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NL Notes: Castellanos, Pirates, Reynolds, Nationals

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Major League Baseball denied Nick Castellanos’ appeal of his two-game suspension, so the Cincinnati outfielder will serve his suspension when the Reds play the Diamondbacks on Tuesday and Wednesday.  Castellanos was suspended for his part in a bench-clearing incident between the Reds and Cardinals earlier this month, when Castellanos scored a run and then flexed over Cards pitcher Jake Woodford, who was covering the plate.  Castellanos was on base in the first place due to a hit-by-pitch that drew a heated response from the slugger, and his reaction to Woodford at home plate led to both benches emptying.

Castellanos was the only player issued a suspension, which was a little surprising given the number of players involved in the fracas.  Fines were issued to Castellanos and five other players (Jesse Winker, Eugenio Suarez, Jordan Hicks, Yadier Molina, and Nolan Arenado).

More from the National League…

  • Ke’Bryan Hayes’ return to the Pirates’ lineup could help address the team’s problem in center field, as Dustin Fowler and Anthony Alford have both gotten off to dreadful starts to the season.  As noted by Kevin Gorman of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Bryan Reynolds made a mid-game shift to center field yesterday, marking Reynolds’ first appearances in center all season.  Reynolds has been solid (+3 Defensive Runs Saved, +3.4 UZR/150) over 322 1/3 career innings as a center fielder, though the Bucs have preferred to use him in left, believing it to be his more optimal defensive position.  Moving Reynolds to center field, however, would allow Pittsburgh to give the red-hot Phillip Evans some time as a left fielder once Hayes reclaims third base.
  • Thanks to four upcoming off-days in the schedule, the Nationals may not need a fifth starter until May 8, Jesse Dougherty of the Washington Post writes.  That counts as good news for a team that has already dealt with several injuries and COVID-related absences to starting pitchers this season.  It isn’t yet clear when Jon Lester will make his season debut, but if he still needs a couple more weeks, the Nats could ride with their current starting four of Max Scherzer, Patrick Corbin, Joe Ross, and Erick Fedde, with Austin Voth and Paolo Espino available as depth options if a spot start is required or if Washington does decide to go with a five-man rotation.  (It’s also worth noting that the Nationals have been exploring a possible reunion with Anibal Sanchez, but those plans may be on hold since Sanchez cut his finger while pitching at a recent showcase for scouts.)  D.C. won’t have its full rotation back until Stephen Strasburg returns from the injured list, and Corbin is another concern, as the southpaw was crushed in his first two outings of the season.

Latest On Tigers’ Rotation

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The Tigers are going to move Tarik Skubal into a scheduled piggyback role for his next couple of outings, per Chris McCosky of the Detroit News. The Tigers could do the same with Casey Mize at some point during this season. Manager A.J. Hinch views the piggyback option as a way to avoid shutting down or demoting Skubal and Mize as they work with innings restrictions for their young hurlers.

The move, Hinch was careful to note, is not a demotion. Skubal has a 6.08 ERA in 13 1/3 innings so far this season, allowing 11 hits, four home runs, and nine walks against 12 strikeouts. The home runs are a concern, but Skubal also has a 15.0 percent groundball rate, a number that is sure to rise over time. Per the Athletic’s Cody Stavenhagen, Hinch said, “It’s not an indictment on where he’s at in our rotation or what we think of his first few starts. But it’s the plan we’re gonna put in place to be smart about our pitching resources throughout a six-month season.”

Skubal’s move to the pen actually comes prompted by a bit of good news: Spencer Turnbull will return to the rotation for his first start of the season on Wednesday. Turnbull had his season debut delayed because of a positive COVID-19 diagnosis in spring. The 28-year-old is coming off a strong 2020 in which he posted a 3.97 ERA/3.49 FIP over 56 2/3 innings. It was the first time Turnbull saw his ERA match his typically strong FIP. Turnbull will join Matthew Boyd, Mize, Jose Urena, and Michael Fulmer in the rotation, at least in the short-term. Detroit’s rotation has already lost Julio Teheran to injury after the veteran got the win in his first start as a Tiger.

When Turnbull joins the roster, another roster move will follow. McCosky suggests a pitcher will likely be demoted, with Joe Jimenez being one possibility. The 26-year-old right-hander has just two appearances so far this season, but he’s off to a rough start. The former All-Star has walked seven of 10 batters this season while being charged with five earned runs (despite not yielding a base hit). In fact, with two strikeouts also on the ledger, only one batter has put the ball in play with Jimenez toeing the rubber, an Aramis Garcia ground out. Both of Jimenez’s appearances this season have come against the Athletics. The Tigers will likely wait to make an official roster move until much closer to Turnbull’s Wednesday start.

NL Central Notes: Hayes, Akiyama, Contreras, Hicks

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Rookie third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes will soon compete in alternate site games, and he should thereafter return to the Pirates’ roster, per Kevin Gorman of Triblive.com. Hayes jammed his wrist in the second game of the season. The Pirates have surprisingly held their heads above water in his absence; A win in extras yesterday put their record to 7-9 on the young season. Hayes apparently left some rookie magic behind at the hot corner, as 28-year-old Phillip Evans has slashed .275/.373/.490 in 59 plate appearances as Hayes’ stand-in. Evans has already made 2021 the most prolific campaign of his career, a strong argument to keep a roster spot even after Hayes returns.

Let’s hang out in the NL Central this morning…

  • Reds outfielder Shogo Akiyama is working on running drills, per C. Trent Rosecrans of the Athletic (via Twitter). Manager David Bell wants to see Akiyama in game action at the team’s alternate site this weekend. Even with Aristides Aquino on the injured list, the Reds have no shortage of outfielders thanks to the surprising play of Tyler Naquin. Still, if Akiyami can return as he finished last season, he’s undoubtedly an asset. Akiyama posted a 135 wRC+ in September and October of last season while slashing .317/.456/.365 and providing capable defense at all three spots in the outfield.
  • Whether or not the Cubs are headed towards a rebuild, it’s a good time to work on extending catcher Willson Contreras, writes Gordon Wittenmyer of NBC Sports. Contreras continues to be one of the more dynamic catchers in the game, both in terms of his personality and his play on the field. The Cubs long-time backstop is off to a hot start at the plate, slashing .273/.400/.614 with five home runs through 55 plate appearances. Contreras will be a free agent after 2022, heading into his age-30 season. Appealing as it may be to keep Contreras in Chicago, extensions for positions players have not been part of the Cubs’ current operating procedure.
  • Jordan Hicks is on the Cardinals roster and pitching valuable innings, but he’s also still completing his ramp-up process as he returns from a 22-month layoff, per Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Hicks has tossed seven innings over six appearances, giving up just one earned run on two hits while walking six and striking out seven. More importantly, his stuff has looked as electric as ever, averaging 99.2 mph on his sinking fastball.

Brewers To Place Christian Yelich On Injured List

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4:34 PM: Eric Yardley has been recalled to take Yelich’s roster spot, per the team. As expected, Yelich’s placement on the injured list is retroactive to April 14th, which should make him available to return next weekend.

3:34 PM: After holding Christian Yelich out of game action for the past week with an ailing back, the Brewers will now place their star outfielder on the injured list, per the Athletic’s Will Sammon and others (via Twitter). The corresponding roster move is yet to come.

Yelich has dealt with a back issue throughout his time in Milwaukee, but it’s usually been the type of injury that improves with a few days rest. At this point, if Yelich still isn’t quite ready for action, they may as well use his roster spot to add another potential contributor. Because he hasn’t appeared in a game since April 11th, Yelich will be able to return from the injured list in just a couple of days. Still, in the meantime, the Brewers can bring in another body for the rest of the weekend series. The Brewers head west for a three-game series in San Diego on Monday.

The Brewers once-deep outfield has suffered a couple of injuries this week. Lorenzo Cain was placed on the injured list a couple of days ago, as was second baseman Kolten Wong. Without Cain or Yelich, Jackie Bradley Jr. is the man in center, Avisail Garcia is back in right, with Billy McKinney, Tyrone Taylor, Jace Peterson, and Daniel Robertson capable of piecing together the action in left.

Diamondbacks To Place Tim Locastro On Injured List

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The Diamondbacks will place speedster Tim Locastro on the injured list after today’s ballgame, per Steve Gilbert of MLB.com (via Twitter). Locastro jammed his finger at second base while getting caught stealing for the first time in his big league career, notes Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic (via Twitter). He had been successful in his first 29 stole base attempts, a Major League record to start a career.

The former Dodger has hit .260/.339/.320 through 56 plate appearanes this season, though he only recently had the benefit of everyday reps in center. Locastro does a nice job getting the bat on the ball (18.4 percent career strikeout rate), but he has yet to hit for much power (.102 career ISO) or take his walks at the big-league level (6.9 percent career walk rate).

The Diamondbacks will be down to their third-string centerfielder when Locastro joins Ketel Marte on the shelf. Rookie first baseman Pavin Smith took over in center for the remainder of today’s game in Washington. The Diamondbacks are flush with versatile defenders, from Josh Rojas to Andrew Young to Wyatt Mathisen, Smith, and Asdrubal Cabrera. Unfortunately, none are particularly suited to centerfield. Catcher/outfielder Daulton Varsho could be a consideration, as could the newly-acquired Nick Heath.

Rangers Activate Willie Calhoun, Brock Holt

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The Rangers have activated Willie Calhoun and Brock Holt from the injured list, the team announced. Wes Benjamin and Anderson Tejada have been optioned to the Rangers’ alternate site.

Calhoun will make his first appearance of the season as the Rangers’ designated hitter tonight. He’s looking for a breakout season after struggling to establish himself as an impact bat since his arrival in Texas via the Yu Darvish trade of 2017. The 26-year-old stumbled to more dramatic effect in 2020, slashing just .190/.231/.260 in 108 plate appearances. Holt, for his part, was off to a strong start through four games after making the team on a minor league contract. He’ll take back the role of utility infielder from Tejada.

Benjamin has thrown 5 2/3 innings this season, allowing 3 earned runs on four hits and six walks while striking out five. The 27-year-old Illinois native made his ML debut last season for the Rangers, tossing 22 1/3 innings of 4.84 ERA baseball.

Indians Option Ben Gamel, Recall Sam Hentges

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The Indians have optioned outfielder Ben Gamel to Triple-A. Cleveland signed Gamel in early February to be a potential cog in their attempts to piece together replacement-level play in centerfield, but the 29-year-old has struggled at the dish so far this season. Through 11 games, Gamel has hit just .071/.235/.143 across a minimal 17 plate appearances. He has largely served as a late-game replacement in center to starter Amed Rosario.

Without Gamel, the Indians are down to a three-man bench. Jordan Luplow is the only backup in center to Rosario, who himself is learning to play the position for the first time this season. Luplow has limited experience in center, though he has yet to appear there this season.

Southpaw Sam Hentges has been recalled from Cleveland’s alternate site to take Gamel’s roster spot, per MLB.com’s Mandy Bell (via Twitter). The slender 6’6″ lefty will make his Major League debut the first time he gets into a game. When he last saw competitive game action, Hentges tossed 128 2/3 innings in Double-A with a 5.11 ERA. He is the Indians 13th-ranked prospect via Fangraphs, while Baseball America has him as the 23rd-ranked prospect in Cleveland’s system.

Latest On Tyler Flowers, Braves

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There was very little reported interest in free agent Tyler Flowers over the winter. The Mets were linked to the veteran backstop last month, but his market has otherwise been quiet.

David O’Brien of the Athletic sheds some light on the situation, reporting that the 35-year-old has taken a non-playing position with the Braves, integrating analytics into in-game preparation. Flowers, however, has not retired as a player and continues to work out independently in case he decides to return to the field at some point, either in 2021 or in future seasons, O’Brien adds. It’s unclear if the Roswell, Georgia native remains open to all potential playing opportunities, or if his return to an MLB diamond would be contingent on doing so with the Braves. Given that Flowers lives with his wife and kids near the Braves stadium, this feels like a unique opportunity to keep a contingency plan in place for both Flowers and the Braves.

Alex Jackson is the current backup to Travis d’Arnaud, with William Contreras also on the 40-man roster. Veteran defensive specialist Jeff Mathis is also in the organization on the Triple-A roster. Both d’Arnaud and Jackson are off to relatively slow starts at the plate. As recently as last season Flowers made 80 trips to the dish across 22 games, slashing .217/.325/.348 in his fifth season in Atlanta. Flowers is a 12-year veteran who split his career between the Braves and White Sox. He owns a .237/.319/.391 line over 2,776 plate appearances for his career.

Quick Hits: Rodon, Bellinger, Graterol, Mazara, Stripling

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Carlos Rodon was perfect through 8 1/3 innings tonight against the Indians. A backfoot slider skipped off the top of Roberto Perez’s right foot, ending his bid for a perfect game. Rodon managed to complete the no hitter, however, with a masterful 114-pitch complete game shutout. Coming into this season, the former third overall pick was in a battle for the fifth starter job in the White Sox rotation. But tonight, the burly southpaw routinely hit 97 mph on the radar gun (hitting as high as 99 mph in the ninth inning). Certainly, Rodon wasn’t all that high up on the list of pitchers likeliest to throw what would have been the first perfect game in the Majors since 2012: He hasn’t posted an ERA under five since 2018, and he was designated for assignment this winter. Yet, tonight’s start marked the culmination of an arduous journey through numerous injuries and multiple arm surgeries. Congrats to Rodon on throwing the 20th no-hitter in White Sox franchise history. Now, let’s check in on some players still making their way back from injury…

  • Cody Bellinger and Brusdar Graterol will both join the Dodgers on their forthcoming road trip, but neither is a guarantee to be activated. Belligner is still experiencing some swelling in his calf, and he’s yet to run the bases as full speed, per Juan Toribio of MLB.com (via Twitter). Bellinger has been out since April 5th. As for Graterol, he’ll be added to the taxi squad, per Jorge Castillo of the LA Times (via Twitter). It’s not entirely clear why Graterol wasn’t ready to start the season, but it’s only a matter of time until he becomes available out of the bullpen for manager Dave Roberts.
  • Nomar Mazara left Wednesday night’s game with a left abdominal strain, per Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press. There’s no timetable for his return. In the meantime, JaCoby Jones and Victor Reyes should have more opportunities in the starting lineup. Both outfielders have seen their playing time cut both by the offseason acquisition of Robbie Grossman and the early-season breakout from Akil Baddoo. Both Reyes (30 wRC+) and Jones (-10 wRC+) are off to slow starts through their first week of games.
  • Ross Stripling is dealing with forearm tightness, but the Blue Jays don’t have any information beyond that, per Scott Mitchell of TSN Sports (via Twitter). The former Dodger has been tagged for seven earned runs on 13 hits and three walks over 8 1/3 innings so far.

Latest On Giants’ Rotation

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Alex Wood will be activated from the injured list to make his Giants’ debut, starting Sunday’s game against the Marlins, per Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports. Wood’s contract has a unique incentive structure that will pay out an additional $150K after 12 games of recording 10 or more outs. He receives more bonus cash after 14, 16, 18, 22, and 24 such games. Starting games certainly gives Wood the best chance to hit those markers, though health will be the biggest factor for the veteran southpaw.

Because of injures, Wood hasn’t been a regular rotation arm since back-to-back 150-inning seasons with the Dodgers in 2017 and 2018. Per Spotrac, Wood has seven career trips to the injured list, twice spending more than 100 days on the shelf. Arthroscopic debridement surgery on his left elbow limited him to 60 1/3 innings during the 2016 season. A back injury tanked his lone season with the Reds. He made just 7 starts covering 35 2/3 innings that year. Wood’s back has again given him problems this season.

With Wood joining the rotation, Logan Webb will head to the bullpen. Webb earned his rotation spot with a strong spring, but he’s off to a rough start. The 24-year-old has allowed 15 hits and five walks in just 10 1/3 innings in his two starts. While the move certainly may seem like a demotion, Pavlovic points out that Webb will be just the third right-hander in the Giants’ bullpen.

Of course, given today’s apparent injury to Johnny Cueto, the Giants may need to keep Webb in the rotation after all. Cueto left today’s game with a tight lat, per Kerry Crowley of the Bay Area News Group (via Twitter). Cueto has been excellent on this young season, tossing 8 2/3 innings of one-run ball in his season debut against the Rockies. He got his second win on the season today against the Reds. The veteran logged 5 2/3 scoreless innings before being removed because of the injury.

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