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Yankees Transfer James Paxton To 45-Day IL, Select Wynston Sawyer

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The Yankees have moved left-hander James Paxton to the 45-day injured list and selected catcher Wynston Sawyer, per a team announcement. Sawyer will join the Yankees’ alternate site.

This ends the regular season for Paxton, who has been on the 10-day injured list with a flexor strain since Aug. 20. While the Yankees appear likely to make the playoffs, Paxton won’t be available then from the outset.

Paxton turned in another effective (albeit injury-shortened) campaign in 2019, the former Mariner’s first in New York, and the Yankees were counting on more solid production from him this season. Instead, the 31-year-old totaled 20 1/3 innings of 6.64 ERA ball and saw his average fastball velocity drop from around 95 mph to 92.1. Even if the 31-year-old Paxton pitches again during the fall, he figures to head into free agency in an unfavorable position in a couple months.

Sawyer, previously with the Orioles, Dodgers and Twins organizations, signed a minor league contract with the Yankees in February. He topped out in Triple-A ball from 2018-19, during which he amassed 254 plate appearances and batted .277/.370/.405.

Twins Activate Jake Odorizzi, Option Randy Dobnak

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Twins right-hander Jake Odorizzi and catcher Alex Avila are returning from the injured list, Dan Hayes of The Athletic was among those to report. The club optioned right-hander Randy Dobnak and infielder Travis Blankenhorn, who will be part of its taxi squad, to clear roster room.

The Twins have gone most of the season without Odorizzi, who didn’t debut until Aug. 8 because of a back strain. Then, after three starts, he returned to the IL on Aug. 22 with a chest contusion. So far in 2020, the 30-year-old has only thrown 10 innings and allowed nine earned runs on 14 hits and two walks (nine strikeouts). That isn’t what the Twins or Odorizzi had in mind on the heels of his first All-Star season in 2019, after which he accepted the club’s $17.8MM qualifying offer. Odorizzi could once again have the option of free agency in the winter, but barring an incredible run over the next several weeks, he’ll get there in the wake of a disappointing season.

Odorizzi will take over in the Twins’ rotation for Dobnak, a rookie whose 2020 got off to a tremendous start. But Dobnak’s low velocity and lack of strikeouts have caught up to him recently, as the 25-year-old has allowed at least four earned runs in three of his four outings since Aug. 29. In fairness to Dobnak, however, he has still given the Twins respectable production with a 4.05 ERA/3.97 FIP, 5.21 K/9 against 2.51 BB/9, and a terrific 62.1 percent groundball rate through 46 2/3 innings.

Blue Jays Place Ken Giles On IL, Activate Teoscar Hernandez

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Blue Jays reliever Ken Giles has returned to the 10-day injured list with a right forearm strain, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet reports. The team also placed outfielder Derek Fisher on the IL with a knee issue, optioned lefty Anthony Kay, activated outfielder Teoscar Hernandez, and recalled righties Jacob Waguespack and Hector Perez.

It’s an alarming situation for Giles, whom arm injuries have weighed down dating back to 2019. He was enjoying an all-world campaign last year before elbow troubles shelved him and prevented the Blue Jays from dealing him before the trade deadline. Giles came back healthy this year, but after making two appearances at the beginning of the campaign, he sat from late July until Sept. 11. The 29-year-old struggled in the two outings sandwiched between IL stints, and has given up four earned runs in 3 2/3 frames this season.

Giles’ season could be over at this point, though he may have a chance to return if the Blue Jays qualify for the playoffs. For now, though, his loss is a blow to their bullpen and potentially to his bank account. As a pending free agent, Giles could have been in for a sizable contract had he been healthy and effective this season. That could still prove to be the case when the offseason rolls around, but Giles’ value certainly hasn’t risen in 2020.

The good news for Toronto is that it’s getting back Hernandez, who was among the league’s top hitters before he went on the IL on Sept. 7 with a left oblique strain. So far, Hernandez has slashed .308/.358/.637 with 14 home runs in 159 plate appearances.

Latest On Dellin Betances

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The Mets have been without reliever Dellin Betances since he went on the injured list Aug. 30 with right lat tightness, and it doesn’t appear a return is imminent. Manager Luis Rojas said Wednesday that Betances’ “timeline is uncertain,” Tim Britton of The Athletic relays.

With little time left in the regular season and the 21-27 Mets looking unlikely to make the playoffs, it’s possible Betances has thrown his last pitch of 2020. Either way, this will go down as the second straight injury-shortened year for Betances, a former Yankee who missed almost all of 2019 with shoulder and Achilles problems. The four-time All-Star then signed for a guaranteed $10.5MM with the Mets last winter, but thanks largely to a couple of rough outings, Betances hasn’t put up his usual numbers.

Before going on the IL, the 32-year-old Betances pitched to a 6.10 ERA/4.27 FIP with by far a career-worst 6.97 (he owns a lifetime 14.44 K/9) and 6.1 BB/9 in 10 1/3 innings. Along the way, Betances averaged 93.3 mph on his fastball – well below his personal mean of 97.2.

The deal Betances inked with the Mets includes options for 2021 and ’22. For next season, he’ll be able to return to the club on a $6MM player option. Considering how this year has gone for him, it seems unlikely Betances will reject that sum in favor of a $3MM buyout.

Phillies Sign Jonathan Lucroy, Greg Bird

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The Phillies have signed catcher Jonathan Lucroy and first baseman Greg Bird to minor league contracts, Matt Gelb of The Athletic tweets. The two will report to the team’s alternate site, and because they’re joining the 60-man player pool on the day of the Sept. 15 postseason eligibility deadline, they will be eligible for playoff rosters if the Phillies make it.

The Phillies are banged up at catcher and first base, so this is a late effort by the club to add depth as the posteason nears. Philadelphia’s 24-23 and on track for a playoff spot, though starting catcher J.T. Realmuto hasn’t played since Sept. 12 because of hip problems, and first baseman Rhys Hoskins went to the IL on Monday as a result of a left UCL injury.

Lucroy, like Realmuto is now, was one of the majors’ best catchers in his heyday. However, the former Brewers standout has fallen on hard times offensively and defensively with a few teams over the past couple years. The Red Sox released Lucroy on Tuesday, which came after he totaled one plate appearance with the club this season.

Bird was a high-profile prospect with the Yankees not too long ago, and he made an encouraging debut in 2015, but a series of injuries have helped derail his career since then. Bird was previously with the Rangers, who designated him for assignment in August. The 27-year-old could now reunite with Joe Girardi, who managed the Yankees at the beginning of Bird’s career and is now the Phillies’ skipper.

Reds Acquire Justin Miller From Blue Jays

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The Reds have acquired right-handed reliever Justin Miller from the Blue Jays for an undisclosed amount of international spending space, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet reports.

Miller, whom the Blue Jays signed to a minor league contract last winter, had been at their alternate training site. The former Tiger, Rockie and National, 33, has recorded a 4.43 ERA/4.35 FIP with 9.15 K/9 and 3.11 BB/9 over 156 1/3 innings in the majors. He most recently tossed 15 2/3 frames as a Nat in 2019 and logged a 4.02 ERA (with a disastrous 7.11 FIP), posted 6.11 K/9 and 2.3 BB/9, and registered a career-worst 19.1 percent groundball rate.

Andrelton Simmons Discusses Future

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Angels shortstop Andrelton Simmons is on schedule to become one of baseball’s most prominent free agents during the upcoming offseason. The Angels could extend Simmons before he reaches the open market, but it doesn’t seem talks have occurred between the team and his agent.

“Maybe my agent heard something, but not me,” Simmons said of potential negotiations with the Angels, per Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register.

The Angels acquired Simmons from the Braves in a trade that sent Sean Newcomb to Atlanta prior to the 2016 season, but Los Angeles has underachieved since then. In fact, the team hasn’t clinched a single playoff berth with Simmons in its uniform, and that’s unlikely to change this year with the Angels holding a 20-28 record.

The Angels’ troubles haven’t come as a result of Simmons, a defensive whiz who has typically provided enough offense during his run with them to prove quite valuable. As a member of the Angels, the 31-year-old Simmons has slashed .280/.327/.394 with 36 home runs, 51 stolen bases and 15.3 fWAR in 2,255 plate appearances.

The problem for Simmons is that injuries, especially to his left ankle, have held him back over the past couple seasons. Simmons only played in 103 of a possible 162 regular-season games a year ago and sat out for a large portion of August 2020 on account of injury concerns, which could have a negative impact on his earning power on his next deal.

If Simmons does become a free agent for the first time in the next couple months, the Angels will have to decide whether to issue him a qualifying offer before he’s able to reach the open market. He would be an interesting case in that regard.

Rangers Sign Andrew Romine

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The Rangers have signed infielder Andrew Romine to a minor league contract, per a team announcement. He’s part of their 60-man player pool and will head to their alternate site.

Prior to joining the Rangers, Romine most recently spent time with the White Sox, who signed him to a minor league deal in the winter before releasing him in July. He has combined for a .235/.291/.300 line in 1,323 plate appearances among the Angels, Tigers and Mariners since he first became a major leaguer in 2010. Romine hasn’t played in the bigs since 2018.

While Romine hasn’t had much offensive success so far, he has been quite versatile as a defender. Most of his work has come at shortstop, third base and second – positions that have been sore spots for the Rangers in 2020. General manager Jon Daniels told TR Sullivan of MLB.com and other reporters Tuesday that shortstop Elvis Andrus and second baseman Rougned Odor aren’t guaranteed starting jobs going forward. However, it seems tough to believe Romine will wind up unseating either one of those struggling players. He’ll have to earn a roster spot first, after all, and even that may be a tall order.

Red Sox Release Jonathan Lucroy

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The Red Sox have released catcher Jonathan Lucroy, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com tweets. He had been part of their 60-man player pool.

Lucroy, whom the Red Sox signed to a minor league contract over the winter, made one appearance for the team earlier this season. The 34-year-old has now appeared in the majors in 11 consecutive seasons, but the two-time All-Star’s shine has come off over the past few campaigns.

Once rightly regarded as an elite two-way catcher with the Brewers, Lucroy’s production at the plate has cratered since 2017. Likewise, while Lucroy used to be an elite framer, he has experienced difficulty in that regard during the past few years. He’ll likely try for another contract with a new team – one worse than the Red Sox behind the plate. Their top two backstops, Christian Vazquez and Kevin Plawecki, have performed well this year.

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