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Minor MLB Transactions: 5/10/21

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Catching up on some minor league moves from around baseball…

  • The Astros have signed righty Michael Kelly to a minor league pact, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle tweets. Kelly was the 48th overall pick of the Padres in the 2011 draft, but he hasn’t made it to the bigs thus far. Along with the Padres, the 28-year-old appeared in the minors with the Orioles through 2018, recording a 5.35 ERA over 607 2/3 innings. Kelly’s most recent professional action came in 2019 with the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs of the independent Atlantic League.

Earlier updates:

  • The Dodgers signed right-handers Kevin Quackenbush, Austin Bibens-Dirkx, and Aaron Wilkerson to minor league contracts earlier this month, and all are on the roster for the team’s Triple-A affiliate.  Quackenbush is the most experienced of the trio, with 207 2/3 MLB innings with the Padres and Reds from 2014-18, and the 32-year-old is back in the Dodgers organization after previously pitching for Triple-A Oklahoma City in 2019.  Bibens-Dirkx was a member of several organizations before catching on with the Rangers in 2016 and posting a 5.27 ERA over 114 1/3 innings from 2017-18.  Wilkerson appeared in parts of three Major League seasons with the Brewers from 2017-19, posting a 6.88 ERA over 35 1/3 frames of work.
  • The Indians signed right-hander Matt Koch to a minor league deal back in April.  Koch pitched for the Yakult Swallows in 2020, posting a 7.88 ERA over 16 innings with the Japanese club.  Formerly a member of the Diamondbacks, Koch pitched 86 2/3 of his 125 1/3 career Major League innings in 2018, when he had a 4.15 ERA/4.85 ERA while starting 14 of his 19 games for Arizona.  For his overall career, Koch has a 4.88 ERA at the big league level.

NL Injury Notes: Dodgers, Padres, Brewers

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AJ Pollock of the Dodgers suffered a Grade 1 hamstring strain on Friday, per Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register (via Twitter). He’s being re-evaluated today. Pollock has been a force for good in Los Angeles this year, slashing .261/.313/.446 with 4 home runs across 99 plate appearances. Matt Beaty or Sheldon Neuse could see time in the outfield if Pollock needs time off. Elsewhere around the National League last night…

  • The Padres had a couple of players leave Friday’s game due to injury. Keone Kela left with forearm tightness, always a scary diagnoses. There has been no update as per his status. Austin Nola, meanwhile, only recently returned from the injured list, burst a blood vessel in his hand. The Padres are hopeful that he can return to the lineup as early as today, per Dennis Lin of the Athletic (via Twitter).
  • Brent Suter got a spot start for the Brewers on Friday, but he lasted just to the third inning before being removed due to injury. Early reports suggest Suter suffered from cramping in his right calf, per Sophia Minnaert of Bally Sports Wisconsin (via Twitter). That’s potentially a big sigh of relief for Milwaukee. Suter has been effective as a multi-inning reliever out of the pen tossing 16 2/3 innings in 12 outings prior to Friday’s spot start. He has a 2.70 ERA/3.58 FIP on the year with a strong 54.3 percent groundball rate, 22.4 percent strikeout rate, and 6.0 percent walk rate.

Dodgers Activate Joe Kelly, Place Scott Alexander On 10-Day IL

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The Dodgers have activated right-handed reliever Joe Kelly and placed lefty Scott Alexander on the 10-day injured list (retroactive to May 3) with inflammation in his pitching shoulder, Juan Toribio of MLB.com tweets.

Kelly, who’s in the final season of a three-year, $25MM guarantee, hasn’t pitched at all in 2021 on account of ongoing shoulder problems. Those issues played a role in limiting Kelly to 10 innings last season, and he revealed last week that he underwent surgery in November. When healthy, the hard-throwing 32-year-old has given the Dodgers 61 1/3 innings of 4.11 ERA ball with a 26.5 percent strikeout rate, a 10.5 percent walk rate and a stellar 60.6 percent groundball rate.

The addition of Kelly is a step forward for Los Angeles, but the loss of Alexander represents a step in the wrong direction for the reigning World Series champions. Alexander has been one of the Dodgers’ most effective relievers this year, having recorded a 2.31 ERA in 11 2/3 frames. While Alexander has only totaled five strikeouts, he has offset that by allowing one walk, and the 31-year-old has induced grounders at a 63.2 percent clip.

Health Notes: Sale, Middleton, Odor, Ona, Graterol

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Red Sox ace Chris Sale worked off a mound today for the first time in his recovery from March 2020 Tommy John surgery, Jen McCaffrey of the Athletic was among those to relay (Twitter link). There’s still no timetable for Sale’s potential return to game action, although getting on the mound obviously represents a notable step forward. At 18-13, the Red Sox are off to a strong start and could be a legitimate contender in a tough AL East. Boston’s rotation looks to be the weak point on the roster, but it’s held up fairly well so far. Sox starters have a middle-of-the-pack 4.02 ERA/4.00 SIERA over the season’s first month-plus.

Other health situations around the league:

  • This morning, the Mariners announced they’ve placed reliever Keynan Middleton on the 10-day injured list with a right biceps strain. Fellow righty Wyatt Mills was recalled in his place. Middleton, 27, has tossed 11 2/3 innings of five-run ball in the early going, striking out nine against six walks. Middleton, who underwent a Tommy John surgery in May 2018, spent the 2017-20 seasons with the division-rival Angels.
  • The Yankees placed infielder Rougned Odor on the 10-day injured list this afternoon. He’s dealing with a left knee sprain. Right-hander Albert Abreu was recalled to take his place on the active roster. Odor, acquired from the Rangers at the beginning of the regular season, hasn’t offered a whole lot offensively in the early going. He’s hitting just .164/.271/.361 over his first 70 plate appearances with New York. To his credit, Odor has massively improved upon his strikeout and walk rates from recent seasons though.
  • Padres outfielder Jorge Oña underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right elbow yesterday, Dennis Lin of the Athletic was among those to pass along (Twitter link). He’s expected to be out of action for six to eight weeks. Oña, 24, made a very brief MLB debut last season, tallying 15 plate appearances over five games. Other than that limited major league time, Oña only has 103 trips to the plate above the low minors (in Double-A in 2019), so he likely would’ve started the year at Triple-A El Paso even if he’d been healthy.
  • Dodgers reliever Brusdar Graterol, placed on the injured list last week because of forearm tightness, was known to be headed for an MRI. Fortunately, testing showed no structural damage, manager Dave Roberts told reporters (including Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register). That’s especially welcome news since the flamethrowing Graterol underwent a Tommy John procedure back in 2016. There’s still no indication when he might return to game action.

Health Notes: Ohtani, Mondesi, Graterol, Mikolas, D-backs,

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Right-hander Shohei Ohtani was supposed to take the mound for the Angels in their game against the Rays on Monday, but the team scratched him in favor of lefty Jose Quintana because of elbow soreness. Ohtani swas hit by pitch on Sunday, and manager Joe Maddon told reporters (including Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times) that he’s now “too sore to throw.” However, there’s still a chance he’ll start sometime during this four-game set versus Tampa Bay. Even if that doesn’t happen, Ohtani feels well enough to hit, so the DH will continue making an offensive impact. Ohtani has only made three starts and pitched 13 2/3 innings this season, but he has overcome control problems (13 walks) to log a 3.29 ERA with 23 strikeouts and a 62.5 percent groundball percentage. He has complemented his pitching performance with a power-packed .270/.318/.620 line, eight homers and six stolen bases over 107 plate appearances as a hitter.

  • Royals shortstop Adalberto Mondesi will start doing pregame work with the team this week and could begin a rehab assignment next week, per general manager Dayton Moore (via Anne Rogers of MLB.com). The Royals have gone all season without Mondesi, the reigning stolen base champion who strained his right oblique during the spring. Despite Mondesi’s absence, the Royals entered Monday with a surprising 16-10 record – the best mark in the majors. Nicky Lopez has filled in capably for Mondesi during KC’s fast start.
  • Dodgers reliever Brusdar Graterol will undergo an MRI on his ailing right forearm Tuesday, Jorge Castillo of the Los Angeles Times tweets. The team placed Graterol on the IL last Thursday with forearm tightness – a rather ominous-sounding injury for someone who underwent Tommy John surgery in the past – and the 22-year-old hasn’t resumed throwing since then, according to Castillo. The Dodgers lost another of their promising young hurlers, righty starter Dustin May, to the dreaded TJ diagnosis on Monday.
  • Cardinals righty Miles Mikolas will make a rehab start with Triple-A Memphis this week, and he’ll “likely” go four innings, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat writes. Mikolas hasn’t pitched in the majors this year because of shoulder problems, after he sat out all of last season on account of flexor tendon surgery. His most recent MLB outing occurred Oct. 11, 2019.
  • The Diamondbacks have reinstated first baseman Christian Walker and outfielder Tim Locastro from the IL, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic tweets. The club optioned outfielder Nick Heath and infielder Andrew Young in corresponding moves. The Diamondbacks have been without Walker since April 12 because of a right oblique strain, while Locastro suffered a dislocated finger April 17. Walker had a rough go early on with a .179/.250/.282 line and one homer in 44 trips to the plate. Locastro, meantime, took 58 PA last month and batted .269/.345/.327 with an HR and three steals.

Dodgers Mulling Roster Options

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9:01pm: Pazos might not receive a promotion after all. Manager Dave Roberts said the Dodgers are still deciding on their options, Toribio tweets.

4:45pm: The Dodgers have selected the contract of left-hander James Pazos, Juan Toribio of MLB.com relays. He’ll replace fellow southpaw Mike Kickham, whom the Dodgers designated for assignment Monday.

Pazos, 29, joined the Dodgers on a minor league contract over the winter after spending the previous two seasons with the National League West rival Rockies. He ended up throwing only 15 2/3 innings with Colorado, including 5 1/3 last year. Pazos was beaten up over his small sample of work in 2020, when he surrendered 10 earned runs on 10 hits (three homers) and five walks. He also saw his average fastball velocity drop from 94 mph-plus to 92.1.

Prior to his recent struggles, Pazos looked as if he was on track to carve out a successful big league career. During a 103 2/3-inning stretch with the Mariners from 2017-18, Pazos pitched to a 3.39 ERA/3.61 SIERA with a 24.4 percent strikeout rate, an 8.6 percent walk rate and a grounder percentage of 48.1.

Dodgers Claim Phil Bickford, Designate Mike Kickham

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The Dodgers have claimed right-hander Phil Bickford off waivers from the Brewers.  Both teams have announced the move, with the Dodgers designating left-hander Mike Kickham for assignment to create roster space.

Bickford pitched just one inning for the Brewers in 2021, to go along with his lone inning for the team last season.  Twice a first-round draft pick (for the Blue Jays in 2013 and, after opting to attend college, with the Giants in 2015), Bickford’s career has been stalled by injuries and a 50-game suspension for a drug of abuse in 2017.

The righty is still only 25 years old, however, and has yet to pitch in either Double-A or Triple-A ball.  It could be that some time in a proper minor league game environment will help hone Bickford’s potential as a relief pitcher, since he recorded a whopping 53 strikeouts in 32 2/3 bullpen innings (with a 2.48 ERA) for Milwaukee’s high-A affiliate in 2019.

Kickham signed a minor league deal with the Dodgers in the offseason and had his contract selected by the team yesterday.  He tossed two innings of mop-up work in the Dodgers’ 16-4 victory over the Brewers, though Kickham allowed three earned runs.  The 32-year-old has now appeared in four Major League seasons, though with a sizeable gap in between — Kickham pitched for the Giants in 2013-14 and then worked in the minors before resurfacing for 14 innings with the Red Sox in 2020.

Los Angeles Notes: Ohtani, Watson, Gonsolin, Price, Gray, Morrow

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Shohei Ohtani’s scheduled start against the Rays on Monday is now up in the air after he was hit on the right elbow by a pitch during his first plate appearances in today’s 2-0 Angels loss to the Mariners.  Ohtani stayed in the lineup for the remainder of the game, and in fact stole two bases after being plunked.  Angels manager Joe Maddon told reporters (including MLB.com’s Rhett Bollinger) that Ohtani “was sore, but he kept telling me he was feeling better game-in-progress.”

All options seem to be on the table for Monday, whether that means Ohtani is scratched from the lineup altogether, or perhaps only pitches or only acts as the designated hitter, or if he feels fine and fills both roles as originally planned.  Surely the Halos aren’t going to take any unnecessary risks with such an important player, particularly one enjoying as special of a season as Ohtani’s ongoing campaign.  He is hitting .263/.311/.606 with eight homers (and six steals from seven chances, to boot) over 106 plate appearances, while also posting a 3.29 ERA/4.52 SIERA and 37.1% strikeout rate, albeit with a very troubling 21% walk rate.

More from both the Angels and Dodgers….

  • Tony Watson was placed on the 10-day injured list (retroactive to April 29) due to a left calf strain, the Angels announced prior to today’s game.  Right-hander James Hoyt was called up from the alternate training site to take Watson’s roster spot.  After opting out of a minor league deal with the Phillies near the end of Spring Training, Watson inked a new minors deal with the Angels just prior to Opening Day, and the veteran has posted some excellent bottom-line results over 8 1/3 innings.  Watson has an 1.08 ERA, though with the help of a 100% strand rate and an .182 BABIP.  While some regression is inevitable, Watson still has a 2.57 SIERA, and he has often outperformed his advanced metrics during his 11-year career.
  • With Dustin May now the latest Dodgers pitcher to hit the injured list, the team is in the rare position of being somewhat short on pitching depth.  Manager Dave Roberts told reporters (including Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register) that the Dodgers are considering a four-man rotation, since a fifth starter won’t be required until May 18 thanks to three upcoming off-days on the schedule.  Tony Gonsolin is currently being stretched out to work as a starting pitcher when he returns from his own IL stint due to shoulder inflammation, and Roberts said Gonsolin is roughly three-to-four weeks away from being activated.
  • David Price hit the IL with a right hamstring strain on April 26, and Roberts estimated that the southpaw could beat (or at least be on the low end of) his projected four-to-six week recovery timeline.  Since Gonsolin is the pick as May’s replacement, Price will resume his previous bullpen role when he returns to action.  Roberts also noted that Josiah Gray, the Dodgers’ top pitching prospect, isn’t currently a candidate for a promotion to fill the rotation job.
  • Brandon Morrow stopped his throwing program due to arm problems, Roberts said, and the veteran right-hander’s comeback attempt looks uncertain.  “B-Mo just hasn’t responded to treatment,” Roberts said.  “It’s been a tough road for B-Mo and his family, so I don’t know if it’s even gonna be a play this year.  Obviously, I’m hopeful.”  Morrow signed a minors deal with the Dodgers in December, hoping to return to the majors for the first time since back and elbow injuries halted his career in 2018.

Dodgers Place Dustin May On 10-Day IL, Select Mike Kickham

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TODAY: May’s placement is official, with the “right arm injury” designation.  Left-hander Mike Kickham’s contract was selected from the alternate training site in a corresponding move.  To create a 40-man roster spot for Kickham, the Dodgers moved right-hander Corey Knebel to the 60-day IL.

Kickham signed a minor league deal with L.A. in January, after a 2020 season that saw him toss 14 innings for the Red Sox.  It was Kickham’s first MLB action since pitching with the Giants in 2014, as he had toiled away in the minors looking for another opportunity.

MAY 1, 11:28PM: The Dodgers will place May on the 10-day injured list on Sunday, manager Dave Roberts told reporters (including The Orange County Register’s Bill Plunkett).  In terms of a longer-term prognosis, Roberts said “we remain hopeful but we won’t know until we get an MRI,” adding that May will get that MRI when the Dodgers arrive in Chicago on Monday for the beginning of a series with the Cubs.  According to the manager, May felt “a shooting sensation” in his arm.

8:34PM: The Dodgers released a very general first report on May, saying that he only left the game with a “right arm injury.”

7:05PM: Dodgers right-hander Dustin May made an early exit from his start against the Brewers tonight due to an apparent injury.  After throwing a pitch to Billy McKinney with two out in the bottom of the second inning, May visibly winced in discomfort, and left the game after a visit from the team trainer.

More will be known when the Dodgers release an update on May’s condition, but obviously any sort of an injury that requires an injured-list placement isn’t good news for either May or the Dodgers rotation as a whole.  Though Los Angeles still has one of the league’s best rotations, the club has been hit hard by pitching injuries, with seven hurlers currently on the IL.  That list of names includes David Price and Tony Gonsolin, who were competing with May for a rotation spot during Spring Training.

May won that battle and has been impressive in the early going, posting a 2.53 ERA, 57.4% grounder rate, and one of the league’s best strikeout rates (37.2%) over 21 1/3 innings heading into tonight’s start against Milwaukee.  A heralded pitching prospect on his way up the Dodgers’ minor league ladder, May posted a 2.98 ERA over 90 2/3 innings in 2019-20, and finished fifth in NL Rookie Of The Year voting in 2020.  As usual with their pitchers, the Dodgers have been pretty flexible with May’s usage, deploying him mostly as a starter in 2020 but moving him to the bullpen and giving him opener-style “starts” during the team’s postseason run.

Injury Notes: Mondesi, Gonsolin, Strasburg, Solis

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The Royals have stormed out of the gate with a 16-9 start to take an early lead in the AL Central. That’s in spite of the absence of shortstop Adalberto Mondesi, who was placed on the injured list just before the regular season kicked off due to a right oblique strain. There’s still no timetable for the 25-year-old’s return to game action, but he made a notable step in his rehab process this week. Mondesi recently participated in a batting practice session, per manager Mike Matheny (via Anne Rogers of MLB.com). Royals’ shortstops (primarily Nicky Lopez) have hit .254/.325/.338 in Mondesi’s absence, which is tied for twelfth in park-adjusted offense (90 wRC+) at the position.

Some more injury situations around the league:

  • Dodgers righty Tony Gonsolin has also yet to make his regular season debut- in his case, on account of inflammation in his throwing shoulder. Gonsolin has progressed to working off a mound, though, throwing a 20-pitch bullpen session earlier this week (via Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register). The 26-year-old has emerged as another potential quality rotation option for Los Angeles, working to a 2.60 ERA/4.11 SIERA across his first 20 MLB appearances (14 starts) between 2019-20. Even before the injury, though, Gonsolin was slated to start this season in the bullpen on account of the Dodgers’ incredible rotation depth.
  • Stephen Strasburg threw approximately 30 pitches in a bullpen session this morning, Mark Zuckerman of MASNsports.com was among those to note. It’s the right-hander’s first mound work since he was placed on the injured list two weeks ago with inflammation in his pitching shoulder. Washington still hasn’t offered a ton of clarity as to when Strasburg is expected to return to game action. The former World Series MVP has been limited to two unproductive starts so far this year.
  • Astros right-handed pitching prospect Jairo Solis will be out approximately three months after undergoing surgery to remove loose bodies from his elbow, per Jake Kaplan of the Athletic (Twitter link). It’s a disappointing development for a young hurler who missed the entire 2019 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery. Entering the year, FanGraphs’ Kevin Goldstein called Solis a potential future top 100 prospect, but this latest development will wipe out at least a good chunk of his 2021 minor-league season. Solis, ranked 16th among Astro farmhands by Baseball America, was added to the 40-man roster last offseason.
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