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Brewers Place Tyrone Taylor, Darin Ruf On 10-Day Injured List

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Prior to today’s 10-8 win over the Reds, the Brewers placed outfielders Tyrone Taylor and Darin Ruf on the 10-day injured list.  Taylor (whose placement is retroactive to June 2) is dealing with a right elbow sprain, while Ruf has a laceration on his right knee.  In corresponding moves, Milwaukee called up Blake Perkins from Triple-A, and as reported yesterday, Jon Singleton’s contract was selected from Triple-A.

The new faces delivered today, as Perkins hit a grand slam to help the Brewers score the victory in Cincinnati.  However, losing Taylor and Ruf further thins the Brewers’ depth, as the club now has 14 players (six of them position players) on the injured list.  It isn’t yet known when either player could be back, as Bally Sports’ Sophia Minnaert notes, since Ruf’s laceration is quite severe and Taylor will undergo tests to determine the nature of his elbow problem.

Taylor first sprained his right elbow in late February, which kept him out of action for Spring Training and delayed his 2023 debut until May 2.  Whether due to the lost spring prep time, lingering elbow soreness, or both, Taylor has badly struggled at the plate, hitting only .160/.179/.240 over 78 plate appearances.  It’s a big dropoff for a player who had a solid .241/.303/.453 slash line over 729 PA of part-time duty in 2019-22, and it seemed like Taylor might have been in line for a larger role given the rather unsettled nature of Milwaukee’s outfield.

Ruf just signed the Brew Crew in the middle of May, coming to Milwaukee after he elected free agency rather than accept an outright assignment to the Giants’ Triple-A affiliate.  Stepping into a first base platoon as the right-handed hitting complement to Rowdy Tellez, Ruf also wasn’t hitting much (.531 OPS) over his first 30 PA for Milwaukee before he badly cut his knee during Friday’s game.  Ruf was chasing a foul ball when he collided with the tarp rolled up on the sidelines at the Great American Ballpark.

Dodgers Activate Michael Grove, Place Phil Bickford On 15-Day IL

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The Dodgers shuffled up their pitching ranks with a few transactions today, including Michael Grove’s activation from the 15-day injured list.  Los Angeles also called right-hander Tayler Scott up from Triple-A Oklahoma City.  In the corresponding moves, southpaw Justin Bruihl was optioned to Triple-A, and righty Phil Bickford was placed on the 15-day IL due to lower back tightness.

Grove will start today’s game against the Yankees, which will mark his fifth start of the season.  One of the Dodgers’ top pitching prospects over the last few years, Grove made his MLB debut with 29 1/3 innings in 2022, and has 16 frames under his belt thus far in 2023.  The results haven’t been there, as Grove has a 5.96 ERA over his 45 1/3 innings in the bigs, including an 8.44 number this season.  Grove’s struggles were then compounded by a groin strain that has kept him on the IL since April 21.

The righty will get another look in the rotation for at least one more start, though the Dodgers’ ongoing battle with pitching injuries could very well mean that plans change yet again.  Some notable reinforcements could be coming in the form of Julio Urias, as manager Dave Roberts told reporters (including Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times) that Urias had a bullpen session today that involved around 30 pitches.  Urias has been out until May 19 due to a hamstring strain, but might be in line to return next weekend if all goes well with a live batting practice session slated for Tuesday.

Noah Syndergaard will start Wednesday’s game, with Roberts telling the L.A. Times’ Mike DiGiovanna and other media that despite Syndergaard’s struggles, “we want to continue to bet on him.”  With a 6.54 ERA over 11 starts and 52 1/3 innings, Syndergaard hasn’t been at all what the Dodgers expected after signing him to a one-year, $13MM free agent contract.  Roberts’ statement might well indicate the club’s continued faith that Syndergaard might turn things around, yet the other issue is that L.A. doesn’t really have any ready-made replacements on hand, due to all of the injuries.  If Urias returns as planned and Grove can impress in his next start or two, the Dodgers could potentially give Grove a longer look at Syndergaard’s expense.

Bickford has a 7.33 ERA over 27 innings out of the Dodgers’ bullpen, though his much more palatable 3.70 SIERA indicates that Bickford has been somewhat unlucky.  His .362 BABIP and a 56.8% strand rate haven’t been in his favor, but Bickford’s 52.7% hard-hit ball rate and 13.5% barrel rate are both amongst the highest in the league, so it isn’t as though the righty has simply been the victim of some batted-ball luck.

Rangers Activate Ezequiel Duran, Place Brad Miller On 10-Day IL

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The Rangers activated utilityman Ezequiel Duran from the 10-day injured list, with Duran taking Brad Miller’s place on the active roster.  Miller is headed to the 10-day IL himself due to a right oblique strain, and his placement is retroactive to May 31.

Miller signed a two-year, $10MM deal with the Rangers during the 2021-22 offseason, but the veteran’s stint in Arlington hasn’t gone well.  After hitting .212/.270/.320 over 241 plate appearances in 2022, Miller hasn’t fared much better with a .208/.304/.333 slash line in 56 PA this season.  The left-handed hitting Miller had long found success against right-handed pitching, but his numbers against righties have cratered since coming to Texas.

Between these struggles and the fact that so many other Rangers hitters are doing well, Miller’s playing time has been reduced, and he’ll now miss time altogether on the injured list.  The severity of the oblique strain isn’t yet known, and even a Grade 1 (the lowest level) strain could mean at least three or four weeks on the sidelines for the veteran utilityman.

Duran has been on the IL since May 24 due to an oblique issue of his own, but fortunately for Duran, his injury was deemed as discomfort rather than an actual strain.  Duran will now return after a relatively short IL stint and look to continue what has been a nice breakout for the 24-year-old in his second MLB season.  Over 144 PA, Duran has hit .301/.340/.515 with seven home runs.  He got a lot of work at shortstop when Corey Seager was injured, but Duran now looks to get a lot of playing time as a DH and in left field.

Yankees Place Ryan Weber, Greg Allen On Injured List

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The Yankees placed two players on the injured list, with right-hander Ryan Weber heading to the 15-day IL due to a right forearm strain, and outfielder Greg Allen going to the 10-day IL due to a right hip flexor strain.  Utility man Oswaldo Cabrera and left-hander Nick Ramirez were called up from Triple-A to fill the spots on the active roster.

Weber told the New York Post’s Greg Joyce that he other reporters that he felt soreness last night during his two innings of work in the Yankees’ 8-4 loss to the Dodgers.  An MRI will reveal what exactly could be wrong with Weber’s forearm and elbow area, and he and the Yankees can only hope that the worst-case scenario of a Tommy John surgery isn’t the outcome.

Now in his ninth MLB season, Weber has spent the last two seasons in the Bronx on minor league deals.  The 2022 season saw Weber constantly sent up and down to Triple-A in a flurry of DFAs and outrights, though 2023 has at least seen a bit more stability, as the Yankees didn’t select him to the big league roster until May 11, and Weber has remained on the 26-man until today.

Though Weber has tossed only 25 MLB innings between all of his moves on and off the roster, he has performed well when wearing the pinstripes, delivering a 2.16 ERA over those 25 relief frames.  Never a big strikeout pitcher, Weber has only a 10.3% K% as a Yankee, but also a 51.8% grounder rate and a tiny 2.1% walk rate.  While a small sample size, it does represent a nice big step up from Weber’s 5.28 ERA over 167 innings in his first seven seasons, and why Weber has continued to get looks from the Yankees despite the lack of missed bats.

Allen previously played for the Yankees in 2021, and he only made his return two weeks ago after a trade from the Red Sox.  Allen’s encore in the Bronx has thus far seen him hit .214/.313/.571 over 17 plate appearances, as his three hits have included a home run and a triple.

It’s a nice start for a player acquired as outfield depth, but with Allen now on the IL, the Yankees will again turn to Cabrera to help out in their troubled left field position.  While Aaron Judge is having his typically excellent season and Harrison Bader has been very good when healthy, left field has been a revolving door for New York, with seven different players already seeing at least some time in left this season.  With Bader now on the injured list due to a hamstring strain, the Yankees’ outfield depth is further tested.

Orioles Select Josh Lester

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The Orioles announced that they have selected the contract of infielder/outfielder Josh Lester from Triple-A.  In corresponding moves, righty Dillon Tate was moved to the 60-day injured list, and left-hander Danny Coulombe was placed on the bereavement list.

Lester was a 13th-round pick for the Tigers in the 2015 draft, and he spent his entire career in Detroit’s organization until this past offseason, when he elected to become a minor league free agent rather than an accept an outright assignment to Triple-A Toledo.  Lester’s stint in Motown at least culminated in his Major League debut, as he appeared in two games for the Tigers last season.

After catching on with Baltimore on a minor league deal, Lester has been crushing Triple-A pitching, hitting .282/.339/.549 with 14 homers over 231 plate appearances at Norfolk.  Even with all of the star prospects in the Orioles’ farm system, it could be that the O’s prefer giving what might be a brief stint in the majors to a more experienced player, rather than interrupt the development of a more long-term asset.  It’s hard to argue that Lester’s slash line wasn’t worth at least another cup of coffee in the Show, and he’ll provide some depth as a corner infielder and corner outfielder.

Tate suffered a flexor strain back in November and hasn’t yet pitched in the majors in 2023, but he has logged 10 appearances in the minors as he works his way back.  The move to the 60-day IL doesn’t impact Tate’s timetable, as the 60-day placement retroactively applies to his initial 15-day placement on Opening Day.

Rays Activate Shawn Armstrong, Designate Joe La Sorsa

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The Rays have made some moves in between games of their double-header with the Red Sox today, as reported by Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times (via Twitter).  Left-hander Joe La Sorsa was designated for assignment and righty Trevor Kelley was optioned to Triple-A.  Taking their places in the bullpen are the newly-acquired Robert Stephenson, as well as another right-hander in Shawn Armstrong.  For Armstrong, he is set to make his 2023 debut after being activated from the 60-day injured list, as he has been sidelined due to a neck injury.

Armstrong’s neck problem surfaced in early March, so he missed quite a bit of Spring Training and thus needed a good amount of ramp-up time once he was healthy enough to pitch.  The veteran reliever made seven appearances with Triple-A Durham and performed well, with a 2.00 ERA over his even nine innings of work.

Tampa Bay’s bullpen has always been something of a revolving door due to the team’s penchant for shuttling fresh arms up and down from Triple-A, but injuries and an overall so-so performance from the relief corps (who rank 22nd in bullpen ERA) has led to a bit more shuffling than usual.  The Rays hope that Armstrong and Stephenson can help provide some stability, as the bullpen has been basically the only relative weak link on a team that otherwise looks like a World Series contender.

That said, injuries within the rotation are also a major concern, with Drew Rasmussen out until around August and Jeffrey Springs done for the season due to Tommy John surgery.  In addition to those sidelined pitchers, Josh Fleming is now also set to miss “at least several weeks,” Topkin writes, due to an elbow problem.  Fleming said he felt “discomfort on the outside of the elbow and near his triceps,” and is undergoing an MRI and CT scan today to determine the nature of the injury.

Fleming has a 4.62 ERA over 48 2/3 innings this season, starting three of his 11 games.  While the results have been inconsistent for the groundball specialist, Fleming’s ability to work as a swingman has been helpful to the Rays as they navigate these injuries, though now Fleming himself is looking at a lengthy absence.  Topkin suggests that Tampa might call up Yonny Chirinos to work as a regular starter, and of course Tampa Bay could conceivably turn to their past strategy of openers and bulk pitchers rather than a traditional starter.

La Sorsa’s contract was selected last week, and the southpaw’s brief stint in the big leagues resulted in his MLB debut — two scoreless innings in the Rays’ 1-0 loss to the Cubs on May 29.  The 25-year-old La Sorsa also pitched at the Triple-A level for the first time in 2023, posting a 3.86 ERA over 21 innings in Durham.  La Sorsa has some decent but not standout numbers over his four career minor league seasons, so it’s possible the Rays might be able to sneak him through the waiver wire before outrighting him back to Triple-A.

Twins Place Joey Gallo On 10-Day Injured List

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The Twins have placed Joey Gallo on the 10-day injured list (retroactive to June 2) due to a left hamstring strain.  Outfielder Kyle Garlick was called up from Triple-A to take Gallo’s spot on the active roster, with the Athletic’s Dan Hayes noting that the Twins’ upcoming schedule seemed to factor into the decision to take the righty-swinging Garlick over the left-handed hitting Matt Wallner — Minnesota is facing several left-handed pitchers in the coming days.

Gallo’s own left-handed bat has been revived in the Twin Cities this season, as his .188/.321/.478 slash line translates to a 121 wRC+.  Despite the low batting average, Gallo is providing a lot of pop, with 11 homers over 165 plate appearances.  The bulk of Gallo’s playing time has come at first base, but he has also seen a lot of action in left field and some work in the other outfield spots.  After a tough 2022 campaign, this season has represented something of a return to form for Gallo, which could pay off nicely when he re-enters the free agent market this winter.

Unfortunately, this is the second time injuries have stalled Gallo’s bounce-back season.  He spent a minimal 10-day stint on the IL in April due to a minor intercostal strain, and he’ll now be sidelined again in order to heal up this nagging hamstring issue.  Gallo first hurt his hamstring almost two weeks ago and has been trying to play through the discomfort, with the Twins also giving him a couple of off-days and using him as a designated hitter.  An IL trip was deemed necessary for Gallo to get fully fit, and since Gallo was somewhat able to play with the strain, he again might not be out of action for too long.

Cedric Mullins Leaves Game Due To Right Abductor/Groin Injury

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Cedric Mullins left today’s game with what Orioles manager Brandon Hyde told reporters was a strain in the outfielder’s right abductor/groin area.  Mullins suffered the injury in the eighth inning of the 5-0 loss to the Guardians, as the center fielder was trying to beat out a grounder to first base.

More will be known about Mullins’ condition after he undergoes testing, but it certainly looks like he’ll be headed to the 10-day injured list, and the only hope is that his strain is of the relatively mild variety.  In the interim, the Orioles will have to make do without their team leader in fWAR (1.8), and a player who has been a somewhat underrated all-around contributor since the start of the 2021 campaign.

Over 224 plate appearances this season, Mullins has hit .263/.356/.479 with eight homers and 13 steals (in 15 chances).  That translates to a 133 wRC+, which is only slightly behind Mullins’ career-best 136 wRC+ mark over 675 PA in 2021.  It’s worth noting that Mullins’ .362 wOBA far outpaces his .318 wOBA this year because his hard-contact numbers are below average, but (ironically, given the circumstances of today’s injury) Mullins’ excellent speed has often allowed him to turn that soft contact into base hits.  The outfielder’s strikeout and rate walks are well above average, and Mullins’ 11.8% walk rate is easily his career best, and a nice improvement for a player who has sometimes struggled to consistently get on base.

Offense is only part of the story for Mullins, who is also a standout defender in center field.  The Outs Above Average metric has always loved his glovework, and while the UZR/150 and Defensive Runs Saved metrics are a bit more mixed over the years, he got unanimously positive grades across the board for his center field work in 2022.

Replacing Mullins in the event of a longer-term injury will be very difficult for the Orioles, but the team has enough outfield options to get by if he is only sidelined for a couple or weeks.  Ryan McKenna and Austin Hays are the only other players besides Mullins to see any action in Baltimore’s center field since the start of the 2021 season, and since Hays is already getting regular action in left field, so the O’s might just go with a platoon of McKenna and Terrin Vavra up the middle.

Baltimore has top outfield prospects Colton Cowser and Kyle Stowers down at Triple-A, though both are themselves currently sidelined with injuries.  The Orioles could turn to their prospect depth in another fashion, as The Baltimore Banner’s Andy Kostka suggests Joey Ortiz could be recalled, which shifts Adam Frazier into the outfield mix with Hays, McKenna, and Vavra.  Perhaps the simplest move would be for the Orioles to select the contract of Daz Cameron from Triple-A, as the former first-rounder is hitting well at Triple-A in his first season in the organization.

West Notes: Lamet, Munoz, Hudson, Rendon, Rodriguez

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The Rockies plan to activate Dinelson Lamet from the 15-day injured list to start their Wednesday game with the Diamondbacks, MLB.com’s Thomas Harding reports (Twitter link).  Reports surfaced last week that Limet was being considered for a return to starting pitching, and with the Rockies increasingly desperate for rotation help, Limet will get a look as a starter for the first time since the 2021 season when he was still a member of the Padres.  Karl Kauffmann has already been optioned to Triple-A, creating space for Lamet on the active roster.  Lower back tightness has kept Lamet out of action for almost all of May, and he struggled to a 12.66 ERA over 10 2/3 relief innings this season prior to his injury.

Some more items from both the NL and AL West…

  • Andres Munoz will start a Triple-A rehab assignment on Tuesday, as the Mariners reliever is on the way back from a deltoid strain that has sidelined him since April 8.  Thought to be a minor injury at the time, Munoz was then bothered by a sore shoulder that required a PRP injection, extending his time on the IL to just shy of two months.  Munoz only pitched 3 1/3 innings over four appearances before heading to the injured list, but assuming everything goes as planned, he’ll be back in the Seattle bullpen and looking to follow up his outstanding 2022 season.
  • Dodgers reliever Daniel Hudson told reporters (including Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times) that he will throw a bullpen on Tuesday.  It’s a positive step for Hudson, who hasn’t pitched since tearing his left UCL last June.  During the last update on Hudson two weeks ago from Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, the veteran righty was throwing but without any specific plans for a rehab assignment due to some continued discomfort in his knee.  Hudson said today that he’d received a cortisone injection in his knee, and was hoping that the bullpen session would be the first step towards a “ramp up” of his recovery.
  • Angels GM Perry Minasian provided some news on some injured Halos players to the Orange County Register’s Jeff Fletcher and other reporters, though neither Anthony Rendon or Chris Rodriguez seems close to a return.  Rendon has been taking part in some light baseball activities, but even with more than two weeks passed since Rendon hit the 10-day IL due to a groin strain, Minasian wasn’t sure of a timeline for when Rendon might return or take on a fuller rehab process.  Rodriguez underwent shoulder surgery in November 2021 and didn’t pitch at all in 2022, then had a setback in early April after starting the season on the 15-day IL.  It doesn’t appear as though there was any further damage to Rodriguez’s shoulder, as Minasian said the team has “done what we need to do medically” to assess the situation, and Rodriguez is throwing again but not off a mound.

Cardinals Notes: Mozeliak, O’Neill, Carlson, Nootbaar

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The Cardinals’s record dropped to 24-32 after today’s loss to the Royals, but unsurprisingly, St. Louis president of baseball operations John Mozeliak isn’t giving up on the season as the calendar approaches June.  In an interview with Jim Hayes of Bally Sports (video link) today, Mozeliak said his team is preparing to make additions at the trade deadline, and “I don’t anticipate us [selling] at all.  I think…where our division is headed, it’s going to remain very competitive.  So really we’re going to be looking at ways that can really help this club.”

Despite their lackluster record, the Cards are still only 5.5 games out of first place in the NL Central, with the Brewers holding the top spot with a modest 28-25 record.  Also, the National League as a whole is still very compact, so the Cardinals are only five games out of a wild card berth.

It’s therefore far too early for a team with World Series aspirations like the Cardinals to reload for 2024, especially considering that St. Louis has made a habit of second-half surges in recent years.  It’s possible the Cards have already bounced back in some fashion from their brutal start, as St. Louis is 14-8 in its last 22 games and can clinch a winning record in May with a victory over the Royals on Tuesday.

Mozeliak also provided an update of sorts on Tyler O’Neill, though not positive news for a player who has already been out since May 5 due to a lower back strain.  O’Neill is still “feeling discomfort” in his back, so Mozeliak noted that “until he’s cleared to do more baseball activity, it’s hard to push him through that.”  As a result, Mozeliak said “we’re doing to do a little bit of a pause” on O’Neill’s rehab work, and “do a few additional tests, and then decide what those next steps look like.”

Dylan Carlson has been sidelined with an ankle injury for the last two weeks but Mozeliak mentioned he could begin a minor league rehab assignment as early as this week.  That would provide some help for a Cardinals outfield that looks like it’ll be missing O’Neill for the foreseeable future, and another injury concern emerged today when Lars Nootbaar left the game due to back spasms.

In the second inning, Nootbaar collided with the wall while making a catch, leaving the outfielder visibly sore.  Nootbaar tried to stay in the game but in the next inning, he dropped to his knees while in pursuit of a Nick Pratto fly ball, and had to be removed.  In postgame interviews with Ben Frederickson of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and other reporters, Nootbaar didn’t seem too worried about the injury, but it would seem likely that the Cardinals will keep him out of at least tomorrow’s lineup for precautionary reasons.  The Cards have a rare two-day schedule break on May 31 and June 1, so if Nootbaar could get three full days off to heal up before a potential return to action.

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