The Opener: Extensions, Marisnick, Recent DFAs
With MLB’s trade deadline just two weeks away, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:
1. Are more mid-season extension negotiations on the horizon?
While players and clubs typically try to avoid in-season extension talks, that occasionally changes in the run-up to the trade deadline. The Braves signed catcher Travis d’Arnaud to an extension yesterday, and last year’s deal between the Padres and Joe Musgrove stands as another recent example of two sides coming together on an extension in the midst of trade season. While d’Arnaud isn’t the only player for whom an extension has been a recent topic of discussion, other rumored extension possibilities come with roadblocks. The Red Sox reportedly have interest in an extension with young right-hander Brayan Bello, but Bello has indicated he prefers not to negotiate in-season. On the other hand, veteran hurler Marcus Stroman has expressed a desire to stay with the Cubs, but the club’s front office does not appear to reciprocate that interest.
2. Marisnick to undergo MRI:
Dodgers outfielder Jake Marisnick is set to undergo an MRI with the expectation that he’ll require a trip to the injured list, per Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic. Marisnick has appeared in just four games with the Dodgers since signing with the club on a major-league deal last week after stints with the White Sox and Tigers earlier in the season. If Marisnick winds up missing significant time, that would only increase pressure on the Dodgers to add a right-handed outfielder prior to the trade deadline, as the club has begun to rely on a fully lefty outfield of James Outman, David Peralta, and Jason Heyward with Mookie Betts and Chris Taylor taking on more infield work in recent days. In the meantime, Ardaya reports the Dodgers are expected to recall outfielder Jonny Deluca to take Marisnick’s spot on the roster.
3. Recent DFAs to monitor:
Cardinals lefty Genesis Cabrera and Rays right-hander Yonny Chirinos were designated for assignment earlier in the week, and both are more established names than the typical DFA fodder. Cabrera has had a rough stretch in 2022-23 but notched a 3.41 ERA and 28.7% strikeout rate in 92 1/3 innings from 2020-21. Command has always been an issue for him (career 12.2% walk rate), but lefties who average 96 mph and miss bats don’t grow on trees; it’s feasible that the DFA could accelerate talks on a potential trade. Chirinos, meanwhile, has posted a career-low 11.8% strikeout rate this season but nevertheless sports a respectable 4.02 ERA in 66 2/3 innings. Tommy John surgery wiped out most of the past couple seasons for the right-hander, but back in 2018-19 he gave Tampa Bay 223 innings of 3.71 ERA ball with a 21% strikeout rate and terrific 5.9% walk rate. There are workload concerns after he missed so much time from 2020-22, but Chirinos stands as a possible trade candidate who could help teams in need of rotation depth.
Both players’ DFA windows will extend to July 24, but it’s likely the Rays and Cardinals are in ongoing talks with other clubs on the pair of experienced hurlers.
The Opener: O’Neill, Giants, Rays, Rangers
As the second half of the 2023 regular season continues, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:
1. O’Neill to return:
Cardinals outfielder Tyler O’Neill has been out since early May with a low back strain, but the 28 year old is expected to rejoin the team ahead of tonight’s game against the Marlins. O’Neill is on the 60-day IL, so a corresponding move will be necessary to make room for him on the 40-man roster. It’s been a difficult season for O’Neill, as he’s slashed just .228/.283/.337 with a 70 wRC+ in 99 plate appearances. In addition to his poor performance at the plate and time on the shelf due to injuries, O’Neill was benched early in the season by manager Oli Marmol for a perceived lack of hustle.
Despite all that, president of baseball operations John Mozeliak indicated yesterday that O’Neill will be the club’s starting left fielder upon his return. With Lars Nootbaar and Jordan Walker locked into center and right field respectively, that seemingly leaves Dylan Carlson as the odd man out. Still just 24 years old, Carlson was once a consensus top-20 prospect in the sport but has struggled to turn that promise into production at the big league level as he’s slashed just .236/.324/.376 (102 wRC+) in 686 plate appearances since the start of the 2022 campaign.
2. DeSclafani to return:
The Giants and Reds were rained out in the 8th inning of yesterday’s 2-2 game at Great American Ballpark. The game is set to be finished this evening before the second game of the series tonight. According to Mark Sheldon and Allie Kaylor of MLB.com, fans who have tickets to tonight’s game can come early to watch the end of last night’s game in addition to the regularly scheduled game, while fans who had tickets to last night’s game can present them at the ballpark’s box office for a $5 discount on tickets to today’s game. Last night’s game is set to resume at 4:40pm CT.
Once tonight’s regularly scheduled game begins at 6:10pm CT, Giants right-hander Anthony DeSclafani is expected to take the mound after being placed on the 15-day IL earlier this month with shoulder fatigue. DeSclafani was excellent across 11 starts during the first two months of the season, with a 3.48 ERA and 3.67 FIP in 67 1/3 innings of work. Since then, however, DeSclafani has struggled mightily, with a 6.92 ERA and a 5.28 FIP in six starts, half of which lasted just three innings. If DeSclafani’s time on the shelf has helped him rest up and return to form, he’ll be a major asset to a Giants club in the thick of the wild card race despite getting less innings from their starting pitchers than any team in baseball besides the A’s and Rockies.
3. Rays vs Rangers:
Two of the AL’s top teams are in the midst of a key series, as the Rays (60-37) and Rangers (56-39) partake in a three game set at Globe Life Field. The Rangers won the series opener 3-2 last night, a win that put them 3.5 games ahead of the second-place Astros for the AL West crown. By contrast, the Rays’ loss last night leaves the Orioles nipping at their heels, just one game behind Tampa in an extremely competitive AL East division. Tonight’s game is set to begin at 7:05pm CT.
Right-handed youngster Taj Bradley is set to take the mound for the Rays at 7:05pm CT tonight against veteran hurler and former Ray Nathan Eovaldi, who has emerged as the ace of Texas’ pitching staff following the loss of Jacob deGrom to Tommy John surgery earlier this season with a 2.38 ERA in 117 2/3 innings of work. On the other hand, Bradley has had an up-and-down rookie campaign. The youngster sports an ugly 5.43 ERA in 61 1/3 innings despite a much stronger 3.99 FIP thanks in part to brutal results in his last three starts, where he’s allowed 16 earned runs while managing just 12 1/3 innings.
The Opener: Pirates, Reds, McClanahan
With the trade deadline just two weeks away, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:
1. Pirates Prospect Promotions:
This evening’s game against the Guardians is shaping up to be a significant one for the Pirates, as the club is poised to call up a trio of prospects prior to the game tonight. Reports began circling over the weekend that right-handed pitching prospect Quinn Priester would be taking the ball for his MLB debut tonight, while last night news broke that he would be joined by catcher Endy Rodriguez and infielder Liover Peguero, the latter of whom will be returning to the big leagues after a one-game cup of coffee last year.
The trio of top 10 prospects in the Pirates system have all generated top-100 prospect buzz throughout their careers in the minors. Rodriguez is the best known of the bunch, as a consensus top 55 prospect in the sport entering the 2023 campaign. Priester, entered the 2023 campaign ranked 60th by MLB Pipeline. Peguero isn’t on any top 100 lists at the moment, though he was a consensus top 80 prospect prior to the 2022 campaign. Rodriguez and Peguero are both already on the 40-man roster, but an opening will need to be created for Priester before he can join the team. Of course, space will need to be cleared for all three on the active roster prior to tonight’s game as well.
2. Reds to promote CES:
The Pirates aren’t the only club promoting a top prospect today. The youth movement in Cincinnati is set to continue this evening with infield prospect Christian Encarnacion-Strand set to join the club for tonight’s game against the Giants. Encarnacion-Strand is currently ranked 88th on MLB Pipeline’s top 100 list and has had an incredible season in his first taste of Triple-A action with Louisville. In 316 plate appearances at the level, Encarnacion-Strand has slashed .331/.405/.637, good for a wRC+ of 153. The 23-year-old is not yet on the 40-man roster, so a corresponding move will be necessary to create space for him.
In promoting Encarnacion-Strand, the Reds will create a bit of a logjam in their infield. With future Hall of Famer Joey Votto raking 77 plate appearances into his age-39 season, the Reds will have to juggle playing time for him, Encarnacion-Strand, Spencer Steer, Elly De La Cruz, Jonathan India, and Matt McLain around the infield. While the DH slot should ease those issues to an extent, with six infielders seemingly due for regular playing time and only five spots in the lineup available to them, the Reds will either have to make difficult decisions regarding their infield mix or lean heavily on the limited experience of both Steer and Encarnacion-Strand in the outfield corners.
3. McClanahan to return:
Rays lefty Shane McClanahan has been on the 15-day injured list since the beginning of the month with mid-back tightness. After just over the minimum time away, he’s poised to return to the mound today in a start against the Rangers tonight in Texas. McClanahan’s return is sure to take pressure off right-handers Tyler Glasnow, Zach Eflin, and Taj Bradley, who have operated as a three-man rotation in McClanahan’s absence.
The lefty was dominant in 17 starts prior to going on the IL, with a 2.53 ERA and 3.86 FIP in 96 innings of work. While those numbers are certainly impressive, they’re actually inflated by a pair of shortened starts during which McClanahan was battling the injury that eventually sent him to the shelf. Through his first 15 starts of the season, McClanahan appeared to be the clear front-runner for the AL Cy Young award this year with a sterling 2.12 ERA in 89 1/3 innings of work.
Yankees Place Josh Donaldson On Injured List
The Yankees announced earlier today that third baseman Josh Donaldson had been placed on the 10-day IL with a right calf strain. In a corresponding move, infielder Oswald Peraza was recalled from Triple-A.
It’s been a difficult year of Donaldson, who missed nearly two months with a right hamstring strain and has struggled at the plate even when healthy, with a .142/.225/.434 slash line in 120 plate appearances, good for a wRC+ of just 75. Those brutal offense numbers don’t tell the whole story, as Donaldson has still managed to hit for power with an impressive .292 ISO and a whopping 19.7% barrel rate. Additionally, the veteran sports a microscopic BABIP of .076 that is surely contributing to his woeful batting average. While some of that can be explained by a career-low 7.9% line drive rate, it seems reasonable to expect that Donaldson’s performance would level out over time with more of his batted balls falling in for hits.
Unfortunately for Donaldson, any hopes of turning his season around will have to be put on hold for the foreseeable future as he heads to the shelf with a calf injury. A timetable for Donaldson’s return has not been made available, but the veteran infielder has dealt with calf issues previously in his career, including missing a month with a right calf strain in 2020 with the Twins and left calf issues that limited him to just sixteen games after the end of May in 2018.
Replacing Donaldson on the roster is Peraza, who entered the 2023 campaign as a top-50 prospect in the sport. In 12 games in the majors this season the 23 year old has managed a slash line of just .188/.316/.219, though he’s posted a much stronger .261/.352/.495 line in 45 games at the Triple-A level. Though he’s yet to receive an extended opportunity at the big league level, it’s possible that’s about to change, as Aaron Boone told reporters (including Chris Kirschner of The Athletic) that “there should be plenty of playing time for him” around the infield, with Peraza able to play both second and third base in addition to his natural position of shortstop.
In more positive injury news, GM Brian Cashman told MLBNetwork’s Jim Bowden on the radio today that star outfielder Aaron Judge is making progress in his rehab, with things “moving in the right direction” regarding both his hitting and his running. While no specific timetable for return was addressed, Cashman noted that the club will have a better idea of when Judge will be ready to return to action after the club’s current road trip, which is set to end on Friday.
The possibility of Judge nearing a return is phenomenal news for the Yankees, who have gone just 15-18 since losing the reigning AL MVP at the start of June. In 49 games this season, Judge has slashed a sensational .291/.404/.674 that’s good for a whopping 188 wRC+. With Judge on the shelf, the club is currently relying on the likes of Isiah-Kiner Falefa, Billy McKinney, Oswaldo Cabrera, and Franchy Cordero in the outfield corners with Giancarlo Stanton at DH and Harrison Bader in center field.
Matt Bowman Opts Out Of Yankees Deal
Right-hander Matt Bowman has opted out of his minor league deal with the Yankees, per MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand. If the Yankees don’t add Bowman to the club’s 40-man roster within the next 72 hours, Bowman will return to the open market.
A 13th round pick by the Mets in the 2012 draft, Bowman made his major league debut with the Cardinals in 2016. From 2016-19, Bowman posted a 4.02 ERA (105 ERA+) and 3.68 FIP across 181 innings of work between the St. Louis and Cincinnati bullpens. Bowman didn’t appear in an affiliated game from 2020-2022 due to the shortened 2020 campaign and the Tommy John surgery he underwent in September of that year.
After landing with the Yankees on a minor league deal, he returned to pro-ball at the Triple-A level with the club earlier this season. In 38 1/3 innings of work at Triple-A this season, Bowman has posted solid numbers. He sports a 3.29 ERA with a solid 22% strikeout rate and strong 59.6% groundball rate, albeit with a less impressive walk rate of 11%.
Despite Bowman’s solid performance at the Triple-A level, it’s unclear if the Yankees will make room for him on the 40-man or allow him to walk in free agency. New York sports MLB’s best bullpen ERA with a 3.16 figure, while Yankees relievers rank a solid 4th in the NL with 2.9 fWAR this season. Given the solid performances not only from back-end arms like Clay Holmes and Michael King but even relievers like Nick Ramirez and Ian Hamilton in the middle innings, the club may simply not have room in their bullpen for Bowman, though the right-hander does have a minor league option remaining.
If Bowman does reach the open market, he’s sure to garnet interest from relief-needy clubs thanks to the 32-year-old hurler’s combination of strong results at Triple-A this year and track record of success in the big leagues when healthy. With the trade deadline just two weeks away, plenty of clubs are likely to be shuffling their relief corps in the near future, whether to accommodate a newly-acquired arm or after dealing away an established reliever. That could create opportunity for Bowman to crack an MLB roster and return to a major league mound for the first time since 2019.
Cubs Acquire P.J. Higgins
Per The Athletic’s Patrick Mooney, the Cubs have acquired catcher P.J. Higgins in a minor trade with the Diamondbacks in exchange for cash consideration.
It’s a homecoming for Higgins, who was drafted by the Cubs in the 12th round of the 2015 draft. He made his big league debut on the north side back in 2021 with a nine-game cup of coffee before getting a longer look in the organization the following season as the club’s third catcher behind Willson Contreras and Yan Gomes. Higgins made it into 74 games that season, slashing .229/.310/.383 in 229 plate appearances, good for a roughly average wRC+ of 97. In addition to his 236 innings of work behind the plate, Higgins spent time at both infield corners with the Cubs in 2022.
Despite that solid performance, Higgins was eventually designated for assignment by the Cubs during the offseason to make room for newly-signed catcher Tucker Barnhart on the 40-man roster. Higgins elected free agency shortly thereafter before signing with the Diamondbacks on a minor league deal shortly after the new year. In 2023, Higgins has hit well at the Triple-A level for Arizona with a .317/.407/.473 slash line (116 wRC+) in 58 games. Unfortunately for Higgins, he was blocked with the Diamondbacks by Gabriel Moreno, Carson Kelly, and Jose Herrera, all of whom were on the 40-man roster in Arizona.
Higgins now returns to Chicago, though he’s once again blocked by a trio of catchers on the 40-man roster: Barnhart, Gomes, and Miguel Amaya. That being said, Barnhart has struggled massively at the plate with a wRC+ of just 58 in 110 plate appearances this season, while Gomes was among MLBTR’s Top 50 Deadline Trade Candidates earlier this month. Should the club move on from either Barnhart or Gomes in the near future, Higgins could have a path to a roster spot with the Cubs as the club’s third catcher. In the meantime, he figures to head to Triple-A where he’ll share time with Dom Nunez and Bryce Windham at the Triple-A level.
Orioles To Recall Grayson Rodriguez
Orioles manager Brandon Hyde told reporters, including Dan Connolly of sportsnaut.net, today that right-handed flamethrower Grayson Rodriguez is slated to start tomorrow’s game against the Dodgers.
A consensus top ten prospect in the sport entering the 2023 campaign, Rodriguez first received the call to the big leagues early this season but struggled badly across ten starts, with a 7.35 ERA and 5.93 FIP in 45 1/3 innings of work. That performance saw him optioned to the minors at the end of May. In seven starts since returning to Triple-A, Rodriguez has dominated to the tune of a 1.69 ERA with a fantastic 36.5% strikeout rate in 37 1/3 innings of work. That level of dominance indicates that Rodriguez has little else to gain from additional reps in the minors, making today’s news that Rodriguez will return to the big league rotation a natural next step.
If Rodriguez is able to live up to the promise of his Triple-A results and prospect pedigree at the major league level, it would be nothing short of transformative for the Orioles’ rotation. While strong performances in the lineup and bullpen have propelled the club to an excellent 56-35 record so far this season, a mediocre rotation has held the club back in their pursuit of the division-leading Rays for the AL East crown. Orioles starts rank just 18th in the majors in ERA and bottom five in the AL in terms of fWAR this season, with the likes of Tyler Wells, Kyle Bradish, and Kyle Gibson offering performances closer to serviceable than dominant.
By calling up Rodriguez two weeks before the trade deadline on August 1, the Orioles will be able to see the 23-year-old hurler make multiple starts before trade season comes to an end. That’ll give the club valuable information about how much he can be relied on to make an impact for the club as Baltimore eyes a return to postseason play for the first time since 2016. The Orioles have long been expected to add to their rotation ahead of the coming trade deadline, but a dominant showing from the youngster could give the club’s front office additional confidence in pursuing a top-of-the-market option such as Marcus Stroman, Lucas Giolito or Jordan Montgomery to pair with Rodriguez at the front of the club’s rotation.
Rodriguez is already on the 40-man roster, but a corresponding move will nonetheless be required prior to tomorrow’s game in order to make room for the right-hander on the active roster. Connolly notes that left-hander Cole Irvin will move to the bullpen going forward to make room for Rodriguez in the club’s rotation. After being acquired from the A’s in an offseason trade, Irvin had a disastrous start to his Orioles career with a 10.66 ERA across his first three starts of the season. That led the club to demote him in early April, though in 25 innings of work in the big leagues since then he’s posted a far more palatable 2.88 ERA and 4.04 FIP. He figures to offer the Orioles a solid multi-inning option out of the bullpen going forward.
Cristian Pache To Undergo Elbow Surgery
Phillies manager Rob Thomson told reporters, including Alex Coffey of the Philadelphia Inquirer, that outfielder Cristian Pache is set to undergo surgery to remove a screw from his throwing elbow tomorrow. Pache is expected to return this season, though Coffey notes that Thomson said he’ll be out for a “few weeks” nonetheless.
It’s an unfortunate update for Pache, who was placed on the injured list Friday with right-elbow irritation. A former consensus top-20 prospect in the entire sport, Pache came up with the Braves before being swapped to Oakland in the Matt Olson deal. He struggled badly with the A’s last year, slashing just .166/.218/.241 in 91 games. That prompted Oakland to designate Pache for assignment during Spring Training this season before dealing him to the Phillies just before Opening Day.
Tomorrow’s surgery will be Pache’s second this season, as he missed six weeks after undergoing knee surgery at the beginning of May. In spite of those injury woes, Pache’s enjoyed the best offensive season of his career as a part-time player in Philadelphia, slashing an excellent .327/.365/.592 in 53 plate appearances while playing excellent center field defense.
With Pache now headed to the shelf for an extended period of time, Rookie outfielder Johan Rojas figures to get an extended opportunity in Pache’s previous role as a right-handed complement to lefty outfielders Kyle Schwarber and Brandon Marsh. The club’s outfield picture is about to get more flexible as well, as MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki relays that Bryce Harper is set to make his season debut in the field at first base during the club’s upcoming series in Milwaukee. With Harper set to spend time at first going forward, that will open up the DH for Schwarber more often, allowing the club to play both Marsh and Rojas alongside right fielder Nick Castellanos or open up space for an outfield acquisiton at the trade deadline.
Harper’s recovery from Tommy John surgery has been unprecedented in its speed, and it appears his return to the field will be no exception. In addition to beginning to field at first base later this week, Coffey adds that the Phillies haven’t completely ruled out a return to right field before the end of the season, with manager Rob Thomson quoted as saying the possibility is “on the edge of the table.” Such a move would seemingly be contingent on not only Harper’s health but also the moves the club makes prior to the trade deadline on August 1.
The Phillies have long been interested in adding a right-handed outfielder to the club’s current mix, and such an acquisition could create a logjam in the outfield between Castellanos, Schwarber, Marsh, Rojas, Pache, and the acquisition that would only be further exacerbated by Harper’s return to the grass.
Red Sox Designate Tayler Scott For Assignment
The Red Sox announced this morning that they had designated left-hander Tayler Scott for assignment. Taking Scott’s place on both the 40-man and active rosters is right-hander Jake Faria, who had his contract selected from the minors in a corresponding move.
A fifth round pick by the Cubs in the 2011 draft, Scott is journeyman who played for five organizations in the minor leagues before making his big league debut with the Mariners in 2019 at the age of 27. In 13 appearances with Seattle and Baltimore that season, Scott posted a 14.33 ERA in 16 1/3 innings of work. He’d spend the next two seasons overseas, playing for the Hiroshima Carp in the NPB before returning to the majors in 2022 with the Padres. In San Diego, Scott struggled once again to a 7.45 ERA in 9 2/3 innings of work.
In 2023, Scott signed on with the Dodgers on a minor league deal before impressing at the Triple-A level with a 1.37 ERA in 19 2/3 innings of work. The lefty was unable to replicate that success at the big league level, however, as Scott posted an ERA of 9.00 in six innings of work with the big league Dodgers before being traded to the Red Sox last month. Scott’s run prevention numbers improved slightly in Boston, though he still yielded a 4.91 ERA in his 3 2/3 innings of work with the club.
Overall, the 31-year-old Scott sports a career 10.18 ERA in 38 innings of work at the big league level, though he’s had more success overseas and in Triple-A with career marks of 4.02 and 4.01 respectively. The Red Sox will now have a week to trade, release, or waive Scott. Should they successfully pass Scott through waivers, the Red Sox will have the opportunity to outright Scott to the minors, though Scott could reject that assignment as a player who has previously been outrighted in his career.
Replacing Scott on the roster is Faria, a 29-year-old right-hander who last pitched in the big leagues with the Diamondbacks back in 2021. In 203 innings of major league work with the Rays, Brewers, and Dbacks, Faria has posted a 4.70 ERA (90 ERA+) with a matching 4.74 FIP. Faria is capable of pitching both out of the bullpen and as a member of the rotation, with 29 of his 72 career appearances in the majors having come as a starter. He’s struggled in 55 2/3 innings of work with the club’s Triple-A affiliate in Worcester, with a 6.47 ERA and 13.3% walk rate, though given his decent big league track record it’s nonetheless possible he could offer a useful multi-inning relief option to the Red Sox going forward.
NL Central Notes: McCutchen, Anderson, Swanson
The Pirates announced this morning that they had activated veteran outfielder Andrew McCutchen from the 10-day injured list. Infielder Rodolfo Castro was optioned to Triple-A in a corresponding move.
McCutchen’s return should help to boost a Pirates offense that desperately needs a spark. After a hot 20-8 start to open the season, the club has cratered to a 41-51 record that puts in fourth place in the NL Central, 9.5 games back of the division-leading Brewers. That free-fall in the standings can be primarily attributed to an offense that ranks dead last in the majors since May 1 with a wRC+ of just 79, 21% below league average. As the team’s offense has slumped, McCutchen has maintained solid production with a .275/.399/.398 slash line in 208 plate appearances since the start of May.
While McCutchen’s steady veteran presence and an injection of youth from the likes of Henry Davis and Nick Gonzales have helped to steady the club’s offense somewhat, the Pirates will need improved performance from star outfielder Bryan Reynolds, who has slashed just .150/.209/.250 since returning from low back inflammation earlier this month. That performance has dropped his drop his wRC+ to just 109 this season, a far cry from the 133 wRC+ he offered the past two seasons.
More from around the NL Central…
- The Brewers announced today that they had placed third baseman Brian Anderson on the 10-day IL with a low back strain. It’s been a difficult season for Anderson as the 30 year old has slashed just .229/.317/.373 with a wRC+ of 90 in 85 games this season while acting as Milwaukee’s primary third baseman. Replacing Anderson on the roster is infielder Jahmai Jones, who kicked his Brewers career off by going 2-4 with a double, a walk, and a stolen base in five trips to the plate after signing with the club on a major league deal earlier this month. Infielder Andruw Monasterio figures to handle the hot corner while Anderson is on the shelf, with Jones sliding into Monasterio’s typical utility role.
- Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson is eligible to come off the IL for the first time today after suffering a left heel contusion just before the All-Star break. That being said, The Athletic’s Sahadev Sharma relays that manager David Ross expects Swanson to be out for a least a little while longer. According to Ross, while Swanson’s heel improved over the break, he still is feeling “some pain” when running the bases. While Swanson is on the shelf, Nico Hoerner has slid from second base to shortstop, opening up the keystone for Christopher Morel.