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East Notes: Inciarte, Mallex, Price, Blue Jays, deGrom

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Braves center fielder Ender Inciarte left yesterday’s game against the Cardinals with hamstring tightness, as Michael Cunningham of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution notes. Inciarte, who missed time last year with hamstring trouble, says he’s hopeful he can return to the lineup soon. There are no indications yet that the injury is serious, but if Inciarte needs to head to the DL, the team could promote prospect Mallex Smith, as MLB.com’s Mark Bowman tweets. Smith, one of the players the Braves received when they traded Justin Upton to the Padres, has continued his trend of posting very high on-base percentages and stolen-base totals since establishing himself in the Braves system (although the former dipped somewhat last year once he headed from Double-A Mississippi to Triple-A Gwinnett). The 22-year-old has a career .293/.379/.385 minor-league line, with 225 stolen bases in 1,769 plate appearances. Here’s more from the East divisions.

  • David Price says he understands the Blue Jays not extending him a contract offer this past winter, but feels they might have if Alex Anthopoulos had still been in charge, Alykhan Ravjiani of MLB.com writes. “I think if Alex would have still been here, then it might have been — not upsetting — but a little bit different,” he says. “But it’s a new front office, [there’s] a lot of new guys, and for them to not make that offer, I got it. I understood it.” Anthopoulos, of course, executed a series of high-profile acquisitions of stars like Price and Troy Tulowitzki, and the organization’s new front office headed by Mark Shapiro is perceived as being far less likely to make those sorts of decisive moves. Ravjiani notes, though, that the team already has fairly heavy payroll commitments, so it’s unclear if they would have made an offer even if Anthopoulos hadn’t left his post.
  • Mets starter Jacob deGrom is dealing with a stiff lat muscle, as David Lennon of Newsday writes. The Mets removed him from yesterday’s game after just six innings and 76 pitches, and his velocity was off, at an average of 92.8 MPH after he averaged 94.9 last year. “We’ll be careful with it,” says Mets manager Terry Collins. “If he can’t throw his bullpen in a couple days, we’ll have to find someone to throw in his spot.” John Harper of the Daily News argues that the Mets should be cautious with deGrom, helping him avoid the fate of Steven Matz, who missed significant time last year due to a torn lat.

Injury Notes: Schwarber, DeSclafani, deGrom, Inciarte, Ryu

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The big news of the day, of course, is the Cubs’ loss of Kyle Schwarber for the season with a devastating knee injury. Schwarber won’t have his knee operation until the swelling has subsided, which may take a few weeks, and his expected timeline won’t really be known until that time, Jesse Rogers of ESPNChicago.com was among those to tweet. Manager Joe Maddon, meanwhile, said it was “classic validation of why we signed Dexter Fowler” (via Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times, on Twitter). Maddon added that Jorge Soler will see plenty of action in Schwarber’s stead, with Kris Bryant and Ben Zobrist also representing options to fill in.

There were a few other notable injury matters that hit the news wire:

  • Reds righty Anthony DeSclafani will be bumped once again after being expected to make his season debut on Sunday, C. Trent Rosecrans of the Cincinnati Enquirer reports on Twitter. Manager Bryan Price said there hasn’t been a setback, but suggested that the club was exercising added caution. DeSclafani had been slated for Opening Day duties, but is trying to work through an oblique strain.
  • Star Mets righty Jacob deGrom only made it through 76 pitches in his first outing of the year and was pulled early with tightness in his lat. As Mike Puma of the New York Post reports, deGrom’s velocity was notably down from its usual mid-90s pace — which could be a result of the cool weather and lat issues. Of course, he was still plenty effective, and he isn’t currently set for an MRI, but there are still some warning signs and good reason to proceed with caution.
  • Braves center fielder Ender Inciarte left tonight’s action early with a hamstring issue, David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports on Twitter. He’s being labeled as day-to-day for the time being, and it doesn’t appear likely to be a serious injury, but those sorts of muscle tweaks can lead to longer absences than one might think. Atlanta fans will no doubt wonder whether a possible DL stint would open the door for the promotion of Mallex Smith, but the likelier course would be to lean on Drew Stubbs for the meantime.
  • The Dodgers got some promising news on lefty Hyun-jin Ryu, who, tossed two 20-pitch sim-game innings today. As Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register tweets, manager Dave Roberts says that Ryu “felt great” after getting his work in. There’s still a long way to go before Ryu will make it back to the big league mound, but he is set to increase his pitch output in another simulated outing on Tuesday. The club will hope that the quality southpaw can keep some positive momentum going, as he has progressed somewhat slower than expected from his shoulder labrum surgery.

NL East Notes: Wheeler, Teheran, Kolek, Phillies

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Mets right-hander Zack Wheeler, who is recovering from 2015 Tommy John surgery, will have a minor surgical procedure to remove an undissolved stitch that remains in his elbow, reports Adam Rubin of ESPN New York. The minor surgery will slow Wheeler’s recovery by about two weeks, Rubin notes, but it is not considered serious in nature. The lingering stitch was the lone issue that appeared on a recent MRI that Wheeler underwent as a checkup, and the test was otherwise “super clean,” per Rubin’s source. Wheeler’s target date for a big league return is July 1.

Here’s more from the division…

  • The Braves have sought a pre-arbitration bat that they can insert into the middle portion of their lineup in trade talks for right-hander Julio Teheran, writes ESPN’s Jim Bowden in an early rundown of some potential 2016 trade candidates. The Cubs were an oft-cited potential trade partner for the Braves this offseason, and Bowden again lists them as a speculative fit, noting that either Jorge Soler or Javier Baez could hold appear. Of course, in addition to the fact that it’s extremely rare for trades of that magnitude to occur in April, the Cubs are also still waiting to learn the full extent of Kyle Schwarber’s left leg injury. (A prolonged absence for Schwarber would make it more difficult for Chicago to part with Soler.) Nonetheless, it’s worth keeping in mind as the season wears on; Teheran is controlled through 2019 for a total of $29.6MM, and his contract includes a $12MM club option for the 2020 season.
  • Marlins president of baseball operations Michael Hill confirmed top prospect Tyler Kolek’s Tommy John surgery and elaborated on the injury a bit, as MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro reports. “It was a complete tear of the [ulnar collateral] ligament,” Hill said. “They said there were no issues, that surgery went well, and now he’s on the road to recovery.” Kolek had been tabbed to open the season at Class-A Greensboro before eventually moving up to the Class-A Advanced Florida State League, but he’ll now be on the shelf for 12 to 18 months as he recovers, Frisaro writes.
  • After David Hernandez and Dalier Hinojosa each blew their first save opportunities of the season for the Phillies, manager Pete Mackanin tells reporters, including MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki, that fellow righty Jeanmar Gomez is next in line for a save opportunity. “We’re auditioning,” said Mackanin, who is in his first full season as Philadelphia’s skipper. “We’ve got to find out. It’s a daily question. Why not Gomez? Let’s see what he can do.” Hernandez was signed with the idea that he could potentially fill the ninth-inning role for the Phils, and it’s worth noting that his second appearance was a clean inning with much-improved velocity. However, for the time being, there’s little clarity in the Phillies’ ninth-inning scene. (On a related note: fantasy players looking to monitor the situation and other ninth-inning scenarios around the league can follow MLBTR’s @closernews Twitter account for daily updates on saves-related news.)

East Notes: Smith, Castillo, Howard, Gomez, Chacin

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Red Sox righty Carson Smith will return to the mound for work on Sunday, MLB.com’s Ian Browne reports. Smith, who is on the DL with a strained flexor mass muscle, seems to be on track to avoid a lengthy absence. Manager John Farrell said that Smith has had an “encouraging” week and is “progressing at a good rate right now.” The club plans to handle Smith’s build-up with care, as you’d expect with a young pitcher who is both an important future and near-term asset, but his return will be important for the Red Sox relief corps.

Here’s more from the eastern divisions:

  • Though he’s not in line for much playing time at present, Red Sox outfielder Rusney Castillo will remain with the major league club for the time being, Farrell tells Jason Mastrodonato of the Boston Herald. “I won’t rule out that it might come up in conversation as we go forward,” said Farrell, “but we’re not there yet.” The Boston manager acknowledged that it’s “a tough spot” for the 28-year-old, who lost a chance to seize upon a significant role this spring. At some point, if he’s stuck to the bench, the Sox will presumably need to consider a minor league assignment to give Castillo some consistent plate appearances.
  • Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard is staying positive despite his own part-time role, Ryan Lawrence of the Philly Voice writes. The veteran slugger says that he understands the team’s position, explaining that “the only thing you can do is stay positive and take advantage of your opportunities when you get them.” Manager Pete Mackanin says that the club will open the year with a traditional platoon of the left-handed-hitting Howard and righty Darin Ruf, but plans to remain flexible in allowing performance to dictate things as the season progresses.
  • Though it’s early, the Phillies are already moving through the line of possible closers, with Jeanmar Gomez likely next up for a chance, MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki reports. Dalier Hinojosa and David Hernandez have both failed to hold late-inning leads in the early action, leaving Gomez as the next man up — at least for now. “We’re auditioning,” Mackanin said. “We’ve got to find out. It’s a daily question. Why not Gomez? Let’s see what he can do.”
  • The Braves plan to add righty Jhoulys Chacin to the active and 40-man roster in time to make a start on Tuesday, David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. As expected, Atlanta had been carrying an extra reliever while waiting for the fifth starter’s spot to come due.

Prospect Notes, Draft, Groome, Jackson, Braves, Allard, Zimmer

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Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports advocates for a modification to the draft slotting system, suggesting that the current incentives are tilted too strongly in favor of trying to achieve the first-overall pick and its attendant bonus. He cites the fact that the gap between the pool allotment for the first choice and the tenth in the coming draft has grown by over $1MM from what it was when the new rules went in place back in 2012. It seems fair to point out that the relative difference in slot value — 62.5% — remains constant, though of course it’s still certainly arguable that tweaks could reduce any urge to race to the bottom.

Here are some prospect notes from around the league:

  • With the top draft choice and a big bonus pool available this summer, the Phillies face a critical decision, and the organization won’t be making it without intense preparation. New Jersey high-school lefty Jacob Groome has received plenty of attention from around the game, and Philadelphia intends to watch every single one of his starts, Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer tweets. Indeed, GM Matt Klentak was on hand for Groome’s first outing of the year, as were ESPN.com’s Keith Law and Eric Longenhagen (Insider link), who were impressed by the young southpaw’s three-pitch mix — in particular, his polished curveball. While it’s rare to see high school hurlers go 1-1, it seems Groome has a chance to become only fourth to receive that honor.
  • The Mariners have taken the unusual step of opening prospect Alex Jackson in extended Spring Training, as Baseball America’s J.J. Cooper writes. While the 20-year-old struggled quite a bit at the Class A level, Cooper says it’s still a nearly-unprecedented move. Seattle farm chief Andy McKay explains that Jackson impressed in camp, but nevertheless will await promotion until his “performance is consistent and predictable and a foundation of the work ethic is beneath it.” The organization is attempting to instill a philosophy in which “your performance will dictate the level you play at,” adds McKay.
  • As Cooper further writes, slow progress up the organizational chain is generally not a good sign for prospects. While it takes quite a bit more than lower-level success to make a big league career, delayed promotion timelines often reflect other failures in development that are reflected in the future.
  • Cooper also takes an extended look at an extensively-rebuilt Braves’ system. While the trades have garnered much of the attention — and succeeded in filling the minor-league ranks with a variety of intriguing talents — the organization has also brought back many familiar faces to its staff. GM John Coppolella says that the club “took a short view for too long,” particularly in the pitching department. “Frontline starting pitching—that’s what we lacked,” Coppolella said. “We had good pitching, but not great pitching.” Cooper details the combination of upside, risk, and volume percolating upward in a lengthy piece that’s essential reading for Atlanta fans.
  • Young lefty Kolby Allard is one notable arm on the Braves’ farm, and he’s steadily but surely working to return from back surgery, as MLB.com’s Mark Bowman reports. The hope is that he’ll be ready to begin facing live hitters later this month and make it to the low minors in late May, but the organization is taking things slowly. “I feel better than what they are letting me do, but I’ve just got to trust the process,” Allard said. “I wish I could be out there earlier, but I’ve just got to trust [the Braves’ medical staff] and what they’re doing.”
  • Meanwhile, top young Royals righty Kyle Zimmer is experiencing shoulder issues this spring and will be delayed in reporting to Triple-A, as MLB.com’s Jeffrey Flanagan reports. Kansas City is expressing an optimistic view of things, but will obviously exercise caution after Zimmer showed a sudden velocity dip late in camp — particularly given his preexisting medical history. Assistant GM J.J. Picollo explains: “He needs more time before he’s ready to get out. [His] shoulder has been a little erratic — some great days and some so-so days, so we slowed him up.”

Contract Notes: Francoeur, O’Flaherty, Ogando, Guthrie, Joba, Byrd

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There are some more contractual matters to run down for players who made rosters on minor league deals. These all come courtesy of Jon Heyman of MLB Network, and all links are to Heyman’s Twitter account.

  • Outfielder Jeff Francoeur is set to earn $1MM with the Braves after cracking the team’s Opening Day roster. He can also add another million via incentives in his contract. Francoeur received a hero’s welcome at Turner Field on Monday for his return to the organization with which he entered the league with much fanfare. At this stage, of course, the veteran is likely to serve as a fourth outfielder and bench bat.
  • Under the contract he originally signed with the Pirates — which the Braves acquired in a late-spring trade — lefty Eric O’Flaherty will earn a $1.75MM base salary and can add to that via unspecified incentives. O’Flaherty had eight strikeouts against just two walks in his 9 2/3 innings of spring action with Pittsburgh, but also allowed 15 hits and eight runs (though only three were earned). Of course, like Francoeur, he’s a former Atlanta standout who’s coming home in 2016.
  • Braves right-hander Alexi Ogando is in line for $2MM this year after he earned a pen job. He’ll also have the chance to tack on another $1.5MM if he can reach unreported milestones. (Previous reporting had suggested Ogando could only earn $1MM extra.) Ogando is looking for a bounceback after advanced metrics suggested he was actually rather fortunate to post a 3.99 ERA last year.
  • If and when he is called up to the Padres, veteran righty Jeremy Guthrie will pitch at a $1.25MM rate. Guthrie, who’ll turn 37 on Friday, joined on with San Diego after he failed to make the Rangers and opted out of his deal. Despite a rough 2015, Guthrie has a solid track record of delivering innings at the back of the rotation, and figures to have a shot at making some more MLB starts if and when a need arises.
  • Indians righty Joba Chamberlain will not only play at a $1MM base salary, but can earn up to $2MM via incentives. Chamberlain, 30, was a somewhat surprising choice to make the Cleveland pen after he allowed seven walks in his ten spring innings, though he did strike out eight while allowing only three earned runs. He was already coming off of a subpar campaign the season prior, though some advanced metrics (in particular, SIERA) viewed him as a still-useful pitcher and he did have a strong 2014 under his belt.
  • Finally, in addition to his previously-reported $1MM salary, Marlon Byrd can earn up to $2.5MM in incentives with the Indians. But he has agreed to an advanced consent clause that would allow Cleveland to dodge the bulk of its potential obligations if it cuts him loose within the contractually-specified number of days of Opening Day (the maximum advanced-consent length is 45 days, but it remains unreported in this case). Byrd could play an important role in the Indians’ outfield mix, as he has continued to mash left-handed pitching, but he’ll likely function in a platoon role.

Roster Notes: Brewers, Weeks, Abad, Phillies, Ramos, Pena

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Here’s a roundup of today’s notable roster decisions….

  • The Brewers announced that the contracts of right-hander Blaine Boyer and left-hander Chris Capuano have been selected.  Both pitchers were told they had made the team earlier this week, and the moves are now official that Milwaukee has created some corresponding roster space.  Sean Nolin and Yhonathan Barrios were both moved to the 60-day DL, while Will Smith was placed on the 15-day DL.
  • The Diamondbacks selected Rickie Weeks’ contract, the team announced.  Weeks, looking to rebound from a disastrous 2015 season, signed a minors contract with Arizona last month.  The D’Backs placed A.J. Pollock and Josh Collmenter on the 15-day DL in corresponding moves.
  • The Twins selected the contract of Fernando Abad, the team announced.  The southpaw signed a minor league deal with Minnesota in December after the A’s non-tendered him.  Abad posted a 4.15 ERA last season, with some unfriendly advanced metrics and uncharacteristically poor results against left-handed hitters.
  • The Phillies finalized their 25-man roster, announcing that they have selected the contracts of lefty James Russell, infielder Emmanuel Burriss and outfielder Cedric Hunter.  In corresponding moves, Cody Asche and Michael Mariot were put on the 15-day DL retroactive to March 25, and Matt Harrison, Aaron Altherr and Mario Hollands were each placed on the 60-day DL.
  • Left-hander Cesar Ramos has accepted an assignment to the Rangers’ Triple-A affiliate to begin the season, Rangers executive VP of communications John Blake tweeted.  Ramos signed a minor league deal with Texas in January after being somewhat surprisingly non-tendered by the Angels.
  • Cardinals backup catcher Brayan Pena will begin the season on the DL and will require surgery to remove a body from his left knee, MLB.com’s Jenifer Langosch writes (Twitter links). That means the Cardinals will add minor-league signee Eric Fryer to their roster to serve as their backup catcher until Pena can return, which should take two to four weeks. The 30-year-old Fryer played most of last season with Triple-A Rochester in the Twins system, batting .293/.367/.360. He’s appeared in bits of five big-league seasons with the Pirates and Twins.
  • Outfielder Jabari Blash, a Rule 5 pick from the Mariners, has made the Padres’ Opening Day roster, AJ Cassavell of MLB.com tweets. The 26-year-old Blash batted an impressive .271/.370/.576 and 32 homers in a 2015 season split between Double-A Jackson and Triple-A Tacoma, then followed that with a decent spring in which he hit .204 but with four homers and eight walks in 59 plate appearances. The Padres also announced that fellow outfielder Travis Jankowski has made the team.
  • The Rays have selected the contract of lefty Dana Eveland and optioned righty Andrew Bellatti and outfielder Mikie Mahtook, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times writes (Twitter links). The moves also mean righty Danny Farquhar has made the team. The 32-year-old Eveland pitched only briefly in the Majors last season, but got good results for three different Triple-A teams, posting a 1.95 ERA, 7.3 K/9 and 2.3 BB/9 in 55 1/3 innings.
  • The Braves have announced their Opening Day roster. The Braves were already in MLBTR’s pages today as they designated Michael Bourn and Emilio Bonifacio for assignment and selected the contracts of Drew Stubbs and Alexi Ogando. In addition, they reassigned Jhoulys Chacin to Triple-A Gwinnett. The idea, via David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (on Twitter), is that he’ll make one start there and then join the Braves when they need a fifth starter, which should be April 12. Notable names who made the team include righty Dan Winkler, a 2014 Rule 5 pick, along with rookie righties Jose Ramirez and John Gant.

Braves Designate Michael Bourn For Assignment

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The Braves have designated outfielder Michael Bourn for assignment, David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes (Twitter links). They also selected the contracts of outfielder Drew Stubbs and reliever Alexi Ogando. The Braves signed Stubbs to a minor-league deal earlier this week, adding the veteran to a crowded outfield picture, and Stubbs’ addition as a potential backup center fielder likely made the Braves feel Bourn (and Emilio Bonifacio, who was also cut this morning) no longer had much use for them.

As O’Brien points out, the Braves’ two highest-paid players this year will be Bourn and Nick Swisher, both of whom are now gone. Of course, some of Bourn’s $14MM and Swisher’s $15MM will be paid by the Indians, who signed both players before sending them to Atlanta for Chris Johnson in an exchange of bad contracts. Bourn is in the last year of his deal — he has a vesting option for 2017, but almost certainly won’t get enough plate appearances this season for it to vest.

Bourn’s decline since signing that contract in early 2013 has been swift. His hitting has declined from .274/.348/.391 in 2012 to .238/.310/.282 last year, and his once-terrific defense has declined, too — UZR, for example, rated Bourn as 23.3 runs above average in center in 2012 and 2.5 runs below last season. Perhaps that shouldn’t be surprising, since outfield defense doesn’t seem to age particularly well. Whatever the case, Bourn no longer served an obvious purpose on a rebuilding Braves team already featuring plenty of outfielders, including Ender Inciarte, Nick Markakis, Hector Olivera, Jeff Francoeur and Stubbs.

Braves Designate Emilio Bonifacio For Assignment

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The Braves have designated infielder/outfielder Emilio Bonifacio for assignment, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s David O’Brien tweets. Bonifacio signed a one-year, $1.25MM deal with the team in December. Nonetheless, the Braves had other options they liked better in camp, and Bonifacio’s fate was likely sealed by Jeff Francoeur making the team and the Braves adding Drew Stubbs in a late-breaking move.

Bonifacio played sparingly for the White Sox in 2015, but collected 426 plate appearances in 2014, some of those with the Braves after arriving in a July trade. In the last three seasons, he’s batted .243/.291/.325 in 969 plate appearances while playing second, third, shortstop and all three outfield positions.

NL Notes: Jansen, Sky Sox, Braves

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Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen won’t discuss an extension during the season, which means he’s highly likely to test free agency next winter, Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times writes. Jansen says there are currently no discussions between the two sides. “I’m not going to talk about it,” he says. “I’ll just want to talk about that in October.” The Dodgers reportedly did not discuss a long-term contract with Jansen while they were reaching their arbitration-avoiding $10.65MM deal with him in January. As MLBTR’s Mark Polishuk pointed out at the time, top Dodgers exec Andrew Friedman tended to focus on cheaper relief pitching when he was with the Rays. The Dodgers do, however, have a much bigger budget, despite their relatively thrifty offseason, and their interest in Aroldis Chapman before revelations of his domestic violence issue this past winter perhaps indicates somewhat of a willingness to pay heavily for a top reliever. Jansen certainly fits into the “top reliever” category, given his 2.41 ERA with a spectacular 13.8 K/9 and 1.4 BB/9 last year and his long track record of success. Here’s more from the National League.

  • The Colorado Springs Sky Sox, currently the Brewers’ Triple-A affiliate, will soon meet with San Antonio’s city council to discuss potential plans to move the franchise there, Brent Briggeman of the Colorado Springs Gazette writes. “If the City of San Antonio, the 37th largest TV market in the country, calls and says they would like to talk about a downtown stadium and the possibility of bringing Triple-A Baseball to San Antonio, it would be imprudent as business owners not to listen,” say the Sky Sox in a statement. The move would, apparently, be contingent upon San Antonio building a downtown ballpark appropriate for Triple-A baseball. The Elmore Sports Group, which owns the Sky Sox, also owns the Double-A San Antonio Missions, currently a Padres affiliate. The Sky Sox have been in Colorado Springs for nearly three decades, serving as the Rockies’ longtime Triple-A home most of that time before a recent switch to the Brewers.
  • Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez expresses concern about the team’s bullpen in a three-part Q+A with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s David O’Brien (1, 2, 3). Gonzalez expresses confidence in the ability of both Arodys Vizcaino and Jason Grilli to close, and expresses a level of comfort with veterans Jim Johnson and Eric O’Flaherty. He does, however, hope that the team can improve its performance in the middle innings this season. Gonzalez says he doesn’t feel any more pressure than usual given that this will be the Braves’ last season in Turner Field before moving into a new ballpark next year. “I think you can do both – I think you can develop [young players] and I think you can win games,” he says. “I’m not going to say we’re going to go out and win 110 games or any of that crazy stuff, but as far as pressure I don’t feel any different from any other year.”
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