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Angels Designate Shane Robinson For Assignment

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The Angels have activated outfielder Cameron Maybin from the 10-day DL and designated outfielder Shane Robinson for assignment in a corresponding move. (Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register was among those to tweet the news.)

[Updated Angels depth chart at Roster Resource]

Robinson has spent the last two seasons with the Angels on a pair of minor league contracts.  He has made 123 plate appearances over 70 total games in a Halos uniform, including 12 PA in five games this season.  A veteran of eight MLB seasons, Robinson has a .227/.295/.300 slash line over 772 career PA with the Angels, Twins, and Cardinals, and he brings defensive versatility with his experience at all three outfield spots.

Robinson and Eric Young Jr. were both recently called up from Triple-A to help fill the void left by Maybin and Mike Trout both hitting the disabled list.  While Trout’s absence until at least the All-Star break will continue to hurt, Maybin will look to help keep the lineup afloat by continuing his recent hot streak.  Maybin hit .270/.414/.438 over 111 PA in May before going down with a left oblique contusion on June 1 (his DL placement was retroactive to May 30).  Overall, Maybin has a .242/.367/.369 in his first season in Anaheim.

Injury Notes: Cespedes, Turner, O’Day, Beltre, Pedroia, Travis

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Here’s the latest flurry of notable players leaving, joining, and (temporarily?) avoiding the disabled list…

  • Yoenis Cespedes is expected to be activated by the Mets tomorrow, manager Terry Collins tells the New York Times’ James Wagner and other reporters.  The slugger will be the 26th man on the Mets’ roster for their double-header against the Braves.  Cespedes has been sidelined since April 27 due to a hamstring strain, with the Mets saying they were being particularly careful with their star outfielder due to nagging lower-leg injuries that have bothered Cespedes dating back to last season.  Cespedes was off to a red-hot start when he was able to play, posting a .992 OPS in 75 plate appearances.
  • Justin Turner will be activated from the 10-day DL tonight, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told MLB Network Radio on Sirius XM (link to their tweet).  The third baseman has been recovering from a hamstring strain since May 19.  Turner was hitting .379/.453/.493 over 162 prior to his injury.
  • The Tigers activated catcher James McCann, who has been out of action since May 25 due to a laceration on his left hand.  McCann will be returning to a “platoon-oriented” timeshare but not exclusively so, Detroit manager Brad Ausmus told reporters (including Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press).  The left-handed Alex Avila has a whopping 1.074 OPS over 139 PA this year, so it seems likely that he’ll get the lion’s share of playing time over the right-handed hitting McCann.
  • The Orioles have placed right-hander Darren O’Day on the 10-day DL due to a right shoulder strain, the team announced.  The move is retroactive to June 7, and righty Stefan Crichton has been called up in a corresponding transactions.  O’Day is having another solid year out of Baltimore’s pen, with a 3.86 ERA, 2.42 K/BB rate and a career-high 11.2 K/9 over his 23 1/3 IP.  O’Day’s absence will further tax an Orioles bullpen that is still missing ace closer Zach Britton.
  • As expected, the Rangers officially called Jurickson Profar up from Triple-A but lefty Dario Alvarez was demoted in the corresponding move, as the club is still waiting to see on Adrian Beltre’s bad ankle.  Beltre told Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Tribune (Twitter link) that he could sit out through the weekend but be available off the bench as a pinch-hitter.  Beltre only just returned to action after spending much of the season on the DL with a calf injury, playing in seven games before suffering his ankle problem on Tuesday.
  • The Red Sox activated Dustin Pedroia off the 10-day DL, one of multiple roster moves that included first baseman Sam Travis and right-hander Brandon Workman being optioned to Triple-A and lefty Brian Johnson being called up to start tonight’s game.  Pedroia was originally thought to be in for a lengthy absence after suffering a sprained left wrist, though he’ll instead return after missing just the minimum 10 days.  Travis’ demotion is noteworthy, as he excelled (8-for-17 with a 1.115 OPS in 19 PA) in his first taste of big league action, though Boston doesn’t really have a place for him on the roster.  Both Josh Rutledge and Deven Marrero are needed for infield depth and to spell the struggling Pablo Sandoval at third, while Hanley Ramirez is currently locked into DH-only duties.

Marlins Open To Trading Phelps, Koehler; Ramos Not Available For Now

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The Marlins are open to the idea of trading righty swingman David Phelps and right-handed starter Tom Koehler, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reports.  Phelps is one of multiple relievers the Fish could consider trading, though their biggest bullpen arm (closer A.J. Ramos) is apparently not on that list, as Jackson writes that the Marlins “don’t appear inclined to deal Ramos at this moment.”

There have been rumors about Ramos’ availability both in the offseason and more recently, as the Nationals are reportedly considering Ramos (as well as several other closers) as potential upgrades for the back of their bullpen.  Ramos has been generally solid this season, with a 3.92 ERA, 11.76 K/9 and 2.08 K/BB rate over 20 2/3 IP, though with some red flags.  He has walked 5.66 batters per nine innings and also been prone to the long ball, with a career-high 14.3% home run rate.  While a small sample size of work to judge from, Ramos’ hard-hit ball rate has also increased significantly, from 32.5% in 2016 to 40.4% this year.

Ramos is earning $6.5MM this season and will be due for another raise this winter in his third and final trip through the arbitration process.  A closer with such a rising price tag and non-elite performance could be considered a trade chip, especially with Miami looking like deadline sellers (26-33, 12 games back in the NL East and nine games back in the wild card race).  Moving Ramos or another reliever wouldn’t signal a rebuild nearly to the degree that trading a young cornerstone position player would, though in either case, it seems like the Marlins will be waiting a while longer before deciding on whether or not to throw in the towel on the 2017 season.  The team’s ongoing ownership saga may also factor into such on-the-field decisions.

Phelps pitched very well in a swingman role for the Fish last season and he has done a good job of coming close to that performance in 2017.  Phelps has a 3.00 ERA, 9.6 K/9 and 3.56 K/BB rate over 30 relief innings, though he has also seen spikes in his homer and hard-hit ball rates.  He has pitched more than one inning only four times in his 27 games, though Phelps’ past ability to be a multi-inning bullpen arm would make him an attractive target for contenders in need of relief help.

This isn’t the first time Koehler’s name has surfaced in trade rumors, as the Red Sox and Dodgers were reportedly interested in the right-hander before he was placed on the DL with bursitis in his throwing shoulder.  Koehler has been a solid, if unspectacular, innings-eater over the last three seasons in Miami’s rotation, though he was hit hard in seven starts this year, with a 7.04 ERA and 10 homers allowed in 38 1/3 innings.

Both Koehler ($5.75MM) and Phelps ($4.6MM) are earning significant salaries this year, with one more arb-eligible year before hitting free agency after the 2018 season.  Dealing either would free up some money off Miami’s payroll, though the Fish would have to eat a good chunk of Koehler’s salary unless he gets back on track after returning from the disabled list.

Brewers Promote Josh Hader

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The Brewers have promoted top pitching prospect Josh Hader, FanRag Sports’ Robert Murray reports.  Hader will begin his MLB career as a relief pitcher.  Right-hander Paolo Espino was optioned to Triple-A Colorado Springs in a corresponding move, the team announced.

[Updated Brewers depth chart at Roster Resource]

Hader, 23, was originally a 19th-round pick for the Orioles in the 2012 draft, and he has already been part of two notable deadline trades in this career — the 2013 swap that sent Bud Norris from Baltimore to Houston, and the 2015 deal that sent Carlos Gomez and Mike Fiers to the Astros.  That latter deal has already paid big dividends for Milwaukee in the form of Domingo Santana, and could continue to pay off with top prospects Brett Phillips and now Hader both making their MLB debuts this season.

From his humble draft slot and multiple organizational changes, Hader has emerged as a highly-regarded young arm.  Baseball Prospectus ranked the southpaw as the 19th-best prospect in the entire sport prior to the season, with Baseball America (#33), MLB.com (#38), and ESPN’s Keith Law (#71) also touting Hader as a minor leaguer to watch.  Hader has a 3.26 ERA, 10.1 K/9 and 2.56 K/BB rate over 541 career IP in the minors, with 95 of his 127 games coming as a starting pitcher.

That impressive strikeout rate has come at the cost of some control (4.0 BB/9), and the 2017 Baseball America Prospect Handbook cited Hader’s control and inconsistent changeup as possible impediments to his potential.  On the plus side, Hader has a unique delivery that makes it difficult for hitters to see his tough slider and a fastball that clocks in the 92-97mph range.

It’s worth noting that Hader hasn’t performed very well at the Triple-A level both this season and last, with a 5.28 ERA over 121 frames, though that could be due to Colorado Springs’ elevation and the generally hitter-friendly nature of the Pacific Coast League.  Bringing him up as a reliever will allow the Brewers to ease Hader into a big league environment, while also giving the team some much-needed left-handed balance in the pen; Hader is now the only southpaw on the Brew Crew’s entire 25-man roster.

Should Hader spent the rest of the year on the Major League roster, he’ll clock only 115 days of service time and likely fall short of Super Two eligibility (given the Super Two cutoff points of recent years).  This would extend Milwaukee’s control over Hader an extra year, so the lefty wouldn’t be arbitration-eligible until after the 2020 season and couldn’t become a free agent until after the 2023 season.  Given the lack of left-handed options on the Brewers’ roster, there certainly appears to be opportunity for Hader to stick in the bigs if he performs well.

Quick Hits: Maeda, Profar, Beltre, Cruz, Tanaka

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Kenta Maeda’s early struggles have cost him his rotation spot, as Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters (including J.P. Hoornstra of the Orange County Register) that Maeda will be moved to the bullpen when Alex Wood returns from the disabled list.  “This is not temporary for Kenta,” Roberts said. “We need him to get back on track, get some momentum. I don’t know what day he’s going to pitch but he’s open to it, and it’s a credit to him as a teammate.”  Maeda has a 5.16 ERA over 52 1/3 IP, thanks in large part to problems keeping the ball in the park; Maeda has already surrendered nine homers this season.

Here’s more from around baseball…

  • With Adrian Beltre possibly looking at a DL stint, the Rangers will recall Jurickson Profar from Triple-A, FanRag Sports’ Jon Heyman reports.  Beltre didn’t make his 2017 debut until May 29 due to a lingering calf injury, and collected at least one hit in all seven games he played before suffering an ankle injury on Tuesday.  Profar began the season on Texas’ roster but hit just .135/.289/.135 in 46 PA before being demoted to Triple-A.
  • Nelson Cruz underwent an MRI on his right calf today and wasn’t in the lineup for the Mariners’ game against the Twins.  Seattle manager Scott Servais told MLB.com’s Greg Johns and other reporters that he expects Cruz to be out “maybe a day or two,” so the injury doesn’t seem serious, though Cruz has been bothered by his calf for over a week.  The veteran slugger is in the midst of another big season, hitting .299/.383/.563 with 14 homers over 230 PA for the M’s.
  • Should Masahiro Tanaka to be removed from the Yankees’ rotation?  ESPN.com’s Andrew Marchand believes so, as Tanaka’s struggles (a 6.55 ERA and a whopping 23.3% home run rate) are hurting New York in the AL East race.  Since the team says Tanaka is healthy, Marchand figures Tanaka needs some type of breather just to correct whatever flaw has so negatively impacted his performance.  Tanaka also has a 5.60 FIP but other ERA indicators (4.19 xFIP, 4.13 SIERA) have a more sympathetic view of his work this year, and since there isn’t any change in his velocity or hard-hit ball rates, it could simply be that Tanaka has just been terribly unlucky allowing homers.  Still, that’s a pretty tough problem to have for a pitcher who calls Yankee Stadium home, especially in a season when home runs are up across the league.

Phillies Designate Joely Rodriguez For Assignment

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The Phillies have designated southpaw Joely Rodriguez for assignment, CSNPhilly.com’s Jim Salisbury reports (Twitter link).

Originally acquired from the Pirates in the Antonio Bastardo trade, Rodriguez made his big league debut last season and pitched 27 innings out of the Phillies’ bullpen this year, posting a 6.33 ERA and barely more strikeouts (18) than walks (15).  The lefty also allowed four homers in his brief time on the hill this season.

Ranked by Baseball America as the 23rd-best prospect in Philadelphia’s system prior to the season, Rodriguez is the curious combination of a hard-thrower who doesn’t generate many strikeouts.  The 2017 Baseball Prospect Handbook describes Rodriguez as the owner of a 94-96 mph fastball that “can touch 98 with sink to help him get grounders.”  These groundball tendencies have been on display even in his brief big league tenure, as Rodriguez has a 58.5% grounder rate over his 36 career innings.  Over 647 1/3 frames in the minors, Rodriguez has a 4.24 ERA, 1.91 K/BB rate and just a 5.6 K/9.

Adam Morgan is the only left-handed remaining in the Phillies’ bullpen, so Triple-A southpaws Cesar Ramos and Hoby Milner stand out as the most obvious candidates to be called up as Rodriguez’s replacement on the 25-man roster.  Matt Breen of the Philadelphia Inquirer tweets that the new player will likely not be on the 40-man roster (Ramos and Milner both fit this bill) and the Phillies won’t name the new player until Thursday.

Draft Notes: Twins, Greene, McKay, Rankings, Perez

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As a reminder of the draft’s hit-or-miss nature, MLBPipeline.com’s Jim Callis looks back at the 2007 draft and guesses how teams would pick with a decade of hindsight.  Despite the presence of several superstars in this year’s class, only six of the 2007 first-rounders also appear in Callis’ new mock first round.  It makes for a fun series of “what-if” scenarios given all of the big names in play…or maybe not that fun, if your favorite team made an ill-fated pick ten years ago.

Here’s the latest on news about this year’s amateur draft, which takes place on Monday…

  • The Twins will have high schooler Hunter Greene in for a workout on Friday, MLBPipeline.com’s Jonathan Mayo reports.  Recent reports have linked Minnesota to Vanderbilt righty Kyle Wright with the first overall pick and the Twins could simply be doing their due diligence on another highly-touted youngster.  That said, as Mayo writes, the timing of Greene’s visit is “not exactly the kind of thing a team does so close to the Draft for a player they’re not considering.”
  • From that same item, Jim Callis looks at how teams could use Brendan McKay, who is drawing attention both as a first baseman and as a left-handed pitcher.  The Twins, Reds, and Padres (who own the top three picks) are all likely-to-certain to use him as a pitcher, while the Rays (fourth overall) and Braves (fifth) would probably make McKay a full-time position player.  Callis, for the record, doesn’t believe McKay would fall past Tampa on the draft board.  McKay is so intriguing as a two-way player that Callis believes his future team could use him as a first baseman/DH on days he isn’t pitching, in order to gain more information about his ideal landing spot in the big leagues.
  • Fangraphs’ Eric Longenhagen breaks down the first round of picks in a mock draft, based on such criteria as “rumors I’ve heard from various industry sources, the presence of front-office members at certain games (especially lately), each club’s own particular modus operandi, etc.”  Longenhagen has Wright to the Twins with the first pick, with McKay also a strong possibility; Greene and prep southpaw MacKenzie Gore are less likely candidates.  Greene is projected to go second to Cincinnati, Gore to San Diego, McKay to Tampa and shortstop Royce Lewis to Atlanta, though quite a bit seems to be up in the air with just five days away from the draft.
  • For an in-depth look at the talent available, Baseball America has a ranking of the top 500 draft prospects, with individual scouting reports available for BA subscribers.  BA has Greene, Wright, McKay, Gore and Lewis as the top five (which, of course, doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll be taken in that order on Monday).
  • Joe Perez, a high school right-hander out of Florida, will undergo Tommy John surgery, Baseball America’s Carlos Collazo reports.  Despite this injury setback and the fact that Perez has committed to the University Of Miami, Collazo feels teams will still be interested in the righty, who also has drawn interest as a first baseman.  Perez is rated 99th on BA’s list and 92nd on MLB Pipeline’s top 200 rankings.

NL East Notes: Garrett, S-Rod, Quinn

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It was on this day in 1966 that the Mets drafted catcher Steve Chilcott with the first overall pick of the amateur draft.  A catcher out of Antelope Valley High School in Lancaster, California, Chilcott’s seven-year pro career was plagued by injuries and he never reached the big leagues.  Brien Taylor is the only other 1-1 selection to retire without ever making it to the Show; three more recent selections (Mark Appel, Brady Aiken and Mickey Moniak) are still in the minors and yet to receive their first taste of MLB action.  The Chilcott pick doubly hurt the Mets since they took him ahead of a somewhat prominent player who was picked second overall by the A’s — Mr. October himself, Reggie Jackson.

Here’s the latest from around the NL East…

  • Marlins left-handed pitching prospect Braxton Garrett has a partial UCL tear in his throwing elbow and may need Tommy John surgery, Andre C. Fernandez of the Miami Herald reports.  Garrett, who turns 20 in August, was selected seventh overall by the Fish in the 2016 amateur draft.  He was ranked as a consensus top-100 prospect (42nd by ESPN’s Keith Law, 43rd by MLB.com, 71st by Baseball Prospectus, 76th by Baseball America) prior to the season and was considered easily the best minor leaguer within a thin Miami farm system.  As Fernandez notes, Garrett would be the second top Marlins pitching prospect (after Tyler Kolek) to require Tommy John surgery within the last 14 months.
  • Sean Rodriguez has resumed some baseball activities and is working hard towards a return before the season is over, David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes.  Rodriguez and his family were in a horrific car accident in January that injured his two sons, required his wife to undergo wrist surgery amidst several other serious injuries, and seemingly ended Rodriguez’s season before it started due to shoulder surgery.  Now, Braves manager Brian Snitker thinks Rodriguez could potentially be back as soon as August.  The utilityman signed a two-year, $11MM contract with Atlanta last November and has been a constant presence at in the team’s clubhouse, working out with team trainers and his fellow players.
  • Phillies outfield prospect Roman Quinn has a UCL injury in his left elbow, MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki reports (Twitter link).  An MRI revealed the issue, and Quinn will visit Dr. James Andrews for a second opinion.  While Quinn throws with his right arm, this still could be a significant setback for the 24-year-old, who made his MLB debut last year in 15 games with Philadelphia.  Quinn, ranked as the 99th-best prospect in the game by MLB.com prior to the season, was expected to receive a longer look this summer as the Phillies continues their rebuilding process.

Twins Claim Chris Heston Off Waivers, Release Nick Tepesch, Place Hector Santiago On 10-Day DL

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7:36pm: The Twins have created a 25-man roster spot for Heston by placing southpaw Hector Santiago on the 10-day DL with a shoulder strain.  Santiago has a 5.26 ERA, 6.5 K/9 and 1.68 K/BB rate over 65 frames for Minnesota this season.  His career-long issues with the home run ball has been an even larger issue than usual, as Santiago has already allowed 14 homers over his 65 IP.

5:18pm: The Twins have claimed right-hander Chris Heston off waivers from the Dodgers, Phil Miller of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.  In a corresponding move, righty Nick Tepesch has been released to create room on the 40-man roster.  Minnesota will still have to make another 25-man roster move to accommodate Heston.

It’s been a busy six months for Heston, who will join his fourth different organization in that span.  After spending his first four seasons with the Giants (which included a no-hitter in 2015), Heston was dealt to the Mariners in December and then claimed off waivers by the Dodgers two weeks ago after Seattle designated him for assignment.

Heston will now look to stabilize his career with the Twins, not to mention simply pitch well enough to stay in the majors.  Heston has only pitched 10 big league innings in 2016-17, to the tune of an ugly 15.30 ERA with more walks (11) than strikeouts (six).  Never one to miss many bats, Heston has somewhat less margin for error, though he showed a good ability to keep the ball on the ground during his one full big league season in 2015 (53% grounder rate), and in the minor leagues.

If he can get himself on track, he could find an opportunity within a Twins rotation that is short on stability behind ace Ervin Santana and impressive rookie Jose Berrios.  Minnesota could also potentially use Heston as a reliever to help a relief corps that has a league-worst (5.32) bullpen ERA.

Tepesch signed a minor league deal with the Twins last winter and made one appearance for the team, allowing seven runs (but only one earned) over 1 2/3 innings in a losing start on May 6.  After breaking into the league as a starter with the Rangers in 2013-14, Tepesch missed all of 2015 recovering from thoracic outlet syndrome surgery and spent 2016 pitching for four different organizations, including a cup of coffee in the bigs with the Dodgers.

NL Central Notes: Cutch, Garza, Cardinals, Grichuk, Cubs

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“Of course, this is where I want to be,” Andrew McCutchen tells MLB.com’s Bill Ladson amidst trade rumors that have swirled around the Pirates star for the better part of a year.  “I’ve never thought about anything else. This is the only uniform that I’ve ever worn. This is somewhere I want to be. I can’t control the business side — where I am or whatnot. I don’t focus on that.”  After a rough 2016 season and a slow start to 2017, McCutchen has been hot over the last couple of weeks as he tries to help keep the Bucs afloat in a crowded NL Central race.  While the Pirates are 26-32 and in last place, they’re still only 4.5 games out of first place.

Here’s more from around the division…

  • The Brewers announced that right-hander Matt Garza has been placed on the 10-day DL (retroactive to June 4) with a chest contusion.  Garza had an abbreviated four-inning start on Saturday after colliding with teammate Jesus Aguilar at first base when both were trying to make a fielding play.  After a couple of rough seasons, Garza is posting some solid results this year, with a 3.83 ERA, 2.75 K/BB rate and 6.6 K/9 over 44 2/3 IP for Milwaukee.
  • As part of a Cardinals-related chat with readers, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch figures the Cards would prefer to make a trade relatively soon if one could be found, rather than wait until closer to the July 31 trade deadline to add reinforcements.  A big trade that costs the Cardinals multiple top prospects (say, to acquire a player like the Marlins’ Marcell Ozuna) might be necessary to really shake up the struggling offense, Goold opines.  The Cards may have a tougher time finding a bat this summer than their rivals in Chicago may have in finding a starter, however, as Goold hears that pitching is expected to be more available than hitting at the deadline.
  • Goold’s mailbag piece offers several items about the Cardinals’ minor league core players, trade speculation and this intriguing tidbit: “watch for where he [Randal Grichuk] is assigned next.  That will tell us if the Cardinals are trying to find out” Grichuk’s trade value.  St. Louis recently optioned Grichuk all the way down to the Class-A Advanced level to work with team offensive strategist George Greer in an effort to overhaul Grichuk’s approach at the plate.  The Cards would certainly be selling low if they did decide to move Grichuk, given his struggles this season and his troubles in getting on base (a .289 OBP) last year.  Still, Grichuk turns 26 in August and is a former first-rounder who put up an .877 OPS over 350 for the Cardinals in 2015, so he could be an intriguing trade chip.
  • Speaking of the Cubs’ search for pitching, Eddie Butler and Mike Montgomery are trying to retain their jobs as the team’s fifth starter and potential spot starter, Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times writes.  Butler, a former top Rockies prospect, has a 3.75 ERA over 24 innings this season while Montgomery has a 2.21 ERA over 36 2/3 relief frames.  Neither pitcher has terribly impressive peripheral stats, however, so it still seems likely that Chicago will try to acquire a higher-level arm and keep Butler, Montgomery and the injured Brett Anderson as rotation depth.
  • While it would some major financial and roster wrangling to see Bryce Harper join the Cubs when he hits free agency in the 2018-19 offseason, Kris Bryant told CSNChicago.com’s Patrick Mooney and other reporters that he and Harper have had some casual conversations about being teammates.  “I think we might have talked about it, just like messing around.  Like it would be cool to play with you again,” Bryant said, referring to he and Harper playing together as youngsters in the Las Vegas area.  “(It’s not) like Kevin Durant: ’I want to play there.’ But I would say if that were able to happen and work out like that, gosh, it would be exciting.”  This sounds like the type of general banter that probably happens quite a bit between friends who play on different teams, though everything involving Harper’s heavily-anticipated foray into the free agent market is likely to draw attention between now and the end of the 2018 season (unless, of course, he signs an extension with the Nationals).

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