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AL East Notes: Drury, Bird, Vlad Jr., Pearson, Mujica

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The Yankees may soon have a welcome problem on their hands with multiple infield options, with youngsters Miguel Andujar and Gleyber Torres performing well as Brandon Drury has tried to sort out a long-standing migraine problem. (Neil Walker and Ronald Torreyes are also on the MLB roster, along with everyday shortstop Didi Gregorius.) As MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch discusses in response to a reader inquiry, there continues to be progress in Drury’s health issue and he could soon be ready to return. While he could be optioned, Hoch suggests the organization could consider moving him around as well, possibly giving Drury time at second, third, and the corner outfield. Hoch also checks in briefly on injured first bagger Greg Bird, explaining that he’s on track to return later this month. Barring further injuries, there’ll certainly be some interesting decisions to be made for a ballclub that has been on a tear.

More from the AL East:

  • Blue Jays prospect Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has obviously earned quite a few headlines with his excellent work thus far at Double-A level, leading many to wonder whether he’s a near-term option in the majors. Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca addresses that topic (video link on Twitter), arguing that the team has good reason to ensure the 19-year-old is ready for the huge amount of visibility a promotion would entail. That’s the larger factor than on-field readiness, says Nicholson-Smith, though of course it’s also worth bearing in mind that Vlad Jr. has only taken 118 plate appearances thus far in the upper minors. Nicholson-Smith proposes further experience there, perhaps including some time at Triple-A Buffalo, before weighing a possible mid-summer debut in Toronto.
  • Another Blue Jays prospect is in the news, too, but for less promising reasons. Young righty Nate Pearson has been diagnosed with a non-displaced fractured ulna in his pitching arm, per a club announcement. He suffered the injury on a comebacker. At this point, all that’s known is that he’ll be down for four to six weeks before being evaluated further. The 21-year-old, a first-round pick in last year’s draft, was making his season debut after an oblique injury sidelined him to open the year. Pearson was appearing at the High-A level, so he’s likely still a ways away from the majors, but he had already emerged as a top-100 prospect and will now at least lose some development time while rehabbing.
  • In other pitching injury news, the Rays have suffered another dent to their depth, as Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports on Twitter. 21-year-old right-hander Jose Mujica is sidelined with a forearm strain, per the report, which is never the sort of news you want to hear for a young hurler. Mujica had shown well in his first six starts at the Triple-A level, working to a 3.13 ERA with 32 strikeouts against ten walks in his 31 2/3 innings of action. His anticipated timeline is not yet known.

Outrighted: Centeno, Ngoepe, Enns

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Let’s run through a few recently-designated players who have cleared waivers and been outrighted:

  • Rangers backstop Juan Centeno could have elected free agency but chose instead to take an assignment to Triple-A Round Rock, the club announced. The 28-year-old, a relatively rare left-handed-hitting catcher, has seen action in each of the past six MLB campaigns. He also has not shown much at the plate, with a cumulative .227/.278/.331 batting line.
  • Also clearing waivers was Blue Jays infielder Gift Ngoepe. This is the first time he has been outrighted; without significant MLB service time on his record, he had no choice but to head to Buffalo. Not unlike Centeno, Ngoepe is a useful fielder who perhaps will never fully come around with the bat. He had a particularly rough run in limited action this year in Toronto, striking out a dozen times in just 19 plate appearances.
  • Finally, the Twins will hang onto reliever Dietrich Enns after he, too, cleared waivers under the same essential circumstances as Ngoepe. Soon to turn 27, Enns is off to a poor start this year at Triple-A, where he has given out 11 free passes to go with 11 strikeouts in twenty innings. If he can get back on track, though, perhaps he’ll eventually present a depth option for the Minnesota organization. In his six prior professional seasons, Enns has never finished with an earned run average of over 2.94. In 136 Triple-A innings, he carries a sparkling 2.25 ERA with a more pedestrian combination of 7.1 K/9 and 3.4 BB/9.

Minor MLB Transactions: 5/7/18

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Here are Monday’s minor moves from around the league…

  • The Angels acquired minor league right-hander Max Cordy from the Twins in exchange for cash, Matt Eddy of Baseball America reports. Minnesota selected the now-24-year-old Cordy in the final round of the 2015 draft. He’s yet to advance beyond A-ball, though he does come with a track record of missing bats and inducing huge ground-ball rates (north of 60 percent) in the low minors. Cordy has averaged 5.5 walks per nine innings pitched since being drafted and is off to a rough start in Class-A Advanced this season, owning a 7.15 ERA in 11 2/3 innings.
  • The Orioles picked up minor league catcher Wilson Garcia from the Phillies in exchange for cash, also via Eddy. The 24-year-old Garcia is a career .281/.314/.386 hitter in the minors, but he’s yet to move past A-ball. Garcia seemingly throws quite well, given a 40 percent caught-stealing mark in his career to date. Baltimore assigned him to their Class-A Advanced affiliate in Frederick.
  • Right-hander Luis Santos cleared waivers and was sent outright to Triple-A Buffalo by the Blue Jays, per the team’s transactions log on their official web site. The 27-year-old was clobbered for six runs in 1 2/3 innings in his lone MLB appearance this season before being designated for assignment. Santos did post a 2.70 ERA and a 16-to-4 K/BB ratio in 16 2/3 innings in the Majors last season, and he has a career 3.90 ERA with 8.1 K/9 against 3.8 BB/9 in 117 2/3 innings of relief at the Triple-A level.

Injury Updates: Jones, Britton, Pham, Aledmys, Vogt, Betts

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X-rays were negative on Adam Jones’ right hand and wrist after the Orioles center fielder was hit by a pitch during Saturday night’s game.  Jones wasn’t in today’s lineup, though it was already a scheduled off-day for the veteran and he told reporters (including Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com) that he was feeling fine.  Manager Buck Showalter also spoke to the media about some other Orioles injury situations, including the news that Zach Britton will face live hitters during a batting practice session on May 15.  Outfielder Trey Mancini is also battling minor knee soreness and didn’t start today’s game, though he did appear as a pinch-hitter.

Here are some more injury updates from around baseball…

  • Tommy Pham left Saturday’s game due to what an MRI revealed to be slight irritation in his right hip abductor, the Cardinals outfielder told media (including MLB.com’s Joe Trezza)  Pham missed a few games due to a similar injury earlier this season, and said that another brief absence could be necessary, though he was hopeful of playing on Monday.  The Cardinals didn’t start Pham in tonight’s game against the Cubs, though he is available to pinch-hit.  Pham is off to a wonderful start, hitting .327/.445/.541 over his first 119 PA and leading the league in on-base percentage.
  • Blue Jays shortstop Aledmys Diaz suffered a sprained left ankle while beating out an infield hit today, and had to be removed from the game.  Sportsnet.ca’s Ben Nicholson-Smith and others reported that x-rays were negative on Diaz’s ankle, though he will undergo an MRI to further determine the severity of the injury.  Acquired in the offseason to provide depth behind Troy Tulowitzki at shortstop, Diaz has appeared in almost every game for Toronto as Tulowitzki has been on the DL recovering from surgery to remove bone spurs from both ankles.  Tulowitzki isn’t expected back for at least another month, so Yangervis Solarte could end up seeing more time at short if Diaz is also sidelined, as the Jays’ other top shortstop options are rookies Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and Richard Urena.  Gift Ngoepe could rejoin the mix if he clears waivers after being designated for assignment earlier this week.
  • Stephen Vogt removed himself from a minor league rehab game on Saturday with another shoulder problem, the Brewers catcher told reporters (including Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel).  Vogt “felt something pinch in my shoulder” during a throw to third base, and described the new problem as coming from a different area of his shoulder than the capsule strain that has sidelined him since late February.  Even a day after suffering the injury, Vogt said he was still “in a lot of pain” and was going to be examined by team doctors on Monday.  The ominous-sounding situation doesn’t bode well for Vogt or the Brewers’ catching mix, as the Manny Pina/Jett Bandy tandem hasn’t contributed much at the plate over the first month-plus of the season.
  • Mookie Betts left today’s game in the second inning after a wild throw from Rangers first baseman Ronald Guzman hit Betts’ shoulder blade.  The throw “got me right on the bone,” Betts told the Boston Globe’s Peter Abraham and other reporters, and while manager Alex Cora chose to be cautious in removing the star outfielder, the injury doesn’t seem too serious.  Betts didn’t receive x-rays, and he hopes that Monday’s off-day in the Red Sox schedule will be all the recovery time he needs.

Blue Jays Promote Anthony Alford, Remove Jake Petricka From Active Roster

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2:15pm: The move is now official; Petricka has indeed been optioned.

2:05pm: The Blue Jays are promoting outfield prospect Anthony Alford, according to Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca (via Twitter). Toronto has removed reliever Jake Petricka from the active roster, per Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca (via Twitter), though the precise mechanism is not yet clear.

Alford had previously received an exceedingly brief promotion in the 2017 season. But he suffered a fractured hamate bone almost immediately upon reaching the bigs. He ended up recording 68 days of MLB service on the year, but very little of it came on the active roster.

The 23-year-old has long been regarded as a high-end prospect. He has received consensus top-100 leaguewide billing entering each of the past three seasons (including the present one). Alford has drawn praise for his broad and fairly well-developed skillset despite limited time as a professional.

Thus far in 2018, however, Alford has struggled. He has recorded just six hits (one for extra bases) in his 42 plate appearances at Triple-A. Of course, he also was still working back to health after opening the year on the DL owing to a hamstring strain.

Given the struggles out of the gate, it’s a bit surprising at first glance to see this move. That said, the Jays may simply be looking to buttress their position-player unit temporarily while dealing with the absences of Steve Pearce and Randal Grichuk. With Curtis Granderson exiting yesterday’s contest with a tight hamstring, the club may simply have taken the easiest path to adding another outfielder for a few days.

As things stand, then, it’s not at all clear that Alford is set to receive a full run at the MLB level. If he does, though, he could finish the current season with over one full year of service. (In addition to the time he had already, Alford added another twenty days due to the DL stint.) Should that come to pass, he’d reach arbitration eligibility in 2021 and free agency in 2024. If not, those milestones would occur one year further (at the soonest).

For Petricka, the departure comes the day after his contract was purchased and he made it onto the active roster. He gave up one earned run on three hits, while recording two strikeouts, in 1 1/3 innings yesterday. Petricka does have options remaining, so it’s possible he’ll remain on the 40-man while heading back to Buffalo.

Blue Jays Designate Luis Santos, Select Jake Petricka

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The roster turnover is continuing for the Blue Jays, who announced another round of moves today. Only two directly implicate control rights, though: righty Luis Santos was designated for assignment, with fellow reliever Jake Petricka taking his place on the 40-man and active rosters.

Additionally, the Toronto organization turned over two other active roster spots. Outfielder Dalton Pompey and infielder Richard Urena are heading up, with righties Joe Biagini and Carlos Ramirez optioned back to Triple-A along with outfielder Dwight Smith Jr.

The 27-year-old Santos had given the Jays some useful innings late last year and re-joined the organization as a depth piece for the 2018 season. In his lone MLB outing this year, he was bombed last night for six earned runs on five hits and three walks. It would not be surprising if he ends up back at Buffalo.

As for Petricka, he’ll be getting a look as a bounceback candidate after signing a minors deal with the Jays over the winter. His contract includes a $1.3MM base salary and up to $500K in incentive pay. Petricka was once a useful member of the White Sox’ bullpen but has dealt with injuries and diminished effectiveness of late when healthy. The initial returns in 2018 have been promising, as Petricka has (as usual) generated a huge number of groundballs while allowing only a single earned run in eight innings over five outings.

AL East Notes: Vlad Jr., Walker, Orioles

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Though Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is laying waste to Double-A pitching, Blue Jays GM Ross Atkins tells Shi Davidi of Sportsnet that the organization is not planning to bring him to the Majors just yet. Guerrero only just turned 19, but he’s obliterated Eastern League pitching at a .388/.452/.624 clip with three homers, nine doubles, a triple and more walks (12) than strikeouts (10) through 105 plate appearances. Atkins explains, however, that the team still sees some areas for improvement in other aspects of his game. “That’s just offence, right, when you say statistically,” says Atkins. “…And it’s only a month of performance above A-ball, as well. … Right now, we’re entirely focused on Vladdy as the best possible third baseman he could be, the best possible base-runner, of course offensive player, and teammate. And right now, we currently have a very good third baseman on our major-league team.”

Theoretically, the Blue Jays could split Guerrero and Josh Donaldson in a timeshare between third base and DH, though Atkins indicated a desire to get Guerrero as many reps as possible. The GM also stressed that service time and arbitration considerations aren’t impacting Guerrero’s timeline. (Indeed, he’s already been in the minors long enough to delay free agency by a year.)

Here’s more from the division…

  • Despite his struggles and a sudden glut of infielders in the Bronx, Neil Walker is in no danger of losing his roster spot, Yankees GM Brian Cashman tells Joel Sherman of the New York Post. Cashman points to Walker’s lengthy and consistent track record in the Majors in plainly stating that he “[doesn’t] see Walker as a guy to release, eat (his salary) or trade.” Walker is hitting .171/.233/.195 through 90 plate appearances, and the Yankees will eventually have Brandon Drury back from the disabled list, where he’ll join Walker, Gleyber Torres, Miguel Andujar and Ronald Torreyes in the infield mix. It’s not clear how the Yankees will manage that on-paper surplus.
  • Chris Tillman’s struggles are putting the Orioles in an increasingly difficult spot, writes Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com, but the organization presently has little in the way of alternatives that are ready to step into the big league rotation. Tillman tossed seven shutout innings and allowed one hit last week, but he was clobbered by the Angels last night and pulled after recording just three outs and watching his ERA balloon to 9.24. Kubatko suggests that Double-A lefty Keegan Akin could eventually be an option, though he’s made just five starts above A-ball. Speculatively, right-hander David Hess is off to a respectable start in Triple-A and is on the 40-man roster. But other options, both on the 40-man and of the non-roster variety, are struggling in the upper minors. Tillman’s struggles could eventually force the team’s hand, but it doesn’t sound likely that he’s on the verge of being cut loose.

Blue Jays Designate Gift Ngoepe, Place Steve Pearce On DL

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As part of a series of roster moves, the Blue Jays have designated infielder Gift Ngoepe for assignment, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca reports (Twitter links). Toronto purchased the contract of righty Luis Santos, necessitating a 40-man spot, while fellow right-hander Joe Biagini is also being called up.

One of the active roster spots needed was opened by optioning righty reliever Danny Barnes. The other came free with the club placing utilityman Steve Pearce on the 10-day with a strained oblique.

Ngoepe, 28, was acquired from the over the winter. He has long been seen as a quality defender with a questionable bat, and he has not done much to dispel that perception with a dozen strikeouts in just 19 MLB plate appearances this year.

As for Santos, he re-joined the organization on a minors deal over the winter. The 27-year-old turned in solid results in his first taste of the majors last year and has gotten results thus far in 2018 at Triple-A. Santos has thrown 9 1/3 innings over five relief appearances this year at Buffalo, allowing just two earned runs on six hits — but with a less-than-promising 8:6 K/BB ratio.

The bad news here for the Jays is that they’ll have to go without Pearce for a stretch — the anticipated duration of which is not yet known. Propensity for injury has long been the knock on the 35-year-old, who has slashed a robust .270/.333/.492 through 69 plate appearances on the season to date.

Blue Jays Activate Josh Donaldson

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The Blue Jays have activated Josh Donaldson from the 10-day disabled list and opened a roster spot by placing Justin Smoak on the paternity list, per Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi (Twitter link).

Donaldson, 32, hit the DL back on April 10 due to a shoulder issue that was impacting his ability to throw across the diamond. He played third base in a pair of minor league rehab games, however, and obviously showed well enough there that the Toronto organization felt comfortable bringing the 2015 AL MVP back to the big league roster for what figures to be regular work at his customary position.

Donaldson opened the season with a .239/.352/.457 slash and three homers through 55 plate appearances, and early reports indicated that the shoulder wasn’t really hampering his ability to swing the bat. He’ll look to improve upon that early pace as he aims to match the outrageous .302/.410/.698 line that he posted over his final 227 plate appearances last season, when he finished out the year as one of the hottest hitters in the game.

The manner in which Donaldson acquits himself both at the hot corner and at the plate will be critical, as he’s on the cusp of reaching free agency for the first time. If Donaldson can produce at anywhere near the torrid .285/.387/.559 clip he posted through his first three seasons in Toronto and handle throwing from third to first without issue, then April’s dead arm will likely be viewed as a mere blip on the radar.

A healthy Donaldson would have an easy case for a nine-figure deal even though he’ll play the 2019 season at age 33. If the shoulder troubles prove to be an ongoing issue throughout the ’18 season, however, there’s obvious potential for them to severely impact his earning power on the open market. Donaldson ranked fourth on the first edition of MLBTR’s monthly Free Agent Power Rankings, trailing only Bryce Harper, Manny Machado and Clayton Kershaw.

Injury Notes: Donaldson, Tropeano, Musgrove, Twins

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The Blue Jays announced tonight that third baseman Josh Donaldson will rejoin the club Thursday and is likely to be activated from the disabled list. A shoulder issue has kept the former AL MVP out of action since April 10, though he’s played in multiple minor league rehab games and appears to be back on track after experiencing some troubles throwing across the diamond earlier this season. The Jays have stayed afloat just fine in the absence of their best player, as they’re currently sporting a 17-13 record and right in the middle of the AL Wild Card mix a month into the season. Donaldson will have plenty riding on a healthy and productive return, as he’s set to hit free agency for the first time following the 2018 campaign.

Some other health-related notes from around the league…

  • Already being hit hard by the injury bug, the Angels took another punch on Wednesday, announcing that righty Nick Tropeano is headed to the 10-day DL with a shoulder issue. The good news for the Halos is that the injury appears minor, as Tropeano told reporters he’ll “100 percent” be ready to return after the 10-day minimum (Twitter link via Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register). As Tropeano explains, he’s not even planning to stop throwing and already played catch earlier today. The Angels, it seems, are merely acting with precaution after the righty felt some something slightly off in his shoulder.
  • Pirates righty Joe Musgrove threw 36 pitches in a rehab outing, writes Oliver Macklin of MLB.com, 29 of which went for strikes. Manager Clint Hurdle added that Musgrove threw his cutter, slider and changeup in the outing and demonstrated “firm” velocity on his fastball. Perhaps more notable is the fact that Hurdle confirmed that Musgrove will indeed be rejoining the Pirates’ rotation when he returns from the disabled list. That could be bad news for rookie Nick Kingham, who turned in one of the best debuts in recent MLB history when he flirted with a perfect game through more than six innings this past Sunday. Kingham is slated to start Friday for the Buccos, though Hurdle said in announcing that earlier this week that there was nothing guaranteed beyond that point. Speculatively speaking, right-hander Chad Kuhl has also struggled in 2018 (5.01 ERA, seven homers in 32 1/3 innings), so perhaps he could be bumped if Kingham impresses in his second big league start.
  • Byron Buxton has yet to progress to running since being diagnosed with a hairline fracture in his toe, writes MLB.com’s Rhett Bollinger. Buxton sustained the injury when he fouled a ball into his foot during a rehab game in Fort Myers as he was working his way back from a bout with ongoing migraine headaches. He’ll rejoin the club on Friday but won’t necessarily be activated from the DL, Bollinger notes, as the team is debating whether he needs another rehab stint now that he’s been off for several weeks due to the foot injury. Bollinger adds that righty Trevor May, recovering from 2017 Tommy John surgery, tossed three innings and 46 pitches in an extended Spring Training game as he pushes his way toward readiness for a rehab assignment with the team’s Triple-A club.
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