Mark Polishuk | MLB Trade Rumors

Cubs’ David Bote Suffers Separated Shoulder

By Mark Polishuk | May 30, 2021 at 5:45pm CDT

TODAY: Bote’s MRI revealed no fractures or any unusually serious damage, with Ross describing the result (to NBC Sports Chicago’s Maddie Lee and other reporters) as the “best news possible” given the severity of the injury.

MAY 29: Cubs infielder David Bote left today’s game due to a separated left shoulder, as manager David Ross told The Chicago Tribune’s Paul Sullivan and other reporters in the post-game media session. Bote suffered the injury while sliding into second base on what ended up as an Eric Sogard double play during the fourth inning, and Patrick Wisdom replaced Bote in the field at third base for the top of the fifth.

Bote will certainly be placed on the 10-day injured list prior to Sunday’s game, and a trip to the 60-day IL could be a distinct possibility depending on the severity of the separation. Regardless, it represents yet another hit to a Cubs infield that has lost Matt Duffy and Nico Hoerner to the IL within the last week, and Anthony Rizzo has also missed four games in a row due to a bad back.

Given all the injuries that have plagued the Cubs this season, Bote has ended up becoming a regular for the team, appearing in 49 of Chicago’s 51 games. Bote has hit only .194/.273/.333 over 162 PA, but his ability to fill in at both second and third base has been a plus for a Cubs team in need of depth.

Dee Strange-Gordon recently signed a minor league deal with the Cubs and could very well be getting a quick call to the big leagues with Bote now sidelined. Such MLB veterans as Andrew Romine, Sergio Alcantara, and Trayce Thompson are also available at Triple-A depending on how the Cubs want to handle the infield situation, as an outfielder could be called up to allow Kris Bryant to move back to third base.

Cardinals Notes: Trades, Miller, DeJong, Bedell

By Mark Polishuk | May 30, 2021 at 5:24pm CDT

“Opportunities at the margins are sometimes available in the near term. Opportunities to make…more significant changes are rarely going to happen until six to eight weeks from now,” Cardinals GM Michael Girsch told Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat and other reporters earlier this week. In short, it doesn’t appear too likely that the Cards will be swinging any notable trades in the near future. As Jones notes, the club hasn’t really made any win-now types of deadline moves in recent seasons, and it remains to be seen if the Cards will change course by July 30 of this year.

St. Louis entered Sunday in first place in the NL Central, in a tight race with the Cubs and Brewers. There is certainly room for upgrades on the Cardinals’ roster, with Jones pointing out that (in particular) the bullpen is lacking depth beyond Genesis Cabrera, Giovanny Gallegos, and Alex Reyes. Adding another middle relief type wouldn’t necessarily count as a headline-grabbing move, and by that same token, a team that’s already in “seller mode” might be more willing to part with a reliever now rather than wait until closer to July 30.

Twins Notes: Kepler, Maeda, Arraez

By Mark Polishuk | May 30, 2021 at 12:05pm CDT

MAY 30: Kepler has indeed been placed on the 10-day IL, with catcher Ben Rortvedt recalled from Triple-A to replace him on the active roster. Baldelli told reporters (including Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com) that Rob Refsnyder is set to get everyday run in center field with Buxton and Kepler on the shelf.

Baldelli also addressed Maeda’s setback this afternoon (via Betsy Helfand of the St. Paul Pioneer-Press). While the right-hander was initially placed on the IL due to a groin strain, he’s fully recovered from that injury. His current issue is unrelated “general arm soreness.” The timetable for his return is still uncertain, although Baldelli says Maeda could resume playing catch next week.

MAY 29: The Twins’ 6-5 victory over the Royals today may have come at a price, as Max Kepler left the game due to a left hamstring strain. Kepler came up limping while trying to beat out a grounder in the second inning, and was immediately replaced in the field for the top of the third.

Manager Rocco Baldelli told reporters (including The Athletic’s Dan Hayes) that Kepler would undergo an MRI and could potentially be heading to the injured list. At the very least, “I don’t think he’s going to be out there in the next few days,” Baldelli said.

This is the second time in under two weeks that a hamstring problem has forced Kepler out of a game, as he made an early exit back on May 16. Since that injury, Kepler has sat out four games and also been limited to DH duty in three others in an attempt to play through the issue. Now, however, Kepler looks to be joining Byron Buxton, Jake Cave, and utilityman Luis Arraez on the 10-day IL as Minnesota will be further short-handed in the outfield.

As per the wRC+ metric, Kepler has delivered exactly average (100) offensive production this season, hitting .212/.303/.424 over 152 plate appearances. Beyond the lingering hamstring injury, Kepler also missed 10 days recovering from a case of COVID-19.

Baldelli also has less-than-positive updates about two other injured Twins in Arraez and Kenta Maeda. Arraez hit the injured list (in retroactive placement fashion) on May 24 due to a right shoulder strain, and that strain now looks like a subluxation that will keep Arraez out of action for multiple weeks.

A groin strain sent Maeda to the IL on May 23, and Baldelli said that Maeda suffered a setback during a bullpen session on Friday. The right-hander was initially expected to miss between 10-14 days, but now it isn’t known when Maeda might be back in the Minnesota rotation. Maeda has a 5.27 ERA/4.07 SIERA through nine starts and 42 2/3 innings for the Twins this season.

Injury Notes: Chisholm, Duvall, Soler, Garcia

By Mark Polishuk | May 29, 2021 at 11:04pm CDT

Two Marlins regulars are nursing injuries, as Jazz Chisholm has missed four games due to an ankle sprain and Adam Duvall has missed games due to soreness in his left side. Manager Don Mattingly indicated to reporters that both players were being held out largely due to precautionary reasons, noting that “if we weren’t being conservative, I think [Chisholm] probably could have played today.” Chisholm spent just shy of three weeks on the injured list earlier this season after suffering a hamstring strain, and the Marlins are naturally being careful to ensure that their young star isn’t lost for another extended amount of time.

Chisholm is hitting .286/.350/.486 with five home runs and nine stolen bases over 117 PA this season. Duvall hasn’t been performing as well (.213/.257/.425 in 171 plate appearances) at the plate, but the veteran has provided some extra utility in the field by playing respectable defense over 53 innings as a fill-in center fielder. Mattingly described Duvall as already feeling “better” by Saturday, so it’s possible Duvall could be back in the lineup for Sunday’s game with the Red Sox.

More injury updates from around baseball…

Jorge Soler left today’s 6-5 Royals loss to the Twins after the first inning due to right groin discomfort. An injury would further damper what has already been a rough season for Soler, who is hitting just .178/.257/.314 with four home runs over his first 195 plate appearances. Soler’s last full season in 2019 saw him lead the American League with 48 homers while batting .265/.354/.569 in 679 PA.
Nationals infielder Luis Garcia will receive an MRI after suffering an on-field hamstring cramp prior to the third inning of the first game of Saturday’s doubleheader with the Brewers. While warming up before the inning, a cramp that had bothered Garcia earlier in the game suddenly forced him to the ground, and he had to be helped off the field. Garcia has spent much of the season at Triple-A, at Washington’s alternate training site, or on the big league taxi squad, and was just called back up to the active roster earlier this week.

Twins Select Juan Minaya, Designate Dakota Chalmers

By Mark Polishuk | May 29, 2021 at 8:23pm CDT

Prior to today’s 6-5 win over the Royals, the Twins selected the contract of right-hander Juan Minaya from Triple-A Saint Paul. Righty Cody Stashak was optioned to Triple-A and right-hander Dakota Chalmers was designated for assignment to create roster space for Minaya.

Signed to a minor league deal last winter, Minaya is now in position to make his first Major League appearance since July 12, 2019. It’s worth noting that the Twins also selected Minaya’s contract last season but didn’t use him in a game during his few days on the active roster before he was DFA’ed.

The 30-year-old spent his first four MLB seasons with the White Sox, posting a 3.93 ERA/4.14 SIERA and a slightly above-average 25.1% strikeout rate over 128 1/3 innings. Minaya became a free agent following the season and signed his first minors deal with the Twins in January 2020.

Chalmers was a third-round pick for the Athletics in the 2015 draft, and he was dealt to the Twins for Fernando Rodney back in August 2018. The righty has a 4.38 ERA over 168 1/3 career innings in pro ball, including a very ugly 9.49 ERA over 12 1/3 innings at Double-A this year. Even prior to 2021, control has been an issue in Chalmers’ career, and he also missed most of the 2018-19 seasons while recovering from Tommy John surgery.

Diamondbacks Activate Christian Walker From 10-Day IL

By Mark Polishuk | May 29, 2021 at 7:17pm CDT

The Diamondbacks announced that first baseman Christian Walker has been activated off the 10-day injured list. Walker will take the place of Andrew Young, who was optioned to Triple-A after yesterday’s game.

Right oblique soreness has twice relegated Walker to the IL this season, and the D’Backs are certainly hoping that this latest absence has finally gotten Walker fully healthy. It’s probably fair to say that the stop-and-start nature of his season has impacted Walker’s play, as he has hit only .203/.268/.313 over 71 plate appearances thus far in 2021. Walker was a much more productive bat in 2019-20, when he hit .262/.344/.471 with 36 home runs in 423 PA for Arizona.

Like many teams this season, the D’Backs have been hit hard by injuries, but Arizona is on a 12-game losing streak and has sunk to last place in the NL West. There might not be much time left before the Diamondbacks start thinking about selling at the trade deadline, and it isn’t out of the question that Walker himself could be moved. Though he has three arbitration-eligible years remaining, Walker is already 30 years old and might not be seen as a long-term piece for the D’Backs, if the front office decides that a larger roster reshuffle is necessary to get the club on track. Owed only around $415K for the remainder of the season, an in-form Walker would draw a lot of attention from payroll-stretched teams looking for lineup help.

Athletics To Activate Jesus Luzardo On Sunday

By Mark Polishuk | May 29, 2021 at 6:43pm CDT

The A’s will activate left-hander Jesus Luzardo prior to tomorrow’s game with the Angels, Oakland manager Bob Melvin told MLB.com’s Martin Gallegos (Twitter links) and other reporters. Luzardo started his first six games of the season for the Athletics, but Melvin said that Luzardo will be used out of the bullpen for now.

Luzardo will return after missing almost a full month of action, as he was placed on the 10-day injured list on May 2 after suffering a hairline fracture in his left pinkie finger. The injury actually occurred prior to Luzardo’s start on May 1, which could explain his rough numbers (three earned runs on two walks and five hits in three IP) against the Orioles in that outing, though Luzardo had struggled to a 5.40 ERA in his previous 25 innings of the season.

The southpaw’s advanced metrics are a mixed bag. Luzardo’s Statcast numbers are nothing special, though his strikeout and walk rates are slightly above average and his .306 xwOBA far outpaces his .356 wOBA. Luzardo’s 4.27 SIERA, .350 BABIP and 63.2% strand rate provide further evidence that he has been a little unlucky to have a 5.79 ERA over his 28 innings.

Luzardo’s bullpen assignment may not be permanent, as Melvin said the Athletics plan to “play it by ear” with Luzardo’s role. Ideally, Melvin said Luzardo would be able to build up his pitch count and get stretched out while pitching as a reliever, which hints at a long relief role for the left-hander. The other issue could be that the A’s want to see what they have in James Kaprielian, who has an impressive 1.53 ERA over his first 17 2/3 innings and three starts for Oakland. If Kaprielian falters or another starter gets injured, it could open the door for a relatively quick return to starting duty for Luzardo.

Giants Activate Wilmer Flores, Logan Webb From 10-Day IL

By Mark Polishuk | May 29, 2021 at 5:45pm CDT

The Giants activated infielder Wilmer Flores and right-hander Logan Webb from the 10-day injured list. Both players are slated to return to action tonight, as Webb is scheduled to start tonight’s game with the Dodgers and Flores is in the lineup as the starting first baseman. Righty Nick Tropeano and infielder Jason Vosler were optioned to Triple-A to create roster space.

Both Flores and Webb will end up missing the minimum 10 days due to what (thankfully) appears to have been minor injuries. Flores hit the IL due to a right hamstring strain, while Webb was sidelined with a right shoulder strain.

Flores’ return comes at a particularly opportune time for the Giants, as first basemen Brandon Belt and Darin Ruf are both on the 10-day IL themselves. The club can now at least tread water at the position with an experienced first baseman like Flores, plus Austin Slater and LaMonte Wade Jr. can also fill in at first base in a pinch. Flores is off to something of a slow start this year, with a .219/.308/.343 slash line over 120 plate appearances that is well off his .277/.323/.469 mark from 2016-20.

San Francisco has gotten strong results from its starting pitchers this year, Webb included. The right-hander has a 4.09 ERA/3.50 SIERA over 44 innings, with a strong 58.7% grounder rate and a strikeout rate (25%) that is slightly above the league average.

Angels Select Kean Wong, Designate Drew Butera

By Mark Polishuk | May 29, 2021 at 4:31pm CDT

The Angels selected the contract of infielder Kean Wong prior to today’s game with the Athletics. Catcher Drew Butera was designated for assignment last night to open up a roster spot.

Wong was in today’s starting lineup, marking his first appearance in an MLB game since the 2019 season. Wong made his Major League debut that season, appearing in seven total games with the Rays and (after a late-season waiver claim) Angels. The Giants then claimed Wong off waivers in November 2019, before he returned to Anaheim on a minor league contract this past winter.

A veteran of nine minor league seasons, Wong will add some depth to an Angels infield that lost Jose Iglesias and Franklin Barreto to the injured list. Wong has spent much of his career as a second and third baseman, but has also gotten playing time as a left fielder and seen a handful of games as a shortstop and corner outfielder. With Iglesias out and David Fletcher taking over shortstop duties, Wong and Phil Gosselin are likely to combine for an interim second base platoon. (Wong started at second base for the Halos today.)

Butera was acquired in a minor trade with the Rangers earlier this month, when the Angels were hurting for catching depth due to injuries. With Max Stassi now on a Triple-A rehab assignment following a concussion, the Halos seem content with Stassi, Kurt Suzuki and Anthony Bemboom as their catching mix, leaving Butera expendable.

If this is it for Butera with the Angels, his 12 games will at least exceed his previous stint with the team — 10 games during the 2015 season. The well-traveled veteran is in his 12th Major League season, and now may be looking to join his ninth different organization.

Marlins Injury Notes: Marte, Sanchez, Alfaro, Cabrera

By Mark Polishuk | May 24, 2021 at 4:36pm CDT

4:36pm: Miami has activated Alfaro and optioned Wallach to Triple-A, Daniel Alvarez Montes of El Extrabase tweets.

3:03pm: The Marlins have been without some of their top names, but the team revealed today that Starling Marte, Sixto Sanchez, and Jorge Alfaro are all taking steps towards returning to the active roster. MLB.com’s Christina De Nicola (Twitter link) was among those to report that on Tuesday, Marte will begin a Triple-A rehab assignment and Sanchez will throw his first bullpen session of the season. Alfaro, meanwhile, has rejoined the Marlins after his own rehab assignment, but he may not be activated from the injured list for tonight’s game.

Marte suffered a rib fracture back on April 18, cutting short a great (.316/.420/.491 with two home runs) start for the outfielder over his first 69 plate appearances. After over a month away, Marte’s rehab stint will likely last at least a couple of games, but assuming no setbacks, he should be on pace to return to the Marlins lineup in relatively short order. That would be welcome news for a Miami team that is struggling to generate offense, but even with a modest 22-24 record, the Marlins are still only two games back of first place in the congested NL East.

Getting Sanchez back on the mound would also be a boost to Miami’s rotation, as Sanchez has yet to pitch in 2021. COVID protocols delayed the right-hander’s arrival in Spring Training until the middle of March, and Sanchez was then sidetracked by shoulder inflammation. As of earlier this month, the Marlins were hopeful Sanchez would return at some point in June, which still seems like a realistic timetable if Sanchez is now ready to start throwing bullpens.

Alfaro was struggling to the tune of a .229/.250/.257 slash line over 36 PA before a hamstring strain sent him to the injured list on April 21. Veteran Sandy Leon has seen the majority of playing time at catcher in Alfaro’s absence, so Chad Wallach might be the odd man out when Alfaro returns since Wallach still has minor league options remaining.

In more Marlins injury news, pitching prospect Edward Cabrera threw a 20-pitch, live batting practice session on Saturday, and he will have a similar session at some point this week. Cabrera has been sidelined by an inflamed nerve in his biceps since February. The right-hander is regarded as one of the Marlins’ top minor leaguers and a top-100 prospect in all of baseball, but thanks to his injury setback, it doesn’t seem likely that Cabrera will make his MLB debut in 2021. Cabrera reached the Double-A level in 2019, acquitting himself well with a 2.56 ERA and 27.56% strikeout rate in 38 2/3 innings.

« Previous Page

Load More Posts

Headlines

Navigation

MLBTR INFO

Connect