Pitcher Notes: Scherzer, Tigers, Archer, Angels, D-backs
Washington is visiting Detroit, where current Nationals ace Max Scherzer will start against his former team Sunday. Scherzer blossomed into a star as a member of the Tigers, with whom he won his first Cy Young Award in 2013. At the conclusion of the next season, though, Scherzer signed a seven-year, $210MM contract with the Nationals after rejecting a $144MM extension from the Tigers. Scherzer, now a three-time Cy Young winner and a potential Hall of Famer, reflected on his Detroit departure Saturday, saying (via Chris McCosky of the Detroit News): “That’s just the business side. I didn’t feel slighted. That stuff just all takes care of itself. I don’t hold any grudges or anything like. When I look back on my time in Detroit, I have great memories here and great friends.” Scherzer also noted he and fellow righty Anibal Sanchez, teammates in Detroit and again in D.C., still lament they were never able to win a World Series with the Tigers. The club clinched playoff spots from 2011-14, each of the four seasons Scherzer and Sanchez were part of its rotation. Those teams earned one World Series berth, falling to the Giants in a 2012 sweep.
More on a few other pitchers…
- Pirates righty Chris Archer left his start against the Brewers on Friday after just four innings with left hip discomfort. However, it’s still unclear whether he’ll require a stint on the injured list. The club will reevaluate Archer when it returns to Pittsburgh on Monday, according to Adam Berry of MLB.com. Archer was already on the IL earlier this season with a thumb injury, and has come up well short of expectations when healthy. The 30-year-old has managed a discouraging 5.50 ERA/5.77 FIP in 73 2/3 innings.
- Angels righty JC Ramirez is at least one more rehab start from making his 2019 MLB debut, Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register tweets. Ramirez, who’s working back from April 2018 Tommy John surgery, made his fifth rehab start Saturday and threw five innings of two-run ball for Triple-A Salt Lake. His average fastball was sitting in the 88 to 91 mph range, according to Salt Lake broadcaster Steve Klauke. That’s down significantly from the 95.5 mean Ramirez posted in 2017, the last time he logged extensive major league action.
- Injured Diamondbacks righty Jon Duplantier‘s most recent MRI on his shoulder yielded positive news, manager Torey Lovullo announced Saturday (via Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic). Still, the Diamondbacks aren’t any closer to determining how much more time Duplantier will miss. The 24-year-old has already sat out almost three weeks, having gone on the IL on June 12. With Luke Weaver and Taijuan Walker also injured, the Diamondbacks have cycled through Taylor Clarke, Zack Godley and Alex Young at the back of their rotation during Duplantier’s absence. Clarke and Godley have struggled mightily, though the former did turn in a solid five innings in a win over the Dodgers on Wednesday. Young just made his MLB debut Thursday and tossed five innings of one-run ball in a victory over San Francisco.
Tigers Sign Trevor Rosenthal
The Tigers agreed to terms with Trevor Rosenthal today on a Minor League deal, per the team’s PR department (via Twitter). Rosenthal has been assigned to Triple-A.
This move has been expected for a couple of days now, but Rosenthal is officially on his way to Toledo to join the Mud Hens. Adding Rosenthal is a nice no-risk move for the Tigers, who are going nowhere fast this season and therefore have a longer leash to give Rosenthal.
He still has electric stuff, but in his first game action since missing all of 2018, the former Cardinals closer has shown a complete inability to direct his high-90s heater. The inefficiency of his performance in Washington – to be kind – has been well-documented, but it’s still staggering to see: -1.0 rWAR in 6 1/3 innings, 22.74 ERA (10.13 FIP), 21.3 BB/9, 0.33 BB/K, and of course, he did not record an out until his 5th appearance of the season. Rosenthal carries a disproportionately large share of the Nationals bullpen struggles, as even their recent bullpen blowup against the Braves – pegged as a ‘here-we-go-again’ moment in DC – can be laid at Rosenthal’s feet (Joe Ross burdens a smidgen of the blame as well).
Despite this unimaginably bad start, he will have some time to get himself back on track out of the national spotlight. Given that the Nationals are on the hook for all but the minimum, the Tigers really have nothing to lose by giving Rosenthal more reps in the minors. Again, he’s still averaging 98 mph on his fastball, and if Rosenthal can to snap back to form, his live arm still plays as a late-in-games weapon.
Health Notes: Story, Kluber, Tigers, Brewers, Royals, Jays
Rockies shortstop Trevor Story will start a Triple-A rehab assignment Saturday, Nick Groke of The Athletic relays. It’ll be a two-game rehab stint for Story, whom the Rockies placed on the injured list June 20 with a right thumb issue. It seems Colorado dodged a bullet in this instance with the all-important Story, who missed a large portion of the 2016 campaign with a torn UCL in his left thumb.
- Indians ace Corey Kluber has received clearance to begin a throwing program, per Mandy Bell of MLB.com. The venerable Kluber has been out since suffering a non-displaced fracture in his right forearm May 1. Kluber’s absence, not to mention the other adversity the Indians have faced this season, has left the three-time reigning AL Central champions out of the playoff picture at the 80-game mark. They’re eight games back of the division-leading Twins and a half-game out of a wild-card spot.
- The Tigers put righty Spencer Turnbull on the injured list Friday with shoulder fatigue after he departed Thursday’s start early. The team plans to welcome Turnbull back after the All-Star break, according to Jason Beck of MLB.com. That Turnbull seemingly isn’t dealing with a serious injury is undoubtedly a relief to Detroit, which has seen the 26-year-old post terrific production as a rookie this season. Turnbull has pitched to a 3.31 ERA/3.91 FIP with 8.43 K/9, 3.41 BB/9 and a 49 percent groundball rate in 89 2/3 innings.
- The Brewers announced that they’ve placed Jimmy Nelson on the 10-day IL, retroactive to June 26, with a right elbow effusion. It’s an issue that has bothered Nelson since spring training, Robert Murray of The Athletic tweets, and may help explain his 2019 struggles. Nelson made his season debut June 5 after sitting out since September 2017, when he underwent surgery on a torn shoulder labrum. The 30-year-old has since allowed 13 earned runs on 18 hits and 14 walks (with 15 strikeouts) in 14 innings. The Brewers pulled Nelson from their rotation last weekend.
- Royals shortstop Adalberto Mondesi will begin a rehab assignment at the Double-A level Saturday, Lynn Worthy of the Kansas City Star tweets. Mondesi has been on the IL since June 19 with a groin injury. Prior to that, the 23-year-old batted .269/.302/.441 (91 wRC+) with six home runs, 27 stolen bases on 30 tries and 2.1 fWAR in 312 plate appearances.
- Blue Jays lefty Ryan Borucki will need at least three to four minor league rehab starts before making his 2019 major league debut, manager Charlie Montoyo said Friday (via Gregor Chisholm of MLB.com). Borucki’s not on track to rejoin Toronto until the end of July as a result. Elbow problems have kept the 25-year-old Borucki from building on an encouraging 2018 rookie campaign. The starter turned in a 3.87 ERA/3.80 FIP with 6.17 K/9, 3.04 BB/9 and a 46.8 percent grounder rate over 97 2/3 frames last year.
Tigers Discussing Minors Contract With Trevor Rosenthal
The Tigers are in talks with right-hander Trevor Rosenthal about a minor league deal, MLB Network’s Jon Heyman reports (Twitter links). Rosenthal was released by the Nationals earlier this week, though now appears to be closing in on a new destination.
There’s no real risk to the move from Detroit’s perspective, as the Tigers would only owe Rosenthal a minimum MLB salary if he reaches the Major League roster, as the Nats are still on the hook for the rest of the approximately $3.7MM owed to the righty for the remainder of the season. The Tigers are in need of help for their struggling bullpen anyway, and if the best-case scenario occurs and Rosenthal rediscovers his old form, he could potentially close games for the team if current ninth-inning man Shane Greene is dealt at the trade deadline.
After missing all of 2018 recovering from Tommy John surgery, Rosenthal inked a one-year, $7MM contract with Washington in the offseason. Rather than making a triumphant return to the mound, however, Rosenthal instead struggled mightily, posting a whopping 22.74 ERA over only 6 1/3 innings. Rosenthal’s stint with the Nats was shortened by a five-week injured list absence due to a viral infection, yet both before and after his IL stint, the veteran reliever’s control was non-existent — Rosenthal recorded an astounding 15 walks over his 6 1/3 frames.
While Rosenthal had his share of (much less horrific) control problems even in his heyday with the Cardinals, he isn’t far removed from being a dangerous bullpen weapon. The hard-throwing right-hander had a 3.13 ERA, 12.0 K/9, and 2.6 K/BB rate over 227 IP from 2014-17, including a 45-save season in 2014 and a 48-save performance in 2015.
AL Central Notes: Kluber, Carrasco, Turnbull, Buxton, ChiSox, Abreu
The Indians have been without Corey Kluber since May 3, when he suffered a forearm fracture upon being hit by a comeback line-drive, but Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer provides some reason for optimism regarding his return. Kluber went through his throwing motion while wearing “stabilizing straps” this week and is slated to undergo MRIs to determine whether his fracture has healed. If that proves to be the case, he’d be cleared to begin a throwing program.
There’s also some progress to report on Carlos Carrasco, who is out indefinitely due to an undisclosed blood condition. Carrasco played catch this week, Hoynes notes, and the Tribe could learn within the next two to three weeks whether his condition can be managed. If that’s the case, he could rejoin the Indians’ rotation even before Kluber. That said, the Cleveland organization still isn’t fully sure when or if either righty will return to the 2019 club.
Here’s more from the division…
- Tigers right-hander Spencer Turnbull left today’s start after just two innings due to shoulder fatigue, manager Ron Gardenhire told The Athletic’s Cody Stavenhagen (Twitter link) and other media. An MRI didn’t reveal any structural damage and Turnbull didn’t feel any pain, but rather the club decided to make the move due to a drop in Turnbull’s fastball velocity. It isn’t known yet if Turnbull will miss any time, though it would mark yet another pitching injury for Detroit’s rotation this season. Turnbull’s emergence helped the club fill one hole in the starting five, as the rookie has a 3.31 ERA, 8.43 K/9 and 49% grounder rate over 89 2/3 innings.
- Byron Buxton is “getting close to his return” from the injured list, MLB.com’s Do-Hyoung Park tweets. Buxton was sidelined on June 18 (IL placement retroactive to June 15) with a wrist contusion after being hit by a pitch, and while the Twins outfielder has already exceeded the 10-day minimum IL stint, the injury isn’t considered to be serious. Buxton was expected to face live pitching today in the Twins’ indoor batting cage, though rain kept him participating in on-field batting, Park notes. Buxton’s all-around play has been a key factor in Minnesota’s rise to the top of the AL Central, as he has provided his usual excellent center field defense and baserunning while also hitting .266/.324/.527 with nine homers over 227 plate appearances.
- The White Sox have been open about their desire to keep Jose Abreu beyond the 2019 season, and the first baseman also has no plans to leave the south side, he tells Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune. “I’ll always be a White Sox….I’m a part of this organization. This is the organization that gave me a chance to play at this level and made all my dreams come true. I hope to stay here a very long time,” Abreu said. While there’s nothing stopping the Sox from trading Abreu at the deadline and then re-signing him after the season, Abreu said he expects to remain with the club. As Sullivan notes, this might leave Alex Colome as the only real trade chip for the White Sox at the deadline, as Chicago’s other veteran players apart from Colome, Abreu, and James McCann (who might also be retained) have largely struggled.
Tigers Set Lofty Asking Price On Matthew Boyd
The Tigers are reportedly willing to listen to offers on breakout lefty Matthew Boyd, but Jason Beck of MLB.com reports that the team has unsurprisingly placed a sky-high asking price on the southpaw. Beck cites the four-player package sent by the Cubs to the White Sox in the Jose Quintana blockbuster in 2017 as a point of comparison in describing Detroit’s early ask. That package was headlined by Eloy Jimenez and top pitching prospect Dylan Cease. If the Tigers are to deal Boyd, it seems they’d need multiple high-end prospects to headline any deal.
Though Boyd has been plagued by the long ball a bit in recent starts, it’s understandable that they’re aiming high. Boyd is controlled all the way through the 2022 season as a Super Two player, and is earning just $2.8MM this season. His 26.0 K-BB% ranks fifth in the Majors, trailing only Gerrit Cole, Max Scherzer, Justin Verlander and Chris Sale. Boyd is tied for the sixth-best overall strikeout percentage in the Majors (30.8 percent) and the tenth-lowest walk rate (4.8 percent). He’s upped his slider usage substantially in recent seasons and has seen marked growth in his swinging-strike rate and his opponents’ chase rate on pitches out of the strike zone.
Strictly comparing Boyd to Quintana, the Chicago lefty was also in his age-28 season at the time of his trade, and had a much more distinguished big league track record. Prior to the 2017 season, Quintana had already logged 951 MLB innings with a 3.41 ERA, while Boyd had only a 5.07 ERA over 460 career frames prior to upping his performance this season. Quintana also brought over three years of control thanks to a prior contract extension, allowing the Cubs to keep him under contract through 2018 and then 2019-2020 on a pair of club options.
Plenty of scouts were on hand for Boyd’s 11-strikeout performance last night, per Beck, with the Cubs and Red Sox among the teams represented. Of course, it’s worth noting that teams constantly have scouts on hand to watch rival players, and Boyd isn’t the only Tiger who could be moved this summer. Nicholas Castellanos and Shane Greene are clear trade candidates for the rebuilding Tigers. Beyond that, teams were surely interested in getting a look at Detroit’s opponent, the Rangers, particularly with Mike Minor on the mound.
Then again, the surprising Rangers may not ultimately act as sellers at all, which may additionally work in the Tigers’ favor as they market Boyd. Texas looks unlikely to deal Minor or righty Lance Lynn right now, taking a pair of potential trade candidates off the market for teams interested in pursuing starting pitchers. The Indians, too, have played better in recent weeks, which may quiet some of the rumblings about the possibility of them moving Trevor Bauer. Broadly speaking, there won’t be too many appealing arms on the market — particularly not ones who are controlled or signed beyond the current season. Even Toronto’s Marcus Stroman, frequently billed as a “controllable” starter, is only under club control through 2020.
Carlos Torres Elects Free Agency
The Tigers announced that right-hander Carlos Torres has elected free agency in lieu of an outright assignment to Triple-A Toledo. The club designated designated Torres on Saturday.
The 36-year-old Torres lasted less than a month with the Tigers, who signed him to a minor league deal May 26 and then added him to their major league roster June 9. Torres threw six innings with Detroit, giving up five earned runs on nine hits (two home runs) with one walk against eight strikeouts. It was the first big league action since Torres tossed 9 2/3 frames with the Nationals a season ago.
While Torres will now try to catch on with somebody else, it’s a safe bet he’ll have to settle for another minor league pact. Also a former White Sox, Rockie, Met and Brewer, Torres racked up extensive MLB experience as recently as 2017, though he has been almost a full-time minors arm since then. Overall, Torres has pitched to a 4.09 ERA/4.23 FIP with 7.94 K/9, 3.41 BB/9 and a 44.3 percent groundball rate in 506 2/3 innings in the majors.
Tigers Select Jose Cisnero, Designate Carlos Torres
Per a team release, the Tigers have selected the contract of righty Jose Cisnero from Triple-A Toledo and designated right-hander Carlos Torres for assignment.
Cisnero, 30, has 33 games of big-league experience with the 2013-14 Astros, for whom he worked to a 4.94 ERA with estimators to match. Cisnero spent much of the 2016-18 seasons in the Mexican and Independent leagues, where he ostensibly found a strikeout touch that had eluded him in seasons past. The hefty 6’3 righty’s set down nearly 11 per nine in the International League this season, though his longstanding command issues continue to linger.
Torres, 36 and an 11-year MLB vet, made just six appearances for the Tigers this season. He struck out eight while walking just one, but allowed hard contact over 42% of the time and struggled to keep the ball in the yard. In over 500 IP with six MLB organizations, Torres boasts a respectable 4.09 ERA with a very solid 44.1% grounder rate.
Quick Hits: C. Martinez, Rangers, Straily, Mercer
Cardinals right-hander Carlos Martinez has been a highly capable starter for most of tenure with the club, which dates back to 2013. But the Cardinals moved the then-injured Martinez to their bullpen in late April, and that’s where he’s going to stay for the time being, per manager Mike Shildt (via Rick Hummel of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch). Shildt suggested the Cardinals don’t have time to build up Martinez, who opened the season on the injured list with shoulder problems. “To put him back in that cycle again doesn’t make a lot of sense when he’s in a spot where he’s had success and he’s recovering,” Shildt said of Martinez, who has totaled 12 appearances and 13 1/3 innings with a 3.38 ERA/3.47 FIP, 8.1 K/9, 2.7 BB/9 and a 58.3 percent groundball rate since he made his season debut May 18. Even though Martinez has posted good numbers as a reliever, the Cardinals’ rotation has missed the 27-year-old. Their starting staff has been mediocre or worse this season.
Here’s more from around the majors…
- The Rangers were planning on giving left-hander Joe Palumbo a chance to audition for a role in their thin rotation, but that may not be the case anymore, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News writes. The 22-year-old Palumbo has started twice, including in Wednesday’s 10-4 drubbing at the hands of the Indians. The Tribe lit up Palumbo for seven earned runs on six hits (two home runs) in two innings. Reliever Jesse Chavez came in after Palumbo and tossed five innings of one-run ball. Although Chavez, 35, hasn’t started extensively since 2017, the Rangers are so hard up for stability in the back of their rotation that they’ll “consider” shifting him there, manager Chris Woodward said.
- Orioles righty Dan Straily‘s place on the team’s roster may be in jeopardy, Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com suggests. The low-risk flier the club took on Straily on April 5, a little over a week after the Marlins released him, hasn’t worked out to this point. Straily, 30, was coming off a multiyear run as a useful starter when he joined Baltimore, yet he has worked to a hideous 9.82 ERA/9.30 FIP in 47 2/3 innings since then. While Straily began 2019 as a starter, his struggles convinced the O’s to demote him to their bullpen nearly a month ago. Straily has fared even worse in that role.
- Injured Tigers shortstop Jordy Mercer is nearing a rehab assignment and could return to the majors by the first week of July, according to manager Ron Gardenhire (via Chris McCosky of the Detroit News). Mercer, out since April 14 with a right quad strain, already began a rehab stint once. However, he suffered a setback three weeks ago and hasn’t returned to game action yet. When the rebuilding Tigers signed the soon-to-be 33-year-old Mercer to a $5.25MM guarantee in the offseason, they were likely hoping he’d perform well enough to emerge as a summer trade chip. Instead, the former Pirate got off to a brutal start – .206/.275/.317 (55 wRC+) in 69 plate appearances – and hasn’t played since.
Pitcher Notes: Zimmermann, Yanks, Cahill, Mariners, White Sox
The Tigers announced that they’ve reinstated right-hander Jordan Zimmerman from the 10-day injured list. Zimmermann, who hasn’t taken a major league mound since April 25 because of a sprained ulnar collateral ligament in his pitching elbow, will start Wednesday. Zimmermann’s nearly two-month absence added injury to insult in what has been a terrible Tigers tenure for the 33-year-old. A run as a front-line starter for the Nationals convinced the Tigers to give Zimmermann a five-year, $110MM contract entering 2016, but he has come up way short of expectations since then. Now 33, Zimmermann owns a 5.29 ERA/4.92 FIP with 6.34 K/9, 2.26 BB/9 and a 36.7 percent groundball rate in 427 innings as a Tiger.
- Yankees southpaw Jordan Montgomery seemingly isn’t recovering as hoped from June 2018 Tommy John surgery, as Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News reports. Montgomery exited a live batting practice session Tuesday after throwing 15 pitches. Manager Aaron Boone said afterward Montgomery “had a little discomfort.” The Yankees hope Montgomery will be able to help their pitching staff later in the season, Ackert notes, but that seems even less likely now. The 26-year-old functioned as a full-time starter from 2017-18, a 182 2/3-inning span in which he recorded a solid 3.84 ERA/4.09 FIP with 8.23 K/9, 3.10 BB/9 and a 41.4 percent grounder rate.
- Angels righty Trevor Cahill will make a rehab start Friday with Triple-A Salt Lake, Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register was among those to report. Cahill has been on the IL since June 8 with soreness in his pitching elbow. The offseason signing got off to a horrible start before then, as shown by a 7.18 ERA/6.37 FIP in 57 2/3 innings.
- The shoulder MRI that Mariners righty Felix Hernandez underwent Tuesday didn’t show any new issues, per Greg Johns of MLB.com (Twitter links). As a result, Hernandez – out since May 11 – will resume his rehab, likely throwing a few bullpen sessions before taking the ball again in the minors. Meanwhile, teammate and fellow righty Sam Tuivailala will begin a rehab stint at the Single-A level Friday. Tuivailala, a July 2018 Mariners trade acquisition, has been out since last August with a right Achilles injury.
- The White Sox have placed southpaw Manny Banuelos on the 10-day IL with shoulder inflammation and recalled righty Carson Fulmer, Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times tweets. This is the second time in 2019 that shoulder issues have sent Banuelos to the shelf. Injuries have been a common theme throughout the pro career of Banuelos, once a well-regarded prospect with the Yankees. The 28-year-old has pitched to an ugly 6.90 ERA/6.78 FIP with 8.28 K/9, 5.91 BB/9 and a 33.3 percent grounder rate in 45 2/3 innings (13 appearances, eight starts) with the White Sox this season.