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Bobby Morgan Passes Away

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Former big leaguer Bobby Morgan recently passed away, per Berry Tramel of The Oklahoman. Morgan died June 1 but his family preferred not to make an announcement, which is why the news is only coming out now. He was 96 years old.

Morgan was born in Oklahoma City in 1926. He became a professional baseball player in 1944, signing with the Dodgers and getting some experience in the minor leagues. But he was then drafted for military duty in World War II, spending 1945 and 1946 in the European Theater as a member of the Army.

He returned to baseball after that, eventually making his major league debut with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1950. He got into 67 games that year, hitting .226 while serving as a utility infielder behind players like Jackie Robinson, Pee Wee Reese and Gil Hodges.

Morgan didn’t play in the majors in 1951 but got into 136 games over 1952 and 1953, playing all three infield positions to the left of first base. He walked in 16.7% of plate appearances over those two seasons, leading to a .381 on-base percentage. The Dodgers won the National League pennant in each of those years but were defeated by the Yankees in the World Series both times. Morgan got one plate appearance in each series but lined out in both instances.

He was then traded to the Phillies and carved out a larger role, getting into 271 games over the 1954 and 1955 campaigns, bouncing around the infield. He then spent some time with the Cardinals and Cubs later in his career as well.

Overall, Morgan got into 671 regular season contests, notching 487 hits, including 96 doubles, 11 triples and 53 home runs. He scored 286 runs, drove in 217 and stole 18 bases. After his playing career ended, he did some minor league managing and scouting. We MLB Trade Rumors send our condolences to his family, friends, loved ones and fans.

Dodgers Activate Clayton Kershaw From Injured List

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The Dodgers announced that left-hander Clayton Kershaw has been activated from the injured list, with fellow lefty Victor González optioned in a corresponding move.

Kershaw, 35, was placed on the 15-day IL July 3, retroactive to June 30, due to soreness in his left shoulder. It was initially hoped that the southpaw could return after a brief respite, perhaps only missing a start or two since the All-Star break was coming up. However, subsequent reporting indicated he would likely be out until early August, which has now come to pass, as he will take the ball to start tonight’s game against the Rockies.

Prior to the IL stint, the results continued to be excellent for Kershaw. He’s thrown 95 1/3 innings over 16 starts so far this year, having allowed 2.55 earned runs per nine innings. His 27.7% strikeout rate, 6.3% walk rate and 47.2% ground ball rate are all above league average.

Trips to the IL have become the norm for him, with 2015 being the last season in which he didn’t have at least one stint away from the club. That was also the last year in which he topped 180 regular season innings, and he’s been held beneath 127 frames in each campaign since 2019.

Although Kershaw’s absence wasn’t especially long, rotation health has been and continues to be a major focus for the club. Walker Buehler has been on the IL all year due to last year’s Tommy John surgery. Dustin May required flexor tendon surgery a few months back and won’t return this year. Tony Gonsolin missed time due to an ankle sprain and Julio Urías was sidelined by a hamstring strain. Ryan Pepiot was on the IL for about four months due to an oblique strain and Michael Grove recently hit the shelf due to lat tightness.

The club acquired Lance Lynn from the White Sox prior to the deadline to bolster the rotation, though he has an ERA over 6.00 for the year. They also wanted to acquire Eduardo Rodriguez from the Tigers and reportedly had a deal in place, though he nixed that with his limited no-trade clause. That leaves the club with a five-man rotation of Kershaw, Lynn, Urías, Gonsolin and rookie Bobby Miller for the time being. Urías and Gonsolin have also been a bit shaky this year, with ERAs of 4.39 and 4.43, respectively. Depth options include Pepiot, Gavin Stone, and Emmet Sheehan, though each of those have posted middling results this year. Ryan Yarbrough is on hand as a long relief option in the bullpen and could perhaps jump into a rotation role, if needed.

Despite those rotation challenges, the Dodgers are still leading the National League West, six games clear of the Giants. The health and performance of the rotation figures to be an important factor in how strong they finish the regular season and perhaps how they perform in the postseason.

MLB Trade Rumors Podcast: The Streaking Mariners, the Struggling Angels and Injured Aces

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The latest episode of the MLB Trade Rumors Podcast is now live on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts! Make sure you subscribe as well! You can also use the player at this link to listen, if you don’t use Spotify or Apple for podcasts.

This week, host Darragh McDonald is joined by Steve Adams of MLB Trade Rumors to discuss:

  • The scorching hot Mariners (2:15)
  • The ice cold Angels (6:20)
  • The Rangers will be without Josh Jung for a while, impacting them and the Rookie of the Year race (8:45)
  • Shane McClanahan could be out for the year and maybe part of 2024 as well (13:15)
  • Yankees put Carlos Rodón back on the injured list (18:35)
  • Red Sox get Trevor Story back (21:35)

Plus, we answer your questions, including:

  • Any chance that the Cubs try to sign Cody Bellinger to a long term deal? (24:35)
  • Of all the players on the Dodgers’ injured list, which will have the most immediate impact both now and for the postseason not named Clayton Kershaw? (30:15)
  • Are the Angels’ manager and general managers jobs respectively in jeopardy if they fail to make the playoffs? (33:25)

Check out our past episodes!

Dodgers To Sign Top Korean Pitching Prospect Hyun-Seok Jang

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The Dodgers have agreed to terms with South Korean right-hander Hyun-seok Jang, his agency in South Korea announced (link via Jee-ho Yoo of the Yonhap News Agency). It’s a $900K signing bonus for the 19-year-old Jang, who is forgoing the KBO amateur draft to pursue MLB opportunities. Yoo notes that Jang was widely expected to be the top pick in this year’s KBO draft. Daniel Kim first reported that the two parties were nearing an agreement.

The signing of Jang likely would not have been possible were it not for last week’s trade with the White Sox, which saw the Dodgers ship a pair of minor leaguers — Aldrin Batista and Maximo Martinez — to Chicago in exchange for additional space in their international bonus pool. The Dodgers’ $4,144,000 pool for the 2023 signing period tied the Rangers for the smallest league-allotted pool. And, as Baseball America’s Ben Badler outlined in detail this past spring, Los Angeles used the overwhelming majority of that pool (all but $1500 of it) on shortstop Joendry Vargas, outfielder Arnaldo Lantigua, right-hander Jesus Tillero, shortstop Daniel Mielcarek, catcher/outfielder Eduardo Quintero, shortstop Elias Medina and right-hander Samuel Sanchez.

The collective bargaining agreement, however, allows teams to trade international bonus pool space. Any team can acquire additional space totaling up to 60% of its initial league-allotted pool size. After their initial signing spree when the period opened, Badler noted that the White Sox still had more than $1MM remaining in pool space. That set the stage for them to either sign additional talents down the line or, as they ultimately wound up doing, trade some of that remaining pool space.

Jang, listed at 6’2″ and 198 pounds, has allowed one run with a 42-to-14 K/BB ratio in 27 1/3 innings during his final high school season and was recently the only amateur named to the South Korean National Team, per Yoo. He’s already reached 97 mph on his fastball and will add a power arm — albeit one that is likely years from realistically making an MLB impact — to the lower levels of the Dodgers’ perennially strong farm system.

Injury Notes: Means, Neto, Treinen, Heim

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The Orioles are sending left-hander John Means on a minor league rehab stint on Thursday, tweets Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com. He’ll take the ball for their Double-A club in Bowie.

It’ll be Means’ first game action since he underwent Tommy John surgery last April. The 16-month recovery timetable is towards the longer end of the typical TJS rehab, in part due to a back strain Means suffered this past May. The rehab outings represent his final steps as he builds back to MLB readiness. Pitchers are typically allotted 30 days on a stint, though players working back from Tommy John procedures can get a longer window with league approval.

If all goes well, it stands to reason Means will be back on the Camden Yards mound sometime next month. The 2019 All-Star will get to pitch in a pennant race for the first time in his career. After tonight’s dramatic loss at the hands of the Astros, Baltimore holds a two-game lead on Tampa Bay in the AL East.

A few other health situations around the game:

  • The Angels placed shortstop Zach Neto on the 10-day injured list on Friday due to lower back inflammation. A specific recovery timetable is unclear, though he’ll be out well past the minimal stay. Manager Phil Nevin informed reporters (including Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com) that Neto will be out for several weeks after recent imaging revealed increased inflammation. The club still expects the rookie infielder back before season’s end, but it’s another hurdle for a team that has been floundering since the deadline. Luis Rengifo has kicked over to shortstop with Neto out while Brandon Drury handles second base.
  • Dodgers reliever Blake Treinen has missed the entire season after undergoing shoulder surgery last November. The club announced a rough 10-month recovery timetable at the time of the operation. Almost exactly 10 months out, Treinen has yet to begin a rehab assignment. The veteran right-hander has been throwing bullpen sessions, however, and he told reporters this afternoon he remains hopeful of getting back to the majors this year (relayed by Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times). Treinen has barely pitched over the last two seasons because of shoulder woes but had a 1.99 ERA over 72 1/3 frames in 2021. The Dodgers hold an option for next year valued somewhere between $1MM and $7MM depending on his health status.
  • Rangers All-Star backstop Jonah Heim took batting practice and caught a bullpen session this afternoon, writes Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News. It’s his first cage work since tearing a tendon sheath in his left wrist two weeks ago. The Rangers expressed initial concern that Heim would require season-ending surgery, though it seems he’ll be able to play through the discomfort (likely before an offseason surgery). Grant notes that Heim — normally a switch-hitter — may have to swing solely from the left side for the time being, as the wrist is in more pain when he hits right-handed. Heim has been excellent from both sides of the dish this season, and Texas has righty-swinging catchers Mitch Garver and Austin Hedges as their duo with Heim out. Even if skipper Bruce Bochy wanted to limit Heim’s looks against left-handed pitching, Garver — a career .272/.366/.523 hitter against southpaws — should be well equipped to step in.

Dodgers Place Michael Grove On 15-Day Injured List

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The Dodgers placed right-hander Michael Grove on the 15-day injured list today, as Grove is suffering from right lat tightness.  Left-hander Bryan Hudson was called up from Triple-A to take Grove’s spot on the active roster, and manager Dave Roberts told MLB.com and other reporters that Grove should miss only the minimum 15 days.

Grove missed about six weeks earlier this season due to a groin strain, and he has been up and down from Triple-A a few times this season.  Working mostly as a traditional starter but also getting some work as a reliever and as a bulk pitcher, Grove has tossed 64 innings over 15 appearances this season, helping out a Dodgers team that has been hit hard by pitching injuries.  Unfortunately for Grove and the Dodgers, his results haven’t been great, as he has a 6.61 ERA and has allowed a lot of hard contact.

The ERA doesn’t tell the whole story, as Grove’s 3.96 SIERA indicates some bad luck for the 26-year-old.  Grove’s 6.3% walk rate is well above league average and his 23.5% strikeout rate is around mid-range.  While batters are getting good wood on Grove’s offerings, he is also seeing an unusual amount of those balls in play fall for hits, as Grove has a hefty .378 BABIP.

Grove becomes the 11th pitcher on Los Angeles’ current injured list, with various hurlers still sidelined by both short-term or longer-term or season-ending injuries.  Despite pitching depth being a problem for much of the season, the Dodgers are still atop the NL West, holding a three-game lead on the Giants entering Sunday’s play.  Lance Lynn was acquired at the trade deadline to provide some rotation help, while Clayton Kershaw is expected to return from his own IL stint at some point this week.  Roberts also said that Shelby Miller (on the 60-day IL) has recovered from a nerve issue and has started a rehab assignment in the Arizona Complex League, with hopes of returning to the Dodgers before the season is over.

White Sox Acquire Two Minor League Pitchers From Dodgers

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The White Sox announced they’ve acquired right-handers Aldrín Batista and Máximo Martínez from the Dodgers in exchange for international signing bonus space. Both were eligible to be traded because they haven’t been on the 40-man roster at any point this season.

Both pitchers are low-level arms with no major league experience. They’d each been in the Arizona Complex League. Batista, 20, has a 3.46 ERA while striking out just under a third of opponents in 39 innings. Martínez, 19, has a 4.73 ERA with a 23.3% strikeout rate over 26 2/3 frames.

While Batista has the better numbers, Martínez placed higher on Eric Longehangen’s write-up of Dodger prospects at FanGraphs over the winter. The outlet credited Martínez with a mid-90s fastball, quality curveball and advanced control. While the Sox add a pair of young arms as developmental fliers, the Dodgers pick up a bit more money they can devote to their current class of international amateurs.

Guardians Acquire Kole Calhoun, Place Josh Naylor On Injured List

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3:20pm: Manager Terry Francona tells reporters that an MRI indeed revealed a strained oblique for Naylor (link via Lewis). The team has placed a tentative timetable of three to six weeks on his recovery, but he’ll be evaluated weekly to see if that timeline changes. If it proves to be on the longer end of that recovery window, Naylor would miss the majority of the remaining season.

1:50pm: The Guardians on Friday placed first baseman Josh Naylor and infielder Tyler Freeman on the injured list, tweets Ryan Lewis of the Akron Beacon-Journal. Cleveland also called up infielder Jose Tena and acquired veteran outfielder Kole Calhoun from the Dodgers in exchange for cash. He’s been selected to the Major League roster. Calhoun was eligible to be traded by virtue of the fact that has not been on a 40-man roster or Major League injured list this season. (You can read more about how to acquire players after the trade deadline here.)

Naylor was scratched from the lineup earlier this week due to an oblique injury and is now sidelined at least 10 days — though even Grade 1 oblique strains can often sideline a player up to a month. The 28-year-old has been enjoying a breakout season, slashing .306/.346/.500 with 15 home runs, 25 doubles and six steals. Naylor looked like a lock to set new career-highs in homers and doubles, topping last season’s respective personal records of 20 and 28. It remains to be seen just how long he’ll be sidelined, but so long as he doesn’t face a lengthy stay on the IL, he still appears in good position to do so. Either way, his excellent production will give him a notable raise over this year’s $3.35MM salary.

Freeman, 24, has yet to receive a chance to settle into a regular role in Cleveland despite long ranking as one of the system’s top prospects. He’s an advanced hitter who’s lacking power but is touted for his excellent contact skills and hit tool. He’s punched out in just 13.8% of his big league plate appearances and is batting .286/.344/.357 in 95 plate appearances this year. The trade of Amed Rosario opened up some additional reps in the Cleveland infield, but Freeman’s shoulder strain will deprive him of further opportunities for the time being.

The veteran Calhoun, 35, was in spring training with the Mariners and has since signed minor league deals with the Yankees and Dodgers. None of those clubs gave the former Angels All-Star a look in the Majors, despite Calhoun doing his best to force the issue. Though he’s struggled to a .208/.269/.343 batting line over the past two big league seasons, Calhoun has posted terrific numbers in Triple-A this season, slashing .297/.376/.530 in 266 plate appearances. He’s swatted nine homers, 17 doubles and five triples — all while walking in just over 10% of his plate appearances and striking out at a lower-than-average 18% clip.

Tena will make his big league debut when he first takes the field. He’s not as touted as some of the Guardians’ other young middle infield but is still a prospect of some note. The 22-year-old had just been bumped up for his Triple-A debut (during which he went 1-for-3 with a double) after hitting .260/.353/.370 in 362 Double-A plate appearances. That stop in Columbus will prove little more than a layover en route to Cleveland. Baseball America ranks Tena 14th among Cleveland prospects, crediting him with an above-average hit tool and speed but below average power. He’s a versatile defender who can capably play any of shortstop, second base or third base.

Mets Claim Tyson Miller

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The Mets claimed right-hander Tyson Miller off waivers from the Dodgers, per announcements from both teams. Miller has been optioned to Triple-A Syracuse, per the Mets.

Miller, 28, has been a member of the L.A. organization for a bit less than a month. The Dodgers acquired him from the Brewers in a cash transaction in mid-July. Miller made one two-inning appearance a couple weeks later, allowing two runs on three hits. He’s pitched twice with OKC on optional assignment.

The right-hander has appeared for four teams over parts of three big league seasons. He has just 27 innings at the highest level, carrying an even 8.00 ERA. Miller’s underlying marks are well below-average in that limited big league look. He owns a 4.69 ERA over 228 1/3 innings at the Triple-A level. He’s fanned a little more than a quarter of opponents in Triple-A against a slightly elevated 10% walk rate.

Miller is in his final option year, so he can be shuttled between Triple-A Syracuse and Queens for the remainder of the season. The Mets depleted their pitching depth at the trade deadline when they sold off and sent David Robertson, Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer to other clubs. Miller will give them a depth option for the remainder of the year. He’s worked primarily out of the bullpen in 2023 but does have experience as a starter under his belt as well.

Placing Miller on waivers cleared a 40-man roster spot for the Dodgers to reinstate Ryan Pepiot from the 60-day injured list and option him to Triple-A. The former top prospect had secured the fifth spot in the starting staff at the end of Spring Training. An oblique strain just before exhibition play wrapped unfortunately dashed that, sending him to the IL for upwards of four months.

The 25-year-old righty has made four rehab appearances with Oklahoma City over the last three weeks. He threw 70 pitches on Monday as he continues to build up to a starting workload. It doesn’t seem the Dodgers feel he’s quite ready to return to MLB action, but his reinstatement suggests he’s not far off.

L.A. Notes: Kershaw, Buehler, Ohtani, Drury, Trout

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The Dodgers were well-established as searching for pitching upgrades ahead of Tuesday’s trade deadline. In the end, they managed to make some minor additions, adding right-handers Lance Lynn and Joe Kelly in a deal with the White Sox and picking up left-hander Ryan Yarbrough from the Royals, but failed to land any of the impactful starters that were moved like Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer, and Jordan Montgomery. The club had a deal in place with the Tigers to acquire lefty Eduardo Rodriguez, though Rodriguez vetoed the trade using his 10-team no-trade list, which included the Dodgers. After failing to acquire an impact starter at the deadline, the club will have to lean heavily on the group of arms already in the organization down the stretch.

To that end, the Dodgers relayed good news regarding a pair of arms currently on the injured list yesterday starting with lefty veteran Clayton Kershaw. The 35-year-old future Hall of Famer delivered a 2.55 ERA in sixteen starts prior to going on the IL at the end of June and could return to the mound as soon as next week for the Dodgers. As noted by J.P. Hoornstra of the Orange County Register, Kershaw’s most recent simulated game inspired confidence in manager Dave Roberts to the point that he suggested Kershaw likely won’t require a rehab assignment in the minor leagues before returning to the big league club. Per Hoornstra, one more bullpen session is on the docket for the club’s veteran ace before they decide whether he’ll make his return in Arizona on either Tuesday or Wednesday or wait to face the Rockies at Dodger Stadium later in the week.

The Dodgers also had positive news to offer regarding right-hander Walker Buehler, who has missed the entire season to this point while rehabbing Tommy John surgery. As relayed by Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times, Roberts indicated yesterday that Buehler has nearly reached the point in his recovery process where he will begin a minor league rehab assignment. Earlier this season, Buehler expressed a desire to make it back to the majors this year, with a target date of September 1. That goal seemingly remains unchanged, though it was initially thought that a September return for Buehler would likely come as a member of the Dodgers’ bullpen. Roberts indicates that isn’t the case, however, as the righty will be built up as a starter as he aims to return to the majors next month.

A healthy and effective Buehler would be a huge boon for a Dodgers rotation that has seen its starting staff struggle to a 5.86 ERA since Kershaw’s last start back in June. Prior to his injury-shortened 2022 campaign, Buehler had been one of the best starters in the game over the past four seasons, with a 2.82 ERA and 3.16 FIP across 564 innings of work between 2018 and 2021. That included a sensational 2021 campaign, where Buehler finished fourth in Cy Young award voting after throwing 207 2/3 innings of 2.47 ERA baseball.

More from the other side of town…

  • Two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani exited his start against the Mariners yesterday after just four innings due to cramping in his middle finger, as noted by ESPN’s Alden Gonzalez. The Angels phenom stayed in the game as a hitter, but the departure continues a worrying trend of issues hampering Ohtani on the mound, as he dealt with a cracked fingernail and blister on that same finger last month. Since his battle against those injuries began, he’s struggled on the mound with a 5.52 ERA across his last five starts. While the combined thirteen scoreless innings from his last two starts would normally be encouraging, the prospect of Ohtani potentially missing a start is a worrisome one for the Angels, who at 56-54 need every win they can get if they’re to make the playoffs for the first time since 2014.
  • While Ohtani’s health is in question, the Angels received a positive update regarding the status of infielder Brandon Drury yesterday, per MLB.com. Drury, who has been on the shelf with a shoulder contusion since the end of June, started a minor league rehab assignment on Tuesday and is scheduled to play another rehab game tonight. If that goes well, it’s possible he’ll rejoin the major league roster as soon as tomorrow to contribute to an infield mix that has primarily relied on Mike Moustakas, C.J. Cron, Zach Neto, Luis Rengifo, and Eduardo Escobar in recent weeks. When on the field, it’s been a strong season for Drury, who sports a 122 wRC+ in 75 games with the club while playing first and second base for the Angels.
  • While he may not be as close to returning as Drury, the Angels also received good news regarding veteran superstar Mike Trout yesterday. Trout underwent surgery to remove a fractured hamate bone in early July with a four-to-eight week timeline for return. It sounds like Trout’s return may come on the earlier end of that spectrum, as manager Phil Nevin reports that Trout had progressed to hitting off a tee yesterday, per MLB.com, adding that his ramp-up to returning to game action should be a quick one. It’s been a relative down season for Trout, as he’s slashed “only” .263/.369/.493 with a wRC+ of 137 in 81 games. Those excellent numbers may be a far cry from his career wRC+ of 170, but the 31-year-old superstar is well established as not only one of the greats of today’s game, but one of the finest hitters in baseball history.
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