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Reds Place Matt McLain On IL With Oblique Strain

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The Reds announced today that infielder Matt McLain has been placed on the 10-day injured list due to a right oblique strain. His roster spot goes to outfielder Stuart Fairchild, who has been activated from the concussion list.

McLain, 24, has been one of several Cincinnati rookies to hit the ground running in the big leagues this year, helping the club vault themselves from rebuilding and into contending. Since getting promoted to the big leagues in May, he has struck out in 28.5% of his 403 plate appearances but has launched 16 home runs and stolen 14 bases. His .290/.357/.507 batting line translates to a 128 wRC+, indicating he’s been 28% better than the league average hitter. He’s also been graded as a strong defender at both middle infield positions, leading to a tally of 3.3 wins above replacement from FanGraphs in just 89 games this year.

Losing that kind of production is obviously an unfortunate development for the Reds, especially as they have been scuffling a bit lately. The club has gone 9-15 in August and is now a game and a half out of a playoff spot. They will now have to proceed without McLain for at least the next 10 days, which is unfortunate timing in a couple of ways. For one thing, the Reds are coming up to an important part of the schedule, with their next seven games coming against the Giants and Cubs, a couple of the clubs they are battling in the Wild Card race.

There’s also the fact that there’s just over a month left in the schedule, which gives McLain a narrow window of time to return. If he’s able to come back after a minimal stint, he could still rejoin the club for a few more weeks, but oblique injuries are notoriously irksome and could make that difficult for him. The club hasn’t yet provided any specific estimates on his absence, but more information on that front will likely be forthcoming.

McLain has primarily been serving as the second baseman of late, with Elly De La Cruz at shortstop. Spencer Steer, who has been playing left field, is at the keystone tonight in McLain’s absence but the depth chart is a little light at the position apart from that, especially with Jonathan India and Kevin Newman both on the injured list. Both De La Cruz and Noelvi Marte are shortstops and could theoretically handle the position, but Marte has never played there professionally and De La Cruz never in the majors. Jose Barrero is on the 40-man and has a bit of second base experience, but not much, just 10 2/3 innings in the majors and then 248 innings at Single-A back in 2018.

It’s also possible this injury could have an impact on National League Rookie of the Year voting, as McLain had emerged as one of the contenders for that award alongside some of his teammates and other players like Corbin Carroll, James Outman and Kodai Senga. Now that the new collective bargaining agreement allows club to potentially receive draft pick compensation based on awards voting under certain conditions, those races have implications beyond just the importance to the players themselves.

Pat Corrales Passes Away

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Former big league player, manager and coach Pat Corrales has passed away, per Bob Nightengale of USA Today. Corrales was 82 years old.

Born in Los Angeles in 1941, Patrick Corrales attended Fresno High School before signing with the Phillies as an amateur free agent in 1959. He worked his way up the minor league ladder and made his major league debut in 1964, though only got into two games that year. He would carve out a semi-regular role as a backup catcher in the seasons to come, bouncing to the Cardinals, Reds and Padres.

From 1964 to 1973, he got into 300 games and made 858 plate appearances. He had a batting average of .216 in that time, getting 166 hits, including 28 doubles, three triples and four home runs. He scored 63 runs, drove in 54 and stole one base. The 1970 Reds won the National League West and then defeated the Pirates in the NLCS to advance to the World Series, though they were then defeated by the Orioles. With the O’s up 3-1 in the series and 9-3 in the fifth game, Corrales was sent up to pinch hit for Hal McRae with two outs in the ninth. Corrales grounded out to finish the series and the season, the only postseason plate appearance of his career. (YouTube link via the Orioles.)

After his playing career ended, Corrales shifted into a managerial role, starring with the Rangers in the late ’70s before serving as skipper for Philadelphia and Cleveland. As a manager, he had a record of 572-634 over parts of nine different seasons. His last season as a manager was 1987, but he went on to spend many years as a bench coach, starting with the Yankees. He served in that role for Atlanta for nine years, including the club that won the 1995 World Series. He also served as a bench coach for the Nationals before being hired by the Dodgers as a special assistant to the general manager in 2012.

We at MLB Trade Rumors extend our condolences to his family, friends and loved ones.

NL Central Notes: Ashby, Fulmer, Senzel, Zuniga, Naile

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Aaron Ashby underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left shoulder back in April, which threatened to keep the Brewers southpaw out of action for the entirety of the 2023 season.  However, Ashby is set to hit an important checkpoint in his recovery, as MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy writes that Ashby will throw a live bullpen session this week, and possibly be in line to start a minor league rehab assignment next weekend.  The rehab assignment is likely to be pretty lengthy given Ashby’s long layoff, though since he’ll almost certainly be brought back as a reliever, he won’t need quite as much work in rebuilding his arm strength.

Moving to a bullpen role will help Ashby’s chances of pitching before the season is over, and it potentially gives Milwaukee an intriguing relief weapon down the stretch.  Ashby has worked as both a starter and reliever over his first two MLB seasons, posting a 4.47 ERA, 57.8% grounder rate, 27.1% strikeout rate, and 9.7% walk rate over 139 innings in the big leagues.  The Brewers were impressed enough to lock Ashby up to a five-year contract extension last year, and while the lefty is a big part of Milwaukee’s future, the Brew Crew also hope he can contribute to their present push for the division title and some October success.

Other items from around the NL Central…

  • The Reds explored trading Nick Senzel prior to the deadline but couldn’t find a deal, and thus Gordon Wittenmyer of the Cincinnati Enquirer thinks Senzel might not be tendered a contract this winter.  Senzel is arbitration-eligible for a second time and wouldn’t be hugely expensive to retain (he has a $1.95MM salary in 2023), but the larger issue is that the Reds seem to have moved on from the former top prospect in favor of their new crop of standout youngsters.  Injuries have plagued Senzel throughout his career, and he has hit only .236/.301/.364 over 1307 career MLB plate appearances since debuting during the 2019 season.  The Reds even demoted Senzel to the minors two weeks ago before recalling him again when Joey Votto went on the IL.  In regards to his future in Cincinnati, Senzel said he is just focused on trying to help the team win, and that “I’m not going to be pessimistic about any situation.  I’m optimistic wherever the game takes me.”
  • The Cubs placed Michael Fulmer on the 15-day IL yesterday due to a forearm strain, a particularly concerning injury for a pitcher with a lengthy history of arm problems.  Manager David Ross and pitching coach Tommy Hottovy spoke with reporters (including Maddie Lee of the Chicago Sun-Times) about Fulmer’s injury, saying that he had been trying to pitch through discomfort, with the team trying to accommodate the issue with some extra rest in between bullpen outings.  “It wasn’t something we were like, ’Oh my gosh, if we pitch him, we’re in trouble.’  It was stuff we were monitoring,” Hottovy said.  “It’s no different than what we do with a lot of guys.  But he’s been grinding for a few weeks.”  Fulmer will undergo tests on his forearm, but the hope is that some extended rest in the form of an IL stint can get him back onto the mound soon.
  • Speaking of forearm injuries, the Cardinals placed right-hander Guillermo Zuniga on the 15-day IL due to a right forearm strain of his own.  The placement is retroactive to August 25, and right-hander James Naile was called up from Triple-A Memphis to take Zuniga’s roster spot.  Zuniga has been up and down from Memphis a few times this season, and he also spent time on the minor league IL in June.  The hard-throwing righty has thrown two innings over two appearances for St. Louis, which marks the first Major League experience of Zuniga’s career.

NL West Notes: Musgrove, Yaz, Brebbia, McLain, D’Backs

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After a three-week shutdown due to shoulder inflammation, Joe Musgrove has started a two-week throwing program as the first step towards a possible return from the injured list.  Musgrove tells Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune that he is aiming to be back with the Padres by late September and hopefully through the postseason, though he acknowledged that another shutdown is possible if the team is out of the pennant race.  Things are looking grim for the Padres at the moment, as they sit 6.5 games out of the last NL wild card position.

“There’s no need for me to be rushing and pushing things back if we’re out of this thing,” Musgrove said.  “But I have full confidence that we’re going to be in it, so these first two weeks are going to be important in just laying down the foundation work and being able to open up from there….It’s difficult knowing that there’s a chance I might not touch a mound again this year.  But every part of me mentally and physically is preparing to be able to get at least one more (start) in the regular season and then be strong for the playoffs.”

Between a broken toe suffered in Spring Training and his shoulder issue, it has been an injury-riddled year for the right-hander, as Musgrove has thrown only 97 1/3 innings.  His absences have been one of the reasons why San Diego is only on the fringes of contention, yet Musgrove has still looked like an ace when he has pitched, posting a 3.05 ERA over his 97 1/3 frames.  Acee writes that Musgrove will also probably undergo another MRI next week, to check up on the shoulder after the first few days of throwing.

Other items from around the NL West…

  • Mike Yastrzemski is closing in on a return from the injured list, as he recently took part in a live batting practice session and ran the bases yesterday.  Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle (X link) writes that Yastrzemski is set for more baserunning work tomorrow, and he has been working in the outfield today.  Yastrzemski has been out with a hamstring strain since July 30, and seemed to be on the verge of a return two weeks ago before suffering another strain during rehab work.  Now, the outfielder could return to San Francisco’s lineup as early as Monday, when the Giants begin an important series with the Reds.
  • In another Giants injury update, John Brebbia threw that live BP session to Yastrzemski, and Slusser writes that the plan is for Brebbia to throw another simulated game Sunday with an eye towards soon beginning a minor league rehab assignment.  Brebbia suffered a Grade 2 lat strain back in June, and he has been sidelined beyond his initial recovery timeline of 4-8 weeks.  While he’ll need some time to ramp up during his rehab assignment, Brebbia’s return could be a big boost to a Giants club in need of pitching help.  Brebbia has posted strong numbers as a swingman over the last two seasons, including a 3.14 ERA over 28 2/3 innings in 2023.
  • Matt McLain’s instant success with the Reds creates an interesting sliding-doors moment for the Diamondbacks, who drafted McLain 25th overall in 2018 but didn’t reach an agreement to sign.  Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic writes that the two sides couldn’t manage the gap between McLain’s ask for a $3MM bonus and the Diamondbacks’ offer, which was the $2,636,400 slot price attached to the 25th pick.  Beyond the money, McLain told Piecoro that “I was pretty set on [playing in college].  I wanted to go to UCLA.  I think that if I would have signed in the minor leagues at that point, I would have always wondered what UCLA was like and what I had missed out on.  I don’t think it was necessarily the other way around.”  As it turned out, McLain had a standout career in college, and ended up picked by the Reds with the 17th overall pick in the 2021 draft, receiving a $4.625MM bonus that was well above slot price.

Reds Outright Henry Ramos

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The Reds have sent outfielder Henry Ramos outright to Triple-A Louisville, according to the transactions log at MLB.com. He had lost his 40-man roster spot when Cincinnati selected Nick Martini onto the big league roster on Tuesday.

It’s the second time this season in which Cincinnati sent Ramos through waivers. The Reds outrighted him in mid-July and reselected his contract a couple weeks ago. Ramos had played his way back to the bigs with an excellent showing in Louisville. Through 234 Triple-A plate appearances on the year, the 31-year-old is hitting .315/.399/.522 with nine homers and a quality 12% walk rate.

Ramos hasn’t maintained that power pace in very brief big league looks. Cincinnati has plugged him into 23 games and given him 86 trips to the plate. Ramos has walked in 12.4% of those and has reached base at a solid .349 clip, but he has managed just four extra-base knocks (three doubles and a triple).

The switch-hitter has spent over a decade in the minor leagues. He has logged minors action with the Red Sox, Cardinals, Dodgers, Giants and D-Backs but had only reached the majors with Arizona (an 18-game stint two years ago) prior to this season’s stay with the Reds. Ramos has been outrighted twice before and therefore has the right to explore free agency, but he could choose to accept the assignment to Louisville as he had in July.

Reds Place Joey Votto On 10-Day IL, Recall Nick Senzel

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The Reds have placed first baseman Joey Votto on the 10-day IL with left shoulder discomfort, the team announced. In a corresponding roster move, Nick Senzel has been recalled from Triple-A Louisville.

This specific injury is especially worrisome for Votto, considering the left rotator cuff surgery that cost him the final seven weeks of the 2022 season and the first 12 weeks of 2023. It’s often a bad sign when a player re-aggravates a previous injury, and it’s particularly concerning for a player of Votto’s age; he will turn 40 in September.

Last summer, Votto explained that his shoulder had been causing him problems since 2015, and he only opted for surgery once the pain reached a breaking point. Evidently, the surgery was unable to completely alleviate his pain.

The veteran got off to a slow start when he first came off the injured list in mid-June, but it wasn’t long before Votto found his footing. Across 30 games between early July and mid-August, he hit ten home runs in 115 plate appearances, putting up a 134 wRC+. He wasn’t walking quite like prime Votto, but he was crushing the baseball. He recorded 12 barrels and 34 hard-hit balls, and his 92.1-mph average exit velocity was reminiscent of his 92.9-mph figure from his resurgent 2021 season. It certainly seemed like Votto was back to full health and ready to start padding his Hall of Fame resume.

Unfortunately, he has struggled tremendously over his last ten games. In 37 plate appearances, Votto has just four hits and 11 strikeouts. His whiff rate has risen to a career-high, and he hasn’t barreled a single ball. He exited yesterday afternoon’s contest against the Angels partway through and did not return for the second game of the doubleheader that evening. The recurrence of his shoulder discomfort explains his early exit and could explain the sudden downturn in his performance.

As Gordon Wittenmyer reports for the Cincinnati Enquirer, the Reds are planning to put Votto through “a strengthening program” before re-evaluating his status. With no timetable for his return, it’s fair to wonder if Votto is done for the season. If so, it becomes increasingly likely that the Reds will not pick up his option for the 2024 campaign. The team holds a $20 million option with a $7 million buyout, which means they must decide if their long-time star is worth an additional $13 million in payroll next year. If the Reds decline their option, Votto will become a free agent for the first time in his 17-year career. There is little use speculating about what Votto might do in free agency without a better understanding of his current injury. The severity of his shoulder problems will inform Cincinnati’s decision and, subsequently, his next course of action.

Senzel has had a difficult season, including two separate trips to the injured list and one optional assignment to the minor leagues. In 80 games for the Reds, he has a 72 wRC+ and -0.5 FanGraphs WAR. He has mostly split his time between third base and the outfield, and the defensive metrics suggest he has been below average at the hot corner and all three outfield positions. With the recent promotion of top prospect Noelvi Marte, Senzel is unlikely to see much time at third, but he could play the outfield while Spencer Steer takes over for Votto at first base. Cincinnati also has young outfielders TJ Hopkins and Michael Siani on the 26-man roster, in addition to journeyman Nick Martini. Trey Mancini is also in the organization as of yesterday evening, and it stands to reason that the Reds signed him to a minor league deal in light of Votto’s injury.

Reds Sign Trey Mancini To Minor League Deal

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The Reds have signed first baseman/corner outfielder Trey Mancini to a minor league contract, tweets Mark Sheldon of MLB.com. The veteran was released by the Cubs after being designated for assignment on deadline day.

Mancini’s tenure with Chicago lasted only a few months. Signed to a two-year, $14MM free agent pact last offseason, he played in 79 games. Mancini slumped to a career-worst .234/.299/.336 batting line through 263 trips to the plate. He homered only four times and struck out at a lofty 29.7% clip. He particularly struggled in the two months preceding the deadline, hitting .200/.247/.318 in 93 plate appearances from June 1 onwards.

Chicago added Jeimer Candelario once they played their way into buying, bumping Mancini from the roster. He spent a few weeks on the open market but will now join one of their top competitors in a tightly-packed playoff bubble. The Cubs currently occupy the second Wild Card slot in the National League but are just half a game clear of the Giants, Reds and D-Backs — all of whom are tied for the last spot. Both Chicago and Cincinnati are still within four games of the Brewers in the NL Central.

Mancini doesn’t step right back into the playoff chase, as he’ll begin on a non-roster deal. It wouldn’t be a surprise if he’s added to the MLB team in relatively short order, though, as the Reds could use a right-handed bat in a first base/corner outfield mix that skews toward the left side.

While Mancini’s stint in the Windy City was unquestionably a disappointment, he’d been an above-average hitter in his three prior seasons. The Notre Dame product connected on 35 home runs with a .291/.364/.535 slash in 2019. He’s never replicated quite those heights but has topped 20 longballs on three other occasions. Between 2021-22, Mancini combined for a decent .247/.323/.412 showing in a little over 1200 plate appearances.

While Mancini has struggled against pitchers of either handedness this year, he had a quality .263/.334/.450 mark against left-handed pitching in the two prior seasons. The Reds have Joey Votto at first base and lefty-swinging Will Benson — whom they’ve almost entirely shielded from unfavorable platoon matchups — in right field. Righty-swinging Kevin Newman and Stuart Fairchild both recently landed on the injured list, while Nick Senzel was optioned a few weeks ago. TJ Hopkins, Michael Siani and Nick Martini are currently on the MLB roster in a depth capacity.

If they call Mancini up, he’d add a much more accomplished bat to the bench. He’s also regarded as a strong clubhouse leader, which would surely be welcome in a generally young Reds’ locker room as they vie for an unexpected postseason berth. Since he joined the organization before September 1, Mancini would be eligible for the playoffs if the Reds find their way into October.

The Cubs are on the hook for Mancini’s respective $7MM salaries in each of the next two years. If the Reds select his contract, they’d only owe him the prorated portion of the $720K league minimum for whatever time he spends in the majors. That amount would come off the Cubs’ ledger.

MLB Trade Rumors Podcast: The White Sox Fire Their Front Office, Injured Rays and Prospect Promotion Time

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The latest episode of the MLB Trade Rumors Podcast is now live on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts! Make sure you subscribe as well! You can also use the player at this link to listen, if you don’t use Spotify or Apple for podcasts.

This week, host Darragh McDonald is joined by Steve Adams of MLB Trade Rumors to discuss:

Plus, we answer your questions, including:

  • With the Reds calling up Noelvi Marte, how do they fit in playing time for all their rookie position players? After keeping Nick Senzel at the deadline, what kind of return could they get for trading him during the offseason? (18:40)
  • Will the Mets pursue any notable free agent pitchers this off season? (24:05)
  • Of the teams that have exceeded the base luxury tax threshold this season, which ones do you see as most likely to dip back below it during this coming offseason? (26:15)

Check out our past episodes!

  • Pete Alonso’s Future, Yankees’ Rotation Troubles and Should the Trade Deadline Be Pushed Back? – listen here
  • The Streaking Mariners, the Struggling Angels and Injured Aces – listen here
  • Trade deadline recap – listen here

Nick Lodolo Headed For Second Opinion On Left Leg After Additional Stress Reaction

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Reds starter Nick Lodolo is headed for a second opinion after being diagnosed with another stress reaction in his left tibia, manager David Bell informed the club’s beat (including Mark Sheldon of MLB.com). With less than six weeks remaining in the regular season, it seems possible his year is in jeopardy.

Left leg issues have hampered Lodolo since May. He was placed on the injured list with what the club initially called a calf strain. They later modified the diagnosis to a tibia stress reaction which kept him in a walking boot for upwards of six weeks. He was able to shed the boot by the start of July and begin ramping up with a goal of returning to an MLB mound by late August.

Lodolo had made three minor league rehab starts over the past two weeks. During a Triple-A appearance on Sunday, the issue flared back up. Even if Lodolo can work back from the injury without surgery, he’s obviously no longer in position to return from the injured list this month.

It’s subpar timing for the Reds, to say the least. Cincinnati is half a game back of the Giants and D-Backs for the NL’s final Wild Card spot. They’re in third place in the NL Central, four games behind the division-leading Brewers.

The biggest question is whether their rotation can hold up enough to keep their surprising postseason bid alive. Cincinnati welcomed Hunter Greene back from the 60-day IL over the weekend, but he was tattooed by the Blue Jays in his first start in two months. Andrew Abbott, Brandon Williamson, Graham Ashcraft and Brett Kennedy comprise the rest of the current rotation. Abbott has been excellent, while Ashcraft and Williamson have found their footing in the second half after rough starts. Yet Kennedy is a 29-year-old with 38 2/3 career big league innings, while a recent injury to Ben Lively has further thinned an already tenuous starting staff.

Lodolo had been hit hard in his first seven starts of the season, allowing a 6.29 ERA over 34 1/3 frames. The former #7 overall pick had a strong campaign when healthy a year ago, working to a 3.66 ERA while striking out just under 30% of opposing hitters in his first 19 MLB starts.

Reds Select Nick Martini, Designate Henry Ramos For Assignment

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The Reds announced a series of roster moves today involving four outfielders. Michael Siani was recalled from Triple-A Louisville and Nick Martini was selected to the roster while Stuart Fairchild was placed on the seven-day concussion list, retroactive to Monday, and Henry Ramos was designated for assignment.

Martini, 33, returns to the big leagues for the first time since 2021. He spent last year with the NC Dinos of the Korea Baseball Organization, hitting .296/.365/.461 over 139 games. He parlayed that into a return to affiliated ball, signing a minor league deal with the Reds in the offseason. He’s spent all of this year in Triple-A so far, hitting 15 home runs in 93 games while drawing walks in 14.4% of his plate appearances. His .275/.393/.481 line at that level amounts to a wRC+ of 121, indicating he’s been 21% above league average.

He’ll now get another chance to bring that production up to the majors, something that has generally eluded him in his career. His 2,186 Triple-A plate appearances have resulted in a strong line of .294/.398/.445 but his major league batting line is just .270/.369/.369, with most of his major league success coming with the A’s back in 2018.

He’s mostly been playing the outfield corners for Louisville this year, though has also spent some time at first base and had a brief look in center. The Reds have been using an outfield of Will Benson, TJ Friedl and Spencer Steer of late. Martini and Siani will replace Fairchild and Ramos as depth options, alongside TJ Hopkins.

As for Ramos, 31, he has been on and off the Reds’ roster this year. Signed to a minor league deal in the winter, he has twice had his contract selected and has now twice been designated for assignment. He’s taken 86 trips to the plate and has slashed .243/.349/.311 in those. His 54 Triple-A games have resulted in a much stronger .315/.399/.522 line. The last time he was DFA’d, he cleared waivers and accepted an outright assignment, which is a process that could play out again in the coming days.

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