Mark Polishuk | MLB Trade Rumors

Nationals To Place Victor Robles On 10-Day Injured List

By Mark Polishuk | May 7, 2023 at 6:52pm CDT

6:52PM: Nats manager Davey Martinez told MASNsports.com’s Mark Zuckerman and other reporters that Robles was indeed heading to the 10-day IL with back spasms, and that Alu was being called up as the roster replacement.

5:38PM: Victor Robles suffered a back injury while trying to steal second base in the third inning of Saturday’s game, which led to Robles’ removal from the game. The Nationals didn’t include Robles in today’s lineup, and it now appears a longer absence is in store, as Jesse Dougherty of The Washington Post (Twitter link) reports that Robles is expected to be placed on the 10-day injured list.

Utilityman Jake Alu is expected to be called up from Triple-A Rochester to replace Robles on the active roster, as Alu is on his way to join the Nationals for the start of their series in San Francisco on Monday. The 26-year-old Alu is already on the Nationals’ 40-man roster, as D.C. added him back in November in advance of the Rule 5 Draft.

It’s an unfortunate setback for Robles, whose solid start has now been interrupted by injury. Robles is hitting .292/.388/.360 over his first 107 plate appearances, with eight steals in nine chances. Robles’ 113 wRC+ marks his highest total since the 2018 season, though naturally both a small sample size and some battled-ball luck (a .347 BABIP) might indicate that some regression is coming. Still, Robles’ speed allows him to turn some of those borderline balls in play into hits, and he has considerably improved both his walk and strikeout rates. After a 23.9% strikeout rate in his first six MLB seasons, Robles has a 13.1 K% in 2023, ranking in the 90th percentile of all batters.

On the flip side, Robles’ once-elite defense has taken a notable step back. Over just 258 innings in center field, Robles already has -8 Defensive Runs Saved as well as -2 Outs Above Average and a -15.8 UZR/150. This would certainly give rival teams pause in considering Robles as a trade deadline pickup, since the rebuilding Nationals will likely be open for business on any veteran player. Robles signed a short-term contract extension in February that gave the Nats a $3.3MM club option on his services for 2024, though Washington has arbitration control over Robles even if the option is declined. This bit of extra control could be an interesting factor in any trade talks, but naturally the first order of business is to get Robles healed up and back in the Nats’ lineup.

Though Alex Call and Lane Thomas have gotten the bulk of starts as Washington’s corner outfielders, Call and Thomas are the likeliest candidates to step into center field duty with Robles sidelined. This could open up more playing time for Stone Garrett and Ildemaro Vargas in the outfield, and Alu will likely also get some looks during his first taste of Major League action.

A 24th-round pick for the Nationals in the 2019 draft, Alu posted quality numbers in 2021-22, and MLB Pipeline ranked him 27th on their list of the Nats’ top 30 prospects, Alu began this year on the injured list with a knee injury and doesn’t seem to have really gotten on track, with only a .240/.318/.333 slash line in 86 PA with Triple-A Rochester.

However, Alu’s multi-positional versatility might be more important than his bat in the Nationals’ view, with Robles out of action and Jeimer Candelario also missing a pair of games due to dehydration. Alu has played mostly third base this season and might chip in at the hot corner if Candelario needs more recovery time, but Alu has also seen a lot of time as a second baseman and a handful of minor league games as a left fielder and first baseman.

Speaking of third base, the Nationals announced that Carter Kieboom was reinstated from the 10-day injured list and returned from his rehab assignment, then optioned to Triple-A. The former top prospect hit only .197/.304/.285 over 414 plate appearances with the Nats from 2019-21, but he missed all of 2022 while recovering from Tommy John surgery. A shoulder injury then set Kieboom back during Spring Training, resulting in his season-opening IL stint. Kieboom has played in only three Double-A games during his rehab assignment, so Washington will give him a longer ramp-up time in Rochester before considering a return to the big league roster.

AL East Notes: Cleavinger, Guerrero, Severino

By Mark Polishuk | May 7, 2023 at 6:32pm CDT

Rays reliever Garrett Cleavinger suffered a knee injury during the 10th inning of today’s 7-6 victory over the Yankees. Manager Kevin Cash told reporters (including Kristie Ackert of the Tampa Bay Times) that Cleavinger’s knee “grabbed on him” during a critical rundown play that eventually saw Aaron Hicks thrown out at home plate while trying to score the go-ahead run. More will be known once Cleavinger undergoes testing, but Cash indicated that the left-hander will likely be placed on the 15-day injured list.

Like most hurlers on the league-leading Rays, Cleavinger is having a nice season, with a 3.00 ERA over 15 appearances and 12 innings pitched. A 13% walk rate and a .160 BABIP are red flags, but Cleavinger is missing a lot of bats (30.4% strikeout rate) and is doing an excellent job of inducing soft contact. Tampa has Colin Poche, Jalen Beeks, and Josh Fleming already in the bullpen as other left-handed options, though Fleming has recently been enlisted into bulk pitcher duty. If the Rays aren’t concerned about keeping the lefty/righty balance in their pen, they can turn to any number of arms in the farm system, and hopefully Cleavinger won’t be sidelined for too long.

Astros Notes: Brantley, McCormick, Altuve, Urquidy

By Mark Polishuk and Nick Deeds | May 7, 2023 at 4:09pm CDT

The Astros are expected to get lineup reinforcements during their upcoming series in Anaheim, as outfielders Michael Brantley and Chas McCormick could both be back as early as Monday, according to MLB.com. While the pair were on the shelf, the club has relied on Jake Meyers and Corey Julks to fill in alongside Kyle Tucker and Yordan Alvarez in Houston’s outfield mix. Meyers has been a solid stopgap option with a 104 wRC+ in 93 trips to the plate and excellent defense in center field, but Julks has struggled to an 80 wRC+ with a 27.6% strikeout rate in 87 plate appearances.

Of course, Brantley also did some work at first base during his rehab stint, so the Astros could be looking at the veteran as a possible complement to the struggling Jose Abreu. Brantley (who turns 36 next week) hasn’t played since June 26 due to shoulder problems that eventually required surgery in August, and thus Brantley missed out on the Astros’ World Series run.

Houston general manager Dana Brown discussed several injury situations during a radio interview on SportsTalk 790 (hat tip to MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart), and noted that “McCormick is maybe a day ahead of” Brantley, so McCormick is the surer bet to be activated from the injured list during the Angels series. While McCormick doesn’t have Brantley’s lengthy track record of offense, he was off to a phenomenal start this season prior to being sidelined by a back injury, with a .275/.383/.500 slash line in 11 games.

Jose Altuve continues to make excellent progress in his recovery from thumb surgery, as the eight-time All-Star has progressed to both taking batting practice on the field and running the bases. After Altuve underwent his surgery in late March, it was initially expected to take at least eight weeks before the second baseman could even resume baseball activities, so he is already a few weeks ahead of schedule. Brown said that Altuve might even begin a minor league rehab assignment within the week, so that original late-May date might now be a more feasible target for Altuve’s return to the Astros lineup altogether.

The news isn’t as good about Jose Urquidy, as Brown said (Twitter links from McTaggart) “there’s a chance we could get him back somewhere around the All-Star break.” This represents a step back from some seemingly more positive reports from earlier this week, which suggested that Urquidy would be shut down from throwing until mid-May but could potentially return by early June. The right-hander was placed on the 15-day IL on May 1 with shoulder discomfort, though Urquidy has apparently avoided any structural damage since an MRI only revealed inflammation.

Still, Brown’s comments indicate a much longer absence is in store for Urquidy, as even the All-Star break might be more of a fluid target date than a firm timeline. It hasn’t been a banner week for Astros pitching, as Urquidy went to the IL and Luis Garcia was lost for the season entirely due to Tommy John surgery. With a rotation now thinned out, Brown noted that the Astros may have to rely on internal arms for now, given that the starting pitching market won’t really materialize until much closer to the trade deadline.

Brandon Bielak and rookie J.P. France have filled in for Urquidy and Garcia, joining Framber Valdez, Cristian Javier, and rookie Hunter Brown in the starting five. Lance McCullers Jr. is also still a ways away from returning, though he did throw a full bullpen session on Saturday. McCullers has yet to pitch this season after suffering a muscle strain in his right arm during Spring Training.

Eloy Jimenez To Miss 4-To-6 Weeks After Undergoing Appendectomy

By Mark Polishuk | May 7, 2023 at 11:22am CDT

May 7: As expected, the club has placed Jimenez on the 10-day IL while he recovers from his appendectomy. The club recalled catcher Carlos Perez in a corresponding move.

May 6: White Sox slugger Eloy Jimenez went to the hospital earlier today due to intense stomach discomfort, and the team announced that Jimenez underwent an appendectomy. Jimenez will be sidelined for “preliminarily” the next 4-to-6 weeks while he recovers.

Manager Pedro Grifol told the Chicago Sun-Times’ Daryl Van Schouwen and other reporters earlier today that Jimenez felt discomfort last night, and was admitted to hospital after the pain worsened during the night. If there is a silver lining, it’s that Jimenez’s issue was only the relatively common problem of appendicitis, and hopefully the outfielder will be fully recovered in 4-6 weeks’ time.

However, that does mark yet another significant absence and yet another entry within an increasingly checkered health history for the 26-year-old. Jimenez already spent 10 days on the injured list this season due to a hamstring strain, he missed over two months of the 2022 season with another hamstring issue, and his first game of the 2021 campaign didn’t come until July 26 due to a ruptured left pectoral tendon.

Jimenez was roughly a league-average hitter in 2021, but batted .295/.358/.500 with 16 home runs over 327 plate appearances last season. This year, despite being slowed by the hamstring problem, Jimenez has a productive .258/.321/.423 slash line in 106 PA, even while continuing his pattern of hard contact and a lot of swing-and-miss.

Even with a modest 104 wRC+, Jimenez was still one of the more productive hitters on a struggling White Sox team, and his absence will now only add to what is increasingly looking like a disastrous season. Today’s 5-3 loss to the Reds dropped Chicago to an 11-23 record, and even earlier this week, MLBTR’s Steve Adams wrote about which players might be shopped by the Sox at the deadline. It’s going to be a lot harder for the Southsiders to dig themselves out of this early hole without Jimenez in the lineup, which only increases the chances that Chicago will be looking to be sellers in some regard by August 1.

The White Sox have used Jimenez mostly as a DH this season with a handful of games in right field, so there might not be a direct positional replacement needed, in the sense that the Sox could just cycle multiple players through the DH spot to help keep people fresh. Gavin Sheets might get the bulk of those at-bats given his lackluster defensive numbers in right field, and Oscar Colas might find himself quickly back in the majors after being optioned to Triple-A earlier this week. In addition to Jimenez being sidelined, the White Sox also just placed Jake Burger on the IL this week due to an oblique strain, and Yoan Moncada has missed close to a month with back problems (though he just started a rehab assignment this weekend).

The A’s May Have Found A Hidden Gem On The Waiver Wire

By Mark Polishuk | May 6, 2023 at 9:53pm CDT

2022 was a year of change for Brent Rooker, who was a member of four different organizations within the span of seven months. After five years with the Twins, Rooker was dealt along with Taylor Rogers to the Padres for Chris Paddack and Emilio Pagan in April 2022. From there, Rooker found himself on the move again at the trade deadline when San Diego sent him to the Royals for catcher Cam Gallagher. Rooker finished out the season in K.C. but was designated for assignment in November, paving the way for the Athletics to claim him off waivers.

As Rooker noted in a chat with MLBTR readers back in February, the specific timing of the trades made things particularly difficult since “one came on Opening Day of the Major League season and one was the very last deal of the deadline. I knew it was definitely possible that I was going to get moved at the deadline but once we reached 4:00 [PM EST], I thought I was safe, only to get called about 15 minutes later.”

“The moving around is tough and its hard to get settled or into a routine with so much constant change. That being said, its just part of the job and something you have to learn to work through. I’m incredibly excited to be with Oakland and hope to play well and earn some major league opportunities!”

Stability isn’t usually a word associated with an A’s franchise that has made a habit of roster overhauls, including the latest fire sale that has seen the Athletics part ways with several prominent veterans as part of the latest rebuild. The result hasn’t been pretty, as the A’s entered play today with a league-worst 7-26 record, and the increasing possibility of a move to Las Vegas has led to a lot of public discord amongst Oakland fans.

Though it all, however, Rooker has become a major bright spot in the early portion of the 2023 season. Entering the year with a career .200/.289/.379 slash line over 270 plate appearances in the majors, Rooker has exploded to hit .333/.442/.726 with 10 home runs over his first 104 PA in an Athletics uniform. Rooker’s slugging percentage and 218 wRC+ lead all qualifies hitters, and his on-base percentage also leads the American League.

This kind of huge breakout caught even Rooker himself a little off-guard. “In a vacuum, the numbers themselves are more than I ever thought I could do,” Rooker told MLB.com’s Martin Gallegos and other reporters last week. “That’s not taking away the confidence I have in myself. That kind of production for a month’s worth of games is probably past even my expectations of myself, so that’s been a pleasant surprise for me.”

Such high-level production isn’t totally alien to Rooker, who has pretty consistently mashed minor league pitching over five seasons on the farm. This includes a career .274/.387/.590 slash line over 906 PA at the Triple-A level, which is a standout performance even with the caveat of 273 of those plate appearances coming in the hitter-friendly environment of the Pacific Coast League (with the Padres’ Triple-A affiliate). Rooker also carried some prospect pedigree as the 35th overall pick of the 2017 draft, and he was ranked 92nd on Baseball America’s top-100 prospects list prior to the 2018 season.

Despite this resume, Rooker couldn’t really break though on a Minnesota team that already had multiple up-and-coming outfielders on the active roster or in the farm system all vying for playing time. Rooker’s cause wasn’t helped when he suffered a fractured forearm in just his seventh big league game in 2020, and his only other extended taste of MLB playing time came in 2021, when he batted .201/.291/.397 over 213 PA for the Twins.

Still, that rough season had just enough glimmers of hope for Rooker that he told Gallegos and company that it has contributed to his big 2023 numbers. “The last two years, I’ve just been trying to figure out how to extend those good times that I had,” Rooker said. “I knew I could do it because I’d have weeks in Minnesota where I’d hit really well with a lot of success. That put it in my head and heart that I was good enough to do it. I just had to figure out how to do it for longer periods of time.”

It is probably safe to assume that some regression is inevitable, due to both Rookier’s .340 BABIP and the lack of track record to back up his early standing as an elite hitter. That said, there hasn’t been much luck in what Rooker has been doing, as his .479 wOBA is above his xwOBA….but not by much, as Rooker’s .447 xwOBA is still in the 99th percentile of all hitters. His barrel rate and walk rate are also both outstanding, and his overall hard-hit ball rate is well above league average. Strikeouts have been a persistent issue for Rooker throughout his career, but cutting his strikeout rate down to even a modest 22.1% (within the 49th percentile of hitters) has helped greatly, given what Rooker is doing with all that extra contact.

Landing a possible late bloomer on the waiver wire is a dream for any team, particularly a rebuilding Oakland club in sore need of some good news. Rooker entered the season with only one year and 59 days (1.059) of MLB service time, so he wouldn’t even gain arbitration eligibility until after the 2024 season, and free agency until after the 2017 season. Naturally, five great weeks doesn’t automatically turn a 28-year-old player into a building block, but if nothing else, Rooker’s presence gives the Athletics something to think about as they approach the trade deadline.

To be clear, all of that team control might make it unlikely that Rooker himself is traded, as the A’s might be intrigued enough to see what they really have in the outfielder beyond 2023. The idea can’t be entirely ruled out given the Athletics’ scored-earth approach to their rebuild process, but dealing Rooker after a big first half might backfire if Rooker does continue to be a quality regular going forward — “selling high” would perhaps become selling too soon.

Rooker has seen a lot of time at DH, and has seen some time in both corner outfield positions with borderline passable glovework. Not that Rooker is in any danger of losing at-bats at this point, but if any of Ramon Laureano, Tony Kemp, or Jesus Aguilar are moved at the deadline, that just opens up more playing time for Conner Capel or JJ Bleday, with Rooker picking up any extra at-bats in the corner outfield or at DH. Kemp and Aguilar are the likeliest to be moved since they aren’t under contract beyond 2023, and while Laureano is arbitration-controlled through 2025, he has received some trade interest in the past.

NL Notes: Mays, Harris, Azocar, Carrasco, Syndergaard

By Mark Polishuk | May 6, 2023 at 7:19pm CDT

Happy birthday to the legendary Willie Mays, who turns 92 years old today. All 22 seasons and 2992 games of Mays’ MLB career was spent in the National League, mostly with the New York/San Francisco Giants and then parts of his two last seasons back in the Big Apple with the Mets. Among players who played exclusively in the NL during their career, only Pete Rose and Stan Musial had more games in the Senior Circuit than Mays.

Let’s say hey to these items from around the NL….

Michael Harris II made his return to the Braves’ lineup tonight, back in his customary spot in center field after missing Atlanta’s previous two games. There was some concern after Harris left Wednesday’s game with a jammed right knee, but he was able to avoid both the injured list and a significant layoff, even though he’ll at least temporarily be placing with a knee brace. Harris told The Athletic’s David O’Brien and other reporters that running with the brace won’t slow him down, though he is a little uncertain about how his sliding might be impacted. A lower back strain already sent Harris to the IL earlier this season, and today marks only the 13th game of 2023 for the reigning NL Rookie Of The Year.
Padres outfielder Jose Azocar told reporters (including Jeff Sanders of the San Diego Union-Tribune) that he received a cortisone shot in his bothersome left elbow, but an MRI revealed only inflammation. Azocar was retroactively placed on the 10-day IL on May 3, and manager Bob Melvin thinks the outfielder might be able to resume baseball activities within a few days’ time. Azocar has a modest .244/.262/.293 slash line over 45 plate appearances, as the backup has made a few extra starts due to other injuries in the Padres’ outfield and the remaining games on Fernando Tatis Jr.’s suspension.
Carlos Carrasco has hit another health setback, as Mets GM Billy Eppler and manager Buck Showalter told reporters (including Abbey Mastracco of the New York Daily News) that the right-hander is battling an illness. This has pushed back plans to start a rehab assignment for Carrasco this weekend, as the veteran continues to work his way back from a bone spur in his throwing elbow. Carrasco struggled to an 8.56 ERA over his first three starts and 13 2/3 innings before going on the IL.
It has also been a tough road for Noah Syndergaard in 2023, as his Dodgers tenure has begun with a 6.32 ERA over his first six starts and 31 1/3 innings since signing a one-year, $13MM free agent deal. However, manager Dave Roberts told the Orange County Register’s Bill Plunkett and other reporters that even as L.A. continues to juggle its rotation, the club isn’t considering removing Syndergaard from the starting five. The righty will get some extra time between starts, with Syndergaard projected for an eight-day break before his next scheduled outing on Tuesday. Both Michael Grove and Gavin Stone made some starts while Tony Gonsolin was on the injured list, but with Gonsolin now back and Grove now on the IL with a groin injury, the Dodgers will now stick with a normal five-man rotation. Roberts said that rather than keep Stone in the majors for another start and a brief shift to a six-man rotation, “there’s maybe a potential cost of getting guys out of their rhythm” given that Los Angeles also has an off-day on Thursday.

Mariners Place Penn Murfee On 15-Day Injured List

By Mark Polishuk | May 6, 2023 at 5:37pm CDT

The Mariners have placed right-hander Penn Murfee on the 15-day injured list due to right elbow inflammation, according to Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times (Twitter link). Right-hander Juan Then is being called up from Double-A in the corresponding move, and Then’s first appearance will mark his MLB debut.

Murfee made his own Major League debut in 2022 and immediately contributed to Seattle’s bullpen, posting a 2.99 ERA over 69 1/3 innings. Murfee’s strikeout and walk rates were well above average, and he was one of the league’s best at inducing soft contact. The overall results have improved this season as per Murfee’s 1.38 ERA over 15 innings, except with the red flag of a drastically inflated 16.7% walk rate. A tiny .143 BABIP has certainly helped Murfee avoid much damage, though his SIERA is 4.52.

Walks have been a problem for the Mariners’ bullpen as a whole this season, even though the relief corps has still been quite solid overall. However, it isn’t good news that the M’s are now missing two notable relievers in Murfee and Andres Munoz, who has spent close to a month on the 15-day IL due to a right deltoid strain that seems to be a bit more troublesome than initially anticipated. For what it’s worth, Murfee’s elbow inflammation also seems relatively minor, as Divish tweets that the Mariners were hoping he could avoid an IL trip altogether.

Then was added to Seattle’s 40-man roster back in November, protecting righty from selection in the Rule 5 Draft. Then was an international signing for the Mariners in 2016, and after being traded to the Yankees in November 2017, was re-acquired as part of the Edwin Encarnacion trade in June 2019. Once the 2019 season was complete, things started to go sideways for Then, who (like all minor leaguers) lost the 2020 season to the pandemic, and then struggled through two injury-shortened seasons at the high-A and Double-A levels in 2021 and 2022.

MLB Pipeline ranks Then 23rd on their list of the Mariners’ top 30 prospects, noting that his performance in the Arizona Fall League merited a return to the ranking and apparently indicated that his elbow problems were behind him. Back at Double-A this season, Then has a 27.5% strikeout rate and 7.5% walk rate over nine innings of work, but also a 5.00 ERA.

To this end, promoting Then to the majors and skipping Triple-A entirely seems like an aggressive move for the Mariners, based both on results and the fact that Then has pitched only 30 total innings (counting AFL and Dominican Winter League work) since the start of the 2022 season. It could be that the M’s might be viewing Then as just a short-term add before figuring out a 40-man roster opening to accommodate another pitcher.

Red Sox Aiming To Activate James Paxton Next Week

By Mark Polishuk | May 6, 2023 at 4:36pm CDT

James Paxton is on the verge of his first Major League game in over two years, as Red Sox manager Alex Cora told reporters (including MLB.com’s Ian Browne) that Paxton will join the team this week. Paxton won’t start during Boston’s upcoming two-game series with the Braves, which indicates that he’ll pitch at some point during the three-game series between the Cardinals and Red Sox from May 12-14.

Paxton underwent Tommy John surgery in April 2021 as a member of the Mariners, but the Red Sox made something of a speculative move by signing the left-hander to a free agent deal during the 2021-22 offseason. That contract contained a pair of club options (each worth $13MM) for the 2023 and 2024 seasons, but also a $4MM player option Paxton could exercise if the Sox declined those club options. With Paxton missing the entire 2022 campaign due to both his TJ rehab and then a lat tear, Boston indeed declined its club options, and Paxton triggered his $4MM option to ultimately make his deal a two-year, $10MM pact overall.

If those past injuries weren’t enough, Paxton also had a Game 1 hamstring strain during Spring Training that delayed his ramp-up period to the point that another 15-day IL stint was required to begin the 2023 season. Pitching in six games at Triple-A Worcester during his rehab, Paxton has a 6.23 ERA over 21 2/3 innings, largely due to one disastrous outing (the only relief appearance of his six games) that saw him tagged for seven runs in two-thirds of an inning on April 19. In his last two rehab starts, Paxton allowed only two runs over 10 1/3 total innings, and he topped the 90-pitch threshold in both games.

The Red Sox don’t play on either Monday or Thursday, and they also have off-days on May 18, 25, and 29th. This gives the club some flexibility in how they arrange their pitching staff when Paxton returns, and Garrett Whitlock is also expected to be activated from the 15-day injured list this week. Cora said the Sox are considering the possibility of a six-man rotation to accommodate a full rotation, though the preponderance of upcoming off-days could lead to some extended time between starts if the Red Sox did try a larger rotation.

Guardians Option Oscar Gonzalez To Triple-A

By Mark Polishuk | May 6, 2023 at 4:08pm CDT

After hitting only .192/.213/.288 over his first 75 plate appearances, Guardians outfielder Oscar Gonzalez has been optioned to Triple-A Columbus. Infielder Tyler Freeman has been called up to replace Gonzalez on Cleveland’s active roster.

Gonzalez is the second prominent Guardians player to be optioned in the last three days, after Zach Plesac was also sent down to Columbus on Thursday. Plesac was more of an established big leaguer than Gonzalez, yet both moves are indicative of how the Guards are trying to shake things up after an underwhelming 14-18 start to the season.

One of several young players who contributed to the Guardians’ success in 2022, Gonzalez made his MLB debut last season and hit .296/.327/.461 with 11 homers over 382 PA in his rookie season. His most memorable moments included a pair of walkoff hits in the postseason — the 15th-inning home run that allowed the Guardians to eliminate the Rays in the Wild Card Series, and a walkoff single that led Cleveland to a win over the Yankees in Game 3 of the ALDS.

Despite this early success, Gonzalez displayed some weak points that have continued into 2023. He has ranked near the bottom of the walk in both walk rate and chase rate in both seasons, even if his actual strikeout rate is above average. Gonzalez’s hard-hit rate has also plummeted from a respectable 40.1% in 2022 to just 31% this year.

The Guardians entered the season using Gonzalez and Will Brennan in a right field platoon, with Brennan seeing the majority of at-bats as a left-handed hitter. Manager Terry Francona told reporters (including Cleveland.com) that the team’s desire to use Gonzalez on a more regular basis contributed to the decision to send him to Triple-A.

“We might be doing Oscar right now a disservice by playing him sparingly….Last time we called him up, he had a lot of at-bats under his belt and felt really good about himself. So we’re going to hopefully get him going again, as opposed to playing him every so often,” Francona said.

Freeman might be an example of this very tactic, as the former top-100 prospect (who also made his MLB debut in 2022) returns to the majors on the strength of a hot streak with Columbus. The Guardians called Freeman up for two games in April, but Freeman has otherwise spent the season at Triple-A, and is batting .329/.468/.482 over 109 PA with the Clippers.

It remains to be seen where Freeman will fit into Cleveland’s lineup or how often he’ll play, but Gabriel Arias is notably getting the start in right field today for the Guardians against the Twins (and right-handed starter Sonny Gray). Arias is yet another highly-touted prospect from the Guardians’ farm system, but he hasn’t shown much over an even 100 plate appearances at the big league level. Only 43 of those PA have come this season, so Arias and Freeman might get some looks as part of the right field platoon even though both are infielders by trade. Arias has made a handful of appearances as a left fielder during his career but today marks his pro debut in right field.

Dodgers Designate Austin Wynns For Assignment

By Mark Polishuk | May 1, 2023 at 3:00pm CDT

May 1: The Dodgers have now made this official, with Rojas recalled and Wynns designated for assignment in a corresponding move.

April 30: The Dodgers have designated catcher Austin Wynns for assignment, J.P. Hoornstra of the Southern California News Group reports (via Twitter). Wynns was signed to a Major League contract a little over two weeks ago, as the Dodgers were looking to add some catching depth while Will Smith was on the concussion-related injured list.

With Smith now back in action, the Dodgers were in need of roster space, since Miguel Rojas will probably be activated from the 10-day injured list on Monday and prospect Gavin Stone is being called up (and added to the 40-man roster) in advance of a scheduled start on Wednesday. That makes Wynns the odd man out, as Los Angeles will return to its usual catching tandem of Smith and Austin Barnes now that Smith has been fully cleared for catching duty. Wynns ended up appearing in five games in his brief time on the Dodgers’ active roster, with a .523 OPS over 12 plate appearances.

The veteran backstop has already appeared for two different teams in under a month of the 2023 season, as Wynns’ minor league contract was selected by the Giants for a single game before he was DFA’ed earlier this month. Since Wynns has been outrighted off a 40-man roster multiple times in his career, he had the opportunity to elect free agency rather than accept an outright assignment from San Francisco, and he indeed took the option of re-entering the open market.

Assuming Wynns clears waivers, he might again opt for free agency rather than remain in the Dodgers organization, considering that (when healthy) Smith and Barnes are a stable duo behind the plate. If Wynns did accept an outright assignment, David Freitas and Patrick Mazeika are also on hand as MLB-experienced catching depth options at the Dodgers’ Triple-A affiliate, and Hunter Feduccia is also seeing action behind the plate. The fact that Los Angeles signed Wynns at the time of Smith’s injury could indicate their preference for a more seasoned catcher over their other Triple-A candidates, or Wynns might prefer to test the market again in search of a less-crowded depth chart.

Wynns has appeared in five MLB seasons, gaining most of his playing time in a part-time capacity with the Orioles in 2018 and 2021, and with the Giants last season. Wynns has hit only .229/.273/.334 over 522 career plate appearances, but the 32-year-old has a good reputation for his defense and ability to handle pitchers. With this in mind, it certainly seems possible that Wynns might catch on elsewhere, given how clubs are constantly on the lookout for help behind the plate.

« Previous Page

Load More Posts

Headlines

Navigation

MLBTR INFO

Connect