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West Notes: Scherzer, Trout, Nola, Martinez

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Rangers ace Max Scherzer exited his start against the Twins after six innings yesterday due to what he described to reporters (including Jeff Wilson of Rangers Today) as a “little forearm tightness” and wasn’t sure he’d be able to pitch the seventh. That being said, Scherzer downplayed the severity of the issue, suggesting that his priority is to ensure that the issue doesn’t “turn into a forearm strain or Tommy John.”

Even though Scherzer downplays the issue, it’s surely worrisome for Rangers fans that he’s facing any issue at all. The veteran right-hander has posted a phenomenal 2.21 ERA (198 ERA+) and 2.48 FIP in his first six starts with the club since being acquired from the Mets ahead of the trade deadline back in July. With Jacob deGrom out for the year and Nathan Eovaldi on the injured list already, Scherzer will be key for a Rangers club looking to stay in a three-way race for the AL West crown that they were dominating earlier in the season, to say nothing of his importance as a key cog in their projected postseason rotation alongside fellow deadline acquisition Jordan Montgomery. In the event Scherzer misses a start or two while erring on the side of caution regarding his forearm, Texas could turn to right-hander Owen White or lefties Cody Bradford and Martin Perez to fill in for the future Hall of Famer when his turn in the rotation next comes up on Wednesday.

More from MLB’s West divisions…

  • Superstar Mike Trout spoke with reporters (including Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register) regarding the future of the Angels organization this afternoon. Anaheim, of course, waived a number of pending free agents including prized deadline addition Lucas Giolito earlier this week, effectively conceding the 2023 campaign in a failed bid to duck under the luxury tax threshold before the season ends. “There are going to be some conversations in the winter, for sure.” Trout said, “Just to see the direction of everything and what the plan is.” Trout refused to comment on the possibility of a trade when asked if he could imagine a scenario where he would ask to be moved, though with two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani likely departing for free agency this offseason and a protracted rebuild potentially on the horizon for the Angels, it would certainly be understandable if the 32-year-old Trout wished to continue his career elsewhere in hopes of reaching a World Series.
  • Padres catcher Austin Nola has had a brutal year at the plate in 2023, slashing just .146/.260/.192 in 154 trips to the plate with San Diego. An explanation for those struggles has seemingly been uncovered, as Jeff Sanders of the San Diego Union-Tribune relays that Nola has been diagnosed with oculomotor dysfunction, an issue that impacts the brain’s ability to coordinate eye movement. Nola referenced Yankees first baseman Anthony Rizzo and his issues with post-concussion syndrome as a catalyst for his decision to discuss symptoms, which included fogginess and headaches, with the Padres. The Padres have been using a catching tandem of Gary Sanchez and Luis Campusano in recent weeks as Nola tried to work things out at the Triple-A level. Nola hopes to return to the field in the minors before the Triple-A season ends on September 24.
  • Dodgers slugger J.D. Martinez is trending toward a return to the big league club next weekend, per the Orange County Register’s Bill Plunkett. Plunkett relays that Martinez will begin a brief rehab assignment at Triple-A later this week and in the meantime will take swings at Camelback Ranch in Arizona. Martinez, 35, has been on the injured list for the past two weeks due to groin tightness and was slashing .256/.309/.547 with 25 home runs and a 126 wRC+ in 390 trips to the plate before going on the shelf.

Padres Sign Jurickson Profar To Minor League Deal

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The Padres have signed Jurickson Profar to a minor league deal, reports Jeff Sanders of the San Diego Union-Tribune. The outfielder, who was released by the Rockies earlier this week, will report to Triple-A El Paso.

Profar, 30, was with the Padres from 2020 to 2022 but opted out of his contract at the end of last year. He eventually landed with the Rockies on a one-year, $7.75MM deal but never really got into a good groove with Colorado. In 111 games this year, he hit .236/.316/.364 for a wRC+ of 72, the latest low point in his up-and-down career. The Rox are buried in the standings and cut Profar loose to get a look at younger players with control beyond this season.

The Padres aren’t too far ahead of the Rockies but have a slightly higher chance of salvaging their season. At 62-73, they are 8.5 games back of a Wild Card spot. FanGraphs gives them a 0.5% chance of making the playoffs while Baseball Prospectus is slightly more optimistic at 2.1%.

The Rockies are on the hook for what’s left of Profar’s salary, so there’s no risk for the Padres in bringing Profar back into the fold as non-roster veteran depth. If they add him to the big league club at any point, they would only have to pay him the prorated league minimum for the time spent on the roster, with that amount subtracted from what the Rockies pay. Active rosters expand from 26 to 28 today but Profar would have to be added to the 40-man before taking one of those slots.

Profar has played all over the diamond in his career but has exclusively been in left field since the end of the 2021 campaign. Juan Soto is the regular in left for San Diego but he could perhaps get some time off as the season winds down, or bump Matt Carpenter from the designated hitter slot. José Azocar and Ben Gamel are already on the roster as depth outfielders.

It seems that Padres president of baseball operations A.J. Preller and Profar just can’t quit each other. Preller was with the Rangers when that club signed Profar as an amateur back in 2009. Preller eventually jumped to the Padres and acquired Profar from the A’s after the 2019 season. Profar reached free agency after 2020 but re-signed on a three-year deal. He opted out of the final year of that deal, though he says he didn’t want to, and is now back with the Friars and Preller again.

Padres Place Yu Darvish On Injured List

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Aug. 29: Via Acee, Darvish said after last night’s game that he was awaiting results from an MRI but is optimistic that he’ll be able to return to the Padres in 2023.

Aug. 28: The Padres announced that right-hander Yu Darvish has been placed on the 15-day injured list, retroactive to August 26, due to right elbow inflammation. Righty Matt Waldron was recalled in a corresponding move.

At this point, it’s unclear what kind of absence the club is expecting from Darvish. Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports that the righty had spoken of fatigue after his start on Friday, though there hasn’t been any kind of firm update from the team. Even if the issue is minor, the calendar figures to be a factor, with just over a month remaining on the schedule.

It’s been a frustrating season for both Darvish and the Padres, with the overall results misaligned with the underlying numbers in both cases. For Darvish as an individual, he has a 4.56 earned run average on the year, a big jump from last year’s 3.10 figure. But his 24.6% strikeout rate and 7.5% walk rate are both above league average. However, his .319 batting average on balls in play and 71.3% strand rate are both significantly less fortunate than last year’s marks of .250 and and 78.2%. His rate of fly balls leaving the yard also jumped from 9.6% to 13.5%.

His 4.04 FIP suggests he’s been better than his ERA might indicate, but that’s likely little comfort to him or the Padres, as the whole club has been undercut by a similar discrepancy this year. Their +53 run differential is the fifth-best in the National League, and yet they have a record of 61-70 that places them eight games out of a playoff spot, well behind several clubs with far worse run differentials.

It’s not the season that was hoped for in San Diego, as they spent aggressively this offseason to try to build off a strong 2022 campaign that saw them reach the NLCS. Part of that aggressive spending was giving Darvish a six-year, $108MM extension that runs through 2028, which will be his age-41 season. Though the Friars were likely aware that could hurt them in the long run, they wanted to lock him up while he was still throwing well and the club’s competitive window seemed to be wide open.

There’s still some time for the club to salvage the season but the odds are against them, with FanGraphs giving them just a 2.5% chance of cracking the playoffs at this point. Despite a somewhat down season from Darvish, losing him to the IL for the next couple of weeks isn’t ideal, as Joe Musgrove is already on the IL and could be shut down if the club doesn’t get back in the race. Since Darvish won’t be eligible to return until mid-September, perhaps the same is true of him, though that’s not clear at this point.

For now, the Padres will proceed with a rotation of Blake Snell, Seth Lugo, Michael Wacha and Pedro Avila, with one opening available. Rich Hill’s last appearance was out of the bullpen but perhaps he will be slotted back into the rotation. Waldron has been starting in the minors and could be another option and the same goes for Jay Groome, who is on the 40-man.

Looking to the long-term, a bounceback from Darvish next year will be key for the Padres, as there’s plenty of uncertainty in their rotation. Snell and Hill are set to become free agents while Lugo and Wacha both have contract options that could lead to them hitting the open market as well. That leaves Musgrove and Darvish the two building blocks with three potential openings.

Pat Corrales Passes Away

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Former big league player, manager and coach Pat Corrales has passed away, per Bob Nightengale of USA Today. Corrales was 82 years old.

Born in Los Angeles in 1941, Patrick Corrales attended Fresno High School before signing with the Phillies as an amateur free agent in 1959. He worked his way up the minor league ladder and made his major league debut in 1964, though only got into two games that year. He would carve out a semi-regular role as a backup catcher in the seasons to come, bouncing to the Cardinals, Reds and Padres.

From 1964 to 1973, he got into 300 games and made 858 plate appearances. He had a batting average of .216 in that time, getting 166 hits, including 28 doubles, three triples and four home runs. He scored 63 runs, drove in 54 and stole one base. The 1970 Reds won the National League West and then defeated the Pirates in the NLCS to advance to the World Series, though they were then defeated by the Orioles. With the O’s up 3-1 in the series and 9-3 in the fifth game, Corrales was sent up to pinch hit for Hal McRae with two outs in the ninth. Corrales grounded out to finish the series and the season, the only postseason plate appearance of his career. (YouTube link via the Orioles.)

After his playing career ended, Corrales shifted into a managerial role, starring with the Rangers in the late ’70s before serving as skipper for Philadelphia and Cleveland. As a manager, he had a record of 572-634 over parts of nine different seasons. His last season as a manager was 1987, but he went on to spend many years as a bench coach, starting with the Yankees. He served in that role for Atlanta for nine years, including the club that won the 1995 World Series. He also served as a bench coach for the Nationals before being hired by the Dodgers as a special assistant to the general manager in 2012.

We at MLB Trade Rumors extend our condolences to his family, friends and loved ones.

Padres Place Jake Cronenworth On 10-Day IL With Wrist Fracture

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The Padres placed infielder Jake Cronenworth on the 10-day injured list this afternoon with a right wrist fracture. Cronenworth told reporters, including Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune, that his timetable for return will be more clear in the coming days, though his current hope is that he’ll be able to return this season in the event that the Padres make the playoffs. Infielder Matthew Batten was recalled in the corresponding move.

Cronenworth, 29, has struggled to a career worst wRC+ of 92 alongside a .229/.312/.378 slash line in 522 trips to the plate. That slash line has ticked up in the second half as he’s posted a more palatable .265/.317/.435 slash line in 186 plate appearances since the start of July with a 14% strikeout rate, a far better mark than the 21.1% figure he posted through the end of June. Of course, even his more recent production this season is a considerable step back from the player Cronenworth was prior to this season. From his big league debut as a 26 year old during the shortened 2020 campaign to the end of the 2022 season, he slashed a combined .256/.338/.431 with a 115 wRC+ a strikeout rate of just 16.5% and a strong walk rate of 9.4% all while contributing with strong defense up the middle.

The breakout of fellow infielder Ha-Seong Kim and this past offseason’s acquisition of shortstop Xander Bogaerts pushed Cronenworth to first base, but the Padres nonetheless saw fit to commit to their versatile infielder with a seven-year, $80MM extension that will go into effect starting next season. That investment is beginning to look dubious between the step back Cronenworth has taken with the bat this year combined with his weak performance defensively at first this year (-3 Outs Above Average), particularly given Cronenworth will turn 30 shortly after the new year. Given his current injury, it’s possible Cronenworth won’t have an opportunity to turn things around until next year, once his new contract has already begun.

Replacing Cronenworth on the active roster is Batten, who has been an exactly league average bat (100 wRC+) in a small sample of 25 trips to the plate this season. With deadline acquisition Garrett Cooper seemingly taking over at first base full time for the injured Cronenworth, Batten seems poised to mix and match alongside fellow bench options Jose Azocar, Ben Gamel, and Matt Carpenter as the Padres look to fill out the DH slot in their lineup. In 15 games since joining San Diego, Cooper has slashed an impressive .278/.381/.472 with a wRC+ of 140. The Padres will need that exceptional performance to continue if they are to keep their limited postseason hopes alive, as the club is just 61-68 with 6.5 games between them and the final NL Wild Card spot.

NL West Notes: Musgrove, Yaz, Brebbia, McLain, D’Backs

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After a three-week shutdown due to shoulder inflammation, Joe Musgrove has started a two-week throwing program as the first step towards a possible return from the injured list.  Musgrove tells Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune that he is aiming to be back with the Padres by late September and hopefully through the postseason, though he acknowledged that another shutdown is possible if the team is out of the pennant race.  Things are looking grim for the Padres at the moment, as they sit 6.5 games out of the last NL wild card position.

“There’s no need for me to be rushing and pushing things back if we’re out of this thing,” Musgrove said.  “But I have full confidence that we’re going to be in it, so these first two weeks are going to be important in just laying down the foundation work and being able to open up from there….It’s difficult knowing that there’s a chance I might not touch a mound again this year.  But every part of me mentally and physically is preparing to be able to get at least one more (start) in the regular season and then be strong for the playoffs.”

Between a broken toe suffered in Spring Training and his shoulder issue, it has been an injury-riddled year for the right-hander, as Musgrove has thrown only 97 1/3 innings.  His absences have been one of the reasons why San Diego is only on the fringes of contention, yet Musgrove has still looked like an ace when he has pitched, posting a 3.05 ERA over his 97 1/3 frames.  Acee writes that Musgrove will also probably undergo another MRI next week, to check up on the shoulder after the first few days of throwing.

Other items from around the NL West…

  • Mike Yastrzemski is closing in on a return from the injured list, as he recently took part in a live batting practice session and ran the bases yesterday.  Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle (X link) writes that Yastrzemski is set for more baserunning work tomorrow, and he has been working in the outfield today.  Yastrzemski has been out with a hamstring strain since July 30, and seemed to be on the verge of a return two weeks ago before suffering another strain during rehab work.  Now, the outfielder could return to San Francisco’s lineup as early as Monday, when the Giants begin an important series with the Reds.
  • In another Giants injury update, John Brebbia threw that live BP session to Yastrzemski, and Slusser writes that the plan is for Brebbia to throw another simulated game Sunday with an eye towards soon beginning a minor league rehab assignment.  Brebbia suffered a Grade 2 lat strain back in June, and he has been sidelined beyond his initial recovery timeline of 4-8 weeks.  While he’ll need some time to ramp up during his rehab assignment, Brebbia’s return could be a big boost to a Giants club in need of pitching help.  Brebbia has posted strong numbers as a swingman over the last two seasons, including a 3.14 ERA over 28 2/3 innings in 2023.
  • Matt McLain’s instant success with the Reds creates an interesting sliding-doors moment for the Diamondbacks, who drafted McLain 25th overall in 2018 but didn’t reach an agreement to sign.  Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic writes that the two sides couldn’t manage the gap between McLain’s ask for a $3MM bonus and the Diamondbacks’ offer, which was the $2,636,400 slot price attached to the 25th pick.  Beyond the money, McLain told Piecoro that “I was pretty set on [playing in college].  I wanted to go to UCLA.  I think that if I would have signed in the minor leagues at that point, I would have always wondered what UCLA was like and what I had missed out on.  I don’t think it was necessarily the other way around.”  As it turned out, McLain had a standout career in college, and ended up picked by the Reds with the 17th overall pick in the 2021 draft, receiving a $4.625MM bonus that was well above slot price.

Robert Suarez Appealing 10-Game Foreign Substance Suspension

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August 25: Suarez has received the expected 10-game suspension, per Jon Heyman of the New York Post, but is appealing.

August 23: Padres reliever Robert Suarez was ejected from this afternoon’s win over the Marlins following a foreign substance inspection. Called on to pitch the top of the eighth, Suarez was thrown out before throwing a pitch when umpires examined him coming in from the bullpen.

First base umpire Todd Tichenor made the call. After the game, Tichenor told reporters that the right-hander’s left wrist had been “too sticky, very sticky” (via AJ Cassavell of MLB.com). Suarez denied using any illicit substance, saying he’d simply applied his typical amount of sunscreen for a day game in San Diego.

Pitchers ejected after a foreign substance check are subject to an automatic 10-game suspension. MLB will presumably formally announce Suarez’s ban tomorrow. He has an appellate right, though an appeal would go in front of an MLB official for adjudication. As a result, the three players previously suspended for foreign substances this season — Max Scherzer, Domingo Germán and Drew Smith — all waived their appeals. Suarez said he hasn’t yet decided whether he’ll do the same.

In all likelihood, the Friars will be without one of their better high-leverage arms for the next week and a half. Suarez posted a 2.27 ERA in 47 2/3 frames last season and subsequently re-signed on a five-year, $46MM free agent guarantee. He missed the first half of this year with an elbow injury. He has allowed seven runs in 13 1/3 innings since returning. Teams aren’t allowed to replace players who have been suspended for an on-field rules violation, so the Padres would have to play with a 25-man roster for the duration of Suarez’s expected suspension.

Oscar Mercado Opts Out Of Padres Deal

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Outfielder Oscar Mercado has exercised an opt-out in his minor league contract with the Padres and elected free agency, MLBTR has learned. He’s now free to sign with any other club.

The 28-year-old Mercado logged 32 big league plate appearances with the Cardinals earlier this season and hit .290/.313/.387 in that small sample. He’s spent the bulk of the year in Triple-A between the Cardinals and Padres organizations, batting a combined .308/.379/.544 with a dozen homers, 17 doubles, three triples and 25 steals (in 29 attempts). Mercado has walked in 8.8% of his Triple-A plate appearances, against a 20.1% strikeout rate.

Mercado grabbed a few down-ballot Rookie of the Year votes in 2019 (when Yordan Alvarez unanimously won the award), and understandably so. In 482 appearances during his rookie year in Cleveland, he turned in a .269/.318/.443 batting line with 15 homers and 15 steals. That strong debut campaign looked like it set the stage for Mercado to roam the outfield in Cleveland for years to come, but his bat fell off in 2020 and has yet to recover. In 491 Major League plate appearances since that rookie effort, Mercado has batted .206/.262/.334.

Even as Mercado has struggled at the plate in the big leagues, he’s produced in the minors. Beyond this year’s big production in Triple-A, he also slashed .281/.363/.449 (117 wRC+) there with the Guardians’ top affiliate in 2022. The right-handed-hitting Mercado is also a sound defensive player as well, playing all three outfield spots and drawing above-average grades during his big league tenure — particularly in center field (10 Defensive Runs Saved, 7 Outs Above Average in 951 innings). Statcast credited him with 74th percentile sprint speed in his brief MLB look earlier this year, and he’s generally efficient on the bases, succeeding in more than 78% of his MLB stolen base attempts and 86% of his tries in the minors this year.

On the whole, Mercado’s been a below-average hitter in the Majors, but he’s a speedy and efficient runner who can handle all three outfield spots and hold his own against lefties — evidenced by a respectable .254/.309/.406 batting line against southpaws. He’d make a sensible depth add for a postseason contender looking to stockpile outfield depth before the Sept. 1 deadline for playoff eligibility. With rosters set to expand to 28 players next month, he’d be the type of speed-and-defense player who could be added to deepen a team’s bench.

Padres Select Ben Gamel

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7:18 PM: The Padres have officially selected Gamel’s contract from Triple-A El Paso. Choi has been placed on the 10-day IL, retroactive to August 12, while Carlton has been moved to the 60-day IL. Carlton has been out with right elbow inflammation since July 1, making him eligible to return on August 30.

6:28 PM: The Padres are selecting outfielder Ben Gamel onto the 40-man roster, reports Jeff Sanders of the San Diego Union-Tribune (Twitter link). First baseman Ji Man Choi is headed to the 10-day injured list with a left rib strain. The Friars will also need to a make a 40-man roster move, though reliever Drew Carlton stands out as a speculative candidate for a move to the 60-day injured list.

Gamel has spent the entire season in Triple-A. The veteran signed a minor league pact with the Rays and hit .276/.402/.463 in 59 games for their top affiliate. Tampa Bay couldn’t find room in the MLB outfield and dealt him to the Padres last month. Gamel has continued where he left off, mashing at a .314/.402/.600 clip through 18 games with the Friars’ highest affiliate in El Paso.

The combined .286/.402/.490 showing across 332 plate appearances earns Gamel another crack at the big league level. It’ll be his eighth season in the majors overall. The left-handed hitter owns a .253/.333/.385 career line, including a .254/.336/.391 showing versus righty pitching. Gamel had an above-average .252/.342/.409 slash when holding the platoon advantage with the Pirates last season.

Mostly limited to the corner outfield, Gamel won’t bring much defensive flexibility. He’s a decent bet to perform reasonably well at the dish, though, potentially compensating for the loss of another left-handed bat. Acquired alongside Rich Hill at the deadline, Choi has walked five times but has yet to collect a hit in seven games as a Padre. The Friars have mostly used him as a lefty bench bat — offseason signee Matt Carpenter has remarkably gone since July 24 without getting into a game thanks to a .166/.296/.302 line — so Gamel could take Choi’s role off the bench.

Padres Outright Brandon Dixon

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The Padres announced this afternoon that infielder Brandon Dixon had cleared waivers and was assigned outright to Triple-A El Paso. Dixon had previously been designated for assignment to make room for newly-acquired reliever Scott Barlow on the day of the trade deadline last week.

Dixon, 31, has never hit much in big league stints with the Reds, Tigers, and Padres. In 658 plate appearances throughout his major league career to this point, Dixon owns a slash line of .224/.266/.397 with a wRC+ of 72, though those figures are higher than his 2023 output of .203/.244/.329 (56 wRC+) in 86 trips to the plate. While Dixon contributed versatility to the club’s bench, with big league experience at all three outfield spots in addition to first, second, and third base, his lack of offensive output made him little more than a depth option for a club that already features versatile players like Ha-Seong Kim and Jake Cronenworth.

Prior to Dixon’s DFA, the Padres had already optioned the journeyman to the minor leagues five times this season. Per the terms of the most recent collective bargaining agreement, once a player has been optioned to the minor leagues five times during a season he must be placed on outright assignment waivers in order to be returned to the minor leagues. That likely made the club’s decision to designate Dixon an easier call, since they would not be able to rely upon him as optionable bench depth going forward this season even if he was retained on the 40-man roster. Going forward, Dixon will be able to choose between accepting his outright assignment to Triple-A or rejecting the assignment and electing free agency as a player who has been outrighted previously in his career.

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