Minor MLB Transactions: 7/1/21
Today’s minor moves from around the game:
- The Reds announced that outfielder Scott Heineman has cleared waivers and been sent outright to Triple-A Louisville. He’ll remain in the organization as non-roster depth. Cincinnati acquired Heineman from the Rangers over the winter, but he struggled in a brief look at the major league level before they designated him for assignment this week. The 28-year-old has a .172/.249/.325 line across 173 career MLB plate appearances, but he owns a much stronger .302/.368/.458 mark in parts of three Triple-A seasons.
- The Yankees announced they’ve acquired outfield prospect Aldenis Sanchez from the Rays. The move completes the teams’ June 17 trade that sent first baseman Mike Ford to Tampa Bay. Sanchez, 22, joined the Rays out of the Dominican Republic during the 2016-17 international signing period. He has yet to make it beyond rookie ball. Sanchez never appeared on a Rays system ranking at Baseball America; in March 2020, Eric Longenhagen of FanGraphs called the right-handed hitter a “speedy (prospect) with some contact skills.”
Reds Designate Scott Heineman For Assignment, Select Alejo Lopez
The Reds announced Monday morning that they’ve selected the contract of infielder Alejo Lopez and designated outfielder Scott Heineman for assignment in order to open a spot on the roster.
Heineman, 28, was 3-for-30 in a brief, 19-game look with Cincinnati this season after coming over from the Rangers via a December trade that sent young Jose Acosta to Texas. That rough showing dipped his career batting line in the big leagues to .172/.249/.325 through 173 plate appearances — all coming with either Texas or Cincinnati. Heineman has a much better track record in Triple-A, where he’s posted a hearty .302/.368/.458 slash through 699 trips to the plate.
As for the 25-year-old Lopez, he’s in the midst of a breakout campaign in the upper minors. He didn’t enter the season regarded as one of the better prospects in the Reds organization, but Lopez destroyed the Double-A Southern League with a .362/.437/.448 batting line before moving to Triple-A and upping the pace with a .358/.436/.526 slash through a nearly identical sample of plate appearances.
Lopez has had some good fortune in terms of balls in play (.404 BABIP in Double-A, .368 in Triple-A), but his output is also buoyed by what look to be exceptional bat-to-ball skills. Lopez has just 18 strikeouts against 24 walks through 229 plate appearances this season, helping to offset a lack of power. Lopez has only two home runs (both in Triple-A) and just nine long balls in 1564 plate appearances in minor league ball overall. But he’s also swatted 19 doubles in this year’s 229 trips to the plate and gone 6-for-7 in stolen base attempts.
Lopez has split his time between second base and third base this season, with the former of those two spots being his primary position throughout his minor league career. He does have some experience at shortstop and got some work in left field while playing winter ball in Mexico. He’ll give Cincinnati a switch-hitting presence to bounce around the diamond. This will be Lopez’s first call to the Majors after being a 27th-round pick by the Reds back in 2015. He’s controllable through at least the 2027 season.
MRI Reveals No UCL Damage For Reds’ Tejay Antone
JUNE 27: In encouraging news, Antone told reporters (including Bobby Nightengale of the Cincinnati Enquirer and C. Trent Rosecrans of the Athletic) that an MRI revealed no damage to his UCL. The righty suggested he’s targeting a return immediately after the All-Star break, although he’ll be shut down from throwing for the moment.
JUNE 26: The Reds announced that right-hander Tejay Antone has been placed on the 10-day IL due to a right forearm strain. Left-hander Cionel Perez was recalled from Triple-A Louisville in the corresponding move.
Antone only just returned earlier this week from an 11-day stint on the injured list due to inflammation in that same forearm. It certainly isn’t a good sign that the righty is so quickly headed back to the IL with what looks like an even more serious forearm issue, especially since Antone already has a Tommy John surgery in his health history. It certainly looks like Antone will miss more than just a minimal amount of time with his latest injury, as the Reds will want to be as cautious as possible in avoiding any more serious damage.
In part because of that earlier TJ procedure that wiped out his 2017 season, Antone didn’t make his Major League debut until 2020, but he has made up for lost time with some impressive numbers. Over 69 innings in the big leagues, Antone has a 2.22 ERA/3.32 SIERA, 32.5% strikeout rate, and 48% grounder rate. While a .194 BABIP has helped minimize the damage from all those ground balls, Antone also isn’t allowing much hard contact.
There was some speculation in Spring Training that Antone could win a rotation job, though a minor hip injury scuttled that idea and placed him in the Reds’ bullpen. It ended up working out for the best, given that Antone has been more or less the only consistent arm in a very shaky Cincinnati relief corps. Even with Antone’ s 1.60 ERA over 33 2/3 relief innings this season, the Reds bullpen ranks last in the majors in ERA. Assuming Antone misses a noteworthy amount of time recovering from this forearm strain, it will put even more pressure on the Reds’ front office to land some bullpen help before the July 30 trade deadline.
Orioles Return Rule 5 Pick Mac Sceroler To Reds
The Orioles have returned right-hander Mac Sceroler to the Reds organization. The Orioles selected Sceroler away from the Reds with the fifth pick of last December’s Rule 5 draft, but after Baltimore designated Sceroler for assignment earlier this week, the O’s had to offer him back to Cincinnati when no team claimed Scheroler off waivers.
Prior to this season, Sceroler had never pitched above the high-A level since being a fifth-round pick for Cincinnati in the 2017 amateur draft. Sceroler had to spent the entire 2021 season on the Orioles’ active roster for the team to officially secure his rights, but he ended up pitching in just five MLB games due to spending almost two months on the injured list with right shoulder tendinitis.
Sceroler’s first taste of the majors didn’t go well, as he posted a 14.09 ERA over 7 2/3 innings, with seven walks and six home runs allowed in that brief sample size. He’ll now head to the Reds’ Triple-A affiliate in Louisville, though it’s worth noting that Sceroler also struggled (16.62 ERA) in 4 1/3 innings for Baltimore’s Triple-A team while he was rehabbing his shoulder this season.
The Orioles have traditionally made frequent use of the Rule 5 Draft to add young talent to the roster, with Anthony Santander, T.J. McFarland, Ryan Flaherty, and Joey Rickard the most notable names acquired via the Rule 5. Right-hander Tyler Wells is the lone remaining 2020 selection who is still on Baltimore’s active roster, and Wells has looked quite good in his rookie season, posting a 4.01 ERA, 31.3% strikeout rate and 6.0% walk rate over 33 2/3 innings out of the Orioles’ pen.
NL Central Notes: Senzel, Gant, Cardinals, Cubs, Hoerner
It’s going to be longer than originally expected before the Reds get Nick Senzel back on the field, as manager David Bell told reporters (including MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon) that Senzel isn’t likely to be activated from the 60-day injured list as soon as he is immediately eligible. “I would think towards the end of July before we would see him back here,” Bell said. “That’s a bit of a guess, but just because there’s not an exact clear day right now. He’s definitely progressing the right way, but it’s just taken some time.”
Senzel was initially placed on the 10-day IL on May 21 and he underwent arthroscopic left knee surgery five days later, with Cincinnati shifting him to the 60-day IL in June when an 40-man roster spot was required. The 60-day placement backdates to May 21, so Senzel would have been eligible to return just after the All-Star break. While pushing Senzel’s return date back from mid-July to late July isn’t a huge delay on paper, it does represent even more lost time for a player who has unfortunately become an injured-list regular during his young career. On the plus side, Senzel has already started some light baseball activities, such as pre-game throwing over the last few days.
More from the NL Central…
- The Cardinals are shuffling their rotation, as manager Mike Shildt told MLB.com’s Zachary Silver and other reporters that right-hander John Gant is moving to the bullpen. Gant has a 3.76 ERA over 14 starts and 64 2/3 innings, though a 6.00 SIERA, a host of advanced metrics and a league-high 48 walks indicate that Gant has been very fortunate to post such a respectable ERA. Though control has been an issue for Gant throughout his career, he has posted good results as a reliever in the past, so the Cards are hopeful he can help out a struggling bullpen. As for the open rotation spot, it will likely be recently-signed veteran Wade LeBlanc moving from the pen to the starting five.
- Three injured Cubs pitchers are slated to begin Triple-A rehab assignments this weekend, as The Chicago Tribune’s Meghan Montemurro was among those to report that right-hander Dillon Maples (triceps strain) will begin his rehab today, while right-hander Trevor Williams (appendicitis) and left-hander Justin Steele (hamstring strain) will get underway on Sunday. In addition, infielder David Bote (dislocated shoulder) might start a rehab assignment next week.
- There isn’t yet any word on when Nico Hoerner might begin his own rehab work, though the Cubs infielder/outfielder continues to make progress a month after being placed on the 10-day IL with a left hamstring strain. “It was a four-to-six-week injury, and four weeks was Tuesday [June 22]. So I think we’re at the right pace,” Hoerner told Russell Dorsey of The Chicago Sun-Times and other reporters. Hoerner has been ramping up activity over the last week, taking part in base-running drills and facing live pitching from Williams during the righty’s recent bullpen session. Hoerner was off to a very nice start prior to his injury, hitting .338/.405/.432 over his first 84 plate appearances.
Lucas Sims Out One Month Due To Elbow Sprain
1:55pm: Reds skipper David Bell tells reporters that Sims is expected to miss around a month’s worth of games (Twitter link via Bobby Nightengale of the Cincinnati Enquirer).
11:45am: The Reds placed right-hander Lucas Sims on the 10-day injured list due to a right elbow sprain, per a club announcement. Outfielder Scott Heineman is up from Triple-A Louisville to take his spot on the active roster. Sims’ placement on the IL is retroactive to June 23.
Sims has had an up-and-down season but has been the Reds’ most oft-used option in save situations this year. He’s leading the club with seven saves and has also picked up four holds as one of the team’s most prominent high-leverage options.
The 27-year-old Sims got out to a miserable start in 2021, pitching to a 7.20 ERA through his first month of action. But over a span of 16 games from May 5 through June 21, Sims looked like the potentially dominant, breakout reliever he appeared to be last season, posting a 2.41 ERA with a 29-to-8 K/BB ratio in 16 2/3 frames of relief. Sims hit another roadblock in his most recent outing, however, serving up three runs without recording an out.
All told, Sims has gone from a 2.45 ERA in 25 2/3 frames in 2020 to a 5.02 mark through his first 28 2/3 innings in 2021. From a velocity standpoint, he’s actually added about a mile per hour to his heater, and he’s also bumped his strikeout rate from 33 percent to 35 percent. He’s seen a major spike in BABIP (.192 in 2020, .333 in 2021) while his ability to strand runners has taken a nosedive as well.
As is so frequently the case, the reality likely lies somewhere in the middle of those two extremes. Sims unquestionably benefited from that minuscule average on balls in play in 2020, but he’s also surely better than his 2021 ERA would indicate. He’s limiting hard contact quite efficiently, striking out batters in droves and keeping the ball in the yard. His sub-par command ought to lead to occasional hiccups, but taken in totality, his 2020-21 numbers — 3.81 ERA, 3.23 SIERA, 34.1 percent strikeout rate, 11.4 percent walk rate — have the makings of a solid late-inning option for the Reds.
The team hasn’t provided a timetable on Sims’ absence, though obviously any type of elbow injury is a concern for a pitcher. Sprains, in particular, can be ominous. The hope is obviously that it’ll prove to be a minor issue, as the Reds can ill afford to lose a key arm from an already struggling bullpen. The Reds’ relief corps did just receive a boost with the return of its best reliever, Tejay Antone, but the Cincinnati ‘pen has collectively pitched to an MLB-worst 5.70 ERA so far in 2021.
Reds Sign Mallex Smith, Release Dwight Smith Jr.
The Reds have signed outfielder Mallex Smith to a minor league contract, notes Chris Hilburn-Trenkle of Baseball America. He’s been assigned to Triple-A Louisville.
Smith, 28, once looked like a potential impact center fielder. He hit .296/.367/.406 across 544 plate appearances with the Rays in 2018, a year in which he stole 40 bases. The Mariners acquired him that offseason as part of the deal that sent Mike Zunino to Tampa Bay, but Smith never followed up on that success. He did steal another 46 bags with Seattle in 2019, but the left-handed hitter slumped to a .227/.300/.335 line over 566 trips to the plate that year. Smith got off to an even worse start in 2020 and was ultimately outrighted off the Mariners roster.
After electing minor league free agency over the offseason, Smith signed a non-roster deal with the Mets. He didn’t appear in a game with the New York organization and was released last month, though. He’ll now look to work his way back in Cincinnati.
Mallex Smith will replace fellow former big league outfielder Dwight Smith Jr. on the Bats roster. Dwight Smith, who appeared in the majors with the Blue Jays and Orioles from 2017-20, has been released from his own minor league deal with the Reds, per Hilburn-Trenkle. The 28-year-old hit just .220/.327/.283 over 147 plate appearances with Louisville.
Injury Notes: Antone, Gray, Engel, Buxton
The Reds announced Tuesday morning that they’ve reinstated right-hander Tejay Antone from the injured list and optioned Scott Heineman to Triple-A Louisville to open a roster spot. Antone ultimately missed only 11 days due to a bout of forearm inflammation and will be returning at a perfect time; Cincinnati used every reliever on the roster during last night’s 12-inning marathon against after starter Tyler Mahle lasted just four innings. The 27-year-old Antone has been one of baseball’s best relievers in 2021, pitching to a minuscule 1.41 ERA with a lofty 34.5 percent strikeout percentage against a 9.5 percent walk rate. He’s worked multiple innings with regularity, though it remains to be seen whether the club will drop him right back into a multi-inning stint after an injury layoff — even in spite of the taxed bullpen.
Cincinnati right-hander Sonny Gray could also be closing in on a return, as C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic reports Gray will make a rehab start with the Reds’ top minor league affiliate Thursday. The 31-year-old hit the injured list a couple weeks ago due to a groin strain, and the team was hopeful at the time that he’d only need to miss a pair of starts. It may end up being a bit longer, but if all goes well with Gray’s rehab outing, he’d be looking at only about a three-week absence from the rotation. The veteran righty has a 3.42 ERA and a 30.1 percent strikeout rate in 50 innings for the Reds this season.
A couple more injury scenarios of note around the league…
- The White Sox announced Tuesday that outfielder Adam Engel is headed to the 10-day injured list due to a strain of his right hamstring. Outfielder Luis Gonzalez is up from Triple-A Charlotte in his place. It’s the second IL stint of the season for Engel, who opened the year on the shelf with this same injury and missed almost two months of action. Engel joins fellow outfielder Adam Eaton, who is also dealing with a right hamstring strain, on the injured list, further depleting a White Sox outfield that is also without stars Eloy Jimenez and Luis Robert. The 29-year-old Engel batted .241/.313/.552 in just 32 plate appearances between IL stints. The club didn’t place a timetable on his return, although this new IL stint was backdated to June 20.
- The Twins are still determining whether Byron Buxton‘s fractured left hand will require surgery, manager Rocco Baldelli said prior to today’s game (Twitter link via Betsy Helfand of the St. Paul Pioneer Press). Uncertainty as to whether the injury will require surgical repair likely contributes to the vague response Baldelli have when initially prompted for a timetable on the injury to Buxton, who was hit on the left hand by a Tyler Mahle heater last night and found to have a boxer’s fracture. For now, the team is still “looking into the best approaches for recovery,” per Baldelli. It’s common for players to get opinions from multiple doctors and/or specialists when a potential surgery of any kind is on the table.
Reds Move Mike Moustakas To 60-Day IL, Select Josh Osich
The Reds moved infielder Mike Moustakas to the 60-day injured list today, opening up a 40-man roster spot so the team could select the contract of left-hander Josh Osich. Right-hander Ashton Goudeau was optioned to Triple-A to make room for Osich on the active roster.
Moustakas has already been out of action since May 19 due to a right heel contusion, and he had only just began a minor league rehab assignment earlier this week when he re-aggravated the injury. Now it seems as though Moustakas is essentially back at square one, and the Reds won’t have the slugger back in the lineup until after the All-Star break.
To their credit, the Reds have still been one of the better-hitting teams in baseball even without Moustakas available for much of the season, and with Moustakas off to rather an average start (.241/.337/.437) over his first 102 plate appearances. But naturally, the Reds would’ve wanted Moustakas back as soon as possible to bolster a left side of the infield that hasn’t gotten much offense from Eugenio Suarez or Kyle Farmer. Moustakas began the year as Cincinnati’s regular third baseman with Suarez at shortstop, but the Moose shifted across the diamond to play first base when Joey Votto was on the injured list.
Osich signed a minor league contract with the Reds in December. Best known for his four years in the Giants’ bullpen from 2015-18, Osich has since been a member of five different organizations, and he posted a 5.02 ERA over 86 innings with the White Sox, Red Sox, and Cubs over the last two seasons. Osich will add more left-handed depth to Cincinnati’s bullpen, and provide a fresh arm after the Reds used five pitchers in yesterday’s 8-2 loss to the Padres. Goudeau was one of those pitchers, allowing two runs on three walks and four hits over his two innings of work.
Mike Moustakas Re-Aggravates Heel Injury
Reds infielder Mike Moustakas has been on the injured list since May 19 due to a right heel contusion, and his recovery has now hit a setback. Manager David Bell told reporters (including The Cincinnati Enquirer’s Bobby Nightengale) that Moustakas re-aggravated his initial injury and is back wearing a walking boot.
It’s a tough turn of events for Moustakas, who just began a minor league rehab assignment this week and was seemingly closing in on a return to the field. Bell did note that Moustakas’s heel issue didn’t involve a tear in his plantar fasciitis, though more will be known about Moustakas’ status (such as a possible recovery timeline) when he is re-evaluated next week.
Due to both this injury and a minimal 10-day IL stint due to illness in April, The Moose has only played in 28 games this season. Moustakas has hit .241/.337/.437 over 102 plate appearances in his second season with the Reds, this year playing only at third base and first base after Cincinnati experimented with him as an everyday second baseman in 2020. While Moustakas has been an above-average hitter (102 OPS+, 110 wRC+) thus far, his hard-contact numbers are down and his .335 wOBA is significantly higher than his .296 wOBA, though it is hard to draw any real conclusion over a sample size of only 102 PA.
The Reds are on a six-game winning streak, bringing their record to 35-31 and within two games of the NL Central lead. A healthy Moustakas would be a nice boost to a team that is planning to contend for another postseason berth, and Moustakas’ return would likely see Eugenio Suarez moved from third base back to shortstop. Suarez and regular shortstop Kyle Farmer have been the two weakest links in a Reds lineup that is among the league’s best in several batting categories.