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Luis Arraez Playing Through Torn Thumb Ligament

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Luis Arraez suffered an injury to his left thumb while sliding into third base during a game back on June 25, and the ongoing discomfort was enough for Arraez to skip playing in the All-Star Game so he could give his thumb a full four days of rest over the break.  Arraez revealed more specifics about the injury yesterday, telling Daniel Alvarez-Montes of El Extrabase and other reporters that he has a torn ligament in his thumb.

The Athletic’s Dennis Lin (via X) sheds some more light on the situation, saying that Arraez was given the okay to keep playing after he received a fuller medical exam during the All-Star break.  As Arraez described things last month, he feels discomfort while swinging and fielding, but if the injury is ultimately all about pain tolerance, he wants to stay on the field if at all physically possible.

The results have been mixed, since Arraez is hitting only .280/.302/.352 in 130 plate appearances since June 25.  It is a noticeable step back from the .310/.345/.384 slash line he delivered in his first 360 PA of the season, and his overall .302/.334/.375 slash line represents the lowest slugging percentage and OBP of Arraez’s six Major League seasons, as well as the second-lowest batting average.

Arraez’s 103 wRC+ is still above the league average, if well below the 132 wRC+ he posted in 2022-23 while winning consecutive batting titles in both the AL (with the Twins in 2022) and NL (with the Marlins last year).  Naturally Arraez would prefer to be hitting closer to his usual standard, yet he likely feels that as long as he is still productive at the plate, he’ll continue to try and grind it out.  San Diego’s playoff chase is clearly another factor — the Padres enter today’s action holding the top wild card spot in the National League, and they sit only 2.5 games behind the Dodgers for first place in the NL West.

The Friars have achieved this success despite missing several key players for big chunks of the season.  It remains unclear when Fernando Tatis Jr. (femoral stress reaction) and Yu Darvish (restricted list due to a personal matter) will return to the active roster, though Joe Musgrove is expected to make his return from the 60-day injured list on Monday to start against the Pirates.  Arraez’s nagging thumb problem adds to the Padres’ list of concerns, though obviously the team is trying to manage the injury as best as possible, as Arraez is getting a good chunk of time at designated hitter.

Royals Place Hunter Harvey On 15-Day Injured List

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The Royals announced that right-hander Hunter Harvey has been placed on the 15-day injured list (retroactive to August 7) due to mid-back tightness.  Right-hander Carlos Hernandez was called up from Triple-A in the corresponding move.

The back problem has kept Harvey from pitching since August 4, so he’ll get the maximum three days of backdated IL placement time factored into a longer stint on the sidelines.  Clearly Harvey and the Royals were hopeful that some rest would allow for Harvey to heal without the need for a trip to the injured list, but today’s news continues that has been a shaky beginning to the reliever’s tenure in Kansas City.

Acquired from the Nationals just under a month ago, K.C. paid a hefty price to land the righty, giving up both notable infield prospect Cayden Wallace as well as the 39th overall pick in the 2024 draft (the Royals’ Competitive Balance Round selection, which are the only types of draft picks that can be traded).  The Royals were hoping that Harvey could help solidify their bullpen, but he has thus far posted a 6.35 ERA in 5 2/3 innings over four appearances, with four walks and five strikeouts.

These numbers are starkly different from the 4.20 ERA, 26.3% strikeout rate, and 6.3% walk rate Harvey posted in 45 innings for Washington prior to the trade.  The small sample size of Harvey’s time with the Royals must be considered, of course, plus some extra misfortune in the form of a .389 BABIP since he went from D.C. to K.C.  However, while most secondary metrics indicated that Harvey pitched better with the Nats than his 4.20 ERA indicated, he is near the bottom of the league with a 48.3% hard-hit ball rate.

It could be that all of that hard contact was bound to catch up with Harvey eventually, and it surely hasn’t helped that he might’ve been nursing a bad back during some of this time.  Harvey has a long injury history mostly related to arm problems rather than back issues, so hopefully a 15-day absence will fully correct the problem.

Harvey joins a few other Royals relievers on the IL, as John Schreiber and Dan Altavilla are expected back roughly around the end of August and the team is hopeful Josh Taylor can return at some point in September.  The injuries haven’t helped the Royals’ efforts to both improve their bullpen results or their broader goal of reaching the playoffs, and with Harvey out, it puts more pressure on James McArthur and new arrival Lucas Erceg to hold the fort in high-leverage situations.

AL West Notes: Verlander, Rodriguez, deGrom

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Justin Verlander is slated to make a rehab start for Triple-A Sugar Land today, marking his first game action since June 9.  Astros manager Joe Espada told reporters (including Matt Kawahara and Matt Young of the Houston Chronicle) that the loose plan is for Verlander to throw three innings or 50 pitches in the first of what is expected to be a two-outing rehab stint, though there’s plenty of fluidity built in as the 41-year-old ace works his way back from a neck strain.

If all goes well, Verlander would likely be activated for the start of the Astros’ series with the Orioles that begins on August 22.  Verlander would become the sixth member of a six-man rotation Houston is planning to deploy during a busy stretch of the schedule, as after receiving three off-days within the first 15 days of August, the Astros then play every day from August 16 through September 2.  Assuming Verlander returns in his usual top-of-the-rotation form, he’ll be a giant boost to a Houston team that is battling the Mariners for the AL West title, and will again be looking to make another deep playoff run.  Between this neck problem and a season-opening bout of shoulder inflammation, Verlander has been limited to 57 innings in his 19th Major League season, but he has a solid 3.95 ERA when available to pitch.

More from around the AL West…

  • Julio Rodriguez hasn’t played July 21 due to a high ankle sprain, but the Mariners outfielder has been taking part in some moderate-intensity running exercises as part of his recovery process.  Manager Scott Servais told MLB.com and other media earlier this week that Rodriguez’s injury is viewed as a day-to-day situation by the team, as Rodriguez might be activated from the 10-day injured list without the need for a rehab assignment.  “The swinging really isn’t the issue, from what [Rodriguez] said.  It’s just more of the running and trying to get up to speed and taking the turns, things like that,” Servais noted.  As such, Seattle could try using Rodriguez as a designated hitter if the team wants to take it easy on his ankle.  The uncertain nature of high ankle sprains and the lack of a timetable makes it unclear when J-Rod might be back in action, but it could technically be as early as this coming week if he shows quick improvement and is able to run passably well.
  • Jacob deGrom threw a live batting practice on Thursday, with Rangers skipper Bruce Bochy telling reporters (including Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News) that deGrom will have another live BP session during the Rangers’ upcoming August 12-14 series in Boston.  This is the first time deGrom had faced live hitters during his rehab from a June 2023 Tommy John surgery, and the four-time All-Star remains on pace with the standard 13-14 month recovery timeline.  Since he’ll have a third bullpen session and then a minor league rehab assignment, deGrom might not return to the Texas roster before the end of August, but the veteran should be able to log some big league innings before 2024 is out, and gain some peace of mind about his health heading into the offseason.

Tigers Place Wenceel Perez On 10-Day Injured List

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The Tigers announced that outfielder Wenceel Perez has been placed on the 10-day injured list due to a left oblique strain.  Outfielder Akil Baddoo was called up from Triple-A to fill Perez’s spot on the active roster.

An IL stint seemed likely for Perez after he left last night’s game early due to soreness in his left abdominal area.  The severity of the oblique strain isn’t yet known, but anything beyond a Grade 1 strain might well put the rest of Perez’s rookie season in jeopardy.

Perez made his Major League debut back on April 8, and he has quickly become a regular in Detroit’s lineup.  Perez has +3 Outs Above Average, and +2 Defensive Runs Saved for his 574 innings as a right fielder, though the UZR/150 metric (-0.3) is less impressed.  Starting the year in something of a right field timeshare with Kerry Carpenter and Mark Canha, Perez had more or less moved into the everyday role in the wake of Carpenter’s extended stint on the IL, and Canha’s increased usage as a first baseman and DH before the Tigers traded him to the Giants.  Perez has also gotten a good chunk of playing time in center field, even his glovework up the middle hasn’t been great.

At the plate, Perez has hit .242/.298/.386 over 378 plate appearances, which translates to a 92 wRC+ in his first exposure to MLB pitching.  The switch-hitter has roughly equal splits from both sides of the plate, and he hasn’t made much hard contact.

Despite the uninspiring numbers, Perez has been deployed as the Tigers’ leadoff hitter for a good portion of the season, usually taking the top spot when Matt Vierling or Riley Greene hasn’t been the team’s first batter.  Baddoo figures to step into Perez’s outfield role and might get some leadoff at-bats himself down the stretch as the 55-62 Tigers will be prioritizing younger talent down the stretch.

Mets Sign Vinny Nittoli To Minor League Contract

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The Mets have signed right-hander Vinny Nittoli to a minor league deal, MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo reports (X link).  Nittoli became a free agent after rejecting an outright assignment from the Orioles at the start of August, and he’ll now return for a second stint in Queens after appearing in three games for the Mets in 2023.

Nittoli has been a member of 11 different organizations since he was a 25th-round pick for the Mariners in the 2014 draft, and he has suited up for five of those teams at the Major League level during the 2021-24 seasons.  His 12 innings in 2024 represent the bulk of his 18 2/3 career innings in the Show, and Nittoli has a 1.50 ERA in those 12 frames with the A’s and Orioles.

In keeping with the journeyman nature of Nittoli’s career, the Mets are now his fourth team in the last two months.  He started the 2024 season on a minor league deal with the Athletics but was then designated for assignment and released after he opted for free agency rather than an outright assignment to the minors.  Nittoli then caught on with the Cubs on a big league contract but was DFA’ed again just a day after signing that contract, marking the second time that Nittoli has been part of the Cubs organization without pitching in a Major League game for the Wrigleyville side.  Nittoli then landed with the Orioles on another minors deal and made two appearances at the MLB level before another trip to DFA limbo.

There has naturally been some inconsistency baked into Nittoli’s 4.33 ERA in 320 career minor league innings, as he has shown enough flashes of higher performance to continually draw interest from teams looking to add long relief depth.  While Nittoli has posted good strikeout numbers in the past, his 36% strikeout rate in 26 1/3 Triple-A innings this season represents a new career best, and he has a strong 2.73 ERA pitching for the Athletics’ and Orioles’ top affiliates.

Mariners Select Troy Taylor

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The Mariners announced that the contract of right-hander Troy Taylor has been selected from Double-A Arkansas.  Righty Eduard Bazardo was optioned to Triple-A to create room on the active roster, and no further transaction was required since Seattle had an open space on its 40-man roster.

Taylor was a 12th-round pick in the 2022 draft, and a dominant showing in his second pro season has put the 22-year-old in line for his Major League debut.  Over a combined 42 2/3 innings with Double-A Arkansas and high-A Everett, Taylor has a 1.27 ERA, 27.6% strikeout rate, 8.59% walk rate, and outstanding grounder rates.  The performance was impressive enough for the Mariners to add him to the 40-man roster, giving Taylor the nod ahead of other Triple-A arms already on the 40-man.

A full-time reliever in both college ball and in the professional ranks, MLB Pipeline’s scouting report feels Taylor has a “closer’s profile,” while Baseball America feels Taylor “has the stuff to be a mid-leverage reliever with further development.”  (BA has Taylor 21st on its list of the top 30 Mariners prospects, while Pipeline has him a bit lower in 23rd.)  Both outlets describe Taylor’s slider and fastball as plus pitches, if control can sometimes be an issue since the two pitches both have a lot of movement.  Taylor’s fastball sits in the 94-96mph range and he has dial it up to 98mph on occasion.

The M’s aren’t likely to use Taylor in many high-leverage situations right away, given how pitching key innings in a pennant race is a lot to ask of a pitcher in his first exposure to big league hitters.  Still, Taylor brings another intriguing  arm to an overall solid Mariners bullpen, and Taylor could help make up for the continued injury absence of Gregory Santos.

Cubs Release Dan Straily, Kyle McGowin

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The Cubs released right-handers Dan Straily and Kyle McGowin from their minor league contracts with the team, as per the official transactions page for the Triple-A Iowa affiliate.  Straily signed with Chicago in April and McGowin signed in May, with both pitchers returning to the affiliated minors after initially signing deals with the independent Atlantic League for the 2024 season.

Straily posted a 4.56 ERA across 803 1/3 innings with six different Major League teams from 2012-19, primarily pitching for the A’s, Marlins, and Reds.  He followed up that MLB tenure with a four-season stint in Busan with the Lotte Giants of the Korea Baseball Organization, through Straily also briefly pitched in the Diamondbacks’ farm system in 2022.  Straily had a 3.29 ERA over 503 innings with the Giants, though that overall successful number masks some inconsistency, primarily in a 2023 season that saw the righty deliver only a 4.37 ERA in 80 1/3 frames before being released last July.

The results also haven’t been there for Straily in his age-35 season, as he has a 5.49 ERA, 21.4% strikeout rate, and 10.8% walk rate over 78 2/3 innings for Iowa.  A lot of the damage has been caused by the home run ball, as Straily has given up 18 round-trippers during the limited sample size of his time with the Cubs’ top affiliate.  Keeping the ball in the park was often a struggle for Straily during his days in the big leagues — he allowed a National League-high 31 homers in 2016 when a member of the Reds rotation, and he gave up an incredible 22 home runs in only 47 2/3 innings while pitching for the Orioles in 2019.

McGowin has also had a tough time in Iowa this season, posting a 6.13 ERA in 10 starts and 47 Triple-A innings.  The righty showed much better form in Double-A (2.22 ERA in 28 1/3 IP) and in his brief time with the Atlantic League’s Charleston Dirty Birds (2.70 ERA in 10 innings), but McGowin’s lack of success in Iowa led the Cubs to part ways with the 32-year-old.

McGowin’s big league resume consists of a 5.98 ERA over 64 2/3 innings, all with the Nationals in parts of every season from 2018-21.  His 4.20 ERA over 30 innings in 2021 marked both his best ERA and his highest innings total over a single MLB season, though the Nats outrighted him off their 40-man roster at season’s end and McGowin hasn’t since gotten another look in the Show.  The righty didn’t pitch at all in 2022 while recovering from a UCL injury but resurfaced in 2023 to pitch in independent ball, the Chinese Professional Baseball League, and 62 1/3 innings with the Astros’ Triple-A club.

Giants Sign Spencer Howard To Minors Contract

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The Giants signed Spencer Howard to a new minor league deal earlier this week, and the righty tossed a scoreless inning for Triple-A Sacramento last night in his return to the organization.  Howard began the season with the Giants before being traded to the Guardians in early July, but he was designated for assignment and then outrighted by Cleveland before the end of the month, with Howard opting for free agency rather than the outright assignment.

The brief trip back to the open market has now led Howard back to Sacramento.  Howard has a 5.75 ERA over 40 2/3 innings for the Triple-A affiliate this season, as well as a 6.21 ERA in 29 combined innings (24 with the Giants, five with the Guardians) at the big league level.  Though a .398 BABIP has contributed to Howard’s struggles in the majors, his 18.8% strikeout rate and 9.7% walk rate are both below average, and he has allowed five homers in his 29 frames of work.

Home runs have been a consistent problem for Howard over his five MLB seasons, contributing to his rough 7.00 ERA in 144 career innings with the Guardians, Giants, Rangers, and Phillies.  A highly-touted prospect during his time in Philadelphia’s farm system, Howard just recently turned 28 and is still trying to find a firm foothold in the majors.

The Giants have used the right-hander in a variety of roles (starter, reliever, opener, bulk pitcher) this season without much success, and Howard will again be on hand at Triple-A to provide some pitching depth.  Howard is out of minor league options, if San Francisco did select his contract back to the active roster, the club would again have to pursue the DFA route in order to try and move Howard back to the minors.

East Notes: Grissom, Suarez, Volpe, Lowe, De La Cruz, Shim

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The Red Sox activated Vaughn Grissom from the 10-day injured list today and optioned the infielder to Triple-A, a move that The Athletic’s Jen McCaffrey reported the team was considering last week.  Grissom hasn’t played in the majors since June 1 due to a right hamstring strain, adding to his troubled first season in Boston.  Between this injury and a left hamstring strain in Spring Training, Grissom has been limited to 23 Major League games, and a dismal .148/.207/.160 slash line in 87 plate appearances.

Some kind of decision was required since Grissom’s 20-day minor league rehab assignment was up tomorrow, but his .604 OPS in 58 Triple-A PA during that assignment didn’t exactly force Boston’s hand for a promotion.  Even as the Sox continue to look for answers at second base, Grissom will need to perform better to earn another call-up, and it remains to be seen when (or even if) he might be back in the majors before 2024 is over.

More from both the AL and NL East…

  • Ranger Suarez has been on the Phillies’ 15-day injured list since July 24, and manager Rob Thomson told Lochlahn March of the Philadelphia Inquirer and other reporters that Suarez isn’t expected back until after the end of the Phils’ next homestand (August 13-18).  Suarez does appear to be making decent progress in his recovery from lower-back soreness, as he threw a 36-pitch bullpen session today.  Perhaps another bullpen session and at least one live batting-practice session will be in order, and Suarez’s return could be delayed a bit longer if the Phillies opt to send him on a minor league rehab assignment.  The left-hander was arguably the best pitcher in baseball over the first three months of the season before his back problems started to surface, and Suarez struggled to a 7.71 ERA in his last 21 innings prior to his IL placement.
  • Anthony Volpe fouled a ball off his left foot during a plate appearance in the second inning of tonight’s 9-4 Yankees loss to the Angels, and the shortstop was eventually forced out of the game in the eighth inning.  Manager Aaron Boone told the New York Post’s Greg Joyce and other reporters that x-rays were negative and Volpe just received a contusion, though more will be known in the coming days if Volpe will need to miss any time.  Volpe has an exactly average 100 wRC+ over 516 PA this season, with a lot of streakiness baked into a .257/.304/.410 slash line.  The second-year player has been hot at the plate recently and is still delivering standout defense at shortstop, so the Yankees can only hope the injury isn’t serious.
  • It was a similar story for Rays outfielder Josh Lowe, as x-rays were also negative on Lowe’s right knee after he fouled a ball off himself in the first inning of tonight’s game.  Lowe was in enough discomfort that he couldn’t take the field for the bottom of the first, but his injury was also deemed a contusion.  A pair of oblique strains have already sent Lowe to the IL twice this season, and he has hit .236/.296/.410 over 213 plate appearances thus far in 2024, playing almost exclusively against right-handed pitchers.
  • The Marlins made several trades during their pre-deadline selloff, and the deal that sent Bryan De La Cruz to the Pirates drew some “disagreement and discussion internally,” according to The Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson and Craig Mish.  De La Cruz isn’t arbitration-eligible until this coming offseason and is now under the Pirates’ control through 2027, but the Marlins’ analytics department wasn’t impressed by his long-term potential, “and a belief that De La Cruz wasn’t going to be a starter [in Miami] when the team is ready to contend.”  The Fish also had a particular interest in prying right-hander Jun-Seok Shim away from Pittsburgh, as Shim’s spin rates and pitching arsenal impressed Miami evaluators.  A Marlins source told Jackson/Mish that the team isn’t concerned about the shoulder issue that has thus far kept Shim from pitching in 2024.

Pirates To Select Domingo German

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The Pirates will select the contract of right-hander Domingo German from Triple-A Indianapolis prior to tomorrow’s game with the Dodgers, according to reporter Mike Rodriguez (X link).  The move comes a day before German’s opt-out date in his most recent minor league contract with Pittsburgh.

It was just over a year ago that German began treatment for alcohol abuse, following a reported incident of an intoxicated German entering the Yankees’ clubhouse and arguing with teammates.  The Yankees placed German on the restricted list and outrighted him off the roster following the season, with German opting to become a free agent.  The trip to the open market led to his first minor league deal with the Pirates, and after his exercised an opt-out clause in mid-July, he re-signed with the Bucs a few days later.

German’s results in Indianapolis have been mixed, as he has a 5.29 ERA, 21.9% strikeout rate, and 10.3% walk rate in 68 Triple-A innings.  Some of the heavier damage did occur earlier in his Triple-A tenure, though it could be that the Pirates’ hand is being somewhat forced by the pending opt-out date.  It isn’t clear if German will start tomorrow’s game against Los Angeles, or if the Pirates might view him as something of a piggyback starter or long man behind an opener.

Mitch Keller, Paul Skenes, and Bailey Falter are lined up to start during the three-game series, so if German does get the start, he could push everyone back a day just to provide the regular rotation members with some extra rest.  Pittsburgh doesn’t play on August 15 and then embarks on a string of 13 games in as many days, so a de facto six-man rotation could help keep everyone fresh for that stretch.  Skenes’ workload has been a big subplot of his incredible rookie season and Jared Jones just started a rehab assignment and could be back from the IL in a couple of weeks, further shaking up the Pirates’ pitching plans as the club also tries to contend for a wild card berth.

German’s first appearance with the Pirates will mark his first Major League game with a team besides the Yankees, as the righty posted a 4.41 ERA over 522 1/3 innings with New York from 2017-23.  German missed the 2019 postseason and the entire 2020 season due to an 81-game suspension for a violation of the MLB/MLBPA domestic violence policy, and his checkered resume also includes a 10-game suspension in 2023 for using foreign substances on the ball, as well as the aforementioned stint on the restricted list.  In between those two absences last season, German entered the record books by throwing a perfect game against the A’s on June 28, 2023.

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