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Jorge Soler Tests Positive For COVID-19; Cristian Pache Added To Braves’ NLDS Roster

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Braves outfielder Jorge Soler has been removed from his team’s NLDS roster due to a positive test for COVID-19, the league announced.  Cristian Pache has been approved as a substitute to take Soler’s spot on the roster.  Soler will be allowed to return the club once he clears COVID protocols.

The news comes less than two hours before the Braves look to close out the Brewers in Game 4 of their NLDS series.  Soler had been announced as Atlanta’s starting right fielder and leadoff hitter in the game, but the revised lineup now sees Joc Pederson slide from left field to right, Adam Duvall from center to left field, and Guillermo Heredia (batting eighth) added as the new starter in center.

Soler will be quarantined for at least five days, as per David O’Brien of The Athletic (Twitter link), and he has to cleared as non-infectious by a four-person joint health and safety committee (two doctors, and one representative each from the league and the players’ union).  If he is able to return after only that five-day minimum, Soler would possibly be in line to play by Game 2 of the National League Championship Series if the Braves advance past Milwaukee.

It has been a tough postseason for Soler, who has only one hit in 13 NLDS plate appearances.  Nonetheless, the veteran was a big reason why Atlanta won the NL East in the first place, as Soler hit .269/.358/.524 with 14 home runs over 242 PA after being acquired from the Royals in a trade deadline deal.  Soler had struggled over the first four months of the season, so his re-emergence with the Braves will surely help the 29-year-old’s case in free agency this winter.

The bigger issue at hand for the moment, however, is that the Braves now have a significant hole in their lineup.  The trio of Pederson, Duvall, and Eddie Rosario (along with Soler, all midseason pickups) now projects as Atlanta’s first-choice outfield, with Heredia, Pache, Terrance Gore, and utilitymen Ehire Adrianza and Orlando Arcia all providing additional depth.

MLB To Require Vaccinations For All Minor League Players Prior To 2022 Season

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Major League Baseball is preparing a policy that will require all minor league players to be vaccinated against COVID-19 prior to the start of next season, Yahoo Sports’ Hannah Keyser reports.  The news comes just a few weeks after the league’s requirement that all players participating in the Arizona Fall League be vaccinated.

Because minor leaguers aren’t part of the players union until they have actually played in the big leagues, MLB can issue mandates covering all of minor league baseball even though some players within the farm system have already made appearances in The Show and/or are on 40-man rosters.  The league would need the MLB Players Association to agree to a vaccination policy to cover all union members and MLB players in 2022 and beyond, and it could be that the AFL and minor league edicts are the first steps towards stricter policies the Commissioner’s Office could be planning for the coming season.

Many players have already received the vaccine, of course, and 24 of the 30 teams have already had their in-season COVID-19 protocols relaxed since 85 percent of players, coaches, and medical staff were fully vaccinated.  Getting any of the 30 teams to a 100 percent vaccination rate (or even the six holdout teams to an 85 percent rate) might not be possible, however, without MLB and the MLBPA signing off on a mandate covering all Major League personnel.

Cubs Select Joe Biagini, Place Tommy Nance On Injured List

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The Cubs have placed right-hander Tommy Nance on the injury list, which seems to hint at a COVID-related absence given the lack of a reason given for Nance’s placement.  Taking Nance’s spot is righty Joe Biagini, whose contract was selected from Triple-A Iowa.

Patrick Wisdom, Austin Romine, David Bote, and Nick Martini have also been placed on Chicago’s IL (without any official cause) within the last three days, as the Cubs have apparently been hit with a coronavirus outbreak just as their season comes to an end.  No official details have been given about any of the players, so it isn’t known who might have a positive case, or if some players are being held out for contact tracing or other precautionary reasons.

Barring a quick turn-around, it appears as though the placement will end Nance’s rookie season.  The 30-year-old posted a 7.22 ERA over 28 2/3 relief innings for the Cubs, as Nance began his big league run with 12 1/3 scoreless frames before batters caught up to him in a big way.  Nance wasn’t drafted, as he began his pro career by signing with the Cubs after an indy ball stint in 2015, and then delivered a 3.29 ERA over 123 innings in Chicago’s farm system, missing the 2017 season due to injury.

If Biagini appears in one of Chicago’s final two games, it will mark the sixth consecutive season that the righty has seen at least some action at the MLB level.  Perhaps best known for his strong performance in 2016 as a Rule 5 pickup for the Blue Jays, Biagini has since shown flashes of that early, but his numbers cratered after being dealt to the Astros in 2019.  Biagini had a 10.42 ERA over 19 innings with Houston 2019-20, while also struggling with a shoulder problem last year.  The Cubs inked Biagini to a minor league deal last winter, and he has a 5.50 ERA in 91 2/3 frames with Iowa.

Rays Reinstate Andrew Kittredge From 10-Day Injured List

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4:54 pm: Conley has tested positive for the virus, reports Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times (Twitter link). Fortunately, he’s currently asymptomatic, but the quarantine period could threaten Conley’s availability for the Rays’ Division Series that begins next week.

11:47 am: Right-hander Andrew Kittredge has been reinstated from the Rays’ injured list after a 10-day minimum absence due to a neck strain.  To make room on the active roster, Tampa Bay placed left-hander Adam Conley on the COVID-19 injury list.

After four inconsistent years as a reliever, starter, and opener with the Rays, Kittredge rejoined the team on a minor league deal, looking to rebound after a 2020 season shortened by a UCL injury.  The results have been startling, as Kittredge has one of the best members of the very strong Tampa bullpen and will likely be a big factor in the team’s postseason pitching plans.

Kittredge has a 1.55 ERA/2.96 SIERA over 69 2/3 innings, mostly working out of the bullpen with a few opener appearances on his resume.  As per Statcast, no pitcher in baseball has a higher chase rate than Kittredge, which has translated into an above-average 27.5% strikeout rate to go along with an excellent 5.6% walk rate.  The righty has also continued to keep the ball on the ground, with a 54% groundball rate that stands as a new career high.

Conley will be sidelined for a quarantine period if he has tested positive for the virus, though there isn’t yet any indication if Conley has COVID-19 or if his placement is a precaution due to symptoms or contact tracing.  (As always, teams are not obliged to reveal whether or not a player’s stint on the COVID-IL is due to a positive test.)  After signing a minors deal with the Rays in May, Conley has a 2.29 ERA/4.01 SIERA over 19 2/3 relief innings.

COVID Notes: 9/25/21

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The latest coronavirus-related moves from around baseball…

  • The Blue Jays placed right-hander Joakim Soria on the COVID-related injury list, and recalled left-hander Kirby Snead from Triple-A to fill Soria’s roster spot.  Acquired in a trade deadline deal with the Diamondbacks, Soria has an ungainly 7.88 ERA over eight innings in his brief time with the Jays, though that number was inflated by a nightmarish outing (four runs allowed without retiring a batter) against the A’s on September 4.

MLB To Require Vaccinations For Players To Participate In Arizona Fall League

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Major League Baseball is requiring players to be vaccinated against COVID-19 in order to participate in the Arizona Fall League, reports Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic. It marks the first instance of an MLB vaccination mandate directly affecting players.

Last week, Ken Rosenthal of the Athletic reported that MLB was mandating vaccinations among non-playing team personnel in order for those individuals to be granted access to the field during postseason play. That requirement did not apply to players, as any sort of vaccine mandate for MLB players would need to be agreed upon with the Players Association. MLB can and has attempted to encourage vaccinations among big leaguers by loosening health and safety protocols for teams that fully vaccinate 85% of Tier 1 personnel.

The Arizona Fall League is an annual prospect showcase that takes place after the conclusion of the standard minor league season. It is operated by MLB. Teams send a contingent of players at various minor league levels to the AFL in order to log extra playing time. The caliber of player assigned to the league is also highly variable, but it’s not uncommon to see at least a few of the league’s most promising prospects participate.

It’s possible a few players on MLB 40-man rosters will be tabbed for Fall League action. Those players are members of the MLBPA, but Piecoro notes that the Fall League is generally treated as a minor league, making a MLB vaccination mandate for players permissible. That naturally raises the question whether MLB could consider a vaccination mandate for all affiliated minor leagues next season even if the MLBPA doesn’t agree to a mandate at the big league level. There’s no indication that’s presently the league’s intent, but one executive opined to Piecoro the AFL vaccine mandate might wind up being a precursor to similar measures for minor leaguers during next year’s Spring Training.

Rays Place Kevin Kiermaier On COVID List, Select Joey Krehbiel

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1:43PM: Rays manager Kevin Cash told reporters (including The Tampa Bay Times’ Marc Topkin) that Kiermaier is receiving another COVID test today, and already tested negative during the Rays’ series against the Blue Jays earlier this week.  The team’s feeling is that Kiermaier likely has a non-COVID sickness.

12:03PM: The Rays have placed outfielder Kevin Kiermaier on the COVID-related injury list.  Right-hander Joey Krehbiel’s contract has been selected from Triple-A to take Kiermaier’s spot on the active roster.

The official announcement from the team says that Kiermaier has been sidelined due to “general illness/symptoms,” without mention of a positive test.  Of course, league protocols stipulate that positive COVID-19 tests don’t need to be publicly announced without the player’s permission.  Kiermaier’s placement could simply be precautionary in nature while he recovers from a non-COVID illness, so he could be back on the field in only a day or two.

Kiermaier has previously visited the regular injured list twice this season, though both stints (for a quad strain and a wrist sprain) ended up being pretty close to the 10-day minimum in terms of missed time.  The 31-year-old is hitting .247/.310/.369 with four home runs over 355 plate appearances this season, and is having what has become a typical Kiermaier year — slightly below-average offense, and superb defense.  Kiermaier’s center field glovework has been as stellar as ever, thus making him a 2.0 fWAR player over 110 games even factoring in his 89 wRC+.

After tossing three innings over two games with the Diamondbacks in 2018, Krehbiel is now back for another taste of the Show.  Originally a 12th-round pick for the Angels back in the 2011 draft, Krehbiel has worked almost exclusively as a reliever over his 10 minor league seasons, and struggled once hitting the Triple-A level in Arizona’s farm system in 2018-19.

Krehbiel signed a minor league deal with Tampa Bay this past offseason, and has posted some much more intriguing numbers at Triple-A Durham.  The righty has a 4.19 ERA over 43 innings, plus a 29.5% strikeout rate and 5.1% walk rate, with the improved control being particularly notable since walks were an issue for Krehbiel in his past Triple-A action.  Given how the Rays cycle through relief arms, Krehbiel might only be in for another cup of coffee in the majors, or the Rays might give Krehbiel some extra work while saving other relievers for the postseason.

MLB To Require COVID Vaccinations For Non-Player Team Personnel To Gain Access To Field In Postseason

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Major League Baseball will require non-player team personnel, including managers and coaching staff members, to be vaccinated against COVID-19 in order to gain access to the field and other restricted areas this postseason, reports Ken Rosenthal of the Athletic (Twitter links). Currently unvaccinated staff members must receive their first dose of the Moderna vaccine by October 4 — with an appointment for their second dose scheduled — in order to have field access, per Rosenthal.

Certain teams — the Nationals, Astros and Cubs reportedly among them — have already mandated vaccinations for full-time employees. (Jesse Dougherty of the Washington Post reported this morning that two former Nationals’ staffers are filing a complaint with the Equal Opportunity Employment Commission after being fired for failure to comply with the organization’s vaccination mandate). This is the first instance of a league-imposed vaccine requirement for team personnel to gain field access. MLB has previously relaxed health and safety protocols for teams that had vaccinated at least 85% of Tier 1 personnel over the course of the season in an effort to encourage widespread vaccination.

The league’s vaccination mandate does not directly impact players. Any potential player vaccination mandate, either on the part of MLB or specific teams, would need to be agreed upon with the MLB Players Association, perhaps as part of talks regarding the upcoming collective bargaining agreement.

Phillies Notes: Realmuto, Gregorius, Neris

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Trailing 7-0 after three innings against the Cubs today, the Phillies ended up rolling to a 17-8 blowout win.  It wasn’t a perfect day for the Phillies, however, as J.T. Realmuto is “sore” after being hit by a pitch in his left elbow/triceps area, manager Joe Girardi told NBC Sports’ Jim Salisbury and other reporters.  X-rays were negative on Realmuto though he might be held out of the lineup tomorrow as a precaution.

Realmuto already had to hit out Tuesday’s game after receiving an injection in his bothersome right shoulder, and needless to say, the Phillies can hardly afford to lose one of their best hitters while in the thick of the playoff race.  Realmuto was 1-for-4 with two RBI in today’s victory, bumping his slash line up to .267/.353/.443 over 479 plate appearances this season.

The latest from Philly….

  • “It’s been frustrating basically the whole year with what’s going on,” Didi Gregorius told Matt Breen of The Philadelphia Inquirer, as the shortstop said a misdiagnosed elbow injury and then lingering elbow soreness have led to his underwhelming performance.  Gregorius spent over six weeks of the season on the injured list due to a form of arthritis in his right elbow known as pseudogout, though he was initially listed as having only an elbow impingement, and the pseudogout diagnosis wasn’t known until Gregorius had already missed around three weeks.  Even after returning from the IL on July 2, the Phillies shortstop said he continues to feel lingering soreness in his elbow.  Gregorius said his personal doctor felt that a COVID-19 vaccine could be responsible for the elbow issues, as Gregorius said the soreness developed shortly after he was vaccinated in late April.  However, Gregorius also noted that his doctor “didn’t give me like 100%” certainty that the vaccine was the cause, and Breen quotes two other medical experts who state that there was little to no evidence that vaccination would lead to gout or pseudogout, and certainly not a case that continues to linger for months.  (Breen writes that the Phillies “declined to comment on Gregorius’ claim about the vaccine.”)  Gregorius’ own doctors have recommended an arthroscopic procedure to fix his elbow once and for all, though somewhat curiously, Gregorius hasn’t yet discussed offseason treatment plans with the Phillies or their medical staff.  Gregorius came into today’s action hitting only .217/.276/.377 over 351 plate appearances.
  • In another COVID-related item, the Phillies announced that 85% of players and staff at the big league and Triple-A levels have been fully vaccinated.  This meets the league threshold for relaxed coronavirus protocols, such as less social distancing within the clubhouse and less travel restrictions.  The exact number of MLB teams to meet the 85% threshold isn’t officially known, though the Phils are known to be one of the last teams to reach that number.
  • Hector Neris is a free agent this winter but “I have been available all the time” for a potential reunion with the Phillies, the reliever tells The Athletic’s Matt Gelb.  The struggling Phils bullpen figures to undergo a major overhaul, so re-signing Neris could be a possibility just because he has pitched well on the whole this year, if not well enough to keep his job as closer back in June.  Neris has posted a very strong 31.4% strikeout rate but a below-average 9.5% walk rate while posting a 3.39 ERA over 63 2/3 innings.  Neris is open about pitching in any bullpen role with his next team, saying “You have to try to help the team where you are….If you are flexible, if you are a guy a team can use everywhere, you are more valuable.”

COVID Notes: 9/12/21

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The latest updates on coronavirus situations around baseball…

Latest Moves

  • The Red Sox placed yet another player on the COVID list, as right-hander Phillips Valdez tested positive for the virus (MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo was among those to report the news.)  Right-hander Brad Peacock will join the active roster in Valdez’s place after Peacock’s contract was selected from Triple-A Worcester.  Between Pivetta’s activation and Valdez joining, Boston’s COVID list remains at 10 players.

Earlier Today

  • The Red Sox reinstated right-hander Nick Pivetta from the COVID-related injury list today, and optioned righty Connor Seabold to Triple-A.  Pivetta will get the start today against the White Sox after recovering from a case of COVID-19 that sidelined him on September 5.  (As per league regulations, Pivetta was cleared to return after seven days because he was fully vaccinated earlier this season.)  It has been something of an up-and-down season for Pivetta, and the righty is looking to bounce back after posting a 10.13 ERA over 10 2/3 innings pitched in his last three starts.
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