. Wainwright has already announced plans to retire. That leaves Mikolas and Matz as the only locks for the 2024 staff. The Cardinals will surely have to address the rotation — either at this summer’s deadline or next offseason — but they’d get a boost if an internal option like Matthew Liberatore or Thompson could earn a spot. The 25-year-old Thompson will head back to Memphis and build his innings count as he looks to do just that.

Mariners Designate Tommy La Stella For Assignment

By and | at

The Mariners announced that infielder Tommy La Stella has been designated for assignment. His roster spot will go to pitching prospect Bryce Miller, whose promotion was reported yesterday.

Seattle signed La Stella in January. That came on the heels of his release from the Giants, with whom he’d signed a three-year free agent deal over the 2020-21 offseason. La Stella’s two seasons in San Francisco didn’t go well. He hit .245/.297/.380 and was limited to 136 games over that stretch by injuries. The Giants moved on, eating the $11.5MM he’s due in 2023.

Once La Stella cleared release waivers, other teams could add him for the league minimum salary. The Mariners jumped on the opportunity, hoping he’d add a productive left-handed bat to their infield mix. That didn’t pan out, as the 10-year MLB veteran had a tough showing in 12 games. He hit .190/.292/.238 with only one extra-base hit (a double) in 24 plate appearances. La Stella didn’t see any action on defense; he started six games at designated hitter and came off the bench to pinch hit on six more occasions.

With the club apparently reluctant to push La Stella into much or any defensive work, there was plenty of pressure on him to start well offensively. He didn’t come out of the gate strong and is now designated for assignment for the second time in five months. The M’s will have a week to trade him or put him on waivers; in all likelihood, he’ll be released and hit free agency within the next few days.

Once he gets to the open market, La Stella will again have the opportunity to explore his options around the league. The Giants remain on the hook for the bulk of his salary. He’d be an affordable pickup for another club that thinks there’s some offensive ability still in the tank. It’s possible he’s limited to minor league offers this time around but he still brings a high-contact bat with good awareness of the strike zone.

D-Backs’ Kristian Robinson Receives Work Visa, Could Soon Play In Minor League Games

By | at

Diamondbacks outfield prospect Kristian Robinson was granted a work visa over the weekend, reports Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic. The development sets the stage for him to play in minor league games for the first time in nearly four years, though Piecoro writes that he’ll first need to recover from a minor hamstring injury.

Robinson, a native of the Bahamas, was a high-profile amateur signee over the 2017-18 international signing period. He appeared among Baseball America’s Top 100 prospects entering both the 2020 and ’21 seasons after impressing scouts with his power and athleticism in the low minors. At one point, Robinson looked like a potential organizational building block.

However, he’s been in limbo for the past few years for legal reasons. Robinson pled guilty to what was initially a felony assault charge stemming from an April 2020 incident with a law enforcement officer. (Zach Buchanan of the Athletic wrote in 2021 that Robinson said he’d been amidst a mental health crisis at the time.) As part of the plea agreement, Robinson’s charge was to be reduced to a misdemeanor if he successfully completed 18 months of probation without incident. In the interim, having a felony on his record prevented him from renewing a work visa that would allow him to continue to participate in minor league games. Robinson had been permitted to partake in extended Spring Training workouts but could not play in official games.

Robinson fulfilled his probation requirements this spring. With the charge reduced to a misdemeanor, he was able to reapply for and receive the work visa that permits him to get back to game action. While the layoff raises questions about Robinson’s ability to readjust to consistently facing professional pitching, he’s still just 22 years old and could reestablish himself as a legitimate prospect. Piecoro writes that he’s likely to be assigned to Low-A Visalia once he’s recovered from the hamstring issue.

“I think the talent is still there,” D-Backs farm director Josh Barfield told Piecoro. “The same explosive tools he had when he was one of our top prospects three of four years ago, that’s all still there. He’s still young. That’s the amazing part; he’s gone through all this and he’s still young. … I wouldn’t be shocked if he got off to a slower start as he gets his legs underneath him, but I think sometime by midyear we should start to see the guy that we saw before that we were so excited about.”

Over the 2021-22 offseason, the Diamondbacks added Robinson to their 40-man roster to keep him out of the Rule 5 draft. They immediately placed him on the restricted list (thus reallocating the spot) because his work situation had been frozen. Now that Robinson is cleared to return to game action, the D-Backs will soon have to decide whether to count him as part of the roster or to make him available to other clubs via waivers. Piecoro writes they’ll have 30 days before they formally have to reinstate him onto the 40-man.

Astros’ Luis Garcia Headed For MRI With Elbow Soreness

By | at

Astros righty Luis Garcia departed tonight’s win over the Giants after just eight pitches. The club later announced he was dealing with soreness in his throwing elbow.

After the game, manager Dusty Baker told the team’s beat that Garcia was headed for an MRI (via Mark Berman of Fox 26). The skipper called the removal precautionary, though it’s still cause for some concern until the imaging results come back. Garcia met with the media as well, explaining that while he didn’t hear a pop in the elbow, he experienced enough pain he wouldn’t have been able to continue pitching (video provided by Brian McTaggart of MLB.com).

Even if Garcia is able to avoid anything especially serious, any kind of absence comes at an inopportune time for Houston. The Astros just lost José Urquidy to the injured list this afternoon. He’d left yesterday’s outing with shoulder discomfort and seems to be in for a notable stint on the shelf. Baker told reporters tonight that Urquidy’s MRI revealed inflammation and necessitates a complete shutdown from throwing for an unannounced period of time (via Chandler Rome of the Athletic). Baker said only that Urquidy would be out “for a while.”

Garcia is arguably even more integral to Houston’s staff. The 26-year-old has allowed an even four earned runs per nine over 27 innings this season. He’s fanned 27% of opposing hitters against an 8.7% walk rate. Garcia started 28 games in each of the previous two seasons, tallying 155+ frames with an upper-3.00s ERA in both.

With Urquidy and Lance McCullers Jr. out and Garcia’s status now up in the air, Houston is down to Framber Valdez, Cristian Javier and Hunter Brown as rotation locks. The Astros recalled Brandon Bielak from Triple-A Sugar Land to take Urquidy’s roster spot. He filled in with 75 pitches over four innings in unexpected relief of Garcia today and could step into a rotation role over the longer haul.

J.P. France and Forrest Whitley, neither of whom has pitched in the majors, are on the 40-man roster and at Triple-A Sugar Land. Bryan Garcia is also with the Space Cowboys and started four MLB games for the Tigers last year. He’s off to a rough few weeks in the minors and does not hold a 40-man spot.

Nationals, Tyler Danish Agree To Minor League Deal

By | at

The Nationals are signing reliever Tyler Danish to a minor league contract, reports the Talk Nats blog (Twitter link). He’ll be assigned to Triple-A Rochester.

Danish spent the 2022 campaign with the Red Sox. He appeared in 32 games and threw a personal-high 40 1/3 innings. He allowed 5.13 earned runs per nine innings, striking out a below-average 16.1% of opponents while issuing walks at a lofty 12.9% rate. He kept the ball on the ground at a better than average clip but nevertheless surrendered 1.56 home runs per nine.

Boston cut Danish loose at the end of last season. He latched on with the Yankees on a minor league deal over the winter. The former second round pick spent the spring in camp with New York but had a brutal few weeks. Opponents teed off for 19 runs on 18 hits (including five homers) in just six innings. The Yankees released Danish at the end of camp. After a month on the open market, he’ll get a fresh start with Washington.

The Nationals’ bullpen ranks 19th in the majors with a 4.38 ERA. They’re 28th with a 19.9% strikeout percentage but sit ninth with a 45% ground-ball rate. Danish brings a similar grounder-oriented profile to add some experience to the high minors. The 28-year-old has yet to qualify for arbitration and would be an affordable addition to the bullpen if he pitches well enough to earn an MLB spot. He’s out of minor league option years, so the Nats would have to keep him in the majors or designate him for assignment if he secures a big league call at any point.

Cristian Pache Undergoes Knee Surgery, Expected To Miss 4-6 Weeks

By | at

The Phillies announced that Cristian Pache underwent a successful lateral meniscectomy on his right knee today. According to the team, he’s expected to miss four to six weeks.

Pache suffered the meniscus tear during Saturday’s win over the Astros. It interrupted a solid start to the year for the 24-year-old outfielder. He’d collected nine hits (including a homer and three doubles) over 26 trips to the plate in 18 games. Pache didn’t walk and struck out six times but he’d hit for some power and logged 42 innings of center field work in a depth capacity.

Philadelphia acquired Pache from the A’s on the eve of Opening Day. A key part of Oakland’s trade return from Atlanta for Matt Olson, he only lasted one season in green and gold thanks to a .166/.218/.241 batting line in 91 MLB games. Pache had also struggled in Triple-A last year while exhausting his final minor league option season. In spite of a decent showing this spring, he didn’t break camp with Oakland and was dealt to Philadelphia for minor league pitcher Billy Sullivan rather than being placed on waivers.

The Phils have to keep Pache on the MLB roster or injured list if they don’t want to risk losing him themselves. He’d played well enough in a depth capacity for the season’s first month the team didn’t have to consider that decision. They’ll unfortunately now be without him for the next month-plus after the injury. Philadelphia recalled Dalton Guthrie to take Pache’s spot as a depth outfielder, although they could shuffle the mix tomorrow.

Bryce Harper returns from the injured list as a designated hitter, pushing Kyle Schwarber and Nick Castellanos into the corner outfield regularly. They’ll flank Brandon Marsh, leaving Jake Cave and Guthrie without much of a path to playing time.

MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

hide arrows scroll to top