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The Opener: Rizzo, Carroll, Rodriguez

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As the 2024 regular season continues, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:

1. Rizzo to undergo imaging:

Yankees first baseman Anthony Rizzo suffered a right arm injury following a collision with Red Sox lefty Brennan Bernardino at the plate in the seventh inning of last night’s loss to Boston. As noted by ESPN’s Jorge Castillo, Rizzo appeared to be favoring his wrist area in the aftermath of the collision, although MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch relayed that the Yankees termed the issue a “lower right forearm injury.” Rizzo is set to head back to New York today to visit team doctors and undergo imaging to determine the severity of the issue.

The injury is the latest tough blow in what has been a difficult season for Rizzo; the 34-year-old has slashed just .223/.289/.341 with a wRC+ of 84 in 291 trips to the plate this year. That production makes Rizzo one of just eight qualified first basemen to post below average offensive numbers this year, and of that group he’s outproduced only Joey Meneses, Spencer Torkelson, and Elehuris Montero. If Rizzo requires a trip to the injured list, Oswaldo Cabrera and DJ LeMahieu figure to handle the infield corners in his absence.

2. Carroll to remain in Arizona for MRI:

Diamondbacks outfielder Corbin Carroll was also removed in the late innings yesterday, with manager Torey Lovullo telling reporters (including Alex Weiner of AZSports) that the 23-year-old was suffering from “left side discomfort.” Carroll will remain in Arizona to undergo an MRI while the rest of the team heads to Washington today ahead of their series against the Nationals. While that might seem somewhat ominous, Carroll remained optimistic and told Weiner that “all indications” suggest the results of today’s MRI will be positive.

Carroll has had a brutal sophomore slump, slashing just .213/.302/.310 (78 wRC+) in 70 games this year. He’s started to catch fire of late, however, with a .333/.435/.487 slash line in his last ten games — making the timing of this injury all the worse. In the event that Carroll is sidelined, Jake McCarthy is the likeliest candidate to take over center field for Arizona, opening up the corners for veterans Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and Randal Grichuk.

3. Blue Jays to activate Rodriguez:

Toronto is set to get some reinforcements on the pitching side today, as Francys Romero reports that right-hander Yariel Rodriguez is set to be activated from the 15-day injured list today. Rodriguez, 27, was among the most intriguing free agent signings of the offseason as a young hurler who had impressed in Japan but had not yet appeared in a big league game. The Blue Jays took a chance on Rodriguez with a five-year, $32MM deal, but Rodriguez’s debut campaign has been marred by injury. The righty pitched decently in four starts with the club earlier this year (4.11 ERA, 22.2% strikeout rate) but has missed the past six weeks due to thoracic spine inflammation.

Now that he’s healthy, Rodriguez will likely have the opportunity to step into the club’s fifth starter role in the aftermath of righty Alek Manoah’s impending UCL surgery. Rodriguez dominated in eight appearances at the Triple-A level this year, pitching to a 1.33 ERA in 20 1/3 innings while striking out an excellent 37.9% of batters faced. In order to activate him, the Blue Jays will have to create room on the active roster prior to tonight’s game against the Red Sox, which is set to begin at 6:07pm local time.

Dodgers Place Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Michael Grove On 15-Day Injured List

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5:49PM: Further tests revealed Yamamoto has a strained rotator cuff, manager Dave Roberts told DiGiovanna and other reporters today.  No timeline was given, as Roberts indicated that the injury is “not season ending, but it’s going to be some time.”

2:15PM: The Dodgers announced this afternoon that they’ve placed right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto on the 15-day injured list with triceps tightness. The club also placed right-hander Michael Grove on the 15-day injured list due to lat tightness. In corresponding moves, the club has recalled right-hander J.P. Feyereisen and selected the contract of right-hander Michael Petersen. To make room for Petersen on the 40-man roster, the Dodgers transferred right-hander Joe Kelly to the 60-day injured list.

That Yamamoto is headed for the injured list is hardly a surprise, as manager David Roberts indicated last night that a trip to the IL was likely for the righty after he exited his start last night after just two innings. Yamamoto’s departure from the rotation won’t require the Dodgers to turn to a spot starter, as right-hander Bobby Miller was already slated to return from the injured list and retake a spot in the starting rotation on Wednesday. That will allow him to seamlessly slide into the starting five alongside Tyler Glasnow, James Paxton, Walker Buehler, and Gavin Stone while Yamamoto is on the shelf.

What remains unclear, however, is just how long Yamamoto will be out. Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times indicated earlier this afternoon that the Dodgers plan to send Yamamoto for further testing beyond what had already been scheduled for him in the aftermath of his start last night, and it’s possible the specifics of the right-hander’s injury as well as his timetable for return will remain uncertain until the results come back from those tests. Of course, an absence of any length for Yamamoto is a frustrating turn of events for the Dodgers. The club’s $325MM man has been more or less exactly as advertised this year, with a 2.41 ERA and a 28.5% strikeout rate across his past 12 starts.

As for Grove, Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register reports that his injury is expected to be a relatively short-term one. The right-hander has served in multi-inning relief for the Dodgers throughout the year to this point and has struggled in terms of results with a 5.06 ERA in 37 1/3 innings of work, although it’s worth noting that the righty sports a strong 28.7% strikeout rate and a 3.14 FIP that suggests some of his struggles could be due to a deflated 62.5% strand rate. Interestngly, Grove struggled badly at the very start of the year with an 11.74 ERA across his first four outings, and has again begun to struggle lately with a 9.00 ERA in his last three appearances. In 21 appearances between April 10 and June 7, however, the right-hander was dominant with a 2.45 ERA, and incredible 37.1% strikeout rate, and a 2.75 FIP in 25 2/3 innings of work. If a trip to the IL allows Grove to rediscover that form going forward, it would surely provide the Dodgers bullpen with a massive boost headed as the calendar flips to July.

Joining the roster in the duo’s place are Feyreisen and Petersen. Feyreisen rejoins the club after missing the entire 2023 season due to injury and struggling somewhat in his first games back this year, with a 6.00 ERA and 4.81 FIP in nine appearances. Those struggles have continued at the Triple-A level, where he’s posted a 7.47 ERA in 15 2/3 frames thanks in part to a deflated 16.7% strikeout rate and four home runs allowed in that time. There is some room for optimism regarding the 31-year-old, however; the righty looked excellent in his seven appearances with the Dodgers at the big league level during the month of May prior to his demotion, where he struck out 26.9% of batters faced in 7 1/3 scoreless frames. If Feyreisen can return to the form he showed in the majors last month, he could be an asset for the club alongside fellow middle relief arms Yohan Ramirez and Anthony Banda.

As for Petersen, the 30-year-old is in his first year as a member of the Dodgers organization and will make his MLB debut when he first gets into a game. The right-hander was selected in the late rounds of the 2012, ’13, and ’14 drafts before finally signing with the Brewers after being selected in the 17th round of the 2015 draft. He spent five years in the lower levels of the minors with Milwaukee before joining the Rockies prior to the 2020 campaign, although he didn’t pitch during the 2021 campaign and made just one appearance in 2022.

Petersen had his first full season since 2019 last year and pitched quite well between the Double- and Triple-A levels, with a combined 3.46 ERA in 41 2/3 innings of work with a 26.3% strikeout rate. That performance was enough to get Petersen a minor league deal with the Dodgers this past winter, and he continued to show solid results at the highest level of the minors during his time with the club at the Triple-A level. This year’s results were even better than the last, as he posted a sterling 1.61 ERA while striking out a whopping 36.9% of batters faced. Those exciting results were enough to get Petersen his first look at the big league level, where he’ll join Feyreisen in the middle of the L.A. bullpen.

As for Kelly, the move to the 60-day IL appears to be more or less procedural for the right-hander. He’s been on the injured list with a shoulder strain since the beginning of May and has not yet begun a rehab assignment, suggesting that the 36-year-old was already likely to spend at least the next couple of weeks on the shelf. He’ll now be eligible to be activated for the first time on July 5.

White Sox Select Chuckie Robinson

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2:39pm: White Sox manager Pedro Grifol confirmed to reporters (including MLB.com’s Scott Merkin) that Robinson had the ability to opt out of his contract with the club if not added to the 40-man roster.

12:08pm: The White Sox announced this afternoon that they’ve selected the contract of catcher Chuckie Robinson. Outfielder Duke Ellis was designated for assignment to make room for Robinson on the 40-man roster. Robinson was optioned to Triple-A following the selection of his contract.

Robinson, 29, signed with the White Sox on a minor league deal back in December. In 41 games at the Triple-A level this year, he’s hit just .235/.288/.386 with a 24.4% strikeout rate. That relatively lackluster slash line was nonetheless enough to earn Robinson his first time on a 40-man roster since 2022, when he appeared in 25 games for the Reds and slashed just .136/.136/.271 in 60 trips to the plate for the club. With the White Sox, Robinson as a depth catcher behind the club’s current tandem of Martin Maldonado and Korey Lee, offering the club an optionable catcher they can rely on in the event of an injury. By adding Robinson to the 40-man roster, the White Sox also bypass any hypothetical opt-outs that Robinson may have available to him in his minor league deal with the club, securing his place in the organization.

Making room for Robinson on the 40-man is Ellis, who was selected onto the club’s roster earlier this month. The 26-year-old was a 26th-round pick by the Padres back in 2017 but did not sign. Ultimately, he landed with the White Sox in 2020 as an undrafted free agent and made his pro debut for the club the following year. Ellis worked his way through the club’s minor league system over the past four years but generally struggled with the bat at each level, posting an overall slash line of just .241/.328/.333 during his four seasons in the minors.

Ellis nonetheless managed to crack the majors despite that lackluster offensive performance thanks primarily to his blazing speed. The outfielder has swiped 117 bags in 133 opportunities during his time in the minors and went 34-for-36 at the minor league level on the basepaths this year. That elite baserunning carried over to his time in Chicago, where the White Sox used him primarily as a pinch runner and saw him steal four bases in four attempts during his brief time in Chicago. The White Sox will have one week to either work out a trade or attempt to pass Ellis through waivers. If he goes unclaimed, they’ll have the opportunity to outright him to the minor leagues. Given Ellis lackluster offensive ability, it would be easy to imagine clubs passing on the youngster. With that being said, however, it’s at least possible that his skills as a speedster could catch the eye of a team with room for a pinch runner and defensive replacement in their bench mix.

Phillies To Activate Trea Turner On Monday

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The Phillies are planning to activate shortstop Trea Turner from the 10-day injured list prior to tomorrow’s game against the Padres, manager Rob Thomson told reporters (including Matt Gelb of The Athletic) earlier today. Turner has been on the shelf due to a hamstring strain since the beginning of May.

The return of Turner to the Phillies lineup should serve to further bolster a team that has emerged as a juggernaut in the first half of the 2024 campaign. The Phillies have stormed to an NL-best 47-23 record with excellent production on all fronts. They sport the third-best pitching staff in the majors this year by ERA with a 3.11 figure that sits behind only the Yankees and Orioles, while their 110 wRC+ on offense is tied for sixth in the majors with the Brewers. That they’ve managed to do all that without their star shortstop for the past six weeks is all the more impressive, particularly given the hot start Turner got off to prior to his injury.

In 33 games prior to his trip to the IL, Turner was slashing an incredible .343/.392/.460 (145 wRC+) with 10 stolen bases in 11 attempts. That lengthy stretch of success extends all the way back to the All Star break of last year. Turner had scuffled through his first half-season in a Phillies uniform with below average numbers across the board, but caught fire down the stretch to help lead the club to their second consecutive NLCS appearance. Since mid July last year, Turner’s .309/.363/.522 slash line is good for a 142 wRC+ that’s 17th-best among all major league hitters and trails only Mookie Betts, Bobby Witt Jr. Gunnar Henderson, Corey Seager, and Jose Altuve among middle infielders.

That type of production will surely be a welcome addition to the Phillies lineup. While the club’s infield mix of Bryce Harper, Alec Bohm, Bryson Stott, and Edmundo Sosa have all performed very well this season, adding Turner’s potent bat back into the lineup should provide a shot in the arm for the offense in Philadelphia. The return of Turner appears most likely to come at the expense of Sosa, who has performed phenomenally as a fill-in at shortstop while the star has been on the shelf. Sosa has slashed an excellent .280/.343/.512 in 138 trips to the plate this year, including a .286/.348/.524 slash line since taking over the everyday shortstop job while Turner has been injured.

That sort of strong production is hard to remove from a lineup, although it’s worth noting that Sosa has slumped in the month of June with a lackluster .216/.256/.324 slash in 39 trips to the plate. With Turner re-entering the fold, Sosa figures to return to his bench role as a contributor around the infield as a backup to each of Bohm, Stott, and Turner. His sensational .340/.426/.723 slash line against left-handed pitching seems likely to earn him regular playing time against southpaws even with the team’s lineup returning to full strength.

Speculatively speaking, Sosa could spell Stott, who has hit just .250/.357/.333 against same-handed pitching this year, at second base against some lefties or perhaps even work into the outfield mix, where he has made brief cameos in both left and center field during his time with the Phillies. The Phillies will need to move a position player off their active roster tomorrow to accommodate the return of Turner. Of note, only outfielder Johan Rojas has options remaining among the club’s current bench mix, which also includes fellow outfielder Christian Pache and veteran utility man Whit Merrifield.

Rangers Designate Jesus Tinoco For Assignment

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The Rangers announced this afternoon that they’ve designated right-hander Jesus Tinoco for assignment. Right-hander Cole Winn was recalled to take Tinoco’s spot on the active roster.

This has been Tinoco’s second stint with Texas, as he had previously pitched to a strong 2.18 ERA with a 4.22 FIP in 20 2/3 innings of work with the club back in 2022. That said, he walked a worrisome 11.9% of batters faced that year and ultimately found himself outrighted off the club’s roster that November. Tinoco spent the 2023 campaign pitching overseas for Nippon Professional Baseball’s Seibu Lions, and the righty performed well with a 2.83 ERA in 35 innings of work in Pacific League play.

A 12.5% walk rate during that time suggested that Tinoco had not yet resolved his struggles with control, but the Rangers nonetheless offered him a minor league deal back in December. He eventually made his way back onto the active roster in Texas last month, but his second stint with the club has not gone well. In 10 innings of work across nine appearances with the Rangers this year, Tinoco has walked a hefty 14% of batters faced while surrendering an 8.10 ERA with a 6.64 FIP. That performance proved to be untenable for the Rangers, and after the righty allowed two runs in an inning of relief during last night’s game against the Mariners, the club decided to part ways with Tinoco once again. They’ll now have one week to either trade Tinoco or attempt to pass him through waivers. Since Tinoco has been outrighted previously in his career, the righty will have the opportunity to reject an outright assignment if he so chooses.

Replacing Tinoco on the club’s 40-man roster is Winn, 24. The youngster was selected in the first round of the 2018 draft by the Rangers and was once a consensus top-50 prospect in the sport but struggled badly during the 2022 and 2023 seasons at the Triple-A level, substantially lowering his prospect stock. That led the Rangers to convert Winn to a full-time relief role in 2024, and he’s generally taken to the job well with a 3.45 ERA and a 30.3% strikeout rate at the Triple-A level this year.

Unfortunately, Winn’s first taste of big league action did not go over well. While he fired off a streak of seven scoreless innings across his first five outings, he surrendered a whopping 11 runs in the month of May across just 7 1/3 innings of work while striking out only 13.1% of batters faced. Those brutal numbers left the Rangers to send Winn back to the minor leagues in late May, although he’s now back in the majors just under a month after his demotion. If Winn can harness the high-octane stuff that allowed him to dominate back in April, it’s not hard to imagine him providing valuable middle relief innings to a beleaguered Rangers bullpen that ranks 25th in baseball by ERA.

Giants Place Kyle Harrison On 15-Day IL With Ankle Sprain

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The Giants announced this morning that they’ve placed left-hander Kyle Harrison on the injured list due to a right ankle sprain. Taking Harrison’s place on the active roster is right-hander Spencer Bivens, who was selected from the minor leagues. Right-hander Nick Avila was released to clear a spot for Bivens on the 40-man roster.

The news regarding Harrison is rather troubling for a Giants club that has been without Robbie Ray, Alex Cobb, and Tristan Beck all season and recently sent left-hander Blake Snell back to the injured list due to a groin strain. Now, the club’s longtime top pitching prospect is set to join them after getting off to a solid start throughout the first half this season. In 14 starts for the Giants this year, Harrison has posted a roughly league average 3.96 ERA with a nearly identical 3.94 FIP, although he’s struck out just 20.6% of batters faced in that time.

It’s not currently clear how long Harrison is expected to be out of action, though the news figures to leave the Giants in a tight spot in terms of their rotation, where they’re currently relying on Jordan Hicks, Spencer Howard, and Keaton Winn behind ace righty Logan Webb. For the time being, the club appears poised to opt for a bullpen game in place of Harrison’s scheduled start against the Angels this afternoon, with rookie southpaw Erik Miller having already been tabbed to open the game.

With the bullpen likely to be leaned heavily on both tonight and in the near future, the Giants are calling up Bivens to replace Harrison on the roster. Bivens, who will celebrate his 30th birthday at the end of the month, has spent his entire career in the Giants organization outside of a brief stint in the Atlantic League back in 2022 but had not previously made his way to the major leagues. With his big league debut seemingly around the corner, the righty will surely look to carry his excellent 2.81 ERA and decent 21.2% strikeout rate into the big leagues in a multi-inning relief role.

Making room for Bivens on the Giants’ 40-man roster is Avila, who has been in the Giants organization ever since he was selected by the club in the 26th round of the 2019 draft. Avila made his big league debut with the Giants earlier this year and ultimately appeared in eight games with the club at the big league level. He struggled to a 8.49 ERA in 11 2/3 innings of work across those appearances, although his solid 25.5% strikeout rate and a respectable 3.74 FIP both indicate that his tough performance could be chalked up to poor luck, at least to some extent. The righty has a decent 3.43 ERA in 81 1/3 innings at the Triple-A level across the past two years and figures to be an interesting option for rival clubs on a no-risk minor league deal now that he’s been released.

Astros Select Luis Contreras

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The Astros announced this morning that they’ve selected the contract of right-hander Luis Contreras to the big league roster. Contreras’s first appearance will be his MLB debut. Right-hander Nick Hernandez was optioned to Triple-A in order to make room for Contreras on the roster, while Cristian Javier was transferred to the 60-day injured list in order to clear a 40-man roster spot.

Contreras, 28, signed with the Brewers out of Venezuela and made his big league debut back in 2019. He worked his way through the minor leagues fairly quickly, primarily as a reliever, but seemed to hit a wall with Milwaukee upon reaching the Triple-A level. He posted an 8.00 ERA in his first cup of coffee at the level during the 2022 season, and in a larger stint at the level the following year he struggled to a fairly pedestrian 4.76 ERA in 45 1/3 innings of work. While he struck out an impressive 30.3% of batters faced during that time, his 10% walk rate and proclivity towards the long ball suggest occasionally wandering command.

The right-hander elected free agency after the 2023 season and found a minor league deal with Houston this past winter. He’s enjoyed a dominant start to the season with the Astros at their Triple-A affiliate in Sugar Land, pitching to a 1.40 ERA in 19 1/3 innings of work while punching out 26% of batters faced and walking 9.1%, although he has given up three home runs in that time. Even so, Contreras will now get the opportunity to showcase his stuff at the big league level, where he figures to join arms such as Tayler Scott and Seth Martinez in the middle of the Astros bullpen.

Making room for Contreras in the Astros bullpen is Hernandez, who the club acquired from the Padres in a cash deal earlier this month. The righty has just 4 2/3 big league innings under his belt this year, all of which came in Houston, and had just 3 innings of work in the majors with the Padres last year. Overall, he’s posted a 5.87 ERA with a 6.32 FIP in 7 2/3 innings of work across four appearances. The right-hander figures to return to the Triple-A level, where he sports a solid career ERA of 3.58 across parts of four seasons, and wait for his next opportunity at the big league level. As for Javier, his move to the 60-day IL is hardly a surprise given that he underwent Tommy John surgery earlier this month.

AL East Notes: Casas, Cole, Bichette

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The Red Sox got some good news regarding the status of first baseman Triston Casas yesterday. As he told Julian McWilliams of the Boston Globe, Casas has begun taking dry swings as he works his way back from torn cartilage in his midsection. Casas indicated that if he continues feeling good after a few days of dry swings, he’ll begin making contact with a ball. McWilliams added that Casas hopes to be back in the Red Sox lineup in time for a series against the Marlins that begins on July 2.

If Casas is truly just two weeks away from a return to the majors, that would be a huge relief for a Red Sox lineup that has sorely missed his presence. While the club’s overall production since he last played on April 20 is still strong, with a 107 wRC+ that ranks eighth in the majors over that time, their wRC+ at first base has sat at just 98, below average overall and well below the production of an average first baseman. Of course, Casas is a great deal better than the average first baseman; the 24-year-old’s 160 wRC+ since the All Star break last year is the 11th-best figure in the majors over that timeframe and second only to Freddie Freeman among first basemen.

As noted by McWilliams, it’s far from guaranteed that Casas will be able to reach his target date for a return, even as he’s begun swinging a bat and running the bases. McWilliams relays that manager Alex Cora was more cautious in his comments regarding Casas’s timeline, noting that while “hopefully” Casas is back during the Miami series, the club also intends to be “smart” regarding his rehab and not rush him back before he’s ready. In the meantime, the Red Sox figure to rely on a combination of Dominic Smith and Bobby Dalbec at first base.

More from around the AL East…

  • Yankees ace Gerrit Cole made his third rehab start on Friday, striking out ten batters in 4 1/3 innings at the Triple-A level. While neither Cole nor manager Aaron Boone would commit to Cole’s next start for the club coming in the majors in conversation with reporters yesterday, Jon Heyman of the New York Post noted that he felt good both immediately after the outing and the next day and that his return to the big leagues will come “soon.” A quick return to the mound for Cole would be fantastic news for the Yankees, as the 2023 AL Cy Young award winner would surely bolster an already-excellent rotation that sports the league’s best ERA entering play today.
  • Blue Jays shortstop Bo Bichette has been out of the lineup for the past two games due to what manager John Schneider described to reporters (including MLB.com’s Keegan Matheson) as soreness in his right calf. It’s been a tough season at the plate for Bichette, who is hitting an uncharacteristically poor .237/.286/.342 in 276 trips to the plate with Toronto this year. Isiah Kiner-Falefa has handled shortstop in Bichette’s absence, and both Ernie Clement and Addison Barger have past experience at the position if further depth options are needed. Infielders Orelvis Martinez and Leo Jimenez are both on the 40-man roster and could step into the big leagues in the event that Bichette eventually requires a trip to the injured list.

Braves Select Grant Holmes

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The Braves announced this morning that they’ve selected the contract of right-hander Grant Holmes. Left-hander Ray Kerr was optioned to Triple-A in order to make room for Holmes on the active roster, while Holmes will take the 40-man roster spot of right-hander Huascar Ynoa, who was recalled from the minors and placed on the 60-day injured list with a stress reaction in his right elbow.

Holmes, 28, was a first-round pick by the Dodgers back in 2014 and quickly rose to be a consensus top-100 prospect in the sport. Holmes was swapped alongside Frankie Montas and Jharel Cotton from L.A. to Oakland in the trade that sent Josh Reddick to the Dodgers just before the 2016 trade deadline, and at the time Holmes appeared to be the headliner of the return headed to the A’s. Unfortunately, shoulder problems and ineffectiveness at the upper levels of the minors prevented Holmes from impacting the A’s during his time with the organization, and he was outrighted off the club’s 40-man roster in early 2022.

The right-hander joined the Braves on a minor league deal for the 2023 season and generally pitched well in a relief role with the club’s Triple-A affiliate in Gwinnett. In 61 innings of work, Holmes posted a 3.54 ERA with a 28.7% strikeout rate. That was enough for the Braves to re-sign him to a fresh minor league deal ahead of the 2024 season, and he’s once again found success with the club at the Triple-A level, this time in a swing role: in 18 appearances (3 starts) spanning 41 innings, Holmes has dominated to the tune of a 2.63 ERA with an excellent 30.4% strikeout rate in that time. That was clearly enough for the Braves to decide to give Holmes a shot at the big league level, and he’s now poised to make his MLB debut after a decade working his way through the minor leagues.

Headed down to Triple-A in place of Holmes is Kerr, who Atlanta acquired from the Padres alongside Matt Carpenter in a deal over the offseason. The southpaw’s time with the Braves hasn’t gone as the club was surely hoping when they took on Carpenter’s contract to acquire him. In 22 1/3 innings of multi-inning relief work, Kerr has struggled to a 5.64 ERA and 4.40 FIP across ten appearances in the majors. The lefty has appeared to be more effective in shorter bursts, as he has allowed just two runs on nine hits and three walks while striking out eight across nine innings of work when throwing 40 pitches or less in an outing. For now, Kerr figures to head back to Triple-A and wait for his next opportunity to impact the big league bullpen in Atlanta.

As for Ynoa, the talented right-hander flashed exciting upside during the 2021 season with the Braves, when he pitched to a 4.05 ERA in 91 innings of work and struck out 26.9% of batters faced. Unfortunately, the right-hander has pitched just 6 2/3 innings of work in the majors since then and last appeared at the highest level in 2022 due to a number of injuries, including Tommy John surgery. Now it appears Ynoa is headed back to the shelf for what figures to be another extended absence, as the stress reaction in his right elbow will sideline him for at least the next two months.

Rangers Notes: Smith, Scherzer, Sborz

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Rangers utility man Josh Smith has been one of the club’s most potent offensive players this year, slashing an excellent .294/.384/.436 in 243 trips to the plate while primarily splitting time between third base and shortstop. That performance has been good for an excellent wRC+ of 137, although Smith’s elevated .358 BABIP and relatively pedestrian .311 xwOBA both indicate there may be some good fortune baked into those results.

However lucky Smith’s results may be, it appears that he’s earned himself more playing time going forward. While Smith has found himself sidelined in recent days, manager Bruce Bochy told reporters (including Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News) that Smith has been dealing with “general tightness” but that he’s played himself into a regular role with the club when healthy. It’s fairly easy to see why the club would commit more playing time to Smith going forward, as well. After all, that aforementioned 137 wRC+ is ten points ahead of shortstop Corey Seager for the team lead.

What perhaps makes things a little bit more complicated for Smith is that third baseman Josh Jung is on the verge of a rehab assignment and figures to get regular at-bats of his own upon returning to the lineup. With Jung and Seager set to play virtually every day on the left side of the infield, Smith’s most common positions figure to no longer be available to him. Even so, there’s plenty of room for improvement in a Rangers lineup that ranks just 23rd in the majors with a 93 wRC+ this year. Smith has some experience in the outfield, and all four of Evan Carter, Wyatt Langford, Adolis Garcia, and Leody Taveras have underperformed to varying degrees this year at the plate. That should make it fairly simple to work Smith into the outfield and DH mix on a regular basis, though Grant also suggests that Smith could take some reps at first base over Nathaniel Lowe.

In other Rangers news, veteran ace Max Scherzer threw 79 pitched for Triple-A Round Rock last night, striking out eight batters while allowing three runs across 4 2/3 innings of work. Bochy indicated to reporters (including Josh Kirshenbaum of MLB.com) prior to Scherzer’s start that it could be his final rehab appearance before returning to the majors if all went well. Barring some sort of setback for Scherzer in the aftermath of last night’s start, it appears he could be back in the Rangers rotation later this week.

The veteran right-hander’s return to the majors should offer a huge boost to a Texas club that has dealt with a number of injuries in their starting rotation this year. Jacob deGrom, Tyler Mahle, and Cody Bradford are all currently on the 60-day IL alongside Scherzer, and the club has also spent time without each of Nathan Eovaldi, Jon Gray, Dane Dunning, and Michael Lorenzen due to injury this season. Left-hander Andrew Heaney began the campaign in the bullpen but was almost immediately moved into the rotation due to injuries; upon Scherzer’s return, he and Lorenzen appear to be the most likely candidates to join fellow swing man Jose Urena in the club’s relief corps.

While Scherzer appears to be wrapping up his rehab assignment, another hurler is on the verge of beginning a rehab assignment of his own: right-hander Josh Sborz, who has been sidelined since April by a rotator cuff strain. As noted on MLB.com’s Injury Tracker, Sborz is set to begin a rehab assignment with Round Rock today. If the righty is nearing a return to the bullpen, he could provide a shot in the arm for a Rangers bullpen that ranks sixth from the bottom among all major league clubs.

Sborz had a 1.69 ERA and 2.96 FIP in seven appearances prior to his placement on the IL this year, and while the righty struggled to a 5.50 ERA in 2023, much of that was due to an unbelievably low 56.2% strand rate. Sborz’s 30.7% strikeout rate, 3.75 FIP, 3.35 xERA, and 3.05 SIERA all point to the righty’s ability to be an impactful relief arm for the Rangers. Texas is currently relying on a combination of Kirby Yates, David Robertson, and Jose Leclerc in the late innings.

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