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NL Notes: Bryant, Marte, Severino

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Kris Bryant is set to begin his rehab assignment on Tuesday, per Danielle Allentuck of the Denver Gazette (via Twitter). The club hopes he’ll be ready to rejoin the team when they head to Minnesota, per MLB.com’s Thomas Harding (via Twitter). Bryant’s first season with the Rockies certainly hasn’t gone as planned. The 30-year-old left fielder has slashed .270/.342/.333 in a mere 73 plate appearances. Needless to say, the former MVP has yet to really make his impact felt on the last-place Rockies.

  • Ketel Marte suffered a grade 1 lateral hamstring strain, per MLB.com’s Steve Gilbert (via Twitter). Marte is day-t0-day for now. The Diamondbacks’ second baseman is hitting .269/.341/.435 over249 plate appearances this season. Unlike in years past, Marte has really been able to settle in at second base this season.
  • Pedro Severino began his rehab assignment playing first base, per The Athletic’s Will Sammon (via Twitter). The Brewers will have a bit of a logjam at catcher when Severino is ready. Victor Caratini and Omar Narvaez have both posted 0.9 rWAR while splitting time behind the dish for the Brewers. It’s not inconceivable that the team could carry three catchers, but doing so wouldn’t necessarily maximize their offense, even if Severino or Caratini spent time at first base.

Rockies Select Sean Bouchard

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The Rockies announced they’ve selected first baseman/corner outfielder Sean Bouchard onto the big league roster. Infielder Garrett Hampson is going on the COVID-19 injured list in a corresponding move. Colorado also announced that reliever Julian Fernández, who’d been designated for assignment over the weekend, has cleared waivers and been sent outright to Triple-A Albuquerque.

Bouchard, 26, heads to the big leagues for the first time after spending five-plus seasons in the minors. A ninth-round pick out of UCLA in the 2017 draft, he’s a career .279/.352/.490 hitter as a professional. That includes a massive .338/.430/.683 line with 11 home runs across 165 trips to the dish in Albuquerque this season, his first at the minors’ top level. Playing in one of the most hitter-friendly environments in pro ball no doubt aided those numbers, but they’re still eye-opening enough the Colorado front office will give him a look against big league arms.

Fernández has never previously been outrighted and doesn’t have three-plus years of MLB service time. He’ll thus remain in the system and try to pitch his way back onto the 40-man roster. The 26-year-old has spent this entire season on optional assignment with the Isotopes, where he’s struggled to a 9.47 ERA across 19 innings. Home runs have been particularly problematic, as he’s already given up eight longballs on the year.

The 26-year-old righty appeared in his first six major league games with the Rox last year. He averaged a blistering 99 MPH on his fastball, but he gave up a pair of homers in 6 2/3 innings with four strikeouts and walks apiece. A former Rule 5 draftee of the Giants, Fernández didn’t pitch in a game between 2018-20 due to elbow injuries that eventually necessitated Tommy John surgery and the pandemic cancelation of the 2020 minor league season.

Tyler Kinley To Undergo Elbow Surgery

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Rockies reliever Tyler Kinley has been diagnosed with an elbow strain and a flexor tear in his forearm, manager Bud Black told reporters (including Danielle Allentuck of the Colorado Springs Gazette). He’ll undergo surgery and is likely to miss at least the rest of the 2022 season.

The nature of the procedure isn’t yet clear, as it seems the extent of the damage will be determined once he goes under the knife. A full Tommy John surgery is still on the table, but it’s also possible the injury isn’t quite severe enough to demand a complete reconstruction. Kinley will be facing a long-term absence in any event, but the hope is certainly to avoid Tommy John — which would cost him most or all of next season as well.

It’s the end of what had been shaping up as a career-best season for Kinley. Through 25 appearances, the right-hander posted a sparkling 0.75 ERA while striking out 27% of opposing hitters through 24 innings. He certainly wasn’t going to keep runs off the board at that pace all season, but Kinley generated swinging strikes at an excellent 16.7% clip and looked amidst a genuine breakout. Black had entrusted him with higher-leverage work, and he’d already matched last season’s personal high with 10 holds.

Kinley’s elbow issue will unfortunately bring that to an end, and it’s at least possible he’s thrown his final pitch as a Rockie. The 31-year-old agreed to a $1.025MM salary to avoid arbitration this past offseason, and he’s slated to go through that process twice more before reaching free agency after the 2024 campaign. Kinley’s stellar first couple months will earn him a bit of a raise if he’s tendered a contract, although he’d have certainly found himself in better financial position had he stayed healthy and continued to perform all season.

If Kinley’s able to return relatively early next season, then it seems likely the Rox would keep him around given his modest price point. Yet if the procedure will keep him out for the majority or all of 2023, it’s possible they let him go and reallocate his salary and spot on the 40-man roster. Kinley will assuredly be transferred to the 60-day injured list to free a 40-man spot during the season, but he’ll have to be reinstated shortly after the conclusion of the World Series.

Rockies Place Tyler Kinley On 15-Day Injured List

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The Rockies placed right-hander Tyler Kinley on the 15-day injured list, as Kinley is dealing with an ulnar nerve injury in his throwing elbow.  The placement is retroactive to June 9.  Right-hander Chad Smith has been called up from Triple-A to take Kinley’s spot in the Colorado bullpen.

Now in his third season with the Rockies, Kinley has had a breakout year, posting an 0.75 ERA, 27% strikeout rate, and 6.0% walk rate over 24 innings.  Even with advanced metrics factored in, Kinley’s 2.88 SIERA is still indicative of a fine performance, and Kinley has become the top set-up option behind closer Daniel Bard.  Kinley, Bard, and Alex Colome have been pretty much the only effective arms in the Rockies’ bullpen this season, so Kinley’s absence will further hamper a struggling relief corps.

It also isn’t yet clear how much time Kinley might miss, or if surgery could be a possibility.  If his ulnar nerve is only irritated, Kinley could conceivably be back in action relatively soon (if beyond the minimum 15 days).  However, if the injury is more serious, Kinley’s season may be in jeopardy.

The 31-year-old is in his first year of arbitration eligibility, having agreed to an arb-avoiding $1.025MM deal back in November.  Losing a big chunk of this breakout year to the IL would certainly hamper Kinley’s earning potential for 2023, though his price tag would also be low enough that the Rockies would probably still tender him a contract.

Rockies Select Jake Bird, Designate Julian Fernandez

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The Rockies announced a trio of roster moves before the second game of their doubleheader with the Padres today, including the news that right-hander Julian Fernandez has been designated for assignment.  Right-hander Jake Bird had his contract selected from Triple-A to fill the 40-man roster spot, while infielder Elehuris Montero was also optioned to the minors to create space for Bird on the active roster.

With this slate of transactions, the Rox get a fresh arm added to their bullpen for the second game, and Bird is now on the verge of his MLB debut.  Colorado selected Bird in the fifth round of the 2018 draft, and the UCLA product has a 2.77 ERA, 8.5% walk rate, and 32.1% strikeout rate over 26 innings for Triple-A Albuquerque this season.  That strikeout rate is notably higher than his totals in any of his previous three pro seasons, which could relate to Bird’s transition to a full-time relief role — he started a handful of games in both 2019 and 2021.

Fernandez has had a much rougher year with the Isotopes, posting a 9.47 ERA and allowing eight home runs over only 19 innings.  The hard-throwing righty is known for his ability to hit the triple-digit threshold with his fastball, but Fernandez just had to get re-accustomed to pitching after missing all the 2018-20 seasons — the first two years due to Tommy John surgery and rehab, and then the canceled 2020 minor league season.  In 2021, Fernandez finally made it back and threw 42 2/3 minor league innings, plus he made his Major League debut with six games for the Rockies.

Rockies Place Ty Blach On 15-Day Injured List, Recall Ryan Feltner

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  • The Rockies have placed southpaw Ty Blach on the 15-day injured list with a left wrist sprain, per the team. Ryan Feltner was recalled from Triple-A to take his roster spot. Justin Lawrence was also added to the active roster to serve as the 27th man for today’s twin bill. Blach, 31, has made 15 appearances on the year (one start) with a 6.61 ERA over 31 1/3 innings.

Ezequiel Tovar Impressing At Double-A

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  • Ezequiel Tovar is showing why the Rockies consider him their shortstop of the future, as the 20-year-old is hitting .317/.398/.581 with 11 homers and 16 steals (in 17 chances) over 211 plate appearances at Double-A Hartford.  This offensive surge is very promising, as consistent hitting was considered the last piece of the puzzle for a player who is already considered a superb defender.  As The Denver Post’s Patrick Saunders notes, there is precedent for the Rox moving fast with promising shortstops, as Trevor Story played only 61 games at Triple-A and Troy Tulowitzki skipped Triple-A entirely prior to his big league debut.  Given that Tovar missed a full year of game development due to the canceled 2020 minor league season, the Rockies may not be quite as aggressive with a promotion this time around, but Tovar is certainly drawing attention.  Baseball America bumped Tovar all way up to the #26 position on their midseason ranking of the game’s top 100 prospects.

Rockies’ Ryan Rolison, Colton Welker Expected To Undergo Shoulder Surgery

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The Rockies will lose two players — left-hander Ryan Rolison and third baseman Colton Welker — to shoulder surgery, reports Nick Groke of the Athletic. According to Danielle Allentuck of the Colorado Springs Gazette (Twitter link), both players will be out for the rest of the season.

Rolison may be the more well-known of the duo, even though he’s yet to make his major league debut. Colorado selected him with the 22nd overall pick in the 2018 draft, and he’s been one of the more highly-regarded arms in the organization for the past few years. The Ole Miss product’s stock has dipped a bit recently, however, as he’s not had a ton of reps since the end of the 2019 campaign.

After the pandemic resulted in the cancelation of the 2020 minor league season, Rolison was limited to 14 starts last year. He underwent an appendix procedure and missed two months between June and August. Even when healthy, Rolison struggled to a 5.91 ERA through ten Triple-A starts — albeit in a very hitter-friendly environment in Albuquerque. Baseball America nevertheless ranked him the #4 prospect in the system over the offseason, writing that he could be a back-end starter, but he’ll now lose a full season of reps.

Colorado added Rolison to the 40-man roster over the winter, but he’s spent the entire season on the 60-day injured list. He’ll collect a full year of MLB service time and a $700K salary while rehabbing.

Welker is also on the 40-man, counting against the roster while on the minor league injured list. Colorado could recall him and put him on the MLB 60-day IL to free a spot, although they’d have to pay him the prorated portion of the league minimum for any time on that list.

The 24-year-old infielder appeared in ten games with the Isotopes, hitting .324/.422/.514. He’ll lose virtually all of the season, his third straight limited campaign. After the 2020 season cancelation, Welker missed most of last year serving an 80-game suspension following a positive test for a performance-enhancing substance. He made his big league debut last September, appearing in 19 games.

Rockies Select Chad Smith

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The Rockies have selected the contract of right-hander Chad Smith, The Denver Gazette’s Danielle Allentuck reports (Twitter links).  In corresponding moves, left-hander Helcris Olivarez was moved to the 60-day injured list due to a shoulder strain, while righty Ashton Goudeau was optioned to Triple-A.  Goudeau’s transaction is just an on-paper move, however, as Allentuck notes that Goudeau will act as the 27th man for the Rockies’ doubleheader with the Nationals today.

Not to be confused with the Chad Smith who used to pitch with the Tigers and Athletics, this Smith was an 11th-round pick for the Marlins in the 2016 draft, and was acquired by the Rockies in exchange for Jesus Tinoco back in August 2020.  Just a few days shy of his 27th birthday, Smith is now set to make his Major League debut.

Over two seasons with Triple-A Albuquerque, Smith has an impressive 2.58 ERA and 28.9% strikeout rate over 52 1/3 relief innings in 2021-22.  After battling control problems for much of his pro career, Smith has shown very good improvement this season with only a 6.9% walk rate over his 19 frames of work.  If Smith has been able to harness his command, he could be a very intriguing reliever to watch, given his velocity, ability to miss bats, and his ability to induce grounders (averaging over a 60% groundball rate during his minor league career).

Kris Bryant Expected To Miss 2-3 Weeks

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MAY 27: Colorado doesn’t seem particularly concerned about Bryant’s absence. General manager Bill Schmidt told Jon Heyman of the New York Post the former MVP is expected back in two-to-three weeks.

MAY 25: The Rockies announced Wednesday that left fielder Kris Bryant has once again been placed on the 10-day injured list due to a lower back strain. The IL placement is retroactive to May 23. Bryant missed nearly a month after being placed on the IL with this same injury in late April. He’d only been active for two games before being scratched from Monday’s contest and will now be out until at least June 2. Right-hander Ryan Feltner is up from Triple-A Albuquerque to take Bryant’s spot on the active roster.

Clearly, this isn’t the way that either Bryant or the Rockies envisioned his seven-year, $182MM contract beginning. The former National League Rookie of the Year, National League MVP and four-time All-Star has appeared in just 17 of the Rockies’ 42 games thus far and has yet to connect on his first long ball with the Rox. He’s hitting .270/.342/.333 through his first 73 plate appearances — well above league average in the first two of those three slash stats — but the lack of power and lack of time on the field are both glaring.

There’s no indication from the team as to just how long Bryant is expected to be shelved in this latest stint. It’s worth noting, however, that when Bryant originally hit the injured list back in late April, the Rockies suggested that he could be back on the field in a couple weeks’ time. Instead, as first reported by Nick Groke of The Athletic, Bryant required a cortisone injection a couple weeks into that original IL placement and was ultimately out of action for nearly four weeks. The Rox have a daytime tilt against the Pirates coming up in just under three hours, and it stands to reason that manager Bud Black will offer more information prior to gametime.

Colorado raced out to a 10-5 start to the 2022 season, igniting some hope among the fanbase that perhaps a turnaround of the team’s woeful 2019-21 performance was at hand. They’ve gone 10-17 since that start, however, and have been in a particular funk of late (just four wins in their past 15 games). The resulting 20-22 record and their -28 run differential are both the worst marks in the National League West.

With Bryant back on the shelf into early June, the Rockies will likely to turn to a combination of Connor Joe, Yonathan Daza and Sam Hilliard to cover the workload in left field. Joe has been in the lineup regularly, often as a designated hitter, but could see some extra outfield work now. Daza and Hilliard, meanwhile, figure to see an increase in at-bats with Bryant out.

In a strict platoon deployment, the left-handed-hitting Hilliard would see the bulk of the work, but he’s hitting just .160/.255/.296 to Daza’s .350/.404/.400 thus far in 2022, so perhaps the latter will receive a larger look. Daza’s batting line is being propped up by a .384 average on balls in play that he’s unlikely to sustain, but his minuscule 9.0% strikeout rate so far certainly gives him a chance to remain productive even as that BABIP trends back toward his career levels. Notably, Daza is starting in center field today against a right-handed opponent. Joe is in left field, with Hilliard available off the bench.

As for the 25-year-old Feltner, he’ll make his fourth career start later today when he takes the mound in Pittsburgh. His first three haven’t gone particularly well — he’s surrendered a dozen runs in 11 1/3 MLB innings to date — but the 2018 fourth-rounder is out to a solid start in Triple-A this year. Through 38 1/3 innings, Feltner carries a 3.76 ERA with a 30% strikeout rate, 7.5% walk rate and 38.9% ground-ball rate. With Antonio Senzatela on the injured list — also due to a back strain — Feltner could see an increase in his opportunities in the coming weeks, particularly if he shows well in today’s spot start.

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