Dodgers Designate Wilmer Font
The Dodgers have designated right-hander Wilmer Font for assignment, per a club announcement. His roster spot will go to top prospect Walker Buehler, whose promotion — to make his first-ever MLB start — was previously reported.
Font, who’ll soon turn 28, received his first real shot at the majors to open the 2018 season. The results, however, just haven’t been there, as he has surrendered 13 earned runs in 10 1/3 innings.
There’s just one walk — of the intentional variety — on Font’s stat line, so he’s been in the zone. But he has also coughed up 18 base hits, five of which have left the yard, and generated soft contact on just one of every ten balls put in play against him.
Despite the struggles, it would not be surprising to see another organization roll the dice on the out-of-options Font. After all, he turned in an impressive 2017 effort at Triple-A. In 134 1/3 innings spread over 25 starts last year at the highest level of the minors, Font worked to a 3.42 ERA with even more impressive peripherals (including 11.9 K/9 against just 2.3 BB/9).
Minor MLB Transactions: 4/23/18
We’ll kick off the week with Monday’s minor moves from around the game…
- The Dodgers picked up right-hander Tyler Pill from the Diamondbacks in exchange for cash considerations in a minor swap late last week (Twitter link via J.P. Hoornstra of the Southern California News Group). Pill, 27, signed a minor league deal with the D-backs after making his big league debut with the Mets in 2017. The brother of former big league first baseman Brett Pill, Tyler tossed 22 innings for the Mets and yielded 13 earned runs (5.32 ERA) on 22 hits and 10 walks with 16 strikeouts last season. He’s posted solid numbers up through Double-A but struggled at the Triple-A level, although those shaky results came exclusively at an exceptionally hitter-friendly setting in Las Vegas (and the Pacific Coast League in general). Pill debuted with the Dodgers’ own Triple-A affiliate over the weekend and tossed three scoreless frames. He’ll add some depth to an organization that shuffles its pitching staff and the fringes of its 40-man roster perhaps more aggressively than any club in the game.
- Right-hander Luke Jackson cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A by the Braves after being designated for assignment last week, per Baseball America’s Matt Eddy. The 26-year-old Jackson owns a 4.85 ERA and a 36-to-21 K/BB ratio in 52 innings with the Braves over the past two seasons and has struggled to a 5.79 ERA in 70 total innings at the big league level. Jackson hasn’t missed enough bats in the big leagues (5.8 K/9, 10.7 H/9), but he does have a track record of missing bats in the minors (career 9.8 K/9).
- Also via Eddy, the Reds have released outfielder Adam Brett Walker from the organization. Walker, 27, was a third-round pick of the Twins in 2012 and boasts huge raw power but plenty of swing-and-miss issues as well as a limited defensive skill set. Minnesota removed him from the 40-man roster after the 2016 season, and he landed with the Brewers, Orioles (twice), Braves and Reds via a series of waivers claims and minor league signings in 2017 alone. Walker’s power is evident in looking at his career .232 ISO in the minors, but he’s whiffed in 30.9 percent of his minor league plate appearances — including an enormous 37.4 percent strikeout clip in Triple-A.
Dodgers’ Walker Buehler To Start Monday
The Dodgers will recall right-hander Walker Buehler from Triple-A Oklahoma City and start him against the Marlins on Monday, according to a team announcement. It’ll be the first major league start for the 23-year-old Buehler, one of the most highly regarded pitching prospects in baseball.
Buehler, who has quickly ascended the ranks since the Dodgers chose him 24th overall in the 2015 draft, already comes with some big league experience. He made eight appearances out of the Dodgers’ bullpen toward the end of the regular season last year. It was a rough stint for Buehler, who allowed eight earned runs on 11 hits and eight walks in 9 1/3 innings.
While Buehler clearly struggled in Los Angeles in 2017, there were some positive signs, namely a high-90s heater that helped him rack up 12 strikeouts. He has consistently shown off that strikeout prowess in the minors, including early this season at Triple-A. Thus far, Buehler has fanned 16 (against four walks) and logged a 2.08 ERA over 13 innings. Buehler has only hit the five-inning and 80-pitch marks once in three starts in 2018, though, Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register notes.
The Dodgers are accustomed to receiving short outings from the oft-injured Rich Hill, whose place Buehler will take for the time being after the veteran went on the disabled list with a finger issue earlier this week. The rest of the Dodgers’ rotation – Clayton Kershaw, Alex Wood, Hyun-Jin Ryu and Kenta Maeda – looks set at the moment, so this could be a short stay in the majors for Buehler. But he’s clearly the Dodgers’ highest-upside depth starter, ranking as their top prospect at MLB.com and the outlet’s 12th-best farmhand overall, and could emerge as a significant factor soon enough.
NL West Notes: Desmond, Turner, Renfroe, Giants
Although we’re only three weeks into the season, it’s nonetheless discouraging that Rockies first baseman/outfielder Ian Desmond is off to a horrific start after such a disappointing 2017. Desmond, whom the Rockies signed to a five-year, $70MM deal in December 2016, has batted an unsightly .153/.184/.333 and posted minus-0.5 fWAR over 76 plate appearances this month. The 32-year-old’s not panicking, however. “Even though it’s bad right now, I know (my process) works, I know it’s worked in the past, and I believe it,” said Desmond (via Kyle Newman of the Denver Post) “When you’re going through something like this right now is when you really have to believe it, because you can really get sideways if you don’t.” Desmond has the support of manager Bud Black, who stated that “He’ll find his timing, and when he does, he’ll be the Ian Desmond that we’ve seen for eight-plus seasons.” While Desmond has recorded an unappealing 73.1 percent groundball rate this season on the heels of logging a 62.7 percent figure last year, he’s not necessarily aiming to hit more balls in the air. “Looking at it throughout the course of my career, I’m a groundball hitter, I’m a line drive hitter — I don’t think I’m ever going to lead the league in launch angle,” said Desmond, even though he acknowledged that the altitude at Coors Field makes it an especially friendly place for fly ball hitters.
Here’s more from the NL West:
- Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner told reporters Saturday that he still hasn’t swung a bat since suffering a broken left wrist in late March (via Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register, on Twitter). As such, there’s still no timetable for Turner’s return, which is unfortunate for an LA team that has felt his absence during a slow start. Dodgers third basemen have only managed a .208/.274/.338 line in 84 PAs this season.
- Prior to their game Saturday, the Padres activated center fielder Manuel Margot from the disabled list and sent right fielder Hunter Renfroe to the DL (retroactive to April 18) with elbow inflammation. Margot, who suffered bruised ribs when he took a pitch to the chest, returned quickly after going on the DL on April 11. Renfroe, meanwhile, “played with one arm for about a week and a half,” manager Andy Green told Justin Toscano of MLB.com and other reporters Saturday. The 26-year-old power hitter got off to a .200/.281/.440 start with two home runs in 57 PAs before going on the shelf.
- The Giants expect left-handed reliever Will Smith back by May 1, manager Bruce Bochy announced Saturday (per Kerry Crowley of the Bay Area News Group, via Twitter). Smith underwent Tommy John surgery prior to last season, meaning he hasn’t pitched in a major league game since the Giants’ NLDS loss to the Cubs in October 2016. The 28-year-old was a well-regarded reliever before his injury, which led the Giants to trade a couple of prospects to Milwaukee for him in August 2016.
Braves Designate Josh Ravin
The Braves have designated righty reliever Josh Ravin for assignment, according to David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Correspondingly, the club has elected to purchase the contract of fellow right-hander Miguel Socolovich from Triple-A Gwinnett.
The Braves acquired Ravin from the Dodgers last November in exchange for cash considerations after. Ravin pitched just three innings for the Braves across two appearances. In between those two appearances, he was outrighted off the club’s 40-man roster, purchased again from Triple-A, and spent time on the DL with an illness.
Last night’s game saw Ravin allow two earned runs in two innings of relief during the 12-inning marathon against the Mets; the club likely made the move in order to get a fresh arm in the bullpen. It’s worth noting, though, that Ravin’s fastball velocity (in a limited sample size) was down nearly two miles per hour from where it sat a year ago with the Dodgers. He’ll give way to Socolovich, who was also recently outrighted from the club’s 40-man roster.
Injury Notes: Anibal, Buxton, Hill, Swarzak, Brewers
Braves righty Anibal Sanchez landed on the 10-day disabled list on Wednesday after suffering a hamstring strain while running in the outfield during pre-game warmups, as the team announced. Things looked potentially much worse, as Sanchez reportedly collapsed and was down for several minutes before having his leg placed in an air cast and being carted off the field (Twitter link via MLB.com’s Mark Bowman). Thus far in 14 innings (two starts, one relief appearance), the 34-year-old Sanchez has yielded just two runs on 11 hits and six walks with 14 strikeouts. He’d been relying more heavily on a cutter and a changeup with the Braves than he had in previous seasons, and those tweaks had generated positive gains in swinging-strike rate, chase rate and ground-ball rate. Lucas Sims, Matt Wisler and Max Fried are among the 40-man roster options to step into the rotation in place of Sanchez for the time being.
Some injury news from around the game…
- The Twins announced that Byron Buxton has been placed on the 10-day DL, retroactive to April 15, with migraine headaches. Outfielder Ryan LaMarre was added to the 25-man roster in place of Buxton, who’ll be eligible to return next Wednesday. It’s been a slow start to the year for Buxton after a strong five-month stretch to close out the 2017 season; the longtime top prospect hit .274/.335/.448 in his final 459 plate appearances last season but is off to a .195/.233/.244 start to the season.
- Left-hander Rich Hill hit the disabled list due to a finger injury, the Dodgers announced today. Fellow southpaw Adam Liberatore is up from Triple-A to take Hill’s place for the time being. Specifically, Hill told reporters that he’s dealing with a cracked fingernail and that the DL stint is “precautionary” in nature (Twitter link via Andy McCullough of the Los Angeles Times). The Dodgers have a reputation for aggressively utilizing the shortened 10-day DL and their Triple-A depth to keep their roster fresh, and that seems like the tactic they’re employing in this instance. Of course, as Aaron Sanchez‘s 2017 season with the Blue Jays demonstrated, fingernail and blister issues can be more serious for pitchers than they initially sound.
- Anthony Swarzak‘s rehab with the Mets has been shut down for now due to lingering discomfort in his ailing oblique muscle, tweets MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo. He’d been throwing off of flat ground but now won’t be throwing at all and won’t travel with the club on its upcoming road trip, per DiComo. Swarzak inked a two-year, $14MM deal with the Mets this offseason but has pitched just 2 1/3 innings on the year due to a DL stint that now looks like it’ll be prolonged.
- Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel passes along some Brewers injury news, reporting that Wade Miley‘s first rehab start went smoothly and adding that he’ll start again on Sunday (Twitter links). At that point, the Brewers will likely have to make a decision whether they’ll add him to the big league rotation or keep him in the minors for another rehab outing. Additionally, lefty Boone Logan threw a bullpen session for the first time since injuring his left triceps muscle — a notable first step in his debut in the Milwaukee ‘pen.
Dodgers Acquire Ariel Hernandez From Reds For Zach Neal, Ibandel Isabel
The Reds and Dodgers have announced a swap that will send starter Zach Neal and first baseman Ibandel Isabel to Cincinnati. In return, the Los Angeles organization acquires recently designated reliever Ariel Hernandez.
Neal had already cleared waivers after being designated in the first week of April, so he won’t require a 40-man spot. He briefly appeared with the Dodgers after signing a minors deal in the offseason. Neal carries a 4.94 ERA with just 3.9 K/9 and 0.7 BB/9 in his 85 2/3 total MLB innings. The 29-year-old will presumably represent a depth option for the Cincinnati staff.
The Reds also pick up Isabel, a 22-year-old who has yet to move past the High-A level. He has produced some solid numbers in the low minors, though, including a .259/.327/.489 slash with 28 home runs over 492 plate appearances last year at Rancho Cucamonga. That showing did come with a rather unhealthy tally of 172 strikeouts, and the Dodgers obviously did not see cause to move him up the chain since he was back at the same level to open the 2018 season.
It’s certainly arguable that Hernandez is the most interesting player involved in this swap. He has huge stuff but hasn’t yet shown he can harness it at the game’s highest level. The Dodgers obviously are willing to place a bet that they can straighten him out. Hernandez worked to a 5.18 ERA with 29 strikeouts and 22 walks in 24 1/3 MLB innings in 2017.
Brewers Claim Alec Asher From Dodgers
The Brewers announced that they’ve claimed right-hander Alec Asher off waivers from the Dodgers and optioned him to Triple-A Colorado Springs. Milwaukee had an open spot on its 40-man roster, so no corresponding move is necessary.
Asher, 26, made six starts and 18 relief appearances for the Orioles last year, working to a total of 60 innings with a 47-to-23 K/BB. While the righty demonstrated an ability to pitch out of both the rotation and bullpen in multi-inning stints, he struggled to a 5.25 ERA and yielded 10 homers in last year’s 60 frames with the O’s. Asher does sport a quality 3.75 ERA in 170 1/3 innings of Triple-A work, where he’s averaged 6.4 K/9 against 2.1 BB/9. That he has a minor league option remaining only makes him more appealing. He can be shuttled back and forth from Triple-A this season as the Brewers see fit.
With the Dodgers, Asher saw just one game in Triple-A, during which he worked three innings and allowed an earned run on three hits and no walks with one strikeout.
Yasiel Puig Hires Beverly Hills Sports Council
Two months after the Wasserman agency announced that it had “terminated” its relationship with Dodgers outfielder Yasiel Puig, the Beverly Hills Sports Council announced that Puig has signed on with them. Agents Dan Horwits and Cesar Suarez will serve as Puig’s representatives, per the release.
It’s not known precisely what prompted Wasserman to cut ties with Puig, though whatever behavior led to the decision didn’t bring forth any repercussions from the team or from Major League Baseball.
Puig, 27, is in the final season of the seven-year, $42MM contract he signed with the Dodgers prior to the 2012 season, but he won’t be a free agent next year at the conclusion of that pact by virtue of the fact that he’ll be a couple months shy of six years of MLB service time. As such, he’ll be subject to the arbitration process before reaching free agency upon completion of the 2019 campaign. While the polarizing slugger is off to a rough start in 2018 (.222/.283/.296), he delivered a strong 2017 season in L.A., hitting .263/.346/.487 with a career-best 28 homers and above-average defense in right field.
In joining BHSC, Puig will head to one of the game’s larger agencies, as can be seen in the MLBTR Agency Database. BHSC represents Alex Cobb, Jason Kipnis, Rougned Odor, Mike Leake and Salvador Perez, among many others. Puig’s change in representation is now reflected within our database, which contains info on more than 2,500 Major League and Minor League players. If you see any inaccuracies or omissions, please let us know via email: mlbtrdatabase@gmail.com.
Dodgers Place Logan Forsythe On DL
1:19pm: Forsythe’s shoulder doesn’t have any structural damage, so the Dodgers expect him back at the end of the 10-day DL window, Roberts announced (via Hoornstra, on Twitter).
12:41pm: The Dodgers have placed infielder Logan Forsythe on the disabled list with right shoulder inflammation, J.P. Hoornstra of the Southern California News Group was among those to report. The club recalled fellow infielder Breyvic Valera from Triple-A Oklahoma City to take Forsythe’s spot.
Forsythe’s injury forced him depart the Dodgers’ loss to the Diamondbacks in the sixth inning on Saturday. Like his team, which is just 4-9 after winning the NL pennant in 2017, Forsythe has gotten off to a slow start this season. The 31-year-old slashed a meager .174/.224/.283 in 49 plate appearances before landing on the DL. A second baseman for most of his career, Forsythe began the year at third for the Dodgers because of star Justin Turner‘s absence. Turner suffered a broken left wrist last month, and there’s still no timetable for his return.
Now that they’re without both Turner and Forsythe, the Dodgers will turn to Enrique Hernandez, Kyle Farmer and Valera at third, manager Dave Roberts suggested Saturday. Valera offers a bit of variety as a switch-hitter, while both Hernandez and Farmer bat from the right side.
The Dodgers just acquired Valera in a trade with the Cardinals earlier this month. The 26-year-old has since slashed .316/.417/.418 in 24 PAs with OKC, contributing to a terrific overall line at the Triple-A level (.323/.387/.438 in 751 PAs). Despite his effectiveness in the Cards’ system, Valera wasn’t a factor in St. Louis, as he picked up just 11 major league PAs (all in 2017).