Logan O’Hoppe To Miss 4-6 Months With Torn Labrum
Angels manager Phil Nevin told reporters (including Sam Blum of The Athletic) today that catcher Logan O’Hoppe has a torn labrum on his left (non-throwing) shoulder that will require surgery. The 23-year-old catcher, who was placed on the 10-day injured list yesterday, is expected to miss four to six months, potentially putting his season in jeopardy.
O’Hoppe was acquired by the Angels at the trade deadline last season in the deal that sent outfielder Brandon Marsh to the Phillies. A consensus top-50 prospect in the sport entering the 2023 season, O’Hoppe earned the Angels’ starting catching job out of camp this season despite having just five games of big league experience under his belt as Max Stassi began the season on the injured list. The youngster was off to an impressive start this season, with a .283/.339/.547 slash line across 16 games that was good for a wRC+ of 142.
Losing such a productive bat for most, if not all, of the remainder of the season is a massive blow to the Angels, who have largely seen their offense struggle outside of superstars Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani, with only O’Hoppe and outfielder Hunter Renfroe posting an above average wRC+ so far this season among the rest of the club’s offense.
In addition to losing O’Hoppe’s bat, the Angels now find themselves without either half of their usual starting tandem, as Stassi does not appear to be close to a return from the hip ailment that sidelined him at the start of the season. Until Stassi returns, the Angels figure to use Matt Thaiss, who opened the season as the club’s third catcher, and journeyman Chad Wallach behind the plate. Neither of those options inspire the same confidence that O’Hoppe would, as Wallach sports just a 59 wRC+ in 274 career plate appearances since his MLB debut with the Reds in 2017, while Thaiss only began catching in 2021 and has a career wRC+ of 81 in 298 plate appearances.
Given the worrying situation behind the plate for Anaheim, it wouldn’t be a shock to see the club explore external catching options to supplement their current group. Robinson Chirinos and Austin Romine are available on the free agent market, while Gary Sanchez and Jorge Alfaro are among the catchers with significant big league experience who are on minor league deals in other organizations.
NL East Notes: Braves, Marlins, Mets
Braves fans got some positive injury news yesterday, as manager Brian Snitker told reporters, including Justin Toscano of the Atlanta Journal-Constitutional, that both closer Raisel Iglesias and catcher Travis d’Arnaud are making progress in their rehab processes.
Iglesias, who the Braves acquired from the Angels at last year’s trade deadline, has been on the injured list since the start of the season due to shoulder inflammation. The 33-year-old righty has been among the game’s best closers for several years now, with a 2.75 ERA (160 ERA+) in 448 1/3 innings with a 30.7% strikeout rate and 7.2% walk rate since the start of the 2016 season. Iglesias started his Braves career in particularly dominant fashion, with a microscopic 0.34 ERA in 26 1/3 innings down the stretch following last summer’s trade.
Per Toscano, Iglesias is scheduled to throw live batting practice on Monday, which could indicate that a rehab assignment is a possibility in the near future. A return to action for Iglesias would be fantastic news for the Braves, who are currently relying on A.J. Minter, Dylan Lee, and Jesse Chavez in late inning situations.
Meanwhile, d’Arnaud has been on the 7-day concussion IL since he was involved in a collision at home plate earlier this month. The 34-year-old catcher, who pairs with Sean Murphy to create perhaps the best catching tandem in the sport for the Braves when healthy, was slashing .333/.333/.424 in eight games prior to going on the IL. He took a step forward in his rehab yesterday, catching a bullpen session in addition to hitting. While d’Arnaud has been on the shelf, Chadwick Tromp has backed up Murphy behind the plate.
More from around the NL East…
- Marlins ace Sandy Alcantara told reporters today, including Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald, that he expects to pitch against Atlanta on Wednesday if everything goes well after skipping his last start due to biceps tendinitis. Before he gets to that point, the reigning NL Cy Young Award winner will play catch today and throw a bullpen session tomorrow. Alcantara has struggled to open the season with a 5.47 ERA in 24 2/3 innings and a reduced 19.8% strikeout rate, though with only 43.7% of baserunners stranded to this point in the season, it’s easy to see how the 27-year-old ace has been unlucky in the early going this season, as punctuated by his 3.52 FIP being nearly two runs lower than his ERA.
- Sticking with 2022 Cy Young Award winners, Mets manager Buck Showalter tells reporters (including The Athletic’s Will Sammon) that ace Justin Verlander is set to throw a live bullpen session today. Verlander, who has been sidelined with a shoulder strain since the start of the season, signed with the Mets this past offseason on a two-year, $86.66MM deal. The Mets rotation has been decimated in the early going this season, with both Jose Quintana and Carlos Carrasco joining Verlander on the injured list, while fellow ace Max Scherzer serves a 10-game suspension for foreign substance use during which the Mets cannot replace him on the active roster. [UPDATE: as per MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo, Verlander threw 43 pitches over his three-inning bullpen session. The Mets plan for Verlander to make a minor league rehab start on Friday, with an eye towards Verlander being activated from the IL to pitch during the Mets’ series in Detroit on May 2-4.]
Cardinals Activate Paul DeJong, DFA Taylor Motter
The Cardinals have activated infielder Paul DeJong from the 10-day IL, per a team announcement. He’ll be in the starting lineup at shortstop for today’s game against the Mariners. To make room on the active roster, infielder Taylor Motter has been designated for assignment.
DeJong, 29, will look to bounce back from a brutal 2022 season that saw him slash just .157/.245/.286 in 77 games that culminated in him getting optioned to Triple-A, where he spent 51 games in 2022. That demotion to Triple-A seemed to help DeJong rediscover his bat, as he slashed .249/.313/.552 in 230 plate appearances. His activation hardly comes as a surprise, as the club announced yesterday that they were expecting to activate him today.
The real surprise here, then, is the decision to DFA Motter. DeJong was already on the 40-man roster, and Motter had options remaining, meaning the club could have simply optioned him to Triple-A. Instead, the club will have seven days to trade, waive, or release Motter. It’s a situation not unfamiliar for Motter, who has played for seven clubs across six season in the big leagues. Drafted by the Rays in the 17th round of the draft, Motter made his MLB debut in Tampa back in 2016, and has since suited up for the Mariners, Twins, Rockies, Red Sox, and Reds prior to joining the Cardinals on a minor league deal ahead of the 2023 season.
Motter hasn’t hit much to this point in his career, with just a .192/.264/.310 slash line in 466 plate appearances. Still, Motter provides valuable versatility, given his experience at every position on the diamond besides catcher and center field. He’ll likely clear waivers and look to latch on with another club on a minor league deal. After the move, the Cardinals’ 40-man roster stands at 39.
Minor MLB Transactions: 4/23/23
A few minor transactions around the baseball world have occurred recently:
- Per his profile on MLB.com, right-hander Trevor Hildenberger has been released by the Giants. Hildenberger, who signed a minor league deal with the Giants back in December, last appeared in the majors in 2021 with the Mets. In that two appearance stint he allowed four runs on three hits and three walks in 2 1/3 innings while notching four strikeouts. Prior to his stint with the Mets, Hildenberger had been part of the Twins bullpen from 2017-2019 after the club selected him in the 22nd round of the 2014 draft. As a member of the Twins, Hildenberger pitched to a 5.35 ERA with a 4.08 FIP in 131 1/3 innings of work. In the minors, Hildenberger sports a career 4.43 ERA in 85 1/3 innings at the Triple-A level.
- The Dodgers recently released right-hander Rubby De La Rosa according to Chris Hilburn-Trenkle of Baseball America. De La Rosa, 34, has amassed 421 1/3 innings in the big leagues across seven seasons, but hasn’t pitched in the majors since 2017. With a 4.49 ERA (91 ERA+) and 4.55 FIP in the big leagues, De La Rosa headed to Japan to pitch for the Yoimuri Giants from 2019-2022 before signing a minors deal with the Dodgers back in February. With a 2.53 ERA in 124 1/3 innings of work out of the bullpen in Japan, it’s certainly possible another club could be interested in giving De La Rosa a shot on a minors deal.
- The Mariners recently signed left-hander Rob Kaminsky and right-hander Braden Shipley to minor league deals, per Hilburn-Trenkle. Kaminsky has five career games in the big leagues under his belt, all of which came during the 2020 season with the Cardinals. The lefty pitched to a solid 1.93 ERA over 4 2/3 innings of work, though he has amassed just 41 2/3 innings of work in the minor leagues since. Shipley, meanwhile, has 100 career innings in the big leagues across the 2016-2018 seasons with the Diamondbacks, though he struggled to a 5.49 ERA over those 26 games (14 starts). A former first-round draft pick, Shipley returns to the Mariners after pitching for their Double-A affiliate last season, with a 3.79 ERA in 54 2/3 innings of work.
Pirates Select Drew Maggi
The Pirates announced today that they have selected the contract of infielder Drew Maggi following the placement of outfielder Bryan Reynolds on the bereavement list. To clear space on the 40-man roster, first baseman Ji Man Choi was transferred to the 60-day IL.
Reynolds has been off to a hot start this season, slashing .294/.319/.553 (125 wRC+) in 22 games this season amid rumors of extension negotiations that have spilled into the season. All that will be put on hold, of course, while Reynolds is away from the team. Players on the bereavement list can miss a minimum of three games and a maximum of seven games, meaning Reynolds can return at the earliest against the Dodgers on April 27 and at the latest against the Rays on May 2.
Choi’s transfer to the 60-day IL comes as little surprise after the Pirates announced that the first baseman would miss about two months with a strained Achilles tendon. Choi, 32 in May, struggled to open his Pirates career prior to the injury, slashing just .125/.125/.344 (16 wRC+) in nine games with 15 strikeouts in just 32 plate appearances. Prior to this season, Choi has long been a solid, consistent bat at the big league level, with a career 114 wRC+ and a 120 wRC+ as a member of the Rays from 2018-2022. Choi was acquired from the Rays by the Pirates ahead of the non-tender deadline this past November in exchange for right-hander Jack Hartman.
Maggi, 34 next month, is a journeyman who has yet to make his major league debut. Drafted by the Pirates in the fifteenth round of the 2010 draft, Maggi has since played in thirteen seasons in the minors for six different organizations, with a .254/.355/.378 slash line in 494 games at the Triple-A level. Maggi has experience at all four infield spots, both outfield corners, and has even pitched two innings during his minor league career. That Maggi is now set to get a big league opportunity after over a decade in the minors is certainly a heartwarming moment, and the Pirates shared a video of him receiving the news this morning.
Guardians Select Logan Allen
According to Zack Meisel of The Athletic, the Guardians have selected the contract of left-hander Logan Allen, who will start this afternoon’s game against the Marlins. To make room on the active roster, infielder Tyler Freeman was optioned to Triple-A, while catching prospect Bryan Lavastida was designated for assignment to make room for Allen on the 40-man roster.
Allen, 24, is the Guardians’ eighth best prospect according to MLB Pipeline. His promotion is no surprise, as the Guardians had already announced their plans to start the lefty today earlier this week. A second round pick by the Guardians in the 2020 draft, Allen sports plus control to go with velocity in the low to mid 90s on his fastball, a slider, and a changeup that’s considered to be his best pitch. After posting a 3.33 ERA in 73 innings of work at the Double-A level last season, Allen earned a promotion to Triple-A, though the young lefty struggled badly in 59 2/3 innings at the level, posting a 6.49 ERA while walking 10.7% of batters faced and striking out just 27%.
Those numbers have all improved drastically in the early going this season, however, as Allen has allowed two earned runs in three starts (14 1/3 innings) in his return to Triple-A this season. That showing has earned Allen his first big league opportunity, though with an off-day on Thursday allowing the Guardians to go back to a four starters for the next turn through the rotation, it’s possible this is merely a spot start for the youngster.
Freeman, 24 next month, heads to Triple-A in Allen’s place. He had been called up earlier in the week and appeared in just two games during his short stint with the big league club, though he did well in his eight plate appearances, recording a single, a double, and a walk without striking out. Freeman got a slightly longer cup of coffee in the big leagues last season, though that was less successful, as he slashed just .247/.314/.286 (76 wRC+) in 86 plate appearances. He’ll now head to Triple-A to serve as infield depth alongside Brayan Rocchio.
Lavastida, 24, ranked as one of the Guardians’ top 30 prospects as recently as last season, per MLB Pipeline. Unfortunately, he has endured multiple seasons of offensive woes in the upper levels of the minors at this point. Since his promotion to Double-A in 2021, Lavastida has slashed just .225/.300/.357 in 86 games at the level, while his Triple-A slash line of .217/.307/.368 in 46 games is hardly better. The Guardians now have seven days to trade, waive, or release Lavastida. As an upper-level catcher with options remaining, he figures to be an attractive option to clubs on the waiver wire, who may hope a change of scenery could help him rediscover the offensive success that he had in the lower levels of the minors.
Rays Activate Zach Eflin, DFA Hector Perez
According to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times, the Rays have activated right-hander Zach Eflin from the 15-day IL to start this afternoon’s game against the White Sox. In a corresponding move, the club has designated right-hander Hector Perez for assignment.
Eflin’s return will help fortify a Rays rotation currently wracked with injuries. In addition to Tyler Glasnow having yet to make his debut this season thanks to an oblique strain, breakout left-hander Jeffrey Springs saw his season end last week when it was announced he is set to undergo Tommy John surgery. Eflin, who signed a three-year, $40MM deal to join the Rays over the offseason, had a 3.27 ERA and 2.63 FIP in two starts before being placed on the 15-day injured list due to back tightness. The ailment clearly proved to be minor, as Eflin is returning after a backdated minimum stay on the IL.
That’s good news for the Rays, who now have another reliable arm in the rotation alongside Shane McClanahan, Drew Rasmussen, and prospect Taj Bradley. With Bradley and Rasmussen set to pitch the next two days, the Rays will need another starter on Wednesday, though it’s possible they could turn to a bullpen game led by lefty Josh Fleming, who opened the season in the rotation but has since been bumped to the bullpen after struggling in his first start of the season.
As for Perez, the 26-year-old right-hander was selected just yesterday and did not end up making an appearance during his stint on the roster. Perez has made just one appearance in his big league career, a 1 2/3 inning outing with the Blue Jays in 2020 during which he surrendered two runs on three hits and three walks. Perez has long struggled with his control, as evidenced by his career 14.4% walk rate. Those control problems have likely contributed to his struggles to return to a major league mound over the past three seasons. The Rays will now have seven days to trade, waive, or release Perez.
Twins Recall Bailey Ober
The Twins have recalled right-hander Bailey Ober to start this afternoon’s game against the Nationals, per a team announcement. To make room for Ober on the active roster, right-hander Simeon Woods Richardson has been optioned to Triple-A.
Ober, 27, has yet to pitch in the majors this season but impressed in 11 starts last year, pitching to a 3.21 ERA (120 ERA+) with a 2.92 FIP in 56 innings of work. Ober struck out 22.5% of batters faced while walking a microscopic 4.8%, though not all of his success appears that sustainable; just 4.8% of Ober’s fly balls last season left the yard for home runs in spite of a 11.7% barrel rate. More fly balls leaving the yard could be a significant issue for Ober, for whom fly balls made up 51.2% of his total balls in play in the majors last year.
Following Kenta Maeda‘s return from Tommy John surgery and the club’s acquisition of Pablo Lopez from the Marlins, Ober ultimately found himself pushed out of the rotation to open the season. He’s seen great success in Triple-A to start the year, however, with a 2.55 ERA and 2.71 FIP in 17 2/3 innings of work so far in 2023. That performance, combined with the need for a spot starter in today’s game, led to Ober’s first call to the majors this season, which should give the Twins additional time to determine if Maeda will require a stint on the 15-day injured list after being hit with a line drive in Thursday’s game against the Red Sox. Should Maeda require a trip to the IL, Ober figures to slot into the big league rotation for longer than today’s spot start.
Woods Richardson, meanwhile, heads back to Triple-A after making just one appearance, a 4 2/3 inning relief outing yesterday during which the 22-year-old righty surrendered five runs on seven hits and three walks. The youngster is considered the club’s 8th best prospect, according to MLB Pipeline, and was viewed as a top 100 prospect in the sport as recently as 2021. Despite his prospect pedigree, it seems unlikely the youngster will factor into Minnesota’s rotation plans this season, given the club’s considerable depth at the position. For now he will head back to Triple-A, where he’s posted a 3.30 ERA in 43 2/3 career innings, and wait for his next big league opportunity.
Latest On The Red Sox Rotation
Rotation plans for the Red Sox in the near term have come into focus recently, as manager Alex Cora told reporters (including MassLive’s Chris Cotillo) that right-hander Tanner Houck is likely to start the club’s game against the Orioles on Wednesday, though that could change if he’s needed out of the bullpen before then.
This doesn’t come as much of a surprise, as reports ahead of the activation of righty Brayan Bello from the 15-day IL last week indicated that the club could go with a six-man rotation at least through the off-day on this coming Thursday before transitioning to a five-man rotation that would likely leave Houck as the odd man out. Still, Cotillo goes on to note that the club does have other options: righty Nick Pivetta could be moved to the bullpen instead, or Bello, who was shelled for five runs in 2 2/3 innings of work in his first start coming off the IL, could be demoted to Triple-A.
Of the six members of the Red Sox rotation, Houck has actually been the best starter this season in terms of performance. In 21 innings of work, Houck has posted a solid 4.29 ERA, 11% better than league average by measure of ERA+, and a nearly matching 4.26 FIP. His strikeout (25.5%) and walk (9.3%) rates are largely in line with his career norms, as is his BABIP (.283). The most significant change from previous seasons for Houck in the early going this year is his groundball rate. Houck entered the season with a career groundball rate of 49.3%, but in his four starts this season, that figure has jumped all the way up to 58.9%, good for sixth in the majors among players with at least 20 IP.
While Houck’s start this season is encouraging, Cotillo notes that his success in a multi-inning relief role last year, when he posted a 2.70 ERA in 43 1/3 innings out of the bullpen, makes him a natural choice for the move. Meanwhile, Smith notes that Pivetta has resisted suggestions he could be ticketed for the bullpen after some early season struggles. Pivetta has yet to finish the sixth inning this season in a start and has posted a 4.58 ERA over 19 2/3 innings this season in spite of a deflated .275 BABIP that helps to explain his more worrisome 5.19 FIP.
Even in the event that Houck is ultimately sent to the bullpen, Boston brass will have to make another tough decision when lefty James Paxton returns from the IL, which he could do fairly soon. Paxton, Cotillo notes, has never appeared out of the bullpen in his career and struggled badly out of the bullpen in a rehab stint this season, allowing seven runs in less than an inning of work. With Paxton an unlikely bullpen candidate, the Red Sox are likely to once again be left to decide between a six-man rotation and bumping either Pivetta or Bello from the group when the veteran lefty is ready to be activated.
The Opener: Season Debuts, O’Hoppe, Iglesias, MadBum
As an eventful week draws to a close, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the weekend:
1. Lucchesi, Musgrove set to make 2023 debuts:
A pair of starters figure to take the ball this weekend for the first time this season. Mets left-hander Joey Lucchesi is lined up to start tonight in San Francisco in place of the recently-injured Carlos Carrasco. Lucchesi will be taking the mound in the majors for the first time since 2021, when he posted a 4.46 ERA (90 ERA+) with a 3.40 FIP in 38 1/3 innings across eleven appearances. Lucchesi underwent Tommy John surgery partway through the 2021 season and missed the entire 2022 season. He’s looked good in the minors since returning from surgery, posting a 2.22 ERA in 28 1/3 innings of work with a 23.9% strikeout rate.
Meanwhile, Padres right-hander Joe Musgrove is set to make his season debut tomorrow evening against the Diamondbacks. Musgrove fractured his toe during spring training, and his return was slightly delayed after he landed awkwardly on his shoulder while making a play in the field during a minor league rehab start. He received a cortisone shot and has since made a five-inning rehab start in High-A. With a 3.06 ERA (125 ERA+) in 362 1/3 innings of work since joining the Padres ahead of the 2021 season, Musgrove is perhaps the club’s best pitcher and will be a welcome addition to a pitching staff that’s struggled a bit to start the season.
2. O’Hoppe to be re-evaluated:
Angels catcher Logan O’Hoppe is set to be re-evaluated today after leaving yesterday’s game with a shoulder injury, as noted by The Athletic’s Sam Blum. At this point, it’s unclear if O’Hoppe will miss any time, but if that’s the case, the club will have to add another catcher to the 40-man roster to play alongside Matt Thaiss. The only other catcher currently on the 40-man is Max Stassi, who has yet to play this season due to a hip injury. The Angels have an open 40-man spot, and Blum points out that Chad Wallach is on the team’s taxi squad. Any missed time for O’Hoppe would be a blow to the Angels; he’s slashed .283/.339/.547 in 16 games this season, good for a 143 wRC+.
3. Where will Iglesias, MadBum land?
Infielder Jose Iglesias is back on the free agent market after opting out of his minor league deal with the Marlins, leaving him as the best available option for clubs in need of infield depth at this point in the season. One such club is the Dodgers, who started Luke Williams at shortstop last night and gave Mookie Betts three innings late in the game, thanks to injuries to both Miguel Rojas and utility player Chris Taylor. The Red Sox are another team that could potentially look to add depth to their infield, with second baseman Christian Arroyo battling a hamstring issue and Adalberto Mondesi on the 60-day IL.
Iglesias isn’t the only player who’s expected to be looking for work going forward, as the Diamondbacks designated veteran lefty Madison Bumgarner for assignment yesterday. Bumgarner has struggled to a 5.23 ERA in 363 1/3 innings in three-plus seasons with the club, which registers 20% below average by measure of ERA+. His 2023 season has been particularly alarming. He’s allowed 19 earned runs on 25 hits (four homers) and a staggering 15 walks (plus a hit batter) in just 16 2/3 innings. Bumgarner’s formerly elite command is nowhere to be seen, and he’s averaging a diminished 89.6 mph on his fastball. He won’t be claimed on waivers with $34MM+ remaining on his contract through the 2024 season. Once he clears, he’ll be available to sign with another club for the prorated league minimum.