Rockies Select Michael Toglia
The Rockies announced that they have selected first base prospect Michael Toglia to their roster and recalled infielder/outfielder Sean Bouchard. Outfielders Wynton Bernard and Sam Hilliard were optioned to Triple-A in corresponding moves. The club already had a vacancy on their 40-man roster for Toglia. Thomas Harding of MLB.com tweeted about Toglia’s promotion before the official announcement.
Toglia, 24, was a first-round draft pick, being selected 23rd overall by the Rockies in 2019. He landed on Baseball America’s list of top Colorado farmhands in 2020 and has been there ever since. He got into 41 games at Low-A the year of his draft, but missed out on formal game action in 2020 when the pandemic canceled the minor league seasons.
Getting back into action last year, the switch-hitter split his time between High-A and Double-A, hitting 22 home runs and stealing 10 bases in 115 games. Overall, he hit .228/.333/.445, walking in an impressive 13% of his plate appearances but also striking out in 28.5% of them. In 2022, he’s produced fairly similar results while splitting his time between Double-A and Triple-A. In 114 games between those two levels, he’s hit 30 long balls and swiped seven bags. His .249/.341/.510 batting line comes with a 12.1% walk rate but a 30.1% strikeout rate. Despite that high-strikeout approach, he’s still been 24% above average at the plate for the year, as evidenced by his 124 wRC+.
Defensively, Toglia has primarily played first base in his young career thus far, though he also played right field in nine games this season. The Rox have used C.J. Cron as their primary first baseman in recent seasons, though it may be possible for both he and Toglia to share the lineup. Cron is in the designated hitter slot tonight while Toglia will be making his MLB debut and playing first base. That could potentially limit the club’s flexibility if Toglia proves himself worthy of everyday at-bats, though Cron will be a free agent in just over a year. Also, if the club deems Toglia a passable defender in the outfield, he could see some time out there. The Rockies are 55-74 and in the NL West basement, 15 1/2 games out of a playoff spot. They can use the remaining weeks of the season to evaluate young players for future roles, with Toglia now stepping up for his audition.
Rockies Sign Logan Allen To Minor League Deal
The Rockies agreed to a minor league contract with left-hander Logan Allen over the weekend. It was never formally announced by the club, but the signing appears on MLB.com’s transactions log, and Allen in fact made his debut with Colorado’s Triple-A affiliate last night, pitching three innings and allowing three runs.
Allen, 25, was an eighth-round pick by the Red Sox back in 2016 and at times ranked among the better pitching prospects in multiple organizations. Heading into the 2019 season, he ranked among the game’s top 100 prospects on the lists published by each of Baseball America, MLB.com and Baseball Prospectus.
Things haven’t panned out for Allen in the Majors, however. He’s appeared in 33 big league game — 15 of them starts — between San Diego, Cleveland and Baltimore but pitched to an unsightly 5.89 ERA in 96 1/3 frames. He’s punched out 15.5% of his opponents, walked 9.6% of them and kept 46.5% of batted balls against him on the ground. That’s a solid ground-ball rate, but both the walk rate and particularly the strikeout rate are well worse than the league average.
Allen posted sharp numbers all the way through the Double-A level but hasn’t found much in the way of continued success thereafter. The Rox are his third organization of the 2022 campaign, as he began the year with the Guardians before being designated for assignment and claimed by the Orioles in early May. Baltimore passed Allen through waivers after just three appearances on the big league roster, and he was released from the Orioles organization a week ago. He’s surrendered five runs in 7 2/3 Major League innings this year (5.87 ERA) and 23 runs in 24 1/3 frames at the Triple-A level (8.26).
Allen will give the Rockies some experienced depth in the upper minors and could eventually emerge as a big league option for an injury-depleted staff. Veteran righty Chad Kuhl recently returned from a hip injury, but the Rockies lost Antonio Senzatela to a torn ACL last week and also have Ryan Rolison and prospect Helcris Olivarez on the Major League 60-day injured list. Righty Peter Lambert, meanwhile, is on the minor league injured list and hasn’t pitched since June after experiencing renewed discomfort in his surgically repaired elbow.
NL Notes: Gilbreath, Eflin, Greene, Flaherty, Miley
The Rockies announced that left-hander Lucas Gilbreath has been placed on the 15-day injured list due to a left elbow flexor strain. In a corresponding move, right-hander Alex Colome went the other direction, getting reinstated from the IL. Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post tweets that Gilbreath will undergo an MRI.
While the severity of the issue still isn’t known, it’s at least enough for Gilbreath to miss the next couple of weeks. An issue to a pitcher’s throwing elbow is always somewhat worrisome, though the club will surely get more information before deciding how to proceed. The Rox are in the basement of the National League West and won’t be in contention down the stretch, meaning there will be little incentive to rush him back to the mound.
Gilbreath has been an effective southpaw for Colorado over the past couple of seasons, registering a 3.78 ERA, not too shabby for someone who plays their home games at Coors Field. In 85 2/3 career innings, he has a 25% strikeout rate and 45.7% groundball rate, though an elevated 13.2% walk rate.
Some other injury notes from the Senior Circuit…
- Phillies right-hander Zach Eflin is still trying to get back on the mound this season, having been on the injured list since late June due to a right knee bruise. Scott Lauber of the Philadelphia Inquirer tweets that Eflin might be able to throw a bullpen this week, with the aim of eventually returning as a reliever. Given that there’s just over a month remaining in the regular season, it would be difficult for him to build back up to a starter’s workload in time to make a significant contribution. The righty has quietly been an effective member of the rotation, having registered a 4.21 ERA over 98 games, 93 of them starts, going back to the beginning of the 2018 season. He is highly likely to reach free agency this year, as he and the Phils have a mutual option for 2023, with those provisions almost never being triggered by both parties. The club currently holds the second of three Wild Card spots in the National League and a postseason run could give Eflin more time to showcase his health before reaching the open market.
- Reds righty Hunter Greene is set to head out on a rehab assignment, reports Bobby Nightengale of the Cincinnati Enquirer. He’s been out of action for over three weeks now due to a strain in his throwing shoulder, though appears to be slated to return after a couple of rehab outings. The highly-touted rookie is known for his tremendous velocity, though he’s yet to put it to great use at the big league level. He currently owns a 5.26 ERA after 102 2/3 innings in the majors, despite a strong 28.8% strikeout rate. When batters don’t strike out, they appear to be making good contact, as Greene’s barrel percentage is only in the league’s 10th percentile while his hard hit rate is in the 30th percentile. He’ll look to finish the season on a positive note before the winter begins. Greene, Nick Lodolo and Graham Ashcraft are all under 25 years old and showed intriguing skills in their debuts this year. The Reds will surely be hoping to maximize the talents of that trio in order to have a strong foundation of starting pitching to build around in the future.
- Righty Jack Flaherty is going to throw another rehab start on Wednesday before rejoining the Cardinals on Labor Day, tweets Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat. After an elite season in 2019 wherein he threw 196 1/3 innings with a 2.75 ERA, Flaherty is now in his third straight injury-limited campaign. He’s made just three starts this year in between IL stints due to shoulder injuries. If he’s able to return and flash his 2019 form, he’d be a tremendous difference maker for the Cards down the stretch and into the postseason. The club is currently 5 1/2 games ahead of the Brewers in the race for the division crown. Flaherty hasn’t allowed more than one earned run in each of his last three rehab outings.
- Cubs lefty Wade Miley is still looking to make his way back to a mound before the season is out, speaking to Maddie Lee of the Chicago Sun-Times about his year. “I can’t shut it down,” Miley said. “If I want to keep playing baseball beyond this year, I have to prove to people that I’m not broke. And I don’t feel like I’m broke by any means.” After throwing 163 innings with a 3.37 ERA with the Reds last year, he was claimed on waivers by the Cubs but has been limited to just four starts and 19 innings here in 2022, due to various ailments, primarily in his throwing shoulder. He will be hoping to return to action and show some effectiveness before the end of the season, when he will become a free agent and turn 36 years old in November.
Pirates Claim Robert Stephenson, Designate Kevin Padlo
TODAY: The Pirates have officially added Stephenson to their active roster, with JT Brubaker headed to the paternity list in the corresponding move.
AUGUST 27: The Pirates have claimed right-hander Robert Stephenson off waivers from the Rockies. Infielder Kevin Padlo was designated for assignment in the corresponding 40-man roster move, and the Pirates will make another move on their active roster when Stephenson joins the team.
Stephenson was DFA’ed by Colorado earlier this week, and didn’t last long on the waiver wire before the Pirates snatched him up. It isn’t surprising to see the Bucs take a chance on a live arm who has some of the highest velocity of any pitcher in baseball, and Stephenson was also a former top prospect for the division-rival Reds during his minor league career.
That early promise led to some good results as a reliever in 2019 and 2021, but this season has been a struggle for the right-hander. Stephenson has a 6.04 ERA over 44 2/3 innings, due to a below-average 18.8% strikeout rate and a lot of hard contact allowed. As fast (97mph) as Stephenson’s average four-seamer may be, batters have hit .379 against the pitch.
If Pittsburgh’s coaching staff can get Stephenson back to his 2021 form, he’ll be a nice bullpen addition for the Pirates both for the remainder of this season and in 2023, as Stephenson still has a third and final season of arbitration eligibility remaining. The righty is out of minor league options, so the Pirates would have a DFA decision to make of their own if they wanted to move Stephenson to the minors and off their 40-man roster.
Padlo is no stranger to the DFA carousel, as he has now been designated for assignment for the fifth time in a little over a year. The Mariners claimed Padlo off waivers from the Rays in August 2021, starting a cycle that has been Padlo go from Seattle to the Giants, back to the Mariners, and then to Pittsburgh earlier this month when the Bucs claimed Padlo away from the M’s.
All of the movement has resulted in only 34 Major League plate appearances for Padlo this season (split over the Pirates, Mariners, and Giants), but he has performed well over 278 Triple-A PA. The infielder has hit .270/.345/.484 with 12 homers and 13 doubles at the highest minor league level, continuing what has been a solid set of career Triple-A numbers.
Between that production and Padlo’s versatility as a third baseman who can be moved around the infield and into left field, it isn’t hard to see why teams keep having interest in Padlo, even if that interest has yet to manifest itself into a regular MLB job. As such, it seems quite possible that another club might claim Padlo away from the Pirates.
Rockies Designate Robert Stephenson, Reinstate Chad Kuhl From 15-Day IL
The Rockies have reinstated right-hander Chad Kuhl from the 15-day injured list. To create roster space, the team also announced that righty Robert Stephenson has been designated for assignment.
Stephenson is in his second season in Colorado, after being acquired from the Reds back in November 2020. After being a top prospect during his time in the Cincinnati farm system, Stephenson never caught on as a starting pitcher but showed promise as a reliever in 2019. He built on that production in 2021, when he posted a 3.13 ERA, 26.4% strikeout rate, and 9.1% walk rate over 46 innings out of Colorado’s bullpen.
The 2022 season has been a different story, as Stephenson has struggled to a 6.04 ERA over 44 2/3 frames. While his 97mph average fastball velocity still puts him among the game’s hardest throwers, opposing batters have been crushing Stephenson’s four-seamer to the tune of a .379 batting average. With only average secondary pitches and a lot of hard contact being allowed, Stephenson’s production has fallen off, especially in the last few weeks. The righty has allowed at least one earned run in seven of his last nine appearances, with an ugly 10.24 ERA over his last 9 2/3 innings.
Since Stephenson is out of minor league options, the Rockies had no choice but designate him for assignment in order to move him down to Triple-A. Since Colorado already had an open 40-man roster spot to accommodate Kuhl’s return, the club didn’t strictly have to DFA Stephenson, so it is possible the Rox might be parting ways with him altogether. A waiver claim from a rival team is a distinct possibility, as Stephenson’s velocity and fastball spin rate could interest other clubs.
For Kuhl, he hasn’t pitched since August 3 due to a hip strain. The right-hander pitched well over the first three months of the season, but had a 10.17 ERA in the 25 2/3 innings and six starts prior to his IL placement.
Rockies Place Antonio Senzatela On IL With Torn ACL
The Rockies announced that right-hander Antonio Senzatela has been placed on the 15-day injured list with a left ACL tear. Fellow righty Jhoulys Chacin has been reinstated from the injured list to take his place on the roster.
Senzatela left yesterday’s game after injuring himself while attempting to field a ground ball, falling to the ground in obvious discomfort. It was reported earlier that he would be going for an MRI to get more information, which has apparently revealed the bad news of the torn anterior cruciate ligament in his knee. Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post spoke to fellow Colorado hurler German Marquez about the situation, with Marquez saying he spoke to Senzatela, who will undergo surgery at some point.
Nick Groke of The Athletic tweets that the club expects Senzatela to miss 6-8 months, meaning this will certainly finish his season and will quite likely have a significant impact on next season as well. Next year’s Spring Training is already about six months away at this point. It will go down as a disappointing season for the righty, the first of his five-year, $50.5MM contract extension he signed with the Rockies. He registered a 5.07 ERA over 19 starts with a below-average 13.1% strikeout rate. He limited walks to a 5.6% rate and got ground balls on 49.4% of balls in play, but many of them found holes. His .383 batting average on balls in play this year was well above his .318 career rate.
In the short-term, the Rockies will eventually need to fill Senzatela’s spot in the rotation next to Marquez, Kyle Freeland, Jose Urena and Ryan Feltner. Chad Kuhl could help eventually, though he landed on the IL two weeks ago with a hip flexor strain. Austin Gomber got bumped to the bullpen after disappointing results but could come back to make some starts.
In the long-term, the Rockies will have to think about next year’s rotation, which was likely going to need some work even before this development. Kuhl and Urena are scheduled to reach free agency at season’s end, leaving the club with Marquez, Freeland, Feltner and perhaps Gomber as holdovers for next year. However, Freeland’s 4.82 ERA this year is the lowest of that bunch.
Antonio Senzatela To Undergo MRI Following Knee Sprain
Rockies right-hander Antonio Senzatela is headed for an MRI today after sustaining what looked to have been a potentially serious knee injury in yesterday’s loss to the Cardinals. Chasing down a Brendan Donovan grounder to the right side of the infield, Senzatela pivoted from trying to field the ball to cover first base and came up hobbling before collapsing in foul territory behind the first base bag (video link). He had to be helped off the field. Manager Bud Black told reporters yesterday that Senzatela has a left knee sprain (Twitter link via Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post).
The 27-year-old Senzatela is in the first season of what was a surprising five-year, $50.5MM contract extension that bought out his final two arbitration years and three would-be free agent seasons. It’s been a rough season for the right-hander, who currently has a 5.07 ERA through his first 92 1/3 innings since inking that deal. Fielding-independent metrics are a bit more forgiving (4.06 FIP, 4.48 SIERA), as Senzatela has undeniably been dinged by a .383 average on balls in play. That’s particularly problematic for Senzatela, who allows more balls in play than just about any starting pitcher in the game; his 13.1% strikeout rate this season is the lowest among all MLB pitchers with at least 90 innings.
If Senzatela is indeed headed to the injured list, he’ll join fellow starter Chad Kuhl (strained hip flexor) on the shelf. The Rockies have a thin group of replacement options for that pair, particularly in light of the immense struggles of lefty Austin Gomber (5.86 ERA in 106 innings). Gomber, who started 23 games and posted a 4.53 ERA with the Rox a year ago, was moved to the bullpen earlier this summer and came on in relief of Senzatela yesterday — only to surrender five runs in 2 1/3 innings.
German Marquez and Kyle Freeland have been mainstays in the Colorado rotation and are both under long-term contract — Freeland, like Senzatela, after signing an extension this offseason. Both have struggled in 2022, however, pitching to an ERA near 5.00 this year. Journeyman Jose Urena has a 4.80 ERA in a dozen appearances (eight starts), and rookie right-hander Ryan Feltner has been tattooed for a 6.39 ERA in 11 appearances (10 starts). Colorado’s innings leaders in Triple-A — Zach Neal, Brandon Gold and Riley Smith — all have ERAs north of 6.00.
Given that context, it’s perhaps likeliest that Gomber will simply step back into the starting mix should Senzatela require an absence. The rash of poor performance and struggles/injuries among the team’s depth options and top-ranked pitching prospects alike, however, underscore the Rockies’ need for pitching help this offseason. The Rockies have steadfastly refused to enter into a rebuild phase under owner Dick Monfort, so it’ll be incumbent on general manager Bill Schmidt to bolster a rotation and bullpen that both rank 29th in the Majors in ERA (5.26 and 4.85, respectively).
Outrights: Sheffield, Peacock
A couple of updates on some recent DFAs who were passed through waivers…
- Right-hander Jordan Sheffield went unclaimed on outright waivers and has been assigned to Triple-A Albuquerque, the Rockies announced. Selected by the Rox out of the Dodgers organization in the 2020 Rule 5 Draft, the hard-throwing Sheffield has thrown 31 1/3 innings of 3.16 ERA ball in the big leagues across the past two seasons, though there’s plenty of reason to be skeptical of that number. Sheffield has fanned just 16.9% of his Major League opponents — against an unsightly 12.1% walk rate. While he doesn’t have an especially loud contact profile, Sheffield has benefited from a .226 average on balls in play he’s unlikely to sustain. He’s also struggled immensely in 18 2/3 career Triple-A frames: 10.61 ERA, 23 hits (eight home runs), 18 walks and just 15 strikeouts. Sheffield will remain in the Rockies organization but will no longer occupy a spot on the 40-man roster.
- Blue Jays righty Matt Peacock, designated for assignment last week when the team signed Jackie Bradley Jr., has cleared waivers and been assigned outright to Triple-A Buffalo, per the transactions log at MLB.com. Peacock, 28, hasn’t pitched for the Jays this year but did log 10 innings between the D-backs and Royals, during which time he yielded six runs on a dozen hits and four walks with six punchouts. Peacock has a 4.95 ERA in 96 1/3 big league innings, mostly coming with Arizona, and has recorded a massive 59.3% grounder rate in that time. He has only a 13% strikeout rate but also a solid 7.4% walk rate. In parts of five minor league seasons, Peacock has a 3.71 ERA.
Injury Notes: Colomé, Nance, Mets
The Rockies announced that right-hander Alex Colomé has been placed on the 15-day injured list due to right lateral epicondylitis. Fellow righty Justin Lawrence was recalled to take over Colomé’s spot on the active roster. (Danielle Allentuck of the Colorado Springs Gazette was among those to relay the moves before the official announcement.)
Lateral epicondylitis is better known as “tennis elbow,” which is perhaps notable for the hurler. The club hasn’t provided any information about how long they expect Colomé to be out of action, though an injury to a pitcher’s throwing elbow will always lead to at least some level of concern.
The 33-year-old was signed to a one-year, $4.1MM contract in the offseason and has thrown 41 1/3 innings of 4.68 ERA ball, getting ground balls at a 55.6% clip. That’s well above the 43.3% league average for relievers and especially important when playing at Coors Field. As an impending free agent on a non-competitive team, Colomé’s name came up in trade rumors, though he ended up staying put after the Rockies had another quiet deadline.
Other injury notes from around the league…
- The Marlins announced some roster moves between games of today’s doubleheader, with Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald being among those to pass them along. Right-hander Tommy Nance has been reinstated from the injured list, with fellow righty Jeff Brigham being optioned in a corresponding move. Nance made his MLB debut with the Cubs last year and then came to Miami on a waiver claim in March. He hasn’t found much success in the majors so far, pitching to a 6.54 ERA in his first 53 2/3 MLB innings. However, he’s fared much better in the minors, as evidenced by his 3.86 ERA in Triple-A over his career.
- Last night, the Mets dealt with injuries to two infielders, as Eduardo Escobar left with side tightness and Jeff McNeil departed after a collision with Rhys Hoskins resulted in a cut on his hand. With their infield depth depleted, the club had to resort to emergency measures, plugging outfielder Mark Canha in at third base. Canha has some very limited third base work in his career, coming back in his time with Oakland. He logged two innings at the hot corner in 2015 and 13 more in 2016. “It was a little nerve-racking,” Canha told Anthony DiComo of MLB.com. “I just really didn’t want to make a mistake and make [Max Scherzer] angry.” The situation seems to have just been a temporary stopgap, as McNeil is back in the lineup today, playing second base with Luis Guillorme at third. Gosuke Katoh was at the ballpark today just in case, though neither McNeil nor Escobar were placed on the injured list.
Rockies Designate Jordan Sheffield For Assignment
The Rockies announced they’ve designated reliever Jordan Sheffield for assignment. The move frees a spot on the 40-man roster for outfielder Wynton Bernard, whose previously-reported contract selection has been made official. Colorado placed center fielder Yonathan Daza (separated left shoulder) and catcher Elias Díaz (left wrist sprain) on the 10-day injured list, recalling Dom Nuñez to take Díaz’s spot behind the dish.
Sheffield, a former supplemental first-round pick of the Dodgers, landed in Colorado over the 2020-21 offseason via the Rule 5 draft. He spent all of last season in the majors, as required for a team to retain a Rule 5 pick’s rights. Sheffield worked as a low-leverage arm for skipper Bud Black, pitching to a 3.38 ERA across 29 1/3 innings. His strikeout and walk rates (17.2% and 11.2%, respectively) didn’t align with that quality run prevention. Nevertheless, Sheffield averaged 96.4 MPH with top-of-the-scale raw spin on his four-seam fastball, making him an interesting long-term relief option for the Rox.
Things have fallen apart during the Vanderbilt product’s second year in the organization. He’s made only two big league appearances, with his fastball velocity sitting at a diminished 93.7 MPH. He’s been blasted over 21 appearances with Triple-A Albuquerque, posting an 11.21 ERA with just a 16.3% strikeout rate and a huge 19.6% walk percentage. He’s also surrendered eight home runs in only 17 2/3 innings.
The Rockies will place Sheffield on waivers over the next few days. He’s never previously been outrighted, meaning the organization could keep him around without requiring a 40-man roster spot if he goes unclaimed. That seems likely, given the extent of his struggles in Triple-A this season.