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Carlos Correa Dealing With Plantar Fasciitis, Will Skip All-Star Game

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7:34PM: Correa won’t participate in the All-Star Game.  The Rangers announced that Corey Seager has been named to the AL All-Star squad as Correa’s replacement.

4:15PM: Carlos Correa wasn’t in the Twins lineup yesterday or today due to what was initially described as a bruised right heel.  However, Correa and Minnesota manger Rocco Baldelli told reporters (including The Athletic’s Dan Hayes) that the shortstop is dealing with a case of plantar fasciitis in his right foot, as was revealed in an MRI taken last night.

This is the second consecutive year that plantar fasciitis has emerged as an issue for Correa, though last season’s injury was located in his left foot.  Correa described his current issue as not “as bad as last year.  Last year I played through a lot of pain.  The first game I played here was discomfort.”  A trip to the injured list doesn’t appear to be in the works for now, as Correa didn’t even entirely rule out playing in Tuesday’s All-Star Game, though he noted that the All-Star break will be helpful in managing his foot problem.

“We’re taking the precautions that we need to take right now before it gets worse,” Correa said.  “We kind of know how to manage it, all the info we have from last year.  I think I’ll be ready for the second half.”

Plantar fasciitis is ultimately a pain-tolerance type of injury, so theoretically, Correa could be able to stay on the field as long as he is able to handle what can be a very painful case of inflammation in the foot and heel area.  Of course, playing and playing well are two different things, as Correa’s attempts to largely try and play the pain in his left foot in 2023 resulted in subpar performance.  Correa hit .230/.312/.399 over 580 plate appearances and also had below-average defensive metrics at shortstop, and he held off an IL trip until late September after Minnesota had clinched a playoff berth.

Correa made it clear that he doesn’t want a repeat of 2023, as “I don’t just want to be a body on the field….Last year, one thing I learned is people don’t care if you go out there and play hurt.  They’re always going to talk about your performance and that only.  I’m just going to make sure that when I’m on the field, I’m not just somebody that’s just standing there.  I’m going to be Carlos Correa.”

Though Correa missed a couple of weeks in April with a minor oblique strain, he has certainly returned to his usual form this season.  Correa is hitting .308/.377/.520 with 13 homers over 317 PA, with his 152 wRC+ is on pace to be a personal best of a full season.  His performance is a big reason why the Twins find themselves again in a postseason position heading into the All-Star break, though Minnesota is in a wild card slot, and entered today’s action 4.5 games behind the Guardians for first place in the AL Central.

A tight pennant race will again make Correa eager to play as often as possible, so he and the Twins will have to be careful about how they manage his playing time in order to keep him both healthy and effective.  The overall health of the Twins’ infield is another issue, as Royce Lewis, Jose Miranda, Alex Kirilloff, Austin Martin, and Kyle Farmer are all on the 10-day IL, leaving Minnesota quite thin on depth options.

Marlins’ Dane Myers Fractures Left Ankle

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The Marlins announced that outfielder Dane Myers suffered a fracture in his left ankle on Saturday.  Myers will visit a foot specialist to determine the severity of the injury, though the good news is that surgery isn’t expected to be required.  Craig Mish of the Miami Herald (X link) writes that for now, Myers will miss roughly 6-8 weeks.  An official injured-list placement for Myers could take place at any point during the All-Star break, or at least prior to the Marlins’ first game after the break on Friday.

The injury occurred in ignominious fashion, as Myers hurt his ankle by kicking the clubhouse door in frustration on Saturday.  Myers had been ejected in the eighth inning of the Marlins’ 10-6 loss to the Reds after vehemently arguing a third strike call from home plate umpire Derek Thomas.

“I took a swipe at the door with my foot, and I didn’t think I kicked it that hard, but I fractured my foot,” Myers told MLB.com and other media.  “That’s something you have to do as a pro.  It’s the last missing piece in my game: staying level-headed and not letting the emotions take over.”

A sixth-round pick for the Tigers in the 2017 draft, Myers didn’t get a look in the big leagues until 2023, after Miami had claimed him off waivers from Detroit during the 2022-23 offseason.  Myers appeared in 22 games and hit .269/.286/.358 over 70 plate appearances last year, and was performing well with more playing time this season — a .265/.337/.422 slash line and two home runs over 95 PA in 40 games.

With the Marlins in full rebuild mode, it stands to reason that Myers would’ve continued to earn even more playing time once some more veterans were cleared off the roster.  In particular, manager Skip Schumaker said that Myers would be getting more time in center field even prior to the trade deadline since Jazz Chisholm Jr. will now be deployed more often as a second baseman.  Even with Myers now sidelined, Schumaker said the team won’t be changing its plans with Chisholm, which only adds to the speculation that Chisholm’s position change is meant as a potential showcase for trade suitors in advance of July 30 trade deadline.

Yankees Designate Cody Morris, Reinstate Scott Effross

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The Yankees announced a pair of roster moves, including the news that right-hander Cody Morris has been designated for assignment.  The 40-man roster spot was required since right-hander Scott Effross was reinstated from the 60-day injured list, and then optioned to Triple-A.

Morris was acquired from the Guardians last December in exchange for Estevan Florial, and though Morris has been called up a couple of times this season, he has yet to make his official debut in a Yankees uniform.  At the Triple-A level, Morris has a 4.25 ERA over 36 innings for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, with a glaring 16% walk rate undermining a solid 25.8% strikeout rate.

The control problems have been apparent during Morris’ brief run in the big leagues, as he has a 13.% walk rate over 31 2/3 innings with Cleveland in 2022-23, albeit with a 3.41 ERA.  The ERA breaks down as a 2.28 mark over 23 2/3 frames in 2022, but then a 6.75 ERA in eight innings last season, as Morris also missed time early in the season with a teres major strain.  Morris also had an inflated walk rate during his time with the Guardians’ Triple-A affiliate in 2023, which likely made him an expendable arm for the Guards in the offseason.

Morris has worked primarily as a reliever over the last two seasons, though usually in multi-inning fashion given his past usage as a starting pitcher.  This ability to eat innings out of the pen could make him an interesting candidate to be claimed off waivers, if a rival club is able to overlook his walks (or, thinks it can harness Morris’ control).  Morris has never been outrighted before in his career, so if clears waivers here, he’ll have to report to the Yankees’ Triple-A affiliate in the event that the Yankees outright him off the 40-man roster rather than release him entirely.

The Cubs sent Effross to the Yankees at the trade deadline in 2022, and while his tenure in the Bronx had strong immediate results (a 2.13 ERA in 12 2/3 innings), Effross’ career was then put on hold by Tommy John surgery that October.  He also underwent a back surgery this past February that delayed his return even further, but Effross has posted a 3.86 ERA and very strong secondary metrics in 9 1/3 innings over eight appearances during his rehab assignment. Effross looks like an intriguing secret weapon to join New York’s bullpen at some point in the second half, which will be a boost to a team that figures to be looking for relief help anyway at this year’s deadline.

Yankees Place Jose Trevino On 10-Day IL With Grade 2 Quad Strain

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TODAY: Trevino has been diagnosed with a grade 2 quad strain and will be out for “some time,” Aaron Boone told reporters (including Brendan Kuty of The Athletic) this afternoon.

July 13: Catcher Jose Trevino has been placed on the Yankees’ 10-day injured list due to a left quad strain, the team announced prior to today’s game.  Carlos Narvaez was called up from Triple-A in the corresponding move, and will now share catching duties with Austin Wells until Trevino recovers.

The injury occurred late in Friday’s 4-1 Yankees win over the Orioles, when Trevino slid home while scoring a run in the ninth inning.  Manager Aaron Boone told reporters (including Greg Joyce of the New York Post) today that a timeline isn’t yet known for Trevino’s return, as the catcher has returned to New York to undergo testing.

The lefty-righty platoon of Trevino and Wells have split the playing time almost as evenly as possible this season, as both players entered Saturday with exactly 59 games and 186 plate appearances apiece.  Trevino has been the slightly more productive of the two at the plate, with eight homers and a .244/.303/.411 slash line to Wells’ five home runs and .219/.312/.369 slash.

This translates to a 103 wRC+ for Trevino and a 97 wRC+ for Wells, and while Wells has been a strong defender in his own right, Trevino has continued to post his typical elite framing and blocking numbers.  While the Yankees might’ve preferred to see a former top-100 prospect like Wells have a bigger breakout in his first full Major League season, Trevino’s steady veteran presence and glovework has been a big boost to the team.

More will be known about Trevino’s recovery timeline once tests are complete, but if he is going to miss an extended period of time, it’ll put more pressure on Wells and rookie Narvaez to keep things steady at the catching position.  (Narvaez was briefly called up to the 26-man roster earlier this season but didn’t receive any in-game action, so he has yet to make his MLB debut.)  Ben Rice could be an option for some catching duty, though Rice has only caught one inning in his own rookie season, and New York will need him more pressingly at first base while Anthony Rizzo is out.  Depending on how long Trevino is out, the Yankees might now consider adding some veteran catching depth at the trade deadline, or perhaps sign an experienced backup to play ahead of Narvaez.

Royals Acquire Hunter Harvey From Nationals

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The Royals have bolstered their bullpen with the acquisition of right-hander Hunter Harvey, as the Nationals announced that Harvey will head to K.C. in exchange for third baseman Cayden Wallace and the Royals’ Competitive Balance Round A pick (39th overall) in the 2024 draft.  The Royals also announced the move, as well as the news that right-hander Nick Anderson has been designated for assignment to create roster space for Harvey.

Today’s 5-0 loss to the Red Sox dropped the Royals to a 52-44 record, and a game back of Boston for the third and final AL wild card slot.  Playing .542 baseball is already an impressive step forward for a team that lost 106 games in 2023, yet Kansas City clearly has eyes on bouncing back from some recent struggles.  The Royals started the season at a blistering 39-26 pace, but have since stumbled to a 13-18 mark in their last 31 games, and relief pitching has been a major reason behind this slide.

The K.C. bullpen ranks in the bottom third of baseball in most major categories, including 22nd in bullpen ERA (4.30).  James McArthur has converted 17 of 21 save chances but has been somewhat shaky, and the Royals’ relief corps is lacking in both velocity and strikeout ability.  Recent reports suggested that Kansas City was considering the bullpen as a top need heading into the trade deadline, even ahead of the Royals’ also-pressing need for outfield upgrades.

Harvey and his 97.8mph fastball provide some immediate high-leverage zip in the Royals’ pen, and Harvey also has above-average strikeout and walk rates over his 45 innings this season out of Washington’s bullpen.  While he has a 4.20 ERA, Harvey’s SIERA is 2.99, as a .325 BABIP has contributed to make Harvey’s bottom-line results an insufficient reflection of his quality pitching.

Selected 22nd overall by the Orioles in the 2013 draft, Harvey drew top-100 prospect attention before a variety of injuries threatened to halt his career before it ever got off the ground.  He had a 3.42 ERA over 23 2/3 innings and 26 appearances for Baltimore during the 2019-21 seasons, but the Giants claimed him off waivers in November 2021, and Harvey then moved to Washington on another waiver claim just prior to the start of the 2022 campaign.

This time with the Nationals allowed Harvey to establish himself as a solid MLB-caliber arm, even if he has flown under the radar during the team’s rebuild.  Harvey has a 3.17 ERA, 27.8% strikeout rate, and 6.4% walk rate in 145 innings for D.C., working mostly as a setup man but with 10 saves to his ledger in 2023.  Hard contact is a big red flag in Harvey’s arsenal, but he has done a passably good job of keeping this hard contact from translating into home runs.  Moving to spacious Kauffman Stadium could further help the 29-year-old Harvey in this regard.

Harvey is earning a $2.35MM salary this season in his second-last year of arbitration eligibility, so the Royals also control him through the end of the 2025 campaign.  This extra year of control made Harvey a particularly interesting player to watch heading into the July 30 deadline, and both Harvey and Nats closer Kyle Finnegan (also controlled through 2025) cracked the top 15 of MLBTR’s recent listing of the top 50 trade candidates.  Since teams generally have to pay a bit extra to complete deals further in advance of the deadline, that factor plus Harvey’s extra year of control and perhaps the Royals’ eagerness to quickly correct their bullpen struggles combined to give Washington a pretty nice return.

The rebuilding Nationals stayed within striking distance of the NL wild card race, but today’s trade leaves no doubt that the Nats will remain on their expected path as sellers heading into the deadline.  This doesn’t mean that Washington might not seek out some players that could help them be competitive as early as 2025, and Wallace could potentially fit that category, as he is currently in his second season of Double-A ball.

A second-round pick for the Royals in the 2022 draft, Wallace is hitting .282/.350/.427 over 140 plate appearances for Double-A Northwest Arkansas this season, but he has been slowed by both an oblique strain and an ongoing IL stint for a broken rib.  These injuries have slowed his development, but MLB Pipeline still ranks Wallace as the second-best prospect in the Kansas City farm system, and Baseball America ranked him fifth in their preseason ranking of Royals minor leaguers.  Both scouting reports consider him a good defensive player with the ability to remain at third base due to a strong throwing arm, and Wallace has a good approach at the plate and a solid swing.  He has power potential moreso than obvious power at the moment, so Pipeline and BA view Wallace as a gap hitter with some upside as he develops.

Trading a “third baseman of the future” candidate like Wallace serves as an endorsement of the Royals’ faith in Maikel Garcia in at least the short term, even if Kansas City might now look for some help at the hot corner down the road — perhaps as soon as tomorrow’s draft.  As noted by MASNsports.com’s Mark Zuckerman, the Nationals have now given themselves lot of third base depth for the future, with Wallace joining Brady House (ranked by Pipeline as the 44th-best prospect in all of baseball) and Yohandy Morales in the minor league ranks.  This could be a potential surplus position for the Nationals in the coming years, if they return to contention and start moving their own internal prospects for more win-now veterans.

The Competitive Balance Round selections are the only types of draft picks that can be traded, and as such are quietly some of the most valued trade chips in all of baseball.  Any team can trade for CBR picks, but since smaller-market and lower-revenue teams are the only clubs eligible for these bonus selections in the first place, trades involving the picks are relatively rare, given how adding talent through the draft is of such particular value for the game’s lesser spenders.  Still, today’s trade marks the third CBR pick of the 2024 draft to change hands — the Brewers acquired the 34th overall pick from the Orioles as part of the Corbin Burnes trade, while the White Sox landed the 68th overall pick (in CBR Round B) as part of the deal that sent Gregory Santos to the Mariners.

The Royals select sixth overall in tomorrow’s draft, and now won’t pick again until their second-round choice (41st overall).  The Nationals now have three selections within the first 44 picks, with their newly-acquired CBR selection sandwiched between their first- and second-round slots.

Anderson came to the Royals in a trade with the Braves last November, as Kansas City had interest in seeing if the former Rays bullpen ace could regain his form after three injury-marred seasons.  Over 34 2/3 innings for the Royals this season, Anderson had a 4.15 ERA and not much in the way of secondary metrics, as he posted a 10.1% walk rate and 18.1% strikeout rate.

Anderson is earning $1.575MM this season, and he is arb-controlled through 2025, which could add some attraction for any club interested in adding bullpen depth via waiver claim.  Anderson has now passed the five-year threshold for MLB service time due to being on the Royals’ active roster all season, and would thus retain all of his 2024 salary if he clears waivers and becomes a free agent.

Twins To Place Jose Miranda On 10-Day Injured List

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The Twins will place Jose Miranda on the 10-day injured list prior to tomorrow’s game with the Giants, manager Rocco Baldelli told reporters (including Betsy Helfand of the St. Paul Pioneer Press).  Utilityman Diego Castillo will have his contract selected from Triple-A to take Miranda’s spot on the active roster, and the Twins will have to make another move to clear space on the 40-man roster.

Lower back tightness has kept Miranda off the field since Wednesday, so the Twins will be able to backdate Miranda’s IL stint to July 11.  With the four-day All-Star break also factoring into the 10-day span, Miranda won’t miss much additional game time if he is able to return after only 10 days, though the Twins will certainly be careful with a player who has emerged as one of their chief offensive weapons.

Miranda seemed to lay claim to the Twins’ third base job with a very solid rookie season in 2022, but then struggled through a rough 2023 campaign that was limited to 40 games due to shoulder surgery.  Royce Lewis’ own injury problems allowed Miranda to get a fresh chance at regular playing time this season, and he has explored for nine home runs and a .325/.366/.522 slash line over 276 plate appearances, translating to a 149 wRC+.  This big year included a place in the history books, as Miranda’s string of 12 consecutive at-bats with a hit matched a Major League record.

Miranda has a .349 BABIP, and between middling hard-contact numbers and a below-average 5.1% walk rate, he is certainly overachieving to some extent — the infielder’s .380 wOBA is well above his .345 xwOBA.  Still, even that xwOBA is well above the league average, and Miranda’s contact is helped by the fact that he is rarely swinging and missing.  His 13.4% strikeout rate is in the 93rd percentile of all batters, even if his chase rate is unimpressive.

This production has been a big reason why the Twins are in possession of an AL wild card spot, so the club can only hope that Miranda’s back problem won’t linger.  Beyond just Miranda’s absence, the Twins’ wider-scale problem is a sudden swath of infield injuries, as Miranda joins Lewis, Kyle Farmer, Alex Kirilloff, and Austin Martin on the club’s 10-day IL.  Star shortstop Carlos Correa was also a late scratch from today’s lineup due to a heel contusion, though there isn’t yet any indication that Correa’s injury is anything but a day-to-day issue.  With so much infield depth missing, Minnesota had to get creative with today’s lineup, moving catcher Christian Vazquez to third base — Jair Camargo was called up from Triple-A earlier this week, so the Twins still had flexibility behind the plate with Vazquez, Camargo, and Ryan Jeffers all available.

Castillo brings some versatility to this mix, as the 26-year-old has already played five different positions and even thrown a couple of innings over his two MLB seasons.  Debuting with the Pirates in 2022, Castillo hit .206/.251/.382 over 283 during his first year in the Show, and was then traded to the Diamondbacks after the season and appeared in just one MLB game during the 2023 campaign.  A flurry of waiver claims this winter saw Castillo join four different organizations before finally landing with Minnesota, via an early April trade with the Orioles.

Red Sox Notes: Martin, Slaten, Lugo

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Chris Martin was retroactively placed on the 15-day injured list on July 4, and the Red Sox were hopeful that he could be activated this coming Friday on his first day of eligibility.  However, Sox manager Alex Cora told reporters (including Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe) that Martin is temporarily shut down since the reliever “didn’t feel great” after a game of catch on Friday.

Cora said that Martin isn’t scheduled to undergo an MRI, and overall he is “not concerned” over the situation, “but it’s going to take longer than we expected.”  Martin has been sidelined with right elbow inflammation, and rather than continue his throwing progression, he’ll instead take the All-Star break off before heading to Boston while the Red Sox start the second half with a western road trip.

Martin’s numbers aren’t quite as impressive as they were during his first season with the Red Sox, but he has still been quite solid with a 3.42 ERA over 26 1/3 innings, as well as an above-average 27.9% strikeout rate and a 1.9BB% that ranks among baseball’s best walk rates.  Martin had a minimal 15-day IL stint earlier this season due to anxiety, in addition to this current elbow issue.

With Martin set to miss more time beyond Friday, the Sox are now down two relievers with yesterday’s placement (retroactive to July 9) of right-hander Justin Slaten on the 15-day IL, also with inflammation in his throwing elbow.  Speaking with MLB.com and other media about Slaten, Cora said the reliever has “been grinding through it probably the last 15 days….It’s his first time pitching this much, and obviously we’ve got to be careful with him.”  For now, the Red Sox believes this could also be just a 15-day break for Slaten, though as we just saw with Martin, it depends on how Slaten’s elbow responds during his down time.

Slaten has made an excellent accounting of himself in his first MLB season, with a 3.38 ERA and a set of outstanding Statcast metrics over his first 42 2/3 innings as a big leaguer.  A third-round pick for the Rangers in the 2019 draft, Slaten was selected away from Texas by the Mets during last December’s Rule 5 draft, but the Mets then dealt Slaten to the Red Sox, and thus Boston has to keep Slaten on its active roster or injured list for the entire season or else offer him back to the Rangers.

Based on the early results, it looks like the Red Sox may have found a hidden gem with the 26-year-old righty.  Slaten averages 96.3mph on his fastball, though his heater and his sweeper are secondary to an excellent cutter that Slaten has thrown 39.2% of the time this season.  Batters simply haven’t yet figured him out, giving the Sox another solid arm within what has been an unspectacular but generally effective bullpen.  Slaten is also another example of how Boston’s revamped pitching development department and new pitching coach Andrew Bailey have turned around a staff that struggled in 2023.

This group could’ve potentially been even stronger if Seth Lugo had been signed in the offseason, as the Sox were among the teams who pushed to sign the free agent righty.  Lugo signed a three-year, $45MM deal with the Royals, and MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo writes that the Sox weren’t willing to go to three years for the veteran hurler, or match a $15MM average annual value.

Lugo told Cotillo that beyond the contract, the Royals stood out due to their relative proximity to Lugo’s home in Louisiana.  Still, Lugo said the Red Sox “were one of the last ones talking to me before we made the decision,” and it helped that he had a past connection to Cora via Team Puerto Rico during the 2017 World Baseball Classic.

Ironically, the Red Sox dealt Lugo one of his worst outings of the season today, as Lugo allowed five runs on 10 hits and a walk over five innings in Kansas City’s 5-0 loss to Boston.  Even with that rough performance now on his ledger, Lugo still has a 2.48 ERA over 20 starts and 127 innings this season, earning the righty his first All-Star nod in his ninth MLB season.

Dustin May Undergoes Esophageal Surgery, Won’t Pitch Again In 2024

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Dodgers right-hander Dustin May underwent surgery earlier this week to fix a tear in his esophagus, ESPN’s Jeff Passan reports.  The procedure will keep May from returning to the field this season, as Passan writes that May won’t be able to partake in any physical activity over the next two months as part of his recovery.

The esophageal tear didn’t occur due to any baseball-related activity, and Passan notes that “May sought medical attention for pain in his throat and stomach,” which eventually led to the surgery.  Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times (X link) writes that May felt a “sudden pain” while eating dinner earlier this week.

May had yet to pitch in 2024, as he was still rehabbing from a flexor tendon surgery that took place almost exactly a year ago.  Unfortunately, this latest injury occurred just as May was nearing a minor league rehab assignment, as he had already been taking part in bullpen sessions and other more advanced ramp-ups.  While he still would’ve required a lengthy minor league rehab stint to properly build up his arm, it was expected that May would be back at some point before the end of the season.  Returning as a reliever rather than as a starter, for instance, would’ve allowed May to get onto the mound a bit sooner, and he could’ve been a multi-inning relief weapon or an opener for Los Angeles during the playoffs — akin to his usage during the Dodgers’ championship run in 2020.

The 2024 campaign will now go down as a complete wash for May, and the unique nature of this esophageal surgery makes his latest recovery timeline uncertain.  Two months of shutdown from all physical activity will entirely reset May’s progress, so between the specific recovery process attached to this surgery and then a traditional ramp-up period, it isn’t clear if May will be ready for Opening Day 2025 or if he’ll yet another lengthy setback in his young career.

The former star prospect has a 3.10 ERA over 191 2/3 Major League innings from 2019-23, showing glimpses of the potential that made him a highly-touted prospect during his time in the L.A. farm system.  May started 10 of 12 regular-season games in 2020 before primarily working as a reliever to help the Dodgers win a ring that year, but a Tommy John surgery then limited him to 53 regular-season frames in 2021-22.  May threw 48 innings over nine starts in 2023 (with a 2.63 ERA) before the surgeries to fix both his flexor tendon and a Tommy John revision to address a Grade 2 UCL sprain.

While it seems as though May’s career has still yet to fully launch, he turns 27 in September and has only one year of arbitration eligibility remaining before entering free agency following the 2025 season.  It is too soon to write off May as a productive and effective pitcher going forward once he recovers from his latest procedure, though three major surgeries in a four-year span is certainly as ominous sign for a pitcher who seemed like he was going to be a cornerstone of the Dodgers rotation this decade.

In the short term, the Dodgers now know they won’t getting any 2024 help from one more of the 12 pitchers on their injured list.  The incredibly long list includes more than a rotation’s worth of possible starters, including Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow, Clayton Kershaw, and Walker Buehler.  All of that quartet are expected to return at some point in the second half, while May joins Emmet Sheehan and Tony Gonsolin in the season-ending injury group.  (Shohei Ohtani could be considered a 13th “pitcher” out of action, as while Ohtani continues to excel as a designated hitter, the two-way superstar won’t pitch this season as he recovers from his own elbow surgery last fall.)

Unsurprisingly, Los Angeles has been heavily linked to the starting pitching market as the trade deadline approaches, and it would be a surprise if the Dodgers didn’t land at least one extra arm to help solidify this injury-plagued rotation.  Losing May might not impact the Dodgers’ leverage all that much in trade talks since it wasn’t clear how May would be deployed or how much he’d pitch when he did return, yet rival teams are bound to try and score a big return to take advantage of Los Angeles’ obvious need for extra pitching.

Marlins To Give Jazz Chisholm Jr. Playing Time At Second Base

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Jazz Chisholm Jr. has been prominently floated in trade speculation as the deadline approaches, and some more fuel was added to that fire with today’s news that the Marlins will again be deploying Chisholm as a second baseman on at least a part-time basis.  Chisholm took some grounders at second prior to today’s game with the Reds, and manager Skip Schumaker told reporters (including MLB.com’s Jeff Wallner) that Chisholm was happy “to do whatever’s best for the team.”

The decision is about “trying to keep his bat in the lineup every day,” Schumaker said.  “Also trying to keep him playing every day for 160-plus games, which he’s never done.  So trying to get him DH days.  Maybe second base is a way to get him off his feet a little bit.  Because I think he could play that in his sleep.”

These are all valid baseball-related reasons for the position change, as Chisholm is coming off a pair of injury-shortened seasons.  Not only has Chisholm not reached the 160-game plateau, his 124 games in 2021 represent the highest total of his four Major League seasons.  He played in only 157 of a possible 324 games in 2022-23, but has thus far taken the field in 91 of Miami’s 94 contests in 2024.  Chisholm is no stranger to the keystone after playing mostly second base during his first three MLB seasons, but he has exclusively played center field (with a few DH days) since the Marlins decided to move him to outfield duty prior to the 2023 season.

As logical as Schumaker’s explanation is, moving Chisholm to second base could also be very easily viewed as Miami’s way of showcasing his versatility to potential trade partners in advance of July 30.  Chisholm’s center field work has been average at best, depending on the defensive metric of choice — Defensive Runs Saved (-14) and UZR/150 (-7) have both panned his glovework, while Chisholm has +4 Outs Above Average over his 1541 innings as a center fielder.  Over 1308 1/3 big league innings at second base, Chisholm has a +7 DRS and +8 OAA, though UZR/150 again has him below average with a -2.6 number.

While this resume as a second baseman doesn’t exactly reflect a level of “he could play that in his sleep” defensive performance, it seems logical to assume that Chisholm is a better defensive option as an infielder than as an outfielder going forward.  The ability to play center field on at least a passable basis obviously adds to Chisholm’s trade value, but it could be that some potential suitors eyeing Chisholm as primarily a second baseman wanted some evidence that he could still handle the position before meeting what is likely a big asking price in trade talks.

Chisholm is only in the first of three arbitration-eligible seasons, earning $2.625MM in 2024 and under team control through 2026.  Miami therefore isn’t under any crunch to move Chisholm by the deadline, and an argument could be made that waiting until at least this offseason to make a move might only help the Marlins’ chances at a premium return.  If Chisholm stays healthy, fully re-establishes himself as a second base candidate, and improves on his okay (103 wRC+, .251/.320/.410 in 388 PA) but not outstanding offensive production, he’ll still be a prime trade chip for the Marlins as they continue their latest roster overhaul.

Rockies Place Nolan Jones On 10-Day Injured List

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The Rockies announced that outfielder Nolan Jones has been placed on the 10-day injured list due to a low back strain.  The placement is retroactive to July 12.  With right-hander Tanner Gordon also optioned to Triple-A yesterday, Colorado called up outfielder Sean Bouchard from Triple-A and right-hander Angel Chivilli from Double-A Hartford.

Since Jones was scratched from yesterday’s lineup, it isn’t a surprise to see him head to the IL with what appears to be a recurrence of the same back problem that has already taken a big chunk out of the outfielder’s season.  Jones missed over six weeks in his first IL stint and returned to action almost exactly a month ago.  While Jones’ numbers post-IL stint are better than his rough numbers in April before he was sidelined, he has still produced only a 64 wRC+ from a .202/.311/.313 slash line in 191 total plate appearances.

It has been a big dropoff from the .297/.389/.542 slash line Jones posted over 424 PA last season, as he also marked his first season in Colorado by hitting 20 homers and stealing 20 bases (from 24 attempts).  This production led to a fourth-place finish in NL Rookie of the Year voting for Jones, making him a bright spot in an otherwise rough season for the Rockies, and a potential building block for the future.

This year’s results don’t necessarily change that path since Jones’ back issues have clearly had some impact on his play, but obviously the Rox wanted to see Jones continue to build on his 2023 breakout.  There’s still time for Jones to return from the IL and have a big enough finish to at least end 2024 on a high note, and re-establish himself as less of a question mark heading into next season.

In other Rockies injury news, Kris Bryant is “highly likely” to start a minor league rehab assignment on Friday, manager Bud Black told Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post and other reporters.  Bryant hasn’t played since June 2, as a rib contusion and then an internal oblique strain are the latest health issues to arise during what has been a nightmarish run of injuries during Bryant’s two-plus seasons in Colorado.  After playing in only 42 games in 2022 and then 80 games last season, Bryant has been limited to 24 games this season due to his current IL placement and a previous IL trip due to a lower back strain.

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