West Notes: Lamet, Munoz, Hudson, Rendon, Rodriguez
The Rockies plan to activate Dinelson Lamet from the 15-day injured list to start their Wednesday game with the Diamondbacks, MLB.com’s Thomas Harding reports (Twitter link). Reports surfaced last week that Limet was being considered for a return to starting pitching, and with the Rockies increasingly desperate for rotation help, Limet will get a look as a starter for the first time since the 2021 season when he was still a member of the Padres. Karl Kauffmann has already been optioned to Triple-A, creating space for Lamet on the active roster. Lower back tightness has kept Lamet out of action for almost all of May, and he struggled to a 12.66 ERA over 10 2/3 relief innings this season prior to his injury.
Some more items from both the NL and AL West…
- Andres Munoz will start a Triple-A rehab assignment on Tuesday, as the Mariners reliever is on the way back from a deltoid strain that has sidelined him since April 8. Thought to be a minor injury at the time, Munoz was then bothered by a sore shoulder that required a PRP injection, extending his time on the IL to just shy of two months. Munoz only pitched 3 1/3 innings over four appearances before heading to the injured list, but assuming everything goes as planned, he’ll be back in the Seattle bullpen and looking to follow up his outstanding 2022 season.
- Dodgers reliever Daniel Hudson told reporters (including Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times) that he will throw a bullpen on Tuesday. It’s a positive step for Hudson, who hasn’t pitched since tearing his left UCL last June. During the last update on Hudson two weeks ago from Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, the veteran righty was throwing but without any specific plans for a rehab assignment due to some continued discomfort in his knee. Hudson said today that he’d received a cortisone injection in his knee, and was hoping that the bullpen session would be the first step towards a “ramp up” of his recovery.
- Angels GM Perry Minasian provided some news on some injured Halos players to the Orange County Register’s Jeff Fletcher and other reporters, though neither Anthony Rendon or Chris Rodriguez seems close to a return. Rendon has been taking part in some light baseball activities, but even with more than two weeks passed since Rendon hit the 10-day IL due to a groin strain, Minasian wasn’t sure of a timeline for when Rendon might return or take on a fuller rehab process. Rodriguez underwent shoulder surgery in November 2021 and didn’t pitch at all in 2022, then had a setback in early April after starting the season on the 15-day IL. It doesn’t appear as though there was any further damage to Rodriguez’s shoulder, as Minasian said the team has “done what we need to do medically” to assess the situation, and Rodriguez is throwing again but not off a mound.
Rockies Reinstate Ryan Rolison, Transfer Ryan Feltner To 60-Day IL
The Rockies reinstated left-hander Ryan Rolison from the 60-day injured list this afternoon. Colorado optioned the former first round pick to Triple-A Albuquerque, so he won’t make his major league debut quite yet. In order to clear a spot on the 40-man roster, the Rox transferred righty Ryan Feltner from the 15-day to the 60-day IL. Colorado also placed Charlie Blackmon on the bereavement list and recalled Elehuris Montero before today’s game against the Diamondbacks.
Rolison has been out for almost a year. The Ole Miss product underwent shoulder surgery last June. Had he been healthy, he might’ve reached the majors last season. Rolison was already on the 40-man roster and had reached Triple-A in the second half of the 2021 campaign. Instead, the shoulder problem cost him all of 2022 and the first couple months of this season.
Colorado sent Rolison on a minor league rehab stint a couple weeks ago. He logged six innings over two starts in Low-A before tossing four innings of five-run ball for Albuquerque on Saturday. He’ll remain with the Isotopes and continue building up but could find himself in the mix for a big league look before long. The 25-year-old only has a 6.34 ERA in 49 2/3 innings in Triple-A but he’s punched out roughly a quarter of batters faced in his minor league career.
The Rockies have battled rotation uncertainty all season. Germán Márquez underwent Tommy John surgery and Antonio Senzatela suffered an elbow sprain. Feltner, meanwhile, was struck in the head by a Nick Castellanos line drive on May 14. He was eventually diagnosed with a skull fracture. Feltner told reporters over the weekend he hoped to make it back to the majors this season but understandably indicated his present focus is on getting back to normal after battling concussion symptoms. Today’s IL transfer officially rules him out of action through the All-Star Break.
NL West Notes: Garcia, Padres, Feltner, Dodgers, May
The Padres placed Luis Garcia on the 15-day injured list today, as the left-hander is suffering from a left oblique strain. Righty Domingo Tapia was called up from Triple-A to take Garcia’s spot on the active roster. Garcia has a somewhat misleading 4.66 ERA this season, as nine of his 10 earned runs allowed came in two disastrous appearances (totaling two-thirds of an inning) against the Diamondbacks. Against every other team in baseball, Garcia has allowed just one earned run in 18 2/3 frames.
Despite a few shaky moments, the Padres’ bullpen has largely gotten on track, as San Diego’s relievers have combined for the sixth-best (3.31) bullpen ERA in baseball heading into Saturday’s action. Losing a generally reliable veteran like Garcia won’t help matters, and the team has yet to comment on the severity of the left-hander’s oblique strain, or how long Garcia might be sidelined.
More from around the NL West…
- Ryan Feltner suffered a small skull fracture and a concussion after being hit with a Nick Castellanos line drive on May 14, but the Rockies right-hander hasn’t given up hope of returning to the field this season. For now, Feltner is focused only on his recovery, and he gave a positive update to Patrick Saunders and other reporters. Feltner said he has “a headache from the concussion, dizziness, but today there’s no pain. I’m sleeping well, and the day-to-day stuff has become a lot easier. So the feeling is that I’m in a really good spot compared to where I could be.”
- With injuries hampering the Dodgers‘ rotation, president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said the team could “potentially” target pitching at the trade deadline, but it will still be a while before the Dodgers know a firmer recovery timeline for Julio Urias or Dustin May. “Right now with where we are, it’s gonna be a little more shell game-ish if we have more injuries. But we’re thinking through that and trying to be as prepared as we can be if that happens,” Friedman told Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times and other reporters. May won’t be able to return until at least mid-July due to his placement on the 60-day IL, and Harris writes that May received a PRP injection as part of his treatment for a flexor pronator strain. Beyond the injuries, Noah Syndergaard‘s rotation spot might also be a question mark as the righty continues to struggle.
West Notes: Buehler, Rockies, Blackburn
Dodgers right-hander Walker Buehler underwent Tommy John surgery last August, and recently told reporters that the date he’s targeting for a return to action this season is September 1. While not unheard of, a 12-month recovery timeline from Tommy John surgery is a rare feat for pitchers, particularly those rehabbing from the procedure for a second time, as Buehler is.
Despite the seemingly long odds, Jon Heyman of the New York Post noted yesterday that the possibility remains on the table, with one notable caveat: Buehler’s return to the Dodgers could come out of the bullpen rather than as a member of the starting rotation. If Buehler indeed makes his return later this season as a reliever, it would be a notable change of pace for the 28-year-old righty. 106 of Buehler’s 115 appearances in the majors have come as a starter, and he has come out of the bullpen just once since the start of the 2018 campaign.
In those 10 1/3 innings of work out of the bullpen so far in his career, Buehler has struggled to a 11.32 ERA. Of course, such a small sample that’s over half a decade old at this point matters far less than Buehler’s more recent work, which has been nothing short of dominant. Since the start of the 2018 campaign, Buehler has posted a phenomenal 2.95 ERA that’s 40% better than league average by measure of ERA+ with an equally strong 3.22 FIP in 629 innings of work at the front of the Dodgers’ rotation. The highlight of his career to this point came in 2021, when he made an MLB-leading 33 starts while posting a phenomenal 2.47 ERA (171 ERA+) with a 3.16 FIP that earned him a top-4 finish in Cy Young Award voting.
Whether as a starter or a reliever, a pitcher of Buehler’s caliber would surely be an asset to the Dodgers both down the stretch and as they gear up for a hypothetical playoff run. While the Dodgers have a plethora of viable rotation options, Dustin May, Julio Urias, Michael Grove, and Ryan Pepiot are all currently on the injured list alongside Buehler, and both Noah Syndergaard and Tony Gonsolin have spent time on the shelf previously this season as well. Given the number of options that could be at the club’s disposal, and the number of injuries they’ve suffered already this season, it’s near impossible to predict what LA’s rotation could look like come September, whether Buehler is ready for a return or not.
More from around the West divisions…
- In the same article, Heyman also notes that the Rockies have interest in former Royals president of baseball operations Dayton Moore for a high-ranking front office role, though the club appears to be content with Bill Schmidt as GM. Heyman notes that Moore expressed he hadn’t heard about Colorado’s interest in his services. Nonetheless, it’s notable that the Rockies, a club that has typically been known for hiring within the organization for their front office, would seek the services of an external candidate. Moore was fired by the Royals last season after sixteen years at the helm of the organization, during which he oversaw the club’s 2015 World Series championship. Moore was hired by the Rangers as a senior advisor to the baseball operations department in November.
- Athletics right-hander Paul Blackburn is poised to make his first start of the 2023 campaign sometime next week, as noted by Martin Gallegos of MLB.com. Blackburn started the season on the injured list with a torn fingernail and had the start of his season delayed further by a blister on his pitching hand, but now appears to be close to a return. The 29-year-old Blackburn got his first extended look in the rotation last season, when he posted a solid 3.62 ERA in the first half en route to becoming a 2022 All-Star. Unfortunately, Blackburn would pitch just 14 1/3 innings in the second half, allowing 14 runs in three starts before heading to the IL with finger inflammation. Upon his return to the A’s rotation, Blackburn figures to help steady a group that has featured little certainty beyond JP Sears.
NL West Notes: Kim, Doyle, Cessa, McCarthy, Fletcher
X-rays were negative on Ha-Seong Kim‘s left knee, Padres manager Bob Melvin told reporters (including Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune) after Kim had to be helped off the field during today’s game. In the second inning of the Padres’ 8-6 win over the Nationals, Kim fouled a pitch off his knee, knocking him to the ground in obvious pain. Despite the relatively good news from the imaging, Kim isn’t expected to play on Friday and might end up on the 10-day injured list unless the swelling and discomfort subsides quickly.
Now in his third season with the Padres, Kim is hitting a modest .237/.316/.382 over 172 plate appearances, which works out to a 97 wRC+. Even this slightly below-average number might be generous considering that Kim’s 22.3% hard-hit ball rate is among the lowest in the league, though he has provided a lot of defensive value to San Diego as a second baseman and, more recently, as a third baseman in place of the injured Manny Machado. The Padres’ depth would take another hit if both Machado and Kim are out, and Rougned Odor (whose bat has been on fire as of late) would be the likeliest candidate for regular time at third base. Odor and Brandon Dixon could split time between second and third, Jake Cronenworth could also play second base, and Matt Carpenter could see more time as a first baseman.
More from around the NL West…
- Rockies outfielder Brenton Doyle left today’s game on a cart after colliding with the outfield wall in pursuit of a Jorge Soler home run. Doyle told MLB.com’s Thomas Harding and other reporters that his right knee “probably took the most impact, and it was pretty excruciating pain at the time,” but “I feel like I could have walked off.” Doyle will undergo tests to determine the nature and extent of his injury, but Harding reports that the Rockies are already likely to call Nolan Jones up from Triple-A as at least a precautionary replacement. Making his MLB debut this season, Doyle has hit .240/.288/.467 over 80 PA, but has also gone 7-for-7 in stolen base attempts and displayed some impressive glovework in center field.
- In another injury concern for the Rockies, Harding tweets that Luis Cessa was removed for precautionary reasons from his Triple-A start after taking a line drive off his right leg. Cessa was able to face two more batters before leaving the game and he left the field under his own power. Colorado has already had to deal with several pitching injuries this season, which is part of the reason why Cessa was just signed to a minor league contract earlier this week to provide some additional depth.
- The Diamondbacks optioned outfielder Dominic Fletcher to Triple-A Reno today, and Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports that the Snakes are calling Jake McCarthy back up to the majors. It was exactly a month ago that the D’Backs optioned McCarthy to Triple-A after a very slow start to the season, but McCarthy has started to find himself in the minors, hitting .333/.419/.533 over 105 PA (albeit in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League). With both McCarthy and Alek Thomas sent to the minors, Fletcher was one of the players the D’Backs called upon to pick up the slack in the outfield, and Fletcher delivered a very solid .308/.349/.474 in his first 85 career PA in the big leagues. It stands to reason that Fletcher will be back with the Diamondbacks sooner or later, unless McCarthy really gets on track at the plate.
Rockies Release Fernando Abad
The Rockies have released lefty Fernando Abad, per the team’s transaction log at MLB.com. Colorado had designated the 37-year-old veteran for assignment over the weekend.
Abad appeared in three games with the Rox, tossing a combined 1 2/3 innings of scoreless ball between his first two outings before being tagged for three runs in one inning during his final appearance. He’d signed with the club on a minor league deal over the winter, and he opened the year pitching brilliantly in a hitter-friendly Triple-A setting; through 16 frames with the Rockies’ Albuquerque affiliate in the Pacific Coast League, Abad allowed just three runs (1.69 ERA) on nine hits and two walks with 20 strikeouts. He whiffed 34.5% of his opponents against just a 3.4% walk rate.
The Rockies were the eighth big league team for the well-traveled Abad, who’s now pitched in parts of 11 Major League seasons. His big league work has been infrequent over the past four years — just 33 1/3 total innings — but Abad was a quality and heavily used bullpen arm from 2013-17 with the Nats, A’s, Twins and Red Sox. During that time, he pitched to a 3.13 ERA in 233 frames, and on the whole he carries a career 3.82 ERA with 48 holds, two saves, a 19.4% strikeout rate and an 8.4% walk rate in 351 big league innings.
The Rockies could’ve tried to pass Abad through outright waivers, though he’d either have been claimed or had the ability to reject his assignment based on Major League service time. (He reached seven total years of service during his brief stint with Colorado.) He’ll now carry that excellent start to his season in Triple-A back to the market as he looks for other opportunities.
Rockies Considering Dinelson Lamet For Rotation
Rockies right-hander Dinelson Lamet has been working as a reliever for the past couple of years but the Rockies are considering a move back to the rotation for him. Manager Bud Black tells Thomas Harding of MLB.com that the club is “contemplating the possibility” of moving him back to a starting gig. Lamet seems keen on the idea, telling Harding that “I don’t like starting — I love it. But it all depends what the team wants.”
Lamet, 30, once seemed like one of the better starting pitchers in the entire league. It started with some decent results as a rookie with the Padres in 2017, as he posted a 4.57 ERA in 2017. Tommy John surgery then wiped out his 2018, but he followed that up by returning to post a 4.07 ERA the year after. He then took things to another level in the shortened 2020 season, with a tiny 2.09 ERA over 12 starts, striking out 34.8% of batters faced and walking 7.5% with a 36.9% ground ball rate. He finished fourth in the National League Cy Young voting that season.
The road has gotten bumpy since then, however. He dealt with elbow issues late in 2020 that prevented him from pitching in the playoffs, and those carried into 2021. He began that year on the injured list and struggled once he returned to the Friars. He went on the injured list again in June with forearm inflammation and worked out of the bullpen when he returned late in the season. He finished that year with a 4.40 ERA in just 47 innings.
The Padres kept Lamet in relief in 2022, eventually flipping him to the Brewers in the Josh Hader trade. He was quickly designated for assignment by Milwaukee and claimed by Colorado, eventually finishing the year with a 6.12 ERA. Here in 2023, he posted a ghastly 12.66 ERA through 12 appearances before landing on the injured list due to lower back tightness.
The fact that the Rockies are now thinking about revisiting the possibility of Lamet as a starter is a bit surprising given his run of poor results and health issues in recent years, though there are also reasons why it makes sense for them to be open to it. The club came into the season with a poor on-paper rotation and things have generally gotten worse. Germán Márquez is out for the rest of the season due to Tommy John surgery. Antonio Senzatela returned from last year’s torn ACL but landed back on the injured list after just two starts due to an elbow sprain. Meanwhile, Noah Davis, Ryan Feltner and Ryan Rolison are also on the IL.
Amid all those injuries, the club’s rotation now consists of Kyle Freeland, Connor Seabold, Chase Anderson, Austin Gomber and Karl Kauffmann. Freeland is doing well overall and Anderson made one good start after getting claimed off waivers, but the other three each have an ERA of 5.97 or higher. Overall, the club’s starters have a 5.74 ERA, ahead of just the Reds and A’s among teams across the majors.
Considering those general struggles and Lamet’s past results, it’s understandable that the Rockies would take a gamble on him rediscovering his previous form. As Harding’s report notes, the club suggested he experiment with shortening his stride while on the injured list, which seems to be showing some positive signs. Lamet recently joined the Triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes on a rehab assignment and has found some good results. His first outing resulted in two innings of one-run ball, but he followed that up by throwing 38 pitches in four perfect innings his next time out, striking out four.
A nice outing in the minors doesn’t necessarily mean that Lamet will just slide back into his 2020 form but getting anywhere close would be a nice storyline for a Colorado club that has had few. Not only would it be good for them in the short term, helping to stabilize the shaky rotation, but it could also turn Lamet to into an intriguing trade candidate. He’s in his final year of arbitration control, having agreed to a $5MM salary this season. As an impending free agent on a club that is unlikely to be in the playoff race, he would naturally turn up in trade rumors if he seemed to be getting back into form. With so many clubs throughout the league dealing with pitching injuries, he would undoubtedly garner interest by getting even partway to his 2020 form.
Big Hype Prospects: Holliday, Caminero, Carter, Williams, Davis
Due to travel, it’s been a little over a month since the last Big Hype Prospects. Let’s check in on who is making waves.
Five Big Hype Prospects
Jackson Holliday, 19, SS, BAL (A+)
(A/A+)158 PA, 6 HR, 11 SB, .394/.513/.701
Holliday’s introduction to professional baseball could not be more encouraging. He leads all qualified minor league hitters with a 222 wRC+. After wrecking Low-A pitching, he’s eviscerating High-A competition in the same manner. He evinces excellent plate discipline and a feel for stinging contact. His nearly .500 BABIP isn’t the product of luck – he’s simply outclassing the competition with an all-fields approach. If there’s a quibble, it’s that he rarely lofts the ball. Even so, that’s not affecting his power output – he has an excellent .300 ISO on the season.
To outside observers, Holliday is seemingly ready for a challenge at Double-A. It’s worth remembering he has just 93 plate appearances in High-A and a total of only 248 professional plate appearances. As long as the Orioles don’t believe he’s stagnating, a longer stint in High-A could prove appropriate. A stable environment helps with certain types of learning. On the other hand, we’re all eager to see what he does when finally challenged.
Junior Caminero, 19, 3B, TBR (A+)
146 PA, 11 HR, 2 SB, .351/.404/.709
I’ve put out a few calls for updated notes on Caminero since those I’ve gathered disagree about his future feel for contact. Presently, few hitters have shown comparable capacity for power. The folks at FanGraphs emphasized “his lack of ball/strike recognition” in a recent report, a concern shared by other evaluators. However, as others point out, such issues are hardly unprecedented among successful Major Leaguers. In this day and age, it’s not as if a 19-year-old slugger is incapable of making adjustments. It hasn’t been a problem in High-A because practically everything he hits is hammered. His .362 ISO ranks sixth in the minors. Double-A will mark an important challenge for Caminero.
Evan Carter, 20, OF, TEX (AA)
158 PA, 4 HR, 8 SB, .302/.430/.426
Carter can be a divisive prospect. It’s so easy to fall in love with the discipline and feel for contact. A Major League future feels inevitable. The floor for Carter is seemingly so high. Brandon Nimmo comps abound. All the same traits – even body type and line-drive-based power are there. It’s rare for prospect analysis to gush about a player’s floor, and perhaps that’s the problem with Carter. We’re usually focused on ceiling and, barring a change, Carter’s feels limited; like he’s on his way to becoming one of the best core contributors in the league. Will we find him on many All-Star teams? Probably not at his current power output.
The same point I made with Caminero applies to Carter. Never has it been easier for players to make positive adjustments to their game. Just because a prospect looks and feels like Brandon Nimmo doesn’t mean they’re destined to stay in their lane. Carter could follow the path of Lars Nootbaar to higher exit velocities. Or, like a different Cardinals outfielder, he could stall out against some aspect of Major League pitching.
Gavin Williams, 23, SP, CLE (AAA)
(AA/AAA) 40 IP, 12.6 K/9, 2.9 BB/9, 1.58 ERA
A number of my favorite pitching prospects are in the Guardians system, and Williams is probably the best of the bunch. After three laser-sharp outings in Double-A, he was promoted to Triple-A where he’s remained effective. He worked 115 innings last season, so there is some scope for him to contribute in the Majors this season while managing his workload. However, the Guardians will soon welcome back Aaron Civale and Triston McKenzie. A near-term opportunity might not present itself. Williams features a four-pitch repertoire of upper-90s fastball, well-commanded slider, curve, and changeup. To my eyes, it looks as if he has sinking and riding fastballs – or perhaps the pitch behaved differently based on vertical location (I haven’t seen this mentioned in reports). Like most power pitchers, the changeup lags behind the other offerings, though it is viewed as a viable pitch with promise. The word “intensity” appears on multiple public reports.
Henry Davis, 23, C, PIT (AA)
141 PA, 10 HR, 5 SB, .297/.447/.631
Davis’ second tour in Double-A is going swimmingly. After a mere 97 wRC+ over a similar span last season, his current 189 wRC+ ranks sixth in the minors. He’s also showing the walk, strikeout, and contact rates of a future star. Davis was drafted as a slugging catcher who might eventually wind up at first base. As yet, the Pirates have mostly used him as a catcher this season with a few odd starts at designated hitter and right field. Davis has an extreme, pulled, fly ball approach which isn’t exactly suited to PNC Park. However, he has the raw power to make it work even if a few would-be dingers die on the warning track. It’s feeling increasingly probable we see both Davis and Endy Rodriguez in Pittsburgh later this summer – especially if the club can remain competitive in the standings.
Three More
Matt McLain, CIN (23): McLain was selected about a week ago after hitting .348/.474/.710 in Triple-A. In 22 plate appearances, he has 10 strikeouts and four hits. He’s struggled to make impactful contact after averaging 90.9-mph EV in Triple-A. McLain has a narrow window to impress Cincinnati decision-makers before the likes of Elly De La Cruz and others arrive on the scene.
Nolan Jones, COL (25): A post-hype prospect, Jones is a disciplined power hitter who has a bit of a Quad-A reputation at the moment. He’s producing a .362/.486/.723 line in a heady offensive environment with 90.5-mph average EV (113.7-mph Max EV). He’s splitting time between first base, third base, and right field – all positions the Rockies could stand to upgrade (at least indirectly).
Ethan Salas, SDP (16): As my favorite contact put it, “Salas is bound to be the first 16-year-old position player in a full-season league in a loooooong time.” The young catcher is already entering Top 100 lists.
Did I miss a detail or nuance? DM me on Twitter @BaseballATeam to discuss corrections.
Rockies Sign Luis Cessa To Minor League Contract
The Rockies have signed right-hander Luis Cessa to a minor league deal, MLB.com’s Thomas Harding reports (Twitter link). It was only a brief stay in free agency for Cessa, who was released by the Reds earlier this week.
Working as a swingman for the Reds in 2022, Cessa was essentially a full-time starter this year (starting six of seven games) but the results just weren’t there. The righty posted a 9.00 ERA over 26 innings with more walks (12) than strikeouts (11), and while a .410 BABIP represents some bad luck, Cessa’s Statcast metrics are pretty grim across the board.
Never a big strikeout pitcher, Cessa has generally had better success as a reliever than as a starter, with a 3.81 career ERA coming out of the bullpen compared to a 5.44 ERA starting games. However, it would seem like the Rockies will give Cessa at least an initial look as a starter given the team’s huge needs in the rotation. Colorado’s starting five was already a question mark heading into the season, but its depth has been further reduced by multiple injuries, most notably German Marquez‘s Tommy John surgery.
The Rockies’ makeshift rotation now consists of Kyle Freeland, Austin Gomber, Connor Seabold, Chase Anderson (just recently acquired on a waiver claim from the Rays), and rookie Karl Kauffmann, who has one MLB start under his belt. While Cessa’s 2023 numbers don’t look like an upgrade on paper, the Rox might at least prefer having a more experienced arm eat some innings until they start to get some pitchers back from the injured list.
The minor league deal carries basically no risk for the Rockies, since Cincinnati is still covering the bulk of Cessa’s remaining salary (roughly $1.87MM of his initial $2.65MM). If Cessa is called up, the Rox will owe him only the prorated portion of the MLB minimum salary.
Rockies Select Matt Carasiti, DFA Fernando Abad
The Rockies announced a pair of roster moves Sunday morning, as the club selected the contract of right-hander Matt Carasiti. To clear room for Carasiti on the active and 40-man roters, the club also announced they have designated left-hander Fernando Abad for assignment.
A sixth-round pick by the Rockies in the 2012 draft, Carasiti made his debut for the club in 2016, though he struggled to a 9.19 ERA in 15 2/3 innings of work that was 46% worse than league average by measure of ERA+. Carasiti wouldn’t return to the majors until three years later, when he appeared in 11 games for the Mariners, posting a 4.66 ERA in 9 2/3 innings of work. In five seasons at the Triple-A level, Carasiti owns a 4.06 ERA in 139 2/3 innings with a 25.6% strikeout rate. Carasiti figures to factor into the bullpen for the struggling Rockies pitching staff, which currently has nine of its pitchers on the injured list.
Clearing room for Carasiti on the roster is Abad, a 37-year-old veteran currently in his eleventh season in the majors. From 2010-2017, Abad was a reliable left-handed option for middle relief in the majors, with a 3.65 ERA and 4.22 FIP in 317 2/3 innings of work over that eight year period. Since then, however, Carasiti has managed just 33 1/3 innings in the big leagues across parts of three seasons, with a 5.40 ERA and 5.09 FIP. That includes his difficult stay in Colorado this season, where he allowed three runs on two homers in just 2 2/3 innings of work. Assuming he goes unclaimed on waivers, Abad figures to return to free agency, where he will look to latch on with another club on what would almost certainly be a minor league deal.