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Reds To Activate Luis Castillo From 10-Day Injured List

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Luis Castillo will make his season debut on Monday, as the Reds will activate the right-hander from the 10-day injured list to start their game against the Brewers.  Castillo suffered soreness in his throwing shoulder during Spring Training, which required an IL visit and a late start to his 2022 campaign.

The former All-Star has allowed only a single earned run over 10 1/3 innings during his minor league rehab assignment, albeit with a troubling eight walks.  Nevertheless, the focus on rehab assignments is more health and tune-up work rather than results, and after three rehab outings, Castillo appears to be ready to return to the Show.

Counting Castillo since he has yet to be officially activated, the Reds have a whopping 14 players on the injured list, which has been a big factor in the team’s disastrous start.  Even after winning two of three games in their weekend series with the Pirates, Cincinnati has only a 5-23 record.

It is a lot to ask of Castillo to try and turn things around for the Reds by himself, and it remains to be seen if the right-hander will immediately be in good form once he takes the mound.  Castillo has traditionally been something of a slow starter, as April and May are his worst months by ERA.  If it takes him a while to really get going, it will not only impact whatever tiny chance the Reds have of getting on track, but it would also hamper Castillo’s value as a possible trade chip heading into the deadline.  Since Castillo is controlled (via arbitration) through the 2023 season, the Reds should be able to command a nice trade return for Castillo, assuming that he is pitching like his usual self.

White Sox To Activate Yoan Moncada, Joe Kelly From 10-Day IL; Aaron Bummer To Be Placed On 10-Day IL

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The White Sox are set to activate Yoan Moncada and Joe Kelly off the injured list for Monday’s game against the Guardians, manager Tony La Russa told reporters (including LaMond Pope of The Chicago Tribune).  Both players will be playing in their first games of the 2022 season, and in Kelly’s case, it also marks his debut in a White Sox uniform.

Moncada suffered a right oblique strain near the end of Spring Training, and it would like the third baseman is back in form, given how he has shredded Triple-A pitching during a rehab assignment.  Moncada will be looking to build on a solid 2021 season that was perhaps slightly disappointing because it was “only” solid, given all of the superstar hype attached to Moncada during his time as baseball’s best prospect.  2019 saw Moncada reach a higher level of performance, though as he enters his age-27 season, it isn’t yet clear if Moncada will indeed become an All-Star.

Kelly signed a two-year, $17MM contract just after the lockout ended, as between Kelly and fellow free agent Kendall Graveman, the Sox reinforced their bullpen depth in advance of Craig Kimbrel being traded to the Dodgers.  Due to a biceps strain suffered during the NLCS last season, Kelly’s offseason prep work was delayed, hence his late start to the 2022 campaign.

With Moncada and Kelly back, the White Sox will gain some relief from the swath of injuries that have hampered their club all season.  However, it’s a case of two steps forward and another step back, as La Russa told reporters (including Daryl Van Schouwen of The Chicago Sun-Times) after today’s game that reliever Aaron Bummer will be placed on the injured list with a knee problem.  Kelly will take Bummer’s spot on the 26-man roster.

A reliable bullpen arm over his five previous seasons in Chicago, Bummer has gotten off to a slow start, with a 4.91 ERA and 15.1% walk rate over his first 11 innings of work in 2022.  The extra walks certainly haven’t helped Bummer’s efforts, but there is also at least a little bad luck involved, as the grounder specialist has a .370 BABIP.  It isn’t known how serious Bummer’s knee issue is, or how long the left-hander could be out of action.

Rookies Tanner Banks and Bennett Sousa are now the only healthy left-handers in the Sox bullpen, and Anderson Severino (another first-year player) is the only other southpaw reliever on Chicago’s 40-man roster.  While Banks has pitched well thus far, it stands to reason that the White Sox might look to add a more experienced left-handed arm if Bummer is expected to miss beyond the 10-day minimum.

Angels Place David Fletcher On 15-Day Injured List Due To Hip Strain

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The Angels announced a set of roster moves today, including the placement of middle infielder David Fletcher on the 15-day injured list with a left hip strain.  Lefty Kenny Rosenberg was optioned to Triple-A, and outfielder Jose Rojas was placed on the injured list for an unspecified reason, implying a COVID-19 issue.  Joining the active roster are outfielder Aaron Whitefield (as reported earlier today) and infielder Luis Rengifo.

This is already the second time Fletcher has been sidelined by a hip strain this season, and he will be visiting a specialist on Monday to determine the extent of the problem.  Fletcher received cortisone shots during his first IL stint, and while the problem “hasn’t really gotten worse, it just wasn’t as good as we thought the injection would make it,” he told reporters, including Mike DiGiovanna of The Los Angeles Times.  A next step won’t be known until Fletcher’s doctor visit, and it is possible surgery might be required.  Fletcher is hopeful that such a procedure wouldn’t put his season in jeopardy, as “hopefully I’ll get it fixed and be back pretty soon.”

The Halos have become pretty accustomed to playing without Fletcher thus far in 2022, though Matt Duffy’s ongoing presence on the COVID-related injured list will further complicate matters.  Rengifo’s call-up will give the Angels an extra infielder to join Tyler Wade, Andrew Velazquez, and Jack Mayfield in juggling the second base and shortstop duties.

While Anaheim may have enough offense in the rest of the lineup to get by with more of a defensive focus up the middle, it does make for an imperfect situation even if Fletcher is able to return.  Fletcher (understandably) hasn’t hit much in his limited playing time this season, and batted only .262/.297/.324 over 665 plate appearances in 2021.  It was a big step backwards from Fletcher’s very impressive 120 OPS+/122 wRC+ performance in the shortened 2020 campaign, or even his closer-to-league average numbers in 2019.  If Fletcher does require surgery and need to miss a good chunk of the remaining season, the middle infield would seem like a natural trade deadline target area for the Angels if they remain in contention.

Pirates Place Roberto Perez On 10-Day IL

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MAY 8: Roberto Perez may be facing a long absence, as a source tells Jason Mackey of The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Twitter link) that the catcher’s hamstring injury is “very severe.”

MAY 7: The Pirates have placed catcher Roberto Perez on the 10-day injured list due to a left hamstring strain.  Catcher Michael Perez’s contract has been selected from Triple-A, to provide the Bucs with more depth in time for the nightcap of a doubleheader with the Reds.  To open a 40-man roster spot, left-hander Sam Howard was designated for assignment.

Roberto Perez suffered the injury in Game 1 of the doubleheader, injuring his hamstring while rounding second base in the eighth inning.  Perez was in obvious pain as he left the field, and his absence forced a rare “emergency catcher” situation since backup Andrew Knapp had been ejected earlier in the game.  This forced Josh VanMeter behind the plate for his first professional game as a catcher, and having an inexperienced backstop surely played a role in the Pirates surrendering seven runs to Cincinnati in the bottom of the eighth.

The 33-year-old Perez signed a one-year, $5MM deal with the Pirates last winter, after the Guardians declined their $7MM club option his services for 2022.  Known much more for his defense than his bat over nine MLB seasons, the two-time Gold Glover has also provided a bit of pop for Pittsburgh in the early going — Perez’s two singles in today’s game improved his slash line to .233/.333/.367 (109 wRC+) over 69 plate appearances.

Unfortunately, it now looks like the veteran will miss more than just 10 days, gauging by the apparent severity of his injury.  This opens the door for Michael Perez (no relation) to get his first Major League action of the 2022 campaign.  The Pirates claimed the 29-year-old Perez off waivers from the Rays in October, and it now appears that Perez and Knapp will handle the catching duties while the elder Perez recovers.

Howard has spent much of the season on the IL with a back sprain, only pitching two innings over three appearances.  A pair of IL stints (most notably a six-week absence due to an oblique strain) limited Howard to 45 innings and 54 games in 2021.  Control problems have limited Howard’s effectiveness over his 91 career MLB innings with the Rockies and Pirates, as despite a solid 27.2% strikeout rate, Howard also has a 14.1% walk rate and 5.34 ERA.

Dodgers’ Victor Gonzalez To Undergo Arthroscopic Surgery

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Dodgers left-hander Victor Gonzalez will undergo arthroscopic debridement surgery on his pitching elbow, manager Dave Roberts told reporters (including Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register).  There is hope that Gonzalez will be able to pitch this season, though it will ultimately depend on what doctors find during the procedure.

Gonzalez has yet to pitch in 2022 after developing elbow inflammation during Spring Training.  The southpaw was roughly expected to be back on the mound by now, though further examination revealed that surgery was required.  As a result, Gonzalez now faces an extended absence, even if he is able to make it back before the season is over.

The 26-year-old made his MLB debut in 2020, posting a 1.33 ERA over 20 1/3 innings in the regular season and then a 2.70 ERA in 6 2/3 frames during the Dodgers’ run to a World Series title.  After that dream rookie year, Gonzalez was still pretty effective in 2021, delivering a 3.57 ERA over 35 1/3 innings, as his workload was limited by foot and knee injuries.

David Price and Mitch White are expected to return from the injured list in the next week or two, bringing some help to a Dodgers pitching staff that has once again been thinned out by injuries.  Some are relatively minor health problems, while others (like Gonzalez or Blake Treinen) are longer-term in nature.  For Treinen, Roberts said that the veteran righty will look to rehab his ailing shoulder without another visit to a doctor, and Treinen won’t be back until after the All-Star break.  Treinen has pitched only three innings this year due to shoulder soreness, and had been slated to undergo an MRI.

Angels Re-Sign Juan Lagares To Minors Contract

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The Angels announced that outfielder Juan Lagares has been signed to a new minor league deal.  The former Gold Glove winner will report to Anaheim’s Triple-A affiliate.

Lagares also signed a minors deal with the Halos prior to last season, and ended up seeing quite a bit of action at the big league level.  Lagares hit .236/.266/.372 over 327 plate appearances and 112 games in 2021, and defensive metrics were a little split on Lagares’ glovework — +2 Defensive Runs Saved and +1 Outs Above Average for his 784 1/3 outfield innings, but a -1 UZR/150.

Long known as an outstanding defender, Lagares can provide depth at all three outfield positions, and might not spend too much time in the minors.  Los Angeles has a starting trio of Mike Trout, Taylor Ward, and Brandon Marsh, with rookie Aaron Whitefield just called up today to work as the fourth outfielder.  With Jo Adell still working things out in the minors, Lagares provides a more experienced option to Whitefield should the rookie not be ready for MLB action.  Lagares and Whitefield are both right-handed hitters, so they could spell the left-handed hitting Marsh when a southpaw is on the mound.

Should Lagares reach the Angels’ active roster, it will mark a 10th big league season for the 33-year-old.  Lagares spent the first eight of those seasons with the Mets, usually working as a backup or platoon outfielder but also getting some time as the everyday center fielder.  Lagares caught on with the Angels last winter, and re-entered the free agent market back in November.

Injury Notes: Cousins, Buxton, Wendelken

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The Brewers placed Jake Cousins on the 10-day injured list on May 1 with what was described as a right elbow effusion, or a build-up of fluid within the elbow.  However, an MRI also revealed a “concern” with Cousins’ UCL, manager Craig Counsell told MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy and other reporters, and a second opinion is being sought.

It makes for a very ominous situation for the 27-year-old righty, who seemingly came out of nowhere to post a 2.70 ERA and 35.2% strikeout rate (albeit with a 15.2% walk rate) over 30 innings out of Milwaukee’s bullpen.  Batters did a little more damage against Cousins this year, as he had a 4.50 ERA, 34.2% strikeout rate, and 13.2% walk rate in eight innings before heading to the injured list.

Some notes on other injury-related situations around baseball…

  • Byron Buxton left today’s 1-0 Twins victory over the Athletics due to tightness in his right hip, acting manager Jayce Tingler told reporters after the game.  Buxton is day-to-day with the injury, but even a seemingly minor issue has to be of concern given Buxton’s import to Minnesota’s lineup, and his long injury history.  Exactly one year ago today, the Twins placed Buxton on the 10-day IL with a right hip strain that cost the outfielder six weeks of action.  Buxton has a spectacular .278/.342/.722 slash line through his first 79 plate appearances of the season, adding nine homers and his usual great glovework in center field.
  • Diamondbacks right-hander J.B. Wendelken was reinstated from the COVID-related injured list, with righty Luis Frias heading to Triple-A in the corresponding move.  Wendelken has been out since April 28 due to a positive COVID-19 test.  Since the D’Backs claimed Wendelken off waivers from the A’s last August, the righty has a 4.33 ERA over 27 innings in an Arizona uniform, though with only a 15.31% strikeout rate.

Padres Place Tim Hill On 15-Day Injured List

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The Padres announced that left-hander Tim Hill has been placed on the 15-day injured list (retroactive to May 5) due to inflammation in his throwing shoulder.  Lefty Ray Kerr has been called up from Triple-A to take Hill’s place in San Diego’s bullpen.

Hill has been far from his usual effective self, posting an 11.12 ERA over his first 5 2/3 innings out of the Padres’ bullpen.  While Hill hasn’t allowed a run in six of his nine appearances, he has only one strikeout against three walks.  Always more of a grounder specialist than a strikeout artist, Hill has been hurt by a lack of whiffs and a lot of his allowed contact finding holes — Hill has an ungainly. 440 BABIP thus far.

Closer Taylor Rogers is the only other left-hander in the Padres relief corps, so another southpaw was needed in Hill’s absence.  Kerr is an undrafted free agent who has worked his way up the Mariners and Padres farm systems to make his MLB debut earlier this season, and after tossing a scoreless inning in his sole big league game, Kerr could now get more opportunities to impress.  San Diego acquired Kerr from the Mariners as part of the Adam Frazier trade last November.

Red Sox Sign Carlos Martinez To Minor League Contract

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The Red Sox have signed right-hander Carlos Martinez to a minor league deal, as per Martinez’s MLB.com profile page.  Martinez had been signed to a minors contract with the Giants, but San Francisco released him from that deal on April 28.

The timing could indicate an opt-out, since Martinez was one of several Article XX(B) free agents who faced a mandatory decision date of May 1 on whether or not to opt out of their minor league contracts.  If the Giants let Martinez know in advance that he wasn’t going to be added to their active roster and Martinez subsequently informed the team that he would opting out, it may be that the two sides decided to part ways in advance of that May 1 deadline.

Martinez has yet to pitch this season, as he continues to recover from the thumb injury that prematurely ended his 2021 season.  The thumb issue was the latest in a series of injuries (including a shoulder problem, two oblique strains, and a nasty case of COVID-19 that required hospitalization) that have set Martinez back since midway through the 2018 season.  Prior to those health problems, Martinez had three years of strong work at the front of the Cardinals rotation, reaching the All-Star team in both 2015 and 2017.

While Martinez still pitched well as a reliever in 2018-19, he has only a 6.95 ERA over 102 1/3 innings (in 21 starts) since the beginning of the 2020 season.  That lack of performance led the Cards to decline their $17MM club option on the righty for 2022 campaign.

The Red Sox will now see if they can manage a second act in Martinez’s career.  The 30-year-old would at least seem to have some viable potential as a reliever going forward, and the Sox are certainly on the lookout for bullpen help given how their relief corps has struggled thus far in the season.

There is some irony in the signing, as Martinez originally signed with the Red Sox for $140K as a free agent out of the Dominican Republic back in 2009.  That was when Martinez as known as “Carlos Matias,” but due to questions about both his name and birthdate, MLB voided the righty’s contract with Boston.  Martinez had to serve a year-long suspension, but then inked a deal with the Cardinals for a $1.5MM bonus in 2010.

Marlins Place Jon Berti On Injured List, Select Joe Dunand

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The Marlins have placed utilityman Jon Berti on their injured list, and selected the contract of infielder Joe Dunand from Triple-A.  No specifics were given about Berti’s IL placement, and as with Brian Anderson’s placement to Miami’s IL yesterday, it would seem like Berti’s absence is related to COVID-19.

Berti is off to a fantastic start, hitting .300/.440/.550 over his first 50 plate appearances.  While Berti was roughly a league-average hitter in 2019-20, he is better known for his versatility — already this season, Berti has seen time  at shortstop, left field, second base, and third base, iin addition to pinch-hitting and pinch-running work.  This multi-positional skillset has made Berti a very useful bench piece over his four seasons in Miami, and allowed the Marlins at times to keep a shortened bench and add an extra arm to the bullpen.

Dunand can bring at least some of that versatility, with lots of experience as a third baseman and shortstop (and a handful of games at first base) over his five minor league seasons.  For tonight’s game against the Padres, Dunand is in the starting lineup at third base, set for his MLB debut.

A second-round pick for the Marlins in the 2017 draft, Dunand hasn’t hit much in the minors, and isn’t listed as one of Miami’s top 30 prospects by either Baseball America or MLB Pipeline.  A lack of offense has limited Dunand’s potential, but the 26-year-old Miami native (who is the nephew of Alex Rodriguez) has hit better at Triple-A this year, batting .255/.368/.426 over 57 PA.

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