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Giants Place Roberto Perez On 60-Day Injured List

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The Giants placed catcher Roberto Perez on the 60-day injured list due to a right rotator cuff strain.  Austin Wynns’ contract was selected from Triple-A to take the vacancy behind the plate, and Perez’s placement on the 60-day IL automatically created an open 40-man roster spot for Wynns.  San Francisco also officially announced the signing of first baseman/outfielder Darin Ruf to a minor league deal, after news broke earlier today of Ruf’s return to the organization.

It’s another tough injury setback for Perez, who played only 21 games with Pittsburgh last season due to hamstring surgery, and 44 games with Cleveland in 2021 due to right shoulder inflammation and a fractured right ring finger (the latter injury also resulted in a 60-day IL stint).  Perez had to make an early exit from yesterday’s game with what was initially described by the Giants as a shoulder strain, and now the 34-year-old backstop is facing another significant absence.

Perez’s abbreviated 2022 season meant he had to settle for a minor league deal this winter, but there wasn’t much doubt that San Francisco would select his contract (and lock in a $2.5MM guaranteed salary) sooner rather than later.  As it happened, Perez made the Opening Day roster, but his injury now adds more uncertainty to what has already been an unsettled catching situation for the Giants.

Wynns and Rule 5 pick Blake Sabol are currently the only catchers on the active roster, though Sabol has also been used as an outfielder to help fill in for other injured players (such as Mitch Haniger and Austin Slater).  With Ruf now in the picture, Sabol might return to more of a strict catching role for the time being, though the mix might get shuffled again when Joey Bart is activated from the 10-day IL.  The Giants announced today that Bart was starting a Triple-A rehab assignment, so he could be returning from his back strain in relatively short order.  San Francisco also recently signed Gary Sanchez to a minor league contract, and the former All-Star also figures to factor into the MLB roster at some point.

Wynns came to San Francisco in a trade from the Phillies last June, and hit .259/.313/.358 over 177 plate appearances in a Giants uniform.  This respectable offensive performance didn’t stop the Giants from designating Wynns for assignment during the offseason, but Wynns chose to accept his outright assignment off the 40-man roster rather than test free agency.

Yankees Place Josh Donaldson, Jonathan Loaisiga On Injured List; Recall Jhony Brito, Select Willie Calhoun

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The Yankees announced five roster moves prior to today’s game with the Orioles.  As expected, Josh Donaldson was placed on the 10-day injured list (retroactive to April 6) due to a right hamstring strain and right-hander Jhony Brito was called up from Triple-A to make his scheduled start against Baltimore.  New York also placed righty Jonathan Loaisiga on the 15-day IL with a retroactive April 6 date, as Loaisiga is suffering from right elbow inflammation.  In corresponding moves, the Yankees selected Willie Calhoun’s contract from Triple-A and officially signed him to a big league deal, while Tommy Kahnle was moved to the 60-day IL to create space for Calhoun on the 40-man roster.

Any elbow issue for Loaisiga is of particular concern given that he has a Tommy John surgery in his past, but it doesn’t yet appear as though his current issue is anything more than soreness.  Shoulder problems have also hampered Loaisiga over the years, but the 28-year-old has generally been a pretty solid reliever and spot starter over his six MLB seasons (all with the Yankees).  Loaisiga has been a full-time reliever for the last three seasons, and he also become much more of a groundball specialist, posting a 60.5% grounder rate since the start of the 2021 campaign.

With an ability to generate grounders and a knack for inducing soft contact, Loaisiga has a 2.95 ERA over his last 122 innings, and he has one of the best chase rates of any pitcher in baseball despite a below-average strikeout rate.  This arsenal put Loaisiga in line for more high-leverage innings, and he was seen as perhaps the Yankees’ top set-up option for closer Clay Holmes.  Unfortunately, he’ll now be sidelined on the IL along with fellow relievers Lou Trivino and Kahnle, creating another vacancy in New York’s bullpen.

Kahnle was sidelined by biceps tendinitis during Spring Training, and what was initially seen as a pretty minor issue will now keep the veteran right-hander away from the MLB roster until the end of May.  Kahnle didn’t start playing catch until earlier this week, indicating that he has quite a ways to go in ramping up his arm strength and making up for the time lost in spring camp.

Calhoun brings a left-handed bat to a New York roster that is loaded with right-handed hitters, and mention of a lefty swinger joining the club merits a mention of the short porch in right field at Yankee Stadium.  Calhoun his 21 home runs with the Rangers in 2019, but has otherwise only gone yard 11 times over his five other MLB seasons with Texas and San Francisco.  For his career as a whole, Calhoun has hit .240/.299/.404 in 936 plate appearances.

Once a top prospect in the Dodgers’ farm system, Calhoun’s solid 2019 campaign was undone by injury-shortened seasons in 2020 and 2021, and he was openly hoping for a trade away from the Rangers after being sent down to Triple-A early in the 2022 season.  He didn’t receive much of a look from the Giants at the MLB level following a June trade, but he’ll now get another chance in the Bronx.

Playing mostly as a left fielder during his MLB career, Calhoun looks to join Oswaldo Cabrera and Aaron Hicks in the corner outfield position.  Cabrera might get some infield time with Donaldson on the IL, though New York has third base pretty well covered with DJ LeMahieu getting most of the starting time and Isiah Kiner-Falefa also available to back up.  Calhoun’s addition might further reduce Hicks’ playing time, as Hicks already hasn’t seen much action over the Yankees’ first seven games.

Cardinals Notes: O’Neill, Marlins, Naughton, Nootbaar, Wainwright

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Tyler O’Neill’s name was part of trade talks with the Marlins and other teams this winter, The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal reports.  Back in January, Rosenthal wrote that St. Louis had shown interest in the Marlins’ pitching, and since Miami was known to be looking for outfield help, it stands to reason that O’Neill was part of those discussions.  No trade materialized between the two sides, of course, and it isn’t known if O’Neill was necessarily one of the Marlins’ top targets on the St. Louis roster, or if the Cards were more open to moving O’Neill than any of their outfielders.

Given all of the Cardinals’ outfield depth and the Marlins’ rotation depth, any number of names or potential trades could’ve been floated in negotiations — likewise, any team engaging the Cardinals in outfield-related trade talks might’ve had a few options in mind.  While O’Neill was coming off a relative down year in 2022, that doesn’t mean rival clubs wouldn’t have still had trade interest, perhaps hoping to nab the two-time Gold Glover in a buy-low situation.

With this all in mind, Rosenthal wonders if O’Neill could potentially be tangled in trade talks again, perhaps in an outfielder-for-pitching swap similar to the deal that sent Harrison Bader to the Yankees for Jordan Montgomery at last year’s trade deadline.  As The Athletic’s Levi Weaver noted, Bader was traded within a couple of months after Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol removed him mid-game for a perceived lack of effort.  On Wednesday, O’Neill wasn’t in the Cards’ starting lineup, which Marmol publicly said was due to what the skipper felt was a lack of hustle on O’Neill’s part in running the bases in Tuesday’s game.  O’Neill both denied that charge, and also wasn’t pleased that Marmol went public with the criticism.

It should be noted that O’Neill still appeared in Wednesday’s game as a pinch-hitter, and after Thursday’s off-day, O’Neill was back as the starting center fielder in the Cardinals’ 4-0 loss to the Brewers on Friday.  Talking to Derrick Gould of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and other reporters, Marmol said it was “one hundred percent” important to have O’Neill back in action, calling him “one of the most talented players in that clubhouse.  There’s a next step for Tyler in his career, and my job is to get him there.”

The manager also explained his perspective on “holding someone accountable” as it related to his decision to call O’Neill out, saying “it’s your ability to sit down with a player before the lights come on before the stadium is packed and ask them what they want for themselves and what they want for the team.  And allowing them to articulate that and then asking for permission to hold them to that.  And when it doesn’t look right, you hold them to that.”

Beyond O’Neill’s return and the shutout loss, Friday’s game was also notable for what might be a significant injury to left-hander Packy Naughton.  After pitching to three batters in his relief outing, Naughton left the game with what the club later described as forearm tightness.  Goold wrote that Naughton was slated to have his left arm examined last night.

It seems like Naughton is headed for the injured list at the very least, and he and the team can only hope that a serious injury has been avoided.  Naughton is just a few days shy of his 27th birthday, and he is in his third MLB season.  St. Louis claimed Naughton off waivers from the Angels in March 2022, and his first season with the Cardinals saw Naughton post a 4.78 ERA over 32 innings, working mostly as a reliever.

In other injury news, Lars Nootbaar might be activated from the 10-day IL as early as Monday, since Marmol told MLB.com and other reporters that the club will wait to see how Nootbaar’s injured left thumb feels after batting practice.  However, Nootbaar said that his thumb is more of an issue when trying to catch a ball or even when wearing a glove, moreso than any pain caused by taking swings.

Adam Wainwright is on the 15-day IL recovering from a groin strain, and is slated for his second 28-pitch bullpen session on Sunday.  If all goes well, Wainwright might throw more pitches in another bullpen tentatively scheduled for Wednesday, and a minor league rehab outing could then follow in the coming days.

Giants Sign Darin Ruf To Minor League Deal

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The Giants are signing Darin Ruf to a minor league contract, The Athletic’s Jayson Stark reports (Twitter link).  The Mets designated Ruf for assignment prior to Opening Day and then released the first baseman/outfielder earlier this week.

Ruf is no stranger to the Bay Area, hitting .248/.358/.455 over 726 plate appearances with the Giants from 2020-22.  Much of that production came in the 2020 and 2021 seasons, which led to a two-year, $6.25MM deal that covered Ruf’s last two seasons of arbitration eligibility.  Ruf hit a modest .216/.328/.373 over his first 314 PA of the 2022 campaign, but that didn’t stop the Mets from making a play for the veteran at the trade deadline, landing Ruf for a four-player package headlined by J.D. Davis.

Unfortunately for Ruf and the Mets, his brief time in New York was a disaster, as he hit only .152/.216/.197 over 74 PA and then finished the season on the 10-day injured list with a neck sprain.  Some wrist problems seemed to contribute to Ruf continuing to struggle during Spring Training, and the Mets finally parted ways with the 36-year-old.

Since Ruf cleared waivers before being released, San Francisco will owe Ruf only the prorated minimum MLB salary, while the Mets will cover the rest of Ruf’s $3.5MM salary.  If Ruf can recapture any of his old form, then the entire situation could become a nice mini-coup for the Giants, in obtaining four players for essentially nothing while getting Ruf’s salary off the books.

Ruf had pretty good numbers against right-handed pitching in 2020-21 before tailing off badly in 2022, but the Giants primarily used the right-handed hitter as a lefty-masher.  Over his eight MLB seasons, Ruf has a career .272/.367/.523 slash line in 706 PA against southpaws.  Between these splits and his ability to play first base and both corner outfield positions, Ruf is a very useful part-time option, especially for a Giants team that has both Mitch Haniger and Austin Slater (both right-handed hitting outfielders) currently on the injured list.

Yankees “Likely” To Place Josh Donaldson On 10-Day Injured List

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Josh Donaldson made an early exit from the Yankees’ game on Wednesday due to right hamstring tightness, and still didn’t play in Friday’s 7-6 loss to the Orioles even with the benefit of an extra recovery day due to a rainout on Thursday.  Prior to Friday’s game, Yankees manager Aaron Boone told ESPN’s Marly Rivera and other reporters that Donaldson would “likely” require a trip to the 10-day injured list, even if the hamstring issue is minor enough that the third baseman didn’t receive imaging.

“[We] don’t feel like it’s too serious, but enough in there that it would probably knock him down for four or five days,” Boone said.  “So, we’re going to likely be cautious in this situation.  Looks like it’s probably shorter than [ten days], but probably err on the side of caution in this month of April.”

Since the Yankees are calling right-hander Jhony Brito up from Triple-A to start today’s game in Baltimore, it seems logical that Donaldson’s IL placement will be the corresponding move for Brito’s return to the majors.  Brito looked very impressive in his Major League debut, allowing two hits and a walk over five shutout innings in New York’s 6-0 win over the Giants on April 2.  In terms of replacing Donaldson at third base, the Yankees have plenty of depth — Boone said DJ LeMahieu “will get the bulk of” work at third base, with Oswaldo Cabrera and Isiah Kiner-Falefa also in the mix.

The IL stint might effectively act as a reset to Donaldson’s season, as he has hit only .125/.176/.313 with one home run in his first 17 plate appearances.  While a small sample size, it isn’t an encouraging follow-up to Donaldson’s underwhelming 2022 season.  The Yankees naturally have plenty of incentive (i.e. the $29MM owed on Donaldson’s contract) in getting the former AL MVP on track, but since LeMahieu is already an everyday option without a set position, Donaldson won’t find himself part of New York’s first-choice lineup unless he can get going at the plate.

Latest On Bryce Harper

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During tonight’s Phillies/Rangers matchup on ESPN, Bryce Harper and Phillies manager Rob Thomson shared some positive updates about Harper’s recovery from Tommy John surgery in November.  (Hat tip to Corey Seidman of NBC Sports Philadelphia.)  Thomson said Harper is likely to hit on the field at Citizens Bank Park on Thursday, prior to the Phils’ home opener against the Reds.  Harper has already been doing his usual slate of batting cage work for roughly 10 days.

No update was given on Harper’s timeline, as the former MVP said he is “just trying to get my rehab going as best as possible,” and “just trying to take it each day, make sure I hit every checkpoint.”

“[I’ve] still got a minute to go.  Just trying to be smart about it, understanding my good days are going to be good and some days I’ll just be sore and it’ll be a little tougher.  But I feel good right now, just got to keep that going and keep doing the same stuff.”

Once Harper does his on-field work, Thomson laid out the gameplan of live batting practice and then progressing to minor league rehab games.  While there’s certainly a lot to like about Harper’s progress, these next steps won’t be completed quickly, particularly since Harper both has to recover physically and fully ramp up for the season after missing all of Spring Training.  The Phillies initially suggested that Harper would be back by roughly the All-Star break in a DH capacity, and he might return to right field later in the season if all was well with his throwing arm.

However, tonight’s update might be the latest hint that Harper could be activated from the injured list before that July target — for instance, the Phils only placed him on the 10-day version of the IL prior to the season, not the 60-day IL that would normally come with a longer-term injury.  President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski did suggest that a 60-day placement (which would be backdated to Harper’s initial placement on the 10-day IL on March 30) might still occur if Philadelphia needs to create a 40-man roster spot, but it would seem like the Phillies didn’t want to entirely rule out Harper’s return within the first 60 days of the regular season.

Rockies Notes: Profar, Bard, Hollowell

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Jurickson Profar made his Rockies debut in today’s 3-1 loss to the Padres, and as fate would have it, Profar’s first game with his new team happened to be against his former team.  Playing with the Padres “was everything to me,” Profar told Jeff Sanders of the San Diego Union-Tribune, and seemed to express some regret over opting out of his $7.5MM player option to stay with the Padres in 2023.  “If I was a normal free agent, not opting out, it’s different.  Opting out and free agency taking that long, I always wanted to stay….I didn’t want to (opt out), but I did,” Profar said.

The entry into free agency took a long time to resolve, as Profar didn’t reach an agreement with Colorado until March 19 on a one-year, $7.75MM deal.  Rockies hitting coach Hensley Meulens was a key recruiter in the process, as Meulens has been a longtime mentor to Profar dating back to the earliest days of his baseball career in Curacao, and Meulens managed Profar as part of the Netherlands’ team in the World Baseball Classic.  Profar is looking forward to now joining Meulens in the majors, and getting off a fresh start with his new organization.

More from the Mile High City, as the Rockies are 2-2 following their split of the season-opening series with the Padres…

  • Manager Bud Black told media (including MLB.com) that Daniel Bard threw a bullpen on Saturday, and hit 96mph during the session.  It’s a positive sign for the veteran reliever, who began the 2023 campaign on the 15-day injured list due to a return of the anxiety issues that put Bard’s career on hold for several seasons.  There isn’t yet any timetable for Bard’s return, as naturally the Rockies will give him all the time he needs.
  • The Triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes placed Gavin Hollowell on the 10-day minor league IL today, and Danielle Allentuck of the Denver Gazette (Twitter link) reports that the right-hander is dealing with forearm tightness.  While the severity of the injury isn’t yet known, any sort of forearm issue is naturally troubling for a pitcher, and it adds to a tough week of news for Hollowell — Allentuck notes that he just missed out on a spot in Colorado’s Opening Day bullpen.  A sixth-round pick for the Rockies in the 2019 draft, Hollowell made his MLB debut last season, posting a 7.71 ERA in seven innings over six appearances.  MLB Pipeline ranks Hollowell as the 24th-best prospect in the Rockies’ farm system, and feels the 6’7″ reliever’s strikeout potential gives him promise, though his control is a work in progress.

Astros Hire Jeff Bagwell For Senior Advisor Role

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The Astros named Jeff Bagwell to a new position as a senior advisor to ownership and baseball operations, MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart writes.  The new title essentially makes official Bagwell’s increased influence within the organization, as he had already been working as a special assistant within the baseball ops department.

Bagwell told McTaggart that his new role doesn’t come with many new duties, so the Hall-of-Famer will continue to work in a broad capacity, ranging from meeting with Major League and minor league players to offering advice to owner Jim Crane to even acting as a recruiter for the team.  (Bagwell joined bench coach Joe Espada and assistant GM Bill Firkus on a trip to Miami to help land Jose Abreu in free agency this past offseason.)

“All I’m trying to do is help the organization be the best it could possibly be, so there’s no such thing as a window [of contention] here and we just continue to maintain winning,” Bagwell said.  “Part of that is the big league stuff, making sure we get the right players that fit our organization and what we do — great pitching, great defense and we don’t strike out.  Taking that and bringing it all the way down to the minor league system.”

Though all teams have front office advisors in some capacity, the exact nature of the job varies greatly from team to team, or person to person.  It is common for former players and franchise legends to appear in these roles, in part to create a past link to team history, and also naturally because there is plenty to be learned from players like Bagwell who have achieved such great heights on the field.

In the Astros’ case, however, Bagwell’s role has come under some scrutiny, as his more old-school approach seemed to clash with the philosophy of former GM James Click.  Even though the Astros continued to win during Click’s three years as general manager and even captured the World Series last fall, rumors swirled for months that the Astros would be parting ways with Click after the season, championships notwithstanding.  Crane only offered Click a one-year contract extension in November, which Click understandably declined in order to leave the organization (Click later joined the Blue Jays in the role of VP of baseball strategy).

Despite the Astros’ success, Bagwell said last November that he felt the team had become too reliant on analytics.  “There are so many things about this game the numbers can’t tell you.  The type of person, what he means in our clubhouse, his desire, how he goes about his business,” Bagwell said.  “Those are the intangible things I can see when I talk to somebody more than just the numbers.  This game is played by humans, man, it’s not played by computers.”

It certainly seemed as though Crane agreed with Bagwell’s stance, and the hiring of Dana Brown (who has a long background as a crosschecker and scout, in addition to his prior role as the Braves’ VP of scouting) as Houston’s new general manager seems to reflect the Astros’ turn towards a more traditional approach.  In the larger picture, past reports suggested that Crane took a more personal role within baseball operations in the wake of the Astros’ sign-stealing scandal under past GM Jeff Luhnow, thus allowing for ownership advisors like Bagwell and another legendary name in Reggie Jackson to have more of a voice in the front office.

NL Central Notes: Reynolds, Williams, Senzel, Santillan

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Even with three games already in the books on the Pirates’ 2023 season, Bryan Reynolds’ contract status is still the biggest story in Pittsburgh baseball, given the reports from earlier this week suggesting the two sides had made a lot of progress towards an extension.  The deal in question appears to be an eight-year, $106MM pact, yet the sticking point appears to be the Pirates’ reluctance to include an opt-out clause for Reynolds following the 2026 season.

It isn’t clear if anything has changed in talks, as Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Twitter links) hears from both sides that, essentially, they “haven’t heard anything” about any further progress.  Mackey notes that GM Ben Cherington didn’t mention anything about Reynolds or the contract talks during his weekly radio show today, though naturally it would’ve been a little surprising to hear an executive make any significant public comment on contract negotiations that (apparently) are still ongoing.  Opening Day was reportedly viewed as a deadline to get an extension finalized, and while that deadline was completely unofficial, it begs the question or whether or not Reynolds and the Bucs can solve the impasse soon or if the matter might be tabled until the offseason…..or, if Reynolds might be traded elsewhere before the deadline.

More NL Central items….

  • Devin Williams was hit in the arm by a Dansby Swanson line drive during the ninth inning of yesterday’s game, though Williams remained on the mound to close out the Brewers’ 3-1 win over the Cubs.  Williams told MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy and other reporters that the liner “glanced off” his right elbow and “it didn’t feel too good,” leading to a bit of lingering soreness today.  While the injury doesn’t appear to be serious, Williams and manager Craig Counsell said that the reliever’s availability for today’s game wouldn’t be known until Williams did some pregame warmups. [UPDATE: Williams didn’t pitch in Milwaukee’s 9-5 win over Chicago, but Counsell said the reliever was available if called upon.]
  • Nick Senzel and Tony Santillan are slated to begin rehab assignments at Triple-A Louisville on Tuesday, Reds manager David Bell told reporters (including Bobby Nightengale of the Cincinnati Enquirer).  Both were hampered by injuries that pushed back their Spring Training work, as Senzel underwent toe surgery during the offseason and Santillan was still recovering from a lower back issue that plagued him during the 2022 campaign.  Barring any setbacks, however, Senzel and Santillan appear to be on pace to join the Reds by around the middle of April, with Senzel perhaps moving into a utility role and Santillan stepping back into Cincinnati’s bullpen.

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