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Tigers Release Heath Hembree, Trevor Rosenthal

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The Tigers released right-handers Heath Hembree and Trevor Rosenthal, according to Chris McCosky of the Detroit News (Twitter link).  Rosenthal signed a minor league contract with Detroit in March, while Hembree inked a minors deal of his own in May.

Neither player saw any action for the Tigers this season at the big league level, in large part due to injury.  Hembree made only six appearances (pitching six innings) with Triple-A Toledo, after spending more than a month on the injured list — Toledo just activated him from the IL on Friday.  As for Rosenthal, he tossed three minor innings before undergoing elbow surgery in mid-June.

This elbow procedure is the latest in a series of injuries that has plagued Rosenthal’s career for well over five seasons.  Since the start of the 2018 campaign, Rosenthal has thrown only 39 innings in the majors, due to such varied injuries as a Tommy John surgery, thoracic outlet syndrome surgery, and a hip surgery.  The nature of this latest elbow surgery isn’t known, but it is fair to wonder if it could be one setback too many for Rosenthal, and whether or not he might be considering retirement at age 33.

Hembree signed a minors deal with the Rays during the offseason and pitched in one game for Tampa before being designated for assignment.  The 11-year veteran had enough service time to reject an outright assignment in favor of free agency, which led to his signing with the Tigers.  Best known for his seven seasons with the Red Sox from 2014-2020, Hembree has since pitched for a whopping seven different teams, appearing at the MLB level with all of those clubs except Detroit.

Angels Place Brandon Drury On 10-Day Injured List

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The Angels placed Brandon Drury on the 10-day injured list today, as the veteran is suffering from a left shoulder contusion.  Drury’s placement is retroactive to June 30.  The Angels called up infielder Andrew Velazquez to take Drury’s spot on the roster, and the club also announced that Jake Lamb (who was designated for assignment earlier this week) has been released.

Drury hasn’t played since Thursday, when he hurt his shoulder diving for a ball in Anaheim’s 9-7 loss to the White Sox.  The IL placement seems to be largely precautionary in nature, and Drury told The Athletic’s Sam Blum and other reporters that he expects to be activated when first eligible, which is the Angels’ first game after the All-Star break.

While it doesn’t look like Drury will miss much time, his shoulder issue represents yet another injury for an Angels infielder.  The team recently acquired Eduardo Escobar and Mike Moustakas in trades to add some infield depth, but even while a couple of previously injured players have since returned, the IL’s revolving door has now continued with Drury’s placement.  Drury joins Gio Urshela (whose season might be over due to a pelvic fracture) and Zach Neto on the IL, though Neto’s return from an oblique strain might also come once the All-Star break is over, as Blum reports that Neto has been engaging in baseball activities.

After signing a two-year, $17MM free agent deal with the Angels during the offseason, Drury’s first season in a Halos uniform has been a success to date.  The 30-year-old is hitting .277/.322/.500 with 14 homers over 307 plate appearances, translating to a solid 123 wRC+.  With a .333 BABIP and below-average strikeout and walk rates, there might be some regression in store for Drury in the second half, but the Angels are certainly hoping he can continue being a key bat in their lineup, and a regular at both first and second base.

Padres Make Four Roster Moves

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The Padres made four pitching moves today, including the activation of left-hander Tom Cosgrove from the 15-day injured list.  San Diego also called up right-hander Pedro Avila from Triple-A, while optioning southpaw Ray Kerr to Triple-A and placing righty Drew Carlton the 15-day IL due to right elbow inflammation.

Carlton signed a minor league contract during the offseason, and was promoted to San Diego’s active roster in the middle of May.  Pitching mostly in multi-inning relief situations, Carlton has a 4.35 ERA, 21.2% strikeout rate, and 7.1% walk rate over 20 2/3 frames.  That ERA took a hit in yesterday’s game, as Carlton allowed three runs (two earned) in two-thirds of an inning, including a walkoff homer from the Reds’ Spencer Steer.  It isn’t known whether Carlton’s elbow issue developed during the game, or if he was trying to pitch through some soreness.

Cosgrove returns from the IL after missing only the minimum 15 days with a strained left hamstring.  A 12th-round pick for the Padres in the 2017 draft, the 27-year-old made his MLB debut this season and has made a very solid impression in his first 17 innings in the Show.  Cosgrove has a tiny 0.53 ERA and 3.4% walk rate, as well as a solid 25.9% strikeout rate.  His SIERA is naturally higher (3.00), as Cosgrove has a perfect 100% strand rate and he has benefited from a .158 BABIP.  Still, it’s not a bad showing at all for a pitcher who wasn’t really on the radar for a call-up heading into 2023, but Cosgrove has pitched well enough to retain his spot in the Padres’ bullpen.

Marlins Designate Archie Bradley For Assignment

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The Marlins designated right-hander Archie Bradley for assignment, and recalled righty George Soriano from Triple-A Jacksonville.  Bradley pitched in Miami’s 16-4 loss to the Braves yesterday, allowing seven runs over 2 1/3 innings of work.

All told, Bradley has a 12.27 ERA over 7 1/3 total innings since the Marlins selected his contract from Triple-A in mid-June.  Bradley’s stint in free agency extended into the regular season, as he didn’t sign his minor league deal with Miami until almost two weeks into April.  Missing Spring Training has surely contributed to Bradley’s lack of form, though he did pitch pretty well in Jacksonville, posting a 2.95 ERA in 18 1/3 Triple-A innings.

Bradley was a solid-to-very good reliever with the Diamondbacks, Reds, and Phillies from 2017-21, highlighted by a stint as Arizona’s closer and even a 20th-place finish in NL MVP voting in 2017 as a nod to a dominant relief campaign.  However, things started to go south for Bradley during an injury-plagued 2022 season with the Angels, as he was limited to 18 2/3 innings due to multiple injuries, most prominently an elbow fracture.  He also had a forearm strain right at the end of September, which set back his offseason prep work.

The Marlins have seen enough to move on from the 30-year-old, but it seems likely that Bradley’s past track record and pedigree will earn him a look with another team.  While Bradley may not be quite ready to face Major League batters yet, another extended stint in Triple-A might help him get on track and get fully ramped up after his unusual offseason.  Miami could also keep him in the organization if Bradley clears waivers and accepts an outright assignment to Triple-A, though Bradley has enough big league service time to elect free agency rather than agree to an outright.

Brewers Designate Matt Bush, Thomas Pannone

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The Brewers designated right-hander Matt Bush and left-hander Thomas Pannone for assignment.  In corresponding moves, the team selected the contract of left-hander Clayton Andrews from Triple-A Nashville, and also called up right-hander J.B. Bukauskas from Triple-A.  Milwaukee now has 39 of 40 spots filled on its 40-man roster.

Acquired from the Rangers at last year’s trade deadline, Bush’s numbers dropped off after the deal, in large part to an increase in home runs.  Bush posted a 2.95 ERA over 36 2/3 innings with Texas while allowing five big flies, yet he gave up six homers in 23 innings with the Brew Crew, boosting his ERA to 4.30.

Bush and the Brewers agreed to a $1.85MM arbitration-avoiding salary for 2023, but the righty has struggled to both stay healthy and deliver consistent results out of Milwaukee’s bullpen.  He missed just shy of two months due to tendinitis in his right rotator cuff, and posted a 9.58 ERA in 10 1/3 innings.  Yesterday’s 8-7 loss to the Pirates saw Bush allow three runs in the ninth inning, including Carlos Santana’s two-run walkoff homer.

If another team claimed Bush on DFA waivers, it will become responsible for the roughly $925K still owed to the right-hander over the course of the season.  It seems likely that Bush will clear waivers, therefore putting the Brewers on the hook for the remaining salary while a new club would owe Bush just the prorated portion of a Major League salary.  If Bush clears waivers and is then outrighted to Triple-A Nashville, Bush can decline that outright assignment in favor of free agency, because he has been outrighted in the past.

Pannone also has this option, as he was outrighted off the Blue Jays’ roster back in 2020.  The southpaw left Toronto’s organization after that season, and he bounced around to the Red Sox, Angels, and the KBO League’s Kia Tigers before landing in Milwaukee on a minors deal this past winter.  The Brewers selected Pannone’s contract just three days ago, and his one appearance (also in yesterday’s 8-7 loss to Pittsburgh) marked Pannone’s first Major League game since the 2019 season.

Andrews was a 17th-round pick for the Brewers in the 2018 draft, and the 26-year-old is now close to making his MLB debut.  His career was essentially put on hold for the better part of three years due to first the canceled 2020 minor league season, and then a Tommy John surgery that limited Andrews to 19 2/3 total innings in 2021-22.  However, he has been healthy and effective at Nashville this year, with a 1.65 ERA and 31.8% strikeout rate over 32 2/3 innings of work.  A 12.4% walk rate is cause for concern, as Andrews’ control has been something of an issue even prior to 2020.

If Andrews can limit the walks, he might get a longer-term opportunity in a Milwaukee bullpen that is short on left-handed pitching.  Hoby Milner is the only other southpaw in the relief corps, though Justin Wilson (who underwent Tommy John surgery last year) just started a rehab assignment and might be available by late July or early August.

The Rays’ Biggest Free Agent Investment Is Paying Off

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While the Rays aren’t exactly threatening the luxury tax threshold any time soon, the team has been increasingly open to at least some modest spending over the last couple of years.  Wander Franco’s 11-year, $182MM extension is obviously the headliner of those moves, but Tampa Bay has also locked up the likes of Jeffrey Springs (four years/$31MM), Yandy Diaz (three years/$24MM), Pete Fairbanks (three years/$12MM), Tyler Glasnow (two years/$30.35MM), and Manuel Margot (two years/$19MM) to multi-year commitments.

These deals were all extensions, however, and thus Zach Eflin’s three-year, $40MM contract from last winter was more of an outlier in franchise history.  The $40MM represented the most money the Rays have ever given to a free agent over the franchise’s 26 seasons of existence.  The Rays’ willingness to make such an expenditure surprised some pundits, for both financial and baseball-related reasons — why was a lower-spending team deep in starting pitching willing to take a relatively big (by their standards) plunge on a starter with a checkered health history?

Three months into the 2023 season, Tampa’s decision is looking quite wise.  In the latest example of the “you can never have too much pitching” credo, the Rays’ rotation depth has been tested by multiple injuries.  Springs underwent Tommy John surgery, and Drew Rasmussen (flexor strain) and Josh Fleming (elbow soreness) are both on the 60-day injured list and will be out until at least August.  Glasnow didn’t make his season debut until late May, after recovering from his own rehab from a Tommy John procedure in 2021.

Against the backdrop of these injury concerns, Eflin’s production has been invaluable.  While the righty had a minimum 15-day IL stint himself in April due to back tightness, Eflin has been a stabilizing force within the rotation, and one of many reasons why the Rays have baseball’s best record.

Over 90 1/3 innings this season, Eflin has a 3.29 ERA, 25.6% strikeout rate, and 4.2% walk rate.  The K% is Eflin’s highest over a “full” season (he had a 28.6% strikeout rate over 59 innings in the shortened 2020 campaign), while his walk rate is among the league’s best for the third straight year.  The righty’s 52.7% grounder rate is also a career best, while his 37.8% hard-hit ball rate is (if only slightly) above the league average.  There isn’t much variance between Eflin’s real-world stats and his expected stats, as his 3.34 SIERA and .277 xwOBA are almost identical to his 3.29 ERA and .274 wOBA.

Eflin is getting great results from his sinker, which has been his primary pitch since 2020.  However, he is throwing the sinker only 34.7% of time, teaming it in a slightly more even mix with his curve (28.7% usage) and cutter (27.8%).  As such, Eflin’s curveball has now also become a premium offering, and the sinker/curve combo has helped offset the cutter’s much shakier results.  Combined with the occasional usage of a changeup and four-seamer to keep batters guessing, and Eflin is on pace for a career year in his age-29 season.

The biggest difference for Eflin in 2023, however, is just that he has thus far been pretty healthy.  His 90 1/3 innings already marks the fourth-highest innings total of his eight MLB seasons, and he threw only 86 1/3 total frames in the regular season and postseason with the Phillies in 2022.  He missed time last year due to a knee contusion, continuing the theme of knee problems that have plagued Eflin throughout his career — patellar-tendon surgeries on both knees in 2016, and then another patellar tendon procedure on his right knee in 2021.  Philadelphia opted to use Eflin out of the bullpen after he returned from the IL last season, in order to get him on the mound in some capacity rather than spend more time fully building up his arm for a starter’s workload.

There hasn’t been any suggestion of an innings limit for Eflin, and though he has yet to pitch more than seven innings in a game this season, that is probably more due to Tampa Bay’s general approach to starter usage more than any specific intent to keep Eflin fresh.  His career high for innings was 163 1/3 frames for the Phillies in 2019, so assuming good health from here on out, there is still quite a ways to go before Eflin or the Rays might have any concerns about his workload.  With the Rays on pace for another postseason appearance, they certainly hope Eflin can pitch throughout October, and the potential returns of Rasmussen and Fleming will continue to impact the team’s pitching plans.

Orioles Select Chris Vallimont, Mychal Givens Moved To 60-Day IL

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The Orioles have selected the contract of right-hander Chris Vallimont from Triple-A.  In corresponding moves, left-hander Bruce Zimmermann was optioned to Triple-A, while Mychal Givens was moved to the 60-day injured list to create space on the 40-man roster.

Givens signed a one-year, $5MM free agent deal with Baltimore during the offseason, returning to the O’s after pitching with the team from 2015-20.  However, the comeback has still barely begun, as Givens has been limited to four innings over six appearances (and an 11.25 ERA) due to injuries.  Some inflammation in Givens’ left knee arose during Spring Training, which led to an IL placement on Opening Day and delayed his season debut until May 21.  Givens then went back on the 15-day IL on June 1 due to inflammation in his throwing shoulder, and the shift to the 60-day IL means that he won’t be eligible to return until August at the earliest.

While Givens had started a rehab assignment, he was scratched from what would’ve been his fifth outing last week, and underwent further examination.  Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said the team wasn’t overly concerned with the situation, but obviously Givens has been set back enough that he might need to entirely restart his rehab work, thus extending his time on the IL.

Vallimont is now on the verge of making his MLB debut after five pro seasons.  The righty was a fifth-round pick for the Marlins in the 2018 draft, and was traded to the Twins in 2019 before Baltimore claimed him off waivers from Minnesota in May 2022.

The results have been mixed at best for Vaillmont in the upper minors, as he has a 6.07 ERA over 123 career innings at Double-A and a 5.22 ERA in 129 1/3 frames of Triple-A ball.  A starter for much of his career, the Orioles have used him as a starter in eight games in Norfolk and as a long reliever on six other occasions.  Since the Orioles’ bullpen has seen a lot of work over the team’s last two games, Vaillmont’s selection is likely a way to get a fresh arm into the relief corps.  After Thursday’s off-day, the O’s play every day until the All-Star break, so Vaillmont might get some chances to chew up any stray innings and turn some heads in his first stint in the big leagues.

Guardians Sign Sandy Leon To Minors Contract

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The Guardians announced that catcher Sandy Leon has signed a minor league deal.  The veteran backstop will report to Triple-A Columbus.

This is Leon’s fourth separate stint with the organization, as Cleveland first acquired him from the Red Sox in a trade in December 2019.  He returned to the Guardians on a minors deal in the 2021-22 offseason but opted out at the end of Spring Training, and soon afterwards joined the Reds on another minor league contract.  Cincinnati then traded Leon back across Ohio to the Guards last June, before the Guardians dealt Leon again to the Twins at the trade deadline.

The transactional carousel continued for Leon this past offseason when he joined the Rangers on a minor league contract.  Leon appeared in 21 games for Texas (who selected his contract when Mitch Garver went on the injured list) before being designated for assignment.  Leon did accept his subsequent outright assignment to Triple-A, but then asked to be released 10 days ago, with the Rangers accommodating the request.

The 34-year-old defensive specialist will now seemingly take up a depth role for the Guardians, as Bo Naylor has now taken over the team’s regular starting catcher.  Cleveland has Cam Gallagher in a traditional backup role and utilityman David Fry also capable of playing catcher in a pinch, but Leon might provide additional depth since Mike Zunino was released.  If nothing else, Leon gives the Guardians a familiar face at Triple-A, but it wouldn’t be surprising if Leon found himself on the move again if a clearer chance at playing time didn’t materialize with Cleveland.

Red Sox Notes: Deadline Spending, Kennedy, Sale, Injury Updates

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The Red Sox have a 41-42 record and are 4.5 games out of a wild card berth as the calendar flips to July, so it remains to be seen whether or not the team is truly a contender for the postseason.  In the opinion of Sox team president/CEO Sam Kennedy, “we definitely believe that this group can string a run together and get us back in this thing,” but Kennedy admitted to MassLive.com’s Sean McAdam that “this is obviously not where we want to be.  It’s sort of been a tale of two teams, given the streaky nature of our play….Every time we have a great stretch we seem to then falter and fall down.”

With this in mind, Kennedy said that Boston’s first order of business is just to play some consistent baseball, before considering any next steps.  “No one’s thinking about the trade deadline right now. We’re just thinking about trying to put ourselves in a position where we’re looking to add to this team,” he said.

Kennedy’s comments are similar to those made by chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom earlier this week, and Kennedy reiterated that upper management has “no concern” over Bloom’s ability to improve the roster, and that Bloom “will have full authority to do what is in the best interest of the organization, short-term and long-term.”

Bloom’s future with the Red Sox has been a topic of some controversy given the team’s relative lack of results over his three-plus seasons in charge of the front office, and the potential end of his contract.  According to McAdam, Bloom’s deal is thought to last through at least the 2024 season, which would indicate that Bloom received a five-year contract when he was initially hired by the Sox after the 2019 campaign (unless Bloom has since signed an extension).  The Red Sox are 235-232 during Bloom’s tenure, with a trip to the ALCS in 2021 sandwiched between last-place finishes in 2020 and 2022.  The Sox are currently in last place again in the AL East, though with the caveat that the club plays in baseball’s hardest division.

Money is apparently not an issue for ownership, as Kennedy stated that “if we’re in position to add to this team as we approach the deadline, there won’t be any hesitation or reservation about” spending beyond the luxury tax line.  As per Roster Resource, Boston’s luxury tax number is just shy of $221.3MM, and thus under the $233MM Competitive Balance Tax threshold.  Of course, while Kennedy didn’t address this possibility, one would imagine that the Sox might look to stay under the threshold if they do indeed fall out of contention over the next few weeks, given how Bloom’s attempts to both buy and sell at last year’s deadline resulted in a roster that finished with both a losing record and a tax bill.

August 1 is not just deadline day, but also the first day that Chris Sale would be eligible to be activated from the 60-day injured list.  Initially played on the 15-day IL on June 2 with right shoulder inflammation, it was soon announced that Sale was suffering from a stress reaction in his shoulder blade, and was facing yet another lengthy IL stint.

The good news is that Sale has been cleared to start throwing, after undergoing another MRI on Thursday.  The plan is for Sale to throw every other day for the time being, with the southpaw throwing from 60 feet but not at max effort.  Beyond these first steps, Sale’s timeline is still largely undetermined.

“This isn’t a very common issue,” Sale told The Athletic’s Jen McCaffrey and other reporters.  “We had a couple guys who were reference points from the past, but again how many times am I going to stand up here and say something freak happened?  So obviously, could have been worse, and [I’ve] been through worse.  Just happy for today to be able to start this process and get back to doing what I’m supposed to be doing.”

Red Sox manager Alex Cora also updated reporters (including The Boston Globe’s Peter Abraham) on several other injured players.  Yu Chang and Richard Bleier will each start a rehab assignment with Double-A Portland this weekend, while Pablo Reyes’ rehab assignment is slated to begin on Tuesday.  John Schreiber has thrown a pair of bullpen sessions and could be nearing a rehab assignment of his own, once he faces hitters during a live batting-practice session.

Zack Kelly also started a throwing program yesterday, which is particularly notable considering that the right-hander underwent an ulnar nerve transposition revision in his right elbow back in early May.  There was some optimism at the time that Kelly might be able to return before the end of the season, and while there’s much to be done before this becomes a reality, it’s certainly a good sign that Kelly is already throwing in some limited capacity.

Giants Reinstate Ross Stripling, Place Luke Jackson On 15-Day IL

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The Giants announced that right-hander Ross Stripling has been reinstated from the 15-day injured list.  Stripling will take the roster spot left open by Luke Jackson, who is headed to the 15-day IL himself due to a lower back strain.

Stripling has missed over five weeks due to his own back strain, and the injury layoff might effectively serve as a reset to his first season with the Giants.  Over his first 32 1/3 innings of the season, Stripling posted a 7.24 ERA while allowing 10 home runs.  While naturally a small sample size, these struggles are a big step back from the impressive numbers Stripling posted with the Blue Jays in 2022, when the righty delivered a 3.01 ERA over 134 1/3 frames (and with only 12 total homers allowed).

It isn’t what San Francisco was expecting when it signed Stripling to a two-year, $25MM free agent deal in the offseason.  His early struggles led the Giants to pretty quickly move him to the bullpen, though Stripling found himself back in the rotation due to some other injuries within the starting staff.  Between Stripling’s return and Alex Cobb’s expected activation from the IL later this week, the Giants are getting closer to having their full complement of starting pitchers available.

It remains to be seen if Stripling will indeed continue to work as a starter, or if he might return to a straight relief role or a hybrid of the two in his old swingman role.  The Giants’ choice is probably between Stripling and Sean Manaea as the fifth starter, or the team could use both in a piggyback capacity, or perhaps move both pitchers in and out of the rotation as a floating sixth starter to give the other starters some extra rest when necessary.  This is the type of flexibility San Francisco was looking for in signing Stripling in the first place, though naturally the righty will have to get back on track performance-wise.

Jackson left yesterday’s game due to his back injury, and he’ll now unfortunately head back to the IL after already missing the entire 2022 season recovering from Tommy John surgery.  The Giants only activated him on May 30, and Jackson pitched well in his first nine appearances of 2023, posting a 2.16 ERA, 30.3% strikeout rate, and 6.1% walk rate over 8 1/3 innings.

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