Mark Polishuk | MLB Trade Rumors

Dodgers Place Clayton Kershaw On Injured List Due To Bone Spur In Toe

By Mark Polishuk | August 31, 2024 at 5:37pm CDT

5:37pm: Kershaw is headed to the injured list due to the issue, manager Dave Roberts told reporters (including Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register). Right-hander Ben Casparius has been recalled from the minors to take Kershaw’s roster spot, and Plunkett adds that left-hander Justin Wrobleski is set to be called up when rosters expand tomorrow to start tomorrow’s game. That could leave Wrobleski in position to take over Kershaw’s spot in the rotation relatively seamlessly.

7:55am: Clayton Kershaw threw just 27 pitches in Friday’s start before soreness in his left big toe forced the longtime Dodgers starter out of the game. Kershaw was charged with three earned runs over one inning of work plus one batter faced in the second frame, as the left-hander left the mound after allowing a home run to Corbin Carroll.

Speaking with reporters (including Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times) after the game, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts explained that Kershaw’s toe discomfort was caused by a bone spur that has been lingering for multiple seasons. “Some starts it feels fine and it’s not impeding. Today certainly it was,” Roberts said.

Given the longstanding nature of the injury, it isn’t necessarily clear whether or not Kershaw will need to be placed on the 15-day injured list. Kershaw and Roberts both stated that some testing and evaluation will need to happen before a decision is made, and the Dodgers have some extra time to monitor the situation since Kershaw wasn’t scheduled to pitch until next Friday. L.A. is expected to call up Justin Wrobleski for a spot start on Sunday, and the team has an off-day on Thursday, giving Kershaw more opportunity to rest.

That said, it obviously wouldn’t be surprising if the Dodgers opted to put Kershaw on the IL even as a precautionary measure. Kershaw’s lengthy injury history is well-documented, and he didn’t make his 2024 debut until July 25 due to a lengthy recovery from shoulder surgery last November. The southpaw has posted a 4.50 ERA and only an 18% strikeout rate over 30 innings, and while it isn’t a big sample size, Kershaw’s fastball velocity has dropped to 89.9 mph.

Losing Kershaw to the IL would represent yet another blow to the injury-ravaged Los Angeles rotation. The Dodgers have still posted an 81-54 record despite having to account for multiple injured arms for the entirety of the season. Roberts said the team is very likely to make some roster moves today to add fresh arms to a bullpen that had to cover eight innings on Friday, and some extra breathing space will come Sunday when teams expand their rosters from 26 to 28 players.

Adding just relief depth, however, might not provide much help to an L.A. team that still has plenty of questions about its starting staff as the postseason approaches. Considering the Dodgers’ five-game lead in the NL West, it would take quite a collapse for the club to actually miss the playoffs, yet it certainly seems possible that Los Angeles could have another strong regular season undone by a lack of healthy arms in October. In terms of reinforcements, Yoshinobu Yamamoto has started a Triple-A rehab assignment and could be back within a couple of weeks, though it isn’t yet clear when Tyler Glasnow could return from a bout of right elbow tendinitis.

White Sox To Promote Jairo Iriarte

By Mark Polishuk | August 31, 2024 at 3:11pm CDT

The White Sox will officially call up right-handed pitching prospect Jairo Iriarte on Sunday when rosters expand to 28 players, according to the Tiburones Report and Daniel Alvarez-Montes of El ExtraBase (both links to X). The 22-year-old Iriarte will skip Triple-A Charlotte entirely in making the leap from Double-A right to the verge of his Major League debut. Iriarte is already on the 40-man roster, so the White Sox won’t need to make any other corresponding moves.

MLB Pipeline ranks Iriarte fifth among Chicago’s prospects, while Baseball America isn’t far behind with a seventh-place ranking. The righty was an international signing for the Padres out of his native Venezuela in 2018, and he was sent to the White Sox this past March as part of the trade package San Diego gave up to land Dylan Cease.

Over 126 innings with Birmingham, Iriarte has a 3.71 ERA, 10.7% walk rate, and 22.8% strikeout rate. The latter metric is well below the K-rates Iriarte posted in his previous three seasons, but his grounder rate has continued to move upwards, now up to a 46.7% rate. He has also continued to do a good job at keeping the ball in the park, with seven homers allowed over his 126 frames.

The scouting reports indicate Iriarte has a mid-90s fastball and a mid-to-low 80s slider as his primary two pitches, with a decent changeup that is still something of a work in progress. Both Pipeline and BA aren’t certain he’ll necessarily stick as a starting pitcher, but the White Sox will surely first see what he can do as a starter before considering a future move to the bullpen. Iriarte would seem to have a relief-friendly arsenal already, and he could potentially become a closer if a career as a starter isn’t in the cards.

Moving Iriarte straight to the majors from Double-A is a little unusual, as it wasn’t like the right-hander was so dominant in Birmingham that he was kicking down the door for a call-up. With the White Sox in full rebuild mode as they try to avoid a record-setting season of losing, there may not be much harm in evaluating any promising prospects they have, even if Iriarte just gets a couple of outings to get his feet wet against MLB hitters.

Reds Select David Buchanan, Designate Evan Kravetz

By Mark Polishuk | August 31, 2024 at 2:20pm CDT

The Reds announced a trio of roster moves Saturday, including the news that David Buchanan’s contract has been selected from Triple-A. Left-hander Evan Kravetz was designated for assignment in the corresponding move to create roster space for Buchanan. Cincinnati also announced that Casey Kelly (who was designated for assignment earlier this week) cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A.

Buchanan figures to get at least one start for a Reds team that been hit hard by rotation injuries, and it represents a rather remarkable comeback story. The 35-year-old Buchanan last pitched in the majors way back in 2015 as a member of the Phillies rotation, and he spent the 2016 with Triple-A Lehigh Valley before embarking on a long stint overseas. Buchanan pitched for Yakult Swallows of Nippon Professional Baseball in 2017-19, and he then spent the 2020-23 seasons with the KBO League’s Samsung Lions.

The right-hander enjoyed a good deal of success in international baseball, including a pair of All-Star nods with the Lions in 2022 and 2023. This earned Buchanan another look in North America, as he signed a minor league contract to return to the Phillies organization this past winter. Buchanan had a 4.82 ERA over 102 2/3 Triple-A innings before he was traded to the Reds earlier this week, in a post-deadline deal made possible since Buchanan hadn’t spent any time on Philadelphia’s 40-man roster this season.

Kravetz hits the DFA wire just three days after making his Major League debut, and throwing two-thirds of scoreless ball in the Reds’ 9-6 loss to the Athletics on August 28. While it’s safe to say that Cincinnati’s injury crunch helped open the door for Kravetz to get a cup of coffee in the majors, he made a solid case for promotion with a 3.40 ERA and a 25% strikeout rate in 42 1/3 relief innings with Triple-A Louisville this season.

Even this ERA was inflated by an uncharacteristically high 16.3% home run rate, though Kravetz didn’t help himself with an 11.7% walk rate in Louisville. Free passes have been something of a persistent issue for Kravetz, who has an 11.1% walk rate across his 244 1/3 career innings as a minor leaguer.

As for Kelly, there isn’t yet any word if he’ll accept the outright assignment and remain in the organization. Because he has been outrighted in the past, the veteran hurler can elect to become a free agent rather than stick with the Reds.

Athletics Claim Janson Junk

By Mark Polishuk | August 31, 2024 at 12:54pm CDT

The Athletics announced that right-hander Janson Junk has been claimed off waivers from the Astros. Outfielder Miguel Andujar was moved to the 60-day injured list to create roster space, as Andujar’s season is already over due to a core surgery.

Junk’s August has been bookended by a pair of waiver claims, as the Astros initially plucked him off the Brewers’ wire at the start of the month. He didn’t receive any playing time in the majors during his limited time with Houston, and he struggled to a 6.14 ERA in 14 2/3 innings with Triple-A Round Rock. Junk was used exclusively as a starter with Round Rock, as opposed to his usage as both a starter and reliever with Triple-A Nashville earlier this season, when he had a 2.55 ERA over 35 1/3 frames.

Junk has generally decent numbers across parts of four seasons at the Triple-A level, but that hasn’t translated into much success (or even regular playing time) during his brief stints in the big leagues. Over 40 career MLB innings with Los Angeles and Milwaukee since he debuted with the Angels in 2021, Junk has a 5.18 ERA, 20% strikeout rate, and five percent walk rate.

Since the rebuilding A’s are looking to evaluate talent and fill innings over the remainder of the season, Junk might well get another opportunity to show that he can do against big league hitters. Junk will be out of minor league options next year, so Oakland or any other team will need to designate the righty for assignment before trying to send him back to Triple-A.

Rays Place Colin Poche On 15-Day IL, Designate Erasmo Ramirez

By Mark Polishuk | August 31, 2024 at 11:49am CDT

The Rays announced a series of roster moves today, including the news that left-hander Colin Poche was placed on the 15-day injured list due to inflammation in his throwing shoulder. Right-hander Erasmo Ramirez was also designated for assignment, and right-handers Cole Sulser and Hunter Bigge were called up from Triple-A to fill the two spots on the active roster. Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reported on the moves shortly before the team’s official announcement, and also noted that catcher Logan Driscoll has been added to the taxi squad, perhaps in advance of a contract selection tomorrow when rosters expand to 28 players.

Poche has been a reliable bullpen arm for the last three seasons, with his excellent 2.23 ERA over 60 2/3 innings in 2023 sandwiched between 2022 and 2024 campaigns that were more solid than spectacular. This year, Poche has a 3.67 ERA, 22.3% strikeout rate, and 9.4% walk rate over 34 1/3 innings for Tampa.

He missed a little over six weeks of the season due to back problems, and now this second IL stint could potentially put the rest of his 2024 campaign in jeopardy, given the lack of time remaining in the regular season. However, Poche told Topkin that he hopes to pitch again before the year is out, and an MRI didn’t seem to reveal anything structurally wrong with his shoulder.

Sulser and Bigge will be tasked with covering the innings left over by Poche and Ramirez, who is headed to the DFA wire for the fourth time in the last 14 months. The Rays previously designated Ramirez back in May and then outrighted him off the 40-man roster, only to select his contract again earlier this week.

Because Ramirez has a past outright on his resume, he has the ability to reject another outright assignment (if he clears waivers) and opt into free agency. Since the veteran righty chose to remain in the organization in May, it would seem that he’s more likely than not to again accept the outright assignment, continuing his longstanding ties in Tampa Bay. Ramirez first pitched for the Rays from 2015-17 before rejoining the team last season, and 377 1/3 of his 849 career MLB innings have come in a Tampa uniform.

This season, Ramirez has a 4.35 ERA in 20 2/3 frames for the Rays, working mostly in a mop-up capacity and eating multiple innings when he has been on the team’s 26-man roster. Another team in need of experienced pitching could put in a claim to bring Ramirez aboard in a similar capacity, but chances are Ramirez will clear waivers and remain in Tampa’s farm system as bullpen depth.

Nationals Select Darren Baker

By Mark Polishuk | August 31, 2024 at 10:34am CDT

September 1: The Nationals have officially announced the selection of Baker’s contract. Right-hander Trevor Williams was transferred to the 60-day IL to make room for Baker on the 40-man roster, and righty Zach Brzykcy has been recalled from the minors to fill the additional pitching roster spot created by today’s roster expansion. Brzykcy’s first appearance will be his MLB debut. The righty’s impending call-up was firs reported by Talk Nats.

August 31: The Nationals are planning to select the contract of second baseman/left fielder Darren Baker on Sunday, according to the Talk Nats feed (X link). Some space will need to be cleared on Washington’s 40-man roster, but a corresponding move on the active roster might not be necessary, since rosters expand from 26 to 28 players on Sunday.

A 10th-round pick for the Nats in the 2021 draft, Baker isn’t considered one of Washington’s top 30 prospects by either Baseball America or MLB Pipeline. However, he has been red-hot at the plate in August, building his season-long slash line to .285/.348/.340 over 483 plate appearances with Triple-A Rochester. While he doesn’t offer much power, Baker makes a lot of contact and is a threat on the basepaths, with 38 steals in 43 attempts this season.

Baker has primarily played second base and left field during his minor league career, but might not get a ton of action at either position since Luis Garcia Jr. and James Wood (both left-handed batters, like Baker) are established in everyday roles. Baker has played a bit of center field so he could get some platoon work up the middle with Jacob Young, and he could join the DH mix with the likes of Juan Yepez, Andres Chaparro, and veteran Joey Gallo.

Baker will be making his MLB debut whenever he appears in a game, but the 25-year-old is no stranger to the big leagues. The son of legendary manager Dusty Baker, Darren became known to fans when he was just three years old, and working as a batboy for the father’s Giants team during the 2002 World Series. During Game 5, Baker was running towards home plate to pick up Kenny Lofton’s bat after a two-run triple, and might have been run over by baserunner David Bell if J.T. Snow hadn’t quickly grabbed the youngster out of harm’s way after Snow scored earlier on the play.

That incident led to the league instituting a rule that all batboys had to be at least 14 years old, and thus “the Darren Baker rule” has already ensured Baker some level of notoriety within baseball history. Now, he can create a new name for himself by officially becoming a Major League player, and continuing the Baker family’s on-field legacy in the game. (Current fans may know Dusty Baker best as a manager, but the elder Baker was a two-time All-Star and former NLCS MVP during an outstanding 19-year playing career.)

NL Central Notes: Pham, Walker, Greene, Abbott, McCutchen, Heller

By Mark Polishuk | August 31, 2024 at 9:53am CDT

Jordan Walker “will play every day” down the stretch for the Cardinals, manager Oliver Marmol told The Athletic’s Katie Woo and other reporters yesterday after St. Louis recalled the top prospect from Triple-A Memphis. After debuting with a solid rookie season in 2023, Walker has hit only .151/.229/.233 over 83 plate appearances at the MLB level this season, and the Cardinals have kept him at Triple-A for much of the season. While his production in Memphis this year was only decent, the Cards have seen enough to bring Walker back for an extended stretch of playing time that will ideally set the table for Walker to stick as a lineup regular in 2025 and beyond.

Some space in the Cardinals’ outfield was cleared for Walker when Tommy Pham was designated for assignment, a day after the team first put Pham on irrevocable waivers. Woo writes that Pham welcomed the news and had even discussed such a move with the Cards, as he’ll now have a chance at more regular playing time on another team. If he joins another club before Sunday, Pham will also be eligible for that new club’s postseason roster.

Reds Release Tony Kemp

By Mark Polishuk | August 31, 2024 at 8:25am CDT

The Reds have released Tony Kemp from his minor league contract with the team, according to Kemp’s MLB.com profile page. Kemp signed with Cincinnati in July but didn’t receive a call-up to the majors during his latest stint in the organization.

After playing with the Athletics from 2020-23, Kemp has bounced around the league since becoming a free agent last fall. He previously signed another minors deal with the Reds back in February, but was released late in Spring Training camp and then caught on with the Orioles on a big league contract. He was designated for assignment and outrighted by the O’s in April, and Kemp elected free agency again and caught on with the Twins on a minors contract, before opting out and returning once more to the Reds. Throughout all of these moves, Kemp has appeared in just five MLB games this year, all with Baltimore.

The 32-year-old has hit .262/.350/.406 slash line over 326 combined Triple-A plate appearances this season, delivering decent production but not enough to compel the Twins or Reds to select his contract to the Show. With Cincinnati’s Triple-A affiliate in particular, Kemp was hitting a more modest .237/.338/.364 in 139 PA. Kemp has become strictly a second baseman and left fielder during his last couple of years in Oakland, but he has seen a bit of time as a center fielder and right fielder at the Triple-A level this year.

Kemp will still be eligible for postseason play if he signs with a new team before tomorrow, though his 2024 production makes him a depth candidate at best for any playoff contenders. Some clubs could certainly still be interested in bringing Kemp aboard to provide some extra backup at second base or left field, plus Kemp is a well-respected veteran whose presence could fit in many clubhouses. The Orioles’ deal with Kemp came with a guaranteed $1MM salary, so Baltimore is still responsible for the majority of owed salary, as a new team would owe Kemp just the prorated portion of a MLB minimum salary for any time spent on an active roster.

Rays Outright Rob Brantly

By Mark Polishuk | August 27, 2024 at 6:47pm CDT

August 27: Brantly cleared waivers and was outrighted back to Triple-A Durham, per the MLB.com transaction log. It isn’t clear whether he’ll elect free agency or rejoin the Bulls for the rest of the season.

August 24: The Rays announced that catcher Rob Brantly was designated for assignment. Catcher Ben Rortvedt was activated from the team’s family emergency list in the corresponding move, and Rortvedt will resume his usual share of the catching duties with Alex Jackson. Rortvedt was initially placed the paternity list last week, but Bally Sports’ Tricia Whitaker reported (via X) that Rortvedt was moved to the family emergency list in order to spend a bit of extra time with the newborn baby.

Brantly’s minor league contract was selected to Tampa’s roster at the time of Rortvedt’s departure, and Brantly’s brief stint with the Rays saw him make nine plate appearances over three games. It marked his first Major League playing time since he appeared in a single game with the Yankees during the 2022 season.

A third-round pick for the Tigers in the 2010 draft, Brantly was traded to the Marlins in July 2012 and he appeared in 98 games with 356 PA for Miami over the 2012-13 seasons. That initial dose of playing time remains the bulk of Brantly’s MLB resume, as he has since received 109 PA in 39 games spread over seven different seasons, while bouncing around the league as catching depth. Tampa Bay signed Brantly to a minor league contract this past offseason, making the Rays the 12th different organization Brantly has been part of since the start of his pro career (plus he has been with the White Sox on two separate occasions).

This journeyman career has included multiple outright assignments, so if Brantly clears waivers and the Rays outright him to Triple-A, the 35-year-old has the right to reject that assignment in favor of free agency. Brantly’s reputation as a solid defender who works well with pitchers could earn him interest from yet another club in free agency or on the waiver wire, or Brantly might just opt to remain with the Rays at the Triple-A level.

Marlins Claim Mike Baumann

By Mark Polishuk | August 25, 2024 at 2:49pm CDT

The Marlins announced that right-hander Mike Baumann has been claimed off waivers. The Angels designated Baumann for assignment earlier this week.

The claim puts Baumann in position for a unique piece of baseball history, as he could join Oliver Drake as the only players to ever play for five different teams over the course of a single season. Baumann has a 5.24 ERA over 44 2/3 innings split over stints with the Angels (9 1/3 IP), Giants (two-thirds of an inning), Mariners (16 1/3 IP), and Orioles (18 1/3 IP), and just one appearance with Miami would allow Baumann to get a piece of Drake’s record.

A third-round pick for the Orioles in the 2017 draft, Baumann had spent his entire career in Baltimore’s organization before he was designated for assignment in May, thus sparking his busy summer of transactions. This is the first time Baumann has left DFA limbo via waiver claim this season, as his first three designations were resolved by trades. Baumann is out of minor league options, which is why he has been perpetually DFA’ed rather than simply optioned to the minors.

Baumann is a hard thrower with mid-90s velocity, and he had a 3.46 ERA over 64 2/3 relief innings for the Orioles in 2023. Between this resume and some good minor league numbers (including high strikeout totals), it’s easy to see why various teams have had interest in Baumann, even if he has struggled since leaving Baltimore. The Marlins are both rebuilding and have been hit hard by pitching injuries this season, so Baumann should have a decent chance at getting some innings and perhaps finally staying put on a roster.

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