Dodgers Outright Rocky Gale
The Dodgers have outrighted catcher Rocky Gale off the 40-man roster, Ken Gurnick of MLB.com tweets. The move drops the club’s 40-man roster to a total of 38 players.
Gale, 31, went 2-for-15 in a brief stint with the Dodgers earlier this season but has spent the bulk of the season in Triple-A Oklahoma City, where he’s batted .250/.303/.370 in 109 plate appearances. He’s spent the season as the primary backup to top catching prospect Will Smith in Triple-A, but the recent promotion of fellow top catching prospect Keibert Ruiz to Oklahoma City has further reduced Gale’s role on the roster.
Gale has appeared in 22 big league games between the Padres and Dodgers, though he’s received just 37 plate appearances in that time (and hit .108/.108/.189). The former ninth-round pick is a lifetime .277/.315/.359 in parts of nine Triple-A seasons.
Indians, Braves, Dodgers Reportedly Interested In Mychal Givens
Orioles reliever Mychal Givens has reportedly drawn interest from the Phillies and Nationals leading up to the July 31 trade deadline. The Indians, Braves and Dodgers are also among the clubs in on Givens, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic writes (subscription link).
With two-plus years’ team control remaining and a $2.15MM salary, Givens stands out as one of the Orioles’ strongest trade chips. Considering the Orioles are caught in what figures to be a long rebuild, it’ll be a surprise if they don’t part with Givens soon. Unfortunately for the Orioles, though, the 29-year-old right-hander hasn’t enjoyed as productive a season as he did over the previous four campaigns.
Through 38 1/3 innings this year, Givens has pitched to an unspectacular 4.23 ERA/4.63 FIP with eight saves on 13 tries and a weak 39.1 percent groundball rate. A large number of the fly balls Givens has surrendered have left the yard, evidenced by his bloated 22.9 percent fly ball rate. That said, Givens has been a lot steadier since his ERA was pushing 6.00 at the end of May. He has also fanned a career-high 12.21 batters per nine (against 3.99 walks), posted a personal-high 15.2 percent swinging-strike rate and kept his 95 mph velocity intact.
As for the the just-reported teams eyeing Givens, interest from the Indians isn’t anything new. They went after Givens last summer, but Baltimore elected to hold him. The Indians’ bullpen has been among the majors’ most effective this year, in part because of lights-out closer Brad Hand. There has been speculation about the Indians trading Hand, but considering their red-hot run, it seems the playoff hopefuls are more interested in adding to their bullpen than subtracting from it.
The bullpens of the Dodgers and Braves – the NL’s two leading teams – haven’t been as successful as the Indians’. Los Angeles and Atlanta have been linked to multiple trade candidate relievers as a result. In addition to Givens, Blue Jays closer Ken Giles seems to be a Braves target. Meanwhile, the Giants’ key relievers (Will Smith, Sam Dyson, Reyes Moronta), Pirates closer Felipe Vazquez, Tigers closer Shane Greene Royals lefty Jake Diekman have all been rumored to the Dodgers during their wide-ranging search for late-game aid.
Rich Hill On Outlook, Future Plans
Dodgers southpaw Rich Hill is working his way back to the mound this year, with plans for more, as Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe reports. The veteran hurler is presently on the 60-day injured list with a flexor strain but says he has now begun a throwing program.
Hill is still a month away from possible activation, but it’s encouraging to hear that he’s already beginning to move in a positive direction. There was initial concern that he had suffered a catastrophic injury, but Hill says those fears subsided rather quickly. Now, he’s “anxious to get started again.” It certainly seems as if the near-term outlook is rather optimistic.
Once he does get back going, Hill has no plans to stop. “I want to play as long as I can,” he says, though he acknowledges there’s always some uncertainty when it comes to health.
Hill’s contract expires after the present season. He’ll be eligible for a qualifying offer, which could well be a possibility given how well he has pitched when available. Hill has made between twenty and twenty-five starts annually since 2016 and won’t even reach that level this year, but he’s sporting a 2.93 ERA since the start of his stunning rebirth in late 2015.
So, how might the future look? “It could be one of those things where I go year to year,” says Hill, though he adds that he’s “not 100 percent sure” what form his next contract will take.
As for location, there are also some notable hints. “[H]opefully I can stay in L.A.,” says Hill, who says he relishes the competitive success the Dodgers have had in his time there. The club has made good use of Hill, with an approach that embraces his occasional absences and even views them as a means of keeping him at top form when he is active.
Of course, there’s also a strong pull to Boston. Not only did he launch his comeback with the Red Sox, but Hill’s family still resides there. He cited a desire to keep his son around the professional game as part of his plan for continuing to pitch, while also bemoaning the lack of time with his family once school starts. Boston “has always been home,” says Hill, who otherwise cites “a chance to compete” as the “biggest” draw in his future.
It certainly seems that his current and former organizations hold plenty of allure to the 39-year-old Hill, who may well be set up for a remarkable (and lucrative) run past forty years of age. “I feel like I have a lot of good pitching left in me,” he says.
Dodgers Outright Zac Rosscup
The Dodgers have outrighted left-handed reliever Zac Rosscup to Triple-A Oklahoma City, Ken Gurnick of MLB.com tweets. It’s unclear whether Rosscup will accept the assignment or reject it in favor of a trip to free agency.
Rosscup joined the Dodgers via the open market June 12, which came after he turned down an outright from Toronto. However, this past Monday, the Dodgers became the third team of the season to designate Rosscup for assignment. The Blue Jays and Mariners previously did the same.
The 31-year-old Rosscup is in his second stint as a member of the Dodgers, with whom he threw 11 1/3 innings last season. He only totaled three frames with the club this season before it jettisoned him, though. Also a former Cub and Rockie, Rosscup has mustered 18 innings of 5.00 ERA/4.94 FIP pitching this season. While Rosscup has struck out 13 per nine and induced grounders at a 55.1 percent clip, serious control problems have helped undermine his efforts. Rosscup has walked more than a batter per inning (19) and given up 22 hits.
Pitcher Notes: Scherzer, Bundy, Turnbull, Garrett, Alexander
With summer storms peppering much of the country today, we’ve got our own torrent of pitcher-related news to sort through. Out of D.C., we hear from MLB.com’s Jamal Collier that Nationals ace Max Scherzer threw 15 pitches off of a mound this afternoon (Twitter link). The superlative hurler has been dealing with inflammation in the bursa sac under his right shoulder blade and hasn’t appeared in a game since a seven-inning win against the Royals on July 6th. That Scherzer is throwing again–and could possibly throw another bullpen on Monday–is a sign that he apparently took well to a recent cortisone shot in his ailing back. Given the notoriously fickle nature of back injuries, the Nats are likely to be over the moon at this positive step in Scherzer’s recovery.
The latest on a few other waylaid hurlers…
- The Orioles’ Dylan Bundy will apparently come off the injured list as soon as he is eligible, with MLB.com’s Joe Trezza reporting that the righty will start Tuesday in Arizona (link). Bundy, who has never really delivered on the promise that was conferred upon him when he was selected 4th overall in the 2011 draft, has a 5.28 ERA and 5.32 FIP in 92 innings this year. He has been on the shelf since July 13th with right knee tendinitis.
- Chris McCosky of the Detroit News has reported on separate channels that Tigers starter Spencer Turnbull has suffered a back injury that will usher him to the IL. Apparently, Turnbull, who has put together a quietly effective 2019 campaign, experienced a strain during a workout Friday–a strain that persisted in a post-workout game of catch (Twitter link). In a subsequent piece, McCosky cogently points out that this injury could actually serve as a convenient means of limiting Turnbull’s innings–the 26-year-old was expected to pitch around 140 frames this year and had already logged 98.2 entering the weekend (link).
- Bobby Nightengale of the Cincinnati Enquirer reports that the Reds will welcome back two bullpen stalwarts with the activation of Amir Garrett and Raisel Iglesias from the injured list and paternity list, respectively (Twitter link). Garrett has been sidelined since July 4th with a left lat strain–an injury he presumably incurred from striking out most of the league this season en route to a 13.14 K/9 rate across 37 innings. To accommodate these moves, the Reds optioned righties Jimmy Herget and, as MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon reported, Matt Bowman (link).
- In concerning news, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts has relayed to Ken Gurnick of MLB.com that veteran reliever Scott Alexander has been shut down for foreseeable future with a “nerve and thumb problem” (link). Alexander has been solid in 17-plus innings for Los Angeles this year, but injuries have been a prominent theme. Originally sidelined in June with a forearm ailment, issues with Alexander’s thumb have subsequently followed, and this latest language regarding his nerve is certainly ominous from a medical perspective. The lefty has posted a 3.63 ERA on the season.
West Notes: D-backs, Rangers, Dodgers, Mariners
Diamondbacks righty Jon Duplantier is back from the injured list, but he’s not heading onto the MLB roster. He’ll be optioned back to Triple-A, as MLB.com’s Steve Gilbert tweets. It’s good to see that he’s ready to get back to action already. When Duplantier hit the shelf in mid-June with shoulder inflammation, there was at least some fear of a reasonably significant injury. In his first 25 frames of MLB action, the now-25-year-old worked to a 4.32 ERA with 24 strikeouts and nine walks.
- After a brief run in their rotation, righty Jesse Chavez has returned to the Rangers’ bullpen, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News reports on Twitter. The club will recall lefty Joe Palumbo from Triple-A Nashville to start Monday in Seattle. Chavez is coming off three straight starts in which he yielded at least four earned runs, and his outing against Arizona on Wednesday was especially grisly. Chavez coughed up seven earned runs on five hits and a walk in two-thirds of an inning.
- The Dodgers announced Friday that reliever Dylan Floro has been placed on the 10-day injured list with neck inflammation. He’s replaced by fellow righty Casey Sadler. Injury aside, Floro has been one of several Dodgers relievers to take steps back since last season. Floro combined for a 2.25 ERA and a 55.1 percent groundball rate in 64 innings between LA and Cincinnati in 2018, but he’s at 4.11 and 51.9 in those categories across 35 frames this year. While Floro has walked fewer hitters, his strikeout and home run rates have gone in the wrong direction.
- Mariners reliever Hunter Strickland is on track for potential activation next weekend, per MLB.com’s Daniel Kramer (via Twitter). He’ll first need to make it through three rehab appearances at Triple-A, but it’s good news for the 30-year-old reliever, who has been sidelined for a long stretch with a lat injury. Strickland had been slated to serve as the Seattle closer until going on the IL on March 30 with a right lat strain.
Reds Acquire Justin Grimm
The Reds have acquired right-handed reliever Justin Grimm from the Dodgers, according to Doug Gray of RedsMinorLeagues.com. The Dodgers received cash considerations in return, per Andersen Pickard of SB Nation.
Grimm never pitched in the majors for the Dodgers, who signed him to a minor league contract in late March. To this point, the 30-year-old has spent the season with Triple-A Oklahoma City and pitched to a bloated 5.66 ERA despite 12.2 K/9 against 3.3 BB/9 over 41 1/3 innings.
At his best, Grimm was a solid piece of the Cubs’ bullpen from 2013-16, during which he posted a 3.29 ERA/3.17 FIP with 10.48 K/9, 3.94 BB/9 and a 45.2 percent groundball rate in 180 1/3 innings. That came after Grimm struggled in 2012 with the Rangers, though, and he fell off in 2017 with the Cubs before enduring a rough 2018 divided between the Royals and Mariners. Adding up all of Grimm’s major league work, he has notched a 4.98 ERA/4.07 FIP with 9.13 K/9, 3.89 BB/9 and a grounder percentage of 43.8 in 356 frames.
Dodgers Interested In Jake Diekman
The Dodgers are among the teams “known to be interested” in Royals left-handed reliever Jake Diekman, Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com writes. They join the Nationals in that regard.
As a 32-year-old who could reach free agency after the season, the rebuilding Royals are likely to part with Diekman before the July 31 trade deadline. The club figures to say goodbye to as many non-core veterans as possible in the next two weeks, and has already started the process in the past few days. The Royals have traded two impending free agents – right-hander Homer Bailey (Athletics) and catcher Martin Maldonado (Cubs) – since the weekend. Diekman does have a $5.75MM mutual option (or a $500K buyout) for next year, though the Royals probably wouldn’t exercise their half of it.
Like Bailey and Maldonado, Diekman isn’t someone who figures to bring back a large return in a trade. Although Diekman boasts 96 mph heat, he has only managed a 4.97 ERA in 38 innings this year, thanks in part to an unpalatable walk rate (5.45 BB/9). That’s not to say Diekman hasn’t been serviceable for Kansas City, though. On the contrary, Diekman has struck out just over 13 hitters per nine and posted a career-high swinging-strike rate (16.4). He has also logged a 3.71 FIP, induced grounders at a 46.5 percent clip and generated infield pop-ups at a 20.0 percent rate. Diekman has been useful against lefty hitters (.289 weighted on-base average) and righties (.313 wOBA) in the process.
The Dodgers are in possession of the majors’ best record (63-34), which plainly suggests they’re low on weaknesses. Their bullpen has been vulnerable, though, including when it helped turn what should have been a win into a loss against the Phillies on Tuesday. Kenley Jansen, Pedro Baez, Dylan Floro and Joe Kelly have all taken notable steps backward compared to their 2018 production, while lefties Tony Cingrani (out for the season) and Scott Alexander (out since June 7 with forearm inflammation) either haven’t pitched at all or have seldom been available.
The absences of Cingrani and Alexander have left Julio Urias as the lone southpaw in the Dodgers’ bullpen. Urias, to his credit, has been eminently effective. Still, judging by the Dodgers’ reported interest in Diekman, Felipe Vazquez and Will Smith, they wouldn’t mind adding another late-game lefty to a righty-heavy group.
Chris Taylor Diagnosed With Fractured Forearm
10:09pm: Taylor said he suffered a non-displaced fracture just above the wrist, which typically comes with a four- to-six week recovery (Twitter link via Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register).
5:50pm: Dodgers utilityman Chris Taylor has been diagnosed with a fractured forearm, per a club announcement (via Jorge Castillo of the Los Angeles Times, on Twitter). He’ll be replaced on the active roster by Matt Beaty.
It isn’t known at present what kind of an absence the club can anticipate from Taylor, a shape-shifting defender and steady offensive producer. Initial imaging did not uncover the break; whether that’s good, bad, or indifferent isn’t evident.
With the trade deadline landing in two weeks’ time, the Dodgers will have an opportunity to pursue reinforcements. Corey Seager and A.J. Pollock are both back, reducing the pressure. The organization is as laden with depth as ever, with top middle-infield prospect Gavin Lux among the players waiting in the wings in the upper minors.
The Dodgers won’t worry too much about a stretch sans Taylor. With a commanding division lead, the club can focus its deadline efforts on shaping its roster for the postseason. Unless the injury is quite a bit more severe than it seems at first glance, Taylor ought to have time to get back to health and up to full speed before October.
Dodgers Designate Zac Rosscup
The Dodgers have designated lefty Zac Rosscup for assignment, per a club announcement. Taking his active roster spot is fellow reliever Casey Sadler. The swap clears a 40-man opening for the Los Angeles org.
Rosscup, 31, has traveled far and wide over the past several seasons. This year alone, he has appeared in the majors with three clubs. While he’s getting loads of swinging strikes, Rosscup is walking batters with alarming frequency (19 in 18 innings).
Sadler was added in a recent swap with the Rays that followed his own DFA. He has only made two appearances with the Dodgers’ top affiliate, allowing four earned runs in six innings but compiling nine strikeouts against one walk in that stretch.