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Phillies Select David Paulino

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The Phillies announced Thursday that they’ve selected righty David Paulino’s contract from Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Infielder Nick Maton was optioned to Triple-A to open a spot on the active roster, and right-hander Sam Coonrod is moving from the 10-day IL to the 60-day IL to open a spot on the 40-man roster.

Paulino, 27, was once one of the top pitching prospects in baseball, ranking prominently on top 100 lists at Baseball America, MLB.com, FanGraphs and other outlets from 2016-17. He made his big league debut with the Astros as a 22-year-old in 2016 but struggled on multiple occasions before being hit with an 80-game PED ban back in July 2017. He’s since undergone surgery to remove bone spurs in his elbow.

Paulino inked a minor league deal with the Phillies back in February and has had a solid season in an extremely hitter-friendly Triple-A setting. Through 25 appearances, including three starts, he’s worked to a 4.35 ERA with a 25.2 percent strikeout rate and a 10.4 percent walk rate. The Yankees’ Triple-A club tagged him for five runs in late June, but he’s since gone on to pitch at a 3.68 ERA clip with a 23-to-10 K/BB ratio in 22 innings.

Coonrod has been out since June 25 due to tendinitis in his forearm. He briefly went out on a minor league rehab assignment in mid-July, but that stint was put on hold after just two innings due to renewed discomfort. Coonrod would technically be eligible to return in late August, but he’d need to build up and work through another rehab assignment if he does ultimately make it back to the mound this year.

Tigers Select Jacob Robson, Transfer Matthew Boyd To 60-Day IL

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Aug. 12: The Tigers formally selected Robson’s contract, clearing space on the active roster by placing Goodrum on the 10-day injured list, as Hinch indicated.

Lefty Matthew Boyd was transferred from the 10-day IL to the 60-day IL to create a 40-man roster spot. Boyd’s move to the 60-day IL is retroactive to his initial placement, which came 59 days ago, so it’s largely a procedural move. He was sent out on a Triple-A rehab assignment today and would need a couple starts at least before being activated, so today’s transfer does nothing to impact his timeline.

Aug. 11: The Tigers are planning to select the contract of Jacob Robson tomorrow, manager A.J. Hinch informed reporters (including Chris McCosky of the Detroit News). He’ll take the active roster spot of utilityman Niko Goodrum, who will land on the injured list after leaving this evening’s game against the Orioles with a left groin strain. The Tigers will need to make a 40-man roster transaction tomorrow to finalize Robson’s promotion.

Detroit selected Robson in the eighth round of the 2016 draft out of Mississippi State. The left-handed hitting outfielder has spent parts of five seasons in the minor leagues and is now in line for his major league debut. Robson has never hit for much power, but he’s posted very strong batting averages and walk rates throughout his pro career, resulting in an overall .294/.382/.424 line in just over 2000 plate appearances.

Robson has never been seen as a top prospect because of his lack of impact physicality. He’s appeared near the back of Detroit organizational rankings at FanGraphs and Baseball America in recent seasons, though, with evaluators praising his hit tool, speed and makeup. The 26-year-old has logged extensive action at all three outfield positions.

While Robson has struck out at an alarming rate (35.9%) in Triple-A this season, he’s nevertheless managed a strong .280/.397/.440 line over 209 plate appearances. Robson has had some obvious good fortune (.463 batting average on balls in play) to hit .280 despite striking out so often. But he’s run incredibly high BABIPs throughout his minor league tenure, with his line drive, all-fields approach creating havoc for opposing defenses. Robson’s minor league performance earned the Ontario native a spot on the Canadian Olympic team this summer.

It has been a difficult season for Goodrum, who’s hitting just .224/.304/.348 over 237 plate appearances. The lefty-hitting utilityman looked like a potential regular for the Tigers after solid performances between 2018-19, but he’s followed that up with back-to-back down years as his strikeout rate has spiked. He’ll now have to work his way back from injury; the Tigers have yet to provide a timetable on his potential return.

Dodgers Designate Kevin Quackenbush For Assignment

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The Dodgers have recalled righty Mitch White from Triple-A Oklahoma City and opened a spot on the roster by designating right-hander Kevin Quackenbush for assignment, tweets Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic.

Quackenbush returned to the big leagues for the for the first time since 2018 recently but appeared in just one game with Los Angeles. The 32-year-old surrendered a run on three hits in one third of an inning.

While it obviously wasn’t a great outing for Quackenbush, the former Reds and Padres righty has been nothing short of dominant in Triple-A this year. He’s tallied 29 1/3 innings and pitched to a pristine 0.61 ERA, striking out 25.7 percent of his opponents against an 11.6 percent walk rate. That success in Triple-A at least creates the possibility that another club in need of bullpen depth will claim Quackenbush. It’s been several years since he was a consistently successful big league reliever, but from 2014-16 he did toss 172 1/3 innings of 3.50 ERA ball out of the Padres’ bullpen.

Brewers’ John Curtiss Suffers UCL Tear

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Aug. 12: Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel writes that Curtiss is getting a second opinion, but Tommy John surgery indeed seems to be on the table.

Aug. 11: The Brewers announced that right-hander John Curtiss has been diagnosed with a torn UCL in his throwing elbow. The reliever left his appearance against the Cubs last night with elbow soreness, and he’s unfortunately suffered a significant injury. The team didn’t specify the severity of the injury, nor did they make any mention of Tommy John surgery. It’s possible that Curtiss is still exploring alternative means of treatment, but it seems he’s in for an extended absence no matter which course of action he chooses.

Curtiss has made just six appearances with Milwaukee after being acquired from the Marlins in a deadline-day swap. He was blown up for five runs in his team debut, but Curtiss had better results in his five other contests and has had a strong season overall. The 28-year-old tossed 44 1/3 innings of 3.45 ERA ball between Miami and Milwaukee, following up on a quality campaign with the Rays in 2020. Going back the past two seasons, he has a 2.86 ERA across 69 1/3 frames. His 24.1% strikeout rate is league average, but he’s been excellent at avoiding free passes (5.2% walk rate) after struggling with wildness throughout much of his minor league career.

Milwaukee hasn’t specified a timeline for Curtiss’ recovery, but it would be very surprising if he didn’t miss the rest of this season. Should he ultimately require a Tommy John procedure, he’d very likely be sidelined for the entire 2022 campaign as well. Curtiss won’t reach arbitration eligibility until 2023, so there’d be little financial cost for Milwaukee in holding onto him even if he requires a lengthy rehab process. Curtiss would have to occupy a spot on the 40-man roster throughout the winter if the Brew Crew want to ensure they retain his rights long-term, though.

For the time being, Curtiss has been placed on the 10-day injured list, as has lefty Angel Perdomo (lower back strain). The Brewers activated righty Justin Topa from the 60-day IL and recalled southpaw Hoby Milner from Triple-A Nashville, with Topa’s reinstatement filling the 40-man roster. The 30-year-old hasn’t pitched all season on account of a flexor tendon strain.

Mets To Sign Josh Reddick

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The Mets are signing veteran outfielder Josh Reddick to a minor league contract, reports Anthony DiComo of MLB.com (Twitter link). Reddick was released by the Diamondbacks on Monday.

Reddick signed a minors deal with the D-Backs over the winter and was selected to the big league roster in mid-May. His stint in Arizona wasn’t especially productive, though, as the left-handed hitter posted a career-worst .258/.285/.371 line over 158 plate appearances. With the last place D-Backs wanting to give a longer look to younger players on the roster, they designated Reddick for assignment last week.

Disappointing 2021 showing aside, there’s no risk for the Mets in adding Reddick on a minor league deal. The veteran has generally been a productive hitter over the course of his career, and he was a league average bat as recently as last season with the Astros. The Mets’ starting outfielders — Dominic Smith, Brandon Nimmo and Michael Conforto — all hit left-handed, but New York’s bench is stocked with righty bats. Reddick joins Mark Payton and Khalil Lee as high minors options the Mets could call on if they’re looking to add a left-handed hitter to the outfield mix.

Because he signed before August 31, Reddick would be eligible for the Mets’ postseason roster if New York were to qualify. The Mets’ win over the Nationals — coupled with the Phillies’ likely loss to the Dodgers tonight — figures to pull them within a game of the Phils and Braves for the lead in the NL East.

Injured List Activations: Schmidt, Frankoff, Blandino

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A trio of players were reinstated from the 60-day injured list and optioned to their teams’ respective Triple-A affiliates.

  • The Yankees activated right-hander Clarke Schmidt and optioned him to Scranton-Wilkes/Barre. The 25-year-old is one of the game’s better pitching prospects, but he’s been sidelined all year by an elbow strain. Schmidt, who briefly made his big league debut last season, tossed 8 2/3 innings on a rehab assignment and will continue to build up in the minors. Because of last year’s canceled minor league season, Schmidt has still yet to pitch at the Triple-A level. A 40-man roster spot was opened when reliever Clay Holmes was placed on the COVID-19 injured list due to virus-like symptoms.
  • The Diamondbacks activated right-hander Seth Frankoff and optioned him to Reno. The move fills Arizona’s 40-man roster. Frankoff signed a minor league deal over the winter and was selected to the big league club in April. The 32-year-old made four appearances and tossed 14 2/3 innings of 9.20 ERA/5.72 SIERA ball before landing on the IL with forearm soreness in early June.
  • The Reds reinstated infielder Alex Blandino and optioned him to Louisville. Reliever Art Warren was transferred from the 10-day to the 60-day IL to create a 40-man roster spot. Blandino, who has been out since June 5 with a fractured right hand, has a .200/.317/.257 line across 82 plate appearances this season. Warren landed on the IL with a left oblique strain on July 15. He’s now out until at least mid-September.

Blue Jays Place Ross Stripling On Injured List, Select Connor Overton

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The Blue Jays announced they’ve placed right-hander Ross Stripling on the 10-day injured list with a left oblique strain. Trent Thornton is being recalled from Triple-A Buffalo, while the Jays selected the contract of right-hander Connor Overton. To create 40-man roster space for Overton, Toronto designated righty Patrick Murphy for assignment.

Stripling has been a regular in the Jays starting five for much of the season. He’s made twenty appearances (nineteen starts) and worked 93 1/3 innings of 4.34 ERA/4.21 SIERA ball. Stripling has bounced back a bit from a 2020 season that saw him post a 5.84 ERA between the Dodgers and Jays, but he’s yet to regain the above-average form he showed during his best years in Los Angeles.

Toronto has been rolling with a six-man rotation recently. With Stripling out, it seems Hyun-jin Ryu, José Berríos, Robbie Ray, Alek Manoah and Steven Matz will get the ball more frequently over the coming days. The team didn’t provide a timetable on Stripling’s potential return.

Overton will be making his major league debut when he first gets into a game. Selected by the Marlins in the 15th round of the 2014 draft out of Old Dominion, Overton was released the following season. He’d go on to spend time in the Nationals’ and Giants’ organizations but didn’t get to the big leagues with either club.

The 28-year-old hooked on with the Jays on a minor league contract over the winter. He’s had a great season with the Bisons, working to a 2.03 ERA over 57 2/3 frames as a swingman. Overton has worked multiple innings in 17 of his 21 appearances in Triple-A, so he’ll serve as a long relief option for manager Charlie Montoyo. He’s never run particularly high strikeout rates, but Overton has been adept at avoiding walks and keeping the ball on the ground this season.

It’s a bit of a surprise to see the Jays designate Murphy, who will find himself on waivers in the coming days. The 26-year-old has long been regarded as one of the more talented pitching prospects in the organization, but a series of injuries has impeded his progress up the ladder. Murphy has had brief stints in the majors in each of the past two seasons, working 15 1/3 innings of 3.52 ERA ball.

While his peripherals in that limited work haven’t been particularly impressive, he’s averaged north of 96 MPH on his sinker. Murphy has typically posted groundball rates approaching or exceeding 50% at each minor league level. A starting pitcher throughout much of that time, Murphy has worked exclusively out of the bullpen this season. He’s in his final minor league option year, so any team that claims him could keep him in Triple-A through the end of the season but would have to break camp with him beginning in 2022.

Tigers Select Renato Nunez, Place Akil Baddoo On 7-Day IL

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The Tigers have selected the contract of infielder Renato Nunez, recalled infielder Zack Short from Triple-A Toledo and placed outfielders Akil Baddoo and Derek Hill on the injured list, per a club announcement. Baddoo is heading to the seven-day concussion list, while Hill has been placed on the 10-day IL with a ribcage contusion. Hill and Baddoo sustained their injuries on a frightening, full-speed collision at the wall in left-center field in yesterday’s win over the Orioles.

This will be the second big league stint of the season for Nunez, who hit .148/.207/.444 with a pair of homers in 29 plate appearances earlier in the year. The 27-year-old went unclaimed when Detroit placed him on waivers earlier in the year, and he accepted an outright assignment to Triple-A Toledo, where he’s batted .291/.383/.585 (153 wRC+) with 20 home runs, 14 doubles and a pair of triples in 311 plate appearances.

The second big league stint could prove to be something of a longer-term audition for Nunez, who has a decent big league track record at the dish. From 2018-20, he posted a .250/.316/.457 batting line with 51 homers in 1076 plate appearances between Oakland and Baltimore. Nunez’s power production in Baltimore resulted in a good bit of surprise among fans when the O’s placed him on waivers prior to Dec. 2020’s non-tender deadline, but no team claimed the slugger, whose defensive limitations and sub-par on-base percentage have sapped some of the value that power brings to the table. That said, he’ll now get another run with the Tigers, who’ll have the option of controlling him all the way through 2024 if he impresses enough.

As for the 22-year-old Baddoo, the injury throws a wrench into his hopes for a late Rookie of the Year push. Baddoo was a surprising pick by the Tigers in the Rule 5 Draft, having missed most of the 2019 season due to Tommy John surgery and spending the 2020 season recovering. He hadn’t played at either the Double-A or the Triple-A levels, but he’s shown barely any signs of rust, hitting at a .267/.333/.467 pace with 10 home runs, 18 doubles, six triples and 14 stolen bases. He wasn’t necessarily a Rookie of the Year favorite, but Baddoo, Randy Arozarena, Luis Garcia and Cole Irvin are among the AL rookies who could’ve conceivably separated themselves with a big finish.

There’s no word on how long Baddoo will be sidelined, as it’s difficult to project recovery timetables for concussions and concussion-like symptoms. He’ll spend at least a week on the shelf, though, and he’ll automatically be moved to the 10-day IL if he’s not ready for reinstatement once 10 days have passed.

Hill, meanwhile, had been in line for his first real look in center field at the big league level. Through 87 plate appearances, the former first-rounder was batting .250/.345/.316 with a home run, a triple and six steals. As with Baddoo, there’s no projected timetable for his recovery. With Baddoo and Hill both joining Daz Cameron on the injured list, the Tigers will look to Robbie Grossman, Victor Reyes and perhaps Harold Castro or Nunez in the outfield.

Nationals Select Sean Nolin

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The Nationals announced Wednesday that they’ve selected the contract of left-hander Sean Nolin from Triple-A Rochester. Fellow southpaw Sam Clay was optioned to Rochester to open a spot on the 26-man roster, while a 40-man roster spot was opened by transferring right-hander Stephen Strasburg from the 10-day IL to the 60-day IL. Strasburg recently underwent season-ending thoracic outlet surgery.

Remarkably, this call to the big leagues will mark Nolin’s first big league action in nearly six years. The now-31-year-old lefty tossed 29 innings as a September call-up with the A’s that season — his lone action in Oakland after coming over alongside Kendall Graveman, Brett Lawrie and Franklin Barreto in the trade that sent Josh Donaldson to Toronto.

As one might imagine given Nolin’s inclusion in a swap of that magnitude, the left-hander was once a rather well-regarded prospect. Baseball Prospectus tabbed him among the game’s 100 most promising minor leaguers headed into the 2013 season. That ranking came on the heels of a 2.04 ERA in 101 1/3 combined innings between Class-A Advanced and Double-A, and he followed it with 110 1/3 frames of 2.77 ERA ball split between Double-A and Triple-A the following season.

A promising future for Nolin was largely derailed by injuries, however. Nolin underwent “bilateral core surgery” in the 2014-15 offseason — the same procedure Luke Voit had after the 2019 campaign — and he subsequently injured his shoulder about six weeks after returning. Nolin made it back to the mound in 2015 for that previously mentioned September run, but he was designated for assignment over the winter and landed with the Brewers. Things went from bad to worse in Milwaukee, as Nolin tore his left UCL during Spring Training and eventually required Tommy John surgery.

That injury and surgery wiped out Nolin’s 2016 and 2017 campaigns, and he went on to bounce about the game in journeyman fashion. He’s since pitched with the Rockies, Mariners and White Sox in addition to stints in the independent Atlantic League, in Mexico and in Japan, where he spent the 2020 season with the Seibu Lions.

Nolin didn’t fare especially well overseas, but he’s been effective in his return to affiliated ball. In 47 1/3 innings with the Nationals’ Rochester affiliate, he’s notched a 3.80 earned run average with a 26 percent strikeout rate and a 7.5 percent walk rate while keeping the ball on the ground at an above-average 47.7 percent clip. Nolin doesn’t even have two years of Major League service time, so if he can parlay this improbable opportunity into a lasting place in the Washington ’pen for the remainder of the season, he could be an option for the Nats well beyond the 2021 season.

Diamondbacks Claim J.B. Wendelken

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The D-backs have claimed right-hander J.B. Wendelken off waivers from the Athletics, reports FanSided’s Robert Murray (via Twitter). The A’s designated him for assignment just yesterday.

It’d have been surprising for a team in the Diamondbacks’ position — dismal bullpen, No. 1 waiver priority, multiple open 40-man spots — to pass on Wendelken. The right-hander hasn’t had a great season in Oakland, but his work leading up to the 2021 campaign was quite strong.

From 2018-20, Wendelken pitched 74 1/3 innings for the A’s, working to a 2.30 ERA with a strong 26.4 percent strikeout rate and a very solid 8.4 percent walk rate. The righty also thrived in terms of limiting hard contact, yielding an 86.6 mph average exit velocity, a 30.6 percent overall hard-hit rate and just a 2.1 percent barrel rate. Fielding-independent pitching metrics weren’t quite as bullish as his baseline ERA (3.04 FIP, 3.72 SIERA) but still generally agreed that Wendelken was a solid reliever.

The 2021 season hasn’t gone quite as well, but Wendelken has pitched to a respectable 4.32 ERA in 25 frames. His 22.2 percent strikeout rate is his lowest since a brief rookie debut in 2016, and his 11.1 percent walk rate is a career-high. Still, the 28-year-old has continued to limit hard contact effectively, and his swinging-strike and chase rates have actually improved over their 2020 marks.

Wendelken will be arbitration-eligible for the first time this winter, and the D-backs can control him through the 2024 season via that arbitration process. He’s out of minor league options, so he’ll have to stick on the big league roster, but based on his past 100 innings in the Majors, there’s reason to think he can stick.

It’s always possible that Wendelken’s strikeout and walk tendencies continue to trend in the wrong direction, but there’s no reason for the last-place D-backs to pass on a risk-free flier. Arizona relievers rank second-to-last in the Majors with a combined 5.41 ERA, so Wendelken is an upgrade even if he doesn’t quite return to his peak form.

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