Headlines

Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Blake Snell

East Notes: Altherr, Snitker, Rays

By | at

The Phillies are placing Aaron Altherr on the DL after the outfielder aggravated his injured hamstring, Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer tweets. Altherr spent ten days on the DL due to a hamstring problem last month. When healthy, the 26-year-old has been a highlight of the Phillies’ season, batting .285/.357/.536 with 16 home runs in 336 plate appearances, but now it appears he’ll be on the shelf for at least a short time. Here’s more from the East divisions.

  • The Braves are “almost certain” to retain manager Brian Snitker next season, Jeff Schultz of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes. Snitker took over as the Braves’ interim manager last season, and the Braves hired him full-time (although only for a one-year deal plus an option) after he led the rebuilding club to a 59-65 record following a brutal 9-28 start under Fredi Gonzalez. After a 50-58 start this year, it appears both the Braves’ players and its front office appreciate having Snitker around. Snitker has “done everything possible to help us win,” says Freddie Freeman. “He deserved the managerial job when he got, and we all hope that he’s back.” Team president of baseball operations John Hart suggests Snitker will return. “[L]et’s just say that Brian hasn’t done anything to make us look around for candidates like we were doing at this time last year, when we were compiling names,” says Hart. “If you broke into my office in the dead of night, you would find no slips of paper in my desk.”
  • Prior to yesterday’s game, the Rays optioned lefty and former top prospect Blake Snell to Triple-A Durham, as Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times noted. They also recalled lefty Jose Alvarado (giving the Rays’ bullpen an extra arm for the time being), activated infielder Daniel Robertson, and optioned infielder Taylor Featherston. The 24-year-old Snell has a 4.98 ERA this season with 8.0 K/9 and a too-high 5.1 BB/9. This is the second time he’s been sent down — he also spent a six-week stint with Durham beginning in mid-May. Topkin notes that it’s unclear who will take Snell’s rotation spot, although the team has an off-day Monday, so there will be time to sort that out. One possibility is that Austin Pruitt (who pitched 6 1/3 shutout innings against Houston earlier this week) could remain in the rotation after Jake Odorizzi returns from a back strain. But Topkin also mentions that the team could promote 22-year-old top prospect Brent Honeywell, who has a 3.95 ERA, 11.6 K/9 and 2.4 BB/9 in 100 1/3 innings in his first season with Durham.

AL Notes: Sox, Mariners, Rays, Angels

By | at

Red Sox third base prospect Rafael Devers is making a case for a promotion in Double-A, but the team still isn’t ready to summon the 20-year-old to the majors, writes Jason Mastrodonato of the Boston Herald. Devers, Baseball America’s 14th-ranked prospect, has slashed .289/.346/.550 with 14 home runs in 272 plate appearances this year and impressed Red Sox vice president of player development Ben Crockett along the way. “It’s been a really positive year,” Crockett said of Devers. “He’s learned a lot. Playing with older teammates, more experienced guys, it’s a different life experience. I think it’s been great for him. The staff, with manager Carlos Febles, has done a great job being consistent with him. He’s a great worker. He’s passionate and cares about what he’s doing.” Crockett’s glowing review aside, the Red Sox are hesitant to call up a prospect unless they know he’ll play every day, notes Mastrodonato, who suggests they’ll look to acquire a veteran third baseman by the trade deadline. Whether help comes in the form of a veteran or Devers, Boston is in serious need of aid at the hot corner. The club’s third basemen rank last in the majors in wRC+ (a pitiful 44) and fWAR (minus-1.3).

More from the American League:

  • The Mariners have battled through a spate of injuries to post a 39-38 record and plant themselves firmly in the playoff hunt, and now a significant reinforcement is on the way. Left-hander Drew Smyly, out all season with an elbow injury, is targeting a return for the Mariners’ July 17-19 series against AL West rival Houston, relays Bob Dutton of the Tacoma News Tribune. Smyly threw a two-inning sim game Saturday, and the plan is for him to do the same on June 28 and then embark on a three-start rehab assignment in early July. The 28-year-old hasn’t yet pitched for the Mariners, who acquired him in an offseason trade with Tampa Bay.
  • Just over a month after his mid-May demotion to Triple-A, Rays southpaw Blake Snell will return to the team’s rotation Wednesday, reports Roger Mooney of the Tampa Bay Times (on Twitter). He’ll take over for Erasmo Ramirez, who will return to the bullpen amid a rough June in which he has posted a 7.65 ERA in 20 innings. Snell, who logged a 4.71 ERA, 7.29 K/9 and 5.36 BB/9 in 42 innings before heading to the minors, earned his way back with a 2.66 ERA, 12.48 K/9 and a 3.07 BB/9 in 44 Triple-A frames.
  • Meanwhile, the White Sox will also get back a notable lefty in Carlos Rodon, who will make his 2017 debut during the upcoming week, tweets Bruce Levine of 670thescore.com. Rodon, who just completed a four-start rehab assignment, hasn’t pitched in the majors this year on account of shoulder bursitis. The 24-year-old combined to rack up strong numbers from 2015-16, when he notched a 3.90 ERA, 9.08 K/9, 3.7 BB/9 and a 45.3 percent ground-ball rate over 304 1/3 innings.
  • Earlier this month, there was some positive news on Tyler Skaggs’ recovery from an oblique strain, but the Angels left-hander has suffered a setback, per Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register (Twitter links). Skaggs didn’t make his scheduled rehab start on Saturday because of “general soreness” in his oblique. Angels manager Mike Scioscia called the latest update on Skaggs “disturbing” and “frustrating.” Skaggs’ most recent start for the Halos was on April 28.

AL East Notes: Sandoval, Devers, Tillman, Erasmo

By | at

Tim Britton of the Providence Journal takes a look at where the Red Sox’ contract with Pablo Sandoval stands historically in comparison to other large contracts. As might be expected, it doesn’t fare well at this stage of the analysis. While there’s still time for the former star to add back value, it seems likelier than ever that he won’t hold onto a roster spot for the rest of the season. (Currently, Sandoval is taking a DL stint for an inner ear infection.) As things stand, says Britton, Sandoval has posted the worst performance (by measure of WAR) of any player to sign a deal in excess of $90MM.

Here’s more from the AL East:

  • Sandoval’s struggles have helped frame the trade deadline for the Red Sox, as third base presently stands as a glaring need. But there is perhaps one other possibility: top prospect Rafael Devers, who has hit well at Double-A. Boston, presumably, would want to have a look at Devers in the majors before deciding whether to forgo a significant outside addition. That won’t happen immediately, though; per skipper John Farrell, via Rob Bradford of WEEI.com (on Twitter), Devers’s next promotion will be to Triple-A Pawtucket, not to the majors. With less than six weeks to go until the trade deadline, this raises the question whether the club is seriously considering Devers as the near-term answer at third. That said, it’s possible to imagine that Boston will hold out such a possibility while also moving to add a veteran piece at the hot corner, perhaps preferring a player who could also see time elsewhere on the diamond (in the middle infield, at first, or even in the outfield) over a pure third bagger.
  • The Orioles’ rotation remains a major question mark, with righty Chris Tillman now seemingly at risk of losing his spot. As Jon Meoli of the Baltimore Sun writes, team and player seem to be running out of ideas; Tillman has limped to a ghastly 8.39 ERA with just 5.9 K/9 against 5.0 BB/9 through 39 2/3 innings on the year since returning from injury. While manager Buck Showalter says he’s “hoping Chris can solve this as a starter,” he hinted that the patience is running thin while noting that Tillman is operating without “a lot of crispness” or “a real confident presentation” on the mound. While Tillman says he’s healthy, Meoli notes that he’s struggling to maintain his release point — with a velocity drop and command troubles on his secondary offerings seemingly resulting. All told, it’s a big problem for the O’s, who lack obvious internal solutions, and for the pending free agent.
  • Also struggling at the moment is Rays righty Erasmo Ramirez. As Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times writes, skipper Kevin Cash says that there’s no immediate threat to Ramirez’s rotation spot despite his recent struggles. Still, Topkin suggests that Ramirez’s outing today could determine his near-term fate. With young lefty Blake Snell and others throwing well at Triple-A, there are alternative available to Tampa Bay. How the Rays rotation evolves over the coming six weeks could have some deadline implications, too. The club presently sits two games over .500, and likely won’t punt a chance to contend, but might still market a starter (particularly, free-agent-to-be Alex Cobb) if the team feels it has sufficient in-house depth.

Quick Hits: Palermo, Rays, Reds, Giants

By | at

Major League Baseball umpire supervisor Steve Palermo passed away Sunday at the age of 67, the league announced. Palermo debuted as an American League umpire in 1976 and worked until 1991, when a gunshot wound to his spinal cord left him partially paralyzed. He suffered the injury bravely trying to assist two waitresses who were being mugged outside a Dallas restaurant. Thanks to arduous physical therapy, Palermo was able to defy the odds and walk again with the assistance of a cane.

“Steve Palermo was a great umpire, a gifted communicator and a widely respected baseball official, known in our sport for his leadership and courage,” commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement. “He had an exceptional impact on both his Major League Umpires and baseball fans, who benefited from his ability to explain the rules in our game. On behalf of Major League Baseball, I extend my deepest condolences to Steve’s wife, Debbie, the World Umpires Association and his many friends and admirers throughout the game.”

MLBTR joins Manfred in sending its condolences to Palermo’s family and friends.

A few notes from both leagues:

  • The Rays made the right decision in optioning southpaw Blake Snell to Triple-A Durham on Saturday, opines Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. While a significant decline in performance since last season is behind Snell’s demotion, there are also accountability issues with the 24-year-old, according to Topkin, who writes that Snell’s postgame comments “routinely drew eye rolls from others in uniform.” Snell apparently took the news in stride, though, with teammate Alex Cobb telling Craig Forde of MLB.com: “He seemed to have a good outlook. He seemed relieved to be able to go down, without the pressure, and work on what he knows he needs to work on. That’s a positive.” One problem Snell will work on in the minors is a lack of fastball command, suggested manager Kevin Cash, who assured reporters that the Rays still believe in the second-year hurler. “For us to be the kind of team we can be, Blake has got to be in our rotation,” Cash said.
  • Left-hander Amir Garrett, whom the Reds optioned to Triple-A last Sunday, will rejoin the big league rotation during the upcoming week, manager Bryan Price said Sunday (Twitter link via C. Trent Rosecrans of the Cincinnati Enquirer). Garrett has thrown two scoreless innings since the Reds sent him down to Louisville. Before that, the rookie impressed at the major league level with five quality starts in six opportunities. Aside from a dreadful April 24 showing against the Brewers, who teed off on Garrett for nine earned runs on eight hits and four walks in 3 1/3 innings, the 25-year-old hasn’t lasted fewer than six frames or allowed more than two earned runs in any of his starts.
  • The Giants are mulling a stint on the disabled list for right fielder Hunter Pence, relays Michael Wagaman of MLB.com. Pence, who has been on the shelf this weekend, underwent an MRI on Sunday that revealed a mild hamstring strain. The 34-year-old is among the many Giants who have started slowly this season, having hit just .243/.289/.338 in 149 plate appearances.

Rays Demote Blake Snell To Minors

By | at

The Rays have optioned left-handed starter Blake Snell to Triple-A Durham, according to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. The club will recall reliever Ryne Stanek to take Snell’s roster spot, Topkin adds (on Twitter).

Tampa Bay elected to demote Snell after he turned in arguably his worst start of the year in a 6-3 loss to the Red Sox on Saturday. The 24-year-old went 5 2/3 innings, marking the seventh time in eight starts this season that he hasn’t completed at least six frames, and yielded six earned runs on six hits and three walks, with five strikeouts. In 42 innings this year, Snell has logged a bloated 4.71 ERA with a disappointing strikeout rate (7.29 per nine innings) and a horrid walk rate (5.36).

Snell also struggled with control as a rookie last season (5.16 BB/9), but the former top prospect managed to offset that to a degree with a stellar 9.91 K/9, which helped him post a quality ERA (3.54) in 89 innings. Since then, though, Snell has lost some fastball velocity and generated fewer swinging strikes, as his rate has fallen from 10.9 percent in 2016 to 8.8 percent this year. Overall, Snell has been the weak link in a Rays rotation that has otherwise been a strength in 2017, with Chris Archer, Alex Cobb, Matt Andriese and Jake Odorizzi having recorded positive results.

With Snell returning to the minors, veteran swingman Erasmo Ramirez is likely to take his rotation spot, per Topkin, though he notes that the Rays might not need a fifth starter imminently. Snell’s demotion shouldn’t affect his long-term control, as he entered the season with 110 days of service time and is now closing in on the 172 necessary to accrue a full year. Thus, assuming Snell returns to the majors this season, he should still remain on track to reach free agency after the 2022 season.

Rays To Promote Blake Snell, Move Matt Andriese To Bullpen

By | at

The Rays will call up top pitching prospect Blake Snell for a start on Thursday, manager Kevin Cash told reporters (including Roger Mooney of the Tampa Bay Times).  Righty Matt Andriese, who has a 2.82 ERA over seven starts for the Rays this season, will be shifted into a fireman role in the bullpen.

This is the second time Snell has been promoted, as the 23-year-old southpaw was called upon for a spot start against the Yankees on April 23.  Snell looked good in his MLB debut, holding New York to one run on two hits and a walk over five innings, recording six strikeouts along the way.  He was returned to Triple-A Durham afterwards, where he has enjoyed an impressive season: 3.29 ERA, 12.9 K/9 and a 3.21 K/BB rate over 63 innings.

Cash gave no indication as to how long Snell’s latest stint the Tampa rotation could last, though as Mooney notes, Snell won’t amass enough service time to attain Super Two status should he remain on the Major League roster for the rest of the season.  That being the case, there’s little reason the Rays wouldn’t keep the lefty around if he pitches well.

It may be unfair to solely attribute financial reasons to Snell’s minor league stay, of course, as he has exhibited some control issues over his pro career — 28 walks over his 63 Triple-A innings this season and a 4.4 BB/9 over his 485 frames in the minors.  An extra bit of Triple-A seasoning also may have been warranted simply due to the fact that Snell (while picked 52nd overall in the 2011 draft) was somewhat of a middling prospect before his breakout 2015 campaign.  That massive season saw Snell jump three levels in the Rays’ farm system and land himself a prominent spot on the preseason prospect rankings lists (ranked 12th by Baseball America and MLB.com, 14th by ESPN’s Keith Law, 21st by Baseball Prospectus).

Snell’s continued success this year, however, earned him that April start and now what could be a prolonged look in Tampa’s rotation.  The Rays entered the season expecting to be led by their starters, though only Jake Odorizzi and Andriese have performed consistently well.  Chris Archer (4.61 ERA), Drew Smyly (4.94) and Matt Moore (5.56) have all had their share of struggles, though advanced metrics indicate that all three are significantly outperforming their inflated ERAs.

Andriese’s 2.82 ERA, by contrast, has perhaps a bit fortunate, as ERA predictors (3.22 FIP, 4.25 xFIP, 4.42 SIERA) paint a less flattering view of his performance.  Andriese doesn’t miss many bats (6.04 K/9) and relies on grounders and soft contract to rack up outs.  It’s not a dissimilar arsenal to that of Erasmo Ramirez, who has also pitched quite well for Tampa in a fireman role this season.  Having a pair of versatile, multi-inning relievers could provide a boost to a Rays bullpen that has been plagued with injuries, most notably closer Brad Boxberger spending almost the entire season on the DL.

AL East Notes: Snell, Hicks, Yankees, Bogaerts, Farrell

By | at

Blake Snell looked impressive in his Major League debut, holding the Yankees to one run on two hits and a walk over five innings on Saturday, while striking out six.  “I just settled in, and it felt like it felt my whole life when I went out there and pitched,” Snell told reporters, including Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times.  Snell has already been optioned back to Triple-A since the Rays only needed him for one start (due to Erasmo Ramirez being needed in the bullpen) but it seems quite likely that you’ll see Snell back in the Show later this season.  Here’s some more from around the AL East…

  • Aaron Hicks will be out of action for four-to-five days after receiving a cortisone injection in his left shoulder, Yankees manager Joe Girardi told reporters (including Dan Martin of the New York Post).  Hicks suffered the injury, described as Girardi as traumatic bursitis, when diving for a ball in Friday night’s game.  If there’s no improvement shown over the next couple of days, the team could end up placing Hicks on the DL.
  • Losing the right-handed hitting Hicks will only worsen the Yankees’ problems against left-handed pitching, Joel Sherman of the New York Post writes, an issue that developed late in 2015 and seemingly hasn’t been solved after the offseason’s moves.  The Yankees entered today’s game with a .235/.324/.315 cumulative line against southpaws, and middling numbers overall against all pitching.  A lackluster offense, Sherman notes, isn’t helping the team take advantage of its greatest weapon, the Andrew Miller/Dellin Betances combo at the end of games.
  • X-rays were negative on Xander Bogaerts’ right wrist after the Red Sox shortstop was hit by a Luke Gregerson pitch in Friday’s game.  Manager John Farrell told reporters (including WEEI.com’s Rob Bradford) that Bogaerts would’ve only been used in an emergency situation today, though the hope is that Bogaerts can return for Sunday’s game.  Farrell also provided injury updates on Carson Smith and Eduardo Rodriguez, with Smith possibly on track to return from the DL later this week.
  • Some Red Sox fans have already begun to whisper that Farrell should be fired in the wake of the club’s 8-9 start, which Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe considered to be very premature thinking.  It’s rare for any team to fire a manager so early in a season, and Cafardo doesn’t think Farrell should be blamed so quickly given how the Sox have faced several pitching injuries.
  • It’s already been a busy day for AL East news, as beyond just Yovani Gallardo’s DL stint and Branden Pinder’s UCL tear, more division items were collected in a pair of Notes posts.

Minor MLB Transactions: 4/23/16

By | at

Here are the latest minor transactions from around baseball:

  • The Twins have called up right-hander Tyler Duffey from Triple-A and optioned infielder Jorge Polanco, the team announced. Duffey will start the Twins’ game Sunday against the Nationals in place of Ervin Santana, who has back tightness. Duffey, 25, broke into the majors last season and was excellent for the Twins, throwing 58 innings of 3.10 ERA ball with an 8.22 K/9 and 3.10 BB/9. Duffey’s standout performance has continued this year in Triple-A Rochester, where he has pitched to a 1.72 ERA and 2.98 FIP in three starts. Polanco, who’s regarded as a top-100 prospect, got the call to Minnesota last week but didn’t last long. The 22-year-old logged only eight plate appearances, giving him 28 in the big leagues since 2014.
  • The Rays wasted no time sending top pitching prospect Blake Snell back to Triple-A after his stellar debut at Yankee Stadium on Saturday, Roger Mooney of the Tampa Tribune tweets. With Snell returning to Durham, the Rays have selected the contract of right-hander Jhan Marinez. Snell threw five innings of one-run ball in his first major league start, holding the Yankees to two hits and a walk while striking out six. Snell got a no-decision in the Rays’ 3-2 loss. Marinez, 27, could now make his first trip to a major league mound since he picked up 2 2/3 frames for the White Sox in 2012.
  • The Blue Jays have optioned southpaw Chad Girodo to Triple-A to make room for right-hander Drew Hutchison, who will start their game Sunday against the A’s, reports Shi Davidi of Sportsnet (Twitter link). Girodo has tossed two scoreless innings for the Jays this year. Hutchison racked up 62 appearances (60 starts) and 335 innings with the Jays from 2014-15, but he struggled to prevent runs (4.97 ERA) despite a quality K/9 (8.41) and decent BB/9 (2.79).
  • The Marlins have placed third baseman Martin Prado on the paternity list and selected the contract of left-hander Cody Ege, per a club announcement. Ege, 24, will make his major league debut after recording stellar numbers in 161 2/3 minor league innings. Ege owns a 2.23 minors ERA to go with an 11.4 K/9 and 2.8 BB/9.
  • The Diamondbacks have recalled right-hander Enrique Burgos from Triple-A and optioned righty Silvino Bracho, the team announced. Burgos accrued 27 innings out of the D-backs’ bullpen last season and put up a lofty ERA (4.67) that belied an impressive strikeout rate (13.0 per nine). Bracho threw just 1 2/3 innings for Arizona prior to the demotion, surrendering five hits and three earned runs.
  • The Padres have placed utilityman Alexi Amarista on the 15-day DL (retroactive to April 20) with a right hamstring strain and recalled Cesar Vargas from Double-A, according to Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune (Twitter link). Amarista owns a career .229/.277/.325 batting line in 1,601 major league plate appearances, but he was off to a solid start this year (.333/.440/.333 in 26 PAs). Vargas will start the Padres’ game against the Cardinals tonight. The Mexico native could be a diamond in the rough, as Chris Mitchell of Fangraphs details.

 

Earlier Moves

  • The Nationals signed righty Jaron Long to a minor league deal, the team announced. Jaron Long, the son of Mets hitting coach Kevin Long, spent 2013-15 working through the Yankees’ minor league system. Long, 24, has put up some solid totals in the minors (3.26 ERA, 6.8 K/9, 1.6 BB/9), but he hasn’t yet earned a call-up to the majors.
  • The Tigers have claimed catcher John Hicks off waivers from the Twins, Anthony Fenecki of the Detroit Free Press was among those to report (on Twitter). Hicks owns a .279/.325/.408 line in 1,690 minor league PAs and has thrown out a whopping 48 percent of base stealers at various levels. The 26-year-old debuted in the majors last season with the Mariners, collecting only two hits and a walk in 34 trips to the plate.
  • The Blue Jays announced that right-hander Arnold Leon cleared waivers and has been outrighted to Triple-A (Twitter link via Gregor Chisholm of MLB.com). Leon gave up two runs in 2 1/3 innings with the Jays before they designated him for assignment April 13. He made his major league debut last year with Oakland and posted a 4.39 ERA in 26 1/3 innings. Leon induced an average amount of ground balls (45.9 percent) and averaged 6.4 K/9 against 3.0 BB/9 during that time.
  • The Royals have released minor league left-hander Brandon Zajac, tweets Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com. Zajac was a 23rd-round pick of the Giants in 2013.
  • The Braves have recalled lefty reliever Matt Marksberry from Double-A and optioned right-hander Casey Kelly to Triple-A, reports Mark Bowman of MLB.com. The Braves needed a fresh arm in place of Kelly, who threw three innings of one-run ball for them on Friday. Marksberry, who has put up a 3.63 ERA over 203 1/3 career minor league innings, tossed 23 1/3 frames for the Braves last season. He compiled a 5.01 ERA to accompany an 8.1 K/9 and 6.2 BB/9.
  • The Mets sent right-hander Rafael Montero to Triple-A to make room for the return of starter Jacob deGrom, according to Adam Rubin of ESPN. New York called up Montero on April 12 and he went on to surrender three earned runs on five hits, one walk and three strikeouts in 2 1/3 innings. DeGrom hasn’t pitched since April 8 because of right lat tightness and medical complications with his recently born son, Jaxon, who was released from the hospital Monday.
  • The Red Sox recalled left-handler Roenis Elias on Friday and sent righty William Cuevas to Triple-A, per the Boston Herald. Elias, whom Boston acquired from Seattle during the offseason in the Wade Miley/Carson Smith trade, will work out of the Red Sox’s bullpen. Elias has made a pair of starts for Pawtucket this year after totaling 49 as a Mariner the previous two seasons. During that time frame, Elias combined for 277 2/3 innings of 3.99 ERA ball to go with a 7.75 K/9 and 3.47 BB/9. Cuevas, who has been in the Boston organization since 2008, made his major league debut this season to poor results before the demotion. The 25-year-old allowed five base runners (three hits and two walks) and two earned runs in 2 1/3 frames.

AL Notes: Darvish, Smith, ERod, Kelly, Owens, Snell, Farquhar, Gausman, Gallardo

By | at

Here’s the latest out of the American League, with a focus on some recent injury news on key pitchers:

  • Rehabbing Rangers ace Yu Darvish will throw another live BP session before beginning his rehab assignment, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News reports. The righty hasn’t suffered any kind of setback, but hopes to refine his offspeed offerings before reporting to Double-A to begin his march back to the majors.
  • Meanwhile, Red Sox reliever Carson Smith looks to be on track for a return in early May, Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe reports on Twitter. He’ll need to make at least three minor league outings, including two on back-to-back days, before being activate. The righty will be a welcome addition to the back of the Boston pen. Likewise, lefty Eduardo Rodriguez may be on his way back soon, as Evan Drellich of the Boston Herald tweets that he could return to the majors after two rehab starts.
  • In other Red Sox pitching news, the club is hopeful that Joe Kelly won’t miss much more than the minimum on his 15-day DL stint, Jason Mastrodonato of the Boston Herald reports (Twitter links). Southpaw Henry Owens will step into Kelly’s place in the rotation. He’s put up three solid outings at Triple-A thus far, allowing just two earned runs in 18 innings with 23 strikeouts and ten walks.
  • With top Rays pitching prospect Blake Snell coming up for his first start tomorrow, Baseball America’s Vince Lara-Cinisomo takes a look at the 23-year-old lefty. While he still needs to refine his command, BA suggests he could become a number two starter if he can reach his ceiling in the majors. Tampa Bay has optioned reliever Danny Farquhar to clear room for Snell, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times tweets. The 29-year-old righty has pitched well enough in the early going, but he was one of only a few optionable arms in the Rays’ pen and appeared in each of the last two games.
  • The Orioles are set to activate Kevin Gausman for his first start of the season on Monday, with the heralded righty saying that he thinks his shoulder issues are a thing of the past, as MLB.com’s Britt Ghiroli reports. In his latest rehab appearance, said Gausman, he felt more “comfortable” than he had in his prior outings. Hopes are high for the 25-year-old, and the Baltimore rotation is certainly need of a boost with only one member (Ubaldo Jimenez) currently carrying a sub-4.00 ERA.

Rays To Promote Blake Snell

By | at

4:19pm: Snell is expected to be active only for one start, manager Kevin Cash tells reporters, including Topkin (Twitter link).

2:09pm: The Rays will promote one of the game’s top pitching prospects, left-hander Blake Snell, to start Saturday at Yankee Stadium, reports Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times (Twitter link). Snell, the No. 52 overall pick in the 2011 draft, will be making his Major League debut.

While he wasn’t an overly heralded prospect until last season, Snell’s 2015 was simply too dominant to ignore. The Washington native began the season at Class-A Advanced and had a meteoric rise to the Triple-A level, beginning with an incredible streak of 46 scoreless innings to open the year. All told, Snell’s 2015 season culminated with a microscopic 1.41 ERA with 10.9 strikeouts and 3.6 walks per nine innings pitched. That showing prompted Baseball America and MLB.com each to rank him as the No. 12 prospect in baseball, while ESPN’s Keith Law rated him 14th and Baseball Prospectus penciled Snell in at No. 21 on their list.

Snell is said to have the upside of a No. 2 starter now that his command has taken several steps forward (he averaged 6.6 and 4.4 walks per nine innings in 2013 and 2014, respectively). The 6’4″ lefty has a 92-94 mph fastball that can reach 96-97 mph and complements that plus heater with a plus changeup and a plus slider in addition to a curveball that BA calls “more of a supplement to his arsenal than a true weapon.” Law writes that Snell is probably a No. 3 even if his command doesn’t take a further step forward, and he could become one of the 10 best lefties in baseball.

Because Snell will have spent the first 20 days of the season at the minor league level, he’ll be able to earn a maximum of 163 days of Major League service this season. That’s assuming he doesn’t make a return trip to the minors, which is far from a given. It’s also worth noting that the 20 days he’s spent in the minors is the minimum he could’ve spent at that level without retroactively receiving the service time he’s missed by being optioned to open the season. In essence, Saturday then marks the first day that Snell could be recalled without the Rays running the risk of losing a year of club control. In the event that Snell does not return to the minors this year, the Rays would be able to control him through the 2022 season, though he would still qualify as a Super Two player and be arbitration eligible four times instead of the more typical three. Snell is already on the 40-man roster, so Tampa Bay will only need to clear space for him on the active roster. He’s begun the season with a 2.41 ERA and a 21-to-7 K/BB ratio in 14 1/3 innings at the Triple-A level.

Whether Snell sticks with the big league club remains to be seen. As Topkin notes, the promotion was necessitated by the need for a fifth starter after Erasmo Ramirez was needed in relief, so there may not be a permanent spot in the rotation — especially with right-hander Alex Cobb making his way back from Tommy John surgery. It’s conceivable, though, that Snell would be impressive enough to earn a lengthier look than merely one start with a strong showing, leaving Ramirez in a swing-man role while Cobb continues his rehab.

MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

hide arrowsFOX Sports Engage Network scroll to top