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AL East Notes: Tulowitzki, Orioles, Buchholz

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The Blue Jays have announced that they’ve activated shortstop Troy Tulowitzki from the 15-day DL, where he had been since May 28 with a right quad strain. To clear space, they’ve optioned infielder Andy Burns to Triple-A Buffalo. The Jays had mostly been using Ryan Goins and Darwin Barney at shortstop. Now Tulowitzki will get something of a second chance to begin his season, which wasn’t going particularly well before the injury — he had batted just .204/.289/.383 before the quad strain. Here are more quick notes from the AL East.

  • The Orioles have announced that they’ve activated righty Yovani Gallardo and shortstop J.J. Hardy from the 15-day disabled list. They also optioned lefty T.J. McFarland to Triple-A Norfolk. The O’s placed Gallardo on the DL in late April with biceps tendinitis. Before that, he had struggled in his first four starts as an Oriole, allowing 14 runs in 18 innings. He starts today against the Jays. Hardy has missed the last six weeks with a left foot fracture. He’s batted .244/.291/.410 so far this season — not the most impressive numbers, perhaps, but he retains value thanks to his work at shortstop.
  • Righty Clay Buchholz is moving back into the Red Sox’ rotation, Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal notes. Buchholz takes the place of lefty Roenis Elias, who was optioned to Triple-A Pawtucket today. Buchholz himself was bumped from the rotation in late May after posting a 6.35 ERA, 5.9 K/9 and 3.8 BB/9 in 56 2/3 innings as a starter. He’s only allowed three earned runs in 9 1/3 innings in the bullpen, although his six walks in that period don’t necessarily inspire confidence. The Sox continue to struggle to fill out their rotation behind David Price, Steven Wright and Rick Porcello, with six other starters, including Buchholz, having taken the mound this season.

Minor MLB Transactions: 6/18/16

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Here are today’s minor moves from around the league.

  • The Red Sox announced that they’ve selected the contract of outfielder Ryan LaMarre. They also recalled infielder Deven Marrero and optioned outfielder Rusney Castillo and lefty Roenis Elias to Triple-A Pawtucket. The 27-year-old LaMarre was hitting a solid .313/.383/.475 for Pawtucket. He also stole 11 bases and played mostly center field, so a number of facets of his game could prove useful to the Sox. He made his big-league debut with the Reds last season, then headed to the Red Sox last winter on a minor league deal.
  • The Mariners have announced that they’ve selected the contract of righty Adrian Sampson and optioned lefty David Rollins to Triple-A Tacoma. Sampson will make his big-league debut this afternoon against the Red Sox, starting in place of the injured Wade Miley. The Mariners acquired Sampson last July in the trade that sent J.A. Happ to the Pirates. The 24-year-old Sampson has exhibited characteristically strong control this season at Tacoma, posting a 3.25 ERA, 6.8 K/9 and 1.3 BB/9 in 80 1/3 innings.

Minor MLB Transactions: 6/17/2016

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Here are the day’s minor moves:

  • The White Sox outrighted first baseman/outfielder Jerry Sands after he cleared waivers, Collen Kane of the Chicago Tribune tweets. Recently designated, Sands will provide some depth for Chicago at Triple-A — assuming, at least, that he accepts the assignment. (He has previously been outrighted, so could instead elect free agency.) The 28-year-old has seen sporadic MLB time over the past several seasons. In 58 plate appearances with the White Sox this year, he scuffled to a .236/.276/.291 batting line.
  • Likewise, the Blue Jays outrighted their own recent designee, southpaw Scott Diamond, per SB Nation’s Chris Cotillo (via Twitter). The 29-year-old only saw one game with the big club in his first MLB action since 2013.  He had been pitching well at Triple-A, carrying a 3.16 ERA with 4.5 K/9 and 1.7 BB/9 over 12 starts.
  • The Red Sox have signed first baseman Cody Decker, per Matt Eddy of Baseball America (via Twitter). Decker is still looking for his first major league hit after a brief stint last year with the Padres — he did, at least, record an RBI — but he’s got little to prove as a Triple-A hitter. In nearly 1,500 plate appearances at the highest level of the minors, the 29-year-old owns a .255/.333/.501 batting line with 74 home runs.
  • Recently released by the Cubs, righty Alex Sanabia is now set to join Mexico’s Tijuana Toros, Cotillo tweets. Sanabia has seen 138 2/3 innings of MLB action, all with the Marlins and none coming since 2013. Sanabia had allowed 39 earned runs in 55 1/3 innings at Triple-A for the Cubs on the year.

AL East Notes: Souza, Cobb, Jays, Sox, O’Day, Yankees

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The Rays sent right fielder Steven Souza to the 15-day disabled list yesterday due to a strained muscle in his left hip, as MLB.com’s Sam Blum writes. Souza sustained the injury on Tuesday when making a diving attempt at a sinking liner off the bat of Nelson Cruz. He came up just shy of making the catch, and upon getting to his feet had difficulty remaining upright, ultimately falling back to the turf after making the throw into the infield. X-rays taken on his hip were negative, and Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times tweets that Souza will receive a cortisone injection to help with the pain. Souza’s hope for now, according to Topkin, is that he can return in the minimum two weeks. The 27-year-old Souza is hitting .255/.315/.443 with 10 homers on the season and has played a solid right field this season. In his absence, the Rays have called up Jaff Decker (as seen on their updated depth chart), and he’ll share some of the duties with Mikie Mahtook.

More from the AL East…

  • In other Rays injury news, injured right-hander Alex Cobb is targeting late July or early August as a return date from 2015 Tommy John surgery, tweets Topkin. That target date would put the 28-year-old on track for a 14- to 15-month recovery from replacement of his ulnar collateral ligament, which took place in early May of 2015. The Rays currently have a full rotation with Chris Archer, Matt Moore, Jake Odorizzi, Drew Smyly and Blake Snell (plus a pair of rotation candidates in the bullpen in Matt Andriese and Erasmo Ramirez), but further injuries or trades could potentially open a spot for Cobb’s return.
  • The Blue Jays could find themselves competing against the majority of their own division for pitching help on the summer trade market, writes Sportsnet’s Ben Nicholson-Smith. The Red Sox and Orioles, in particular, need rotation help and could challenge the Jays as they look to fortify their own collection of starters. The fact that right-hander Aaron Sanchez will inevitably move to the bullpen to limit his innings looms large over the Blue Jays, Nicholson-Smith notes, and while that move (plus the return of Brett Cecil) could eliminate a separate need for relief help, the Blue Jays are light on depth in the rotation. Right-hander Drew Hutchison is throwing well at Triple-A and is expected to return to the rotation later this summer, but as Nicholson-Smith points out, any injury to a starter after Hutchison’s return would severely compromise the team’s depth. Veteran lefty Wade LeBlanc is probably the next line of defense, and while he’s throwing brilliantly in Triple-A (1.51 ERA in 83 2/3 innings), his track record in the Majors is fairly limited.
  • Red Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski should be fully invested in the 2016 season, even if it means parting with a prized prospect such as outfielder Andrew Benintendi or Rafael Devers in order to bolster the rotation, opines the Boston Globe’s Peter Abraham. With David Ortiz’s impending retirement and the brilliant performances from other members of the offense (Mookie Betts, Xander Bogaerts, Jackie Bradley, Dustin Pedroia), it’s unlikely that the Sox will receive this level of across-the-board domination from their offense again, and the core of their team is controlled long enough that parting with someone such as Benintendi or Devers is manageable, Abraham writes. In addition to seeking an impact rotation arm and a quality setup piece, Abraham feels that a platoon-mate for Chris Young in left field would be a prudent investment. He suggests Jon Jay as a logical target (though clearly not in connection with Benintendi or Devers), and the fit does indeed make sense for Boston.
  • Catcher/outfielder Blake Swihart could return to the Red Sox in August, writes the Boston Herald’s Evan Drellich. Dombrowski said that the team’s initial timeline on Swihart was six to eight weeks, and early August would be on the further end of that spectrum. Swihart will be reevaluated in the near future, per Dombrowski, but he didn’t seem to think there was any reason to expect a lengthier absence. Dombrowski played it cool when asked about his left field situation, praising Young’s work at the position and adding that he’s confident the team will have Swihart and Brock Holt back in the mix eventually.
  • Orioles righty Darren O’Day, who is currently on the disabled list due to a hamstring injury, offered a fairly vague update on his status on Thursday (links to Twitter via MASNsports.com’s Roch Kubatko). The Baltimore setup ace is still unsure of when he’ll be able to get back on a mound but conceded that his recovery has been coming along more slowly than he’d expected. O’Day did add that he doesn’t think he’d require more than two rehab appearances to get back up to speed, so when he is able to get back on a mound, his return from that point could be expedited.
  • The Yankees aren’t interested in signing Jose Reyes, writes Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports. The Yanks had interest in Reyes following his trade from Toronto to Colorado, but they’re no longer intrigued by the possibility. Reyes was designated for assignment earlier this week and is all but certain to be released by the Rockies.
  • Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports profiles one of the more interesting draft stories of the year: Yankees ninth-round pick Tim Lynch. A first baseman out of Southern Mississippi, Lynch was long an avid autograph collector before developing into a legitimate draft prospect. At 14 years of age, needing only Lorenzo Cain’s signature to complete an entire set of Bowman autographs, Lynch picked up a half-dozen donuts and waited for Cain behind the back gate of a minor league stadium, offering him and his teammates a snack in exchange for the completion of the set. Reminded of the exchange by Rosenthal, Cain called it “unreal … crazy, unbelievable” that the donut-wielding autograph collector from nine years ago was drafted by the Yankees. Rosenthal spoke with Lynch about his entire collection, with the 23-year-old senior sign revealing that he’s picked up more than 20,000 signatures in total over the years (100+ from Miguel Cabrera alone) and still hopes to obtain an autograph from Alex Rodriguez now that he’s been drafted by New York.

Draft Signings: 6/16/2016

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There are a lot of notable draft deals to work through from the last two days. Among them:

  • Blue Jays second-rounder Bo Bichette announced that he’s signed a deal, which Chris Cotillo of SB Nation tweets is for a $1.1MM bonus. A son of long-time big leaguer Dante Bichette, the high-school shortstop landed above the $978,600 value at the 66th overall pick. Fellow second-rounder J.B. Woodman inked for $975K, Callis adds on Twitter. An outfielder from Mississippi, he also will deliver some savings to Toronto. The 57th selection came with a $1.124MM slot value. The Jays also added third-round pick Zach Jackson, Callis tweets. The Arkansas righty signed for $540K, leaving the team with $45,100 in savings.
  • Another second-round pick who’s ready for a minor league assignment is C.J. Chatham, who goes to the Red Sox for $1.1MM, per MLB.com (via Twitter). Chosen 51st overall, the Florida Atlantic shortstop rated just outside the top 100 per Baseball America. His signing saves the club $132,800 against the slot value.
  • The Brewers agreed with second-rounder Lucas Erceg for $1.15MM, Callis reports on Twitter. The Menlo College third baseman rated 47th on the draft board of ESPN.com’s Keith Law. He was taken 46th overall, which came with an allocation of $1,386,900.
  • The Twins are in agreement with second-rounder Ben Rortvedt on a $900K bonus, per another Callis tweet. Minnesota saves $241,600 against the slot value while adding the Wisconsin high school backstop. Cotillo tweets that Twins third-rounder Griffin Jax, a righty from the Air Force Academy, has agreed to an at-slot, $645.6K bonus.
  • The Dodgers agreed to a $590,800 bonus with second-round pick Mitch White, MLB.com’s Jim Callis tweets. The Santa Clara righty ended up going for over $400K less than the 65th pick’s pool allocation, so Los Angeles can put that money to work in other areas.
  • Rays third-round choice Austin Franklin signed for a $600K bonus that falls a bit shy of the $676,200 slot value, Callis tweets. Franklin is a high-school righty out of Florida.
  • The Royals have an above-slot deal with third-rounder Khalil Lee, SB Nation’s Chris Cotillo tweets, though the exact bonus isn’t known. Taken with the 103rd selection, the Virginia high school outfielder rated 121st on BA’s board.
  • The Athletics have locked up third-rounder Sean Murphy for an at-slot, $753,100 bonus, Callis tweets. Baseball America had rated him 63rd among draft-eligible prospects, but Oakland got him with the 83rd pick.
  • Bryson Brigman appears to be in agreement with the Mariners for $700K, just under the $708,200 slot value, per a tweet from Bob Dutton of the Tacoma News Tribune. A shortstop from the University of San Diego, Brigman went 87th overall.
  • The Giants have given an at-slot, $625,900 bonus to Heath Quinn, Callis tweets. The power-hitting Samford outfielder was taken with the team’s third-round selection.
  • The Cardinals signed fourth-rounder Jeremy Martinez, a catcher from the University of Southern California, for $600K, Chris Cotillo of SB Nation tweets. That lands over the $421,600 allocation that came with the 136th selection in the draft.
  • Brewers fourth-round selection Corbin Burnessigned for a slot bonus of $536,400, Callis tweets. A righty from St. Mary’s, Burnes took the 57th slot on the Baseball America draft chart on the basis of improving velocity and the possibility of sticking as a starter.

Red Sox To Sign Casey Janssen

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The Red Sox have signed veteran reliever Casey Janssen to a minor league deal, Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe reports on Twitter. He is expected to pitch at the Triple-A level after a preliminary trip through the low minors.

Janssen spent spring training with the Padres, but San Diego released him in late March when it became apparent he wouldn’t crack the roster. He had yet to sign with another organization since.

The 34-year-old pitched at the major league level most recently with the Nationals in 2015. He was unable to make up for a decline in fastball velocity that has worsened over the years. Despite minimizing baserunners (38 hits and eight walks in 40 frames), he was touched for five long balls and suffered from sequencing misfortune. The result was a 4.95 ERA.

Before that, Janssen had compiled an impressive eight-year run with the Blue Jays. Over 493 frames, he worked to a 3.52 ERA with 6.7 K/9 against 2.2 BB/9. At his best, though, from 2011 through 2013, Janssen struck out about one batter per inning with around two walks per nine while carrying a 2.46 ERA.

AL East Notes: Ubaldo, Venters, Beltran, Red Sox

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Ubaldo Jimenez’s dreadful results with the Orioles this season (specifically over his past seven starts) may soon force the Orioles’ hand, writes MASNsports.com’s Roch Kubatko. Manager Buck Showalter declined to give an inkling of the team’s intentions with Jimenez, stating: “We have to look at other possibilities, but if we do something, he’s going to hear about it from us long before he reads about it.” As Kubatko points out, that type of sentiment from Showalter in the past has typically preceded a change, and the real question surrounding Jimenez is how drastic of a move the team will make. Eduardo A. Encina of the Baltimore Sun wrote last night that a release isn’t likely given the remaining money on Jimenez’s four-year deal, but Kubatko hears differently, writing that the O’s are willing to cut bait in spite of the financial considerations. Jimenez is owed about $7.89MM through the end of the season and is earning $13.5MM in 2017 as well. He has a 6.89 ERA through 62 2/3 innings this season and has seen his once blistering fastball dip to an average of just 89.8 mph.

More from the American League…

  • Former Braves setup ace Jonny Venters somewhat quietly returned to the mound after his third Tommy John surgery when he tossed a scoreless inning for the Rays’ Class-A Advanced affiliate earlier this month, as MLB.com’s Sam Blum writes. The Rays signed Venters to a two-year minor league contract last season, and the plan for him is to make about five appearances with Class-A Charlotte before being moved up to Triple-A Durham. If Venters, whose fastball touched 93 mph in his first appearance with the Stone Crabs, can show Major League caliber pitches and prove capable of throwing on back-to-back days, he could get a look with the big league club. Venters tells Blum that he doesn’t feel bad for himself whatsoever even after all of his arm woes, rather that he feels fortunate to have accomplished what he has in his career and to still have a chance. Blum also spoke to Venters’ former teammate Craig Kimbrel about the 31-year-old’s long journey back to the mound. “It shows a lot about who he is,” said Kimbrel. “He has some of the nastiest pitches, pure stuff in the game. … He’s giving everything he’s got. It’s special to be able to play this game, and he feels like he can still do it.” Venters, who has a career 2.23 ERA in 229 2/3 MLB innings, is looking to become the second pitcher to ever return from a third TJ operation, joining Jason Isringhausen.
  • While Carlos Beltran is having a strong season and would love to remain with the Yankees beyond 2016, the team has yet to reach out to the free-agent-to-be about a new contract, reports Barry M. Bloom of MLB.com. Beltran has said he’d like to play for another two seasons beyond this one, Bloom adds. The 39-year-old slugger is hitting .277/.313/.554 with 16 homers on the season, placing him just three long balls shy of last season’s total of 19. As Bloom points out, Beltran’s excellent season is only further adding to a very legitimate Hall of Fame case; he ranks fourth among active players in WAR and reached a pair of notable milestones this season, belting his 400th homer and recording his 2500th hit (his 1500th RBI isn’t far off, either). Bloom spoke to both skippers who were present at Yankee Stadium this weekend — Joe Girardi and Brad Ausmus (a former teammate of Beltran) — and both said they think he’s already earned a spot in Cooperstown regardless of how the remainder of his career plays out.
  • While the Red Sox are reportedly seeking both starters and relievers on the trade market, skipper John Farrell wouldn’t identify specific trade needs for his club when asked by WEEI.com’s Rob Bradford. Instead, Farrell chose to focus his comments on a need to get his team’s best players healthy. Farrell specifically mentioned Brock Holt, who has yet to pass IMPACT testing to clear him to return from the concussion he is currently battling. Farrell also took the opportunity to praise the replacement for Holt (and Blake Swihart), Chris Young, for his contributions in the clubhouse and on the diamond. Meanwhile, Evan Drellich of the Boston Herald tweeted yesterday that Farrell later added the hope for Holt is that he’ll be able to embark on a minor league rehab assignment this week.

AL East Notes: Yankees, Tulowitzki, Groome

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With Chris Parmelee now on the DL with a hamstring injury, the Yankees have no first basemen, Jared Diamond of the Wall Street Journal writes. Parmelee joins Mark Teixeira, Dustin Ackley and Greg Bird as first basemen who’ve gotten injured, and the team now has infielder Rob Refsnyder and catcher Austin Romine manning the position. Refsnyder had never appeared at first in a professional game before last week. Veteran Nick Swisher remains at Triple-A, but he’s batting just .238/.266/.339, and the Yankees don’t appear to have any plans to promote him. Here’s more from the AL East.

  • Blue Jays shortstop Troy Tulowitzki suffered a setback in his return from his quadriceps injury, writes Sportsnet’s Ben Nicholson-Smith. Tulowitzki left an instra-squad game on Friday with discomfort. “It’s not like he re-injured it, but just seems a little hesitant or something,” manager John Gibbons explained. Tulowitzki had been scheduled to rejoin the Blue Jays Monday, but that now appears unlikely. He’s been out since May 27. The five-time All-Star is batting .204/.289/.383 in his first full season in Toronto.
  • The Red Sox got an unusual talent with the 12th overall pick in the draft in New Jersey high school hurler Jason Groome, but he comes with question marks, the Boston Herald’s Jason Mastrodonato writes. Groome’s draft stock fell due to questions about his makeup, although their nature mostly remains in the shadows. Mastrodonato writes that Vanderbilt University, to which Groome had previously been committed, lost interest in Groome for reasons that did not have to do with his baseball ability. Nonetheless, the Red Sox were enthused about his upside and unfazed by makeup questions. “We’re very comfortable we know who Jason Groome is,” Red Sox scouting director Mike Rikard says. Prior to the draft, MLB.com rated Groome the top talent available, noting his 6-foot-6 size, good velocity and potential to throw three quality pitches.

Red Sox Interested In Both Starters And Relievers

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The Red Sox are telling other clubs that they have interest in exploring trades for both starters and relievers this summer, Evan Drellich of the Boston Herald reports. It’s all preparatory work at this point, rather than specific trade discussions, but it appears that the club’s path is beginning to be charted.

Boston’s rotation has been marked by intrigue for some time, with Steven Wright’s emergence, Eduardo Rodriguez’s return from injury, and the struggles of Clay Buchholz and Joe Kelly among the storylines. While David Price remains the staff ace, with Rick Porcello also locked into a spot, it appears that the team could look either to bolster its depth with a solid veteran or add another top-tier option.

The bullpen, meanwhile, has seen its share of impressive performances and looks to be a strong unit overall. But the loss of Carson Smith and some concerns with Koji Uehara — who, it should be noted, still carries outstanding peripherals — raise the possibility of adding another impact late-inning arm. It’s certainly possible to imagine the organization targeting a power southpaw if it does so. Robbie Ross has signifcantly boosted his swinging strike rate, which is promising, but Tommy Layne continues to issue too many walks and hasn’t been as effective as usual against opposing lefties.

As Drellich notes, while the focus may be on arms, it remains plausible to imagine a move for an outfielder as well. He opines that the club could pursue a left-handed-hitting platoon partner for Chris Young or chase a bigger piece to take over regular duties in left field.

AL East Notes: Swihart, Kelly, Sox Pitching, HanRam, Gallardo, Wandy, Forsythe

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Red Sox catcher/outfielder Blake Swihart appears to be dealing with a fairly significant ankle injury, as Jason Mastrodonato of the Boston Herald tweets. For now, he’s in a hard cast, and skipper John Farrell declined to address whether or not the injury could sideline him for the entire season. The club is expected to assess the options in two weeks’ time. Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal asks whether the loss of Swihart, who just joined Brock Holt on the DL, means it’s time for the team to go find a left fielder via trade. Boston doesn’t seem inclined to lean on Rusney Castillo, and prefers Chris Young in a fourth-outfielder role. MacPherson ticks through a few trade possibilities.

Here’s more out of Boston and the rest of the AL East:

  • Adding to the pitching questions facing the Red Sox, righty Joe Kelly left his Triple-A start yesterday with a groin injury, as Bill Koch of the Providence Journal reports. There’s no indication yet on his prognosis, and Kelly has struggled to establish himself at the majors, but the club can scarcely part with any depth at this point. It’s worth noting, too, that some have suggested the team consider shifting the power righty to the bullpen, so any loss could tell in that department as well.
  • The Red Sox face a tall task in adding a starter, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe opines. For one thing, the market could be thin; for another, some injuries to and performance dips from upper-level prospects have reduced the club’s pool of trade chips. Tim Britton of the Providence Journal looks at some rotation options for Boston, and his list of possibilities largely validates Cafardo’s outlook.
  • There have been plenty of good vibes and positive signs from Hanley Ramirez this year, but Alex Speier of the Boston Globe wonders whether we’re seeing a larger decline from the Red Sox first baseman. As Speier explains, Ramirez is exhibiting troubling signs of a loss of power and erosion of ability to make frequent and good contact.
  • The Orioles are nearing a decision on whether and when to activate rehabbing starter Yovani Gallardo, as Dan Connolly of BaltimoreBaseball.com writes. He’s lined up to take the mound in Toronto this weekend, but the club could let him make another rehab start after a somewhat tepid outing yesterday.
  • Meanwhile, Orioles righty Wandy Rodriguez is nearing a decision on whether he’ll opt out of his minor league pact with the organization, as Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com reports (Twitter links). He has the right to decline a minor league assignment, and reportedly prefers to find a major league opportunity. The veteran threw yesterday at extended Spring Training and is expected to make the call in the near term.
  • Rays infielder Logan Forsythe is headed out on a Triple-A rehab assignment, as Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports. That keeps him in line to return early next week, which could provide a significant boost to a club that remains five games under .500 and stuck in last place in the AL East. Forsythe is one of several important players who are currently sidelined for Tampa Bay. Pitchers Alex Cobb and Brad Boxberger as well as outfielders Kevin Kiermaier and Brandon Guyer are all on more extended timelines to return, with only Guyer expected back within the next few weeks.
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