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Dodgers Activate Hyun-Jin Ryu, Place Ross Stripling On DL

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The Dodgers have activated left-hander Hyun-Jin Ryu from the 60-day disabled list after an absence of nearly three months, the team announced this afternoon. Roster space for Ryu was created by placing Ross Stripling on the 10-day DL due to inflammation in his lower back and by transferring Tony Cingrani from the 10-day DL to the 60-day DL. Manager Dave Roberts suggests to Bill Shaikin of the L.A. Times (Twitter link) that it’s not clear whether Stripling will be ready for activation once his 10-day window is up, stating that that determination is “up for debate.”

Ryu has been out since early May after suffering a significant groin tear in which part of his muscle tore completely off the bone. Prior to incurring that gruesome injury, Ryu was in the midst of a strong start to the 2018 campaign, working to a pristine 2.12 ERA with 36 strikeouts against 10 walks through 29 2/3 frames. He’ll join Clayton Kershaw, recently activated lefty Alex Wood, Rich Hill and Walker Buehler in the Los Angeles rotation for the time being.

Stripling, like fellow righty Kenta Maeda, had recently been shifted to a bullpen role despite generally strong results in the rotation this season. The L.A. relief corps has been nothing short of disastrous lately, with multiple relievers struggling since Kenley Jansen hit the disabled list due to an irregular heartbeat. His absence will make Roberts’ job even more difficult as he tries to piece together the team’s late innings in light of the ongoing struggles throughout the ’pen.

As for Cingrani, while his transfer to the 60-day disabled list clouds the lefty’s timeline for a return, it does appear that the Dodgers expect him back at some point in 2018. Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register tweets that Roberts expressed optimism that Cingrani will be back next month, in time to help the team in the final push down the stretch. While Cingrani’s 4.84 ERA through 22 1/3 innings wasn’t particularly impressive, he did tally a brilliant 36-to-6 K/BB ratio with a 51.1 percent grounder rate in that time, prompting metrics like FIP (2.17), xFIP (2.34) and SIERA (1.90) to forecast a considerably better outlook.

Angels Designate Akeel Morris For Assignment

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The Angels announced that they’ve reinstated catcher Rene Rivera from the 60-day DL and opened a 40-man roster spot by designating right-hander Akeel Morris for assignment. The Halos optioned catcher Jose Briceno to Triple-A to open room on the 25-man roster.

It’s been a tough season for the 25-year-old Morris both in the Majors and in Triple-A. The former Mets and Braves prospect has been tagged for nine runs on 18 hits and eight walks with seven strikeouts in 14 big league innings this season. His 5.79 ERA in the Majors is actually better than the 5.90 mark he’s posted with Triple-A Salt Lake this season, though Morris has punched out 40 hitters in 39 2/3 innings in Triple-A. He’s still been too prone to walks in the minors, however, which has been a persistent issue for him throughout his professional career.

The Halos will have a week to trade Morris or try to pass him through outright waivers, which would allow them to keep him in the organization without dedicating a 40-man roster spot to the righty. Morris will be out of minor league options in 2019, though, which might make other clubs with interest in the right-hander more reluctant to take a chance on him.

Royals Release Blaine Boyer, Promote Jorge Lopez

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The Royals have placed right-handed reliever Blaine Boyer on release waivers, per a club announcement. Boyer’s release will clear a spot on the roster for the promotion of right-hander Jorge Lopez.

Technically, Boyer’s release won’t be official until he clears waivers in 48 hours. Other clubs will have the opportunity to claim him off release waivers in the meantime, though that seems quite unlikely given the veteran’s struggles in 2018. Through 21 2/3 innings with Kansas City this season, the 37-year-old Boyer has posted a disastrous 12.05 ERA with more walks (13) and nearly as many home runs allowed (7) as strikeouts recorded (9). Boyer has had his share of recent success, racking up 212 2/3 innings of 3.51 ERA ball between the Padres, Twins, Brewers and Red Sox from 2014-17.

As for Lopez, he’ll join the Royals as the second piece that the team acquired in the trade sending Mike Moustakas to the Brewers. (Outfielder Brett Phillips is already on the big league roster.) The 25-year-old’s prospect star has dimmed a bit since he was considered a top 100 minor leaguer a couple of years ago, but he’ll look to turn things around in what figures to be an earnest audition on a thin Royals pitching staff. Lopez pitched almost exclusively out of the bullpen in the Brewers organization this season, but the Royals are stretching him back out and will take a look at him in the rotation. He’s slated to start tonight’s game.

Through 37 2/3 innings in Triple-A so far this season, Lopez has posted an ugly 5.26 ERA with 8.1 K/9 against 2.6 BB/9. However, much of that work has come in a terrible setting for pitchers: hitter-friendly Colorado Springs. Lopez’s numbers have been more encouraging in a small sample of nine innings with Kansas City’s top affiliate. He’s also posted a 2.75 ERA with a 56.1 percent ground-ball rate in 19 2/3 big league frames with Milwaukee this season, though a lackluster 15-to-13 K/BB ratio in that time suggests that he’s had a bit of good fortune and is still in need of some refinement.

Yankees To Designate George Kontos For Assignment

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The Yankees will designate right-hander George Kontos for assignment in order to open a spot on the roster for righty Luis Cessa, per Newsday’s Erik Boland (Twitter link). He’d only been selected to the MLB roster two days prior.

Kontos, 33, appeared in one game in his reunion with the Yankees — the organization that originally drafted him — tossing 1 2/3 shutout innings with just one hit allowed and a pair of strikeouts. He’s pitched with the Pirates, Indians and Yankees this season, totaling 26 2/3 frames with a 4.39 ERA, 15 strikeouts and seven walks in that time.

Though Kontos has generally delivered respectable bottom-line results so far in 2018, his velocity, swinging-strike rate and overall strikeout rate have dipped substantially from 2017 to 2018. He has a quality track record as a useful middle reliever over the past six seasons with the Giants (and, late in 2017, with the Pirates), though he’s already cleared waivers once this season despite that past success. The Yankees will have a week to trade him or pass him through outright waivers in hopes of retaining him, although Kontos has enough service time to reject an outright assignment in favor of free agency.

Marlins Select Austin Dean

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The Marlins announced Wednesday that they’ve selected the contract of outfield prospect Austin Dean prior to tonight’s game and optioned infielder/outfielder Christopher Bostick to Triple-A New Orleans in his place.

Dean, 24, was the Marlins’ fourth-round pick in the 2012 draft and ranked 28th among Miami farmhands on the midseason update from Jim Callis and Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com. He’s had a strong season between Double-A Jacksonville and New Orleans, hitting at a combined .345/.410/.511 clip with a dozen homers, 20 doubles, five triples and a pair of steals in 446 trips to the plate. Dean has also shown outstanding bat-to-ball skills, striking out at just a 12.5 percent clip while drawing walks in 8.7 percent of his plate appearances. Callis and Mayo note that he has more doubles power than home run pop at present, though the Marlins believe he’ll eventually carry some of his raw power over into a game setting.

With Martin Prado recently joining Lewis Brinson on the disabled list, the Marlins can move Brian Anderson from right field back to third base, opening a fairly regular slate of at-bats for Dean in his first look at the Majors. He’ll likely join Magneuris Sierra and Rafael Ortega in the outfield for the time being as he looks to prove that he can be a long-term piece for the Marlins. Dean has primarily played in left field throughout his minor league tenure, and that seems to be his likeliest spot in the big league lineup for the time being, though he does have experience in both right field (1050 innings) and in center field (114 innings).

Brandon Beachy Signs With Atlantic League’s New Britain Bees

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The New Britain Bees of the independent Atlantic League announced today that they’ve signed right-hander Brandon Beachy.

It’ll be the first professional action for Beachy since he tossed one lone inning with the Dodgers’ Rookie-level affiliate in 2016. Once a rising star with the Braves earlier this decade, Beachy’s promising career was derailed by a pair of Tommy John surgeries. While Beachy has been out of the news almost entirely for more than two years — the last time he was even mentioned on MLBTR came back in 2016 when the Dodgers outrighted him off the 40-man roster — it appears as though he’ll work the indy circuit late in the season in an effort to generate some interest in a minor league deal this winter (or perhaps a late look in September).

Beachy, perhaps surprisingly, is still just 31 years of age, though he’ll turn 32 early next month. It’s been more than a half decade since he looked like a long-term cog for the Braves’ rotation, but he was certainly impressive in his brief peak. From 2010-13, Beachy totaled 267 2/3 innings of 3.23 ERA ball for Atlanta, averaging 9.2 K/9 against 2.9 BB/9 along the way. A return to the big leagues would seem like a long shot at this juncture, though there have certainly been more improbable success stories in recent years (e.g. Rich Hill, Jonny Venters).

With the Bees, Beachy will step onto the roster in place of 39-year-old Andy Van Hekken, who pitched for the Tigers back in 2002 and spent several seasons in Triple-A before carving out a successful six-year career with the Nexen Heroes of the Korea Baseball Organization. Van Hekken is headed to Taiwan’s Uni-President Lions, per Mike Ashmore of MyCentralJersey.com (Twitter link).

Angels Select Taylor Ward

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6:06pm: The Angels announced that outfielder Chris Young was transferred from the 10-day DL to the 60-day DL to open a spot on the 40-man roster for Ward. Young, who underwent hip surgery earlier this summer, was already known to be out for the remainder of the season. Meanwhile, infielder Jose Miguel Fernandez was optioned to Salt Lake to open a spot on the active roster.

5:31pm: The Angels announced that they’ve selected the contract of third baseman Taylor Ward from Triple-A Salt Lake. He’ll make his Major League debut tonight, playing third base and batting seventh. A corresponding move has yet to be announced.

Word of Blake’s call to the Majors first came yesterday from appropriately named Halos reporter Taylor Blake Ward (Twitter link). The 24-year-old Ward (the player, not the reporter) has torn through both Double-A and Triple-A pitching this season, raking at a ridiculous .349/.446/.531 between the two levels.

A first-round pick by the Angels back in 2015, Ward ranked eighth among Angels farmhands on the midseason update from Jim Callis and Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com. A converted catcher, Ward is said to have a plus arm and excellent plate discipline, even if he’s lacking a bit in the power department. Ward has walked in 14.6 percent of his minor league plate appearances this season against a 21.1 percent strikeout clip. He’s also gone 18-for-21 in stolen base attempts — a somewhat remarkable development for a player who entered the season with all of six minor league steals (none since 2015).

Rangers Acquire Alexander Ovalles From Cubs As PTBNL In Cole Hamels Trade

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The Rangers announced Tuesday that they’ve acquired minor league outfielder Alexander Ovalles as the player to be named later in last month’s Cole Hamels trade. Ovalles joins right-hander Eddie Butler and minor league right-hander Rollie Lacy in the package sent from Chicago to Texas in that swap.

Just 17 years of age, Ovalles made his professional debut with the Cubs’ affiliate in the Dominican Summer League this year. Through 21 games and 94 plate appearances, he’s posted a .316/.430/.368 batting line with four doubles and eight steals in 13 tries.

Ovalles, who signed with the Cubs out of the Dominican Republic during the 2017-18 international signing period, isn’t ranked among the club’s top tier of prospects, though that’s not a huge surprise given his age and modest price tag. While the amount of Ovalles’ bonus wasn’t reported last year, the Cubs were under the maximum penalty bracket for exceeding previous international spending limitations, meaning they were capped at $300K per signing when they added Ovalles.

Brewers Acquire Jake Thompson, Designate Alec Asher

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The Brewers have acquired right-hander Jake Thompson from the Phillies in exchange for cash, the Phillies announced Tuesday. Right-hander Alec Asher has been designated for assignment to open roster space, and the Brewers have optioned Thompson to Triple-A, per an announcement of their own.

Thompson, 24, was once considered to be among the game’s best pitching prospects, entering both the 2015 and 2016 season as a consensus Top 100 prospect. Originally a draft pick of the Tigers, he was traded to the Rangers alongside Corey Knebel in exchange for  Joakim Soria and then traded from Texas to Philadelphia in the Cole Hamels blockbuster. In somewhat amusing and ironic fashion, the Brewers now hold all three pieces of that 2014 Tigers/Rangers swap in Knebel, Soria and Thompson.

[Related: Updated Milwaukee Brewers depth chart]

Of course, Thompson hasn’t exactly delivered on his considerable prospect status. He’s tallied 116 1/3 innings at the Major League level across the past three seasons, all with the Phillies, and pitched to a lackluster 4.87 ERA with 6.3 K/9, 4.7 BB/9, 1.55 HR/9 and a 46.1 percent ground-ball rate. The Phillies had been using Thompson primarily in a relief role with Triple-A Lehigh Valley this season, so he could conceivably give Milwaukee some depth either in the rotation or in the bullpen. Thompson has one option year remaining after 2018, so the Brewers will have some flexibility with him in 2019 as well, if he sticks on the 40-man roster for that long.

As if the sequence connecting Knebel, Soria and Thompson wasn’t strange enough, the Brewers are opening room on the roster by designating one of the players alongside whom Thompson was traded from Texas to Philadelphia in that Hamels blockbuster. Both Thompson and Asher went from Texas to Philadelphia in that deal, and Thompson’s addition to the Brewers’ roster will come at the expense of his former teammate.

Asher, 26, has tossed three scoreless innings for the Brewers this season but owns an ugly 5.42 ERA with a 39-to-32 K/BB ratio through 88 innings of Triple-A work between the affiliates for Milwaukee and the Dodgers. That 5.42 mark is a dead match for his career ERA through 119 2/3 Major League innings, the majority of which have come as a member of the Phillies. Milwaukee has a week to trade Asher or try to run him through outright waivers in hopes of retaining him as a non-roster player.

Nationals Place Ryan Madson On DL, Select Tim Collins

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The Nationals shuffled their bullpen mix Tuesday, announcing that they’ve recalled righty Trevor Gott and selected the contract of lefty Tim Collins from Triple-A Syracuse. Right-hander Ryan Madson has been placed on the 10-day disabled list in one corresponding move, while southpaw Sammy Solis is headed to Syracuse to open a second spot on the 25-man roster. In order to create room for Collins on the 40-man roster, the Nats moved right-hander Erick Fedde from the 10-day disabled list to the 60-day disabled list.

Madson has been dealing with back discomfort, and the official diagnosis on his injury is “lumbar nerve irritation,” manager Dave Martinez told reporters (Twitter link via Mark Zuckerman of MASNsports.com). With both Madson and Sean Doolittle on the shelf, the Nats will turn to young Koda Glover as their interim closer, tweets Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post. Glover, though, is unavailable tonight, so Justin Miller would likely receive a save opportunity, should it arise.

As for the 28-year-old Collins, this’ll be his second stint with the Nats this season. The two-time Tommy John surgery victim pitched to a 2.77 ERA in 13 innings with the Nats earlier this season, prompting some frustration from Washington fans when he was designated for assignment. However, Collins posted a less impressive 8-to-6 K/BB ratio in that time, and he ultimately stuck with the organization after clearing waivers and being outrighted to Triple-A. The former Royals setup man has a 3.94 ERA and a 32-to-15 K/BB ratio in 30 Triple-A innings so far in 2018.

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