Keynan Middleton Returns From Tommy John Surgery
The Angels announced this evening that hard-throwing right-hander Keynan Middleton has been reinstated from the 60-day injured list. Fellow righty Taylor Cole was optioned to Triple-A Salt Lake to open a spot on the active roster, and the Angels had space on the 40-man roster to accommodate the move.
Middleton, 25, carved out a spot for himself in the Angels’ bullpen with a solid rookie showing in 2017 when he pitched 58 1/3 innings of 3.86 ERA ball. While he was homer-prone that year (1.70 HR/9), Middleton averaged 96.8 mph on his heater to go along with 9.7 K/9 and 2.8 BB/9. His 16.7 percent swinging-strike rate was tied for eighth-best among 155 qualified MLB relievers, and he looked every bit the part of a long-term piece for the Angels’ relief corps.
The early returns on Middleton in 2018 did nothing to sway that line of thinking. In fact, despite his relatively minimal MLB experience, Middleton ascended to the closer’s role by mid April. He’d tallied six saves and pitched to a 2.04 ERA with 16 strikeouts against nine walks before being shelved due to inflammation in his elbow. He returned after a minimal absence and made three appearances before again going down with elbow discomfort, at which point damage to his ulnar collateral ligament was discovered. He underwent Tommy John surgery in late May.
Middleton’s results down the stretch will certainly be worth monitoring with a watchful eye. He’s allowed just one run on four hits and six walks with 16 strikeouts in nine minor league rehab innings, and a return to his 2017-18 form would give the Angels reason to be optimistic about the back of their ‘pen headed into 2020. While GM Billy Eppler and his staff will surely make some additions regardless, lining up Middleton with Ty Buttrey, Cam Bedrosian and Hansel Robles would be a strong foundation for a bullpen. The latter three of that quartet have all enjoyed strong seasons to date and remain under control into at least 2020.
Although Middleton has appeared in just 80 big league games and pitched a total of 76 innings, he’ll be eligible for arbitration this winter. Middleton entered the year with one year, 150 days of big league service and will accumulate a full season in 2019 after spending the year to date on the Major League injured list. As such, he’ll wrap up the year with 2.150 years of MLB service time, making him a lock to qualify for Super Two designation. His raise will likely be a modest one given the missed time in 2018-19, but the foundation for his future raises will nevertheless be a bit stronger than that of a typical arb-eligible player.
Angels Outright Wilfredo Tovar
The Angels have outrighted infielder Wilfredo Tovar, per a team announcement. He was recently designated for assignment.
Tovar, 28, had briefly appeared in the bigs earlier in his career but had just nine games under his belt when called upon earlier this season by the Halos. He ended up appearing in 31 games with the Los Angeles organization, all at the shortstop position.
Unfortunately, the results just weren’t there. Tovar slashed just .193/.239/.253 in 88 plate appearances. Through nearly two thousand career trips to the dish at the Triple-A level, the defensive specialist owns a .277/.324/.367 batting line.
Minor MLB Transactions: 8/26/19
The latest minor moves from around baseball…
- Former major league utilityman Ty Kelly retired over the weekend, he humorously announced on Twitter (h/t: Jon Heyman of MLB Network). Kelly ended his career as a member of the Angels’ Triple-A affiliate in Salt Lake after signing a minor league contract with the organization last winter. A 13th-round pick of the Orioles in 2009, Kelly ultimately saw major league action with the Mets and Phillies from 2016-18 – a 188-plate appearance span in which he batted .203/.288/.323 and racked up time at first, second, third and all three outfield positions. The 31-year-old wrapped up his Triple-A tenure with a .268/.368/.382 line across 2,353 trips to the plate.
Angels Activate Andrelton Simmons, Designate Wilfredo Tovar
The Angels announced today that star shortstop Andrelton Simmons has been activated from the injured list. He is returning from a long absence due to a severe ankle sprain.
Infielder Wilfredo Tovar was designated for assignment to create roster space. In other news, the club officially placed Griffin Canning on the injured list — he was declared out for the season yesterday — while recalling southpaw Jose Suarez.
It’s all but certainly too little, too late for the sinking Halos. But it’s still good to see Simmons return to action. The peerless defensive aficionado hadn’t been hitting quite as well as he did in his prior two campaigns, but will now have a chance to get back on track before the season wraps up.
Tovar, 28, received his lengthiest stint in the majors this year for the Angels. Through 88 plate appearances in 31 games, he managed only a .193/.239/.253 slash line.
AL Notes: O’s, Davis, Yanks, Happ, Angels
Orioles first baseman Chris Davis has lost his role as a regular, at least for now, Joe Trezza of MLB.com writes. Manager Brandon Hyde said he’ll “continue to pick my spots” when it comes to playing Davis, who’s nearing the conclusion of a second straight horrific campaign and the end of the fourth season of a seven-year, $161MM contract. The rebuilding Orioles are aiming to give more at-bats to young players and a possibly returning Mark Trumbo than Davis, owner of a .179/.270/.312 line in 300 plate appearances this season. Notably, the 33-year-old Davis got into a dugout altercation with Hyde on Aug. 7, and has started just five games since. But Hyde complimented Davis on Thursday, saying that “he’s been a pro the entire way — 100% pro. He understands. He’s been in the dugout supporting our guys. He’s been real great in the clubhouse and he’s handled this situation really well.”
More from the AL…
- After re-signing with the Yankees on a two-year, $34MM contract last winter, left-hander J.A. Happ has trudged through a rough season. The Athletics pummeled the 36-year-old on Wednesday over four innings, scoring five runs on four hits (including two homers) and a pair of walks. Factoring in that performance, Happ has pitched to a sky-high 5.58 ERA/5.69 FIP over 129 innings this season. “I haven’t struggled like this in a while,” Happ admitted after the Oakland loss, though he and manager Aaron Boone expressed hope the hurler will be able to right the ship this season (via Ken Davidoff of the New York Post). Even though Happ has been undependable, the World Series-contending Yankees have no choice but to run him out there, as they’re lacking better alternatives, Davidoff observes. Happ’s woes are among the reasons New York appears set to enter the playoffs with an iffy-looking rotation.
- Angels righty Keynan Middleton is nearing a return to their bullpen, Maria Torres of the Los Angeles Times tweets. Middleton hasn’t pitched in the majors since May 2018, when he underwent Tommy John surgery, and has dealt with multiple setbacks during his recovery process. Just last month, mild ulnar neuritis forced Middleton to temporarily shut down his rehab. When healthy from 2017-18, Middleton looked like a potential building block for the Halos’ bullpen. The hard-throwing 24-year-old owns a 3.43 ERA/4.24 FIP with 9.36 K/9 and 3.2 BB/9 in 76 major league innings.
- Meanwhile, injured Angels shortstop Andrelton Simmons could rejoin the club for its weekend series in Houston, though he’s not a lock to be activated then, Torres reports. A left ankle sprain and a bone bruise have prevented Simmons from playing since Aug. 2. He also missed a little over a month earlier this season with a sprain in that ankle, but the nature of the injury isn’t the same this time. While Simmons was durable from 2017-18 – arguably the two best offensive seasons of the defensive master’s career – his production at the plate has gone backward during this injury-plagued year. Simmons will try to improve on the .274/.315/.382 line he has put up across 305 PA when he returns.
Angels Outright Adalberto Mejia
The Angels announced that they’ve outrighted left-hander Adalberto Mejia to Triple-A Salt Lake after he cleared waivers. Mejia hasn’t been outrighted in the past, nor does he have the service time to reject an assignment in favor of free agency, so he’ll stay in the organization.
This has been a wild season for Mejia, a member of the Twins, Angels (twice) and Cardinals in 2019. The Angels designated the former top 100 prospect for assignment Wednesday after his major league struggles continued in his second go-around in their uniform. The 26-year-old has thrown 7 1/3 innings of six-run (five earned) ball in a Halos uniform this season.
Since he debuted in the majors in 2016, Mejia has pitched to a 4.79 ERA/4.64 FIP across 148 1/3 innings (51 appearances, 25 starts). Mejia has logged 7.58 K/9, 4.31 BB/9 and a 36.3 percent groundball rate in that span.
Angels Shut Down Griffin Canning For Remainder Of Season
The Angels announced today that they have shut down rookie right-hander Griffin Canning. He’s said to be dealing with mild inflammation in his right elbow.
That general diagnosis was already known. Canning was placed on the injured list yesterday. What wasn’t clear then is the newly announced course of action, which is obviously intended to avoid any further problems down the stretch.
The team did not expressly specify in its announcement whether there is any concern regarding underlying structural issues. But some reporters, including Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register (Twitter link), have suggested that’s the appropriate interpretation of the comment. If so, that’s rather promising news for an important organizational asset.
Regardless, it’s a disappointing and all-too-familiar way for the season to end for a Halos hurler. The club has endured a seemingly endless array of injuries to starters in recent seasons.
Canning won’t wrap things up as hoped, but he still turned in an impressive initial showing. After three outstanding starts at Triple-A, he worked to a 4.58 ERA with 9.6 K/9 and 3.0 BB/9 in 90 1/3 MLB innings. Canning proved he can induce whiffs in the majors, sporting a 13.8% swinging-strike rate, and seems likely to be a quality and cost-controlled big league starter for years to come — so long as he can stay healthy.
Angels Place Griffin Canning On IL With Elbow Inflammation
TODAY: The Angels announced that left-hander Jose Suarez will be recalled from Triple-A to start Friday’s game against the Astros.
YESTERDAY: The Angels have placed right-handed pitcher Griffin Canning on the 10-day injured list with right elbow inflammation, according to Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register. It’s the same issue that landed the 23-year-old rookie on the injured list in early August.
As Maria Torres of the Los Angeles Times notes, manager Brad Ausmus was unable to say whether the latest injury would mark the end of Canning’s season. The Angels skipper went on to characterize the injury as only “mild inflammation,” telling reporters (including Fletcher) that there are “no concerns that it’s anything more than inflammation.”
Amid a frustrating season for the Angels, Canning has been one of the few bright spots, especially in a pitching staff that has endured more than its fair share of injuries. Despite debuting at the end of April, Canning leads the team in games started, pitching 90 1/3 innings in the Majors. He’s worked to 4.58 ERA while striking out 96 batters—while his numbers aren’t stellar, Canning offers considerable value to a team, and at just 23, there’s certainly room for more here.
Per Torres, Canning will undergo an MRI after returning to Los Angeles. Indeed, it may be wise for the Angels to exercise caution with their promising youngster. With their playoff hopes all but erased, there’s a case to be made that Canning should be shut down in hopes of preventing any further injury to his throwing elbow. Ausmus and general manager Billy Eppler have been careful to manage Canning’s workload in his debut season: he’s approaching the 113 1/3 inning mark he totaled last season.
Angels Designate Adalberto Mejia For Assignment
Prior to yesterday’s double-header with the Rangers, the Angels designated left-hander Adalberto Mejia for assignment. Righty Jaime Barria was called up from Triple-A in a corresponding move, and Barria tossed five innings while starting the nightcap (a 3-2 Angels loss in 11 innings).
The DFA continues what has been a whirlwind of transactional business for Mejia over the last six weeks. This is the fourth time Mejia has been designated in that stretch, and the second as a member of the Angels. The team claimed him after an initial designation from the Twins, DFA’ed Mejia and then lost him on a claim from the Cardinals, and then the Angels re-claimed Mejia after St. Louis designated the southpaw.
Through it all, Mejia hasn’t pitched very well in 2019, with a cumulative 8.06 ERA over 25 2/3 innings for the Angels, Cardinals, and Twins. A high walk rate (6.0 BB/9) and homer rate (1.4 HR/9) have contributed to his issues, and Mejia also spent over two months on the Twins’ injured list while recovering from a calf strain.
Angels Select Miguel Del Pozo’s Contract, Option Jose Suarez To Triple-A
Prior to Sunday’s game, the Angels selected the contract of left-hander Miguel Del Pozo from Triple-A. Fellow left-hander Jose Suarez was optioned to Triple-A in the corresponding move. Del Pozo didn’t pitch in the Angels’ 9-2 victory over the White Sox, so he is still looking for his first official Major League appearance.
Originally signed as an 18-year-old prospect by the Marlins in 2010, Del Pozo spent his entire pro career in Miami’s organization until last offseason, when he was outrighted off the team’s 40-man roster and he chose to become a free agent. After signing a minors contract with the Rangers, Del Pozo was dealt to Los Angeles earlier this month in a post-deadline trade (allowed since Del Pozo wasn’t on a Major League contract).
Despite his long stretch in the minors, Del Pozo didn’t even pitch at the Triple-A level until this season. The 26-year-old lefty has a 4.28 ERA, 10.4 K/9, and 2.53 K/BB rate over 332 minor league innings, working out of the bullpen for 191 of his 207 career games. Del Pozo will join Adalberto Mejia as the only left-handers in the Halos’ righty-heavy pen.
Suarez’s first taste of Major League action wasn’t a smooth one, as the rookie southpaw posted a 6.75 ERA over 53 1/3 innings, starting 11 of his 12 games. While Suarez managed an 8.9 K/9 and a respectable 2.41 K/BB rate, he was bedeviled by home runs, as Suarez allowed 16 big flies in his brief time in the Los Angeles rotation.
Fangraphs (79th) and Baseball America (97th) each ranked Suarez within their list of the game’s top 100 prospects at the time of his promotion in late May, so his rocky start was something of a letdown for an Angels team that is starved for pitching. Still, Suarez is only 21 years old and only in his fifth season in pro ball. His issues may have also stemmed not from inexperience, but from a tendency to tip pitches, manager Brad Ausmus told media (including Mike DiGiovanna of the L.A. Times).