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NL Notes: Tatis, Mets, Lugo, Thor, McCutchen

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As if Joe Musgrove’s no-hitter wasn’t enough good news for the Padres, Fernando Tatis Jr. was taking grounders prior to yesterday’s game and is now also taking part in hitting and running drills.  Tatis is on the 10-day IL recovering from a slight tear in his left labrum, though the ugly-looking injury may only keep Tatis out of action for a relatively short amount of time.  Tatis’ shoulder inflammation has decreased to the point that he has been able to do some fielding work, and he could keep gradually ramping up his baseball activity as long as his shoulder remains sound, Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune wrote yesterday.

Manager Jayce Tingler sounded cautiously optimistic talking to Acee and other reporters today.  “We want to take it day by day, but we feel confident if we can continue down this road, we’re going to be in a good position for him to be activated” by April 16, Tingler said.  That would be the first day Tatis would be eligible to leave the injured list, and it would put Tatis on pace to be in the lineup as the Padres began a big series with the Dodgers.

More from around the National League…

  • Mets GM Zack Scott provided reporters (including the New York Daily News’ Deesha Thosar) with updates on Noah Syndergaard and Seth Lugo, saying that both right-handers are on schedule with their injury rehab.  Lugo underwent bone spur surgery on his throwing elbow in February, and is expected to be back at some point in May.  Syndergaard is set to throw a live batting practice today, in the latest step in his recovery from Tommy John surgery in March 2020.  If all continues to go well for Syndergaard, he is on pace to rejoin the Mets’ rotation before the end of June.
  • Between a torn ACL in 2019 and then a tough time recovering from that injury (on top of all the other unusual elements last season) in 2020, Andrew McCutchen has some unfinished business as he enters the last guaranteed season of his three-year, $50MM contract with the Phillies.  “I had a lot of catching up to do last season,” McCutchen told The Athletic’s Matt Gelb, noting that it wasn’t until the Phillies’ last few games in September that he really felt comfortable.  Now, however, McCutchen is entering the year with the benefit of a full Spring Training, and there are “no limitations for myself.  No hindrance.  No thinking, second-guessing.  Really pushing myself to where I didn’t I feel like I had to guard….So, going into this spring, I was just saying, ’I feel like myself.  I can squat and play and do what I need to do here in the games.’ ”  It’s a good sign for McCutchen as he enters his age-34 season as the Phils’ regular left fielder, and he also pointed out that there aren’t many everyday outfielders of his age remaining in a sport that has become increasingly less inclined to regularly play veteran players.

Dodgers Claim Ashton Goudeau From Giants

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The Dodgers announced that right-hander Ashton Goudeau has been claimed off waivers from the Giants.  Goudeau was designated for assignment by San Francisco earlier this week.

In less than five months’ time, Goudeau has now been a member of five different organizations.  After making his MLB debut with the Rockies last season, Goudeau went to the Pirates, Orioles, Giants, and now the Dodgers in a series of waiver claims.  The 28-year-old has also previously pitched in the Mariners and Royals farm systems during a pro career that began when the Royals selected Goudeau in the 27th round of the 2012 draft.

Over 563 2/3 innings in the minors, Goudeau has started 70 of 171 games and posted a 4.81 ERA, 20.44% strikeout rate, and 6.23% walk rate.  His first taste of Major League action resulted in a 7.56 ERA over 8 1/3 innings over four appearances with Colorado in 2020.

Brewers Place Kolten Wong On 10-Day IL

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2:10PM: Wong’s injury may be “on the minor side,” manager Craig Counsell told reporters (including Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel).  A firmer timeline will be established after Wong undergoes more treatment, but the team is hopeful he won’t be out of action for much beyond the 10-day minimum.

10:28AM: The Brewers have officially announced the moves, placing Wong on the 10-day IL with a left oblique strain.  Peterson’s minor league contract was selected, and to create a 40-man roster spot, righty Bobby Wahl was moved to the 60-day injured list.

10:03AM: The Brewers are placing second baseman Kolten Wong on the 10-day injured list due to an oblique injury, FanSided’s Robert Murray writes.  Utilityman Jace Peterson will be called up to take Wong’s spot on the active roster.

An IL stint seemed likely for Wong considering that he missed Wednesday’s game and then was forced into an early exit from Thursday’s game due to the same oblique problem.  No timetable is yet known for Wong’s return, as oblique injuries can sometimes require several weeks of recovery time based on the severity of the issue.

Even a shorter-term absence is an unfortunate outcome for both Wong and the Brewers, as the former Gold Glover just joined the team on a two-year, $18MM free agent contract during the offseason.  Wong’s injury also emerged just two days after Milwaukee traded shortstop Orlando Arcia to the Braves, so the Brewers are now even more short-handed in the infield.

The left-handed hitting Peterson and the right-handed hitting Daniel Robertson could form a second base platoon while Wong is out of action, with Travis Shaw and Luis Urias remaining as the everyday options at third base and shortstop, respectively.  Keston Hiura could also see some time at his old second base position, if the Brewers wanted to move him away from first base and give Daniel Vogelbach some playing time.  Dee Strange-Gordon just recently signed to a minor league deal for additional depth (perhaps essentially as Arcia’s replacement) and could see some time with the big league team in relatively short order depending on how the Brewers juggle the roster.

Rockies Place Chris Owings On 10-Day IL, Designate Phillip Diehl, Select Alan Trejo

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The Rockies announced that utilityman Chris Owings has been placed on the 10-day injured list due to a left thumb sprain.  Infielder Alan Trejo has had his contract selected and will replace Owings on the active roster.  In a corresponding move to create 40-man roster space, southpaw Phillip Diehl has been designated for assignment.

After a respectable .268/.318/.439 slash line over only 44 plate appearances with Colorado in 2020, Owings re-signed another minor league deal to return for another season in the Mile High City.  In the small sample size of 17 PA this season, Owings was off to a roaring start, with a 1.722 OPS and three triples.  The thumb sprain is a new injury, as Owings had been battling a hamstring problem in recent days and the Rockies were hopeful that he was going to avoid the IL for that particular issue.

Owings has already bounced around the diamond, making starts as a second baseman, center fielder, and right fielder over his seven games played.  Trejo can replace at least some of that versatility, as the 24-year-old has gotten a lot of time at second base, third base, and shortstop over his brief pro career.  A 16th-round pick out of San Diego State in the 2017 draft, Trejo hit .275/.323/.434 over 1163 PA in Colorado’s farm system, reaching the Double-A level in 2019 before the minor league season was canceled in 2020.  After working out and playing at the Rockies’ alternate training site last season, Trejo is now set to make his Major League debut.

Diehl may be best known as the player acquired by the Rockies in the Mike Tauchman trade of March 2019, a swap that looked like a steal for the Yankees in the wake of Tauchman’s 2019 numbers.  Diehl has recorded a lot of strikeouts (30.51% strikeout rate) and posted a 3.34 ERA over 253 career minor league innings, though he ran into home run trouble pitching with the Rockies’ affiliate in Albuquerque during the homer-happy 2019 minor league season.  Diehl has also been hurt by the long ball during his brief MLB career, as his three homers allowed during his 13 1/3 innings with the Rockies in 2019-20 was a big reason behind his 8.78 ERA.

Tigers Place Julio Teheran On 10-Day Injured List With Shoulder Strain

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3:12PM: Detroit manager A.J. Hinch said that Fulmer would indeed be taking Teheran’s rotation spot, and that it seems like Teheran will miss significant time on the injured list.  (MLive.com’s Evan Woodbery was among those to report the news.)

11:51AM: The Tigers announced that righty Julio Teheran has been placed on the 10-day IL (retroactive to April 7) with a right shoulder strain.  Right-hander Alex Lange has been called up from the team’s taxi squad and is set to make his first Major League appearance.

Teheran was scheduled to start last night’s game against the Indians but developed tightness in his right triceps while warming up in the bullpen during the top of the first inning, leading to a very late scratch.  With Teheran’s injury now defined as a shoulder strain, it isn’t a good sign for a pitcher who has been very durable over his 11 Major League seasons.

After a rough 2020 with the Angels, Teheran signed a minor league deal with Detroit that became guaranteed (at a $3MM salary) once the Tigers added the veteran right-hander to their Opening Day roster.  His first start on April 3 was a successful one, as Teheran tossed five innings of one-run ball and picked up the win in the Tigers’ 5-2 victory over Cleveland.

Michael Fulmer now seems like the logical candidate to take Teheran’s spot in the rotation.  The 2016 AL Rookie Of The Year began the season as something of a swingman reliever as Fulmer continues to try and rebuild his career after multiple arm injuries.  Tommy John surgery shelved Fulmer for all of 2019, and he posted an 8.78 ERA over 27 2/3 innings in 2020.

Lange has spent much of his minor league career as a starter, but the Tigers have deployed him as a reliever since acquiring him from the Cubs as part of the Nick Castellanos trade in July 2019.  Lange was selected 30th overall by the Cubs in the 2017 draft, and the 25-year-old righty has a 4.54 ERA over 232 minor league innings.  He’ll be making the jump to the big leagues without any Triple-A experience, though Lange did pitch at Detroit’s alternate training site last season in lieu of any minor league ball.  MLB Pipeline ranks Lange 29th in their list of the Tigers’ top-30 prospects, with a couple of plus pitches — a 60-grade curveball, and a 55-grade fastball that hit the 97mph plateau this year at Spring Training.

Mets Place J.D. Davis On 10-Day IL, Select Jose Peraza, Designate Franklyn Kilome

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The Mets have placed infielder J.D. Davis on the 10-day injured list due to a left hand contusion, the team announced.  Davis’ placement is retroactive to April 7.  In corresponding moves, infielder Jose Peraza’s contract was selected from the alternate training site, and right-hander Franklyn Kilome was designated for assignment to open up a 40-man roster spot for Peraza.

Davis was hit on the hand by a Chase Anderson fastball during Tuesday’s game and hasn’t since been back on the field.  X-rays on both Davis’ hand and left wrist were negative, and it doesn’t sound as if Davis will miss much or any time beyond the minimum stay on the injured list, though an IL placement seems necessary if Davis isn’t yet ready to play.

Luis Guillorme and Jonathan Villar have filled in at third base in Davis’ absence, and Peraza might also join this mix.  Signed to a minor league deal back in November, Peraza saw pretty close to everyday duty for the Reds as a second baseman, shortstop, and eventually as a super-utility option in 2017-19, but Cincinnati non-tendered the infielder due to a lack of hitting.  The problems at the plate continued for Peraza with the Red Sox last season, as he batted just .225/.275/.342 over 120 PA in 2020.

Peraza drew some top-100 prospect attention prior to the 2015 and 2016 seasons, and Kilome also isn’t far moved from his days as a highly-touted minor leaguer in the Phillies’ system — Baseball Prospectus included the righty on their top-100 lists every year from 2016-18.  Kilome was acquired by the Mets in the Asdrubal Cabrera trade in July 2018, and Kilome then had to undergo Tommy John surgery just a few months later that wiped out his 2019 campaign.

Kilome did make his MLB debut last season, but he was hit hard in every appearance and posted an 11.12 ERA over 11 1/3 innings.  It isn’t out of the question that another team could claim Kilome off the DFA wire, given his past prospect pedigree, but that seems to be a risk the Mets are willing to take on the 25-year-old.

Braves Place Chris Martin On 10-Day Injured List

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The Braves announced that right-hander Chris Martin has been placed on the 10-day injured list (retroactive to April 7) due to inflammation in his throwing shoulder.  Righty Jacob Webb was called up from the alternate site to take Martin’s 26-man roster spot.

Martin hasn’t pitched since April 4, when he was removed from a game after feeling some numbness in his right fingers.  The issue wasn’t deemed serious enough for an MRI and Braves manager Brian Snitker said just yesterday that he hoped Martin would be available as early as today’s game against the Phillies, so the shoulder inflammation could be a relatively new issue.  With the backdated placement in mind, Atlanta could simply be taking the cautious route and giving Martin another week to get fully ready before getting him back on the mound.

Acquired in a deadline trade in July 2019, Martin has a 2.65 ERA, 29.65% strikeout rate, and a superb 3.5% walk rate over 37 1/3 innings in an Atlanta uniform.  The 34-year-old is filling a key role in the bullpen as a set-up man, and it’s possible Martin might receive the occasional save chance himself depending on how fluid the Braves want to be with their relief alignment.

Marlins Sign Brett Eibner To Minors Deal

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The Marlins have signed right-hander Brett Eibner to a new minor league deal, SportGrid’s Craig Mish reports (Twitter link).  The outfielder-turned-pitcher is back for his second season in Miami’s organization, and Mish notes that Eibner has been assigned to the club’s alternate training site.

Eibner appeared in 87 total games as an outfielder with Royals, A’s, and Dodgers during the 2016-17 seasons, but he took his career in a new direction by becoming a relief pitcher while playing in the Rangers’ farm system in 2018.  He saw two-way action in the independent leagues in 2019 and 2020 before the Marlins purchased his contract last August, as part of Miami’s effort to fill out a roster ravaged by a COVID-19 outbreak.

Eibner did make his return to the majors, tossing 3 1/3 innings over three games (with a 13.50 ERA) for the Marlins.  The team did end up twice designating Eibner for assignment and then outrighting him off the 40-man roster, but clearly the Fish saw enough in the 32-year-old to bring him back and give him a longer look on a minor league mound.

Diamondbacks Place Joakim Soria On 10-Day Injured List

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APRIL 6: The Diamondbacks announced that they have placed Soria on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to April 5, with a left calf strain. They recalled righty Matt Peacock in a corresponding move.

APRIL 4: Diamondbacks reliever Joakim Soria left Sunday’s game after four batters due to injury, with manager Torey Lovullo telling reporters (including Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic) that the team’s initial thought is a possible calf strain.  More will be known once Soria undergoes tests tomorrow.

The injury occurred while Soria was covering first base during the second out of the eighth inning.  After retiring the first two batters he faced, a clearly bothered Soria then issued two walks before being removed from the game.  Kevin Ginkel came on to record the final out of the frame, and Chris Devenski then pitched the ninth to lock up a 3-1 Arizona victory over the Padres.

It was a sour ending to Soria’s very first appearance in a D’Backs uniform.  The right-hander signed a one-year, $3.5MM free agent deal in February, joining fellow veteran reliever Tyler Clippard as the Diamondbacks’ biggest expenditures during an overall pretty quiet offseason for the team.  However, Clippard has already been sent to the 60-day IL due to a capsule strain in his shoulder, and now Soria might also miss time if he has indeed suffered at least a moderate calf injury.

Devenski and (by only 11 days of service time) Yoan Lopez are the only other relievers with more than two years of MLB experience within a young D’Backs bullpen.  Minor league signings Anthony Swarzak and Ryan Buchter are both available at the alternate training site if the Snakes want to add another veteran arm to replace an injured Soria.

Tim Anderson Undergoes MRI On Hamstring

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APRIL 5: Anderson underwent an MRI, and the White Sox are still waiting for the results, manager Tony La Russa told Bruce Levine of 670 The Score and other reporters. He’s unlikely to play until at least Thursday.

APRIL 4: White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson was removed from tonight’s game with the Angels after suffering a hamstring injury while trying to beat out a grounder to first base.  According to the official announcement from the Sox, Anderson is day-to-day with tightness in his left hamstring.

Leury Garcia took over for Anderson at shortstop before the bottom of the first inning, and Garcia is the likely fill-in should Anderson need some time on the injured list.  Further infield depth is available in the form of Danny Mendick at the minor league level, plus other MLB-experienced players like Matt Reynolds, Marco Hernandez, and Tim Beckham who were in camp on minors deals.

Of course, there is no way to easily replace Anderson, who emerged as one of the sport’s better hitters over the last two seasons.  Anderson has hit .331/.357/.514 (130 OPS+, 133 wRC+) with 28 home runs over 739 PA in 2019-20, winning the AL batting title in 2019 and a Silver Slugger Award last season.  The White Sox were already missing one of their biggest bats in Eloy Jimenez (who will miss the majority of the season recovering from surgery to fix a ruptured pectoral tendon) as well as fourth outfielder Adam Engel, who is sidelined with a hamstring injury of his own.

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