Royals Place Zack Greinke On 15-Day Injured List
The Royals announced a flurry of roster moves this afternoon, adding four players (outfielder Kyle Isbel, right-handers Arodys Vizcaino and Jose Cuas, and left-hander Foster Griffin) to the active roster, sending three (left-hander Gabe Speier and right-handers Matt Peacock and Zack Greinke) to the injured list, and returning one (outfielder Brewer Hicklen) to Triple-A Omaha. Of the four activated, Isbel was reinstated from the injured list, Griffin was recalled from Triple-A, and Vizcaino and Cuas were each selected from Triple-A, meaning that they were also added to the club’s 40-man roster.
Greinke is the only one of the three IL players who is going to the 15-day IL with a designated issue, implying that Peacock and Speier are on the COVID-related injury list. Isbel had also been on the COVID list due to virus symptoms, though it ended up being a non-COVID illness that sidelined the outfielder for four days.
Greinke is suffering from a right flexor strain, and the veteran righty recently told MLB.com’s Anne Rogers and other reporters that he has been dealing with related soreness for “a little bit.” While any injury in the forearm or elbow area is a red flag, Greinke added that he has been dealing with some degree of elbow problems for years, so it’s possible that a 15-day absence might be all it takes for Greinke to heal up.
The injury could explain Greinke’s lack of success in his last four starts, as the former Cy Young Award winner has a 9.50 ERA in his last 18 innings of work. His ERA now sits at 5.05 over 51 2/3 innings, with only a minuscule 11.2% strikeout rate. Between this lack of whiffs and a lot of hard contact allowed, there isn’t much to like about Greinke’s numbers apart from his typically excellent walk rate (4.5%).
Vizcaino is on the verge of his first MLB appearance since the 2019 season, when he tossed four innings for the Braves before undergoing season-ending shoulder surgery. The veteran didn’t return to the field at all until 2021, when he tossed 7 2/3 innings with the Mets’ Triple-A affiliate, and Vizcaino then inked a minor league with the Royals this past winter.
After essentially three full years off, it’s hard to know what to expect from Vizcaino in his return to the Show, though he was a very capable bullpen arm for Atlanta in his heyday. He has also looked quite good with Triple-A Omaha, posting a 1.76 ERA and 29.7% strikeout rate in 15 1/3 innings. Vizcaino’s 9.4% walk rate is a little on the high side, but actually an improvement over his career 10.8% walk rate at the big league level.
The 27-year-old Cuas has finally reached the majors after a pro career that has seen him bounce around the minors and independent leagues, and change his position entirely from infielder to pitcher. An 11th-round draft pick by the Brewers in 2015, Cuas wasn’t getting anywhere as a position player, but his fortunes changed after converting to relief pitching in 2018. Over 126 2/3 career innings in the minors, Cuas has a 2.63 ERA, with a sidearm delivery and a sinker-slider combo that induces a lot of grounders and a good amount (22.22%) of strikeouts.
AL Central Notes: Gray, Grossman, Greinke
Twins’ starter Sonny Gray left today’s game after being visited by team trainers. The team announced to reporters, including Dan Hayes of The Athletic, that Gray has right pectoral tightness. The severity isn’t known at this time, but it’s no doubt worrying for the Twins and their fans. Gray already missed about three weeks on the IL this season, although that was a hamstring strain.
Still, the Twins are in a bit of a squeeze when it comes to their rotation. Chris Paddack, Josh Winder and Joe Ryan have all landed on the IL in the past couple of weeks, which has thinned out their depth. The rotation at the moment consists of Gray, Dylan Bundy, Bailey Ober, Chris Archer and Devin Smeltzer. The club is currently in the middle of a stretch where they play 18 games in 17 days, thanks to a doubleheader that’s coming up on Tuesday. Even if Gray can make his next start, it’s going to be a challenge to get through the next chunk of their schedule.
Perhaps adding to that challenge will be the subtraction of some unknown players when the Twins head to Toronto next week to face the Blue Jays. Phil Miller of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune relays word from president of baseball operations Derek Falvey that “a few” of the players on the roster won’t be making the journey. Current Canadian health restrictions don’t allow for those not vaccinated against COVID-19 to cross the border into the country. (Canada is not exceptional in this regard. The same restrictions apply in reverse, as unvaccinated Canadians are not currently allowed to enter the United States.)
Other notes from the division…
- Robbie Grossman started today’s game as the designated hitter for the Tigers but was replaced by Jeimer Candelario. Manager A.J. Hinch told reporters after the game, including Jason Beck of MLB.com, that Grossman was experiencing neck spasms. While it doesn’t appear Grossman is headed for a lengthy absence, it’s surely frustrating for a Detroit team that has been heavily snakebit this season. Though the club entered the season with hopes of competing for a playoff spot, they’ve been hit by a large number of injuries, most notably in the starting rotation. The club’s record is currently 17-29, putting them second-last in the American League, ahead of only the Royals. That has the club trending towards being sellers at the deadline this year, with short-term assets the most likely to go. Grossman fits that bill, as he’s in the second season of the two-year deal he signed with Detroit in 2021. Unfortunately, his trade value is likely at a low ebb, due to his slow start to the year. After hitting .239/.357/.415 last year for a wRC+ of 114, he’s currently slashing .199/.311/.241 this year for a 71 wRC+. Last year’s 23.1% strikeout rate has also shot up to 30.7% this year. He and the Tigers will both surely be hoping that this current issue can be quickly left behind so that Grossman can get back on track. The Blue Jays tried to acquire Grossman at last year’s deadline, though they may not have as much interest now, based on his campaign so far.
- Royals manager Mike Matheny tells reporters, including Lynn Worthy of the Kansas City Star, that Zack Greinke is dealing with a forearm/flexor issue. Greinke himself spoke to reporters about the issue, including Worthy, describing his arm as “sore and tight.” Like the Tigers, there was some hope of the Royals coming out of their rebuild and competing his year, though that hasn’t happened. The club’s 16-30 record is worse than every team in the majors except for the 16-31 Reds, thanks in no small part to the starting rotation. Royals’ starters had an ERA of 5.07 coming into today, which was better than only the Reds and Nationals. That’s going to go up once today’s game is factored in, as Greinke allowed five earned runs in four innings today. His personal ERA on the season climbed to 5.05 from that start, which would be his highest since the 5.80 he put up back in 2005, his age-21 season. While the severity of the injury isn’t known, it’s never a good sign for a pitcher to have an arm issue, though he and the club will surely hope he can get past it and onto a better track going forward.
Injured List Transactions: Perez, Perdomo, McGee, Casali
The Royals reinstated catcher Salvador Perez from the 10-day injured list, and optioned catcher Sebastian Rivero to Triple-A in the corresponding move. Perez missed only 11 days while recovering from a sprained left thumb suffered in the first game of a doubleheader on May 17, and the short turnaround time led the Royals to place Perez on the IL in between the two games. Speaking with The Kansas City Star’s Lynn Worthy and other reporters, Perez said that he could be ready to resume catching duties tomorrow, as Perez will be in the DH role for today’s game with the Twins.
Following his huge 48-homer season in 2021, Perez has six homers and an underwhelming .206/.239/.397 slash line over 142 plate appearances to begin the 2022 campaign. Perez has been making some hard contact but with little to show for it, and the longtime Royals backstop hasn’t been helping his cause with one of the lowest walk rates of any hitter in the league.
More on other players coming and going from the injured list…
- The Brewers placed right-hander Luis Perdomo on the 15-day injured list with a right elbow effusion. Righty Miguel Sanchez was recalled from Triple-A to take Perdomo’s spot on the active roster. Milwaukee selected Perdomo’s contract earlier this month and he delivered a 1.74 ERA over 10 1/3 relief innings, but now faces another IL stint. Since Perdomo missed the entire 2021 season recovering from Tommy John surgery, another elbow problem seems ominous, but Brewers manager Craig Counsell told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Todd Rosiak and other reporters that the injury doesn’t appear to be too serious.
- The Giants reinstated left-hander Jake McGee from the 15-day injured list on Friday, though his actual return to the field was delayed by a clerical error. McGee was called into yesterday’s game during the eighth inning, except he couldn’t pitch after the Reds told the umpiring crew that McGee wasn’t listed on the Giants’ official pregame lineup card. As a result, Jose Alvarez was instead brought in to pitch, and Alvarez allowed two runs (one earned) to put the Giants into a deeper hole in an eventual 5-1 loss. While not the wildest thing to happen to the Reds and Giants on Friday, it was the latest odd twist in what has been a rough season for McGee, who posted a 9.58 ERA in 10 1/3 innings out of San Francisco’s bullpen before back tightness sidelined him on May 11.
- In another Giants move from today, the club reinstated catcher Curt Casali from the seven-day concussion IL and optioned Michael Papierski to Triple-A. Casali was thankfully able to return in a minimal amount of time after taking a foul tip off his mask during a May 20 game. This opened the door for Papierski to make his MLB debut, as the catcher appeared in five games while filling in for Casali.
Royals Place Amir Garrett, Kyle Isbel On Injured List
The Royals announced a series of roster moves today, with left-handed pitcher Amir Garrett and outfielder Kyle Isbel both going on the injured list. No designation was given for their IL placement, which suggests they are going on the COVID-related IL. Right-hander Dylan Coleman has been recalled to take one of the spots on the active roster, with outfielder Brewer Hicklen‘s contract being selected for the other.
After previously spending his entire career with the Reds, Garrett was sent to KC in a March trade and has thrown 13 2/3 innings for his new team with a 4.61 ERA. It’s been a strange campaign for the southpaw so far, as his 29.1% strikeout rate is fairly similar to last year’s mark, but his walk rate has shot up to 20%. That’s much higher than his 13.5% mark last year, which was already above league average. He’s been able to limit the damage due to not allowing a homer yet on the year and also having an unsustainable .148 BABIP. With Garrett out, Gabe Speier is now the only lefty in the team’s bullpen.
Isbel got his first taste of the big leagues last year, hitting .276/.337/.434 for a 109 wRC+ in 28 games. He’s taken a step back this season, with his line currently sitting at .276/.295/.345, 84 wRC+. He and Michael A. Taylor have gotten most of the center field starts this year, but both are now on the COVID-IL. Dairon Blanco was selected to the roster last week to replace Taylor, with Isbel now being replaced by Hicklen.
No indication was given as to whether Garrett or Isbel has tested positive for COVID. Players can be placed on the COVID-related IL for positive tests, experiencing symptoms or for contract tracing purposes. Under the league’s 2022 health-and-safety protocols, players who test positive are subject to a 10-day absence from the club. It’s possible to be reinstated in less time if the player has gone 24 or more hours without a fever, received a pair of negative PCR tests, and been given approval from a team physician and the MLB/MLBPA joint committee (a panel of one league-appointed and one union-appointed physician).
Hicklen, 26, was selected by the club in the seventh round of the 2017 draft. After some strong performances in the minors, he got himself onto the radar of prospect watchers, with Baseball America putting him on their list of the top 30 KC prospects in 2019 and the following two years as well. Last year, he reached Double-A for the first time, putting up a line of .243/.346/.434. That amounts to a wRC+ of 110, though his best asset is his speed, as evidenced by his 40 steals last year. This year, he got the bump to Triple-A and has hit .266/.350/.455 for a wRC+ of 117, though his already-high strikeout rate has jumped up to 38.8%. The speed is still there, though, as he’s already swiped 11 bags in 42 games. He’s in the Royals’ lineup tonight, batting ninth and playing center field, making his major league debut.
Royals Sign Jose Briceno To Minor League Deal
The Royals agreed to a minor league contract with catcher José Briceño, according to an announcement from the Atlantic League. The 29-year-old was assigned to Triple-A Omaha, where he made his team debut yesterday.
Briceño has spent more than a decade in pro ball since signing with the Rockies as an amateur out of Venezuela back in 2009. He was involved in a pair of trades as a prospect — first going from Colorado to the Braves for David Hale, then joining Andrelton Simmons in heading to the Angels for Sean Newcomb and Chris Ellis — before reaching the big leagues in 2018. Briceño picked up his most MLB experience that season, posting a .239/.299/.385 line in 128 plate appearances with the Halos.
Los Angeles released Briceño in 2019 but brought him back on a minor league deal. He appeared in two games for the big league club in 2020 but was outrighted back off the roster at the end of the season. He returned to his original organization last winter, signing a non-roster deal with Colorado. The Rox cut him loose after he scuffled to a .218/.261/.436 line in 33 games despite playing in one of pro ball’s most hitter-friendly environments in Albuquerque.
After being let go by Colorado, Briceño signed with the Atlantic League’s Lexington Legends. He mashed at a .333/.396/.680 clip there last summer, and while he’s been off to a slow start offensively this season, the Royals will add him to the organizational catching corps. Salvador Pérez and Cam Gallagher are both on the injured list, leaving MJ Melendez and Sebastian Rivero as the only two healthy backstops on the 40-man roster. That duo is in the majors, so Kansas City was in position to add some experienced upper minors depth behind the plate.
Royals Option Carlos Hernandez, Select Foster Griffin
The Royals announced they’ve optioned Carlos Hernández to Triple-A Omaha and placed reliever Ronald Bolaños on the injured list. Kansas City selected left-hander Foster Griffin onto the big league club and recalled righty Matt Peacock. Infielder Adalberto Mondesi has been transferred from the 10-day to the 60-day IL as well.
Hernández becomes the second member of the season-opening rotation to pitch his way off the active roster. Kansas City also optioned Kris Bubic last week, with both hurlers struggling mightily in the early going. Hernández has taken seven turns through the rotation but logged a 9.10 ERA over 29 2/3 innings. He has struck out just 10.7% of batters faced while walking an untenable 13.4% of opponents, making him one of just two starters (minimum 20 innings) with more walks than strikeouts.
Needless to say, that kind of performance isn’t one the Royals can accept every fifth day. The 25-year-old righty posted a 3.68 ERA over 85 2/3 frames last season. His 2021 strikeout and walk numbers weren’t great, but they were far superior to this season’s early marks. Hernández also averaged north of 97 MPH with his fastball last season, but his velocity has taken a slight hit this year. He’ll try to right the ship with the Storm Chasers and earn his way back to the big leagues.
In large part due to Bubic’s and Hernández’s struggles, Kansas City has had one of the least effective rotations in the majors. Royals starters rank 26th with a 4.78 ERA and last with a 5.7 percentage point differential between their strikeout and walk rates. Zack Greinke, Brad Keller and Daniel Lynch have spots locked down, while Jonathan Heasley was recently brought up in Bubic’s stead. Who’ll replace Hernández is to be determined, but former first-round pick Brady Singer has been stretching out as a starter in Omaha after opening the season in the MLB bullpen.
Griffin, meanwhile, will join the bullpen mix for manager Mike Matheny. The former first-round pick made the briefest of big league debuts, appearing in one game for Kansas City in 2020. The Royals outrighted him off their 40-man roster following that season, but he quickly re-signed on a minor league pact. A starting pitcher early in his career, he’s come out of the bullpen 13 times with the Storm Chasers this year.
Over 19 2/3 innings, Griffin has posted a 1.83 ERA. He’s backed that up with excellent peripherals, fanning nearly three in every ten batters while inducing grounders on over 58% of batted balls. Griffin has always had solid control and gotten a fair share of worm-burners, but this season’s early strikeout rate is a marked improvement over his prior results. He has all three minor league option years remaining, so the Royals can bounce him between K.C. and Omaha without exposing him to waivers now that he’s back on the 40-man roster.
Mondesi’s IL transfer was an inevitability. The speedy infielder unfortunately suffered a torn ACL last month and isn’t expected to return this season. He’ll be eligible for arbitration for a final time this winter.
Royals Select Dairon Blanco
The Royals announced Thursday that they’ve selected the contract of outfielder Dairon Blanco from Triple-A Omaha and placed outfielder Michael A. Taylor on the injured list. Royals skipper Mike Matheny told reporters last night that Taylor was in contact tracing under the league’s health-and-safety protocols, though it’s not clear yet whether he’s tested positive. Regardless, it’ll be Blanco assuming his spot on the roster at least in the short term. Kyle Isbel is in center for the Royals’ series finale against the White Sox today.
The 29-year-old Blanco will be making his big league debut if he gets into a game. Originally signed out of Cuba by the Athletics back in 2017, Blanco was one of two players the Royals received when trading lefty Jake Diekman to Oakland back in 2019. He had a rough go of it in Double-A following that trade, but Blanco has posted solid minor league numbers in 2021 (.277/.350/.441) and so far in 2022 (.263/.381/.442) between the Double-A and Triple-A levels.
Blanco swiped 41 bases in 55 tries last year, and he’s out to a 13-for-13 start in that department so far in 2022. At 29 years of age, he’s older than your standard “prospect,” though he still got a brief mention on FanGraphs’ 2021 rankings, where Eric Longenhagen credited him with 80-grade speed (on the 20-80 scale) and praised his strong exit velocities at the plate. He’s played center field and left field extensively with the Royals but has just one appearance in right.
It should be noted that the Royals did not specify Blanco as a Covid-related “substitute” or “replacement” when announcing they’d selected his contract. Each team’s wording tends to vary a bit on transactions of this nature, but they all typically make specific mention when someone is a pure substitute player. Those players can be sent back to the minor leagues without first passing through waivers. However, the Royals stating that Blanco’s contract has been formally selected ostensibly signals that there’s some permanence behind the move. Assuming Blanco is on the 40-man roster to stay, he’ll give the Royals some additional, optionable outfield depth for the foreseeable future.
As for Taylor, his placement on the Covid list could be due to a positive test, symptoms or continued contact tracing. If he did test positive, health protocols technically call for a 10-day absence, although players can return sooner than that with a pair of negative tests and approval from a joint MLB/MLBPA panel (one appointed medical expert from each party). In 117 plate appearances this season, Taylor is hitting .238/.333/.337 with strong marks in Defensive Runs Saved and Outs Above Average.
Injury Notes: Perez, Matzek, McCann
The Royals placed Salvador Pérez on the 10-day injured list between games of today’s doubleheader with the White Sox. Pérez suffered a sprained left thumb during the opening contest, and Kansas City quickly moved to replace him with Sebastian Rivero on the active roster. Kansas City’s franchise backstop is off to a slow start, much like the rest of the lineup. Pérez is hitting .206/.239/.397 through 34 games. He’s popped six home runs but drawn only four walks with 38 strikeouts, contributing to one of the lowest on-base marks in the big leagues.
While Pérez is out of action, the Royals will get their first extended look at rookie MJ Melendez behind the plate. The 23-year-old backstop led all minor league players with 41 home runs last season, combining for a .286/.386/.625 line between Double-A Northwest Arkansas and Triple-A Omaha. That’s obviously elite production for any player, let alone a catcher, and Melendez is now regarded as one of the sport’s most promising prospects. He was recalled for his first MLB promotion at the beginning of the month and will take the majority of the catching time while Pérez is on the shelf.
The latest on a couple other injury situations around the league:
- The Braves placed reliever Tyler Matzek on the 15-day injured list, retroactive to May 14, due to inflammation in his throwing shoulder. That’s an ominous-sounding diagnosis, but an MRI this afternoon revealed no structural damage (relayed by Mark Bowman of MLB.com). Matzek will nevertheless be shut down from throwing for a couple weeks, indicating he’s likely to require a minor league rehab assignment even if he’s deemed alright to get back to action upon his next reevaluation. Matzek posted a 2.57 ERA in 63 innings for the World Series champions last season. He’s battled significant control woes in the early going this year, doling out nine walks among his 47 batters faced.
- Mets catcher James McCann underwent successful left hamate surgery this morning, manager Buck Showalter informed reporters (including Anthony DiComo of MLB.com). The team announced last Friday that he’d require a procedure after being diagnosed with a fracture, projecting a recovery timeline of approximately six weeks. McCann, who signed a four-year deal over the 2020-21 offseason, hit .232/.294/.349 during his first season in Queens. He’s off to a slow start this season, hitting .196/.266/.286 through 21 contests. New York is relying on a Tomás Nido – Patrick Mazeika pairing in McCann’s absence.
Royals Fire Hitting Coach Terry Bradshaw
The Royals announced a handful of changes to the coaching staff Monday, most notably firing hitting coach Terry Bradshaw. Senior director of player development and hitting performance Alec Zumwalt will now oversee the team’s hitters and serve as a uniformed member of the team’s big league coaching staff. Special assignment hitting coach Mike Tosar is also joining the big league coaching staff. Assistant hitting coach Keoni DeRenne will remain on the staff and keep the same title.
It’s been a brutal season for the Kansas City lineup as a whole. Hitting just .224/.289/.336 as a collective unit, Royals hitters rank among the game’s bottom-five teams in runs scored, homers, batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage and wRC+. Kansas City hitters do have the game’s lowest strikeout rate (19.2%), but that hasn’t translated into offensive production and the club’s 7.8% walk rate is the fourth-lowest mark in Major League Baseball.
“Baseball is constantly shifting and we have to continue to self-evaluate to make sure we’re giving our players everything they need to be successful at the highest levels of baseball,” said Royals general manager JJ Picollo in a statement announcing the move. “Our results so far haven’t matched what we’re capable of, and w all share accountability in that. We look forward to Alec, Keoni and Mike helping us provide the best possible processes for our players.”
Certainly, as Picollo alluded to, the blame for the team’s offensive struggles is not Bradshaw’s alone. The Royals ranked 24th in the Majors in runs scored last year and 25th in wRC+, yet the team did nothing to address the lineup over the winter. Rather, the hope was that top prospect Bobby Witt Jr. — and, eventually, Nick Pratto and MJ Melendez — would inject some life into what had been a fairly punchless lineup. Kansas City was also hopeful of getting Adalberto Mondesi healthy and of getting bounceback efforts from Hunter Dozier and Carlos Santana.
Witt’s bat has begun to come alive after a slow start, and Dozier indeed is in the midst of what looks like a pronounced rebound at the plate. Mondesi, however, is out for the year following an ACL tear. Santana has been even less productive in 2022 than he was in 2021. Pratto and Melendez, meanwhile, were sent to Triple-A to begin the season. Melendez has since made his MLB debut but has scuffled through 27 plate appearances. Pratto was hitting .253/.320/.483 in Triple-A before falling into his current stretch of 20 hitless plate appearances.
Zumwalt, though his work in the organization’s minor league system, already has a strong rapport with several of the Royals’ up-and-coming hitters. He’s been with the Royals for nine seasons, originally coming aboard as a scout before moving into an advance scouting role for five years. Zumwalt was the team’s director of baseball operations and player development from 2018-19. He’d been in the first season of his current role, which will now shift once again. It marks the continued overhaul of a hitting infrastructure that has had Zumwalt as a key figure, as chronicled by The Athletic’s Alec Lewis last summer.
Andrew Benintendi Defeats Royals In Arbitration
Outfielder Andrew Benintendi has won his arbitration hearing against the Royals, according to Lynn Worthy of the Kansas City Star. Benintendi will rake in a 2022 salary of $8.5MM, a good bit greater than the team’s submitted arbitration figure of $7.3MM.
While either arbitration figure represents a life-changing amount of money, Benintendi and his camp had a strong platform campaign that certainly helped tip the scales in their favor. Through 134 contests last season the left-handed hitter posted a trade-validating .276/.324/.442 (105 OPS+) slash line with 17 home runs and Gold Glove-winning defense. Last year’s performance didn’t quite reach the heights many expected of Benintendi based on his early days in Boston, but it reversed a number of worrying trends that were displayed during a dismal 14-game stint in 2020.
With this 2022 salary locked in, Benintendi’s camp can now turn their attention to securing his next big payday at the end of the season, when he’s slated to reach free agency for the first time. Following the initial trade that brought Benintendi to Kansas City, it seemed as if the team might try and secure the rights to their newest acquisition on a team-friendly extension. Instead, the 27-year-old now looks primed to be a trade candidate more than anything owing to the team’s lagging record and his high-contact .314/.368/.381 (123 OPS+) start to the season.
Turning to the Royals’ side of the hearing, Worthy interestingly notes that this is the first time since president of baseball operations Dayton Moore was hired in 2006 that the club has lost in arbitration. Infielder Nicky Lopez, who is in his first arbitration year, is the only remaining Royal awaiting an arbitration hearing.