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Giants Designate Jake McGee, Reinstate Luis Gonzalez, Place Zack Littell On 15-Day IL

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The Giants announced a quartet of roster moves, including the news that veteran left-hander Jake McGee has been designated for assignment.  Right-hander Zack Littell was also placed on the 15-day injured list due to a left oblique strain, while outfielder Luis Gonzalez was reinstated from the 10-day IL and righty Yunior Marte was called up from Triple-A.

McGee signed with San Francisco in the 2020-21 offseason, inking a two-year deal worth $5MM in guaranteed money — $2MM in 2021, $2.5MM this season, and a $500K buyout of a 2023 club option worth $4.5MM if exercised.  That contract paid immediate dividends for the Giants in 2021, as McGee posted a 2.72 ERA, 24.3% strikeout rate, and an elite 4.2% walk rate over 59 2/3 innings.  With 31 saves, McGee was the Giants’ primary closer, though Tyler Rogers and (later in the season when McGee was sidelined with an oblique injury) Camilo Doval also stepped in for some ninth-inning situations.

Unfortunately for McGee, his second season in the Bay Area hasn’t been nearly as smooth.  His strikeout rate has plummeted to a career-worst 11.5%, and he has a 7.17 ERA over 21 1/3 innings (also missing two weeks on the IL due to back tightness).  With Doval taking over as closer, McGee hasn’t been able to perform effectively in a set-up role, and right-handed batters have been crushing McGee’s offerings.

The Giants had clearly seen enough, and could now be on the hook for the remainder of McGee’s salary (roughly $1.12MM) if he isn’t claimed off the DFA wire or acquired in a trade.  If McGee clears waivers and is released, then another team would owe only the prorated minimum salary for his services, with the Giants responsible for the rest of his guaranteed salary.

Despite McGee’s struggles this year, his past track record could generate some interest on the trade front.  The left-hander has been a quality performer for the majority of his 13 MLB seasons, and after it seemed he was winding down after a couple of tough years with the Rockies in 2018-19, he rebounded in 2020 to contribute to the Dodgers’ world championship team.  McGee is still very effective against left-handed batters, so an interested team could try to use him in as much situational work as possible (given the three-batter rule), or perhaps a new club might feel a change of scenery in general will get McGee back on track.

Littell is another reliever who was excellent in 2021 (2.92 ERA over 61 2/3 IP) but has had some bumps in 2022, posting a 5.04 ERA over 30 1/3 frames.  A 3.32 SIERA indicates that Littell has been a little unfortunate this year, hurt in particular by a spike in his home run rate.  Littell also spent 10 days on the COVID-related injury list, and was optioned to Triple-A in late June before being recalled just two days ago.  That means the 26-year-old will at least bank Major League service time while on the IL, and depending on the severity of his strain, Littell could be in for a fairly lengthy absence.

Gonzalez has been out of action since June 23 due to a lower back strain, and he’ll now look to resume what has been a semi-breakout year.  The 26-year-old has hit .302/.361/.447 with three home runs over 180 plate appearances, getting regular work against right-handed pitchers even in a San Francisco lineup that is already heavy in left-handed hitting outfielders.

Padres Place Craig Stammen On 15-Day IL, Dinelson Lamet Recalled

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The Padres placed right-hander Craig Stammen on the 15-day injured list due to right shoulder inflammation.  (The placement is retroactive to July 6.)  Righty Dinelson Lamet has been called up from Triple-A to take Stammen’s place on the active roster.

A fixture in San Diego’s bullpen for the last six seasons, Stammen is having another good year, with a 3.34 ERA/3.25 SIERA over 32 1/3 innings.  The home run ball has been a bit more of an issue for Stammen this season, yet the 38-year-old is still generating plenty of outs thanks to a lot of soft contact, a 51.5% grounder rate, and his typically excellent control.  Stammen’s 3.6% walk rate is in the 97th percentile of all pitchers, and he has been in at least the 91st percentile in each of the last five seasons.

With Steven Wilson, Robert Suarez, and now Stammen all on the 15-day IL, the Padres have lost some key arms from what has been a very solid relief corps.  None of the injuries are thought to be overly serious at this point, and Wilson and Suarez are already throwing bullpen sessions.

However, there is an opportunity for Lamet to re-establish himself as a player to watch.  A fourth-place finisher in NL Cy Young Award balloting in 2020, Lamet has struggled to stay healthy, and now may be ticketed for bullpen work in an attempt to avoid further IL trips.  Working only as a reliever this season, Lamet has a 9.72 ERA over 8 1/3 innings in the big leagues, but he has looked sharper in minor league action.

Given the close proximity to the trade deadline, Lamet’s recall might also be the Padres’ way of showcasing the righty to potential trade suitors.  San Diego was known to be discussing Lamet with other teams earlier this year, perhaps as a way of giving the Padres a bit of extra luxury-tax breathing room.

Giants’ Curt Casali Suffers Oblique Strain

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JULY 5: Casali told reporters (including Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle) he’s been diagnosed with a Grade 2 oblique strain. As Slusser notes, that’s an injury that often sidelines players for upwards of a month. Bart has reported to the major league team, as expected, but has not yet been officially recalled onto the active roster.

JULY 4: Giants catcher Curt Casali suffered an oblique strain during an at-bat in tonight’s game.  During the sixth inning, Casali was in discomfort after taking a swing, and had to leave the game before finishing his plate appearance.

Casali will undergo an MRI to determine the extent of the damage, though a trip to the injured list is a certainty.  NBC Sports Bay Area’s Alex Pavlovic noted that Joey Bart was scratched from a Triple-A lineup tonight after word of Casali’s injury spread, and thus Bart is likely on his way back to the majors once Casali is placed on the IL.

Now in his second season with the Giants, Casali has been the constant behind the plate, first in a timeshare with Bart behind the plate, and then splitting time with Austin Wynns after Bart was optioned back to Triple-A.  While any Giants catcher had a tough act to follow in Buster Posey, Casali has provided roughly league-average (104 wRC+, 99 OPS+) offense with his .236/.331/.377 slash line.  Almost all of the damage has come against southpaws — Casali has a mammoth 1.232 OPS over 33 PA against left-handed pitching, and only a .526 OPS in 91 PA against righties.

Between his solid offense and defense, Casali has helped stabilize the catching position in the wake of struggles from Bart and Wynns.  San Francisco was hoping that former top-prospect Bart was ready for regular work in the big leagues, yet Bart has hit only .156/.296/.300 in 108 PA this season.  With only seven games under his belt at Triple-A, the Giants surely would’ve preferred to see Bart get more reset time and start to dominate (he has a .748 OPS in 31 Triple-A plate appearances) in the minors before bringing him back to the Show.

If and when Bart is recalled, the Giants will retain what is technically a three-catcher depth chart on the active roster, as Yermin Mercedes is also active.  However, it seems like the Giants are more apt to give Bart another look than to rely on Wynns and Mercedes as their full-time catching tandem while Casali recovers from what might be a lengthy absence.  Should Casali have the type of oblique strain that lingers for weeks or even months, the Giants could even opt to add another catcher prior to the August 2 trade deadline.

Red Sox To Promote Brayan Bello On Wednesday

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Red Sox pitching prospect Brayan Bello is slated to make his Major League debut on Wednesday, as MassLive.com’s Katie Morrison (Twitter link) reports that Bello has been told he’ll be starting Boston’s game against the Rays.

Bello is the consensus choice as the top pitcher in Boston’s farm system, and his big 2022 season has gotten him on the radar as one of the better young arms in the sport.  In the most recently updated prospect rankings, Baseball America has Bello 44th on their top 100 list, Fangraphs has him 51st, and MLB Pipeline has the 23-year-old righty in the 75th position.

The Red Sox inked Bello for a modest $28K bonus during the 2016 international signing period, and while he pitched well enough in 2021 to earn a promotion to Double-A ball, he didn’t truly emerge until this season.  With a 4.66 ERA over 63 2/3 innings for Double-A Portland last season, Bello returned to Portland to post a 1.60 ERA over six starts and 33 2/3 frames, thus earning him a ticket to Triple-A Worcester.  The righty continued to impress, delivering a 2.81 ERA, 34.45% strikeout rate, and 10.05% walk rate in 51 1/3 innings with the WooSox.

Both Bello’s fastball and changeup are plus pitches, and his slider isn’t far behind as a strong third offering.  Bello’s fastball has gained roughly 5-6 miles of velocity since 2019 and could now approach the 100mph threshold on occasion, though he’ll usually throw in the mid-90s.  Command of that fastball has been an issue for Bello, but at its best, the fastball makes his changeup even more effective.

As promising as Bello is, stepping right into a big AL East matchup for a big league debut in July likely wouldn’t have happened if the Red Sox weren’t very shorthanded for starting pitchers.  Chris Sale, Nathan Eovaldi, Rich Hill, and Garrett Whitlock are all on the 15-day IL, plus Michael Wacha is battling a dead arm.  This has left Nick Pivetta, Josh Winckowski, Connor Seabold, and perhaps Kutter Crawford all lined up for starts depending on who is healthy and who gets back from the IL in time.  (Sale is tentatively slated to make his 2022 debut a week from today.)

Unless Boston’s injury woes continue or unless Bello completely dominates in his first taste of big league action, he probably isn’t likely to make an extended stay in Boston’s rotation.  However, a solid showing could certainly earn Bello more starts, and perhaps more time in the majors as a multi-inning reliever down the stretch.  All of the injuries have created uncertainty within the Red Sox rotation, and with plenty of questions still existing in the bullpen, there would seem to be room for a highly-touted youngster to seize a foothold on the active roster.

Injury Notes: Jansen, Faedo, Lewis, Stephenson, Dunn

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Kenley Jansen’s problems with irregular heartbeats have plagued him for over a decade, yet that familiarity has also made this serious issue seem oddly matter-of-fact for the Braves closer.  With Jansen again on the injured list, he spoke with reporters (including MLB.com’s Mark Bowman) about his latest bout with atrial fibrillation.  Jansen said he actually first had an irregular heartbeat on June 18, but after a visit with doctors, he pitched five more times before his symptoms continued to the point that some time off was necessary.  However, after being placed on the IL on June 28, Jansen said he plans to miss only the minimum 15 days.

More on other injury situations from around baseball…

  • Tigers right-hander Alex Faedo left during the third inning of today’s start due to what the club described as right hip soreness.  More will be known about Faedo’s condition after the game, yet another injury would continue Detroit’s horrific luck with pitcher health this season.  Just about all of Detroit’s starting pitchers have spent time on the IL at some point and several are still recovering, which opened the door for Faedo to both make his MLB debut and then make 11 starts in his rookie season.
  • Kyle Lewis has started a Triple-A rehab assignment, and Mariners manager Scott Servais told reporters (including MLB.com’s Daniel Kramer) that Lewis will get “a healthy dose of playing time” as an outfielder.  Lewis suffered a torn meniscus in May 2021, and thus far in 2022 has played almost exclusively as a DH in minor league action and in four Major League games.  A return to regular outfield work is a positive sign for Lewis, who has missed over a month on the concussion-related IL.
  • Reds catcher Tyler Stephenson is set begin a Triple-A rehab assignment today, while Justin Dunn will make his next minor league rehab start on Wednesday, according to Bobby Nightengale of the Cincinnati Enquirer (Twitter links).  Stephenson suffered a fractured right thumb on June 9, but looks on pace to return within the original 4-6 week projected recovery timeline.  Dunn, meanwhile, has yet to pitch at all since the Reds acquired him from the Mariners as part of the Eugenio Suarez/Jesse Winker trade package in March — a shoulder injury sidelined Dunn in Spring Training.  Dunn has two rehab outings under his belt already, and he is slated to throw around 60-65 pitches in his next trip to the mound.

Trade Rumors: Gallen, Bumgarner, Cano, Perez

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Despite rival teams’ interest in Zac Gallen, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale writes that the Diamondbacks right-hander is “not going anywhere.”  This isn’t the first time Gallen’s name has surfaced in trade rumors, and after an injury-marred 2021 season, Gallen has re-established himself with some very solid numbers this season.  Beyond just his ability, Gallen is also arbitration-controlled through the 2025 season, making it obvious both why other teams would want to acquire him, and why the D’Backs would want to keep him.  Though it is increasingly looking like the D’Backs will be sellers again at the deadline, the club has been resistant to moving cornerstone players and going into rebuild mode — Ketel Marte (another popular trade candidate) was even signed to an extension back in March.

One player the D’Backs “would love to move” is Madison Bumgarner, Nightengale notes, but that is a tougher sell to suitors.  After signing a five-year, $85MM deal with the Diamondbacks in December 2019, Bumgarner endured two rough seasons before bouncing back to more decent form thus far in 2022.  However, it will take more than just decent numbers for Arizona to entice another team into taking on even a decent-sized chunk of the approximately $48.4MM still owed to Bumgarner through the 2024 season.  Also, Bumgarner has a five-team no-trade clause, though the five teams on his current list aren’t known.

More trade buzz from around the league…

  • Also from Nightengale, Robinson Cano has been some getting some attention, as the veteran slugger tries to revive his career with the Padres’ Triple-A team.  Cano was suspended for the entire 2021 season and has posted only a .371 OPS over 77 plate appearances with the Padres and Mets this season, though he has been hitting well in the (batter-friendly) environment of Triple-A El Paso.  Since either the Padres or a new team would owe Cano only the prorated portion of a minimum salary if he made a big league roster, Cano could be an interesting trade chip for any team that wants to take a flier on the former All-Star.  From San Diego’s perspective, they probably wouldn’t expect much for Cano in return, or they could hypothetically include him as a part of a larger trade package.
  • Martin Perez makes some sense as a sell-high trade candidate for the Rangers, though both Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News and ESPN.com’s Buster Olney feel it might be more likely that Texas keeps the veteran lefty and even looks to extend him into at least the 2023 season.  Perez is enjoying a career year, with a 2.34 ERA over an even 100 innings, and a generally positive set of advanced metrics indicating that his performance isn’t a fluke.  Perez has helped keep the Rangers on the outskirts of the wild card race, so if Texas can string together some wins in July, the team might not be selling at the deadline whatsoever.

David Price Leaning Towards Retirement After 2022 Season

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2022 is the final season of the seven-year, $217MM free agent deal that David Price signed with the Red Sox in December 2015, and it has been widely expected that the veteran left-hander will hang up his glove once his contract is up.  Price all but confirmed as much earlier this week when speaking with Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register, initially telling Plunkett that he did plan to retire at season’s end, before making it more of a “yes and no” answer for family reasons.

“My (two) kids love it so much. That’s the only thing that makes me even think about playing any longer,” Price said.  “I always told myself I’d ask my son, ’Do you want daddy to play baseball or do you want daddy to be home all the time?’  I asked him before this year and he said, ‘I want you to be home.’ I said, ’Are you sure?’ He said, ’Yeah.’ Now when I ask him, he says, ’No, I want you to keep playing.’ “

Now in his 14th season, Price has had an outstanding career since being selected by the Rays with the first overall pick of the 2007 draft.  The southpaw’s resume includes five All-Star appearances, the 2012 AL Cy Young Award, and a World Series championship with the Red Sox in 2018.  Price was a member of the Dodgers’ roster in 2020, but opted out of the season due to COVID-19 concerns, and thus wasn’t a part of their run to the World Series.

Returning to action in 2021, Price posted a 4.03 ERA over 73 2/3 total innings for Los Angeles, starting 11 of his 39 games.  This year, Price has worked exclusively out of the bullpen, a role that Price is happy to fill even though the Dodgers have had some injury-related vacancies open up in the rotation.

While Price said he would start again if the Dodgers asked, the left-hander is happy to see “these young guys getting their starts.  I like them being able to get their numbers up so they can go to arbitration and they can get their money.  I got mine….I love watching Mitch White pitch.  He’s got good stuff.  That’s what he needs.  He needs to pitch in the big leagues, not pitch in Triple-A.  That’s a waste of time.”

Though he missed close to a month of action due to a positive COVID-19 diagnosis, Price has pitched well as a reliever in 2022, posting a 3.20 ERA, 28.9% strikeout rate, and 4.8% walk rate over 19 2/3 innings.  The Dodgers haven’t used Price for many important late-game situations, but he has provided some useful innings for a bullpen that is still missing several key arms on the injured list.  Certainly, capturing another Series ring would be a great way for Price to walk off into the sunset, if he indeed decided to retire once the season is done.

Red Sox Place Rich Hill On 15-Day Injured List

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TODAY: Hill’s recovery timeline is roughly 2-4 weeks, according to The Boston Globe’s Pete Abraham (Twitter link).  An MRI did reveal “some tearing” in Hill’s ligament.

JULY 2: The Red Sox have placed Rich Hill on the 15-day injured list, as the left-hander is battling a left knee sprain.  Right-hander Phillips Valdez was called up from Triple-A to take Hill’s spot on the active roster.

Hill suffered the injury in the fifth inning of yesterday’s start against the Cubs, as he tried to tough it out through two more batters but eventually left the game.  Hill told reporters (including WEEI’s Rob Bradford) that he was waiting for the results of an MRI, but he compared the injury to the MCL problem that sidelined him for a month during the 2019 season.

The 42-year-old Hill has continued to post solid results in his 18th Major League season, with a 4.20 ERA/4.35 SIERA over 70 2/3 innings.  While his Statcast numbers and advanced metrics (including a 19.5% strikeout rate) aren’t anything to write home about, Hill has still been a reliable presence within a Boston rotation that has been lacking in stability.

At the moment, that rotation is down to just three pitchers, as the Sox have been hit by injuries.  Hill joins Nathan Eovaldi, Chris Sale (who has yet to pitch in 2022) and Garrett Whitlock on the IL, leaving Michael Wacha, Nick Pivetta, and Josh Winckowski as the only pitchers remaining in the starting five.  Connor Seabold is at Triple-A and figures to be recalled to make at least one spot start.

Among the injured names, Eovaldi threw a 35-pitch bullpen session today, though it isn’t yet known if the righty may need a rehab start.  Eovaldi has been on the IL since June 9 due to lower back inflammation.  Sale has another rehab outing slated for Wednesday, and Red Sox manager Alex Cora told MLB.com’s Ian Browne that Sale could potentially in line to make his 2022 season debut on July 11 when the Sox play the Rays.

As for Whitlock, he has been out since June 10 due to hip inflammation.  The righty has a bullpen session today and will have to make a rehab outing, but when he does return, Cora told Bradford and company that Whitlock will “pretty much likely” return to his old bullpen role, rather than as a starting pitcher.  Whitlock had a 4.15 ERA over 39 innings and nine starts this season, but with a theoretical surplus of starters when everyone is healthy, the Red Sox figure Whitlock can best help the team as a multi-inning reliever — Whitlock dominated batters in such a role in 2021.

Diamondbacks Place Ian Kennedy On 15-Day IL

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The Diamondbacks placed right-hander Ian Kennedy on the 15-day injured list due to right calf inflammation.  The club also announced that Keynan Middleton was called up from Triple-A Reno to take Kennedy’s place on the active roster.

Kennedy had to make a quick departure from Sunday’s game due to the injury, and was scheduled to undergo an MRI today.  While the specifics of that MRI result aren’t known, things were obviously serious enough for the D’Backs to put Kennedy on the injured list.

A timetable isn’t yet known about when Kennedy could return, though even if he is able to get back on the mound after the 15-day minimum, he won’t have much time to audition for possible trade suitors.  The 35-44 Diamondbacks are looking like sellers at the August 2 trade deadline, and Kennedy (signed to a one-year, $4.75MM deal in March) is a logical candidate to be moved as a rental player.

Since becoming a full-time reliever prior to the 2019 season, Kennedy has sandwiched two solid years around an injury-plagued 2020 campaign.  This year in Arizona, the 37-year-old has a 3.58 ERA over 27 2/3 innings, but with plenty of unfavorable Statcast metrics.  The righty’s 10.4% walk rate is his highest since 2009, and his 20% strikeout rate is well below the league average.

Kennedy’s trade value could be a moot point if his injury continues to linger throughout July.  However, given his track record, there is a chance a team could look past both his health issues and his poor advanced metrics and swing a deal with the D’Backs, even if Arizona might end up still eating the bulk of Kennedy’s remaining salary.

Twins Designate Juan Minaya For Assignment

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The Twins have designated right-hander Juan Minaya for assignment.  The move creates room for Trevor Megill to rejoin the active roster, as Megill was activated from the 15-day injured list.

Since first signing with Minnesota in the 2019-20 offseason, Minaya has now been designated four different times by the club, including another DFA just last month.  Minaya was outrighted off the 40-man roster on both occasions, and he again has the option to elect free agency, though there isn’t any indication that he won’t just accept another assignment to Triple-A.

Minaya’s first season with the Twins was a success, as he posted a 2.48 ERA and 53% walk rate over 40 relief innings.  Advanced metrics (such as a 4.00 SIERA) wasn’t as impressed with his work, however, and after the Twins non-tendered the righty, he had to settle for a minor league contract to return to Minnesota last winter.  Though Minaya has a 3.67 SIERA over 9 2/3 innings this year, his luck has seemingly gone in the other direction, as he has a 5.59 ERA over that short sample size.

Megill is back after being (retroactively) placed on the 15-day IL on June 16 due to a right shoulder impingement.  Now in his second big league season, Megill has done well thus far with the Twins, posting a 2.08 ERA over 13 innings out of the bullpen.

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