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AL West Notes: Verlander, García, Santos, Brash, Sasaki

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A pair of Astros starting pitchers are making progress on their way back from injuries. Justin Verlander spoke to reporters (including Chandler Rome of The Athletic) after a successful batting practice session against live hitters on Monday. He believes his next step will be a minor league rehab assignment. Manager Joe Espada provided a similar update, telling Brian McTaggart of MLB.com that his ace “should be ready to go out on a rehab assignment” as long as he “comes back tomorrow feeling well.” Espada suggested Verlander would need more than one rehab appearance before he can return to the Astros, but the skipper did not provide an exact timeline for the three-time Cy Young winner’s return. Verlander has recovered from the shoulder injury that kept him on the sidelines this spring. Still, he needs more time to build up his arm strength before pitching in an MLB game.

Meanwhile, Luis García has begun to throw off a mound, and Espada says the righty is “ahead of schedule” in his recovery from a UCL injury (per Rome). The 27-year-old underwent Tommy John surgery last May. While he still has plenty of work to put in before he can return to the majors, the Astros are hopeful he can rejoin the rotation by July if all goes well (per Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle). Over 64 games (62 starts) from 2021-23, García pitched to a 3.63 ERA and 3.86 SIERA.

More news from around the AL West…

  • The Mariners received some good news today when reliever Gregory Santos’ MRI came back clean (per Adam Jude of the Seattle Times). He had been dealing with a flareup of inflammation in the strained lat that kept him out for all of spring training. According to Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times, Santos needed the MRI to come back clean in order to resume his throwing program; the hard-throwing right-hander has now begun “light baseball activities” (per Jude). The Mariners have not yet provided a timeline for his return, but they are surely hoping to get him back sooner rather than later. Santos pitched to a 3.39 ERA and 3.32 SIERA in 60 games for the White Sox last season.
  • In other Mariners bullpen news, Matt Brash is making progress as he recovers from right elbow inflammation. While Mariners GM Justin Hollander would not provide an exact timeline for any of his injured arms, he suggested that Brash is the furthest along in his rehab (per Jude). Like Santos, Brash is a hard-throwing right-hander coming off a breakout year. In 78 games last season, he posted a 3.06 ERA and 2.86 SIERA, winning nine games and collecting 24 holds.
  • Eight teams recently sent representatives to watch NPB ace Roki Sasaki pitch in Japan. The Dodgers, Cardinals, Mets, and Yankees were previously reported to be four of those clubs, and now Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News reveals that a scout from the Rangers was also in attendance. That leaves three remaining mystery teams present at Sasaki’s latest starts for the Chiba Lotte Marines.

Josh Jung Diagnosed With Fractured Wrist

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Rangers third baseman Josh Jung has been diagnosed with a fractured right wrist, the team told reporters (including Kennedi Landry of MLB.com). Jung was removed from this evening’s game against the Rays in the ninth inning after he was hit on the wrist while swinging at a pitch. Inevitably, he will be placed on the injured list, but how much time he misses depends on the severity of the injury. Jeff Wilson of Rangers Today suggests Jung could actually return sooner if he undergoes surgery. However, Wilson also notes that manager Bruce Bochy could not provide a timeline for the third baseman’s return.

Although this particular incident was largely unavoidable, Jung has begun to develop a reputation as an injury-prone player. He came into spring training in 2021 with a stress fracture in his foot, while he suffered a torn labrum during the spring of 2022. He stayed healthy through most of his rookie season in 2023, until a scorching liner off the bat of Jorge Soler broke his thumb in August. Most recently, the 26-year-old missed time this spring with a calf strain. While some of his injuries have been freak accidents, it’s hard not to see a pattern emerging.

Jung was off to a hot start in 2024, with seven hits (including two home runs) in 19 plate appearances. Although four games is a minuscule sample size, he was working hard to dispel any concerns about the dreaded sophomore slump. He will have to hope his wrist injury does not sap him of any strength upon his return; power is his most important tool.

Thankfully for the Rangers, they have a pair of capable third basemen on the bench in Ezequiel Duran and Josh Smith. While neither is a threat at the plate like Jung, Duran is coming off a respectable breakout season (.768 OPS, 107 wRC+ in 122 games), and Smith has put up impressive defensive numbers over 61 MLB games at the hot corner (12 DRS, 3 OAA). Smith has struggled at the plate thus far in his big league career, but his .233 career batting average on balls in play and his .321 xwOBA last season (compared to a .287 wOBA) suggest that his luck is due to change.

To replace Jung on the active roster, the Rangers could recall either Justin Foscue or Jonathan Ornelas from Triple-A. Ornelas, 23, played eight games for Texas last season, while Foscue, 25, has yet to play in the major leagues. Alternatively, the Rangers could select an infielder from off of the 40-man roster. Veteran Matt Duffy recently signed a new minor league deal with the club, while Jeff Wilson suggests 26-year-old minor league Davis Wendzel as an option after his strong spring.

The Opener: Jiménez, Injuries, Giants/Dodgers

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As we enter the second week of the MLB regular season, here are three things to keep an eye on around the league:

1. Is Eloy Jiménez headed for the IL?

White Sox DH Eloy Jiménez left Sunday’s contest against the Tigers with what the team originally deemed “left adductor soreness” and manager Pedro Grifol later called “an adductor strain” (per Scott Merkin of MLB.com). The adductors are muscles that run from the pelvic bone to the knee along the inner thigh.

After the game, Grifol said, “We’ll see tomorrow how [Jiménez] wakes up. They’re going to do some testing on it… We’re not sure until tomorrow” (per Merkin). While we should know more about the severity of Jiménez’s injury sometime today, James Fegan of Sox Machine notes that the oft-injured DH previously suffered an adductor strain as a minor leaguer in 2018. That particular injury kept him on the shelf for two weeks. Fegan also mentions that Lenyn Sosa is being recalled from Triple-A, which seems to indicate an incoming IL stint announcement.

2. More teams waiting on injury updates:

The White Sox aren’t the only team waiting on injury updates today. Two Giants players exited yesterday’s action early, and the team said both would be reevaluated on Monday. First baseman Wilmer Flores suffered a shoulder contusion after falling into the dugout while trying to catch a foul ball. An inning later, starting pitcher Daulton Jefferies left the game himself due to right hip discomfort.

On the minor league side, Rays infielder (and star prospect) Junior Caminero suffered a quad injury at Triple-A on Sunday. It looked exceptionally painful as the young infielder limped to first base before dropping to the ground, but there is no word yet on the severity of the injury. Like Flores and Jefferies, Caminero will undergo testing today.

3. The Giants take on the Dodgers:

As the Giants wait for updates on Flores and Jefferies, they will head to Chavez Ravine to take on the Dodgers. San Francisco made a push to sign superstar Shohei Ohtani this offseason, and now the Giants will get their first look at the two-time MVP playing for their long-time rivals. San Francisco was also a finalist to land NPB ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto, although the Giants won’t see him this week in L.A.

For their part, the Dodgers get a chance to take on the new-look Giants. Although Giants president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi didn’t land the two biggest fish of the offseason, he still transformed his team’s roster, adding Jung Hoo Lee, Jorge Soler, and Matt Chapman to the top of the lineup and Blake Snell and Jordan Hicks to the starting rotation.

East Notes: Caminero, Senzel, Megill

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After hitting his first Triple-A home run earlier in the game, Rays top prospect Junior Caminero was forced to make an early exit from Sunday afternoon’s contest against the Norfolk Tides. He injured his left quad while running to first. According to Kristie Ackert of the Tampa Bay Times, Caminero “limped the last few steps to first base and eventually needed to be helped off the field.”

Caminero is set for further evaluation tomorrow. The severity of his injury is not yet clear, but it is worrisome that he was unable to walk off the field without assistance. The 20-year-old infielder is a consensus top-10 prospect in the game. While he failed to earn a spot on Tampa Bay’s Opening Day roster, he was a likely candidate to earn a call-up mid-season after gaining some experience at Triple-A. The extent of his injury will surely play a role in how soon he can make an impact at the big league level.

The Rays are already low on infield depth early in the season. Shortstop Taylor Walls is currently out recovering from offseason hip surgery, while first/second/third baseman Jonathan Aranda broke a finger during spring training. In addition, utility player Amed Rosario made his first two starts in right field with outfielders Josh Lowe and Jonny DeLuca on the IL.

More news from around MLB’s East divisions…

  • The Nationals got some good news on Saturday, learning that third baseman Nick Senzel will not need surgery to repair his broken thumb (per Mark Zuckerman of MASN). That should mean he’ll return to play significantly sooner than he otherwise would. Senzel, 28, is no longer the top prospect he once was, but the Nationals were counting on him to keep third base warm this season on a one-year deal. Trey Lipscomb, 23, has done good work covering the hot corner over the past two days – he hit his first big league home run this afternoon – but presumably, the Nationals would rather the youngster get a little more seasoning in Triple-A. He was supposed to start there this season before Senzel’s injury rushed him to the show.
  • Mets right-hander Tylor Megill left his start early on Sunday, pitching just four innings against the Brewers. After the game, bench coach John Gibbons told reporters (including Joel Sherman of the New York Post) that Megill’s shoulder felt tender and he would need an MRI. Shoulder pain is particularly troubling for Megill, who spent three months on the IL in 2022 with a shoulder strain. Thus, the Mets will hope the MRI doesn’t reveal any serious damage. New York is already thin on starting pitching: Kodai Senga is nursing a shoulder injury of his own, while David Peterson will be out until late May after offseason hip surgery. Finally, Max Kranick, whom the Mets picked up as additional starting depth this winter, is on the IL with a hamstring strain.

NL West Notes: Flores, Jefferies, Thomas, Grichuk, Buehler

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Giants first baseman Wilmer Flores exited before the second inning of today’s game against the Padres after falling into the opposing dugout while attempting to catch a foul ball. He initially stayed in the game but was replaced by a pinch hitter before his first plate appearance. During the game, the team told reporters (including Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area) that Flores had suffered a right shoulder contusion. Afterward, Pavlovic added that the first baseman also had a cut on his finger and the Giants will reevaluate his condition tomorrow. Flores confirmed to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle that he had not hit his head.

Flores, 32, is coming off a career year for the Giants, in which he hit 22 doubles and 23 home runs with an .863 OPS over 126 games. His overall defensive metrics were not particularly impressive, but as usual, he did his best work at first base, producing 6 DRS and 1 OAA. He made just two errors in 61 games.

In additional Giants news, starting pitcher Daulton Jefferies also left the game early on Sunday, after giving up nine runs (five earned) in just two innings of work. According to Slusser, the righty felt some discomfort in his left hip. Like Flores, he will be re-evaluated tomorrow.

Jefferies, 28, had his contract officially selected today, ahead of his first MLB start in nearly two years. He underwent surgery for both thoracic outlet syndrome and a torn UCL in 2022, so he and the Giants will hope his latest injury is nothing more serious than mild discomfort.

In other news from around the NL West…

  • Diamondbacks center fielder Alek Thomas left Sunday’s game against the Rockies in the fourth inning with what the team later announced as “left hamstring tightness.” Speaking after the game, manager Torey Lovullo told reporters that he decided to take Thomas out of the game, while the center fielder wanted to stay on the field (per Arizona Sports). Hopefully for the D-backs, that is a sign that this was merely a precautionary measure. Lovullo said the team will continue evaluating the 23-year-old over the rest of the night.
  • Earlier in the day, Lovullo provided an update on another one of his outfielders. Randal Grichuk, 32, is currently on a rehab stint with the Triple-A Reno Aces, and the skipper told reporters (including Alex Weiner of Arizona Sports) that he expects him to return soon after his minimum 10 days on the IL are up. Lovullo said Grichuk is already prepared to face major league pitching, but he needed a little more time to prep in the outfield after missing all of spring training recovering from ankle surgery.
  • Walker Buehler made his first rehab start today, pitching into the fourth inning for Triple-A Oklahoma City. His fastball velocity sat around 94 mph (h/t to Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic), not quite as high as it was in 2021 and ’22, but promising for an early rehab appearance. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters (including Jack Harris of The Los Angeles Times) that Buehler would need to make around four rehab starts, with Juan Toribio of MLB.com noting that Buehler likely needs to build up to throwing 90 pitches; his goal today was 40-45.

Yankees, Mets, Dodgers, Cardinals Among Teams Scouting Roki Sasaki

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Eight MLB teams sent representatives to watch NPB ace Roki Sasaki’s latest start, according to articles from Sports Hochi and Yahoo Japan, as relayed by Dylan Hernández of The Los Angeles Times and Andy Martino of SNY, respectively. Among those teams were the Yankees, Mets, Dodgers, and Cardinals.

Sasaki is just 22 years old and already one of the best pitchers in Japan. Over three NPB seasons, he has thrown 283 2/3 innings with 376 strikeouts and a 2.00 ERA. The ace made headlines last winter when he reportedly asked to be posted for MLB teams well ahead of the typical timeline – MLB does not allow players under 25 years old and with fewer than six professional seasons to sign anything more than a minor league contract. Ultimately, Sasaski re-signed with the Chiba Lotte Marines, temporarily putting a stop to any talk of his being posted. Still, he could make the same request this coming offseason. While he might be forfeiting a massive free agent payday if he is posted before his 25th birthday, he has made no secret of his desire to pitch in MLB.

It’s no surprise, then, that several MLB teams are showing interest in Sasaski. However, the two-time NPB All-Star might have already decided where he wants to pitch in 2025 and beyond. According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, “several GMs” are under the impression that Sasaki “already has plans to sign with the Dodgers” during the 2024-25 offseason.

According to one general manager, “There’s no way he’s going anywhere else but the Dodgers. We all know it.” While that particular comment was spoken in no uncertain terms, it also sounds more like conjecture than insider knowledge. Indeed, this entire report may be more speculation on the part of the executives than anything else. After all, at least seven teams besides the Dodgers are actively scouting Sasaski, and they wouldn’t be doing so if they didn’t think they had a chance to secure his services in the future. Moreover, even if Sasaki truly does have his sights set on the Dodgers, the rest of the league will still have an opportunity to change his mind.

Yankees Acquire Jake Cousins

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The Yankees have acquired right-hander Jake Cousins from the White Sox, both teams announced. The White Sox will receive cash considerations in return. Cousins signed a minor league contract with Chicago in December and was not on the 40-man roster.

Cousins, 29, is coming off an impressive spring in which he struck out 11 and walked just two in seven innings of work. He gave up a lone earned run on five hits, although he also allowed three unearned runs. Despite his strong spring stats, the righty was unable to crack the White Sox Opening Day roster.

Drafted by the Nationals in 2017 and released less than two years later, Cousins rebuilt his value with the Schaumburg Boomers of the Frontier League over the first few months of the 2019 season. He pitched well enough to catch the Brewers’ attention that summer, and two years later, he made his MLB debut with Milwaukee. In 30 appearances during the 2021 season, he pitched to a 2.70 ERA and 3.60 SIERA, with seven holds and an impressive 35.2% strikeout rate.

Cousins got off to a bumpy start in 2022 before suffering a UCL injury. However, he opted not to have Tommy John surgery and returned a few months later. He looked quite sharp upon his return, putting up a 2.66 ERA and 3.62 FIP in 22 minor league appearances and tossing 5 1/3 scoreless innings at the MLB level. Unfortunately, he struggled to recapture that success in 2023. Cousins gave up 15 earned runs over 22 2/3 innings with the Brewers between the minors and majors. He was DFA’d at the trade deadline and claimed by the Astros. He did not make it back to the majors with Houston and gave up another 10 earned runs in 15 innings at Triple-A.

Presumably, Cousins will report to the Yankees’ Triple-A affiliate, the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders. Given his previous major league experience and brief run of success with the Brewers, he could certainly see time in the Yankees bullpen this year. He has one option year remaining.

Mariners, Michael Mariot Agree To Minor League Deal

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The Mariners have signed right-handed pitcher Michael Mariot to a minor league contract, according to his transaction log on MLB.com. He has been assigned to the Triple-A Tacoma Rainiers. Mariot, 35, was previously under contract with the Diablos Rojos del México of the Mexican League, but the Diablos Rojos released him earlier this week, presumably to allow him to sign with the Mariners.

The Royals selected Mariot in the eighth round of the 2010 draft, and he made his MLB debut with Kansas City in 2014. From 2016 to ’18, he played in the Phillies, Padres, and, once again, Royals organizations. After the Royals released him in August 2018, the righty spent time in the Atlantic League, the Mexican League, and the American Association before making his way back to affiliated ball. Between 2021 and ’22, he spent time in the Reds, Nationals, Phillies, and Tigers organizations before jetting off to Taiwan to join the CTBC Brothers of the Chinese Professional Baseball League.

His league-switching continued the following year. Mariot signed with the Cleburne Railroaders of the American Association in May before the Reds purchased his contract that summer. In September 2023, he made his first big league appearance since 2016, going 2 2/3 innings against Seattle, giving up one run on four hits. Perhaps the Mariners saw something they liked that day. 

Although Mariot has not had much lasting success with any league or at any level throughout his professional career, he has clearly demonstrated a willingness to pitch – traveling the world to do so. This year, Mariot will eat innings for the Rainiers for as long as they need him to, and he offers the Mariners a serviceable option for a spot start or long-relief appearance.

Dodgers Select Nabil Crismatt, Transfer Emmet Sheehan To 60-Day IL

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The Dodgers have selected the contract of right-handed pitcher Nabil Crismatt, the team announced. Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic was the first to report the move. Crismatt will join the team in time for today’s game against the Cardinals. In corresponding moves, right-handed pitcher Kyle Hurt has been optioned, while fellow righty Emmet Sheehan has been transferred to the 60-day injured list, opening up a spot on the 40-man roster.

Crismatt, 29, is quite familiar with the NL West. After making his MLB debut with the Cardinals in 2020, he made 102 appearances for the Padres from 2021-23, in addition to one appearance for the Diamondbacks last August. The Dodgers will be his third NL West team in the past 10 months. Although he struggled in 2023, ultimately getting designated for assignment by both San Diego and Arizona, he was a capable low-leverage relief arm in 2021 and ’22. Over those two seasons, he threw 148 2/3 innings in 95 games with a 3.39 ERA and 3.69 SIERA. He rarely blew the ball past opposing hitters, instead relying on a changeup-heavy approach to maintain a low walk rate and induce groundballs.

The righty got off to a poor start in 2023. His velocity was down and his command was spotty; he gave up five walks and 12 runs in 10 innings of work. Three weeks into the season, a hip strain put him out of commission for the next two months, after which he struggled to get back to the majors. Crismatt made just two more big league appearances, one for the Padres in June and one for D-backs two months later. Meanwhile, his Triple-A numbers were unsightly. He posted a 6.94 ERA and 8.06 FIP in 11 2/3 innings in the Padres organization and a 6.85 ERA and 6.04 FIP in 47 1/3 innings with the Diamondbacks’ Triple-A affiliate.

Despite his rough season in 2023, Crismatt is only one year removed from a healthy and productive campaign. Not yet 30 years old, it isn’t so far-fetched to think he could re-discover that form in 2024. Although he struggled this spring (8.44 ERA in 5 /13 IP), the Dodgers seem to think he has something to offer their big league bullpen.

Crismatt is out of options, so once he is officially selected, the Dodgers must keep him on the 26-man roster, trade him, or expose him to waivers.

Hurt, 25, is widely considered one of the Dodgers’ top pitching prospects. He threw 2 2/3 innings against the Cardinals on Saturday, facing 10 batters, striking out three, walking none, and giving up an unearned run. Despite his successful outing, he was likely optioned to give manager Dave Roberts a fresh arm in the bullpen.

Sheehan, 24, missed spring training with what was originally described as shoulder soreness, as well as some general bodily discomfort. However, when the Dodgers placed Sheehan on the 10-day IL ahead of the Seoul Series, they described his injury as forearm inflammation. Today, Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register reports that Sheehan’s transfer to the 60-day IL is related to his sore shoulder. This is another setback for the young hurler. In mid-March, Dave Roberts suggested that Sheehan could be ready by stateside Opening Day. On March 24, Ardaya reported that Sheehan would still need “a full spring’s worth of buildup” before he could rejoin the Dodgers. Now, the earliest the righty can return is May 18.

Sheehan made 13 appearances (11 starts) last season, pitching to a 4.92 ERA, 4.41 SIERA, and an impressive 3.50 xERA. If the Dodgers have no room in the rotation when he is ready to return, he could be optioned to Triple-A, where he only made three appearances last season, or he could be a candidate to join the bullpen. His high velocity might play up out of the ’pen, and he could fill a similar role to Crismatt, albeit with a much higher ceiling.

Nationals Place Nick Senzel On 10-Day IL, Select Trey Lipscomb

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TODAY: The Nationals announced Lipscomb’s selection, and Senzel was officially placed on the 10-day IL with a right thumb fracture.

MARCH 28: The Nationals are planning to select infielder Trey Lipscomb, reports Andrew Golden of The Washington Post. Lipscomb would replace Nick Senzel on the active roster; the third baseman broke his thumb in practice before Washington’s Opening Day game. As for the 40-man roster, Lipscomb can take Stephen Strasburg’s spot. The ailing veteran was placed on the 60-day IL earlier today, per Mark Zuckerman of MASN.

Drafted in the third round out of the University of Tennessee in 2022, Lipscomb made his way up to Double-A last season. He hit .284/.310/.438 with a 102 wRC+ in 80 games for the Harrisburg Senators. While he is primarily a third baseman, he has spent time at all four infield positions. He even began to practice as an outfielder this spring, per Golden.

In addition to flexing his defensive versatility, Lipscomb made a strong impression at the plate in big league camp, going 20-for-50 with five walks and only seven strikeouts. However, this spring, manager Davey Martinez told Zuckerman that Lipscomb would only make the roster out of camp if he was going to get regular playing time. Indeed, a few days later, the 23-year-old was reassigned to minor league camp.

However, it seems Lipscomb won’t have to wait long to make his MLB debut after all. Senzel was set to be Washington’s primary third baseman, and presumably, Lipscomb is being called up to fill that hole. The Nationals already have rookie Nasim Nuñez and veteran Ildemaro Vargas on the bench, but neither will stand in Lipscomb’s way if Martinez wants him playing every day. In fact, Zuckerman notes that Lipscomb is expected to be the starting third baseman for the Nationals on Saturday as they take on the Reds for game two of their season.

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