Marlins To Promote Sean Reynolds
The Marlins are calling up reliever Sean Reynolds, reports Craig Mish of the Miami Herald. The right-hander is already on the 40-man roster but will be making his major league debut as soon as he gets into a game.
Reynolds, now 25, was drafted by the Marlins as a hitter back in 2016. He didn’t have much success at the plate in his first taste of professional ball and converted to pitching in 2021. He tossed 32 innings over 19 Single-A appearances that year with a 3.09 ERA. Last year, he split his time between High-A and Double-A, tossing 52 1/3 innings with a combined 4.13 ERA, 29.6% strikeout rate and 10.8% walk rate.
Since he was drafted so long ago, Reynolds was eligible for the Rule 5 draft last year. The Marlins decided to give him a roster spot in November in order to prevent him from being selected, showing faith in his recent conversion. This year, he’s been in Double-A and Triple-A, tossing 40 2/3 innings between those two levels with a 2.66 ERA. He’s struck out 27.8% of opponents while walking 11.2% of them.
Reynolds is currently considered the #28 prospect in the Marlins’ system by Baseball America and #23 at FanGraphs. Both outlets highlight his fastball, which averages around 96mph but can hit triple-digits. His curveball and changeup are considered works in progress, but that’s not terribly surprising for a guy who hasn’t been pitching for very long relative to others at these levels.
The reliever might still have a bit of rawness given his unusual trajectory, but he brings plenty of intrigue with his velocity and 6’8″ frame. The Fish will give him a chance to try to get outs at the big league level and see how it goes. The club currently holds the top Wild Card spot in the National League and will likely be looking for bullpen upgrades at the deadline like all contenders, but the performance of their in-house options could perhaps influence the aggressiveness of that pursuit.
Marlins’ Jonathan Davis To Miss 3-6 Months Due To Meniscus Surgery
July 6: Marlins manager Skip Schumaker tells Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald that the recovery time for Davis is three to six months, meaning his season is likely over.
July 5: Marlins outfielder Jonathan Davis suffered a meniscus injury in his right knee, the club informed reporters (including Daniel Álvarez-Montes of El Extrabase). While it’s not a tear, he will need to undergo surgery to address the issue tomorrow.
Davis was injured yesterday while manning center field. He dove for a Tommy Edman line drive and landed awkwardly on his knee. The club called for a cart to take him off the field. Rookie Dane Myers replaced him in center field yesterday and got his first major league start there this evening.
The timetable for Davis’ return isn’t clear. Miami placed him on the 10-day injured list before tonight’s dramatic win over the Cardinals, initially calling the injury a knee sprain. He’ll obviously be out beyond that minimum stay but the club didn’t provide many further specifics.
The Fish acquired Davis from the Tigers in late May. He had a chance at regular center field work once Jazz Chisholm Jr. went down with an oblique strain, making his own injury particularly frustrating. Known more for his speed and defense than his bat, Davis has suited up 34 times for Miami on the season. He’s hitting .244/.307/.378 with two homers in a career-high 104 trips to the plate.
Marlins Outright Eli Villalobos
The Marlins have sent right-hander Eli Villalobos outright to Double-A Pensacola, per his transactions tracker at MLB.com. That indicates he cleared waivers after being designated for assignment on Monday.
Villalobos, now 26, first got his roster spot in November of last year when the Marlins added him to the 40-man to prevent him from being selected in the Rule 5 draft. He got that spot based on his strong performance last year, posting a 2.86 ERA in 78 2/3 innings split between Double-A and Triple-A. He struck out 32.7% of batters faced while issuing walks at a 9.4% clip.
Yet when the club needed a roster spot in the first week of April, Villalobos was designated for assignment and went to the Pirates on a waiver claim. He was in that club’s system for about two months before they put him back on waivers and he was claimed by the Marlins, back to where he started.
Amid those transactions, he’s posted a 6.26 ERA in 23 minor league innings, walking an incredible 19.5% of batters faced. His third time on waivers resulted in him clearing and he will now stick in the Marlins’ system. He still hasn’t made it to the majors and thus has no service time. Since this is his first career outright, he won’t have the right to elect free agency, providing the Marlins with some non-roster pitching depth on their farm as he looks to work his way back to the majors.
NL Notes: Wainwright, Syndergaard, Chisholm
The Cardinals put veteran right-hander Adam Wainwright on the 15-day injured list today, with manager Oli Marmol citing “a variety of limitations” to reporters (including The Athletic’s Katie Woo) regarding the reason for Wainwright’s placement on the shelf. Woo added that the official designation for Wainwright’s IL stint was shoulder inflammation, while MLB.com’s John Denton noted that Wainwright made clear that he intends to return before the end of the season.
Wainwright, 41, is currently in the midst of his twentieth season as a member of the Cardinals organization and his eighteenth pitching for the big league club. After posting the numbers of a solid middle of the rotation starter over the past few seasons, with a 3.57 ERA and 3.90 FIP in 635 1/3 innings since the start of the 2019 campaign, the wheels have fallen off for the veteran hurler in 2023. Through ten starts this season, Wainwright has posted a ghastly 7.45 ERA that’s 41% worse than league average by measure of ERA+ with a 5.47 FIP. His strikeout rate has dropped from 17.8% last season to a measly 10.7% figure this season, a figure that’s actually lower than his sky-high barrel rate of 10.9%.
With Wainwright headed to the IL, the Cardinals figure to look toward one of Steven Matz or Dakota Hudson to join the starting rotation in Wainwright’s stead. Matz has struggled to a 5.72 ERA in ten starts this season, but has shown signs of life since moving to the bullpen with an excellent 1.98 ERA in 13 2/3 innings of work as a multi-inning relief arm. Hudson, meanwhile, has spent most of the 2023 campaign in the minors with an unsightly 6.00 ERA in 48 Triple-A innings, but the righty impressed with 2 2/3 scoreless innings out of the bullpen recently, a performance that could earn Hudson another look on the major league pitching staff.
More from the National League…
- Dodgers right-hander Noah Syndergaard could return in the near future, as manager Dave Roberts told reporters (including Jack Harris of the LA Times) that Syndergaard is scheduled to throw live batting practice later this week and that, if it goes well, he could advance to a rehab assignment shortly thereafter. Syndergaard struggled mightily to a 7.12 ERA with a 5.55 FIP across 12 starts prior to his placement on the injured list a month ago. Despite those ugly numbers, if Syndergaard has managed to get right during his time on the shelf, he could be an asset to a Dodgers rotation that recently saw Clayton Kershaw head to the IL and Dustin May‘s season end with an impending elbow surgery.
- Marlins center fielder Jazz Chisholm Jr. went on the injured list yesterday with a left oblique strain just a week after returning from a six week IL stint due to turf toe. Fortunately for Miami the young outfielder, Chisholm’s MRI results came back today and showed only a mild strain, per Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald. That’s excellent news, as mild strains can often be resolved fairly quickly. Chisholm will have the upcoming All Star break to rest and rehab and while no timetable for his return has been announced, it’s possible the 25 year old could return to big league action shortly thereafter.
Marlins Outright Archie Bradley
The Marlins have sent reliever Archie Bradley outright to Triple-A Jacksonville, according to the transactions log at MLB.com. The veteran righty has the ability to decline the assignment in favor of free agency while retaining his guaranteed salary, since he has over five years of MLB service.
Bradley signed a minor league pact with Miami in April. He pitched nine times (including a five-inning start) for their top affiliate, posting a 16:5 strikeout-to-walk ratio through 18 1/3 innings. He allowed 13 runs in that time, although only six were earned. That performance was enough for the Fish to call him up three weeks ago.
The former seventh overall pick logged four relief outings in Miami, tallying 7 1/3 innings. He surrendered 10 runs on 14 hits, striking out seven and walking three. Bradley didn’t generate many swinging strikes in that brief look and lost his roster spot over the weekend. After going unclaimed on waivers, he’ll decide whether to report back to Jacksonville or explore other opportunities on the open market.
Bradley is up to parts of nine seasons as a big league pitcher. He was an effective middle innings option as recently as 2021, when he posted a 3.71 ERA through 51 innings for the Phillies. His 2022 campaign was a significant struggle, as an elbow fracture and forearm strain kept him to 21 appearances with a 4.82 ERA that is his worst since he moved to relief (aside from this year’s small sample).
Marlins Place Jazz Chisholm Jr. On IL, Designate Eli Villalobos
The Marlins have placed outfielder Jazz Chisholm Jr. on the 10-day injured list due to a left oblique strain, per Daniel Álvarez-Montes of El Extrabase (Twitter links). This move opens an active roster spot for infielder/outfielder Dane Myers, whose impending promotion was reported earlier. Right-hander Eli Villalobos was designated for assignment to open a 40-man spot for Myers.
It’s yet another frustrating injury setback for Chisholm, who has dealt with a number of them over the past year. He broke out with a strong .254/.325/.535 showing last year, 139 wRC+, but was placed on the injured list at the end of June. He was diagnosed with a stress fracture in his back and didn’t return in the second half of the season. Here in 2023, he played 39 games while transitioning from second base to center field before landing on the IL due to turf toe. He’s now back on the IL yet again just one week after being reinstated.
The timing of this injury is particularly unfortunate, as he had been red hot in the past week, hitting .348/.375/.696. That’s a small sample size, but it was an encouraging sign as he had hit just .229/.291/.403 earlier in the season. He’ll now be out of action for an undetermined amount of time. Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald relays that Chisholm will get an MRI to determine the severity but it’s at least serious enough for the club to have him sit out the next seven games leading into the All-Star break.
As for Villalobos, 26, he was just claimed off waivers from the Pirates a week ago but is now quickly in DFA limbo yet again. It’s been a busy few months of transactions for the right-hander, who was originally added to the Marlins’ roster in November. He was designated for assignment in April and went to the Pirates on waivers before coming back to the Fish last week.
Amid all those transactions, he’s managed to throw 23 innings in the minors this year with a 6.26 ERA. His 21.2% strikeout rate is close to average but his 19.5% walk rate is more than double the major league par. His results last year were far stronger, as he posted a 2.86 ERA while striking out 32.7% of opponents and walking just 9.4%.
The Marlins will now have a week to trade him or pass him through waivers. Despite his numbers this year, he could garner interest based on last year’s work and the fact that he still has a full slate of options.
Marlins To Select Dane Myers
The Marlins are planning to select the contract of infielder/outfielder Dane Myers prior to today’s game, reports Craig Mish of SportsGrid and the Miami Herald (Twitter link). They’ll need to make a corresponding 40-man roster move to open a spot for Myers, who’ll be making his MLB debut.
Myers, 27, was a sixth-round pick by the Tigers in 2017 but made his way to the Marlins organization this offseason by way of the minor league phase of the Rule 5 Draft. He’s had a monster season between Double-A and Triple-A, slashing a combined .335/.423/.533 with 13 homers, eight doubles, a pair of triples and an impressive 16-for-17 showing in stolen base attempts.
That production is all the more impressive when considering that Myers was drafted as a pitcher and spent the first three years of his pro career on the mound. He barely hit at all from 2017-19, didn’t play during the canceled minor league season in 2020, and has only been a position player since the 2021 season. He’s logged time in all three outfield spots this season and also played both infield corners.
Myers will give the Fish another right-handed bat to further deepen a lineup that is among the best in baseball versus southpaws. Marlins hitters have posted a combined .301/.350/.442 batting line against left-handed pitching this season — a major reason they find themselves leading the pack in the National League Wild Card chase.
Marlins Select Jeff Lindgren
The Marlins have selected the contract of right-hander Jeff Lindgren and optioned fellow righty George Soriano to Triple-A, as noted by Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald. Lindgren takes the 40-man roster spot opened up by the club’s decision to designate veteran reliever Archie Bradley for assignment yesterday. Miami’s 40-man is now at capacity.
Lindgren, 26, made his MLB debut with the Marlins earlier this season. The righty allowed four runs on four hits and three walks over five innings without recording a strikeout in a five-inning relief appearance back in April. Since then, he was designated for assignment, selected back onto the roster, and then designated for assignment again without making an additional appearance. While Lindgren had the option to test free agency after being outrighted for a second time, he opted to stick in the Marlins organization. In 61 1/3 innings at the Triple-A level this season, Lindgren has posted a 4.55 ERA. McPherson indicates that Lindgren will be a long man out of the bullpen for the Marlins going forward.
As for Soriano, the 24-year-old hurler sports an impressive 1.98 ERA over 13 2/3 innings since making his MLB debut with the Marlins back in April. After providing 3 2/3 scoreless innings of work against the Braves yesterday, Soriano heads back to Triple-A, though the righty hasn’t been able to replicate his success at the big league level in the minors this season. In 25 1/3 innings with the club’s affiliate in Jacksonville, Soriano has posted a 5.33 ERA. He’ll look to improve those results while waiting for his next big league opportunity.
Marlins Designate Archie Bradley For Assignment
The Marlins designated right-hander Archie Bradley for assignment, and recalled righty George Soriano from Triple-A Jacksonville. Bradley pitched in Miami’s 16-4 loss to the Braves yesterday, allowing seven runs over 2 1/3 innings of work.
All told, Bradley has a 12.27 ERA over 7 1/3 total innings since the Marlins selected his contract from Triple-A in mid-June. Bradley’s stint in free agency extended into the regular season, as he didn’t sign his minor league deal with Miami until almost two weeks into April. Missing Spring Training has surely contributed to Bradley’s lack of form, though he did pitch pretty well in Jacksonville, posting a 2.95 ERA in 18 1/3 Triple-A innings.
Bradley was a solid-to-very good reliever with the Diamondbacks, Reds, and Phillies from 2017-21, highlighted by a stint as Arizona’s closer and even a 20th-place finish in NL MVP voting in 2017 as a nod to a dominant relief campaign. However, things started to go south for Bradley during an injury-plagued 2022 season with the Angels, as he was limited to 18 2/3 innings due to multiple injuries, most prominently an elbow fracture. He also had a forearm strain right at the end of September, which set back his offseason prep work.
The Marlins have seen enough to move on from the 30-year-old, but it seems likely that Bradley’s past track record and pedigree will earn him a look with another team. While Bradley may not be quite ready to face Major League batters yet, another extended stint in Triple-A might help him get on track and get fully ramped up after his unusual offseason. Miami could also keep him in the organization if Bradley clears waivers and accepts an outright assignment to Triple-A, though Bradley has enough big league service time to elect free agency rather than agree to an outright.
MLB Announces 2023 All-Star Starters
Major League Baseball announced the starting lineups for the 2023 All-Star Game this evening. This year’s All-Star Game will take place at Seattle’s T-Mobile Park on July 11. The starting pitchers and reserves will be announced at a later date.
American League
- Catcher: Jonah Heim, Rangers (1st selection)
- First Base: Yandy Díaz, Rays (1st selection)
- Second Base: Marcus Semien, Rangers (2nd selection)
- Third Base: Josh Jung, Rangers (1st selection)
- Shortstop: Corey Seager, Rangers (4th selection, 2nd consecutive)
- Outfield: Randy Arozarena, Rays (1st selection)
- Outfield: Mike Trout, Angels (11th selection, 11th consecutive)
- Outfield: Aaron Judge, Yankees (5th selection, 3rd consecutive)*
- Designated Hitter: Shohei Ohtani, Angels (3rd selection, 3rd consecutive)
National League
- Catcher: Sean Murphy, Braves (1st selection)
- First Base: Freddie Freeman, Dodgers (7th selection, 5th consecutive)
- Second Base: Luis Arraez, Marlins (2nd selection, 2nd consecutive)
- Third Base: Nolan Arenado, Cardinals (8th selection, 8th consecutive)
- Shortstop: Orlando Arcia, Braves (1st selection)
- Outfield: Ronald Acuña Jr., Braves (4th selection, 4th consecutive)
- Outfield: Corbin Carroll, Diamondbacks (1st selection)
- Outfield: Mookie Betts, Dodgers (7th selection, 7th consecutive)
- Designated Hitter: J.D. Martinez, Dodgers (6th selection, 5th consecutive)
* Currently on injured list with sprained toe