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Braves Designate Charlie Culberson For Assignment

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The Braves announced that Charlie Culberson has been designated for assignment.  The veteran utilityman will hit the DFA wire to make room for Chadwick Tromp, as Atlanta has called the catcher up from Triple-A Gwinnett.

Already a member of the Braves from 2018-20, Culberson spent the last two seasons with the Rangers before catching on with the Rays on a minor league deal this past offseason.  He opted out of that deal towards the end of Spring Training and then signed a new minors contract with Atlanta, and the Braves selected Culberson’s contract to the active roster almost a month ago.  Curiously, Culberson hasn’t played in even one game since being called up, so his latest stint with the Braves could end without an official appearance.

If Culberson clears waivers, he has enough MLB service time to reject an outright assignment to Triple-A and elect free agency.  It’s possible the Georgia native might pass on the open market and instead remain in his hometown organization, or he could again seek a new job elsewhere given that the Braves don’t appear to have much of a role for him on their 26-man roster.

Culberson is a Major League game away from making it 11 seasons in the Show, as he has appeared in 585 games for five different teams at the big league level over parts of his previous 10 seasons.  The 34-year-old has a career .248/.293/.386 slash line over 1311 career plate appearances, but is known more for his defensive versatility than hit bat.  Culberson has played all over the infield and spent a lot of time as a left fielder, with a few appearances as a right fielder and even as a mop-up pitcher.

Sean Murphy is the other key player in today’s transaction, as the catcher left yesterday’s game with a right hamstring injury suffered while running the bases.  Murphy underwent an MRI that showed some inflammation (Justin Toscano of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution was among those to report the news) but not any severe damage, so the Braves called up Tromp to provide catching depth while Murphy takes some time to recover.

Since Atlanta doesn’t play on Monday, we should know by Tuesday whether or not Murphy has healed well enough to return to action, or if a 10-day IL stint is ultimately required.  Assuming that Culberson isn’t claimed on waivers, it’s possible his DFA is something of a handshake move that would see him accept an outright assignment with the promise of being called back to the Braves’ roster in a few days if Murphy does go on the IL.

Reds Open To Buying, Spending At Trade Deadline

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While the Reds only moved back to the .500 mark after yesterday’s 2-1 victory over the Astros, Cincinnati’s 35-35 record puts them only a half-game behind the Brewers for first place in the NL Central.  Considering how the Reds were 21-29 just on May 25, the team’s surge over the last few weeks has included both a five-game winning streak and the Reds’ ongoing six-game winning streak.

Such highly-touted prospects as Elly De La Cruz and Matt McLain have sparked the lineup, and Andrew Abbott has started his MLB career with 17 2/3 scoreless innings (setting a modern record in the process).  Since the youngsters are contributing already and the NL Central seems to be wide open, the Reds could be in the unexpected position of finding themselves looking to add at the trade deadline.

To this end, general manager Nick Krall told reporters (including MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon and The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal) that the front office is prepared to act if Cincinnati remains in contention.

“If we’ve got a chance to make the playoffs, we try to make the playoffs any way we can.  It’s not about getting top farm systems.  That’s great, but at the same time, you’re trying to make moves to sustain winning on your big league club and figure out what that is,” Krall said.  As to whether or not ownership will increase payroll to accommodate a deadline move, “there’s nothing I see that is going to impede us from making an acquisition,” Krall said.

As per Roster Resource, the Reds’ payroll sits just shy of $83MM, with Joey Votto accounting for $25MM of that figure.  The team topped the $130MM mark (putting the Reds about in the middle of the league in payroll size) during the 2019-21 seasons, as Cincinnati’s previous rebuilding process saw the team augment its young talent with such notable free agents as Nick Castellanos and Mike Moustakas.  The result was a wild card postseason appearance in 2020, but the pandemic seemed to curb ownership’s desire for any more spending, leading the front office to start cutting payroll and rebuilding anew, resulting in a dismal 62-100 season in 2022.

It’s probably safe to assume that the Reds aren’t going on a spending spree at the deadline, both because of the past history of modest payrolls, and because the club has so much young talent that it doesn’t want to block any positions with veterans.  However, as Rosenthal noted, Cincinnati’s prospect depth is naturally also a big advantage in swinging trades.  Obviously the likes of De La Cruz or McLain aren’t going anywhere, but the Reds could conceivably dangle some minor leaguers who are further away from their MLB debuts in order to land some win-now help.  Offering a higher caliber of prospect might also entice a rival team to eat all or most of the money owed on a veteran player’s remaining contact, thus allowing the Reds to sidestep a major payroll increase.

Despite Abbott’s early success, starting pitching is the most obvious need for the Reds.  Hunter Greene and Ben Lively have performed decently, but Graham Ashcraft has struggled and is currently on the 15-day injured list, while Nick Lodolo (who also wasn’t pitching well) is out until August due to a stress reaction in his tibia.

Krall said that Ashcraft and Lodolo could provide some pitching help, and implied that the Reds might be looking just for rental players for further rotation adds.  “Anything else you do, you’re doing it for the short term but you also want to add quality guys if possible.  You’d have to find the right match to make that trade,” the GM said.

Another creative route would be for the Reds to perhaps buy and sell in equal measure, trading some veteran players just to clear roster space for all of the youngsters that are knocking on the door for more playing time.  Injuries have created some openings for the prospects, as Votto has yet to play this season and Wil Myers and Jake Fraley are currently on the 10-day IL.  Nick Senzel was only just activated off the 10-day IL yesterday, and if everyone is healthy at the same time, the Reds simply won’t have enough at-bats to go around.

Cincinnati’s outfield has more question marks than the infield, which is why Christian Encarnacion-Strand has been getting a tryout as a corner outfielder at Triple-A.  Considered to be the next top prospect on the verge of his big league debut, Encarnacion-Strand is a corner infielder by trade, yet the Reds are well stocked for first and third base options (i.e. Spencer Steer, De La Cruz, Senzel, Votto, Myers, Kevin Newman).  Encarnacion-Strand’s outfield work has thus far consisted of one game each as a left fielder and right fielder, but if he can provide at least passable glovework on the grass, it will create a quicker path to playing time.  Hitting-wise, CES seems more than ready for the Show, with a whopping .345/.413/.691 slash line over 218 PA at Triple-A Louisville this season.

Marlins Place Edward Cabrera On 15-Day Injured List

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2:53PM: Cabrera’s IL placement is somewhat precautionary in nature, manager Skip Schumaker told McPherson and other reporters.  “We’re hoping it’s just only two starts [missed].  I don’t think he’s going to miss a bullpen.  He might even throw through that,” Schumaker said.

2:19PM: After already placing Jean Segura on the 10-day injured list earlier today, the Marlins have sent another notable player to the IL.  The Miami Herald’s Jordan McPherson (Twitter link) reports that the Fish have placed Edward Cabrera on the 15-day IL due to a right shoulder impingement, with the placement retroactive to June 14.  Right-hander Huascar Brazoban has been called up from Triple-A in the corresponding move.

Tapped by many as a possible breakout candidate for the 2023 season, it has been an up-and-down year for Cabrera, with his inflated 14.1% walk rate and 17.3% home run rate contributing to much of this inconsistency.  While Cabrera generally does a good job of keeping the ball on the ground (53.7% groundball rate), his big flies have yielded a lot of damage, as his homer rate is the sixth-highest of any hurler in the league with at least 60 innings pitched.  The result is a 4.70 ERA, despite Cabrera’s impressive 28.9% strikeout rate.

Cabrera joins Trevor Rogers and Johnny Cueto as projected rotation stalwarts currently on the injured list, with Rogers and Cueto each on the 60-day version of the IL.  The nature of Cabrera’s shoulder problem isn’t yet known, as an “impingement” could describe a more serious concern or just a minor issue that would allow Cabrera to return in the minimum 15 days.  The right-hander already missed around seven weeks of the 2022 season due to elbow tendinitis, as well as a minor ankle sprain that sent him to the IL at the very end of the season.

The Marlins had slated Cabrera to start Monday’s game against the Blue Jays, so the club doesn’t have long to decide on a replacement.  A bullpen game is one option, or the Fish On First blog (Twitter links) notes that Jeff Lindgren or Chi Chi Gonzalez could be called up for a spot start, as both pitchers are on a normal amount of rest between outings for Triple-A Jacksonville.  Neither Lindgren or Gonzalez are on the 40-man roster, but Avisail Garcia could be moved to the 60-day IL to create space.

Phillies Place Seranthony Dominguez On 15-Day IL

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The Phillies announced that left-hander Cristopher Sanchez and right-hander Yunior Marte have been called up from Triple-A.  In corresponding moves, right-hander Luis Ortiz was optioned to Triple-A, while reliever Seranthony Dominguez was placed on the 15-day injured list due to a left oblique strain.  Dominguez’s placement is retroactive to June 16.

The severity of Dominguez’s strain isn’t yet known, and both the Phillies and the right-hander can only hope that it isn’t the type of lingering oblique problem that can sideline a player for months.  Dominguez is unfortunately no stranger to long-term injuries, though an oblique strain is at least far less of a concern than the Tommy John surgery that cost him almost all of the 2020-21 seasons.

After posting a 3.00 ERA over 51 regular-season innings and then an outstanding 1.69 ERA over 10 2/3 postseason frames in 2022, Dominguez hasn’t been quite as effective this year.  The righty has a 4.33 ERA in 27 innings out of the Philly bullpen, with a 22.2% strikeout rate that is well below his 29.9% average from his first four MLB seasons.  On the plus side, Dominguez’s 8.7% walk rate is a career low (albeit still under the league average) and he does have a .350 BABIP.  It is also worth noting that Dominguez’s numbers look a lot better when you subtract his first appearance of the season, a disastrous outing against the Rangers that saw Dominguez allow four earned runs without recording a single out.

Sanchez will start today’s game against the A’s, marking the left-hander’s second start and appearance of the 2023 season.  A triceps injury during Spring Training sent Sanchez to the injured list at the start of the season, and might have cost him an opportunity to win a job in Philadelphia’s rotation.  That door is still open for Sanchez, as the Phillies are still looking for any kind of stability with their fifth starter role.

A’s Select Tyler Wade, Place Kevin Smith On 10-Day IL

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The Athletics placed infielder Kevin Smith on the 10-day injured list due to a back strain, with the placement retroactive to June 16.  The club also announced that it has selected the contract of utilityman Tyler Wade from Triple-A, so Wade will be taking Smith’s spot on the active roster.

This is the second time that the A’s have selected Wade’s contract, as the 28-year-old was previously brought up for a 10-game stretch in April that saw Wade deliver only one hit over 16 plate appearances.  Wade was designated for assignment and could’ve rejected his outright assignment to Triple-A given that it wasn’t the first time he’d been outrighted, but he instead opted to remain with the A’s rather than test free agency.

A veteran of seven MLB seasons, Wade’s versatility has been his calling card, and he’ll provide the A’s with some depth at multiple positions.  Smith has mostly played shortstop this season with a good chunk of time at third base, and the left-handed hitting Wade is perhaps a bit more of a natural platoon complement at both positions since Jonah Bride and Aledmys Diaz are right-handed hitters.

Like many hitters on Oakland’s team, it has been a tough year for Smith, who is batting .191/.216/.330 over 102 PA.  Smith has been optioned back and forth from Triple-A twice already this season, and he’ll now be sidelined altogether while he recovers from his bad back.

Rockies Designate Dinelson Lamet For Assignment

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The Rockies designated right-hander Dinelson Lamet for assignment, MLB.com’s Thomas Harding reports (via Twitter).  Righty Gavin Hollowell was called up from Triple-A to take Lamet’s spot on Colorado’s roster.

Yesterday’s 8-1 loss to the Braves saw Lamet charged with all eight runs over four innings of work, and it was just the latest in a series of rough outings for the 30-year-old this season.  Lamet has an 11.57 ERA over 25 2/3 frames, which breaks down as a 10.80 ERA over 15 innings as a starter and a 12.66 ERA in 10 2/3 innings out of the bullpen.  He worked as a reliever before spending most of May on the 15-day IL with lower back tightness, and despite the lack of results, Lamet got a look as a starter due to Colorado’s dire need for rotation help.

The experiment didn’t work out, leaving Lamet possibly on his way out of the organization altogether.  It’s another rough turn in the career of a player who seemed like one of baseball’s breakout arms when he finished fourth in NL Cy Young voting as a member of the Padres in 2020.  Injuries kept Lamet off the mound entirely for big chunks of both the 2021 and 2022 campaigns, however, to the point that San Diego moved Lamet into a full-time relief role as an attempt to help keep him healthy.

The Padres dealt Lamet to the Brewers as part of the Josh Hader trade last summer, and after Milwaukee quickly DFA’ed Lamet, the Rockies claimed the righty off waivers.  Because he has more than five years of MLB service time, Lamet has the right to refuse an outright assignment to the Rockies’ Triple-A affiliate if he clears waivers this time around, and Lamet would still get to keep the remainder of the $5MM salary he is owed for the 2023 season.  Another team would be on the hook for that money if it claimed Lamet, and given his struggles, it is more likely that he’ll go unclaimed.

Marlins Promote Jacob Amaya, Place Jean Segura On 10-Day IL

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12:12PM: Segura has been placed on the 10-day injured list due to a left hamstring strain, as per McPherson.  This opens up the roster spot for Amaya’s promotion.

11:49AM: The Marlins have called up infielder Jacob Amaya from Triple-A, The Miami Herald’s Jordan McPherson reports (Twitter link).  The 24-year-old Amaya will be making his Major League debut whenever he first takes the field, which could be as early as today’s game against the Nationals.

Amaya was acquired from the Dodgers in January in the straight-up trade that saw Miguel Rojas sent to Los Angeles.  In essence, the Marlins dealt Rojas for a younger player with a similar glove-first profile.  Scouts have been mixed at best on Amaya’s hitting ability during his six minor league seasons, but his numbers have been solid (.278/.346/.472 with nine homers) over 240 plate appearances with Triple-A Jacksonville in 2023.

MLB Pipeline ranks Amaya as the ninth-best prospect in Miami’s farm system, with Baseball America ranking him 13th.  Both outlets give him a 60 grade for his defense, and Amaya’s floor seems to be a steady career as a utility player who can provide strong glovework at any infield position.  His ability to hit will determine whether or not Amaya can become a true starter, and both Pipeline and BA note that Amaya is more productive at the plate when he is aiming for contact rather than power.  Amaya also has a 9.2% walk rate at Triple-A this season, which is well below the 14.28% combined walk rate he posted at Double-A and Triple-A in 2022.

Despite these bat-related question marks, the Marlins might view any offense Amaya provides as a bonus, given how badly the team could use some defensive help.  Fangraphs’ DEF (Defensive Runs Above Average) metric ranks Miami 30th of 30 clubs this season, with a collective -13.2 figure.

Joey Wendle and Jon Berti are good defenders in their own right, though with Amaya taking up at least semi-regular duty at shortstop, Wendle and Berti could return to their usual utilityman duties around the diamond.  The Marlins may not want to interrupt Luis Arraez’s routine given his incredible run at the plate, but Arraez could see more time at first base rather than his usual spot at second base, considering his middling defensive numbers at the keystone.

Jean Segura could be the player to watch in this positional shuffling, in no small part because Segura could possibly be the corresponding move for Amaya’s promotion.  Segura missed Friday’s game due to a hamstring issue, and while the injury isn’t though to be serious, the Marlins could put Segura on the 10-day IL both for precautionary reasons, and perhaps as a bigger-picture reset for Segura’s 2023 season.

Signed to a two-year, $17MM free agent deal last winter, Segura’s first season in Miami has been nothing short of a disaster.  The veteran has the worst fWAR (-1.1) of any player in baseball, as Segura has hit only .190/.259/.234 over 225 PA while providing subpar defense at third base.  MLBTR’s Anthony Franco recently wrote about how the Marlins should be targeting infield help if they want to remain in the race for a playoff berth, and it could be that the Fish will first give Amaya a look before considering if a bigger upgrade is needed at the trade deadline.

Brewers Reinstate Wade Miley, Jesse Winker From Injured List; Designate Jon Singleton

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The Brewers announced four roster moves, including the activation of both Wade Miley and Jesse Winker from the injured list.  Miley was placed on the 15-day IL due to a lat strain on May 17, while Winker has been on the 10-day IL since May 28 due to a cervical strain.  To create space on the active roster, the Brewers optioned right-hander Tyson Miller to Triple-A and designated first baseman Jon Singleton for assignment.

Miley inked a one-year deal worth $4.5MM in guaranteed money to come to Milwaukee during the offseason, and the veteran southpaw has delivered a 3.67 ERA over 41 2/3 innings.  Miley’s 40.4% grounder rate and 10.3% barrel rate are both significantly worse than in recent seasons, though it’s hard to yet make any big projections given the small sample size of innings.  The lefty has made up for those numbers with a borderline elite 5.3% walk rate, as well as his customary good work at limiting hard contact.

Miley will start today’s game against the Pirates, and his return brings some more relief to a Milwaukee rotation that has been hit hard with injuries.  Brandon Woodruff will still be out until at least the All-Star break and Aaron Ashby will miss all of the 2023 season due to shoulder surgery, but with Miley now back on the mound, the Brew Crew are at least a step closer to their initial first-choice rotation.  Adrian Houser will be shifted to the bullpen, leaving Miley, Corbin Burnes, Freddy Peralta, Colin Rea, and Julio Teheran as Milwaukee’s current rotation.

Winker was another offseason acquisition, picked up from the Mariners along with Abraham Toro in exchange for Kolten Wong.  The trade hasn’t worked out for either team to date, as Wong and Winker have each badly struggled with their new clubs.  Winker has looking to bounce back from a relatively disappointing 2022 campaign in Seattle, yet the 108 wRC+ he posted with the Mariners is far above the 60 wRC+ (off a .204/.315/.231 slash line) that Winker has delivered over his first 127 plate appearances in a Brewers uniform.  There’s still plenty of time for Winker to turn things around, as perhaps the three weeks on the IL both healed his neck problem and might serve as a fresh start to his 2023 season.

The Brewers selected Singleton’s contract from Triple-A earlier this month, and he hit only .103/.188/.138 over 32 PA.  While an underwhelming slash line, just making it back to the big leagues for the first time since 2015 marked a personal victory for Singleton, whose battle with marijuana addiction took him out of baseball entirely for three seasons until he launched a comeback in the Mexican League in 2021.  If Singleton clears DFA waivers and the Brewers outright him to Triple-A, Singleton can choose to become a free agent, since he has been outrighted off a 40-man roster in the past.

Cubs Activate Justin Steele, Place Patrick Wisdom On 10-Day IL

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As expected, the Cubs activated Justin Steele from the 15-day injured list, as the left-hander is scheduled to start today’s game against the Orioles.  Steele will take the place of Patrick Wisdom, as Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune (Twitter link) reports that Wisdom is being placed on the 10-day IL due to a right wrist sprain.

Wisdom was replaced by pinch-hitter Ian Happ in the sixth inning of yesterday’s 10-3 Cubs win over Baltimore, a move that seemed like in-game strategy at the time but could have been related to Wisdom’s wrist problem.  The 31-year-old infielder also has only two hits in his last 36 plate appearances, so it is possible this wrist sprain might have occurred a while ago, and Wisdom was trying to play through the discomfort.

The recent slump has dropped Wisdom’s slash line to .196/.285/.467 for the season, with 14 homers over 208 plate appearances.  While that production still translates to a slightly above-average 102 wRC+, it continues Wisdom’s trend of being a power-centric bat who offers little beyond the long ball.  Wisdom has hit .213/.298/.465 with 67 homers over 1117 PA with Chicago since the start of the 2021 season.

Wisdom has played mostly third base this season, with a handful of appearances as first base and in both corner outfield spots.  Nick Madrigal has been seeing regular work at third base since being recalled from Triple-A a little over a week ago, and the Cubs might prefer to see what the 26-year-old Madrigal can do with more frequent playing time, which might make it tough for Wisdom to work his way back into the lineup once he returns from the IL.

Steele returns after missing only slightly more than the minimum 15 days, which is a great outcome given the ominous nature of forearm strains.  However, Steele’s strain didn’t involve any structural damage, so the southpaw was able to make a quick recovery.  Steele has been excellent in 2023, posting a 2.65 ERA over 68 innings while relying on outstanding control and one of the league’s best soft-contact rates.

Latest On Aaron Judge

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Aaron Judge hasn’t played since June 3, when the Yankees superstar made a highlight-reel catch that sent him crashing through Dodger Stadium’s right field bullpen door.  Judge sprained his right big toe while colliding with the concrete base under the bullpen door, and after two weeks on the sidelines, it remains unclear when Judge might return from the 10-day injured list.

After Judge received a PRP injection on June 6, the outfielder got another shot focused on a different ligament on Thursday, Yankees manager Aaron Boone told reporters (including The Athletic’s Brendan Kuty and MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch).  “Any time you strain or tear the ligaments, it takes time to heal that, honestly.  PRPs hopefully speed that process up,” Boone said.  “Hopefully he’s continuing to move in the right direction.  We feel like he was, but that other part of the joint or of the toe…was still giving him problems after the first PRP.  To get in and hit the other parts of it, hopefully is something that speeds [the process].”

Range-of-motion exercises are the next step on Judge’s rehab plan, and further steps towards baseball activities remain fluid, as the Yankees are naturally being cautious.  Owner Hal Steinbrenner said earlier this week that Judge’s sprain was “like a turf toe,” and “a rare injury for a baseball player…I think it’s common in football probably with running backs.”

Kuty spoke with Dr. Spencer Stein of NYU Langone Health about Judge’s injury, and while Stein hasn’t personally examined the outfielder, the orthopedic surgeon said that a second PRP injection isn’t particular unusual for such an injury.  Stein suggested that Judge could be back by mid-July, though Boone provided a broader range of potential return dates.

First saying “there’s a shot” that Judge could return before the All-Star break, Boone added that “he could be back in a week.  He could be back in four.  I don’t know.  We’ve got to get to a point where we’re starting to move the ball from a physical activity or baseball standpoint.”

It’s no secret that Judge is the cornerstone of the Yankees roster, and the last two weeks have only underscored his importance to the lineup.  From June 4 to June 16, Yankee batters have hit a collective .205/.264/.361, with a 71 wRC+ that ranks as the third-worst in baseball during that span.

Some reinforcements may be on the way in the form of Harrison Bader, though Bader opted to extend his minor league rehab stint probably through the weekend.  As Boone told the New York Daily News’ Gary Phillips and other reporters, Bader wanted more than just one rehab game to ensure that his right hamstring strain was fully healed.  Bader was placed on the IL on May 29, and between this absence and a left oblique strain that cost him over the first month of the season, the outfielder has played in only 26 games this season (hitting .267/.295/.511 with six home runs in 95 plate appearances).

On the pitching side, Carlos Rodon is slated to begin his minor league rehab assignment on Tuesday.  Between a forearm strain and then a back problem, Rodon has yet to make his Yankee debut since joining the club on a six-year, $162MM free agent deal in December.  Early July is Rodon’s target date, as Boone said the plan is for Rodon to make three rehab outings with steadily increasing pitch counts.

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