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Hunter Strickland

Brewers Activate Hunter Strickland, Return Blaine Hardy To Minors

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The Brewers announced they’ve activated reliever Hunter Strickland from the COVID-19 injured list. Left-hander Blaine Hardy, who was selected as a COVID replacement last week, has been removed from the 40-man roster and returned to Triple-A Nashville.

Because Hardy came up as a COVID replacement, he needn’t be passed through waivers to return to the minor leagues. The 34-year-old made one big league appearance since being selected on July 31, allowing three runs in an inning of work against the Pirates. That marked Hardy’s first big league action since 2019, as the longtime Tiger missed the entire 2020 season recovering from a Tommy John surgery. He’ll head back to Nashville, where he’s worked to a 3.50 ERA with nearly average strikeout and walk rates (22.4% and 8.9%, respectively) over 46 1/3 innings.

Reliever Jake Cousins — who landed on the COVID-19 IL ten days ago after testing positive at the same time as Strickland — is expected to be activated tomorrow, according to Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel (Twitter link). Milwaukee has a vacancy on the 40-man roster to accommodate Cousins’ forthcoming reinstatement. The Brew Crew are still without Keston Hiura, Adrian Houser, Josh Hader, Eric Lauer and Jandel Gustave because of their subsequent positive tests.

COVID Notes: 7/31/21

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The latest on coronavirus situations from around baseball…

  • Marlins manager Don Mattingly has tested positive for COVID-19, the team announced (MLB.com’s Christina De Nicola was among those to report the news).  Mattingly is experiencing some mild symptoms but has been vaccinated against the coronavirus.  Bench coach James Rowson will serve as acting manager while Mattingly is absent for the mandatory quarantine period.  Tests of other Marlins personnel revealed no other positive cases.
  • Brewers right-handers Hunter Strickland and Jake Cousins both tested positive for COVID-19, manager Craig Counsell told The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Tom Haudricourt (Twitter links) and other reporters.  Righty Jandel Gustave is also not available due to contact tracing.  No official moves have been made in regards to the COVID-related injured list or roster replacements, though newly-acquired relievers John Curtiss and Daniel Norris are both on hand and could be activated for tonight’s game.  Counsell said that Strickland and Cousins both reported mild symptoms, and both relievers have been vaccinated.

Brewers Acquire Hunter Strickland From Angels For Cash Considerations

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The Brewers have acquired right-hander Hunter Strickland from the Angels today in exchange for cash considerations. Both teams have announced the deal. The Angels had designated Strickland for assignment earlier this week.

Strickland has at various point in recent seasons provided quality bullpen work in uniform for the Mets, Nationals, Rays, Angels, and Mariners going back to 2019, when he won a World Series ring with the Nats. Prior to that, he was a steady hand out of the Giants’ pen from 2014 to 2018. The Brewers will be his third team of 2021. He has a 4.03 ERA/5.03 FIP in 22 1/3 innings with the Rays and Angels, though he particularly struggled in his short time with the Angels, giving up seven earned runs in just 6 1/3 innings of work.

To make rooom on the 40-man roster, the Brewers transferred Travis Shaw to the 60-day injured list. Shaw provided the media with an update today. He will attempt to rehab his shoulder dislocation, but if there’s not enough improvement at a certain point, he will be shut down for the year, per Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (via Twitter).

Angels Designate Hunter Strickland For Assignment

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The Angels announced that they have designated veteran right-handed reliever Hunter Strickland for assignment. In a corresponding move, the club recalled righty James Hoyt.

Strickland has only been with the Angels for a few weeks, as the team acquired him from the Rays for cash considerations or a player to be named later on May 15. At that point, Strickland owned a stingy 1.69 ERA with a 24.2 percent strikeout rate and a 9.1 percent walk rate in 16 innings, but he was unable to continue that effectiveness as an Angel. The 32-year-old now sports a 4.03 ERA with a 20 percent strikeout rate against a 10 percent walk rate through 22 1/3 frames.

The Angels could find a taker in a trade for Strickland, who has enjoyed a solid career despite recent struggles. Otherwise, considering Strickland has been outrighted in the past and has enough service time, he may elect to test free agency if he doesn’t want to join the Angels’ Triple-A affiliate.

Angels Acquire Hunter Strickland

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The Rays have traded right-handed reliever Hunter Strickland to the Angels, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports. Tampa Bay will receive cash considerations or a player to be named later in return, per an announcement from the Angels.

The 32-year-old Strickland joined the Rays on a minor league contract over the winter, and he wound up holding his own during his short stint with the club after it promoted him in early April. Strickland bounced back from a rough two years divided among the Mariners, Nationals and Mets to log a meager 1.69 ERA (with a less spectacular 3.76 SIERA) across 16 innings and post a 24.2 percent strikeout rate against a 9.1 percent walk rate as a Ray.

Strickland will now return to California, where he spent the first five years of his career in San Francisco. Over 226 frames as a Giant from 2014-18, Strickland recorded a 2.91 ERA/3.80 SIERA with a 22.6 percent strikeout rate and an 8.4 percent walk rate. Production along those lines (or the type of numbers he put up as a Ray) would be welcome for the Angels, whose bullpen has struggled mightily during their 16-21 start. Angels relievers own both the majors’ fourth-worst ERA (5.32) and K-BB percentage (10.7).

Rays Select Hunter Strickland, Place Pete Fairbanks On IL

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10:02 am: Fairbanks expects to miss around a month, he tells reporters. Cash says the righty will be shut down from throwing for two to three weeks. (Topkin links).

9:07 am: The Rays are selecting the contract of reliever Hunter Strickland, per Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times (Twitter link) and Adam Berry of MLB.com (via Twitter). Catcher Joseph Odom has been designated for assignment to open 40-man roster space. Additionally, outfielder Brett Phillips has been activated from the injured list, while right-hander Pete Fairbanks is headed to the 10-day IL with a right rotator cuff strain.

Strickland had a productive run with the Giants from 2015-18 but has fallen on hard times over the past couple seasons. He managed just a 5.55 ERA/5.01 SIERA between the Mariners and Nationals in 2019, then tallied just 3.1 innings of four-run ball with the Mets last year before being sent to the alternate training site. The hard-throwing righty signed a minors contract with Tampa Bay in February and is now in line to make his team debut.

Fairbanks’ loss is another blow to a Rays’ bullpen already without Nick Anderson and Chaz Roe for extended periods of time. It isn’t clear how long Fairbanks will be on the shelf, but a lengthy absence would deprive Tampa Bay of one of their best relievers. The 27-year-old tossed 26.2 innings of 2.70 ERA/3.48 SIERA ball in the regular season in 2020, earning manager Kevin Cash’s trust in the late innings for the postseason.

Phillips returns after opening the year on the IL due to a hamstring strain. He could see some playing time as the fourth outfielder while Kevin Kiermaier is on the shelf with a quad strain. Odom was selected to the Rays’ roster last week and went hitless in a pair of plate appearances.

Rays Sign Hunter Strickland To Minor League Contract

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The Rays recently signed right-handed reliever Hunter Strickland to a minor league contract with an invitation to major league spring training, per Danny Russell of DRaysBay (h/t: Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times).

Strickland has already appeared in the majors with four teams – the Giants, Mariners, Nationals and Mets – since his 2014 debut. He was a tremendous part of the Giants’ bullpen from 2014-17, during which he combined for 180 2/3 innings of 2.64 ERA/3.58 SIERA pitching, posted a 23.7 percent strikeout rate against a 7.9 percent walk rate, and averaged 96.5 mph on his fastball.

While Strickland looked like a high-end reliever earlier in his career, he was not nearly as effective in the previous three seasons. His fastball velocity has largely remained intact, but offenses tattooed him in 2019, when he put together career worsts in ERA (5.55) and strikeout percentage (17.1) over 24 1/3 innings between the Mariners and Nationals. The 32-year-old inked a minors deal with the Mets before last season, but he threw just 3 1/3 frames and couldn’t consistently stay on their roster during the campaign.

Minor MLB Transactions: 9/5/20

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Wrapping up some minor moves from around the game…

  • The Mets outrighted Hunter Strickland to their alternate training site, the team announced.  Strickland was designated for assignment earlier this week and cleared waivers, then accepted the outright assignment.  This is the second time the veteran hurler has been outrighted this season.  After signing a minors contract with the Mets in June, Strickland has an 8.10 ERA over 3 1/3 innings with the team.
  • In another Mets move, the Amazins released right-hander Pedro Payano, as per the MLB.com transactions page.  Payano made his Major League debut in 2019, posting a 5.73 ERA over 22 innings for the Rangers before signing a minor league deal with the Mets over the offseason.  The New York-born Payano, however, didn’t see any big league action for his hometown team in 2020.  Payano is a veteran of eight seasons in the Rangers organization, posting a 3.68 ERA, 2.46 K/BB rate, and 8.2 K/9 over 686 1/3 minor league innings (starting 125 of 142 games).
  • The Yankees released righty Adonis Rosa, the team announced.  Rosa had been pitching at the Yankees’ alternate training site.  Signing with the Yankees as a 19-year-old in 2013, Rosa has a 3.35 ERA, 3.79 K/BB rate, and 7.8 K/9 over 515 1/3 career minor league innings, starting 74 of his 114 career games in New York’s farm system.  Rosa’s MLB resume consists of a single game, a two-inning appearance on August 13, 2019.

Mets Designate Hunter Strickland

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The Mets have designated reliever Hunter Strickland and transferred infielder Eduardo Nunez to the 45-day injured list, Tim Healey of Newsday was among those to report. Those moves help make room for righty Ariel Jurado, whom the team recalled.

This is the second time this year the Mets have designated Strickland, whom they brought back to their roster Monday four weeks after his previous DFA. Strickland wound up throwing a scoreless inning with two strikeouts and a walk last night, but it wasn’t enough to keep him in the fray. The 31-year-old has now tossed 3 1/3 innings this season and yielded four runs (three earned) on five hits and four strikeouts against one walk.

Nunez, 33, has been even less of a factor for the Mets than Strickland. He totaled two at-bats on the opening weekend of the season, but Nunez has been dealing with left knee problems since then. It’s unclear whether he’ll return this year.

Mets Select Hunter Strickland; Juan Lagares Elects Free Agency

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The Mets have selected right-hander Hunter Strickland and optioned fellow righty Drew Smith, Tim Healey of Newsday was among those to report. Meanwhile, outfielder Juan Lagares has rejected an outright assignment and elected free agency.

The hard-throwing, 31-year-old Strickland is returning to the Mets exactly four weeks after they outrighted him off their roster Aug. 3. The move came after Strickland posted 2 1/3 disastrous innings across three appearances, during which he yielded four runs (three earned) on five hits. But Smith hasn’t been any better of late, as he has surrendered six runs (five earned) on six hits over 4 1/3 frames this month. Smith suffered a loss against the Yankees on Sunday when Gary Sanchez hit an eighth-inning grand slam off him.

Lagares was in his second stint with the Mets, but the club designated him for assignment Aug. 28 after he made two appearances and didn’t record an at-bat. The light-hitting, well-regarded defender, 31, will now return to the open market.

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