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Draft Signings: 6/18/16

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Here are the latest notable draft signings from around the majors:

  • The Nationals have signed second-round shortstop Sheldon Neuse to a below-slot pact, tweets Jim Callis of MLB.com. Neuse will rake in $900K, down from the $1,107,000 allotted to the 58th pick. The righty-swinging Neuse profiles as a third baseman, according to Callis, who adds that he can hit 94 mph on the mound.
  • The Pirates have agreed to a below-slot deal with second-round pick Travis MacGregor, according to Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com (Twitter link). MacGregor will receive $900K, which is $48,900 less than the value of his pick (68th overall). Baseball America rated the high school right-hander from Florida as the 186th-best prospect available in the draft, noting that the Clemson commit has bumped his fastball velocity from the high-80s into the low-90s; he also possesses an average changeup and some feel for a breaking ball.
  • The Twins have agreed to sign supplemental second-rounder Jose Miranda and 11th-round choice Tyler Benninghoff, writes Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com. Miranda, a Puerto Rican shortstop, will land $775K. That’s a good deal less than the value of the 73rd pick ($878,500). BA had Miranda as the 113th-ranked player in the draft and praised his offensive abilities, though the outlet expects him to move to second or third base. Benninghoff, BA’s 201st-rated prospect, will collect the highest bonus ($600K) thus far of anyone outside of this year’s first 10 rounds. An early season biceps injury weighed down the Missouri high school righty, who BA notes had the potential to go in the first five rounds had he stayed healthy.
  • The Angels have signed fourth-rounder Chris Rodriguez, the 126th pick, to a significantly above-slot deal. Rodriguez will collect $850K – not the $464,300 his selection called for – according to Callis (Twitter link). The high school righty from Florida earned the 162nd overall ranking from BA, which Rodriguez impressed with his 93 to 95 mph fastball and hard slider.
  • The White Sox have agreed to a $700K deal with sixth-round shortstop Luis Curbelo, per Callis (on Twitter). That’s a far cry from the $286,700 value of the 176th choice. Callis is bullish on the Florida high schooler’s pop at the plate and plus arm, and believes he could be a major league third baseman.
  • Third-rounder Aaron Civale has signed a below-slot contract with the Indians, tweets Callis. The Northeastern right-hander, who went 92nd (worth $655,500), will get $625K. Civale’s best offering is his cutter, says Callis.
  • The Athletics have agreed to an above-slot deal with fourth-round pick Skylar Szynski, a high school right-hander from Indiana, reports Callis (Twitter link). As the 112th pick, Szynski was in line for a $531,500 bonus, but the A’s will give him $1MM. Szynski sits 90 to 95 mph with his fastball, complementing that pitch with a hard curve and a changeup, according to Callis.
  • Third-round shortstop Stephen Alemais, a Tulane product, has signed a below-slot deal with the Pirates, Callis tweets. Alemais will receive $500K, which is $68,400 less than the worth of the 105th pick. The contact-hitting Alemais should be able to stay at short, notes Callis.
  • The White Sox have signed third-rounder Alex Call for $719,100, the exact value of his pick (No. 86), relays Callis (Twitter link). The Ball State outfielder mixes pop at the plate with solid running ability and a capable arm, with Callis adding that he has the potential to play center in the majors.
  • The Rangers have signed fourth-rounder Charles LeBlanc for $415K, which is $36K below the slot value of his pick – the 129th selection – tweets Mayo. BA ranked the shortstop from Pitt as the 452nd-best player available in this year’s draft, lauding his bat but questioning whether the 6-foot-4 LeBlanc will be able to stick at short.

Twins Designate Oswaldo Arcia

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The Twins have designated outfielder Oswaldo Arcia for assignment, MLB.com’s Rhett Bollinger was among those to report on Twitter. His roster spot will go to Danny Santana, who was activated from the DL.

[Related: Updated Twins depth chart]

Arcia only just turned 25, and isn’t long removed from being an above-average hitter in a semi-regular role. Indeed, he popped twenty home runs in 2014. But Arcia has long been considered a marginal defender, and he hasn’t been quite as productive at the plate of late.

In 114 plate appearances this year at the major league level, Arcia owns a .214/.289/.369 slash with four home runs. That comes on the heels of a 2015 campaign in which Arcia spent most of his time playing poorly at Triple-A.

All said, it’s a disappointing turn of events for both team and player. With no options remaining, Arcia needed to perform well enough to keep a roster spot this year, and that obviously hasn’t occurred.

Arcia could draw interest on the trade market or be claimed if he makes it to waivers. The question, really, is whether any team is willing to utilize a 40-man spot and put him onto an active roster. With just over two years of major league service entering the year, Arcia is playing at just over the league minimum and can be controlled for three more seasons via arbitration.

Draft Signings: 6/16/2016

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There are a lot of notable draft deals to work through from the last two days. Among them:

  • Blue Jays second-rounder Bo Bichette announced that he’s signed a deal, which Chris Cotillo of SB Nation tweets is for a $1.1MM bonus. A son of long-time big leaguer Dante Bichette, the high-school shortstop landed above the $978,600 value at the 66th overall pick. Fellow second-rounder J.B. Woodman inked for $975K, Callis adds on Twitter. An outfielder from Mississippi, he also will deliver some savings to Toronto. The 57th selection came with a $1.124MM slot value. The Jays also added third-round pick Zach Jackson, Callis tweets. The Arkansas righty signed for $540K, leaving the team with $45,100 in savings.
  • Another second-round pick who’s ready for a minor league assignment is C.J. Chatham, who goes to the Red Sox for $1.1MM, per MLB.com (via Twitter). Chosen 51st overall, the Florida Atlantic shortstop rated just outside the top 100 per Baseball America. His signing saves the club $132,800 against the slot value.
  • The Brewers agreed with second-rounder Lucas Erceg for $1.15MM, Callis reports on Twitter. The Menlo College third baseman rated 47th on the draft board of ESPN.com’s Keith Law. He was taken 46th overall, which came with an allocation of $1,386,900.
  • The Twins are in agreement with second-rounder Ben Rortvedt on a $900K bonus, per another Callis tweet. Minnesota saves $241,600 against the slot value while adding the Wisconsin high school backstop. Cotillo tweets that Twins third-rounder Griffin Jax, a righty from the Air Force Academy, has agreed to an at-slot, $645.6K bonus.
  • The Dodgers agreed to a $590,800 bonus with second-round pick Mitch White, MLB.com’s Jim Callis tweets. The Santa Clara righty ended up going for over $400K less than the 65th pick’s pool allocation, so Los Angeles can put that money to work in other areas.
  • Rays third-round choice Austin Franklin signed for a $600K bonus that falls a bit shy of the $676,200 slot value, Callis tweets. Franklin is a high-school righty out of Florida.
  • The Royals have an above-slot deal with third-rounder Khalil Lee, SB Nation’s Chris Cotillo tweets, though the exact bonus isn’t known. Taken with the 103rd selection, the Virginia high school outfielder rated 121st on BA’s board.
  • The Athletics have locked up third-rounder Sean Murphy for an at-slot, $753,100 bonus, Callis tweets. Baseball America had rated him 63rd among draft-eligible prospects, but Oakland got him with the 83rd pick.
  • Bryson Brigman appears to be in agreement with the Mariners for $700K, just under the $708,200 slot value, per a tweet from Bob Dutton of the Tacoma News Tribune. A shortstop from the University of San Diego, Brigman went 87th overall.
  • The Giants have given an at-slot, $625,900 bonus to Heath Quinn, Callis tweets. The power-hitting Samford outfielder was taken with the team’s third-round selection.
  • The Cardinals signed fourth-rounder Jeremy Martinez, a catcher from the University of Southern California, for $600K, Chris Cotillo of SB Nation tweets. That lands over the $421,600 allocation that came with the 136th selection in the draft.
  • Brewers fourth-round selection Corbin Burnessigned for a slot bonus of $536,400, Callis tweets. A righty from St. Mary’s, Burnes took the 57th slot on the Baseball America draft chart on the basis of improving velocity and the possibility of sticking as a starter.

Glen Perkins Receiving Another Opinion On Injured Shoulder

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Twins closer Glen Perkins hasn’t pitched in a game since early April and has now suffered a pair of setbacks in his rehab, prompting him to head to Los Angeles to receive a third opinion on his shoulder from renowned orthopedist Dr. Neal ElAttrache, as Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press tweeted yesterday. Perkins himself joined Phil Mackey of 1500 ESPN on the radio yesterday and offered a candid and fairly bleak update on his efforts to return from a left shoulder strain (links to Twitter): “I can’t throw a ball more than fifty percent off a mound without pain.” Perkins, according to Mackey, had an MRI in Minneapolis yesterday before heading out to see ElAttrache.

As 1500 ESPN’s Derek Wetmore writes, Perkins described the injury to Mackey in more detail during the interview, citing a “stabbing” sensation in his shoulder and expressing frustration that he appears to have actually taken a step backward in each of his attempts to throw a bullpen session. “I don’t have a good feeling about it but hopefully that’ll be proven wrong,” Perkins said of today’s appointment. Suffice it to say, the Twins don’t appear to be in position to get their top reliever healthy at any point in the near future. Back in April, team doctors and an outside second opinion agreed that surgery wasn’t necessary to repair Perkins’ shoulder, but the prolonged absence and multiple setbacks are unequivocal red flags. Wetmore notes that GM Terry Ryan said on Sunday that there wasn’t yet any consideration of shutting Perkins down for the season

Perkins, a former first-round pick (22nd overall in 2004), toiled as a starter for the early portion of his career before emerging as a lockdown setup man in 2011 and ultimately rising to claim the team’s closer role midway through the 2012 season. From 2011-13, he was somewhat quietly one of baseball’s best relievers, recording a 2.45 ERA with 10.2 K/9 against 2.4 BB/9 in 194 2/3 innings. Neck and back injuries have shortened each of his past two seasons, and he’s appeared in just two games in 2016. Perkins is earning $6.3MM with another $6.5MM guaranteed for the 2017 season. Minnesota also carries a $6.5MM club option on him for the 2018 season (his age-35 campaign), which comes with a $700K buyout.

Had the Twins performed up to expectations this season, perhaps there’d be cause for Perkins to attempt to rush back to the mound more aggressively, but Minnesota’s current 20-43 record and last-place standing in the AL Central gives both the team and Perkins every reason to exercise caution. Minnesota has used Kevin Jepsen at closer for the majority of the season in his absence, but while Jepsen filled in well for Perkins in 2015, he’s struggling through one of the worst seasons of his career in 2016. Minnesota has recently installed minor league signees Brandon Kintzler and Fernando Abad as a closer committee.

Central Notes: Stearns, Braun, Pirates, Burnett, Shaw

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Here are some news items from both the NL and AL Central…

  • In an interview with Jim Duquette and Jim Bowden on MLB Network Radio on Sirius XM (audio link), Brewers GM David Stearns discussed that his team’s plan “at this stage [is to] acquire and develop the best young talent we possibly can,” and thus if teams come calling about Milwaukee’s young players, Stearns would want an “exceptionally high” return.  Stearns, however, didn’t exactly say that this makes a veteran player like Jonathan Lucroy or Ryan Braun more likely to dealt.  In fact, he noted that the possibility of trading Braun hasn’t been something that he’s had to seriously consider in his brief time as Milwaukee’s GM, and “there is no motivation for us to move…an elite-level player.”  That said, Stearns did say he’d already talked to both Braun and Lucroy about the trade rumors circling around both men and said he’d keep them appraised of any developments should they arise.  Stearns expects “active discussions” leading up to the trade deadline he said the Brewers “are in a situation where we need to be open-minded and we need to be open to any possibility.”
  • If the Cubs keep running away with the NL Central, ESPN’s Buster Olney (subscription required) feels the Pirates may focus on deadline acquisitions that can help them in 2017, as reaching the coin flip that is the Wild Card game isn’t worth giving up substantial talent for a short-term rental.
  • While the Pirates may have a need at catcher, both Clint Hurdle and Neal Huntington felt John Jaso’s past concussion history ruled him out of consideration for work behind the plate, Bill Brink of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette tweets.  Chris Stewart and the newly-acquired Erik Kratz look to handle the catching duties while Francisco Cervelli is on the disabled list.
  • It doesn’t appear that Sean Burnett will exercise his June 15 opt-out clause even he isn’t on the Twins’ Major League roster, Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports (via Twitter).  Burnett signed a minor league contract with Minnesota in May, his fourth minors deal with as many clubs since November following prior agreements with the Braves, Dodgers and Nationals.  The veteran southpaw has a 2.66 ERA over 20 1/3 relief innings at Triple-A this season as he looks to return to the bigs for the first time since undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2014.
  • Bryan Shaw had another tough outing on Saturday, leading Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer to wonder if the Indians need to look for a more reliable setup man at the deadline.  Shaw’s season has been a roller-coaster, going from a terrible April to lights-out in May and thus far shaky in June, all adding up to a 5.18 ERA, 9.25 K/9 and 3.33 BB/9 over 24 1/3 innings.  Shaw’s main problem has been the long ball, as his whopping 2.2 HR/9 is more than triple his career average prior to this season.

Twins Claim Neil Ramirez

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The Twins have claimed right-handed reliever Neil Ramirez off waivers from the Brewers and transferred Phil Hughes (knee) to the 60-day DL, Mike Berardino of the Pioneer Press was among those to report (Twitter links).

Ramirez, 27, threw just 1 2/3 innings during his brief stint with the Brewers, who claimed him off waivers from the Cubs on May 31. In his time with those two teams this season, Ramirez yielded a combined six earned runs, three home runs and eight walks in 9 1/3 innings. The former 44th overall pick isn’t far removed from major league success, however. As a member of the Cubs from 2014-15, Ramirez totaled 57 2/3 frames of 1.87 ERA pitching, also posting an excellent 10.6 K/9 and a decent 3.6 BB/9 along the way. Ramirez has dealt with multiple injuries, though, and his fastball velocity has dropped as a result. He’ll now join a Twins bullpen that ranks fourth from the bottom in ERA (4.61), although the unit has the league’s fifth-best K/BB ratio (3.18).

Ramirez entered the season with 1.158 years of major league service time, meaning he comes with four more years of control. That also makes him a likely Super Two candidate this winter.

Twins Place Phil Hughes, Trevor May On Disabled List

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SATURDAY: Hughes has a fracture in his knee and will be out six to eight weeks, Phil Miller of the Star Tribune tweets.

FRIDAY: The Twins have placed right-handers Phil Hughes and Trevor May on the disabled list and, in a pair of corresponding moves, have activated fellow righty Kyle Gibson from the DL and promoted right-hander J.T. Chargois from Triple-A Rochester. Hughes lands on the DL with a left knee contusion suffered upon being struck by a line drive last night against the Marlins, whereas May is suffering from back spasms, per the team. Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press first reported Chargois’ promotion.

While the 29-year-old Hughes will technically be placed on the DL due to the knee issue, it’s been more than a full season since Minnesota saw him at his best. Hughes initially signed a three-year, $24MM contract prior to the 2014 season and proceeded to have a breakout year, totaling 209 2/3 innings of 3.52 ERA ball with 7.98 K/9 against 0.69 BB/9. His 11.63 K-to-BB ratio was the best single-season mark posted by a starting pitcher in Major League history, and the Twins saw fit to reward his breakout with an additional three years and $42MM the following December. Hughes has been a different pitcher since that 2014 campaign, however, pitching to a combined 4.83 ERA with 5.4 K/9 against 1.2 BB/9.

Last season, he spent more than a month on the disabled list due to back issues, and his velocity has taken a notable hit in each season since the aforementioned breakout. After averaging better than 92 mph on his heater in 2014, Hughes averaged 90.7 mph in 2015 and has averaged just 90.5 mph in 2016. Whether it’s a dip in velocity, decreased precision from that historic ’14 season or some combination of the two that has led to Hughes’ rapid decline, he hasn’t given the Twins the type of performance they’d hoped upon extending him, and his regression has played a role in the team’s poor start to the 2016 campaign.

Regression from May, too, has plagued the Twins. The former top prospect and starter-turned-setup-man was a genuine weapon for the Twins upon a move from the rotation to the ’pen last season. May, 26, posted a 2.87 ERA in 31 1/3 relief innings for Minnesota last season to go along with a 37-to-8 K/BB ratio. He came out of the gates arguably even better in 2016, recording a 1.89 ERA with a 27-to-8 K/BB ratio through his first 19 innings, but he’s become exceptionally homer prone as of late, leading to dreadful results. Since May 13, the right-hander has been tagged for four homers in just 7 2/3 innings, resulting in a ghastly 16.43 ERA. All told, May has an unsightly 6.08 ERA in 26 2/3 innings this season. While homers have been the primary reason — his xFIP, which normalizes homer-to-flyball ratio, is a perfectly palatable 3.31 — it’s possible that May’s back spasms have prevented him from finishing pitches.

In Chargois, the Twins are promoting one of their most intriguing bullpen prospects. The former second-round pick’s journey to the Majors was slowed by Tommy John surgery, but he brings with him a fastball that can reach triple-digit velocity ratings and a highly impressive resume between Double-A and Triple-A. Chargois has totaled 24 innings between those two levels this season and posted a 1.12 ERA with a 34-to-9 K/BB ratio. Baseball America rated him 15th among Twins farmhands this offseason, calling more of a pitcher than a thrower in spite of his blistering velocity and offering some praise for his slider and changeup as well.

Gibson, 28, was rocked in his first four starts of the season and has been on the shelf since mid-April. If he’s healthy enough to resemble the 2015 version of himself — 3.84 ERA, 6.7 K/9, 3.1 BB/9, 53.4 percent ground-ball rate — he’d be a boon to a Twins rotation that ranks last in the Majors in ERA (5.51), as it did in 2013 and 2014.

AL Central Notes: Rollins, Ventura, Nunez

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Following his DFA from the White Sox, Jimmy Rollins hopes to continue his career, per ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick (Twitter link). Crasnick speculates that Rollins could make a nice addition as a bench piece for a contender, which seems like a reasonable role for him at this juncture of his career. Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle, meanwhile, tweets that Rollins, a Bay Area native, hasn’t been interested in playing for the Giants in the past but has long been open to the idea of playing for the Athletics, for whom he grew up cheering.

A few more notes pertaining to the AL Central…

  • Following up on Jeff Passan’s report from earlier this week regarding Yordano Ventura, FOX’s Ken Rosenthal wrote that he, too, heard that Ventura had been offered to other clubs in trades as recently as a couple of weeks ago. However, Rosenthal adds that when he questioned a Royals official on the matter, he was met with a reply about how perilously thin the Kansas City rotation is even with Ventura on board. That’s not a firm denial, of course, and the Royals could conceivably ask for a rotation piece back in theoretical trade scenarios. Trade talks aside, Rosenthal wrote that the Royals have spoken to Ventura about his maturity issues over and over again with seemingly little effect. The issues go beyond his fiery demeanor, Rosenthal notes, as Ventura is known to even add some dramatic flair to his pitching mechanics during games; while he looks smooth and fluid in side sessions, he’s taken to finishing with a high, exaggerated leg kick during games — a trend the Royals would like to stop. Rosenthal opines that Ventura’s career is at a crossroads, noting that he was a rock in their rotation as recently as 2015 postseason but hasn’t demonstrated a willingness to curtail his emotions.
  • Eduardo Nunez has been an unexpected bright spot in an otherwise dismal season for the Twins, writes 1500 ESPN’s Judd Zulgad, which is the precise reason that he opines the Twins should look to sell high on him this summer. Every action the Twins make from this point forth needs to be with 2017 and beyond in mind, he continues, and moving Nunez (who can be a free agent following the 2017 season) while his value is at or near its peak would return young talent and allow the Twins an extended look at top infield prospect Jorge Polanco. The Mets are one speculative trading partner for the Twins with regards to Nunez, who is batting an excellent but likely unsustainable .332/.357/.531 through 209 plate appearances this season and is capable of playing shortstop, second base, third base and left field.

AL Notes: Angels, BoSox, Twins, Rays

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Pirates third baseman David Freese spoke fondly of his two-year tenure with the Angels on Sunday and told reporters, including Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register, that he had hoped to re-sign with them last offseason. “I wanted to be an Angel. I can’t hide that,” stated Freese, who was an Angel from 2014-15. “From Day 1, I wanted to come back. I loved the guys. We had unfinished business. It just didn’t happen.” Freese said that he and the Angels discussed a return, but the team never actually made an offer. The Angels instead acquired Yunel Escobar, leaving Freese to eventually sign with Pittsburgh. Freese hit a decent .258/.322/.401 and accounted for 4.3 fWAR in 981 plate appearances with the Halos.

Elsewhere around the American League…

  • Red Sox catcher/left fielder Blake Swihart landed on the disabled list earlier today with a left ankle sprain, and manager John Farrell revealed that he won’t be back within the 15-day window. Farrell called the sprain “severe” and added that Swihart will be immobilized for two weeks, Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald was among those to report (Twitter link). With fellow left field option Brock Holt also out, the Red Sox are down to Chris Young and Rusney Castillo at the position.
  • Twins infielder Eduardo Nunez has hit a terrific .331/.359/.497 with six home runs in 193 trips to the plate this season, but manager Paul Molitor isn’t sold on the 28-year-old as an everyday long-term option for the club (via Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com). “It’s a slippery slope as far as projecting a guy into that role who has played well for a couple months,” said Molitor. “If you base it on how he’s performed, it’s easy to speculate he could be one of those guys who sheds the role as a utility guy. But I think it’s too early for that.” This has easily been Nunez’s best season in an otherwise unremarkable career since he broke into the majors with the Yankees in 2010, so Molitor’s position is certainly understandable. Nunez, to his credit, has been far better in Minnesota than he was in New York, though. Since joining the Twins in 2014, Nunez has batted .286/.318/.435 with 14 homers in 607 PAs, also chipping in 28 steals.
  • The Rays placed outfielder Brandon Guyer on the 15-day disabled list with a left hamstring strain Sunday and recalled infielder Nick Franklin from Triple-A Durham, Bill Chastain of MLB.com was among those to report (Twitter link). Guyer is now the second notable Rays outfielder to hit the DL in recent weeks, joining center fielder Kevin Kiermaier. The 30-year-old had gotten off to an excellent start pre-injury, evidenced by his .271/.365/.472 batting line in 168 PAs, and helped his cause by reaching base 15 times via the hit by pitch. That’s nothing new for Guyer, whom opposing pitchers have struck a combined 50 times since he started seeing extensive big league action in 2014. Franklin, a former well-regarded prospect with the Mariners, has spent this year in the minors after hitting an unsightly .158/.213/.307 in 109 PAs with the Rays last season.
  • Speaking of the Rays, they entered play Sunday with the second-worst record in the AL, and Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times offered some potential ways the team could save its season before it slips away. Among Topkin’s suggestions: Cut $3.3MM outfielder Desmond Jennings loose or demote him to Durham (either option could be difficult now with the Rays’ depth already having taken multiple hits), promote top pitching prospect Blake Snell and find an outside catcher solution – even if it means surrendering a significant haul for Brewers backstop Jonathan Lucroy.

Injury Notes: Hill, Gallardo, Wheeler, d’Arnaud, Simmons, Sano

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There’s a lengthy list of names whose injury situations warrant mention tonight:

  • Rich Hill will miss his next scheduled start for the Athletics, as MLB.com’s Jane Lee reports. He’s dealing with groin soreness, and while that doesn’t appear to be a major concern, manager Bob Melvin made clear that the team “want[s] to make sure he is as close to 100 percent as he can be” before putting him back on the MLB bump. Hill is both a key to Oakland’s hopes and a top potential trade chip, but he’s already recorded more major league innings this season than in any single campaign since 2007.
  • The Orioles may finally welcome back righty Yovani Gallardo late next week, as Eduardo Encina of the Baltimore Sun reports on Twitter. Baltimore hopes that he’ll be ready for activation after his next Triple-A rehab start on Tuesday, per skipper Buck Showalter. Headed in the other direction is reliever Darren O’Day, who is expected to miss something close to the minimum after hitting the 15-day DL with a hamstring strain.
  • The Mets have updated timetables for two important young players of their own, as Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com reports (here and here). Righty Zack Wheeler is not expected back until mid-July at this point. That’s a few weeks later than had been expected, but he is said to be progressing as hoped and there certainly isn’t much of a rush from the team’s perspective. The catching position is one where New York could use some help, though, and it’s certainly promising to hear that Travis d’Arnaud is ready to begin a rehab assignment this weekend. That would put him on track to return to the majors within the twenty-day period allowed for position-player rehab stints.
  • Likewise, Angels shortstop Andrelton Simmons is “close” to undertaking his own minor league assignment, as Mike Scioscia tells reporters including MLB.com’s Alden Gonzalez (via Twitter). The basement-dwelling Halos badly need Simmons not only to return, but to pick up his pace at the plate when he does.
  • Padres righty Cesar Vargas has been diagnosed with a flexor strain, per Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune (Twitter link). He won’t even get another check-up for three weeks, so it certainly seems that a fairly lengthy absence is to be expected.
  • Miguel Sano of the Twins has a moderate hamstring strain that will keep him out for longer than the 15-day minimum, per LaVelle E. Neal III of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune (via Twitter). While Minnesota’s hopes for the present season appear to have all but evaporated, Sano remains both a critical future piece and a possible factor in the team’s deadline plans. Third baseman Trevor Plouffe looks like a plausible trade piece, which could lead the way to a return to the hot corner for Sano.
  • Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeira left today’s action with right knee pain, as Chad Jennings of the LoHud Yankees blog reports. He’s headed for an MRI to get a clearer idea of the issue. Teixeira was already dealing with a neck ailment, so the health questions continue to compile for the veteran. If a DL stint is required, New York could conceivably dip into its minor league system for Chris Parmelee or Nick Swisher — either of whom would require a 40-man spot. It doesn’t help that catcher (and occasional fill-in first baseman) Brian McCann is day-to-day with some elbow pain, as Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News tweets.
  • Three-time Tommy John surgery recipient Jonny Venters is set to be activated by the Rays’ High-A affiliate on Saturday, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times tweets. The 31-year-old was once one an electric reliever for the Braves, but he last pitched professionally way back in 2012.

 

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