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AL Notes: Yankees, Indians, Rays, Orioles

By Connor Byrne | April 24, 2016 at 12:56pm CDT

Yankees infield prospect Sandy Acevedo was killed in a car accident Saturday night, the team announced. Acevedo was 18 years old. The native of the Dominican Republic signed with the Yankees last year as an international free agent. MLBTR extends its condolences to Acevedo’s family and friends.

In lighter news from around the American League…

  • Indians star left fielder Michael Brantley will rejoin the team Monday, manager Terry Francona said Sunday, and stands a good chance to be activated then, reports Jordan Bastian of MLB.com. The club could option outfielder Tyler Naquin to Triple-A in a corresponding move when it activates Brantley, per Bastian. Brantley has been working his way back from November right shoulder surgery and has played seven minor league rehab games since April 12. The 28-year-old’s return will be a significant boon to the Indians, as he emerged as one of the majors’ most dangerous offensive threats during the previous two seasons.
  • Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times believes the Rays should consider trading for Brewers catcher Jonathan Lucroy if they plan on contending, even if it means parting with a couple of their top prospects. So far this season, the Rays have gotten almost no offensive production from backstops Curt Casali and Hank Conger. Moreover, base stealers have gone 15 of 15 against the duo. Conger has thrown out just one of 54 runners dating back to last season. Lucroy, on the other hand, has established himself as one of the sport’s premier two-way catchers. The 29-year-old is playing this season on an eminently reasonable $4MM salary and is under team control through 2017 with a $5.25MM club option.
  • In the wake of Yovani Gallardo’s shoulder injury, right-hander Tyler Wilson will stay in the Orioles’ rotation for at least another start, Brittany Ghiroli of MLB.com was among those to report (on Twitter). As a result, Vance Worley will remain in a relief role, as Eduardo A. Encina of the Baltimore Sun pointed out (Twitter link). Wilson was working out of the Orioles’ bullpen before they started him in their 8-3 win over the Royals on Saturday. The 26-year-old allowed three runs on six hits in five innings. He made five big league starts last season and put up a 4.32 ERA/4.05 FIP/5.01 xFIP in 25 frames.
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Baltimore Orioles Cleveland Guardians New York Yankees Tampa Bay Rays Jonathan Lucroy Michael Brantley Sandy Acevedo Tyler Wilson

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AL East Notes: Red Sox, Orioles, Rays

By Connor Byrne | April 24, 2016 at 9:02am CDT

Red Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski issued a public vote of confidence to manager John Farrell on Friday, writes Jason Mastrodonato of the Boston Herald. “I think John Farrell has done a fine job managing our team,” Dombrowski said. “The only thing I would tell him is the same I would tell any manager: You need to manage with your conviction. Whatever you believe is the right move, you’re the one who is most knowledgeable in the case, and you do what you think is the right thing to do.” The Red Sox won the World Series under Farrell in 2013, but they’ve endured back-to-back sub-.500 seasons since and are a so-so 8-8 this year, leading to calls for his ouster from the team’s fan base. Mastrodonato defends Farrell by pointing out that the Red Sox have played disciplined baseball under him this season (they entered Friday with only six errors and just one caught stealing, as the writer notes). Further, Farrell was right to award Travis Shaw and Brock Holt the third base and left field jobs over Pablo Sandoval and Rusney Castillo, respectively, and has handled the team’s various personalities well – including Hanley Ramirez’s – Mastrodonato offers.

Here’s more from Boston and two of its American League East rivals:

  • Red Sox starters are currently toward the bottom of the league in ERA (5.38) and FIP (4.52), and if the team is looking for outside rotation help around July’s trade deadline, Mastrodonato lists five potential options: Jered Weaver (Angels), Mat Latos (White Sox), James Shields (Padres), Andrew Cashner (Padres) and Scott Kazmir (Dodgers). Of that group, only Shields and Kazmir are signed beyond this season, but both have opt-outs in their contracts at the end of the year. Barring an unexpected fall from contention by the Dodgers, Kazmir seems unlikely to be dealt. If the White Sox continue their winning ways, Latos probably won’t end up on the block, either. In the immediate future, the forthcoming return of lefty Eduardo Rodriguez from a knee injury should buoy the Red Sox’s rotation.
  • There was a report that Orioles right-hander Yovani Gallardo would see team orthopedist Dr. Mike Jacobs regarding his injured shoulder on Saturday. That examination will actually take place today, according to Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com. An MRI should offer more clarity on the status of Gallardo, who landed on the 15-day disabled list Saturday with tendinitis.
  • With Gallardo on the shelf for at least two weeks, the Orioles need another starter. They may have found a temporary solution in righty Tyler Wilson, who threw five innings of three-run ball in an 8-3 win over Kansas City on Saturday and impressed manager Buck Showalter in the process. “Things don’t seem to bother him mentally. He’s very mentally strong and that bodes well up here,” Showalter told reporters, including Brittany Ghiroli of MLB.com. Showalter indicated that Wilson will start again, per Ghiroli. Wilson, who had been in the Orioles’ bullpen until Saturday, made five big league starts last season and put up a 4.32 ERA/4.05 FIP/5.01 xFIP in 25 innings.
  • Rays outfielder Brandon Guyer was hit by a pitch a major league-record-tying three times Thursday, a feat that had only been accomplished on 22 previous occasions. Guyer also did it once last year, when he was hit an American League-leading 24 times. Guyer, who has already been hit by five pitches this year, told David Laurila of FanGraphs that there isn’t a special skill involved. “There’s no art to it. I promise,” he said. “It’s not something I’m out there looking to do, it just happens. I don’t know how to get out of the way. It’s just instinctual that I don’t move. I’m not afraid.” Thanks in part to his fearlessness, Guyer got on base an impressive 35.9 percent of the time in 385 plate appearances in 2015 and has a tremendous .485 OBP in 33 PAs this season.
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Baltimore Orioles Boston Red Sox Tampa Bay Rays Andrew Cashner Brandon Guyer James Shields Jered Weaver John Farrell Mat Latos Scott Kazmir Tyler Wilson Yovani Gallardo

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Orioles Place Yovani Gallardo On DL With Shoulder Tendinitis

By Connor Byrne | April 23, 2016 at 2:49pm CDT

The Orioles have placed starting pitcher Yovani Gallardo on the disabled list with right shoulder/bicep tendinitis and activated left-handed reliever Brian Matusz (back) from the DL, reports Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com (on Twitter). Gallardo will head to the 15-day DL, the Orioles announced.

The right-handed Gallardo left his start Friday after two innings because of shoulder discomfort, and he said afterward that the issue began while he was warming up in the bullpen before the game.

“My shoulder just didn’t feel right. To be honest, it was one of those feelings that I’ve never had my whole career,” Gallardo stated (via Eduardo A. Encina of the Baltimore Sun).

Prior to exiting, Gallardo allowed four earned runs on five hits and a walk in a 4-2 loss to the Royals. Through his first four starts this season, the 30-year-old has posted a 7.00 ERA while experiencing a drop in velocity. Further, his K/9 – which has declined precipitously in recent years – has taken another step back this season, going from an already low 5.91 in 2015 to just 4.5. And Gallardo’s normally high ground-ball rate is currently at a career-worst 37.9 percent. All of that spells trouble for Gallardo and the Orioles, who inked him to a two-year, $22MM deal in February after they nixed an agreed-upon third year because of a shoulder problem that popped up in his physical.

“Hopefully (Gallardo) will respond to a period of rest and rehabilitation and return to contribute to the team,” said general manager Dan Duquette (Twitter link via Kubatko).

With Gallardo down, Kevin Gausman’s return becomes all the more important to the Orioles, whose rotation entered Saturday toward the bottom of the league in ERA (5.16). Gausman is expected to make his 2016 debut Monday after missing the first few weeks of the season because of tendinitis in his throwing shoulder. The Orioles’ rotation should now at least temporarily consist of Gausman, Chris Tillman, Ubaldo Jimenez, Mike Wright and Tyler Wilson, who will start for the team Saturday.

Unlike Baltimore’s rotation, its bullpen has produced excellent results this year and the return of Matusz should only help matters. Matusz has combined for 151 2/3 innings with a 3.32 ERA in relief over the last three seasons. The 29-year-old has also averaged 9.44 K/9 and 3.15 BB/9 during that time. Matusz will now slide into a 2016 relief corps that also features Zach Britton, Darren O’Day, Brad Brach, Dylan Bundy and Mychal Givens. Thanks largely to those five, Orioles relievers have put up the second-best bullpen ERA in baseball this year (1.74).

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Baltimore Orioles Transactions Brian Matusz Yovani Gallardo

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East Notes: Yankees, Gallardo, Braves, Hanley

By Connor Byrne | April 23, 2016 at 8:29am CDT

The Yankees can either call up first baseman/outfielder Nick Swisher from Triple-A or try to trade suspended closer Aroldis Chapman for a bat as a way to spark their offense, writes Barry A. Bloom of MLB.com. Of course, it’s debatable whether either action would present any kind of solution. Swisher – whom the Yankees signed to a minor league deal earlier this month – is raking in Triple-A (.381/.440/.571 in 25 plate appearances) and was a terrific major leaguer from 2005-13, including four seasons in pinstripes. However, more recently, he was among the majors’ worst regulars the previous two seasons, has dealt with knee problems, and was jettisoned by both the Indians and Braves. Although the Yankees’ Dellin Betances– and Andrew Miller-led bullpen has fared well without Chapman, who will return next month, it’s difficult to imagine a prospective contender dealing a legitimate offensive producer for less than a season of control over the flame-throwing lefty. Plus, despite the Yankees’ early RISP troubles (their .668 OPS with men in scoring position ranks 20th), their offense is still a solid 10th in the league in wRC+.

Here’s more from the AL East and one NL East team:

  • Orioles right-hander Yovani Gallardo, who left Friday’s start after two innings because of shoulder discomfort, will see team orthopedist Dr. Mike Jacobs in Baltimore today, reports Eduardo A. Encina of the Baltimore Sun. Gallardo told Encina that his shoulder began acting up while getting loose in the bullpen before Friday’s game. “My shoulder just didn’t feel right. To be honest, it was one of those feelings that I’ve never had my whole career,” he said. That’s a particularly alarming admission from a player who signed a two-year deal with the Orioles in February after the team nixed an agreed-upon third year because of a shoulder problem that came to the forefront in Gallardo’s physical. The 30-year-old has also experienced a notable velocity drop this season, which manager Buck Showalter acknowledged Friday. “I’ve done all the looks at his average velocity in April and May. Every start I’ve looked at them. He’s down,” Showalter said.
  • Betances and Miller have been brilliant out of the Yankees’ bullpen this year, but David Schoenfield of ESPN.com argues that the team isn’t getting as much from them as it could. The two have logged 15 appearances between them, and only once has manager Joe Girardi deployed either for longer than an inning of work (Betances got four outs April 12). That isn’t good enough, opines Schoenfield, who believes the Yankees should lean more heavily on both of them until Chapman returns, citing Betances’ ability to handle a significant workload (he easily led all relievers with a combined 174 innings from 2014-15) and Miller’s past as a starter.
  • The Braves are willing to overlook third baseman Adonis Garcia’s defensive struggles because of his above-average offensive output, according to Mark Bowman of MLB.com. In 74 games dating back to last season, Garcia has hit a palatable .285/.318/472, though his .870 fielding percentage ranks last among major league third basemen who have accrued at least 120 chances going back to 1910, per Bowman. “He’s not a third baseman. He plays hitter,” manager Fredi Gonzalez said of Garcia. In fairness to Garcia, over a 345-inning sample size at third in 2015, he was only a bit below average by the standards of advanced metrics like defensive runs saved and ultimate zone rating.
  • The Red Sox seem pleased with Hanley Ramirez’s transition from left field to first base, and the 32-year-old has won fans over with his effort and attitude, but the club needs more from him offensively, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe offers. Ramirez, a career .296/.366/.493 hitter, is batting a disappointing .277/.290/400 with 17 strikeouts and two walks in 69 PAs this year. Since signing a four-year, $88MM contract with Boston in November 2014, the Red Sox’s current No. 5 hitter has put up a below-average .253/.291/.423 line in 499 PAs.
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Atlanta Braves Baltimore Orioles Boston Red Sox New York Yankees Adonis Garcia Andrew Miller Aroldis Chapman Dellin Betances Hanley Ramirez Nick Swisher Yovani Gallardo

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Quick Hits: Gallardo, Arrieta, Ethier, Carter

By Jeff Todd | April 22, 2016 at 10:45pm CDT

We already covered some injury updates tonight, but there’s another one of note. Yovani Gallardo’s struggles worsened tonight for the Orioles, and after the game skipper Buck Showalter said that he’s dealing with shoulder soreness, as Ghiroli reports (links to Twitter). The righty was already showing a two mile per hour decline in his average fastball, but said the issue arose only before and during tonight’s start. He lasted only two innings and 45 pitches today, surrendering four earned runs on five hits and a walk. The veteran says he’s never before experienced this kind of discomfort and that it got worse as the game progressed. Gallardo is expected to return to Baltimore for further evaluation. You’ll recall that Gallardo’s original agreement with the O’s was modified after shoulder questions cropped up in his physical.

Here are a few more notes to round out the evening:

  • On the heels of Jake Arrieta’s second no-hitter for the Cubs, Patrick Mooney of CSNChicago.com takes a look back at the deal that brought the star righty to Chicago along with reliever Pedro Strop in the summer of 2013. With Baltimore looking to bolster its rotation for a playoff push, the Cubs parted with half a season of Scott Feldman to acquire two controllable pitchers who have paid out handsomely since the swap. “We had scouted Jake extensively,” said Cubs GM Jed Hoyer. “We had done a lot of makeup work on him. We did the same thing on Strop. At that time, we just needed to get power arms onto our team.” Of course, as Hoyer acknowledges, the club didn’t expect anything like what Arrieta has delivered; as he puts it, “what [Arrieta’s] done is obviously exceptional.”
  • While he’s shelved on the DL with a broken leg, Dodgers’ outfielder Andre Ethier has officially achieved ten-and-five status, Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times notes on Twitter. The veteran therefore obtains full no-trade rights, which was all but inevitable when the club elected not to deal him entering the season. Ethier is owed $20MM for one more campaign after this one, including a $2.5MM buyout on a club option for 2018.
  • First baseman Chris Carter is off to a nice start with the Brewers, as Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel writes. After another productive evening, Carter owns a .259/.328/.593 slash with four long balls over his first 64 plate appearances. That’s a far cry from his awful start to the 2015 season, and Carter attributes it in large part to his offseason effort to change his approach. “I’m just hitting more balls the other way,” Carter explained. “My homers this year have been to center, right-center. That’s something that I didn’t do that much last year until the end of the year. It’s something I worked on in the offseason, hitting balls where they’re pitched instead of trying to pull them.” Thus far, at least, Milwaukee’s $2.5MM investment has been well worth it.
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Baltimore Orioles Chicago Cubs Los Angeles Dodgers Milwaukee Brewers Andre Ethier Chris Carter Jake Arrieta Jed Hoyer Yovani Gallardo

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

By Jeff Todd | April 22, 2016 at 9:56pm CDT

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.
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Baltimore Orioles Boston Red Sox Tampa Bay Rays Texas Rangers Blake Snell Carson Smith Danny Farquhar Eduardo Rodriguez Henry Owens Joe Kelly Kevin Gausman Yu Darvish

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AL East Notes: Donaldson, Smith, Machado, Orioles

By Steve Adams | April 21, 2016 at 9:50pm CDT

Josh Donaldson’s incredible 2015 season earned him American League MVP honors and made him a household name, but ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick profiles the Blue Jays third baseman and the level of preparation that made it possible for him to reach those heights. Newly acquired teammate Drew Storen tells Crasnick that he’s floored by the detail that Donaldson put into preparing for the season from day one of Spring Training, and Crasnick spoke to an NL exec that offered similar amazement at Donaldson’s consistent level of effort. “You never see him mail it in,” said the official. “He’s always on, even when you say he shouldn’t be on today. Day game after a night game, or they’re up 8-2 and you think he’s going to give the last at-bat away. He doesn’t do that. He doesn’t give anything away.” Donaldson’s reputation and character played a role in now-former Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos’ original pursuit of the third baseman, Crasnick writes, and that same emphasis on character also played a heavy role in Toronto’s signing of Russell Martin.

Here’s more from the AL East…

  • Red Sox right-hander Carson Smith is nearing a return, writes WEEI.com’s Ryan Hannable. Smith is slated to appear in extended Spring Training games on Friday and Saturday, and following that pair of appearances he’ll head out on a minor league rehab assignment early next week (barring any form of setback, of course). The Sox picked up Smith in the trade that sent left-hander Wade Miley to the Mariners and will be counting on him to pair with Koji Uehara and Craig Kimbrel in what, on paper, should be a dominant trio of relievers.
  • While Bryce Harper and Mike Trout receive plenty of adulation as the game’s most exciting young stars, Dave Cameron of Fangraphs writes that Orioles third baseman Manny Machado should be right alongside that duo. Machado’s evolution into a legitimate slugger last season has him in an elite tier alongside Harper, Trout and Donaldson across the past calendar year. Machado, Cameron writes, is now hitting like Miguel Cabrera while also contributing Gold Glove defense, and even if he doesn’t grab as many headlines as other young stars in the game, he’s secured his place among the elite.
  • Brian Matusz is slated to come off the disabled list on Saturday, writes MLB.com’s Britt Ghiroli, and right-hander Kevin Gausman might not be far behind. Gausman could join the club early next week, Ghiroli writes. The pair of additions will likely cost the Orioles some length in their bullpen, Ghiroli writes, as skipper Buck Showalter said that he won’t use Matusz in a multi-inning role. Ghiroli notes that each of Mike Wright, Tyler Wilson, Mychal Givens and T.J. McFarland have minor league options remaining, though it’s certainly difficult to see Givens being optioned.
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Baltimore Orioles Boston Red Sox Brian Matusz Carson Smith Kevin Gausman

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Phillies Acquire Alfredo Marte

By Jeff Todd | April 18, 2016 at 5:27pm CDT

The Phillies have acquired outfielder Alfredo Marte from the Orioles, according to announcements from both clubs. A player to be named later or cash considerations will go back to Baltimore in the swap.

Marte, 27, had been playing at Triple-A in the Baltimore organization after signing as a minor league free agent, but had seen scant action in the early going. He has taken 170 plate appearances over parts of three MLB campaigns, compiling a meager .181/.249/.284 slash. But Marte owns a much more appealing .304/.372/.468 batting line in over 1,000 trips to the plate in his time at the highest level of the minors.

Philadelphia is obviously looking to add depth in an area of need. The club recently dropped Cedric Hunter to the minors after his rough start, bringing up veteran reserve David Lough. It has also received little thus far from Peter Bourjos, Emmanuel Burriss, and Rule 5 pick Tyler Goeddel, so there’s plenty of opportunity at the major league level.

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Baltimore Orioles Philadelphia Phillies Transactions Alfredo Marte

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Orioles Have Made Offer To Kyle Lohse; Reds, Tigers Also Interested

By Steve Adams and Jeff Todd | April 18, 2016 at 4:47pm CDT

5:18pm: Detroit does not appear to have present interest in Lohse, Chris Iott of MLive.com tweets.

4:47pm: Free agent right-hander Kyle Lohse is drawing interest from the Tigers, Reds and Orioles, and Baltimore has made an offer to the Scott Boras client, reports MLB Network’s Jon Heyman (via Twitter). It’s not known whether the 37-year-old has received any other contract offers.

Lohse hit the open market after arguably the worst season of his career — the final campaign of a three-year, $33MM deal with the Brewers. Though Lohse had logged a 3.28 ERA in his four prior seasons combined (796 1/3 innings), his production evaporated entirely, as he lost his spot in the rotation following a 6.31 ERA over his first 124 innings (22 starts). Lohse was said to take the demotion professionally and, to his credit, turned his season around to an extent once he was transferred to the bullpen. In 28 1/3 relief innings to close out 2015, Lohse posted a much more characteristic 3.81 ERA with 22 strikeouts against 13 walks.

Over 15 years in the majors, Lohse has worked to a 4.37 ERA. But his best work has come relatively late in his career; since 2008 (his age-29 season), that ERA is a much stronger 3.99 over 1358 1/3 innings. Teams looking at his potential to contribute even at a fairly advanced age will surely also note that Lohse has maintained his roughly 89 mph fastball velocity rather consistently, and has even managed to elevate his swinging strike rate over recent years (topping out at 9.1% last season). To some extent, his struggles in 2015 trace to an uncharacteristically high 15.3% HR/FB rate, a somewhat elevated .314 BABIP, and a 68.7% strand rate that fell below the league average of 73.4%.

Heyman notes that Lohse is looking for the “right fit,” though it’s not clear what exactly that would mean for him. Veterans in his situation could prioritize any number of factors, such as the promise of a rotation spot (or at least the opportunity to earn one in relatively short order), playing near their home, and/or signing with a team that is a postseason contender (to name a few). Wherever he ends up, Lohse seems likely to sign a minor league deal, which would allow him to head to Triple-A to see some work in a game setting, though he may not need to build up too much durability, as Heyman also tweets that Lohse has been throwing weekly simulated games that consist of 90 pitches.

Any of the three listed clubs makes some sense for Lohse. The Orioles have a questionable big league rotation, and while Lohse is hardly a lock to add any form of stability, he’d give Baltimore a much-needed depth option, as their collection of MLB-ready arms in the minors is limited. The Reds have a number of rotation options, but few that have much in the way of big league experience, and Lohse could help to shoulder the load. The Tigers, meanwhile, have a full rotation at the Major League level, but Mike Pelfrey has struggled early, and others such as Anibal Sanchez and Justin Verlander have dealt with injuries in recent seasons, so Lohse could serve as a depth option there as well.

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Baltimore Orioles Cincinnati Reds Detroit Tigers Kyle Lohse

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Pitcher Notes: Wainwright, Gausman, Bauer

By Connor Byrne | April 16, 2016 at 10:26pm CDT

The latest on a trio of MLB pitchers:

  • After missing nearly all of last season with a torn Achilles, longtime Cardinals ace Adam Wainwright’s return hasn’t gone according to plan. In 5 1/3 innings Saturday, Wainwright allowed 10 hits and seven earned runs while striking out just two hitters in a 9-8 loss to the Reds. The 34-year-old walked only one batter – a big improvement over the combined eight free passes he issued in his first two starts – but he now owns an 8.27 ERA in 16 1/3 innings this month. Nevertheless, he expects to break out of his funk. “What I will and can say is I will come out of this, and I will be a very, very good pitcher. I’m just not there right now,” he said, according to Joe Harris of MLB.com. Wainwright will try to right the ship against the offensively challenged Padres next Friday.
  • Orioles righty Kevin Gausman, who’s recovering from tendinitis in his throwing shoulder, tossed 74 pitches in a rehab start for Class-A+ Frederick on Friday and said Saturday that he’s “ready to get going” in Baltimore, per Dave Sessions of MLB.com. “I don’t think there would be anything wrong with getting another [rehab start], but at the same time, I want to pitch for the Orioles,” continued Gausman, who’s on the 15-day DL. “I want to be up here, I don’t want to miss any more starts, that’s the biggest thing. “ Gausman has posted a career 4.27 ERA, 7.48 K/9 and 2.57 BB/9 in 238.1 innings as a starter and will slide back into the rotation when he returns. With Chris Tillman, Ubaldo Jimenez and Yovani Gallardo also in place, either Vance Worley or Mike Wright will be the odd man out of the quintet.
  • The Indians are encouraged by Trevor Bauer’s early season performance as a reliever, president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti told Paul Hoynes of cleveland.com. “I hope he continues to throw like he has in the bullpen,” said Antonetti. “What role that will ultimately morph into either in the bullpen or back in the rotation will depend on what the team needs.” The Indians shifted Bauer to the bullpen prior to the season in favor of Cody Anderson and Josh Tomlin, who beat him out for the last two jobs on the starting staff. Bauer has responded by striking out eight, walking two and allowing a pair of runs in six innings. Both of those runs came on a David Ortiz Opening Day homer, and Bauer has since worked five scoreless innings in a row. The former top prospect threw 329 frames as a starter for the Indians from 2014-15, but his results were uninspiring (4.38 ERA) and he had control problems (3.8 BB/9).
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    Nationals Designate Nathaniel Lowe For Assignment

    Cubs To Promote Owen Caissie For MLB Debut

    Astros Place Josh Hader On Injured List Due To Shoulder Strain

    Mets To Promote Nolan McLean

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