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Marlins Place Jordan Holloway On 10-Day IL, Select Shawn Morimando

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The Marlins have placed righty Jordan Holloway on the 10-day injured list, GM Kim Ng told the Miami Herald’s Jordan McPherson and other reporters.  The Marlins will select the contract of left-hander Shawn Morimando to take Holloway’s spot on the active roster, and right-hander Elieser Hernandez will be moved to the 60-day IL to open up a 40-man roster spot for Morimando.

Holloway threw one inning in last night’s 6-5 loss to the Mets, but left the game due to groin soreness.  Holloway was the second of 10 Miami pitchers to take the mound during the 12-inning game, and the addition of Morimando gives the Marlins at least one more fresh arm heading into today’s action.

While Holloway’s 19.2% strikeout rate and 13.7% walk rate are both well below average, the righty has nonetheless been effective over 17 2/3 innings of work this season, posting a 2.55 ERA.  Holloway’s 5.20 SIERA reflects some significant good fortune, but Holloway has avoided damage with some outstanding hard-contact numbers.

Morimando is now in line to receive his first MLB action since the 2016 season.  Originally a 19th-round pick for the Indians in the 2011 draft, the lefty’s Major League resume consists of 4 2/3 innings for Cleveland in 2016.  Since that cup of coffee in the Show, Morimando pitched in the Blue Jays’ farm system in 2018-19 and he had a stint in the Australian Baseball League before inking a minor league deal with Miami this past offseason.

Hernandez has only pitched in one game this season due to biceps inflammation, so the shift to the 60-day IL covers the time he has already spent on the sidelines.  The right-hander has already thrown one rehab outing, and Hernandez should be in line for at least one more rehab start before being eligible for activation.

Marlins Activate Jazz Chisholm From Injured List

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The Marlins are reinstating infielder Jazz Chisholm from the injured list in advance of this afternoon’s game against the Dodgers, Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald was among those to note (Twitter link). Chisholm is starting at shortstop and hitting leadoff today. Reliever Braxton Garrett is being optioned to Triple-A Jacksonville in a corresponding move.

Chisholm, one of the top prospects in baseball, got off to a fantastic start before landing on the IL late last month with a hamstring strain. Through 80 plate appearances, the 23-year-old has hit .290/.375/.551 with four homers and seven stolen bases. While he’s returning to the lineup as a shortstop, he figures to again resume his role as Miami’s second baseman for now. The Marlins are set at short, where Miguel Rojas is off to a great start, but they haven’t gotten much from Isan Díaz at the keystone in Chisholm’s absence.

Miami has started the season just 17-22, placing them four games back in the National League East. There’s still time for the Fish to right the ship, but Miami generally wasn’t expected to contend in a competitive division (last season’s appearance in the expanded postseason notwithstanding). Speculatively speaking, it’s easy to envision Rojas attracting interest from other clubs nearer to the trade deadline if the Marlins fall out of the playoff picture and if Rojas continues to hit at or near his current level (.284/.360/.448) while playing his typically strong defense at short.

Rojas is controllable via a club/vesting option for 2022, so the Marlins needn’t move him this summer if they’re so disinclined. He’s clearly a beloved member of the organization for his work on the field and in the clubhouse, so perhaps the Marlins will simply wind up valuing him more than other clubs would. It’s worth noting, however, that general manager Kim Ng wasn’t part of the organization when Rojas was acquired or when he signed his September 2019 extension. There’s a case to be made the Marlins should consider moving the 32-year-old in the coming months if there’s strong demand for his services. That would allow Miami to slide Chisholm to shortstop, where scouting reports have pegged him as a potential above-average defender.

Minor MLB Transactions: 5/15/21

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The latest minor league moves from around baseball…

  • The Pirates outrighted Hunter Owen to Triple-A, the team announced.  The outfielder was designated for assignment earlier this week.  A 25th-round pick for the Pirates in the 2016 draft, Owen made his MLB debut this season, and is still looking for his first hit after five plate appearances over three games.
  • Right-hander Luis Madero cleared waivers and accepted his outright assignment to the Marlins’ Triple-A affiliate.  The Marlins designated Madero for assignment earlier this week, and he had the option of becoming a free agent since he had previously been outrighted during his career, back in February 2020 when he was a member of the Giants.  After signing a minor league contract with Miami in the offseason, Madero made his MLB debut by pitching three innings over two appearances this season.

Marlins Select Cody Poteet, Designate Luis Madero

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The Marlins have selected the contract of right-hander Cody Poteet, relays Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald. To create 40-man roster space, Miami designated righty Luís Madero for assignment. Poteet will start tonight’s game against the Diamondbacks.

Poteet, 26, is now in line to make his MLB debut. Miami’s fourth-round pick out of UCLA in 2015, he’s pitched to a 3.84 ERA over six minor-league seasons. Poteet carved up the low minors but has only managed a 4.02 ERA with an underwhelming 18.6% strikeout rate in 203 2/3 Double-A frames. He has a 5.28 ERA with a similar strikeout percentage in eleven Triple-A starts. While Poteet hasn’t overpowered minor-league hitters, he does have a solid track record of throwing strikes, with a 7.4% walk rate in the minors.

Madero will lose his 40-man spot to accommodate Poteet’s selection. The 24-year-old was himself just selected to the roster last weekend. Madero has tossed his first three MLB innings this season, allowing five runs on six hits with a strikeout and walk apiece. The Marlins will have a week to trade him, place him on outright waivers, or release him. As a player who has previously been outrighted in his career, Madero has the right to refuse a minor-league assignment if he clears waivers.

Minor MLB Transactions: 5/9/21

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The latest minor moves from around baseball…

Latest Transactions

  • The Angels signed outfielder Dalton Pompey to a minor league contract, MLB Network’s Jon Morosi tweets.  Once a top-50 prospect while coming up in the Blue Jays’ farm system, Pompey’s career was plagued by injuries, and he appeared in only 64 Major League games over parts of four seasons from 2014-18.  Pompey was released from a minors contract with the Diamondbacks last summer, and he spent some time in independent baseball.  Still only 28 years old, Pompey has a connection to Angels GM Perry Minasian, with Morosi noting that Minasian worked in the Jays front office during Pompey’s time in the organization.

Earlier Today

  • The Marlins signed infielder Deven Marrero to a minor league contract, and Marrero has reported to Triple-A Jacksonville.  The 24th overall pick of the 2012 draft, Marrero’s last big league exposure came in a Miami uniform, as he played five games with the Marlins in 2019.  He had reportedly signed with a Mexican League team in April but Marrero will now make his return to affiliated baseball.  Marrero has hit .194/.246/.279 over 348 career MLB plate appearances with the Marlins, Diamondbacks, and Red Sox from 2015-19.

Injury Updates: Chisholm, Alfaro, Voit, Odor, Pinder, Puk, Luzardo

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The latest on some injury situations from around baseball…

  • Jazz Chisholm and Jorge Alfaro are both set to begin Triple-A rehab assignments on Tuesday, according to SportsGrid’s Craig Mish (Twitter links).  Chisholm was sidelined with a left hamstring strain back on April 28, following an outstanding start to the season that saw the Marlins youngster hit .290/.375/.551 with four homers in his first 80 plate appearances.  (Despite the missed time, Chisholm’s seven stolen bases still led the National League heading into Sunday’s play.)  Alfaro had only a .507 OPS at the time of his IL placement on April 21, albeit over only 36 PA.  The catcher is also recovering from a left hamstring strain.
  • Luke Voit is on pace to be activated for the start of the Yankees’ series with the Rays on Tuesday, New York manager Aaron Boone told ESPN’s Marly Rivera (Twitter links) and other reporters.  Voit has yet to play this season after undergoing knee surgery in late March.
  • It isn’t yet clear if Rougned Odor could also be joining the Yankees soon, as Boone wasn’t sure if Odor will be immediately activated after the minimum 10 days.  Odor hit the IL due to a left knee sprain back on May 5, and is at least making good progress in recovery, Boone said, noting that Odor was taking grounders.
  • The Athletics visit the Twins in a series on May 14-16, and Oakland manager Bob Melvin hopes Chad Pinder will be ready to rejoin the A’s for those games.  Melvin told The San Francisco Chronicle’s Matt Kawahara and other reporters that Pinder will play at least three games during a Triple-A rehab assignment that starts on either Monday or Tuesday.  Pinder has been out of action since April 4 due to a left knee sprain.
  • Melvin also provided updates on a pair of Athletics pitchers, telling MLB.com’s Martin Gallegos (Twitter links) and other media that A.J. Puk could begin a rehab assignment of his own this week.  Puk has been plagued by injuries throughout his young career, including a left biceps strain that sent him to the IL on April 8.  Jesus Luzardo’s timeline isn’t as clear, since A’s head trainer Nick Paparesta said Luzardo is week-to-week in his recovery from a fractured left hand.  On the plus side, Paparesta did indicate that Luzardo might be able to return by the end of the month.

Marlins Select Luis Madero, Option Daniel Castano

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The Marlins are selecting the contract of right-hander Luís Madero, Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald was among those to relay (Twitter link). Lefty Daniel Castano was optioned to Triple-A Jacksonville, while right-hander Jorge Guzman was transferred to the 60-day injured list to clear 40-man roster space.

Madero has bounced between a few organizations in his pro career but has yet to make his MLB debut.  Originally signed by the Diamondbacks as an international amateur, he was sent to the Angels at the 2017 trade deadline for reliever David Hernández. Madero eventually worked his way onto Los Angeles’ 40-man roster and was named the #19 prospect in the organization entering the 2019 season by Baseball America. He struggled at Double-A that year, though, working to a 5.72 ERA in a pitcher-friendly environment. The Angels designated him for assignment and lost him on waivers to the Giants after the season.

San Francisco passed Madero through waivers shortly thereafter, and he spent the 2020 season at their alternate training site. He didn’t make it back on the roster and wound up electing minor-league free agency. Miami signed Madero to a minors deal in January, and he’s earned a major league call after just one Triple-A appearance. Madero has plenty of starting experience in the minors, so he offers rotation and/or long relief depth for the Fish. The 24-year-old still has a pair of option years remaining, so he can be sent back-and-forth between Miami and Jacksonville if he keeps his spot on the 40-man.

Castano, 26, has started four games for the Marlins this year but hasn’t found much success. The soft-tossing lefty has been knocked around for a 5.19 ERA/5.47 SIERA over 17 1/3 innings. Castano prevented runs at a strong clip over seven games last season, but his peripherals always suggested that was unlikely to continue. He simply hasn’t missed enough bats to establish himself as a big league starter, compiling a minuscule 10.8% career strikeout rate.

Guzman, one of the Marlins’ better pitching prospects, has been battling elbow inflammation. General manager Kim Ng told reporters in March he’d be “out for a bit,” so it’s not particularly surprising to see him wind up on the 60-day IL.

Marlins Notes: Castano, Devers, Sixto

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The Marlins called up Daniel Castano to start today’s game, per Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald (via Twitter). To make room on the roster, Jose Devers was optioned to Triple-A.

Castano has three starts under this belt this season totaling 13 1/3 innings with a 4.73 ERA/5.63 FIP. He was slightly more effective last year with a 3.03 ERA/4.81 FIP across 29 2/3 innings. Castano was part of the Marcell Ozuna trade, coming to Florida with Sandy Alcantara, Zac Gallen, and Magneuris Sierra.

Devers, just 21 years old, went 2-for-12 with five strikeouts and a sac fly. He is the Marlins’ 25th-ranked prospect per Fangraphs. Baseball America named him as the Marlins prospect with the best hit tool; they rank his as the Marlins’ No. 10 prospect. Like Castano, he was acquired via trade. He came to Miami from the Yankees as part of the 2017 Giancarlo Stanton swap.

In other news, the Marlins are hopeful that young phenom Sixto Sanchez will have his shoulder healed enough to make his season debut in June, per Jon Heyman of MLB Network (via Twitter). Sanchez has not yet appeared this season after working his way into a role as the Marlins’ No. 3 starter during last season’s playoff run.

NL Notes: Rockies, Cubs, Marlins, Nationals

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The Rockies announced a pair of corresponding roster moves today. They selected the contract of Connor Joe from Triple-A, while right-handed pitcher Jose Mujica was optioned to Triple-A. It’s good to see Joe back in the Majors. The 28-year-old opted out of 2020 after being diagnosed with testicular cancer, writes MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand. The Rockies like Joe as a possibility at first base or left off the bench. Joe was a first round draft pick of the Pirates back in 2014. Mujica will be a long-term rotation possibility for the Rockies, though he came out of the bullpen for both of his appearances this season. Elsewhere in the NL…

  • Cubs southpaw Brailyn Marquez has been about six weeks behind in his conditioning after testing positive for COVID-19. The Cubs’ top pitching prospect doesn’t have an official assignment yet, but it’s believed that he’ll soon head to Double-A, per Bruce Levine of 670thescore.com (via Twitter). Marquez doesn’t turn 22 years old until September.
  • Both Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Jorge Alfaro hope to begin their rehab assignments next week and return from the injured list by next weekend, per Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald (via Twitter). Marlins fans eagerly await Chisholm’s return after the infielder posted a 154 wRC+ in 80 plate appearances this season.
  • Wander Suero will begin his own rehab assignment with Triple-A Rochester, per Mark Zuckerman of MASNsports.com. The Nationals’ reliever has been out since April 18th with an oblique strain. Stephen Strasburg, meanwhile, will soon pitch his second simulated game since landing on the injured list. Presumably, that means the Nats are still in an evaluation stage, and it might take some time yet before Strasburg can return to the diamond.

Marlins Moves: Zastryzny, Bender

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The Marlins purchased the contract of left-hander Rob Zastryzny from the Long Island Ducks of the independent Atlantic League on Tuesday. The Ducks announced the move, adding that Zastryzny will report to the Marlins’ extended spring training site. The Marlins also selected the contract of righty Anthony Bender, as Craig Mish of SportsGrid first reported.

The 29-year-old Zastryzny joined the Ducks back in March, but he exited before ever throwing a pitch for the team. Prior to signing with the Ducks, the former second-round pick (2013) appeared in the bigs from 2016-18 with the Cubs, who drafted him. He also had stints with the Dodgers and Orioles, though he didn’t make it to the majors with either of those organizations.

During his time in Chicago, the soft-tossing Zastryzny logged 34 2/3 innings and posted a 4.41 ERA with a 51.5 percent groundball rate, a 20.1 percent strikeout rate and a 10.4 percent walk rate. Zastryzny was tough on lefties as a Cub, holding them to a pitiful .154/.313/.154 line, but righties teed off on him for a .330/.387/.468 mark. In his most recent professional action, the 2019 campaign, Zastryzny racked up 113 frames between the Dodgers’ Double-A and Triple-A affiliates. He managed a 5.58 ERA with 104 strikeouts against 38 walks that year.

As for the 26-year-old Bender, he saw action in the minors with the Royals and Brewers from 2016-19. While Bender notched a rock-solid 3.30 ERA in that 239 2/3-inning stretch, he only threw 5 2/3 frames above the High-A level. Bender spent last season with the Milwaukee Milkmen of the American Association, and then Miami took a flyer on him on a minors contract over the winter.

After joining the Marlins, Bender held his own in spring training with 8 1/3 scoreless innings, flashing a 97 mph sinker and a high-spin slider, as Ely Sussman of Fish Stripes points out. Thanks to Bender’s intriguing repertoire, FanGraphs’ Eric Longenhagen ranks him as the Marlins’ 32nd-best prospect and writes that he could turn into one of their regular middle relievers as early as this season.

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