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Latest On Spencer Strider, Ronald Acuna Jr.
Spencer Strider will start for the Braves in Monday’s Spring Training game with the Red Sox, in a significant step in Strider’s recovery from an internal brace procedure. MLB.com’s Mark Bowman (multiple links) figures Strider will pitch in at least five games over the rest of spring camp and during a minor league rehab assignment before officially returning to Atlanta’s rotation during the regular season, which could signal a return date around roughly the middle of April if all goes well.
This would seemingly beat the timeline floated by MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand just a few days ago, when Feinsand suggested that Strider would “likely” start a 30-day minor league rehab assignment. Braves president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos said have their own “general idea” about when both Strider and Ronald Acuna Jr. will be back from their long-term injuries, yet the team hasn’t given any set timelines.
“The fact that they’re very active participants basically throughout the spring is a good sign. Without having a date right now, we’re definitely on the shorter end, Strider more so than Ronald,” Anthopoulos said.
Should this rough timeline hold, it will mark just slightly over a year on the shelf for Strider, who underwent an internal brace surgery last April 12. While Tommy John surgeries usually require 13-15 months of recovery, internal brace procedures have a slightly shorter timeline of roughly 12-13 months attached. Because brace surgeries are still a relatively new way of addressing UCL injuries, there isn’t yet a standard timeframe for recovery, plus the obvious fact that every pitcher’s arm is a unique entity that recovers at its own pace.
Still, it’s great news for Strider and the Braves that he is on pace to return to the mound sooner rather than later. After making his MLB debut late in the 2021 season, Strider emerged almost fully formed as a front-of-the-rotation pitcher in 2022, and delivered two years of work before he was waylaid by his UCL injury. Strider posted a 2.67 ERA over 131 2/3 innings in 2022, then a 3.86 ERA in 186 2/3 frames in 2023. The latter season saw the right-hander lead the NL in strikeouts (281), strikeout rate (36.8%) and wins (20), while finishing in fourth place in Cy Young Award voting.
As Anthopoulos observed, Acuna has been able to take part in baseball activities during camp, though he isn’t expected to play in any actual games before the Grapefruit League schedule is over. Acuna should return to game action as part of a minor league rehab assignment in April, with an eye towards being activated from the injured list by the middle of May at the earliest. Acuna will start the season on the IL, but it looks as if he’ll be placed on the 10-day rather than the 60-day, which would require him to be sidelined until the last week of May.
That would make it just under a year away for Acuna, who tore his left ACL last May 26. Acuna also tore his left ACL in mid-July 2021 and returned to action by the end of April 2022, so it isn’t surprising that this second major knee injury necessitated a longer recovery time. Acuna also battled some knee soreness throughout the 2022 campaign, which was reflected in a down performance (.266/.351/.413 with 15 homers over 533 plate appearances) by his high standards.
At his best, Acuna is arguably the best player in baseball, as evidenced by his incredible MVP season in 2023. Coming back from one ACL tear to deliver such production is a positive sign that Acuna can return from this latest injury as well, though it is reasonable that Acuna will (like in 2022) take some time to fully return to form. It is also fair to speculate whether or not Acuna can get back to that 2023 peak again, simply due to the difficulty of rebounding from ACL tears in both knees.
Matt Strahm Resumes Throwing, Questionable For Opening Day
Phillies left-hander Matt Strahm was shut down for close to a week due to soreness in his throwing shoulder, but restarted his throwing progression this weekend. Scott Lauber of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes that Strahm threw from 90 feet yesterday and 75 feet today, and Strahm already feels like he is close to being ready for the Phils’ Opening Day roster.
Strahm said he felt discomfort in his shoulder early in camp, but nothing seemed amiss until his velocity was down during his second spring outing. An MRI revealed both inflammation and a bone bruise in his throwing shoulder, but no structural damage. After some medication and two examinations from the team doctor, Strahm was given the green light to resume throwing, and his shoulder was feeling good following the two long-distance games of catch this weekend.
It isn’t yet clear whether or not Strahm will be fully ready to pitch by the time camp ends, or if the Phillies could place Strahm on the 15-day injured list just as a precaution. Philadelphia’s early-season schedule could work against Strahm in this sense, as the Phillies have three off-days in the season’s first 12 days. As Lauber notes, a minimal 15-day IL stint would therefore translate to only nine missed games for Strahm, when also factoring the three days of backdating available on any IL placement.
The Phils aren’t likely to take any risks with Strahm, arguably the team’s key bullpen arm. Since coming to Philadelphia during the 2022-23 offseason, Strahm has been outstanding for the Phillies as both a fill-in starter in the first few months of the 2023 campaign and then as a shutdown reliever. Working exclusively out of the pen last season, Strahm delivered a 1.87 ERA, 33.3% strikeout rate, and 4.6% walk rate over 62 2/3 innings.
Even a fairly brief IL stint might have some impact on Strahm’s future contractual status. Initially signed to a two-year, $15MM contract, the Phillies were already impressed enough to sign Strahm to a new extension last March, locking him up for $7.5MM in guaranteed money this season, and a club option worth at least $4.5MM for 2026. That option vests at a $7.5MM guarantee if Strahm pitches at least 60 innings and passes a post-season physical, so missing nine games could hamper Strahm’s chances of hitting that 60-inning threshold.
Blue Jays Sign Justin Bruihl To Minors Deal
The Blue Jays have signed left-hander Justin Bruihl to a minor league contract, according to Aram Leighton of Just Baseball Media. Bruihl elected minor league free agency at the end of the 2024 season, after he had been outrighted off the Pirates’ 40-man roster back in July.
Brendon Little is expected to be part of the Opening Day roster and Josh Walker is also competing for a bullpen job, but Easton Lucas and the injured Adam Macko are the only other southpaws on Toronto’s 40-man roster. Bruihl therefore adds a little more depth in that area, and this signing fairly late in camp might hint that the Jays aren’t entirely satisfied with their selection of left-handers. It would seem unlikely that Bruihl himself could make a late bid to break camp with the team since he is only now moving from his offseason preparations into a proper Spring Training ramp-up, so he’ll probably start the season with Triple-A Buffalo.
Bruihl has appeared in each of the last four MLB seasons, topping out at 28 innings with the Dodgers and Rockies in 2023 and with a low of just 5 2/3 frames with Pittsburgh last season. Overall, Bruihl has a 4.62 ERA, 15.9% strikeout rate, 46.2% grounder rate, and 7.9% walk rate across his 76 total innings in the big leagues.
His 26.55% strikeout rate over 211 1/3 career minor league innings is far higher than his lackluster K% in the majors, but Bruihl hasn’t been able to duplicate that bat-missing ability against big-league hitters. Bruihl might have been the type of pitcher who would’ve thrived before the three-batter rule was implemented, given his drastic career splits — left-handed batters had only a .507 OPS against Bruihl, while right-handed batters have a .918 OPS.
Jesus Sanchez To Miss At Least Four Weeks Due To Oblique Strain
Marlins outfielder Jesus Sanchez suffered a left oblique strain during Thursday’s Grapefruit League game against the Astros, as Miami manager Clayton McCullough told reporters (including MLB.com’s Chuck King). The injury will put Sanchez on the injured list to begin the season, and he’ll miss at least the next four weeks recovering.
That timeline is a little fluid, as McCullough said tests revealed Sanchez has somewhere between a Grade 1 and Grade 2 strain. “That’s one of those areas and things that are kind of tricky to nail down. Category one, you’re looking at [a return], probably optimistically…like a month from now,” McCullough said.
Given the perpetual overhaul that is the Marlins roster, Sanchez is the team’s longest-tenured position player, having played 446 games with the Fish since making his big league debut in 2020. A top-100 prospect during his time in the minors, Sanchez has shown some flashes of that potential in the Show, but is still looking to find consistency. His career 99 wRC+ (from a .240/.308/.428 slash line and 59 home runs) reflects how Sanchez has ultimately been pretty average, and his career slash just about matched his numbers during a 100 wRC+ season in 2024.
Sanchez had settled into a regular role as Miami’s right fielder over the last two years, and was projected to again get the bulk of the work in right in 2025, though the Fish were considering giving him more looks in center field. These plans will now be put on hold until Sanchez is healthy, and his absence creates a hole in the Marlins’ outfield.
Recent reports indicated that Derek Hill was pulling ahead of Dane Myers for the regular center field job, though Myers might now be utilized in right field with Sanchez out. Griffin Conine and utilitymen Javier Sanoja and Eric Wagaman provide further depth on the grass, and Albert Almora Jr. is more of a veteran outfield option in camp on a minors contract.
Since the Marlins are in clear rebuild mode, it is worth noting that this injury might also impact Sanchez’s trade value, even if there isn’t any indication that he wouldn’t be back in plenty of time before the July 31 trade deadline. Sanchez is in his first year of arbitration eligibility and is earning a $4.5MM salary for the 2025 season, making him the second-priciest player on the Miami roster apart from Sandy Alcantara.
Tigers Working Out Spencer Torkelson As An Outfielder
Parker Meadows and Matt Vierling will both be starting the season on the Tigers’ injured list, while Wenceel Perez is also a bit of a question mark after he received a cortisone shot to deal with a lingering back problem. With so many absences already in the Detroit outfield, the team is getting creative in looking for answers, as manager A.J. Hinch told reporters (including the Detroit Free Press’ Jeff Seidel) that Spencer Torkelson has been getting in some outfield work, and will play right field in the Tigers’ game with the Pirates on Monday.
Hinch made it clear that Torkelson will get “just a sprinkle” of time in right field and “you’re not going to see him out there routinely….but we’d like it to be part of the availability in game work.” Even if the Tigers still view Torkelson as a first base/DH candidate, adding some versatility obviously can’t hurt his overall resume, plus it presents another avenue to get his bat into the lineup.
Torkelson played some outfield during his summer league days and at college at Arizona State, but since being selected first overall in the 2020 draft, Torkelson has played only third and first base as a professional. Nevertheless, Torkelson is “excited for an opportunity” in a new role, and is happy to help the team as much as possible: “We had really key players kind of go down this spring, and…in the time being, we got to find ways to compete and win, and I’ll do whatever it takes.”
Despite his top-prospect status, Torkelson has yet to really get going at the MLB level, as he followed up a promising 2023 campaign with a borderline disastrous 2024. Torkelson hit only .219/.295/.374 over 381 plate appearances, though his offense did pick up after he returned to the Tigers following a Triple-A stint of over two and a half months. After Detroit signed Gleyber Torres this winter and subsequently moved Colt Keith from second to first base, there was speculation that Torkelson might even be a trade chip, as the Tigers seemed to be squeezing him into a part-time DH role at best.
However, Torkelson has been on a tear at the plate this spring, perhaps helping his chances at a more regular turn in a DH role. Torkelson’s case for playing time has been helped by the fact that he is one of relatively few right-handed hitters within a Tigers lineup that tilts heavily to the left, plus the outfield injuries could mean that Kerry Carpenter gets more work in right field than at DH. Torkelson himself now could be considered for the occasional cameo in right field as situations warrant.
It now seems possible we could get the unlikely combination of Torkelson in right field and Javier Baez in center field at some point during a game, which speaks to the depth issues that have been caused by this sudden spate of outfield injuries. Chances are that Detroit will simply lean more on utilitymen Andy Ibanez or Zach McKinstry to fill holes while Meadows and Vierling are out, but finding more versatility on the bench (even from unexpected sources) is now a must
Brewers Considering Brice Turang At Shortstop, Joey Ortiz At Second Base
Once Willy Adames officially ended his Brewers tenure by signing with the Giants, the conventional wisdom was that Joey Ortiz would move from third base take over the shortstop position, as Ortiz had been a standout defensive shortstop during his time in the Orioles’ farm system. Indeed, Ortiz got the bulk of looks at shortstop for most of Spring Training, but in recent days, the Brewers have been going with a new alignment of Ortiz at second base, and Brice Turang moving from the keystone over to shortstop.
Manager Pat Murphy stressed that the situation was still very much in flux, telling MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy and other reports that “We haven’t made a final decision. I haven’t made a final decision. I really believe in looking at all of it, taking in all the information and listening to others. I was dead set on, ’Turang is going to be our second baseman, and Ortiz can handle short.’ I still believe that. But, then we toyed with this new setup and I was like, ’This might be better for everybody.’ ”
There is nothing stopping the experimentation from continuing into the regular season, though McCalvy writes that the team wants “Turang and Ortiz set at their positions as much as possible, rather than moving around.” Milwaukee used 108 different defensive lineups during the 2024 season, yet the cornerstones of that shifting lineup were Adames at shortstop, Turang at second base, William Contreras at catcher, and Ortiz with 124 of the starts at third base. Ortiz did make six appearances at second base last year, as well as one appearance as a shortstop.
Turang was a Gold Glove and Platinum Glove winner last season as a second baseman, with public defensive metrics (+22 Defensive Runs Saved, +6 Outs Above Average, +2.1 UZR/150) all wowed by his work at the position. Ortiz was also excellent at third base, posting +8 DRS, +11 OAA, and a +5.0 UZR/150 in 1098 1/3 innings at the hot corner. Against this backdrop of success, the Brewers naturally face some risk in rocking the boat too much on what is already a strong defensive alignment, even if there seems to be little doubt that Turang or Ortiz would adapt well to new positions.
In explaining why Ortiz might be an ideal fit at second base, Murphy noted that “We ask our second basemen to do a lot. What I mean by that is when you play the middle of the diamond the way we play our second basemen for most all right-handed hitters, and the ground we ask them to cover, it’s not too awfully different than short. The number of times you end up throwing a ball from the outfield to a base, the number of times you end up directing a ball in a first-and-third steal situation, the number of times you wind up touching the ball because you’re turning two.”
As for third base, Oliver Dunn has been making a strong bid for the job with a big Cactus League performance. Dunn made his MLB debut last season and hit .221/.282/.316 over 104 plate appearances, playing primarily as a third baseman before a back injury cut short his season in mid-June.
Dunn is a left-handed hitter, so Caleb Durbin (acquired from the Yankees in the Devin Williams trade) was thought to be the top candidate for at least a platoon role at the hot corner. However, Durbin hasn’t hit much this spring, while an unheralded option in Vinny Capra has been tearing the cover off the ball. Capra has a .439 OPS over all of 37 career PA at the big league level, and his .271/.366/.384 career slash line in 984 Triple-A plate appearances is uninspiring but respectable. Because Capra is out of minor league options, the Brewers would have to sneak him through waivers in order to send him down to Triple-A, which might help his chances of breaking camp with the team if the decision is made to give Durbin more seasoning in the minors.
Brandon Nimmo Limited By Right Knee Soreness
Brandon Nimmo played in his second Spring Training game on Thursday, serving the Mets’ designated hitter against the Red Sox. It was Nimmo’s first on-field action in over a week, as right knee soreness and a gel injection to battle inflammation kept the outfielder on the sidelines. The Mets were already taking Nimmo’s ramp-up slowly in a nod to the plantar fasciitis issue that bothered him for much of 2024, yet Nimmo told the New York Post’s Dan Martin and other reporters that his left foot is no longer much of a concern, or at least less of a concern than his knee.
In terms of what created the knee issue, Nimmo feels a swing adjustment he made this spring added some extra stress on his joint. He also cited some longstanding MCL and cartilage damage based on a torn ACL Nimmo suffered 15 years ago when he was a high school football player. While Nimmo has had plenty of injury problems during his baseball career, his right knee has been pretty stable until now.
At the moment, Nimmo said he is only able to run at about 80 percent of his normal level. “For sure, there’s definitely still some soreness [and] still some pain when I get above those levels,” Nimmo said. “We try to keep things at a controlled level of pain. Up to a certain threshold is OK, but if you go much past that, then you do more damage than you’re trying to gain.”
The plan is for Nimmo to get into the “90-95 percent” range before he starts to focus on more high-impact outfield activity, beyond tracking balls and other light drills. Anything less, and Nimmo feels he could be putting both his knee and the Mets’ outfield defense at risk. In terms of overall readiness, both Nimmo and manager Carlos Mendoza were cautiously optimistic that Nimmo should be ready for Opening Day in at least a DH capacity.
The Mets have already been hit hard by injuries this spring, as Sean Manaea, Frankie Montas, Francisco Alvarez, and Jeff McNeil will all start the season on the injured list, and Nick Madrigal’s season has probably already been ended by shoulder surgery. A DH-only version of Nimmo wouldn’t help with this lack of depth, though Jesse Winker or Tyrone Taylor could step into left field in the interim. If Nimmo is limited just to DH, however, it could crowd Starling Marte out of more at-bats.
Latest On Erik Swanson
Blue Jays reliever Erik Swanson is dealing with a median nerve entrapment in his throwing arm, as the Jays announced to MLB.com’s Keegan Matheson and other reporters yesterday. Swanson received a cortisone shot to deal with the issue, and won’t throw for a few days while the shot takes effect.
It still seems likely that this setback is enough to put Swanson on the injured list at the beginning of the season, as was related last week when Swanson reported discomfort in his throwing elbow. An MRI came back clean without any sign of structural damage, so Swanson has at least avoided any kind of longer-term elbow problem.
A median nerve entrapment (which is related to carpal tunnel syndrome) isn’t exactly a small matter since nerve issues have no set recovery timeline. On the plus side, there hasn’t been any indication that Swanson might miss any great amount of time, even if a more concrete plan might not be known until the right-hander starts throwing again.
Acquired from the Mariners in the 2022-2023 offseason, Swanson was outstanding in his first year in Toronto, but injuries contributed to a rough start to his 2024 campaign. Swanson dealt with some forearm tightness during last year’s Spring Training and a subsequent IL stint delayed his start to the season, and he then struggled so badly over his first 18 appearances that he was sent to Triple-A. Swanson returned to the big leagues after the All-Star break and then seemed like his old self, making for some rather glaring splits — a 9.20 ERA in 14 2/3 innings in the first half and a 2.55 ERA over 24 2/3 frames in the second half.
Given the dismal state of Toronto’s bullpen last season, the Blue Jays badly need Swanson to stay healthy and fully bounce back to his past form as a key setup man. New signing Jeff Hoffman looks to be in line for the closer’s job, with Chad Green, Yimi Garcia, Nick Sandlin, and Swanson all lined up for high-leverage work.
Matt Waldron Suffers Oblique Strain, May Begin Season On IL
Right-hander Matt Waldron sustained a mild oblique strain yesterday, Padres manager Mike Shildt told MLB.com’s AJ Cassavell and other reporters. Waldron suffered the injury while warming up in the bullpen for a scheduled relief appearance in the Padres’ Cactus League game.
While Waldron is officially considered day-to-day, Shildt said the knuckleballer is “going to need some rest for some period of time, which will be determined.” Simply given the nature of oblique injuries and the timing, Shildt admitted that Waldron’s chances of making the Opening Day roster “would seem like it would be in jeopardy.”
The news would seem to erase any chance Waldron had of winning the fifth spot in San Diego’s rotation. An 8.68 ERA over 9 1/3 spring innings wasn’t helping his cause, and Waldron’s planned usage out of the pen on Friday might’ve hinted that the Padres were considering a long relief role for the right-hander. Naturally the first order of business will simply be for Waldron to get healthy, giving the team time to decide whether Waldron could be used as a reliever, or as a Triple-A depth starter.
Waldron has worked almost exclusively as a starter in the minors since the Padres acquired him in the 2020-21 offseason, and he has started 32 of his 35 career MLB games, posting a 4.79 ERA over his 188 innings in the Show. Injuries within the Padres’ rotation opened the door for Waldron to get a good amount of playing time, including 146 2/3 frames last season, though a 12.76 ERA over his last four starts suggested that Waldron ran into some fatigue.
Assuming a late trade doesn’t change the equation, Dylan Cease, Michael King, Yu Darvish, and Nick Pivetta are slated to be the Padres’ top four starters. Stephen Kolek, Randy Vasquez, and Kyle Hart are the remaining candidates for the fifth starter’s job now that Waldron has seemingly been removed from the competition.
