Roberts: Kershaw Likely A Couple Weeks From Throwing Bullpen Session
Clayton Kershaw landed on the 15-day injured list a week ago, and it doesn’t seem his return is imminent. Manager Dave Roberts told Dani Wexelman of MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM this afternoon that Kershaw was likely still a couple weeks from throwing a bullpen session (via Jon Morosi of MLB.com).
When Kershaw first went on the IL, there’d been optimism he could return after a minimal stint. The club wasn’t ruling out the three-time Cy Young winner from throwing a bullpen session this week, and there seemed a chance he’d avoid a minor league rehab appearance. Kershaw felt continued soreness while playing catch, however, meaning the progression will take longer than initially hoped.
It seems the earliest Kershaw will throw a bullpen session is now at the beginning of June. He’ll probably need multiple sessions before progressing to game action, and nearly a month will have passed since the time of his IL placement. That long a layoff probably necessitates a minor league appearance or two before Kershaw’s able to make it back to Dodger Stadium. With that in mind, mid-June would seem to be a rough target date for his possible return.
It still doesn’t seem the organization is too concerned, as Roberts said earlier this week that Kershaw would continue lightly throwing. His current injury is inflammation of the right SI joint in his hip, which is obviously less concerning than a possible arm issue would’ve been. Kershaw’s 2021 season was cut short by forearm/elbow concerns, but he avoided surgery and returned to the Dodgers on a one-year, $17MM deal over the winter.
Before the injury, the eight-time All-Star continue to dominate opposing hitters. He’s worked 30 innings across five starts, posting a 1.80 ERA. Despite no longer possessing high-end velocity, Kershaw has struck out an excellent 29.4% of batters faced on the strength of a solid 12% swinging strike rate. He’s also only walked three of his 109 opponents on the season, maintaining his pristine command.
Kershaw is slated to be a free agent once again at the end of the year. His stint on the open market last winter seemed to come down to a return to L.A. or joining his hometown Rangers. If he finishes the season healthy, Kershaw would again be one of the best pitchers available, and it stands to reason both the Dodgers and Rangers would have continued interest in signing him.
Pitching Notes: Kershaw, Wacha, Hernandez, Mayza
There had been some indication that Clayton Kershaw could be cleared to throw a bullpen session today, but Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters (including The Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya) that such a session won’t take place. Some right SI joint inflammation sent Kershaw to the 15-day injured list on May 13, and while the star left-hander has started playing catch, it appears he is still some time off from a formal bullpen.
This doesn’t necessarily mean that Kershaw will miss an overt amount of time, but as Ardaya notes, it does rule out any chance that Kershaw will miss only a 15-day minimum. While he isn’t dealing with an arm injury this time, Kershaw has dealt with enough health issues in recent years that any sort of IL stint is a concern, though the former three-time NL Cy Young Award winner has continued to pitch very well when he has been able to take the mound.
Here’s the latest on some other pitching-related injury situations from around the league…
- Michael Wacha is slated to return from the 15-day injured list and start Friday’s game, Red Sox manager Alex Cora told MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo and other reporters. Friday is the first eligible day for Wacha’s activation, after being retroactively placed on the 15-day IL on May 5 due to left intercostal irritation. After a few rough seasons, Wacha looked to be on pace for a bounce-back performance in his first five starts with Boston, with an excellent 1.38 ERA over 26 innings.
- At the minor league level, Cora said left-hander Darwinzon Hernandez will be “down for a while” after suffering an MCL sprain in his right knee. Hernandez has a 5.95 ERA over 19 2/3 innings with Triple-A Worcester, continuing his career-long pattern of recording plenty of strikeouts but also far too many walks. Over 78 2/3 career big league frames with the Red Sox, Hernandez has a 3.66 ERA and 33.6% strikeout rate, but also a whopping 17.6% walk rate.
- The Blue Jays placed Tim Mayza on the 15-day IL Monday due to left forearm inflammation, and GM Ross Atkins told MLB.com’s Keegan Matheson and other reporters today that the initial indication is that Mayza’s issue is localized within his forearm and not his elbow. Mayza is seeing another doctor today just to be doubly safe, as the reliever underwent Tommy John surgery in September 2019 and also missed 10 days last season due to elbow inflammation. Since returning from that TJ procedure, Mayza has a 3.14 ERA over 66 innings out of Toronto’s bullpen in 2021-22.
Dodgers Designate Shane Greene For Assignment
The Dodgers announced they’ve designated reliever Shane Greene for assignment (via Juan Toribio of MLB.com). The move clears active and 40-man roster space for left-hander David Price, who has been reinstated from the COVID-19 injured list.
Manager Dave Roberts told reporters this morning that Price would be activated between games of today’s twin bill against the Diamondbacks. That move costs Greene his roster spot just two days after he was brought up. The veteran reliever made a lone appearance in Dodger blue this season, tossing two scoreless innings during Sunday’s win over the Phillies.
Greene also made nine appearances for the Dodgers down the stretch last season. The 2021 campaign was a struggle, as the righty never seemed to find his footing after lingering on the free agent market into May. He originally signed with the Braves but posted just a 7.23 ERA in 23 2/3 innings between Atlanta and L.A. Greene had posted a sub-3.00 ERA in three of the prior four seasons, never missing many bats but generally throwing strikes and avoiding hard contact.
The 33-year-old signed a new minor league deal with the Dodgers during Spring Training. He’s made seven appearances with Triple-A Oklahoma City, tossing 7 2/3 frames of five-run ball with nine strikeouts and four walks. The Dodgers will presumably try to outright Greene back to the minors over the coming days, although he has more than enough service time to refuse a minor league assignment and reach free agency if he clears waivers.
Price has been out of action since contracting the virus in late April. The former Cy Young award winner has worked exclusively in relief to this point in the season. Price has appeared in five games, allowing one run in 4 2/3 innings with five strikeouts and a walk.
Dodgers Announce Series Of Roster Moves
The Dodgers announced a flurry of roster moves prior to today’s doubleheader against the D-backs. Right-hander Mitch White has been reinstated from the Covid-related injured list, with righty Blake Treinen moving to the 60-day injured list in order to open a roster spot. Los Angeles also optioned lefty Caleb Ferguson in favor of lefty Justin Bruihl, who’s been recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma City. The Dodgers also placed right-hander Tommy Kahnle on the 15-day injured list due to inflammation in his right forearm and brought righty Ryan Pepiot up as the 27th man for today’s twin bill.
Additional moves seem likely to take place between the day’s games, as manager Dave Roberts announced to reporters that lefty David Price will be activated from the Covid IL for the second game against Arizona (Twitter link via Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic). That’ll require an additional 40-man move.
Treinen’s move to the 60-day injured list further solidifies what Roberts explained earlier in the month when he told reporters that while the right-hander was forgoing an additional visit to a third-party doctor and would instead focus on rehabbing his shoulder with an eye toward returning after the All-Star break. Treinen enjoyed a dominant 2021 season for the Dodgers but pitched just three innings in 2022 before landing on the injured list with the shoulder injury that’ll now officially cost him at least half the season.
Turning to Kahnle, any forearm injury to a pitcher is generally cause for some concern, as they’re often portents to more treacherous diagnoses. In the case of Kahnle, he’s only just returned from Tommy John surgery and has seen his average fastball (95.5 mph) check in a fair bit shy of its pre-surgery levels in 2019 (96.6 mph). The Dodgers signed him to a two-year, $4.75MM deal prior to the 2021 season, knowing he’d miss the first season of the contract while rehabbing that surgery. He’s appeared in just four games for L.A. this season. The team did not provide a timetable for his potential return.
NL West Notes: Melancon, Dodgers, Bryant
Diamondbacks closer Mark Melancon took his fifth loss Saturday — a remarkable stat given that he entered the year with 30 losses in 13 prior seasons — and manager Torey Lovullo answered somewhat vaguely when asked whether the four-time All-Star would remain in the closer’s role (link via Jose M. Romero of the Arizona Republic). “We’re going to still have some more discussions about his availability,” Lovullo said while also accepting responsibility for some of Melancon’s struggles, which have come amid a heavy workload. Melancon spent a week on the Covid list from April 29 through May 6 and then made six appearances in a span of nine days following his activation. He yielded 10 runs in 3 2/3 innings during that time.
Signed by the D-backs to a two-year, $14MM contract over the winter, Melancon has surrendered 14 runs (11 earned) on 20 hits and five walks with just four strikeouts in 11 2/3 frames thus far. His fastball, which averaged 92.2 mph in 2021, is now sitting at just 90.8 mph. Melancon’s swinging-strike and chase rates are actually better than last season’s marks, though, and he’s been plagued by a sky-high .396 average on balls in play. If the Diamondbacks do go in another direction, veteran Ian Kennedy has ample experience and is second on the team with five holds, having been Lovullo’s primary eighth-inning option thus far.
Some more notes from the division…
- Dodgers lefties Clayton Kershaw and Andrew Heaney could both be ready for bullpen sessions this week, manager Dave Roberts said at yesterday’s media session (Twitter links via The Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya). Kershaw felt some minor soreness while playing catch but could be cleared for a ‘pen session by Wednesday. There’s no specific day set for a Heaney bullpen, but he’s also been playing catch. Kershaw has a 1.80 ERA through five starts and 30 innings this season but recently landed on the shelf owing to a hip issue that was treated with an epidural. Heaney has been out since mid-April due to shoulder trouble but opened plenty of eyes early in his Dodgers tenure. In 10 1/3 innings, Heaney allowed only an unearned run on four hits and three walks with a whopping 16 strikeouts. Brandishing a new-look slider in place of his former curveball and having all but scrapped his changeup, Heaney posted a mammoth 20.5% swinging-strike rate and 36.5% opponents’ chase rate prior to landing on the IL. He inked a one-year, $8.5MM deal with the Dodgers at the beginning of the offseason. Kershaw signed a one-year, $17MM deal to return not long after the lockout lifted.
- Kris Bryant is joining the Rockies’ Triple-A affiliate for a pair of minor league rehab games this week, tweets Danielle Allentuck of the Denver Gazette. If all goes well, he could be back in the lineup for the Rox by the weekend. Out since April 26 due to a back injury that the team hoped would require a minimum IL stay, Bryant will instead wind up missing three-plus weeks of action, at least. As Nick Groke of The Athletic writes, Bryant received a cortisone shot last week after an initial period of rest didn’t fully remedy his ailment. Bryant’s return could push the struggling Sam Hilliard to Triple-A, particularly with the out-of-options Yonathan Daza hitting well at the moment and thus giving the team a productive fourth outfield option. Utilityman Garrett Hampson is also capable of playing all three outfield spots, though he’s been primarily used as an infielder in 2022.
Dodgers Select Shane Greene, Transfer Victor Gonzalez To 60-Day IL
The Dodgers announced a series of roster moves today, one of them being the recall of Michael Grove, which was reported yesterday. Shane Greene will also be joining the team, though he wasn’t previously on the 40-man roster. To make room on the active roster, Reyes Moronta and Garrett Cleavinger have been optioned. For Greene’s spot on the 40-man, Victor Gonzalez was transferred to the 60-day injured list.
This will be the ninth MLB season for Greene, once he gets into a game. His career has been a bit of a rollercoaster, as he’s often oscillated between good and bad seasons. After posting ERAs north of 5.00 with the Tigers in 2015 and 2016, he turned things around in 2017. Across 67 2/3 innings that year, he had a 2.66 ERA, 25.8% strikeout rate and 12% walk rate. It was a 180-degree turn the next year, as his ERA shot up above 5.00 again in 2018. The next two years, he was good again, with ERAs of 2.30 and 2.60 in 2019 and 2020, respectively. Last year, the wheel of fortune spun him around again, as his ERA went up to 7.23.
That 7.23 ERA is a bit misleading, however, as Greene didn’t sign with the Braves until May and struggled to get into a groove after missing Spring Training. He had an 8.47 ERA with Atlanta before being released in August and latching on with the Dodgers. He put up a much more palatable 4.05 ERA in Los Angeles to finish the year, though in a small sample of just 6 2/3 innings. The club brought him back into the organization on a minor league deal in March. He has a 5.87 ERA in Triple-A so far this year, though the club evidently isn’t scared off by those results in a small sample of 7 2/3 innings.
The transfer of Gonzalez doesn’t come as a shock, as he underwent arthroscopic debridement surgery on his pitching elbow recently. The 60-day clock starts from his initial placement in April, meaning he won’t be eligible to return until early June. Though the club hopes he can return at some point this season, it doesn’t seem like it will be any time soon.
Dodgers To Promote Michael Grove
The Dodgers will promote right-handed pitching prospect Michael Grove on Sunday, and Grove will make his MLB debut in some capacity during Los Angeles’ game with the Phillies. Manager Dave Roberts told reporters (including J.P. Hoornstra of The Southern California News Group) that Grove will either work as a starter, or as a bulk pitcher behind an opener.
The 25-year-old Grove was a second-round pick for the Dodgers in the 2018 draft, and could have gone higher if he hadn’t had over a full season of college ball wiped out by Tommy John surgery. Both MLB Pipeline (23rd) and Baseball America (24th) place the righty within their rankings of the team’s top 30 prospects, citing his big fastball that sits in the 96-99mph range, and with Pipeline also giving his slider a 60 grade on the 20-80 scouting scale.
A midseason arm slot adjustment helped Grove achieve better results at Double-A last season, and he has kept it going this year with a 2.76 ERA, 32.8% strikeout rate, and 7.5% walk rate over 16 1/3 frames (still at the Double-A level). The drop in walk rate is a particularly good sign given the control problems that hampered Grove earlier in his minor league career, and he has allowed only one home run this season after giving up 26 long balls during his first 122 2/3 pro innings.
Scouts aren’t sure if Grove’s stuff will allow him to remain as a starter in the big leagues, or if he could eventually be used as a bullpen weapon. Theoretically, Grove could be an intriguing choice as a multi-inning reliever if L.A. doesn’t feel he can succeed in a normal starting role, and the Dodgers’ creative pitcher usage allows for many possibilities for Grove’s future.
For now, he’ll get to bypass Triple-A and jump right to the big leagues. Clayton Kershaw‘s recent trip to the 15-day injured list left the Dodgers down two starters (Kershaw and Andrew Heaney), and in need of some rotation help during a stretch of 31 games in 30 days. Prospect Ryan Pepiot also recently made his MLB debut and could be the likeliest candidate for a more extended look, so it’s possible Sunday’s outing could be a one-off for Grove.
Trevor Bauer’s Appeal Hearing To Begin On May 23
Major League Baseball handed down a 324-game suspension to Dodgers pitcher Trevor Bauer last month after finding he’d violated the Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Child Abuse policy. Bauer denied all wrongdoing and immediately announced plans to appeal the ban, and Britt Ghiroli of the Athletic reports that hearing is set to begin on May 23.
That’s not to say a resolution is forthcoming shortly. Ghiroli reports that the process is likely to take place over several days in the coming months, with scheduling subject to the availability of the arbitrators. The panel will consist of three individuals — one of whom was selected by the league, one selected by the Players Association, and one independent arbitrator approved by both parties.
Three women have made public allegations that Bauer assaulted them during sex. He was not charged criminally, but the league has the authority to hand down discipline even in the absence of charges (as it did in this instance). The pitcher has denied the allegations.
Bauer’s appeal marks the first time a player has contested a ban under the Domestic Violence policy. (All previous players found to have committed a violation agreed to their suspensions). The 324-game suspension is the longest handed down by the commissioner’s office since the policy was put into place. Bauer was on paid administrative leave between last July — when the first woman’s allegations were made public — until the suspension was announced on April 29. He is not being paid during the appeals process. Bauer signed a three-year, $102MM free agent deal with the Dodgers that runs through 2023.
Dodgers Place Clayton Kershaw On Injured List
The Dodgers are placing Clayton Kershaw on the 15-day injured list due to right SI joint inflammation, the club informed reporters (including J.P. Hoornstra of the Southern California News Group). The team doesn’t anticipate it being a long-term absence. Reliever Garrett Cleavinger has been recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma City in a corresponding move.
The SI joint is in the hip/pelvis area, so Kershaw is fortunately not dealing with any arm concerns. He missed most of the second half of last season due to forearm/elbow issues, so this latest injury would seem to register as a much more minor issue. Walker Buehler will take the ball tonight against the Phillies in Kershaw’s stead.
Kershaw turned 34 years old last month, but despite his age and last season’s injuries, the three-time Cy Young award winner has again been dominant. After signing a one-year, $17MM deal to return to L.A. during Spring Training, Kershaw has tossed 30 innings across his first five starts. He owns a 1.80 ERA with a stellar 29.4% strikeout rate. Owner of perhaps the game’s best command, the eight-time All-Star has only walked three of the 109 batters he’s faced.
Andrew Heaney is also on the injured list, leaving the Dodgers with a four-man group of Buehler, Julio Urías, Tony Gonsolin and Tyler Anderson in the starting staff for now. David Price has been out of action since late April due to COVID-19, but he’s begun throwing and could return to the club next week (link via Sarah Wexler of MLB.com). Price, however, has worked exclusively in relief this year and probably wouldn’t step back into the rotation out of the gate. The Dodgers also recently selected highly-regarded pitching prospect Ryan Pepiot to make his major league debut; Pepiot was optioned back to Oklahoma City after a start on Wednesday.
Dodgers Select Yency Almonte, Option Ryan Pepiot
The Dodgers have selected right-hander Yency Almonte onto the major league roster and optioned Ryan Pepiot to Triple-A Oklahoma City, reports J.P. Hoornstra of the Southern California News Group. Pepiot had been selected himself only Tuesday in order to start yesterday’s game against the Pirates.
Almonte, who made 114 appearances for the Rockies between 2018 and 2021, was off to a strong start in the Pacific Coast League, covering 15 1/3 innings striking out 42.4% of batters faced and issuing only a single walk. But while he was effective in 2018 and 2020, Almonte’s big-league numbers aren’t nearly as rosy. In 124 career innings in the bigs, the righty owns a 5.30 ERA (4.83 FIP) with strikeout and walk rates of 20.7% and 9.7%, respectively. As with any former Rockie, though, Almonte’s overall numbers don’t tell the whole story; while his career ERA of 6.46 in 71 home innings is ghastly even by Coors Field standards, his 3.74 mark in 53 innings at sea level is far more palatable.
Pepiot’s Wednesday debut was something of a mixed bag. While he allowed no runs in his three innings of work, he also walked a bit of a tightrope, issuing five walks and one hit) didn’t give manager Dave Roberts much length — perhaps precipitating the call for an additional arm. While being optioned would ordinarily require a player to remain in the minors for ten days before being recalled, though, his stay could be much shorter. As Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic notes, Pepiot would be eligible to serve as the 27th man for Tuesday’s doubleheader against the Diamondbacks. With no timetable set for the return of Andrew Heaney from shoulder problems, the Butler product’s trip to Oklahoma City could well be little more than a procedural move as the Dodgers attempt to navigate an innings crunch.