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Rays Place Blake Snell On 10-Day IL

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Reigning AL Cy Young winner Blake Snell is headed onto the 10-day injured list with a fractured toe, the club announced. (Via Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times; links to Twitter.) Righty Emilio Pagan will take the open roster spot.

Fortunately, that news is far less concerning than it seems at first glance, as Snell is only expected to miss a single start. There’s little doubt the Rays will hold him out longer if necessary to be sure, but it seems only to be a blip.

Snell has been excellent thus far in 2019, turning in 25 innings of 2.16 ERA ball after inking an extension in camp. He’s average a head-turning 13.0 K/9 against 1.4 BB/9 in the new season, making him an early favorite to repeat as the AL’s consensus best starter.

Pagan, 27, will make his debut with the Tampa Bay organization after seeing time in the majors in the last two years with the Mariners and A’s. He owns a 3.85 ERA in 112 1/3 MLB frames to this point. Despite a promising blend of 9.5 K/9 against 2.2 B/9, Pagan has been hurt by the long ball (1.6 HR/9). He has thrown six scoreless innings in four appearances to open the year at Triple-A, so it seems he could be utilized in a multi-inning capacity.

Cardinals Place Tyler O’Neill, Mike Mayers On 10-Day IL

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The Cardinals announced today that outfielder Tyler O’Neill and righty Mike Mayers are both headed onto the 10-day injured list. The former suffered an ulnar nerve subluxation in his right elbow while the latter has a strained lat.

A trio of reinforcements is headed onto the MLB roster: infielder Yairo Munoz along with righties Ryan Helsley and Giovanny Gallegos. This is the first call-up for Helsley. Outfielder Drew Robinson was optioned down to create the final opening.

The severity of the injuries isn’t yet known, but both come with at least some potentially for extended absences. Ulnar nerve issues aren’t necessarily huge problems, particularly for non-pitchers, but the Cards will obviously want to figure out the root cause and make sure that O’Neill is fully past the problem before bringing him back into the mix. In the case of Mayers, it’s impossible even to guess at a timeline without knowing the grade of the injury, but lat strains can be rather problematic for hurlers.

Red Sox Select Contract Of Erasmo Ramirez

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In a second move of the day, the Red Sox announced that they have selected the contract of righty Erasmo Ramirez. He’ll take the active roster spot of fellow right-hander Marcus Walden, who was optioned down.

This move didn’t require a complementary 40-man transaction, as the club had an opening to work with. But it does still pose some future roster limitations, as the veteran Ramirez will need now need to stay on the active roster or be exposed to waivers.

Soon to turn 29, Ramirez has seven years of MLB experience as a swingman. He struggled through a homer-prone, ten-start stint last year with the Mariners before landing with the Boston club on a minors pact. In two starts at Triple-A to open the 2019 campaign, he allowed just one earned run in eight innings while recording five strikeouts and no walks.

Red Sox Designate Blake Swihart, Select Sandy Leon

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The Red Sox have designated catcher Blake Swihart for assignment, as first reported by Evan Drellich of WEEI.com (Twitter link). In his place, Sandy Leon is heading back onto the MLB roster, as Jon Heyman of MLB Network was first to tweet.

Struggling out of the gates, the defending champs have decided upon a change behind the dish. The considerations are familiar; they were weighed just weeks ago when Leon was outrighted in favor of Swihart. This move, then, constitutes a mulligan of sorts.

Swihart wasn’t off to an inspirational start at the plate, with a .231/.310/.385 slash, but it seems likely that the move was driven primarily by the club’s broader pitching issues. The Boston staff has been among the worst in all of baseball thus far. While that reflects quite a bit more than Swihart’s own performance behind the dish, the organization obviously feels it has something to gain in that regard by switching things up.

Leon was stashed down at Triple-A after clearing waivers late in camp. He lacks Swihart’s abilities on offense but is lauded for his glovework and game management skills. He had teamed with Christian Vazquez to form a defensive-oriented backstop combination in recent years, but the club opted to give Swihart a run at the position to open the season after utilizing him in a utility role last year.

The move potentially means jettisoning the upside and cheap control embodied in the control rights over Swihart. He’s earning $910K this year as a Super Two player and comes with three further arbitration-eligible campaigns. Long lauded as a potential impact bat that can line up behind the dish, those predictions haven’t yet come to fruition. Over 626 career MLB plate appearances, Swihart owns a .255/.314/.365 slash line.

Teams that believe in the bat may well give Swihart a chance at a lengthier run of consistent playing time. That could come via trade or waiver claim. If no team is interested in carrying the out-of-options 27-year-old on its active roster and he clears waivers, the Red Sox will have a chance to stash him back at Triple-A.

Carlos Zambrano Signs With Chicago Indy Ball Team

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Former big league hurler Carlos Zambrano is launching a comeback bid, Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times reports. The long-time Cubs hurler will kick things off by returning to the windy city for a stint with the American Association’s Chicago Dogs.

Zambrano was at times one of the game’s best pitchers, having thrice finished in the top five of the Cy Young voting in the National League. He compiled nearly two thousand innings of 3.66 ERA ball at the game’s highest level. Of course, Zambrano is also now 37 years of age. There are certainly hurlers who’ve proven capable of being quite useful at that age, but Zambrano is a bit rusty. He last pitched in the majors in 2012 (with the Marlins), last threw in the affiliated ranks in 2013 (with the Phillies), and announced his retirement in 2014.

More recently, Zambrano has dabbled with a return to competitive action. He took seven starts in the Mexican League last fall, pitching to a 5.18 ERA in 33 innings but recording more walks (17) than strikeouts (11). The numbers were even less promising in a just-completed 29 1/3-frame stint in the Venezuelan Winter League. Zambrano coughed up 24 earned runs on 47 hits while compiling a 10:12 K/BB ratio.

Those showings don’t leave much cause for optimism, but Zambrano says he’s fully committed now to giving it a real go. The scouts will surely find him if he shows any spark, though Zambrano’s possible path back to the majors may also be complicated by his history of confrontational behavior. If nothing else, Zambrano certainly ought to help the Dogs draw. He’ll join a roster that also includes another name of note for Chicago-area fans in Shawon Dunston Jr.

NL West Notes: Padres, Giants, Bellinger, Bettis, McFarland

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We’re all wondering how MLB’s decision to axe the August trade period will influence the way the in-season trade market unfolds. An even bigger rush at the end of July is one obvious possibility; perhaps also there’ll be an increase in early-season trade activity. It has long been fairly rare for significant assets to be moved before well in advance of the trade deadline. The Padres are now reaping the rewards of their decision to market assets early back in 2016, as MLB.com’s AJ Cassavell wrote recently. Nabbing Fernando Tatis Jr. was a nifty trick, of course. As Cassavell writes, both teams were intrigued by his obvious physical talent. The Friars able to pry him loose from the pitching-needy White Sox in part because he simply hadn’t yet appeared in game action. After a productive draft, the club targeted pop-up prospect Chris Paddack, gaining his rights when the Marlins couldn’t wait to secure the services of Fernando Rodney. Interestingly, as Cassavell explains, the Padres’ other notable haul of talent that summer came in the June draft. The club wielded a multitude of picks that year because it chose not to sell the prior summer, instead securing draft compensation for departing free agents Justin Upton and Ian Kennedy.

More from the NL West:

  • It’s interesting to consider that prior San Diego mid-season sell-off in relation to this year’s Giants club. If any team could be in position to own the early-summer market, it’s a San Francisco outfit that’s laden with veteran pitching and largely unburdened of immediate expectations to compete. The club’s bullpen has been outstanding in the early going while the rotation has seen solid openings from several elder statesmen. Nearly every member of the staff could be a plausible trade chip; indeed, the Giants have a collection of arms that could suit just about any rival’s needs. In the rotation, postseason hero Madison Bumgarner, long-time workhorse Jeff Samardzija, steady lefty Derek Holland, and higher-ceiling southpaw Drew Pomeranz. On the relief side, southpaw Will Smith continues to pitch like a relief ace, while fellow lefty Tony Watson remains a quality situational asset. Righties Sam Dyson and Mark Melancon are trending up and have ample late-inning experience, while Nick Vincent is an underrated middle relief piece. For Giants fans wondering about the future under president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi, the most fascinating pitcher of all may be Trevor Gott, a waiver claimee who’s suddenly generating swinging strikes at a near-elite level (14.7%) after ramping up the use of a four-seam fastball he introduced last season. With pitching problems already rising up for several contenders, Zaidi and co. could be in position for a memorable summer of swapping.
  • Star Dodgers first baseman/outfielder Cody Bellinger exited last night’s game early after being hit by a pitch near his right knee. As MLB.com’s Ken Gurnick reports, x-rays were negative and it seems that Bellinger has escaped any kind of serious injury. The young slugger, who has been on a tear to open the season, may still need some time to recuperate and receive treatment. But there’s no indication that a trip to the IL will be necessary.
  • The Rockies have bumped veteran right-hander Chad Bettis to the bullpen, as Nick Groke of The Athletic was among those to tweet. It seems likely his new role will dovetail with the return of Tyler Anderson from a stint on the injured list. Soon to turn 30, Bettis was also bumped to the pen for seven outings last year, though he still took twenty starts. He has struggled to an 8.78 ERA over his first 13 1/3 innings of the 2019 campaign, with eight walks to go with nine strikeouts and twenty base hits already on the ledger. Bettis is earning $3.35MM this year in advance of a final season of arbitration eligibility. In other news out of Colorado, the club seems likely to place outfielder Noel Cuevas on the 10-day injured list after he came down with a quad strain, manager Bud Black told reporters including Kyle Newman of the Denver Post (via Twitter).
  • Lefty T.J. McFarland is on the mend for the Diamondbacks, MLB.com’s Steve Gilbert reports. He’ll launch a rehab effort tomorrow as he seeks to finish off a return from a bout of shoulder inflammation. Once he’s deemed ready, McFarland will join Andrew Chafin as a southpaw combo in the D-Backs pen. The 29-year-old produced strong results last year after several rough seasons, working to a 2.00 ERA over 72 frames. Though he carried a typically uninspiring blend of 5.3 K/9 and 2.8 BB/9, McFarland also posted an eye-popping 67.9% groundball rate.

Health Notes: Venters, Ohtani, Caratini, Tepera

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The Braves announced today that they’ve placed southpaw Jonny Venters on the 10-day injured list. He’s dealing with a strained calf, though his struggles likely played a role in the timing. Venters made a miraculous return to the majors last year after five full seasons away owing to a brutal run of arm injuries. He pitched well enough to be tendered by the Atlanta organization. But Venters struggled this spring and has continued to do so through six regular-season appearances, over which he has surrendered six earned runs in just 2 2/3 innings.

More on the health front …

  • A return is finally in sight for Angels DH (and once and future starting pitcher) Shohei Ohtani, who’s nearing readiness after undergoing Tommy John surgery last year. As Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com was among those to tweet, the reigning Rookie of the Year had a promising medical check-up today. So long as nothing intervenes, he’ll begin taking cuts against live pitching early next week. It’s not hard to imagine Ohtani ramping up quickly from that point in time.
  • Backup Cubs backstop Victor Caratini underwent surgery to repair his broken left hamate bone, as Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune reports on Twitter. That’s not surprising news, and doesn’t really modify his expected timeline. It’ll be about four to six weeks on the mend for Caratini, who’ll presumably need to ramp back up therafter and take at least a brief rehab stint. Even if all goes as hoped, it’s likely the Cubs ill go without him until June.
  • The Blue Jays have some relief on the way with right-hander Ryan Tepera set to be activated in the next day or two, MLB.com’s Gregor Chisolm tweets. The elbow inflammation that put Tepera on the shelf to open the year has obviously not proven to be too big a concern, as the 31-year-old is ready to roll after just two minor-league rehab appearances. Tepera has been a solid pen piece for the Toronto organization, turning in 193 2/3 innings of 3.49 ball over the past four seasons.

Padres GM Preller: Hot Start Doesn’t Change Pitching Plans

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The Padres are off to a dream start, running out to an 11-6 record after a memorable offseason capped by some aggressive Opening Day promotions. Starting pitching was and is the area of greatest uncertainty, but San Diego GM A.J. Preller says the club’s rotation plans haven’t changed, as Jeff Sanders of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

“The way we’ve designed it, I don’t think this changes the planning,” says Preller, who has thus far been rewarded for his bold approach to managing the club’s staff. After looking into significant additions all winter, the club elected instead to bypass the market entirely and roll with a series of young arms. The rookie starters have been stunning, with Chris Paddack, Nick Margevicius, and Pedro Avila combining to allow just six earned runs in 35 1/3 innings.

Those fascinating early results don’t tell the entire story, of course. It’s still quite an inexperienced overall starting unit — just one pitcher, Matt Strahm, had appeared in the big leagues prior to 2018 — and there’s uncertainty to go with the talent. Strahm is still a bit of a wild card, while Eric Lauer and Joey Lucchesi are still working to build upon their promising debut showings to fully establish themselves at the game’s highest level.

Preller isn’t just going to lean on that group, however, as the surprise call-up of Avila demonstrates. He tells Acee that he plans to continue drawing from the well of talent in the Friars’ farm system.

There are certainly plenty of other interesting arms floating around. Preller has already proved he’ll dip deep into the farm to call up the pitchers he deems ready. But doing so means clearing and tying up a 40-man roster spot for a player who may not remain on the active roster for much of the season. Robbie Erlin and Anderson Espinoza are on the 40-man, but exciting hurlers such as Logan Allen, Cal Quantrill, MacKenzie Gore, Adrian Morejon, and Michel Baez are not. Otherwise, Luis Perdomo and Matt Wisler (currently working in relief) join the recently outrighted Bryan Mitchell as conceivable depth options, with Tommy John recoveree Dinelson Lamet a potential mid-season boost.

The strategy is fascinating, particularly since many of these hurlers will face innings limits this year. Monitoring work load and discerning which pitchers are best prepared to deliver results — and least susceptible to developmental damage — will be a season-long juggling act.

There’s an argument to be made that the Padres should instead act now, or at least prepare now, to add a veteran stabilizer or two. Dallas Keuchel, whose free agency is showing no signs of coming to an end, represents the obvious option. Perhaps some early-season trade possibilities could also be explored, though Preller would no doubt be wary of overpaying just to get something done. (He has experience on the other side of just such a scenario.)

At the same time, a new veteran might make for some roster complications of its own. And there’s no rush to act with so many things going right — even if Strahm, Lauer, and Luchessi are all allowing more than four earned runs per nine at the moment. (Luchessi, at least, has sparkling peripherals.)

Preller suggests that the organization will begin to consider market possibilities when the calendar flips to June, by which time there’ll be much more information on where the Pads are heading and what can be accomplished by trade. Tempting as it may be to try to press an early advantage, particularly after such an aggressive offseason, the team obviously wants to see through its opening gambit and get a full look at the internal slate of talent. It’ll be fascinating to watch this strategy unfold and to see where it leads.

Angels Place Tyler Skaggs On Injured List

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The Angels announced today that starter Tyler Skaggs is headed to the 10-day injured list. He’s dealing with a left ankle sprain incurred in his last outing, as MLB.com’s Maria Torres was among those to cover via Twitter.

Fortunately, the outlook seems to be quite positive for Skaggs. His hope is to return to action in short order. It seems reasonable to presume that he’ll be able to keep his arm in condition for whatever time he is down, so a return to action ought to be in sight once the ankle progresses.

That’s about the least worrying possible explanation for the velocity dip that Skaggs showed late in his last start. His problematic arm injury history isn’t implicated. The Halos will hope that Skaggs can use the down time both to rest up a bit and figure out how to tamp down on the long balls that have thus far marred his season.

Skaggs has shown some promising and some worrying signs thus far. Through 15 innings over three starts, Skaggs carries a promising combination of 8.4 K/9 and 1.2 BB/9. But he has already allowed four balls to leave the yard. The 27-year-old is exhibiting reduced velocity thus far, which perhaps has been part of the impetus for his shift away from the heater in favor of his curve and change.

Despite the uncertainty, there’s no doubting Skaggs’s importance to the Halos — particularly with Andrew Heaney also on the sideline at the moment. The void in the rotation will be filled by Jaime Barria, who’s joined by fellow righty John Curtiss in ascending to the active MLB roster. Infielder Taylor Ward was optioned to open the other needed roster spot for those promotions.

Rockies Select Drew Butera, Place Chris Iannetta On 10-Day IL

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The Rockies announced today that backstop Drew Butera’s contract was selected from Triple-A. He’ll take the active roster spot of fellow receiver Chris Iannetta, who was placed on the 10-day inured list with a strained lat muscle.

In other roster moves, the club announced that outfielder Noel Cuevas and righty Antonio Senzatela are also joining the big league club. Outfielder Yonathan Daza and righty Yency Almonte were optioned down to make way.

It’s not clear at this point how severe an injury Iannetta is dealing with, but it’s hardly promising to see him go down. He’s the latest veteran position player to hit the IL, further downgrading an already terrible offensive outlook for the Colorado organization.

Butera has loads of MLB experience and represents a worthwhile insurance policy to cash in. But he’s known far more for his sturdy presence behind the dish than his work with the bat in hand. The 35-year-old is a .201/.258/.299 lifetime hitter in the majors.

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