Mark Polishuk | MLB Trade Rumors

Phillies Reinstate Ranger Suarez From 15-Day IL

By Mark Polishuk | August 24, 2024 at 11:35am CDT

The Phillies announced that Ranger Suarez has been reinstated from the 15-day injured list, and the left-hander will be on the mound to start today’s game against the Royals. Left-hander Tyler Gilbert was optioned to Triple-A yesterday in advance of Suarez’s planned return.

Suarez last pitched just over a month ago, when he allowed three runs over 5 1/3 innings in a 7-2 Phillies loss to the Twins on July 22. That was the fourth consecutive rough outing for Suarez, as his attempts to pitch through back pain were clearly having an adverse effect on his performance. Suarez skipped the All-Star Game to get some extra rest for his back problems, but after returning from the break to post that shaky start against Minnesota, the decision was made to place him on the IL for a fuller recovery period.

After emerging as a solid member of Philadelphia’s rotation in 2022-23, Suarez took a step forward as a potential ace by posting a 1.83 ERA over his first 16 starters and 98 1/3 innings of the 2024 campaign. Even with his last four starts boosting that ERA up to 2.87 over 119 1/3 frames for the season, Suarez’s overall numbers are still excellent, such as a 52.3% grounder rate, a 5.6% walk rate, and very strong soft-contact metrics. The lefty is more of a contact specialist than a strikeout pitcher, but his 24.1% strikeout rate is above the league average, sitting in the 62nd percentile of all pitchers.

Suarez’s production has been reflective of the Phillies’ season, as the Phils have also had some recent struggles after an outstanding first three months. Philadelphia is only 19-25 since July 1, and while the Braves have had their own share of struggles, Atlanta now sits only five games behind the Phillies for first place in the NL East. A five-game lead is still a pretty comfortable position to hold on August 24, and the Phillies can only hope that a healthy and effective Suarez can help get the club back into form during the pennant race and into October.

Twins Designate Steven Okert, Select Scott Blewett

By Mark Polishuk | August 24, 2024 at 10:42am CDT

The Twins announced that left-hander Steven Okert was designated for assignment. The move was made to create space on the 26-man and 40-man rosters for right-hander Scott Blewett, whose contract has been selected from Triple-A St. Paul.

Acquired from the Marlins for Nick Gordon back in February, Okert’s first (and potentially only) season in Minnesota has been inconsistent. He had a 3.20 ERA in his first 25 1/3 innings and 29 appearances, but has since stumbled to a 9.90 ERA over his last 10 frames and 15 games. The lowlight was a four-run implosion over one-third of an inning pitched in the Twins’ 7-5 loss to the Padres last Tuesday, though Okert did bounce back with two scoreless innings two subsequent appearances.

Okert’s 20.6% strikeout rate is the second-worst of his seven-year MLB career, and his longtime issues with control have continued in the form of a 10% walk rate. While his hard-hit ball rate is one of the league’s best, his barrel rate is below average, resulting in six home runs allowed. Okert has long been a fly-ball pitcher, and thus problems have arisen whenever he has been unable to keep the ball in the park.

As The Athletic’s Aaron Gleeman recently observed, Okert has been hit hard in high-leverage and even medium-leverage situations this season, leaving the Twins in a tough spot whenever they’ve had to call on Okert in any beyond mop-up duty. Okert had pretty even career splits heading into 2024, but right-handed batters have torched him for a .984 OPS over 95 plate appearances this season (while lefty swingers have only a .564 OPS in 65 PA).

While the three-batter minimum has ended the days of the true lefty specialist, Okert’s splits could be enough for a reliever-needy team to consider a waiver claim, if this team thinks it can either fix his issues against right-handed batters or simply do a better job of shielding him facing righty swingers. Okert is in his first season of arbitration eligibility is playing on a $1,062,500 salary, so picking up the last five weeks’ worth of that salary represents a pretty minimal hit to a new clubs’s payroll.

Because Okert has previously been outrighted in his career, he has the right to reject an outright assignment from the Twins if he clears waivers, and then opt into free agency. Okert is out of minor league options so the Twins had to DFA Okert before attempting to move him to Triple-A, and it could be that the two sides have an agreement in place about Okert accepting an assignment (if he clears waivers) and biding his time in St. Paul until a fresh arm is again needed in the big league bullpen.

Blewett faced a somewhat similar scenario when Minnesota designated him for assignment last week, as Blewett rejected an outright after clearing waivers, but then quickly re-signed with the Twins after first testing free agency. The right-hander first signed a minor league contract with the Twins back in January, and his time on the big league roster consists of a single game — a scoreless inning on August 12 in the Twins’ 8-3 win over the Royals. At Triple-A this season, Blewett has a 3.79 ERA, 22.7% strikeout rate, and 7.1% walk rate, with a .340 BABIP inflating his bottom-line numbers to some extent.

Prior to his lone game with the Twins, Blewett’s MLB resume consisted of eight innings over five appearances with Kansas City during the 2020-21 seasons. During the 2022-23 seasons, Blewett pitched in the minors with the White Sox and Braves, plus he spent time abroad pitching in the Chinese Professional Baseball League. It could be that this latest call-up will result in just another “cup of coffee” type of cameo for Blewett, but he’ll get some opportunity to show what he can do for a contending Twins club.

Jimmy Lambert Undergoes Season-Ending Shoulder Surgery

By Mark Polishuk | August 24, 2024 at 9:16am CDT

Jimmy Lambert’s lost 2024 season has officially come to a close, as the White Sox announced that the right-hander underwent shoulder surgery earlier this week. The exact nature of the surgery and a timeline aren’t yet known, so it is possible Lambert could face another extended recovery period that stretches beyond Opening Day 2025.

Lambert suffered a right rotator cuff strain in March and began the season on the 60-day injured list. He started a rehab assignment in July but he was shut down again after pitching in two Arizona Complex League games. Since an arthroscopic ankle surgery also cut short Lambert’s previous season, he hasn’t pitched in a big league game since September 3, 2023.

A fifth-round pick for the White Sox in the 2018 draft, Lambert made his MLB debut in 2020 and has compiled a 4.33 ERA over his 99 2/3 career innings in the Show. It seemed like Lambert had found a niche for himself with a solid season out of Chicago’s bullpen in 2022, but he ran into renewed problems with the home run ball last year, contributing to a 5.26 ERA in 37 2/3 frames in 2023. Walks have also been a consistent issue for Lambert in the majors, as per his career 11.3% walk rate.

Spending the entire season on the Major League injured list has banked a full year of MLB service time for Lambert, making him eligible for salary arbitration this coming offseason. That isn’t much consolation since it now makes it more likely that the White Sox will just non-tender Lambert, or they could work out a low-cost new contract to keep him in the organization while he recovers from surgery.

Mariners Place Yimi Garcia On 15-Day Injured List

By Mark Polishuk | August 24, 2024 at 8:11am CDT

Prior to yesterday’s game, the Mariners placed right-hander Yimi Garcia on the 15-day injured list due to inflammation in his throwing elbow. The placement is retroactive to August 20. Left-hander Gabe Speier was called up from Triple-A Tacoma in the corresponding move.

This is the second time Garcia has hit the IL this season due to an elbow-related issue, as ulnar neuritis cost him about a month of action prior to the All-Star break when Garcia was still a member of the Blue Jays. He made two appearances after that initial activation, and the Mariners were satisfied enough with his health to then acquire the veteran reliever in a trade with Toronto on July 26. After posting a 2.57 ERA in his first seven innings and appearances out of Seattle’s bullpen, Garcia has allowed four runs over his last three appearances (two IP), and it is safe to guess that his elbow problems contributed to those recent struggles.

The backdated placement has already shortened Garcia’s IL stint from the minimum 15 days, but he’ll still be out until September. Given that there isn’t much time left in the regular season, there is natural concern about when or if Garcia might pitch again, should his inflammation linger deeper into September. Even missing “only” a month a la his previous IL placement would still represent a big chunk of the final stretch, leaving the Mariners short one of their key deadline additions as the team tries to get its season back on track.

Beyond just the 2024 campaign, the 34-year-old Garcia is scheduled to hit free agency this winter, so two elbow-related injuries won’t help him in the open market even if his overall numbers have been solid. Garcia has a 3.46 ERA over 39 combined innings with Seattle and Toronto this season, along with a very impressive 32% strikeout rate. That K% is a new personal best for Garcia over his 10 MLB seasons, though he has also received some good fortune in the form of a .202 BABIP and his 7.8% walk rate is his highest in the last four years.

AL Notes: Verlander, Garcia, Buxton, Paddack, Rangers, Skubal

By Mark Polishuk | August 18, 2024 at 10:34pm CDT

Justin Verlander “felt strong” during a bullpen session today in Houston, Astros manager Joe Espada told reporters (including Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle), which should line Verlander up to return to the rotation on Wednesday when the Astros face the Red Sox. A neck strain has kept Verlander from pitching in the majors since June 9, and he has amassed only 57 innings this season due both this current ailment and a bout of shoulder inflammation coming out of Spring Training. However, Verlander has completed two minor league rehab outings and today’s bullpen session looks like the final checkpoint on his path to recovery.

While things are looking promising for Verlander, Luis Garcia is more of a question mark. The Athletic’s Chandler Rome wrote (via X) that as of Friday, Garcia hadn’t yet resumed throwing since he was shut down due to soreness over two weeks ago. This is the second time Garcia has hit a setback in his recovery from Tommy John surgery, and since Garcia went under the knife in May 2023, a normal rehab timeline would’ve had him ready to return to the majors by this point over 15 months past his procedure date. Though the Astros have said Garcia might return as a reliever rather than as a starter, he is running short on time to fully ramp up his readiness to rejoin Houston’s pitching staff in any capacity.

NL Injury Notes: Kim, Marte, Nimmo

By Mark Polishuk | August 18, 2024 at 8:57pm CDT

In what might be remembered as a pivotal day in the National League postseason race, all three wild-card teams and the top club below the playoff line lost a key member of their lineup to injury. We’ve already covered Austin Riley’s hand/wrist injury earlier tonight on MLBTR, but let’s look at some other concerning injuries for the Padres, Diamondbacks, and Mets…

Ha-Seong Kim will undergo an MRI after suffering what the Padres described as a jammed shoulder in today’s game. Kim hurt himself on a dive back to first base on a pickoff attempt in the third inning, and immediately left the game in obvious discomfort. Jeff Sanders of the San Diego Union-Tribune writes that Kim was briefly wearing a sling, but didn’t have the sling on when speaking with the media post-game. “It doesn’t feel too good at the moment…But I’m just trying to stay optimistic and try to come back as soon as possible,” Kim said via his interpreter. Taking over as the Padres’ full-time shortstop this season, Kim has delivered strong defense and roughly league-average (102 wRC+) offense, hitting .233/.330/.370 over 470 plate appearances with 11 homers and 22 stolen bases in 27 attempts. As Sanders notes, former shortstop Xander Bogaerts, utilityman Tyler Wade, or possibly Jake Cronenworth could be candidates to take over at shortstop if Kim is facing a trip to the injured list. In the more long-term view, Kim is also slated to hit free agency this winter.
Ketel Marte has been battling a sore ankle for over a week, and had to leave today’s game after aggravating the injury during a pinch-hit appearance in the ninth inning. The Diamondbacks sat Marte for three games earlier this week and he wasn’t in today’s starting lineup in order to further help keep him fresh, but Marte hurt himself on a check swing during the second pitch of his at-bat off the bench. Manager Torey Lovullo told MLB.com’s Brian Murphy and other media after the game that Marte “just needs a little bit of rest” and that “I think we’re in a good spot” with the injury, though the skipper isn’t sure when Marte will be back in the lineup. An NL MVP candidate this season, Marte has been the driver of Arizona’s offense with 30 homers and a .298/.370/.560 slash line over an even 500 PA. Losing him for any amount of time isn’t ideal in a tight playoff race, but since the D’Backs have off-days upcoming on August 22 and 26, a 10-day IL stint now would allow for Marte to heal up while minimizing the amount of games he’d actually miss.
After making a diving catch and landing on his right shoulder in the seventh inning of today’s 3-2 Mets loss to the Marlins, Brandon Nimmo felt soreness in the shoulder during his at-bat in the bottom half of the frame, as he told the New York Post’s Mike Puma and other reporters. Nimmo was replaced in left field for the eighth inning, and he’ll undergo an MRI tomorrow to determine the extent of his injury. The outfielder missed time due to a right shoulder sprain right at the end of the 2023 season and was known for being plagued by injuries earlier in his career, but Nimmo has been quite durable over the last three years, playing in 419 of a possible 448 games since Opening Day 2022. Despite some very streaky production at the plate this season, Nimmo still has a 119 wRC+ from a .229/.343/.414 slash line, 11 stolen bases, and 18 homers, including a long ball in today’s game before his injury. With Starling Marte just back from the IL today, New York’s outfield was seemingly back at full strength, but now Jesse Winker, Tyrone Taylor, and Jeff McNeil could all be cycled into left field if Nimmo has to visit the injured list himself.

Braves Notes: Riley, Lopez

By Mark Polishuk | August 18, 2024 at 7:41pm CDT

Initial x-rays and a CT scan on Austin Riley’s right wrist and hand were “inconclusive” after the third baseman was hit by a Jack Kochanowicz pitch in today’s game with the Angels, Braves manager Brian Snitker told reporters (including Justin Toscano of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution). Riley will undergo an MRI tomorrow during the Braves’ off-day, as Snitker said the team’s own medical staff wants to fully explore Riley’s status.

It could be viewed as an ominous sign that the first set of tests didn’t definitively say whether or not Riley had suffered a break or a fracture, but it also stands to reason that the club would want to be as careful as possible with one of its star players. Since we’re in the middle of August, a more serious type of injury could end Riley’s season entirely, including both the regular season and whatever postseason run the Braves might yet enjoy.

Just getting to the playoffs has been a lot more difficult than expected for Atlanta, as injuries and an unexpectedly average offense have contributed to a lot of inconsistency. The Braves are still 66-58 and in possession of the final NL wild card slot, but they hold only a two-game lead over the Mets for that wild card berth, and the Phillies remain seven games ahead of Atlanta in the NL East race. After bursting out of the gates to an 18-6 record in their first 24 games, the Braves have since posted a sub-.500 record (48-52) while weathering season-ending injuries to such stars as Ronald Acuna Jr. and Spencer Strider. The rest of Ozzie Albies’ 2024 campaign is also in jeopardy due to a fractured wrist, and both Jorge Soler and Travis d’Arnaud have been out of the lineup in recent days.

Riley also missed close to two weeks earlier this season due to an intercostal strain, though the Braves made the curious decision to not actually place him on the 10-day IL during that stretch, leaving the team short-handed for an extended period of time. The injury contributed to a very slow start to the season for Riley, but his bat has come to life as the season has gone on, with 16 home runs and .275/.337/.531 slash line over his last 285 plate appearances.

Obviously there’s no easy way for the Braves to replace such All-Star levels of production if Riley is facing a lengthy IL stint, and it’ll be even trickier to fill Riley’s spot at third base now that the trade deadline has passed. Luke Williams took over at the hot corner today, and such veterans as Leury Garcia and Zack Short are at Triple-A as additional depth.

As uncertain as Riley’s situation may be, some injury relief is on the horizon for the rotation, as Reynaldo Lopez was announced as the starter for Atlanta’s game on Tuesday, when the Braves start an important series against the Phillies. Lopez will return after missing just slightly beyond the 15-day minimum after he was placed on the IL due to forearm inflammation on August 2.

Lopez’s start on July 28 was cut short by his injury, but tests revealed no structural damage. While even less-serious types of forearm problems can linger, Lopez looks like he has been able to recover in pretty short order, and he got up to 71 pitches in a Triple-A rehab outing last Tuesday.

Signed to a three-year, $30MM free agent deal last winter, Lopez has excelled in his return to starting pitching. Though he has worked almost exclusively as a reliever during the 2022-23 seasons with the White Sox, Angels, and Guardians, Lopez has posted a 2.06 ERA over 104 2/3 innings for Atlanta this season. Between Lopez, Cy Young Award candidate Chris Sale, and solid performances from Max Fried, Charlie Morton, and rookie Spencer Schwellenbach, the Braves have limited the damage after Strider was lost for the year.

Pirates To Select Billy McKinney’s Contract

By Mark Polishuk | August 18, 2024 at 6:45pm CDT

The Pirates will select the contract of outfielder Billy McKinney prior to their game Monday with the Rangers, according to Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (X link). The Bucs will need to make another transaction to create space for McKinney on the 40-man roster.

McKinney was acquired from the Yankees last December, and this will be his first stint on Pittsburgh’s big league roster this season. His first official in-game appearance will make it seven straight seasons of MLB action for McKinney, ranging from his two games with the Blue Jays in 2020 to his career-high 116 games and 300 plate appearances split between the Brewers, Mets, and Dodgers during the 2021 season. Most recently, McKinney suited up in 48 games with the Yankees in 2023, hitting .227/.320/.406 over 147 PA.

The left-handed hitting McKinney will add some balance to a Pirates roster that mostly tilts to the right side, and whatever playing time he receives will probably come when the Bucs want to give Michael A. Taylor or Bryan De La Cruz a break against certain right-handed pitchers. McKinney has spent most of his career as a corner outfielder but he also gotten some time in center field and even at first base, adding to his defensive portfolio in an effort to make himself more valuable to teams.

Pittsburgh’s roster is in a bit of flux after Andrew McCutchen was lost to the 10-day injured list yesterday. While McKinney certainly won’t replicate McCutchen’s production or presence in the clubhouse, his addition brings a bit more experience to an overall young Bucs team.

NL West Notes: Black, Treinen, Graterol, Rodriguez, Jones

By Mark Polishuk | August 18, 2024 at 5:58pm CDT

As the Rockies trudge through another rough year, there isn’t yet any indication over whether or not manager Bud Black could be returning for his ninth season. GM Bill Schmidt told the Denver Post’s Patrick Saunders that the team and Black will “talk at the end of the season” and that “there’s nothing more to report on that” for the time being. It isn’t exactly a vote of confidence for Black, who is on pace for his sixth straight losing season and his second straight year of at least 100 losses.

While Black’s contract is technically up after the season, his deal has been described in the past (by reporter Nick Groke) as “a rolling year-to-year contract.” In both February 2022 and 2023, the Rox announced a new one-year extension to Black’s deal, yet no such extension was announced this past spring even though the two sides had some talks about Black’s future. It could be that owner Dick Monfort’s well-known penchant for loyalty to his employees was running a little thin coming off a 103-loss season, or perhaps Black himself might be considering a different role at age 67. Saunders writes that Black “loves teaching young players and participating in the Rockies’ attempts to improve,” but has also “remained mum about” the possibility of returning as Colorado’s skipper.

Rays To Place Pete Fairbanks On 15-Day Injured List

By Mark Polishuk | August 18, 2024 at 5:17pm CDT

The Rays’ 8-7 extra-innings win over the Diamondbacks today came at an unfortunate cost, as both Pete Fairbanks and Yandy Diaz left the game due to injuries. Fairbanks’ injury is the more serious matter, as manager Kevin Cash told reporters (including Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times) that the closer suffered an apparent lat strain, and will be headed to the 15-day injured list. Diaz had to leave the game after being hit in his left elbow with a pitch, but Cash said the infielder is day to day since X-rays and an MRI of Diaz’s elbow were both negative.

More will be known once Fairbanks undergoes tests, but depending on the severity of the strain, it is possible Fairbanks might’ve thrown his last pitch of the 2024 campaign. This will be his second IL stint of the season, after he missed around three weeks earlier this year dealing with a nerve entrapment issue.

Fairbanks allowed three runs in two-thirds of an inning of work today, and that rocky performance will boost his ERA up to 3.57 over 45 1/3 frames. Sunday’s injury-marred outing aside, Fairbanks has pitched pretty well in his second season as Tampa Bay’s closer, as he has converted 23 of 27 save opportunities. Fairbanks’ 23.5% strikeout rate is slightly above average and his 8.9% walk rate is on the high side, though a .267 BABIP has helped paper over these middling metrics.

Most of the damage against Fairbanks occurred prior to his first IL stint, as he posted a 1.91 ERA in his first 37 2/3 innings after recovering from the nerve entrapment problems. The Rays used a bullpen-by-committee approach to save situations when Fairbanks was sidelined that first time, and the team will probably adopt that same tactic again. Garrett Cleavinger has been Tampa Bay’s most effective reliever overall, though Cash might deploy him in high-leverage situations at any point late in a game, rather than specifically just holding leads in the ninth inning.

Diaz was hit on the elbow in his very first at-bat of the game, forcing Christopher Morel into the lineup as a early replacement. Given the good news about his initial tests, it could be that Diaz might return after just a day or two off to recover from any swelling, but the Rays will naturally be cautious about one of their key bats. Diaz’s .273/.329/.396 slash line over 498 PA is well below his production from 2022-23, but he is another player who has started to get it together after a slow start —- Diaz had hit .301/.340/.445 in his previous 253 PA entering today’s action.

These injuries will make the Rays’ uphill climb towards a playoff berth even steeper. Despite moving a lot of veteran talent at the trade deadline, today’s win moved Tampa Bay back above the .500 mark to 62-61, and the club is 6.5 games back of the last AL wild card spot.

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