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Pitcher Notes: Buchholz, Boxberger, Gray, Wilson

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Red Sox right-hander Clay Buchholz is displeased with his demotion to the bullpen, writes Evan Drellich of the Boston Herald. Buchholz declined to talk to reporters for the second straight day and threw in a curse word as he walked away from them Saturday, according to Drellich. Manager John Farrell has left the door open for Buchholz to return to the rotation, saying, “While he might not like the current situation, that’s where we are. If he pitches to his talents and abilities, that role can potentially change.” Buchholz, 31, has been a solid starter for most of his career, but he put up a 6.35 ERA, 5.88 K/9 and 3.91 BB/9 in 56 2/3 innings in that role this year and will try to right the ship as a reliever.

Here’s more on a few other established pitchers:

  • The Rays will slowly transition reliever Brad Boxberger back into the closer role when he returns soon from core muscle surgery, manager Kevin Cash said (via Sam Blum of MLB.com). The righty led the American League in saves last year (41), but thanks to the brilliance of fill-in Alex Colome, the Rays haven’t missed him in the ninth inning. Nonetheless, Boxberger’s presence will aid a Rays bullpen that has been mediocre this year. In 137 2/3 innings from 2014-15, Boxberger compiled a 3.03 ERA, 12.55 K/9 (seventh among qualified relievers) and 3.67 BB/9.
  • Athletics right-hander Sonny Gray threw a 35-pitch first bullpen session Saturday – his first BP session since going on the disabled list last Sunday with a trapezius injury – per Jane Lee of MLB.com. Gray “feels good,” manager Bob Melvin said afterward, and could return on or shortly after June 5.
  • Two big-name Angels, southpaw C.J. Wilson and righty Tim Lincecum, are on similar timelines to make their major league debuts this year, tweets Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register. Wilson, who has been out all season with an injured left shoulder, will make his first of at least two starts with Triple-A Salt Lake City on Monday.
  • In case you missed it, the White Sox and Padres are discussing a James Shields trade.

East Notes: Herrera, Rule 5, Red Sox, Mets

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Odubel Herrera’s brilliance has been a key to the Phillies’ surprising success so far this season, and his emergence since being selected in the 2014 Rule 5 Draft highlights the way the Rule 5 has changed in recent years, Matthew Trueblood of Baseball Prospectus writes. One reason players like Herrera, Delino DeShields and Ender Inciarte have been available in the Rule 5 in recent years is that teams seem to prefer protecting players who have power, making low-power but potentially high-OBP players available. Also, the emergences of players like those listed above (as well as Hector Rondon, Mark Canha, Logan Verrett and so on) suggests there’s enough talent in the game for MLB to withstand expansion without significantly diluting its talent level — leaving aside the complex question of what markets the league should expand to. Here’s more from the East divisions.

  • The Red Sox’ terrific 2011 draft class has become the franchise’s foundation, Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal writes. The team had four of the first 40 picks in that draft, and used them to select Jackie Bradley and Blake Swihart, as well as Matt Barnes and Henry Owens. That group alone would have made the draft a good one, but the Sox also snagged Mookie Betts, Travis Shaw and Noe Ramirez in the later rounds. Bradley fell to the Sox at No. 40 in part because of a wrist injury that held him back in his junior year at South Carolina. Bradley was a gamble, and not all gambles on talented players whose stock have fallen work out — MacPherson mentions 2012 first-rounder Deven Marrero, and I might add 2010 39th overall pick Anthony Ranaudo, whose stock fell prior to the draft due to an elbow injury. Bradley, though, was a steal, and he, Betts and the rest of the Sox’ 2011 class looked poised to lead the organization forward.
  • The Mets have no plans to use outfielder Michael Conforto at first base with Lucas Duda on the shelf, ESPN’s Adam Rubin tweets. “Right now Michael has a lot on his plate and I don’t need to add more to it,” says manager Terry Collins. The team is currently weighing its options in the wake of Duda’s injury, and has shown at least some interest in James Loney. MLBTR’s Jeff Todd recently listed potential first base solutions the Mets could pursue.

Red Sox To Activate Eduardo Rodriguez, Move Clay Buchholz To Pen

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The Red Sox have some important pitching changes in the works, as Tim Britton of the Providence Journal reports on Twitter. Manager John Farrell says that the club will activate lefty Eduardo Rodriguez to start on Tuesday, with veteran right-hander Clay Buchholz bumped to the pen.

It’s been a long wait for Rodriguez, who has missed the first two months of the season while working back from a knee issue. He showed immense promise last year, and was expected to hold down a rotation spot for the foreseeable future.

Of course, expectations never were that he’d be taking the ball from Buchholz. That move may not last the rest of the season, but it’s a major step for a pitcher whose last major league relief appearance came in his sophomore season of 2008.

Shifting to a relief role also speaks volumes about where things stand with regard to Buchholz’s 2017 club option, which is valued at $13.5MM and comes with a $500K buyout. It seemed reasonably likely to be picked up heading into the year, but Buchholz has managed only a 6.35 ERA with 5.9 K/9 and 3.8 BB/9 over his first ten starts.

That’s a steep drop-off from Buchholz’s work last year and most of the rest of his ten-year MLB career. If he can’t turn things around during the 2016 season, he could end up looking for a make-good free agent opportunity come next fall.

AL East Notes: Buchholz, Yankees, Shreve, Matusz

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It would appear that Clay Buchholz’s spot in the Red Sox rotation is in jeopardy. Tim Britton of the Providence Journal tweets that following tonight’s loss, manager John Farrell conceded that Buchholz’s spot will be under discussion once Eduardo Rodriguez is healthy enough to return to the Majors. The Herald’s Michael Silverman tweets that Farrell made it sound as if Buchholz will leave the rotation, though the manager did emphasize that no decision has been made at this time. Buchholz had a perfect trip the order to open tonight’s game against the Rockies, but he quickly melted down, allowing a two-run homer to Carlos Gonzalez in the fourth inning. By the time his evening was finished, Buchholz had yielded six runs in five innings, causing his ERA to balloon to 6.35. Buchholz was accountable when speaking to reporters after the game. Via Britton (links to Twitter), he offered the following comments: “I’m here to pitch. If I don’t have a spot, that’s part of it. If I don’t like it, pitch better. I’m not demoralized. The team’s still winning. I’m basically the only one that’s struggling.” The Red Sox hold a $13.5MM club option on Buchholz for the 2017 season.

Here’s more from the AL East…

  • Joel Sherman of the New York Post writes that Yankees manager Joe Girardi appears frustrated by a mismatched roster that features too many players best-suited for DH duties. Both Alex Rodriguez and Carlos Beltran are ill-equipped for regular time on the field, but with A-Rod serving as a strict DH, Beltran is forced into right field. The Yankees’ roster is caught in an odd state of flux, with several young players in an effort to build for the future — e.g. Didi Gregorius, Aaron Hicks, Starlin Castro — and a slew of aging veterans who are no longer healthy enough or defensively competent enough to warrant everyday placement in the lineup.
  • The Yankees placed left-hander Chasen Shreve on the 15-day disabled list due to a sprained AC joint in his left shoulder, the club announced tonight. As Nick Suss writes for MLB.com, an MRI revealed the injury, and Shreve received  a cortisone injection to treat the issue. He won’t pick up a baseball for the next seven days. Girardi says that Shreve’s shoulder has been bothering him for a few days, though the lefty’s struggles have been ongoing for most of the season. Shreve has a 5.21 ERA on the year and has allowed a troubling seven homers in 19 innings of work.
  • Brian Matusz reflected on his time with the Orioles in an interview with MASNsports.com’s Roch Kubatko and offered nothing but praise for the organization that drafted him back in 2008. Matusz, who was traded to the Braves and promptly designated for assignment by Atlanta earlier this week (the Braves absorbed his contract as a means of persuading Baltimore to part with a Competitive Balance Draft Pick), tells Kubatko that he knew when he got the call informing of the trade that there was a chance he’d be designated quickly. “Obviously, a new team and I was excited,” said Matusz. “But I also realized before the trade happened that a designation was a possibility, so it wasn’t a complete surprise. Just understanding that it’s part of the business, where I was at in terms of how I’ve been throwing the ball.” Kubatko writes that Matusz never wanted to move from the rotation to the ’pen in the first place but played the role of the good soldier when asked to relieve. Asked about the possibility of starting again, he replied: “It’s tough to say right now. … But having the ability to start and be a reliever are two nice assets to have.”

AL East Notes: Travis, Sox Pen, Sanchez

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Second baseman Devon Travis is on his way back up to the Blue Jays, according to Jon Morosi of FOX Sports (via Twitter). He’ll finally make it back from shoulder issues that have kept him away from the club since late last July. Travis impressed in his first 239 big league plate appearances, putting up a .304/.361/.498 slash with eight home runs. Even if he can’t keep up that pace, there’s every hope that he’ll significantly upgrade a unit that owns one of the league’s least productive batting lines.

Here are a few more notes from the AL East:

  • The loss of Carson Smith leaves the Red Sox in need of an additional quality pen arm, Evan Drellich of the Boston Herald writes. That’s not to say there’s any particular rush to the trade market, which president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski made clear would not be the case. But Drellich argues that the organization needs to begin lining up targets for the summer. Meanwhile, WEEI.com’s Rob Bradford takes a look at a few possibilities who could be available.
  • Yankees catcher Gary Sanchez suffered what GM Brian Cashman is calling a “cracked thumb” in last night’s action, Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre beat writer Shane Hennigan tweets. The 23-year-old is one of the game’s most highly-regarded backstop prospects, and seemed ready for a full shot at the majors after opening the year with a .290/.333/.529 slash in 147 plate appearances. Of course, the Yankees are all set at the big league level for the time being. The club will hope that the injury won’t take too big a chunk out of Sanchez’s season, but his outlook remains unclear at present.

Carson Smith Undergoes Tommy John Surgery

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10:50pm: Smith had the operation earlier today, tweets Jason Mastrodonato of the Boston Herald.

9:21am: Red Sox reliever Carson Smith will require season-ending Tommy John surgery, the club has announced. It’s a big blow for Boston and the young reliever, who was acquired from the Mariners over the winter.

Smith, 26, had missed the start of the season with what was diagnosed as a flexor strain, but returned to throw 2 2/3 scoreless frames for the club. That was all, though, as he experienced elbow discomfort and was soon forced back to the disabled list. Things ultimately turned out worse than had been hoped, as a visit to Dr. David Altchek resulted in a decision to replace Smith’s ulnar collateral ligament.

Boston shipped sturdy left-handed starter Wade Miley and right-hander Jonathan Aro to Seattle to add Smith and fellow southpaw Roenis Elias, in hopes that Smith provide another high-end option at the back of the ’pen after a breakout 2015 campaign. At the time, there was no particular reason to believe that he was at much greater risk than any other pitcher. The recent study of MLBTR contributor Bradley Woodrum put Smith at only a slightly above-average statistical risk of needing a TJ procedure.

Losing Smith for the duration of this season, and at least a good portion of next, is obviously disappointing. But it’s still quite possible for Boston to redeem value on the swap. Smith entered this season with just over one year of MLB service, so he can be kept at the league minimum next year, will cost just a shade more in 2018, and can be controlled through 2020.

Smith was supposed to join Craig Kimbrel, Koji Uehara, and Junichi Tazawa at the back of a stacked Red Sox pen. The unit still looks like a good one, and that late-inning trio is better than most, but it’s certainly possible to imagine Boston looking at relief options as the trade deadline rolls around.

AL East Notes: Gallardo, Erasmo, Hill, Miller

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Yovani Gallardo threw a bullpen session this morning, the first time he has thrown off a mound since hitting the DL a month ago with shoulder tendinitis.  Gallardo and Orioles manager Buck Showalter told reporters (including MLB.com’s Fabian Ardaya) that the righty could toss another bullpen and then a simulated game later this week, though much will depend on how Gallardo is feeling in the wake of today’s session.  Here’s more from around the AL East…

  • Erasmo Ramirez has been a boon to the Rays in an old-school “fireman” relief role, able to pitch multiple innings at any point late in a game.  R.J. Anderson of CBSSports.com explores why Ramirez has been an ideal fit for this role and how the Rays’ usage of the righty could inspire other teams to turn their own relievers into firemen.
  • It looks like the Red Sox made a mistake in letting Rich Hill get away in free agent last winter given how the veteran has pitched since joining the A’s, Peter Gammons writes in his latest GammonsDaily.com piece.  With the A’s struggling and Hill standing out as possible deadline trade bait, Gammons suggests the Sox could re-acquire Hill to bolster the back half of their rotation.
  • The Hill-to-Boston scenario is also explored by ESPN’s Buster Olney in his latest subscription-only column, and he also opines that Yankees setup man Andrew Miller would be a great fit for the Giants.  Miller is signed through 2018 so San Francisco would gain a long-term bullpen piece to guard against any of all of their top relievers (Santiago Casilla, Javier Lopez, Sergio Romo) leaving in free agency this winter.  Miller’s availability could depend on whether or not the Yankees are still in a pennant race themselves, though Olney notes that New York has enough elite bullpen depth to shop Miller or Aroldis Chapman even if the club is in contention.
  • In other AL East news from earlier today, the Blue Jays have made Drew Storen available and the Red Sox are prepared to spend on midseason upgrades if necessary.

Pitcher Notes: Gray, Lincecum, Bucs, Rosenthal, BoSox

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Athletics manager Bob Melvin thinks the trapezius problem that forced Sonny Gray to the disabled list Sunday is at the root of the right-hander’s early season woes. “It’s like pitching with a rock in the bottom of your neck,” Melvin said (Twitter link via Joe Stiglich of CSNBayArea.com). If Gray had been pitching through the injury before landing on the DL, it would explain his swift descent from an ace to one of the majors’ worst starters in 2016. For his part, Gray expects the DL stint to serve him and the team well. “It’s better to go ahead and try to miss a couple starts and knock this thing out. In the long run, it’ll benefit everyone,” he commented (Twitter link via Jane Lee of MLB.com).

Here’s more on a handful of other pitchers:

  • Newly signed Angels righty Tim Lincecum will head to Triple-A Salt Lake City at the end of the month and make at least two rehab starts there before joining the big league club, tweets Pedro Moura of the Los Angeles Times.
  • Pirates general manager Neal Huntington wants elite pitching prospects Tyler Glasnow and Jameson Taillon to spend the entire season with Triple-A Indianapolis, but he realizes that it’s unlikely to happen. “Perfect world they have a full year at Triple-A. It’s probably not going to be a perfect world,” he said Sunday (Twitter link via Travis Sawchik of the Pittsburgh Tribune Review). Glasnow and Taillon have torched the minors this year and look poised to join the Pirates when the Super Two threshold passes in June. Aside from Gerrit Cole and, to a much lesser extent, Juan Nicasio, Pittsburgh has gotten little production from its rotation members this year. Thus, Glasnow and Taillon will provide a pair of welcome reinforcements.
  • The Pirates have gotten many offers for minor league right-hander Chad Kuhl over the years, Huntington said Sunday (Twitter link via Stephen Nesbitt of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette). Huntington added that he thinks Kuhl has the potential to be an asset in either the rotation or bullpen at the major league level. Both Glasnow and Taillon overshadow Kuhl, but the latter has gotten eye-opening results at Triple-A this year, posting a microscopic .99 ERA in 45 2/3 innings. Kuhl, 23, also demonstrated similar abilities at lower minor league levels.
  • Cardinals closer Trevor Rosenthal has struggled with command this month, walking nine batters in six innings, which manager Mike Matheny attributes to a lack of work. “If we see him take long breaks and then be really sharp when he comes in, that’s another story. But right now, he’s just not quite where he wants to be. And sometimes the only way of fixing that is to throw,” Matheny said (via Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com). Matheny plans to use Rosenthal more, even if it means the Cardinals deploy the 25-year-old so often that they have to rest him for certain save situations. “I think it’s probably the priority at this point to get [Rosenthal] the amount of work that he needs until he is right, and then build on that confidence,” Matheny stated.
  • Triple-A Pawtucket has placed Red Sox southpaw Brian Johnson on the temporary inactive list as he seeks treatment for anxiety, according to Ian Browne of MLB.com. Johnson, whom MLBpipeline.com ranks as Boston’s sixth-best prospect, will partake in “non-game baseball activities” in Fort Myers, Fla., while undergoing anxiety treatment. “Obviously we’re well aware of what he’s dealing with and we support him,” said manager John Farrell. “He’s a talented young guy and we’ll provide every available resource to him to get back to being a productive pitcher and a guy that we’d hope to factor in as we go forward.”

East Notes: Storen, Red Sox, Howard, Harvey

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The Blue Jays have told teams that right-handed reliever Drew Storen is available, reports Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun. Storen, whom the Jays acquired from the Nationals for outfielder Ben Revere in the offseason, is on an $8.38MM salary this year and is then slated to become a free agent. Formerly a capable late-game option with the Nats, Storen has already allowed 13 runs on 22 hits in his first 15 innings with the Jays. To his credit, the 28-year-old has continued his career-long trend of posting quality strikeout and walk rates (9.6 and 2.4 this season, respectively), but PITCHf/x indicates that his velocity is down a couple miles per hour.

Now let’s check in on some other clubs from baseball’s two East divisions:

  • If lefty starter Eduardo Rodriguez and right-handed reliever Carson Smith don’t serve as adequate in-season reinforcements, the 26-17 Red Sox are open to acquiring outside talent and increasing their $201MM-plus payroll in the process, writes Evan Drellich of the Boston Herald. Team ownership is “as committed as ever” to putting a winner on the field after enduring back-to-back last-place finishes, said club president Sam Kennedy.
  • The Phillies’ front office has put Pete Mackanin in a tough position with first baseman Ryan Howard, whom the manager is hesitant to bench, opines Ryan Lawrence of Philly Voice. Howard is hitting a paltry .161/.233/.381 in 133 plate appearances, but he’s a popular figure in the clubhouse and Mackanin doesn’t want to send the wrong message by removing him from the lineup in favor of recent call-up and platoon mate Tommy Joseph. Thus, writes Lawrence, the front office should step in and handle it for Mackanin. Howard, 36, has long been in decline and is likely in his last year with the Phillies, who will buy him out for $10MM at season’s end in lieu of paying him $23MM to remain on the team in 2017. Considering both that and Howard’s weak output, it would make sense for the Phillies to give Joseph the lion’s share of time at first.
  • A scout who has followed Matt Harvey since his amateur days offered his assessment of the struggling Mets right-hander to Kevin Kernan of the New York Post. “There’s no deception in his delivery. “He is throwing across his body and the hitters are getting a good look at everything,” said the scout, who added that Harvey looks out of shape and is presenting “no fear factor, no intimidation.”

AL Notes: Lincecum, Sale, Choo, Smith, Ortiz

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New Angels righty Tim Lincecum has consented to an optional assignment as part of the arrangement, GM Billy Eppler tells reporters including Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times (Twitter links). That’s obviously designed to give him a chance to ramp back up, but also means that the team won’t face the time pressures inherent in a rehab stint (thirty days, for pitchers). The Halos are playing a man down tonight since Lincecum technically needs to clear revocable option waivers before the move can be made, the Times’ Pedro Moura notes on Twitter. Regardless of the logistics, Eppler says that he expects that Lincecum will be ready for the bigs within twenty to thirty days. Lincecum also addressed his decision to sign with the Angels, noting that he had multiple MLB offers, as MLB.com’s Fabian Ardaya tweets.

Here’s more from the American League:

  • White Sox ace Chris Sale is exhibiting diminished velocity and a lower strikeout rate, and he’s even better than ever, Ben Reiter of Sports Illustrated writes. Certain ERA estimators are just a bit down on his efforts — at least against his amazing career figures — and none think he’s quite supported his sparkling 1.58 ERA, but Reiter explains that the master of “stuff” has learned how to think on the hill. Sale cites the desire to be more efficient and to save his highest gear for when he truly needs it. He also suggested that taking something off at times allows him to “get more movement” and keep the ball down. Sox pitching coach Don Cooper suggests that it’s something of an evolutionary transformation. “It’s a characteristic of the top, top guys,” Cooper explains. “They’ve got stuff in their tank when they need it, but they’re managing the game, handling the game, knowing when to add, when to subtract. I do believe this is pitching at the highest level.” The piece is well worth a full read.
  • Midway through his first game off the DL, Rangers outfielder Shin-Soo Choo departed with a tight left hamstring, as Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News tweets. Choo had been sidelined by a right calf injury, so at least it’s not a re-aggravation of the prior issue, but that’s certainly disappointing news for the veteran. Texas still has plenty of options in the corner outfield, of course, and the severity of the injury remains to be seen.
  • The signals on Red Sox reliever Carson Smith are somewhat mixed as he hits the 15-day DL. On the one hand, skipper John Farrell says that all indications he’s been given suggest that surgery would be a surprise, as Jason Mastrodonato of the Boston Herald reports (Twitter links). On the other, he’s already had an MRI and the results are being reviewed, with Smith set to visit noted elbow surgeon David Altcheck on Monday, per MLB.com’s Ian Brown (via Twitter).
  • Lest there be any confusion, Red Sox slugger David Ortiz tells Rob Bradford of WEEI.com that he’s entertaining no thoughts of staying around past the present season, in spite of recent comments that seemed to leave the door cracked a bit. “Listen, the thing is that people need to understand, in my mind I’m 100 percent sure I’m going to retire,” he said. “There are so many reasons for me that I want to retire. That is what is my mind right now. I don’t want people to get the wrong idea.”
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