Dana Brown, Joe Espada Discuss Astros First Base Plans
After the Astros released veteran first baseman Jose Abreu yesterday, the move left a clear hole in the club’s lineup at first base. Both GM Dana Brown and manager Joe Espada have since spoken to media about the club’s plans at the position, as relayed by Matt Young of the Houston Chronicle.
As noted by Young, Brown told reporters that first baseman Jon Singleton, who received the majority of reps at first base when Abreu was optioned to the minors earlier this year, will get the first crack at regular at-bats at the position, with Brown noting that the club intends to give Singleton the opportunity to “grab the bull by the horn” and establish himself as a regular in their lineup. Through 50 games with the club this year, however, Singleton hasn’t done much to suggest he’s ready to step into the role of an everyday first baseman. The 32-year-old slugger has hit just .216/.313/.333 in 174 trips to the plate this year (92 wRC+). While his 13.2% walk rate in that time is quite impressive, he’s striking out at an elevated 26.4% clip and has displayed minimal power with just eight extra base hits this year.
That being said, Singleton’s actually been just above average (101 wRC+) with a 14.3% walk rate and a 22.6% strikeout rate against left-handed pitching this year. That provides some reason for optimism that Singleton could be a viable choice for the strong side of a platoon at first base, and it appears the club is receptive to that possibility. Per Young, both Brown and Espada have indicated that utility man Mauricio Dubon will factor into the club’s first base mix against left-handed pitching. Dubon is hitting a solid .302/.327/.421 (114 wRC+) in 168 trips to the plate with the Astros this year, a figure that includes an impressive 133 wRC+ against southpaws.
While the club appears to be planning on Singleton and Dubon handling first base for the time being, it appears that Astros brass are nonetheless considering alternative options should Singleton struggle in expanded playing time. As noted by Chandler Rome of The Athletic yesterday, the has considered the possibility of utilizing their catching tandem of Yainer Diaz and Victor Caratini at first base in some capacity as well. Both have produced solid offense with the bat this year for the standards of the catcher position: Diaz has slashed .258/.283/.407 (95 wRC+) in 233 trips to the plate while Caratini has posted a similar .235/.278/.408 (93 wRC+) line in 108 plate appearances.
With that said, both of those figures are below average overall and seem somewhat miscast at an offense-first position such as first base. Given that reality, it’s perhaps not a surprise that Espada indicated to reporters yesterday that the club prefers to keep Diaz and Caratini behind the plate. With that being said, the Astros did select the contract of switch-hitting catcher Cooper Hummel to replace Abreu on the roster yesterday. Hummel owns a lifetime slash line of just .166/.264/.286 in the majors, but if he can post something closer to the .301/.423/.509 slash line he has in 201 trips to the plate at the Triple-A level with the Astros this year it’s possible that he could either factor into the first base mix himself or act as a solid enough backup option behind the plate to make the Astros more comfortable utilizing Diaz and/or Caratini at first on a part-time basis.
Of course, all of these options are looking purely internally; MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart relayed yesterday that Brown noted that the Astros expect to search for an additional bat at the trade deadline in addition to their rumored pursuit of starting pitching. If Houston is indeed planning to add a bat to their lineup this summer, first base is certainly a logical fit. Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has already received some buzz as a potential candidate to move this summer, and while Toronto brass have emphasized their reluctance to make such a deal, the fit between Guerrero and the Astros is fairly obvious in the event that the 25-year-old does find himself on the move. Pete Alonso is another notable first baseman who could be on the move this summer, as MLBTR’s Anthony Franco recently discussed. Other speculative candidates to move at the deadline this summer at first base include a host of veterans on expiring deals such as Josh Bell and Justin Turner.
Marlins Select Kent Emanuel
The Marlins announced earlier this afternoon that they’ve selected the contract of left-hander Kent Emanuel. Right-hander Shaun Anderson was optioned in a corresponding move. Emmanuel will take the 40-man roster spot of right-hander Burch Smith, who was designated for assignment yesterday.
The 32-year-old Emanuel was a third-round pick by the Astros back in 2013 and eventually worked his way up to the big leagues with the club in 2021, when he posted a strong 2.55 ERA across ten multi-inning relief appearances. Despite those solid top-level numbers, Emanuel struck out just 19.1% of batters faced and allowed four home runs in 17 2/3 innings of work. Those lackluster peripherals led the Astros to place Emanuel on waivers that November, where he was eventually claimed by the Phillies. Emanuel spent the 2022 season in the Phillies’s minor league system but was limited to just 13 starts by injury. After being outrighted off the roster in Philadelphia that offseason, Emanuel signed with Pittsburgh on a minor league deal and struggled in a swing role. He pitched to a 6.19 ERA in 20 appearances (13 starts) at the Triple-A level before returning to free agency, where he eventually found a minor league deal with the Marlins ahead of the 2024 campaign.
Since then, he’s been selected to the roster in Miami multiple times; today’s selection is actually his third of the season. In both of his previous stints with the big league club, the Marlins have turned to Emanuel as a multi-inning relief option for a single appearance before removing him from the roster. He’s struggled in both of his appearances this year, allowing eight runs (seven earned) in six innings of work while striking out four and walking three. Emanuel has struggled similarly at the Triple-A level this year as well, with a 6.60 ERA in nine appearances split between the rotation and bullpen. It seems likely Emanuel is once again ticketed for multi-inning relief with the Marlins, though it remains to be seen if his third stay in the big leagues with Miami will last longer than the last two.
Making room for Emanuel on the active roster is Anderson. The 29-year-old was only up with the big league Marlins for one day, as he allowed seven runs on ten hits in two innings of work in a start against the Nationals yesterday. Anderson, who was acquired from the Rangers in a cash deal at the end of May, is making his return to the big leagues this season after making 14 starts for the KIA Tigers of the Korea Baseball Organization last year. Prior to last night’s blow up start in Washington, Anderson had made two appearances for the Rangers. He allowed two runs on six hits and a walk while striking out three over 3 1/3 innings of work during his time with Texas, and figures to head back to the minors to act as optionable depth for the Marlins going forward.
The Opener: Rangers, Mariners, Cole, Pitchers’ Duel
As the 2024 regular season continues, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world headed into the weekend:
1. Series Preview: Rangers @ Mariners
It’s been a struggle for the reigning World Series champion Rangers this year, as they’ve played to just a 33-35 record that places them 5.5 games back of the Mariners for the AL West lead and 3.5 games back of the Twins for the final AL Wild Card spot. Texas has begun to heat up recently with a 9-6 record over their past 15 games, a stretch that includes swiping two of three from the Dodgers in L.A. earlier this week. With a three-game set against Seattle on the docket this weekend, the Rangers will turn to lefty Andrew Heaney (4.06 ERA), veteran Nathan Eovaldi (2.68 ERA), and righty Dane Dunning (4.80 ERA) opposite the three-headed monster at the front of the Mariners rotation: Luis Castillo (3.35 ERA), George Kirby (3.81 ERA), and Logan Gilbert (3.19 ERA).
The coming series will be crucial to the defending champs’ chances of turning things around, particularly in the division standings, prior to the trade deadline next month. The Rangers won’t play the Mariners again until September. A sweep of the series by Texas would place them just 2.5 games back of Seattle in the division and back over .500, while the Mariners would be able to create even more distance in the AL West with a sweep of their own, giving them at least an eight-game lead over their closest competitor. The series kicks off tonight in Seattle and 7:10pm local time.
2. Cole continues rehab:
Yankees ace Gerrit Cole is scheduled to make his third rehab start at the Triple-A level today, manager Aaron Boone told reporters (including those at MLB.com). Boone added that Cole is expected to throw around 70 pitches, and Cole himself said following his last start that he expected to make one more before returning to the majors. That could signal that Cole will be ready to be activated as soon as next week, assuming there are no hiccups during his rehab outing today.
The reigning AL Cy Young winner has been sidelined since Spring Training due to a bout of elbow inflammation but has looked like his usual dominant self in two rehab starts at the Double-A level. In a combined eight innings of work, Cole has struck out nine batters (32.4% strikeout rate) while issuing zero walks and allowing just one earned run. Cole’s return to the rotation should allow the Yankees to return right-hander Cody Poteet to his role as an occasional spot starter rather than a fixture of the rotation, though the 29-year-old has impressed with a 2.40 ERA in three starts since replacing an injured Clarke Schmidt.
3. 2021 NL Cy Young Award rematch:
Sunday’s game between the Phillies and Orioles will be a particularly interesting one, even aside from the inherent intrigue of seeing two of the league’s heavyweights square off in a hypothetical World Series preview. Right-handers Corbin Burnes and Zack Wheeler are set to face off in Baltimore starting at 1:35pm local time. It will be the first time the pair have faced each other since finishing as the top two in a close 2021 NL Cy Young Award vote that saw each hurler get 12 out of 30 first place votes. Ultimately, Burnes bested Wheeler by a narrow margin to take home the award.
Burnes was traded to Baltimore over the winter and upon joining the Orioles has enjoyed his best campaign since he was crowned the best pitcher in the NL three years ago. In 86 2/3 innings, he’s notched 2.08 ERA and 3.22 FIP, though his 23.6% strikeout rate is a far cry from the 35.6% figure he posted in 2021. Meanwhile, Wheeler recently signed an extension to stay in Philadelphia through 2027. His 2.16 ERA in 87 2/3 frames this season would be a career best, and he sports an excellent 2.90 FIP with a 27.7% strikeout rate.
The Opener: Diaz, Dodgers, Pitchers’ Duel
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. Diaz to return:
Mets righty Edwin Diaz is set to be activated from the injured list today. The Mets will need to clear space on their active roster to accommodate Diaz, but Tim Healey of Newsday reported last night that they’ve already done so by optioning southpaw Danny Young to Triple-A. Diaz has been sidelined by an impingement in his right shoulder since the end of May, and his return figures to get plenty of attention due to the struggles he had been facing prior to that injury.
From April 29 until his last appearance prior to going on the IL, Diaz posted a 9.58 ERA and 6.25 FIP in 10 appearances and converted just one of five save chances, leading the Mets to temporarily remove their $102MM reliever from the closer role. Now that he’s returning to action, he’ll aim to get back to 2022 form, when he pitched to an otherworldly 1.31 ERA and 0.90 FIP with a 50.2% strikeout rate and 32 saves in 61 appearances.
2. Dodgers altering pitching plans:
The Dodgers are set to face off against the Rangers in a rubber match this evening, and they had previously been expecting to send right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto to the mound against Rangers right-hander Michael Lorenzen (3.05 ERA). However, Dodgers skipper Dave Roberts told reporters (including those at MLB.com) that the club has decided to push Yamamoto’s next start back until Saturday against the Royals. Fortunately, Roberts didn’t indicate that there was a physical issue with the impressive young right-hander. Rather, it seems Yamamoto’s absence from the mound this evening is simply a way to monitor his workload and build extra rest into his schedule as he transitions to a heavier workload in MLB. (NPB starters typically pitch once per week, and Yamamoto has never started more than 26 games during a regular season.)
In the meantime, MLB.com’s Juan Toribio was among those to relay that the club is set to turn to right-hander Michael Grove, who has pitched to a 4.72 ERA in 34 1/3 long relief innings this season, to start what seems likely to be a bullpen game for the Dodgers. Tonight’s game is set to take place in Dodger Stadium at 7:10pm local time.
3. Interleague Pitchers’ Duel:
Another rubber match is set to take place this evening at Fenway Park when the Red Sox take on the Phillies for the final game of their three-game set. It’s not a game that figures to have much immediate impact on the standings, as Philadelphia has carved out a ten-game lead over the Braves in the NL East while Boston sits 11.5 games back of the second-place Orioles in the AL East with a .500 record.
What the game lacks in playoff impact it makes up for with an exciting pitching matchup, however. The Phillies are set to trot out right-hander Aaron Nola, who sports a 2.77 ERA with a 23.1% strikeout rate in 13 starts since signing a $172MM deal to remain in Philadelphia back in November. Meanwhile, the Red Sox counter with righty Tanner Houck, who has been nothing short of dominant so far in what is quickly becoming a breakout season. Houck’s 1.91 ERA is the best among all qualified AL hurlers, and the 27-year-old hurler’s 25% strikeout rate and 2.22 FIP largely back up those fantastic results. The two electric arms are scheduled to face off starting at 7:10pm local time this evening.
The Opener: Woo, Gallo, Angels
We kicked off the morning with a trade of note between the Dodgers and Blue Jays, but here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:
1. Woo undergoes MRI:
Mariners right-hander Bryan Woo was set to start last night’s game against the White Sox but ended up a late scratch due to what the club described as a “right forearm issue.” As noted by MLB.com’s Daniel Kramer, the M’s are hopeful Woo will be able to avoid a trip to the injured list, although manager Scott Servis acknowledged to reporters yesterday that an IL stint may end up being necessary. If Woo does require a trip to the shelf, it would be a frustrating turn of events for the Mariners as the young righty has been dominant when healthy enough to take the mound this year, with a 1.06 ERA across six starts. As for possible replacements, lefty Jhonathan Diaz stepped in for Woo last night and allowed three runs on nine hits over 5 1/3 innings of work. It’s possible the club could stick with Diaz or opt to utilize right-hander Emerson Hancock, who has a 5.24 ERA in seven starts this season.
2. Gallo to the IL:
Nationals first baseman and outfielder Joey Gallo appears to be headed for the injured list today, as manager Dave Martinez told reporters (including Andrew Golden of the Washington Post) yesterday that Gallo “pulled” his hamstring during last night’s game and that the club will need to make a roster move today to replace him. It’s been a tough season for Gallo, who is striking out at a hefty 43% clip while failing to make up for the lack of contact with his usual amount of power. While Gallo sports a career .263 ISO (slugging minus batting average) and a .241 figure from 2021-23, his ISO this year is just .157. With Gallo seemingly headed to the shelf, Joey Meneses could get a larger share of playing time at first, and infielder Trey Lipscomb could also be called up to pitch in at first.
3. Angels dealing with day-to-day injuries:
Two Angels players suffered injuries during yesterday’s loss to the Diamondbacks, leaving their status up in the air. Outfielder Taylor Ward was removed from the game in the eighth inning due to what the team described as “lower back tightness,” while catcher Logan O’Hoppe was pulled from the game two innings prior after being struck in the groin area by a foul ball off the bat of Arizona outfielder Randal Grichuk. O’Hoppe was down for several minutes due to the pain but was eventually able to walk off the field on his own accord.
Fortunately, the Halos appear to have escaped major injuries with both players; Ward told reporters he hopes to be back in the lineup as soon as today, while O’Hoppe indicated that he’s unlikely to play today but was cleared of major injury. If the pair end up needing a few days, Matt Thaiss figures to cover for O’Hoppe behind the plate while Kevin Pillar and Mickey Moniak would likely get extra time in the outfield in Ward’s absence.
White Sox Promote Drew Thorpe For MLB Debut
June 11: The White Sox have officially announced Thorpe’s selection today. Left-hander Sammy Peralta was optioned to open a spot on the active roster. To open a spot on the 40-man, right-hander Dominic Leone was transferred to the 60-day injured list. Leone was put on the 15-day IL about three weeks ago due to inflammation in his throwing elbow and it now appears the Sox aren’t expecting him to return in the near future.
June 9: The White Sox are planning to promote top pitching prospect Drew Thorpe to the majors on Tuesday, manager Pedro Grifol told reporters (including James Fegan of SoxMachine). The right-hander will make his MLB debut against the Mariners in Seattle.
Thorpe, 23, was the headliner of a four player package the White Sox received from the Padres in the deal that sent ace righty Dylan Cease to San Diego back in March. It was the second time Thorpe had been traded that offseason, as the Padres acquired Thorpe from the Yankees as part of the Juan Soto package back in December. As one might expect from a prospect that was part of the return for two superstars in separate blockbusters during the same offseason, Thorpe is a consensus top-100 prospect in the sport. The righty currently ranks #41 at Baseball America and #54 at MLB Pipeline.
Prospect evaluation services universally praise Thorpe’s excellent command, ability to eat innings, and the devastating changeup that he complements with a 92-94 mph fastball that’s generally regarded as average and a average-or-better slider that sits in the mid-80s. Aside from his three main pitches, BA also notes that Thorpe mixes in a high-80s cutter and a low-80s curveball. That arsenal allowed the 2022 second-rounder to tear through the lower minors during his first taste of professional ball with the Yankees last year. Thorpe dominated to the tune of a 2.81 ERA with a 32.4% strikeout rate in 18 starts at High-A last year before earning a late season promotion to Double-A.
Thorpe’s star really began to rise with that promotion. The then-22-year-old impressed with a sparkling 1.48 ERA across five starts. The righty racked up a whopping 44 strikeouts in just 30 1/3 innings of work while walking just five. Punching out 40% of batters faced while walking just 4.5% in your first taste of Double-A action is a surefire way to get plenty of attention, and so it’s hardly a surprise that both the Padres and White Sox front offices coveted Thorpe enough to make him a key piece of the trade returns for their star players.
Upon joining the White Sox organization, the right-hander returned to Double-A for the start of the 2024 campaign and has continued to dominate hitters at the level, with similar surface-level numbers in 11 starts this season to his five-start taste of Double-A last year. Thorpe has pitched to a 1.35 ERA in 60 innings of work this year, though his strikeout rate has dipped to a more pedestrian 25% this year while his walk rate has crept up to 7.6%. Even with those diminished peripherals, however, Thorpe has more than proved himself capable at the Double-A level and figured to be in line for a promotion in the near future.
What’s surprising, then, isn’t so much the promotion but that he will skip Triple-A entirely and jump directly into big league action. The White Sox optioned right-hander Nick Nastrini to the minors earlier today, leaving them with just a vacancy in a starting rotation that lost Mike Clevinger to the injured list and now features only Garrett Crochet, Erick Fedde, Chris Flexen, and Jonathan Cannon. Rather than call up a veteran at the Triple-A level such as Chad Kuhl or Touki Toussaint to fill out the rotation, the White Sox will instead turn to Thorpe in a bold move to get the righty a taste of big league action.
It’s a decision that could come with financial implications for Thorpe, as he’ll be in a good position to earn a fourth arbitration year as a Super Two player if he remains with the big league club going forward without returning to the minor leagues. Thorpe could theoretically earn himself a full season of service time by finishing in the top 2 in AL Rookie of the Year voting this season, although that would be quite the feat given the massive head starts afforded to players like Luis Gil of the Yankees and Mason Miller of the A’s who have been dominating in the majors all season.
The Opener: Thorpe, Rodriguez, Renfroe
With 40% of the 2024 regular season now in the books, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:
1. Thorpe to debut:
The White Sox are wasting no time in promoting their centerpiece from the Dylan Cease trade to the majors, as manager Pedro Grifol confirmed over the weekend that right-hander Drew Thorpe will make his MLB debut against the Mariners this evening. The White Sox will need to create space for Thorpe on both the 40-man and active rosters prior to tonight’s game, which is set to start at 6:40pm local time in Seattle. Thorpe will be tasked with taking on Mariners youngster Bryan Woo (1.07 ERA), who has been nothing short of dominant since returning from the injured list last month.
The 23-year-old Thorpe was in the headlines frequently this winter as he was twice included as a key part of the return in blockbuster deals, first headlining the return headed from New York to San Diego for Juan Soto alongside Michael King before the aforementioned Cease deal. Thorpe will be bypassing the Triple-A level entirely to make his way to the majors, but has an excellent 1.39 ERA in 16 starts at the Double-A level with an excellent 29.9% strikeout rate. A consensus top-100 prospect, Thorpe receives consistently high marks for his changeup and command with most services projecting him as a mid-rotation arm in the long term.
2. Rodriguez to debut:
Thorpe isn’t the only starting pitching prospect set to make his MLB debut today, as the Brewers are reportedly expected to promote right-hander Carlos Rodriguez for his major league debut this evening for a game against the Blue Jays in Milwaukee. The game is scheduled for 7:10pm local time and will see Rodriguez face off against veteran lefty Yusei Kikuchi (3.48 ERA) amid what has been a career season for the former NPB hurler. The Brewers will need to make room for Rodriguez on both the active and 40-man rosters prior to tonight’s game.
The 22-year-old has not typically been ranked especially highly by prospect outlets, but after being selected in the sixth round of the 2022 draft he nonetheless made some noise last year by posting a 2.77 ERA with a 29.5% strikeout rate across 25 starts at Double-A last year. Rodriguez received the bump to Triple-A late last year and has now made 13 total appearances at the level, but he’s struggled to a 5.21 ERA with a reduced 24.7% strikeout rate in that time. Still, the Brewers will turn to Rodriguez to take the ball in tonight’s game amid a myriad of starting pitching injuries that have plagued the club in recent weeks.
3. Renfroe injured:
It was a frustrating turn of events for both the Royals and veteran outfielder Hunter Renfroe as he exited yesterday’s loss to the Yankees after fouling two pitches off his left foot amid a 12-pitch duel with lefty Carlos Rodon. Manager Matt Quatraro told reporters (as relayed by Bally Sports Kansas City) that Renfroe suffered a broken toe during the at-bat and that he would be evaluated further before the club decides if a stint on the injured list will be necessary for the veteran. In the short term, any of Nick Pratto, Tyler Gentry, or Drew Waters could feasible replace Renfroe on the roster if he needs a stint on the IL.
The timing is especially unfortunate because Renfroe has been on a hot streak in recent weeks after a dreadful start to the season. The 32-year-old slashed just .150/.218/.263 in 87 trips to the plate prior to May 1 and continued to scuffle early last month but has turned things around in a big way over his last 20 games with an excellent .302/.371/.556 slash line in 70 plate appearances since the middle of May. If Renfroe ends up missing significant time due to the injury, it will only further highlight the need for another bat or two in the club’s outfield mix ahead of the trade deadline this summer; Royals outfielders have posted a collective wRC+ of just 75 this year, third-worst in baseball ahead of only the White Sox and Rockies.
The Opener: Biggio, Bregman, Yankees, Royals
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. Biggio in DFA limbo:
After several seasons of struggles as a potential “change of scenery” candidate, the Blue Jays made the somewhat surprising decision to designate infielder Cavan Biggio for assignment on Friday. While the 29-year-old has hit a paltry .200/.323/.291 with an 88 wRC+ in 44 games this season, Biggio entered the current campaign with a career .229/.345/.389 (105 wRC+) slash line, including an above-average figure in a multi-positional role last season with experience at first, second, and third base as well as right field. Biggio is now about halfway through his seven-day DFA window, during which the Blue Jays will either have to expose Biggio to waivers or work out a trade to move him elsewhere.
As a left-handed bat with the ability to play all around the infield and a walk rate that’s been north of 10% every season of his career, Biggio offers plenty of qualities that could make him an attractive bench piece for teams. On the other hand, Biggio’s lack of power production over the past four years could be a red flag, while the roughly $2.78MM left on his contract could make bringing him into the fold a slightly more expensive proposition.
2. Bregman day-to-day after HBP:
Astros fans suffered an injury scare last night when third baseman Alex Bregman was struck on the wrist by a pitch during the club’s game against the Angels. As noted by MLB.com’s Injury Tracker, it’s the second time in the past week that Bregman has been hit in that hand after a pitch got away from Cardinals right-hander Andre Pallante on Tuesday. Fortunately, it appears that the veteran infielder got away without a serious injury, as Bregman himself told reporters (including MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart) that x-rays on his wrist came back negative and that he’s currently day-to-day.
Houston is off today, giving Bregman at least one day to rest before any further decisions are made. Despite a difficult start to the season for the 30-year-old, the Astros would surely hate to lose Bregman for even a game or two in the midst of his first extended hot streak. The pending free agent is riding an 11-game hitting streak and has slashed a fantastic .381/.447/.833 with five homers, a triple, and two doubles in his past 47 plate appearances.
3. Series Preview: Yankees @ Royals
After struggling through a three-game series against the Dodgers in the Bronx, the Yankees head to Kansas City for a four-game set that could wind up being a postseason preview. The Yankees hold the AL’s best record but have a lead of just 2.5 games over the Orioles in the AL East, while the Royals sit four games back of Cleveland in the AL Central at 39-27. A win for the Royals in this series could help the club make up significant ground against Cleveland while also opening the door for the Orioles to sneak back into first place. A series win by the Yankees would preserve the status quo atop both divisions.
The series is set to begin at 7:10pm local time this evening, when Royals righty Seth Lugo (2.13 ERA) takes on Yankees lefty Carlos Rodon (3.08 ERA). Tomorrow’s game will see veteran Yankees righty Marcus Stroman (3.04 ERA) face off against Brady Singer (2.76 ERA). Journeyman Cody Poteet (1.72 ERA) is set to take the mound for the Yankees on Wednesday in a game where K.C. has yet to announce a starter. The series wraps Thursday with right-hander Alec Marsh (4.05 ERA) on the mound for Kansas City opposite Yankees southpaw Nestor Cortes (3.68 ERA). Looking beyond the pitching matchups, Yankees manager Aaron Boone told reporters (including those at MLB.com) that Juan Soto figures to return to the club’s lineup during this series after missing the past three games due to elbow inflammation.
Rangers Notes: Scherzer, Gray, Jung
TODAY: Scherzer began his rehab assignment today, tossing 53 pitches over four scoreless innings for Triple-A Round Rock. As noted by Shawn McFarland of the Dallas Morning News, Scherzer’s sinker was averaging 93mph, and he threw the pitch 22 times among his 53 overall offerings while allowing only one hit and one walk in the five-strikeout outing. The Rangers plan to build Scherzer up to a 75-pitch count before evaluating whether or not he might be ready to return to the majors.
JUNE 8: The Rangers activated right-hander Jon Gray from the 10-day injured list this afternoon, just over two weeks after he was initially shelved due to a groin strain. That quick turnaround has left Gray not fully stretched out to start, and Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News wrote this afternoon that the right-hander would be eased back into his role with the club in a relief role before later rejoining the starting mix. According to Grant, the decision to first use Gray in relief before adding him back to the rotation mix his next time up allowed the Rangers to skip a minor league rehab stint for the 32-year-old hurler.
That plan came to pass this evening, as Gray pitched 2 1/3 scoreless frames in relief of Andrew Heaney during this evening’s loss to the Giants. Regardless of the role he’s pitching in, Gray’s return figures to provide a huge boost to the Rangers pitching staff. After all, the righty boasted a 2.21 ERA and 2.52 FIP in 57 frames at the time of his placement on the IL with a solid 23.7% strikeout rate and a 44.4% groundball rate that represents his best work since joining the Rangers prior to the 2021 season. With starters Jacob deGrom, Max Scherzer, Cody Bradford, and Tyler Mahle all currently in the midst of lengthy absences, Gray’s speedy return from the shelf figures to be key for the Rangers as they look to get themselves back into the hunt for the postseason. The club has scuffled in recent weeks and currently sports a 30-34 record that puts them five games back of the Mariners for the AL West crown and three games out of the final AL Wild Card spot.
Fortunately, Gray isn’t the only key player who could return from injury in the near future. Grant also relays that third baseman Josh Jung, who has been shelved for the majority of the season due to a broken wrist, has begun taken live batting practice and could be slated for a rehab assignment as soon as this coming Tuesday. Grant adds that Rangers brass are expected to set a schedule for Jung tomorrow that could firm up those plans.
Jung made it into just four games with the Rangers before he was sidelined this year, but he was hitting a scorching .412/.474/.941 in that microscopic sample size before the injury put him out of action. Since the start of Jung’s 2023 campaign, he’s been a well above average offensive contributor for Texas at third base with a .271/.320/.483 slash line, 26 doubles, and 25 home runs in 534 trips to the plate across just 126 games. Josh Smith has performed well at the hot corner in Jung’s absence, although the 26-year-old’s return from the injured list would still improve the club’s offense by allowing the team to push Ezequiel Duran and his 92 wRC+ into a bench role.
Turning back to the pitching staff, veteran ace Max Scherzer also made progress in his rehab earlier this week, as MLB.com’s Injury Tracker notes that he threw 40-50 pitches across two innings of live batting practice earlier this week, with Scherzer himself telling reporters that he hopes to start a minor league rehab assignment soon. It’s been a rocky road to recovery for Scherzer this season as he entered the 2024 campaign projected to return from offseason back surgery around the All Star break before seemingly progressing ahead of schedule. That left him and the Rangers eyeing sometime in May for his return, although a nerve issue in Scherzer’s thumb ultimately required a cortisone shot and caused the club to shut the veteran righty down.
Now that Scherzer is throwing to hitters once again, he appears to be on a similar track to the one he was projected for at the time of his surgery, with a return later this month or in early July now a seemingly realistic target so long as he avoids additional setbacks. After being swapped from the Mets to the Rangers in exchange for Luisangel Acuna last summer, the future Hall of Famer pitched to a 3.20 ERA and 3.41 FIP in eight starts for the club down the stretch with an excellent 29.9% strikeout rate but dealt with injuries that limited both his availability and his effectiveness during the club’s postseason run that culminated in the first World Series championship in franchise history. Looking ahead, his return to action should further bolster the pitching staff in Texas while allowing the Rangers to shift the likes of Heaney and Jose Urena into relief after early season rotation injuries forced them into starting roles.
A’s Select Michel Otañez
5:18PM: Wood had a setback during his throwing program, as the team told MLB.com and other media. Wood has subsequently been shut down and no timeline has been given about when he might get back to the rehab process.
11:25AM: The A’s announced a series of roster moves this afternoon led by the club selecting the contract of right-hander Michel Otañez. Making room for Otañez on the 40-man roster is Alex Wood, who the club transferred to the 60-day injured list in a corresponding move, while lefty Jack O’Loughlin was optioned to the minor leagues to create space on the active roster.
Otañez, 27 next month, made his professional debut in the Mets organization back in 2018. Initially a starting pitcher, the right-hander converted to relief following the cancelled minor league season in 2020 and reached the upper levels of the minors in 2022. While he dominated Double-A hitters to the tune of a 1.80 ERA in 15 innings of work, he quickly met his match in a promotion to Triple-A, where he struggled to a 6.37 ERA in 29 2/3 frames. Otañez then elected minor league free agency and landed with the Diamondbacks, though his struggles continued with a brutal 6.08 ERA in 37 innings of work split between the Double- and Triple-A levels that year. While Otañez struck out an excellent 35.3% of batters faced with Arizona, a ghastly 16.2% walk rate held him back from being a major league caliber relief arm.
Otañez returned to minor league free agency last offseason and latched on with the A’s on a minor league pact. The club assigned him to Triple-A Las Vegas and he finally found success at the level with his third organization. In 29 1/3 innings of work, Otañez has managed to cut his walk rate to a more manageable 11.8% while maintaining a strong 35.4% strikeout rate that’s nearly identical to last year. His work to cut down on free passes paid dividends in the results department as he’s posted a 3.99 ERA despite the inflated offensive environment of the Pacific Coast League.
That performance was enough to convince the A’s to offer Otañez a chance at the big league level. The 26-year-old will make his major league debut the first time he gets into a game and figures to act as a middle relief option for the club from the right-hand side alongside Vinny Nittoli, behind late-inning arms Mason Miller, Austin Adams, and Dany Jimenez. He’ll replace O’Loughlin in an Oakland bullpen stacked with left-handed pitching options after the Australia native threw 3 1/3 scoreless relief frames against Toronto last night.
As for Wood, the lefty’s placement on the 60-day IL is ominous news given that Wood was set to begin a throwing program in his rehab from rotator cuff tendinitis on June 1. That seemingly could have put the veteran lefty on track to return sometime later this month, but now he’ll be out until at least after the All Star break. The 2024 campaign had been a struggle for Wood prior to his placement on the IL, as he pitched to a lackluster 5.26 ERA with a matching 5.27 FIP through nine starts with Oakland.