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Twins Call Up Royce Lewis, Option Jose Miranda

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2:28PM: In an unfortunate turn of events for Lewis, he had to leave today’s game with what the Twins described as right knee soreness.  Lewis made a tremendous catch of an Emmanuel Rivera fly ball in the third inning but awkwardly collided with the outfield wall in the process.  The Twins removed Lewis from the game an inning later, and he is currently undergoing more tests.  A right knee injury is particularly ominous, as Lewis missed the entire 2021 season due to a torn ACL.

11:51AM: The Twins announced that star prospect Royce Lewis has been called up from Triple-A St. Paul for another taste of the big leagues.  Infielder Jose Miranda was optioned to Triple-A in the corresponding move.

When Carlos Correa was on the 10-day injured list earlier this season, Lewis received his first MLB promotion and started 11 games at shortstop in Correa’s absence.  Lewis made the most of his opportunity, hitting .308/.325/.564 with two home runs over 40 plate appearances, and flashing some of the potential that made him the first overall pick of the 2017 draft.

With Correa holding down everyday shortstop duty, Lewis told The Athletic’s Dan Hayes and other reporters today that he has four different gloves with him, indicating the 22-year-old’s readiness to play all over the diamond.  At St. Paul this season, Lewis has seen action at third base, left field, and center field in addition to his usual shortstop duties, and Lewis also played a little second base earlier in his minor league career.

Lewis is in today’s starting lineup as a center fielder, with Byron Buxton getting a partial rest day as the DH.  Having Lewis occasionally fill in center field would be a logical way to keep the oft-injured Buxton fresh, and the right-handed hitting Lewis could also complement left-handed hitting left fielder Trevor Larnach.  There figures to be enough playing time available for Lewis in the majors, since obviously the Twins wouldn’t have interrupted his development at Triple-A just to park Lewis on the bench.

Miranda is a notable prospect in his own right, as his breakout 2021 minor league season earned him some top-100 prospect attention heading into 2022.  Minnesota promoted Miranda for his debut in the Show earlier this month, though he hit only .164/.200/.284 in 70 PA.

Mets Acquire J.T. Riddle

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The Mets have acquired infielder JT Riddle from the Reds, according to Doug Gray of the Redleg Nation blog (Twitter link).  Riddle has mostly played at Triple-A Louisville this season, but also made two appearances with Cincinnati at the big league level.

A veteran of six MLB seasons, Riddle received most of his playing time as a semi-regular with the Marlins from 2017-19, with 223 of his 252 career games coming during those three seasons.  After playing 23 games with the Pirates during the shortened 2020 season, Riddle got into just four games with the Twins in 2021.

Riddle has mostly played shortstop during his career, but has expanded his defensive repertoire to become a super-utility type over the last three years.  He’ll provide the Mets with a Triple-A depth option in the event of an injury to one of their regular infielders.  Known more for his glove and his versatility than his bat, Riddle has hit .233/.261/.354 over 797 career plate appearances in the majors.

Cubs To Promote Nelson Velazquez

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The Cubs are set to call up outfield prospect Nelson Velazquez prior to tomorrow’s doubleheader with the Brewers, as Velazquez revealed his first MLB promotion via his Instagram page (hat tip to Tim Stebbins of NBC Sports Chicago).

A fifth-round pick in the 2017 draft, Velazquez is ranked 15th on Baseball America’s list of the top 30 Cubs prospects, and 16th on MLB Pipeline’s list.  Velazquez broke out by crushing Double-A pitching in both 2021 and 2022, while in between starring in Arizona Fall League play.  Earning his first promotion to Triple-A just earlier this month, Velazquez has slowed down at the plate, batting only .214/.291/.414 over 79 plate appearances for the Iowa Cubs.

This modest production at Triple-A hints at Velazquez still being an unfinished product as a hitter, as he has struck out in 29 of those 79 PA.  The BA and Pipeline scouting reports each observe that Velazquez is prone to strikeouts and chasing pitches, but when he does make contact, the 23-year-old has shown plenty of raw power and exit velocity.  Flattening out his swing last season was one of the key factors to his improvement in Double-A ball.  Defensively, Velazquez seems big league-ready, capable of playing at least a decent center field but perhaps more suited to right field given his strong throwing arm.

That right field capability could hint at Velazquez’s role with Chicago, as Seiya Suzuki has been bothered by a sprained ring finger on his left hand.  The injury forced Suzuki to make an early exit from Thursday’s game and he hasn’t played since, so a trip to the injured list might create a vacancy in the Cubs’ outfield.

If Suzuki doesn’t require the IL, Stebbins notes two other roster possibilities for Velazquez, including the open roster spot created when Chris Martin was placed on the bereavement list earlier today.  As well, Velazquez might also just be a temporary call-up as the 27th man for Monday’s pair of games.  A 40-man roster adjustment isn’t necessary, as the Cubs already added Velazquez to their 40-man last November to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft.

Athletics Make Several Roster Moves

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The A’s selected the contracts of left-hander Sam Selman and right-hander Parker Markel from Triple-A today.  Right-hander Daulton Jefferies and outfielder Skye Bolt were each moved to the 60-day injured list to create space on the 40-man roster.  Oakland also called up right-hander Domingo Tapia, while right-hander Jacob Lemoine and southpaws Adam Kolarek and Zach Logue were all optioned to Triple-A to make way for Selman, Markel, and Tapia on the active roster.

Markel signed a minor league deal with the Athletics in March, and the 31-year-old righty is now on pace to make his first MLB appearance since 2019.  All 22 of Markel’s career Major League innings came in that season, with Markel taking the hill for the Mariners and Pirates and posting a 7.77 ERA.

A veteran of 11 pro seasons, Markel has long been plagued by control problems, though his last four seasons have seen him deliver big strikeout totals in the minors and in independent ball.  Continuing that trend at Triple-A Las Vegas, Markel has a 35.4% strikeout rate but also a 12.7% walk rate.  The free passes haven’t hurt Markel too badly, however, as he has a 1.89 ERA over 19 relief innings for the Aviators.

Tapia is also lined up for his 2022 debut, after Oakland claimed him off waivers from the Royals at the end of April.  The grounder specialist has appeared in each of the last two Major League seasons, posting a 2.61 ERA over 38 innings with the Red Sox, Mariners, and Royals.

This is the second time Selman’s contract has been selected by the A’s this season, as the team previously designated the southpaw for assignment in April and then outrighted him to Triple-A.  Selman’s tenure with the Athletics consists of a single big league game and 2 2/3 scoreless innings back on April 22.

Since Jefferies was recently diagnosed with thoracic outlet syndrome, it wasn’t surprising to see him moved to the 60-day IL for what could be a season-ending absence if Jefferies opts for surgery.  For Bolt, his 60-day placement was attributed to a left hamstring strain, rather than the right oblique strain that initially put him on the 10-day IL in the first week of the season.  Bolt played in three rehab games before being shut down with this new injury, though it isn’t clear how much more time he’ll miss, since the 60-day period still starts at the time of Bolt’s first IL placement on April 10.

Minor MLB Transactions: 5/29/22

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Catching up on some minor moves from around the baseball world….

Latest Moves

  • The Yankees announced that catcher Rob Brantly was re-signed to a new minor league contract.  Brantly was designated for assignment earlier this week and cleared waivers, but then opted to become a free agent rather than accept an outright assignment to Triple-A.  After two days of testing the market, Brantly is now back in the organization and has been assigned to Triple-A.  Originally joining the Yankees back in August 2020, the veteran backstop has appeared in seven games with New York at the MLB level, including one game this year to provide depth when Kyle Higashioka was on the COVID-IL.

Earlier Today

  • The Braves announced that right-hander Tyler Thornburg has been released.  Thornburg was designated for assignment earlier this week, after posting a 3.86 ERA, 21.3% strikeout rate, and 10.6% walk rate over 9 1/3 relief innings.  After missing the entire 2021 season due to Tommy John surgery, Thornburg signed a $900K deal with Atlanta, and the injury-plagued righty will now return to the open market in search of another new contract. Atlanta also selected the contract of reliever Jesus Cruz.
  • The Pirates outrighted left-hander Cam Alldred to Triple-A after Alldred cleared waivers.  Another recent DFA, Alldred made his Major League debut in cup-of-c0ffee fashion this season, tossing a scoreless inning for Pittsburgh on May 12.  Mostly working as a reliever over 178 1/3 innings in the Pirates’ farm system, Alldred has a 2.83 ERA, though with an underwhelming 23.56% strikeout rate.

Cubs Place Wade Miley On 15-Day Injured List

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The Cubs have placed left-hander Wade Miley on the 15-day injured list due to a left shoulder strain, the team announced.  Mark Leiter Jr. was called up from Triple-A to take Miley’s place on the active roster.

Miley was supposed to start yesterday’s game against the White Sox, but was held back to shoulder soreness.  Both Miley and the Cubs held out the possibility that Miley would be able to return to the mound as early as Monday, but clearly something was still amiss following the bullpen and long-toss sessions that Miley was scheduled to throw today.

This is already the second IL stint of the year for Miley, who didn’t make his first start of the season until May 10 due to some elbow inflammation that developed during Spring Training.  When he has been able to pitch, Miley has been quite effective, posting a 3.38 ERA in 16 innings over three starts.

Leiter has made three starts for Chicago already this season, and is likely the short-term fill-in for a start on Monday when the Cubs host the Brewers for a doubleheader.  Going forward, Keegan Thompson is the most probable candidate to take Miley’s spot in the rotation, as Thompson’s transition from long reliever to proper starting pitcher has thus far been very successful.  Thompson has an outstanding 1.58 ERA over 40 innings in 2022, which breaks down as a 1.38 ERA in 26 relief frames and a 1.93 ERA in 14 innings as a starter.

Marlins Make Three Roster Moves

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The Marlins announced a trio of roster moves this morning, including the reinstatement of Avisail Garcia from the COVID-related injured list.  Miami also designated infielder Joe Dunand for assignment to create a 40-man roster space, while right-hander Cody Poteet was placed on the 15-day injured list due to a muscle injury in his right elbow.

Garcia returns after just a two-day absence, indicating that his placement on the COVID-IL was precautionary or due to virus symptoms, but not an actual positive test.  The outfielder will return from his brief break and look to get his season turned around, as Garcia has slashed a meager .207/.237/.290 over his first 152 plate appearances in a Marlins uniform.

Pitching in his second MLB season, Poteet has a 2.42 ERA and 55.7% grounder rate over 26 innings in 2022.  Most of that work has come out of the bullpen as a long reliever, but two of Poteet’s last three outings were starts, as Miami has needed a replacement for the injured Jesus Luzardo.  Poteet’s last appearance on May 25 didn’t go well, as the Rays tagged him for five runs over three innings of work in a 5-4 Marlins loss.

With Poteet now sidelined for at least the next 15 days, there will be more speculation about which of the Marlins’ promising young arms could be called up to the big league rotation.  Since top prospect Max Meyer is recovering from ulnar nerve irritation, Edward Cabrera could be the logical candidate, as Cabrera last pitched on May 26.  Between a visa issue in Spring Training and then a biceps injury, Cabrera didn’t pitch until April 27, but he has since banked six minor league starts and a combined 3.90 ERA over 27 2/3 innings.

As for Luzardo himself, it isn’t yet clear when the southpaw could return from his forearm strain.  Miami manager Don Mattingly told reporters (including MLB.com’s Christina De Nicola) today that Luzardo’s recovery is “not as good as we would’ve liked,” as the left-hander has yet to begin throwing.  Luzuardo’s IL stint is backdated to May 12, so he is already beyond the 15-day minimum period.

Dunand made his MLB debut this season, appearing in three games with the Marlins and delivering a 1.064 OPS over his 11 plate appearances.  The Miami native doesn’t have a standout minor league track record, so the Marlins could be betting that another team won’t put in a waiver claim on the 26-year-old Dunand.  That said, Dunand also has a lot of experience as a third baseman and shortstop plus a few games at the other two infield positions, so a club in need of infield depth might check him out on the DFA wire.

NL Central Notes: Minor, Woodruff, Suzuki, Miley, O’Neill

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Mike Minor is finally set for his 2022 debut, as Reds manager David Bell told reporters that the veteran southpaw is scheduled to start Cincinnati’s game on Friday against the Nationals.  Acquired in a trade with the Royals in March, Minor developed some shoulder issues during Spring Training and then had a setback in his rehab process in April.  However, with four outings completed in his rehab assignment, Minor is ready to take the hill and participate in what will be his 11th Major League season.

More injury updates from around the NL Central…

  • Brandon Woodruff left Friday’s game prior to the fifth inning due to right ankle irritation, though both Woodruff and Brewers manager Craig Counsell told reporters (including Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel) that the problem may not be serious enough to keep the right-hander from making his next start on Wednesday.  With Freddy Peralta already on the injured list and the rotation further stretched by a doubleheader on Monday, losing Woodruff for even one outing would be a setback for the Brewers, though the club obviously isn’t going to risk pushing the right-hander if he isn’t ready.
  • Cubs outfielder Seiya Suzuki suffered a sprained left ring finger in Thursday’s game, which kept him out of the lineup yesterday.  It isn’t yet clear whether or not Suzuki will require a visit to the 10-day IL, as Suzuki indicated to reporters (including NBC Sports’ Gordon Wittenmyer) that his finger was feeling only a little better.  Suzuki has a solid .245/.344/.432 slash line in his first 163 MLB plate appearances, though he has cooled off considerably after a great start.
  • The Cubs are also monitoring Wade Miley, whose start yesterday was scratched due to shoulder soreness.  There is some hope Miley will be able to start one of the games in Monday’s doubleheader, but that will depend on how he fares after a long-toss session today.  Miley has only made three starts this season, as some elbow inflammation arose during Spring Training and delayed his Chicago debut until May 10.
  • Tyler O’Neill received a cortisone shot in his right shoulder after additional testing revealed some fluid buildup, the Cardinals outfielder told reporters (including Jeff Jones of The Belleville News-Democrat).  O’Neill has been on the 10-day IL since May 20 due to a shoulder impingement, and after some rest, he hopes to begin a rehab assignment sometime this week.  After what appeared to be a breakout 2021 season, O’Neill has slumped out of the gate this year, slashing just .195/.256/.297 over 133 plate appearances.

Angels Place Anthony Rendon On 10-Day Injured List Due To Wrist Inflammation

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5:45 PM: The Angels have officially announced the move, placing Rendon on the 10-day injured list with the designation of right wrist inflammation. In a corresponding move, Janson Junk was recalled from Triple-A and placed on the active roster.

7:42 AM: Angels third baseman Anthony Rendon will be placed on the 10-day injured list prior to today’s game against the Blue Jays, manager Joe Maddon said last night.  An MRI revealed the issue in Rendon’s wrist, but there was otherwise no structural damage.

Rendon suffered the injury while taking a swing in Thursday’s game, and he didn’t play in last night’s contest between the Jays and Angels.  Tyler Wade stepped in as the starting third baseman, and with Rendon sidelined, it would seem like Wade and Matt Duffy would form a platoon at the hot corner until Rendon is ready to return.  In the minors, Jack Mayfield is at Triple-A and on the 40-man roster, so he is probably the likeliest candidate to receive a call-up so the Halos can replenish their infield depth.

After missing much of the 2021 season due to hamstring, groin, and knee problems, Rendon has bounced back this year to hit .242/.335/.403 with five home runs over his first 173 plate appearances.  This production translates to a 116 OPS+ and 118 wRC+ — still solidly above average, if below the superstar numbers Rendon posted with the Nationals and in his first season (2020) in Anaheim.  It could be that the best is yet to come for Rendon this season, as his .358 xwOBA is well ahead of his .329 wOBA.

The Angels have been one of the league’s better-hitting teams, though the injury bug has started to bite some key bats.  Rendon’s trip to the IL is the most impactful of these injuries, as Taylor Ward returned to the lineup yesterday after missing a few games with a stringer.  Shohei Ohtani wasn’t in last night’s lineup due to a sore back, though the two-way star was able to pinch-hit.

Twins Place Danny Coulombe On 15-Day IL, Select Juan Minaya

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The Twins placed left-hander Danny Coulombe on the 15-day injured list, while also optioning right-hander Yennier Cano to Triple-A.  In corresponding moves, the Twins called up left-hander Jovani Moran and selected the contract of veteran righty Juan Minaya.  (Minnesota had room on its 40-man roster, so no further moves were required to create space for Minaya.)

Coulombe heads back to the IL with the same left hip impingement that sidelined him back on May 11. The Twins only just activated Couloumbe from that previous IL stint yesterday, but he re-aggravated the injury in an appearance against the Royals. Playing on three separate minor leagues contracts with Minnesota over the last three seasons, Couloumbe has a 2.92 ERA over 49 1/3 big league innings with the Twins over the last three years.

Moran slides into Coulombe’s spot as a southpaw available out of the bullpen. The 25-year-old tossed 2 2/3 innings of scoreless ball for the Twins earlier this season, but he has been an active piece of the Triple-A roster, covering 12 1/3 innings in 10 appearances with a 4.38 ERA and a 19-to-9 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Moran’s importance in the short-term can’t be understated, as he joins Caleb Thielbar as the only two lefties in the bullpen.

The 31-year-old Minaya spent four seasons with the White Sox, making 125 appearances out of the bullpen between 2016 and 2019. In that time, he pitched to a 3.93 ERA/4.18 FIP over 128 1/3 total innings. He did not pitch in 2020, but came back with the Twins last season to post a 2.48 ERA/3.97 FIP in 40 innings spanning 29 appearances. Minnesota non-tendered Minaya last fall but re-signed the right-hander to a minor league deal after the lockout.

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