Injury Notes: Thornburg, Price, Sanchez, Wright, Turner, Mesoraco
Here’s the latest on some injury situations from around the game:
- Red Sox righty Tyler Thornburg has yet to progress to the point that he’s able to take the mound, manager John Farrell said today (via Jen McCaffrey of MassLive.com, on Twitter). It’s not clear whether he’s making much progress, but it seems he is still long tossing in an effort to rebuild lost shoulder strength. At present, it seems as if there’s no clear timeline for the reliever to appear in the majors for the first time with his new team.
- Meanwhile, the Red Sox seem to be slowing the rehab pace of lefty David Price, as Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe reports. It’s not believed to be related to any setbacks, but plans of letting Price face live hitters appear to be on hold for at least another week, per the report.
- The Yankees are still taking it slow with catcher Gary Sanchez, but there are some indications of progress, as Laura Albanese of Newsday writes. Sanchez, who is dealing with a biceps strain, was able to throw and take some dry cuts. He reported no issues, but the club isn’t planning to speed up his timeline, with manager Joe Girardi suggesting the original plan of a four-week absence hasn’t changed.
- In another corner of New York, the Mets are seeing some good signs from third baseman David Wright. As David Lennon of Newsday tweets. Wright was able to field balls and play catch today, though he hasn’t yet begun making throws from third base. The veteran is working back from a shoulder impingement (which was suffered as he recovered from a neck issue that arose while dealing with a serious back issue).
- Trea Turner could be back at shortstop for the Nationals sooner rather than later. As Mark Zuckerman of MASNsports.com tweets, Turner played in extended spring action and was even able to swipe a bag. That’s certainly promising news, particularly given that Turner is on the DL owing to a hamstring strain.
- After catching full games on consecutive days, Reds catcher Devin Mesoraco seems about ready to be activated, as MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon writes. It seems the club will wait to see how Mesoraco feels before making a call, though manager Bryan Price also hinted there’s more to the evaluation. “This is kind of the point in time where we’ll re-assess what he needs for any type of finishing touches or polish before he’s activated,” Price said of the backstop, who is working back from hip and shoulder surgeries. Mesoraco has struggled at the plate in limited action thus far.
Logan Forsythe Diagnosed With Fractured Toe
6:21pm: Fortunately, manager Dave Roberts says it’s only a “hairline” fracture for Forsythe, Ken Gurnick of MLB.com tweets. The expectation is he’ll only be sidelined for a few weeks.
5:56pm: The Dodgers have announced that infielder Logan Forsythe has been placed on the 10-day DL after being diagnosed with a fractured right big toe. Also heading to the DL, in his case with a strain of his right big toe, is Rob Segedin.
To take the now-open roster spots, Los Angeles has promoted a pair of reserve options. Infielder Chris Taylor will be joined by outfielder Brett Eibner in the majors. Presumably, Taylor will join fellow right-handed hitter Enrique Hernandez as options at second base against lefties, with Chase Utley carrying the load when facing right-handed pitching.
[RELATED: Updated Dodgers Depth Chart]
Clearly, the big question here is how long Forsythe will be out. There’s no word at this point as to whether there’s a current timeline. It’s possible that we’ll need to await a determination of a course of treatment before learning of any preliminary expectations.
Forsythe, 30, became the biggest new addition to the Los Angeles roster over the winter when he was acquired in a swap for top pitching prospect Jose De Leon. Thus far, he has performed as hoped. While he hasn’t yet hit a home run or swiped a bag, and his strikeouts are up, Forsythe is slashing a strong (albeit unusual) .295/.407/.341 over 54 plate appearances.
Rangers Outright Tyler Wagner
The Rangers have outrighted right-hander Tyler Wagner to Triple-A after he cleared waivers, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News tweets. With the move, Texas has opened a second unclaimed spot on its 40-man roster.
Wagner, 26, was claimed off waivers last fall. He had reached the big leagues only briefly in each of the past two seasons, but had largely thrown well in the upper minors.
Thus far, however, Wagner has struggled at Triple-A Round Rock. Through 14 innings over three starts, he has allowed a dozen earned runs on 19 hits with as many walks as strikeouts (eight apiece). It seems he’ll continue to work from the rotation there.
Nationals Remove Blake Treinen From Closer’s Role
The Nationals will no longer utilize Blake Treinen as the closer for the time being, manager Dusty Baker told reporters including Dan Kolko of MASNsports.com (Twitter links). Washington will utilize Shawn Kelley and Koda Glover in some form of ninth-inning time share.
A move in the late-inning mix seemed inevitable after Treinen struggled to find the zone last night. He has struggled quite a bit in the early going, allowing five earned runs on ten hits while allowing six free passes to go with his seven strikeouts.
Though Treinen is still working in his typical velocity range and producing loads of grounders, the contending Nats evidently don’t feel he’s ready to turn it around in the ninth. Presumably, the club will look to utilize him in the setup role in which he thrived last year.
Kelley and Glover could each stake an individual claim to the job, but the preference seems to be for a mix-and-match approach. The former has continued to rack up an outstanding K/BB ratio — presently, 13.5 K/9 against 3.0 BB/9) — but the Nats have long said they don’t view Kelley as a regular closer option due to his history of multiple Tommy John surgeries. Baker says the team prefers not to use him on consecutive nights, as Mark Zuckerman of MASNsports.com tweets.
That could leave the door open for Glover to grab the job and run with it, if he’s able to succeed in the opportunities he receives. The skipper is still hoping to utilize a single closer at some point, MLB.com’s Jamal Collier notes on Twitter. But the 24-year-old Glover won’t get the nod outright at this stage. He not only lacks substantial MLB experience, but has dealt with some minor injury issues (per Baker’s suggestion today).
Nationals Call Up Joe Ross, Place Sammy Solis On 10-Day DL
The Nationals have announced that righty Joe Ross was recalled as expected to start tonight. To open roster space, the club placed lefty reliever Sammy Solis on the 10-day DL with what the team is calling elbow inflammation.
Ross, 23, was always slated to join the team’s rotation, but was allowed to start the season off slowly at Triple-A since he was limited to 105 MLB frames last year due to shoulder issues. He ended up throwing 9 2/3 innings over two starts, though, so it’s not as if he didn’t log any innings. And in the meantime, the Nats ended up getting a very poor outing from Jeremy Guthrie.
While the early season machinations may not have worked out quite as hoped, Ross will now step back into the fifth starter’s spot. He’ll look to continue the success he has enjoyed over his first two years in the majors, over which he has run up 181 2/3 innings of 3.52 ERA pitching with 8.0 K/9 and 2.5 BB/9.
As for Solis, there was no real indication of a problem last night, when he threw a scoreless frame. That was his first work in nearly a week, though, and he has dealt with arm issues in the past. Solis has been working at his customary 93 to 94 mph range with the fastball, but has been drawing swings and misses at just one-third the rate he did last year.
The move will provide an opportunity for Solis to try to rest up and get back on track. It’ll also avoid a more difficult question for the organization. Washington cannot option Matt Albers and Enny Romero, who are perhaps the two players who’d otherwise have been most at risk of losing their roster spots.
Rich Hill Heads Back To 10-Day DL
After his blister problem reappeared in his most recent outing, Dodgers lefty Rich Hill is heading back to the DL, per a club announcement. For the time being, corner outfielder/infielder Rob Segedin is headed up to the active roster while Alex Wood will take the open rotation spot.
There’s plenty of uncertainty in Hill’s situation. As things stand, the team is examining ways to treat the ongoing problem, though there’s no timetable at present and it seems there’s little in the way of clear answers. Manager Dave Roberts acknowledged that the organization’s medical staff has been stymied thus far in its efforts to get at the root cause, as MLB.com’s Ken Gurnick reports on Twitter. (Gurnick provided more detail on the confounding issue earlier today.)
The strategy of utilizing the 10-day DL to provide rest obviously wasn’t successful on its own. As Roberts notes, and Andy McCullough of the Los Angeles Times tweets, “ten days wasn’t enough.” Whether additional rest will provide a solution obviously isn’t known, though presumably that’s one possible action. It’s even possible that the veteran southpaw could move to the bullpen upon his return, Roberts says (as Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register tweets), with the idea presumably being that shorter stints may help alleviate the problem.
Fortunately, the Dodgers do have ample depth built into their plans. Every member of the current MLB staff has at least some significant recent injury on his record, but the current top five seems to be a strong and healthy unit at the moment. Swingman Ross Stripling could also step into the rotation, while Triple-A starters Julio Urias and Joe Gunkel could also be called upon. Scott Kazmir and Brock Stewart both represent additional starting options who are currently on the mend.
While the organization always knew there was some health risk with the 37-year-old Hill, that doesn’t soften the blow. The Dodgers promised Hill $48MM over three years to bring him back into the fold, so while a bullpen move might at least allow him to contribute and stay fresh while the team looks for a permanent fix, such an approach would surely not return value on the contract over the long run.
Rangers Place Sam Dyson On 10-Day DL, Recall Keone Kela; Matt Bush To Close
6:39pm: Bush will get the first shot at the closing role, skipper Jeff Banister tells reporters including Stefan Stevenson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (via Twitter). But the team will spread the opportunities around somewhat. As Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News tweets, that’s due in large part to the need to avoid over-straining Bush’s shoulder.
5:54pm: The Rangers have placed struggling closer Sam Dyson on the 10-day DL with a hand contusion, TR.. Sullivan of MLB.com was among those to report on Twitter. Texas will recall fellow right-hander Keone Kela to take his place on the active roster.
Specifics of the injury haven’t been reported, but the club was no doubt interested in finding a way to give Dyson a respite. He has been tagged for 13 earned runs on 14 hits and 5 walks over 4 1/3 innings, while recording only a pair of strikeouts.
It’s unclear as yet who will take over for Dyson in the ninth inning. In fact, that was the subject of a poll earlier today; you can head here to participate. The likeliest options appear to be Matt Bush and Jeremy Jeffress.
Kela might have been one of the names considered to function as the closer, but he was optioned to start the season in something of a disciplinary move. He’ll be looking to improve upon a disappointing 2016 season and regain his standing in the MLB locker room.
Angels Acquire Parker Bridwell, Move Huston Street To 60-Day DL
6:59pm: Street was not able to stay on track due to a “mild shoulder impingement,” GM Billy Eppler tells Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register (via Twitter).
5:51pm: The Angels have acquired righty Parker Bridwell from the Orioles, per club announcements. Cash considerations or a player to be named later will go to Baltimore in return.
To open a 40-man spot, the Halos have bumped righty Huston Street to the 60-day DL. That suggests his lat strain isn’t progressing quite as hoped. At the time of his injury, about six weeks back, it was suggested that it was at least possible Street would be throwing in three or four weeks. With today’s DL swap, he won’t be eligible to return until about two months of the season have elapsed.
Bridwell, who was recently designated for assignment, will head to Double-A upon landing in his new organization. The 25-year-old reached the majors briefly last year, but evidently didn’t factor very heavily in the O’s plans.
A starter for most of his career, Bridwell spent much of 2016 functioning as a multi-inning reliever (he logged 87 total innings last year over 33 appearances). Over 83 2/3 minor-league innings, including an AFL stint, Bridwell pitched to a 3.76 ERA with 7.0 K/9 against 3.7 BB/9.
Prospect Notes: Rosario, Torres, Happ, Senzel, Gonsalves
Keith Law of ESPN.com provides an updated ranking of his top fifty prospects (subscription required and recommended). He places a pair of New York shortstops — Amed Rosario of the Mets and Gleyber Torres of the Yankees — as the top prospects leaguewide. Young Phillies shortstop J.P. Crawford also cracks the top five, sandwiched between Dodgers first baseman Cody Bellinger and White Sox righty Michael Kopech, who takes honors as the top pre-MLB pitcher on the list.
More on some other potential stars:
- With Jake Arrieta and John Lackey scheduled to become free agents after the season, the Cubs could dangle second base/outfield prospect Ian Happ for pitching help, says FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal (video link). On the other hand, Rosenthal notes that Happ’s versatility likely means he isn’t as expendable to the Cubs as now-Royal Jorge Soler was. Happ, Law’s 46th-best prospect, has begun the year with a red-hot .293/.356/.683 line and five home runs in 45 plate appearances at Triple-A.
- Reds third base prospect Nick Senzel, the second pick in last year’s draft, could be primed to reach the majors quickly, writes Ben Badler of Baseball America. By spending limited time in the minors, Senzel would follow in the footsteps of recently drafted hitters such as Dansby Swanson, Alex Bregman, Andrew Benintendi, Kyle Schwarber and Michael Conforto, all of whom reached the majors the year after they became professionals. Senzel, a top 10-caliber prospect, is only in High-A ball right now, though Badler scouted his season-opening series and came away impressed. The 21-year-old “showed a lot of positive hitting traits” and “looked comfortable at third base,” per Badler.
- Twins left-hander Stephen Gonsalves will meet with team doctors in Minnesota for a shoulder exam during the upcoming week, tweets Phil Miller of the Star Tribune. Gonsalves, Baseball America’s 99th-ranked prospect, has been on Double-A Chattanooga’s disabled list since the first week of April. The 22-year-old laid waste to hitters at both the High-A and Double-A levels last season, but he also dealt with a shoulder strain in the fall. With Chattanooga, he logged a 1.82 ERA in 74 1/3 innings, helping to offset control problems (4.48 BB/9) with a high strikeout rate (10.78 per nine). BA’s Michael Lananna placed Gonsalves second among Twins prospect in November. (Update: Gonsalves already met with team doctors, and he checked out fine, general manager Thad Levine announced; Twitter link via Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com).
Roster Notes: Tigers, Marlins, Mets, Braves, Padres, Indians
Here are a few roster moves from around the game:
- The Tigers announced that, after Friday’s game, they optioned righty William Cuevas to Triple-A Toledo and promoted righty Warwick Saupold to take his place. Cuevas made his 2017 big-league debut Friday and didn’t make a good impression, giving up four runs over just a third of an inning. Saupold was off to a good start for Toledo, allowing just two runs and three walks while striking out nine over 10 2/3 innings.
- After a 16-inning ballgame depleted the Marlins bullpen, the club has called up southpaw Jarlin Garcia, as Tim Healey of the Sun Sentinel reported. Righty Nick Wittgren was sent back down to Triple-A on optional assignment in a corresponding move.
- Miami’s opponent in that marathon game, the Mets, also dipped into their farm for an arm. New York announced that Sean Gilmartin will take a spot in the pen. Utilityman T.J. Rivera will be optioned for the time being, though he seems likely to return once the pitching staff gets back on its feet.
- Braves outfielder Matt Kemp, meanwhile, is slated to return on Wednesday from a hamstring issue, David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution tweets, meaning he’d only miss the ten-day minimum. Meanwhile, Atlanta has called up righty Luke Jackson for his first stint with the club. Fellow right-hander Jason Hursh was optioned to create an opening.
- The Padres have also done some roster tweaking, activating catcher Hector Sanchez from the 7-day concussion DL and also calling back righty Kevin Quackenbush. The club also announced that Jabari Blash and Jake Esch were optioned to make way on the active roster. While Blash has been outrighted off the 40-man in the past, and was only recently re-added when he was recalled, he’ll hold onto his spot for the time being while reporting to Triple-A.
- The Indians have swapped a pair of righties, with the club announcing that Nick Goody will come up and Shawn Armstrong will head down. The move gave the team a fresh arm after Armstrong threw 49 pitches Thursday. Goody pitched two scoreless innings in his 2017 big-league debut last night.