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NL East Notes: Bruce, Soroka, Marlins

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The emergence of Brandon Nimmo has left Jay Bruce as something of an odd man out with the Mets, opines Joel Sherman of the New York Post. Sherman notes that the Mets’ outfield in 2019 and beyond is likely to include Nimmo, Michael Conforto and Yoenis Cespedes, making it more difficult for Bruce to secure regular at-bats (barring a move to first base, which would come at the expense of the younger Dominic Smith). According to Sherman, Bruce can block trades to the Orioles, Mariners, Blue Jays, Rays and Athletics, but he can be shipped anywhere else without his consent. Sherman runs through some speculative possibilities in which Bruce, who is owed $28MM from 2019-20, could be swapped out for a player earning at a comparable rate. Of course, it’s also worth noting that Nimmo’s bat has declined in each month of the season since a torrid start, while Cespedes and (to a lesser extent) Conforto come with injury question marks.

A few more notes out of the NL East…

  • David O’Brien of The Athletic tweets that Braves righty Mike Soroka still hasn’t begun a throwing program as he continues rehabbing his right shoulder, which makes it increasingly unlikely that he’ll pitch again in 2018. If that’s the case, O’Brien notes that the organization could have Soroka pitch in the instructional league this fall before shutting him down for the winter in hopes of a healthier 2019 campaign. Soroka, who turned 21 last week, was impressive despite his young age in five starts earlier this season before shoulder woes landed him on the disabled list.
  • Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald recently wrote that any of Derek Dietrich, Dan Straily or Starlin Castro could yet be trade candidates for the Marlins in the month of August. Castro didn’t draw any serious interest prior to the non-waiver deadline, Jackson notes, but the Cubs and Indians checked in on Dietrich while the Athletics chatted with the Marlins about a potential re-acquisition of Straily (though those talks came prior to Oakland’s trade for Mike Fiers). Jackson notes that the Fish would want quality prospects in return for Straily if they moved him, as he’s controlled beyond the 2018 season. That seems like a tough sell, given Straily’s diminished strikeout, chase and swinging-strike rates as well as his drastic increase in walk rate.

Quick Hits: Werth, Mets, Wainwright, Soroka, Dodgers

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In a recent interview with 94 WIP sports radio in Philadelphia, just-retired outfielder Jayson Werth was critical of agent Scott Boras, saying (via Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post): “I had offers in November, and I was advised by my former agent to wait. Ill-advised, I guess.” The 39-year-old Werth, who largely struggled with the Nationals from 2015-17 and ended up signing a minor league contract with the Mariners in late March, added that he personally “called every team [but one] and tried to get a job.” That one team? The Mets, whom Werth “wouldn’t play for” after spending his career with the division-rival Phillies and Nats. Boras issued a response to Werth’s comments Wednesday, saying (via Janes, on Twitter): “Unfortunately, it appears someone has misled Jayson. We contacted all 30 teams numerous times during the offseason on his behalf, and we have phone logs, emails, and other records to back it up. We received no offers for Jayson in November, or otherwise. We are always prepared to support our work against inaccuracies spread by third parties. We understand the frustration and disappointment players can face and wish Jayson all the best.”

More from around the game…

  • Even though former Cardinals ace Adam Wainwright will turn 37 years old on Aug. 30 and is in his second straight injury-plagued season, he suggested Wednesday (via Joe Trezza of MLB.com) that he hopes to pitch in 2019. “I want to see how things end,” Wainwright said. “But it would be really surprising to me if I came out and said I’m retiring.” A free agent at season’s end, Wainwright has made three DL trips this year (two on account of elbow issues) and hasn’t pitched in the majors since May 13.
  • It “remains highly doubtful” Braves righty Mike Soroka will pitch again this season, Mark Bowman of MLB.com tweets. Soroka has been out since June 19 with inflammation in his pitching shoulder, and he still hasn’t been cleared to begin throwing again, according to Bowman. The highly touted 21-year-old began his major league career in promising fashion earlier this season, with a 3.51 ERA and 7.4 K/9 against 2.5 BB/9 in 25 2/3 innings, but it appears the Braves will have to make do without him for the remainder of 2018. They currently lead the Diamondbacks by half a game for the NL’s second wild-card spot.
  • The Dodgers have placed reliever Daniel Hudson on the 10-day DL and recalled ambidextrous reliever Pat Venditte from Triple-A, per Ken Gurnick of MLB.com. Hudson’s dealing with right forearm tightness – a potentially ominous injury for the 31-year-old, especially considering he’s already a two-time Tommy John surgery recipient. To this point, the Dodgers have gotten a good return on their investment in Hudson, whom they signed to a minor league deal in the first week of April. Hudson has tossed 43 2/3 innings this year and posted a 3.92 ERA with 8.2 K/9 against 3.7 BB/9.

Mike Soroka, Arodys Vizcaino Still Weeks Away From Throwing

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The Braves provided some notable updates yesterday on a pair of important righties, as MLB.com’s Mark Bowman was among those to report. Both top pitching prospect Mike Soroka and closer Arodys Vizcaino will need to rest their ailing shoulders for a few more weeks before returning to the hill.

Right now, there are about nine weeks of regular-season play remaining. The two hurlers will need not only to work through a throwing progression, but also undertake rehab work before getting back to the majors.

Getting all the way back to the majors would be an especially difficult proposition for Soroka, who has been on the shelf for about a month. Though he’s said not to be dealing with any structural issues in the joint, shoulder inflammation had already forced a stretch on the DL earlier in the year. Clearly, the club is committed to exercising caution, much as it might wish to have Soroka available down the stretch and into the postseason.

It’s a bit different for Vizcaino, who is a veteran pitcher entering his final season of arbitration eligibility. As a reliever, his path back will be shorter. While he has also experienced prior shoulder woes this season, the Braves will understandably be somewhat more aggressive with trying to get him back in game action.

As Snitker explained, there’s still good reason to think that Vizcaino will return, though risk remains:

“I don’t see Viz missing the year. I think at some point — because he’s a one-inning guy — we can get him back. I say that, but until we get him throwing, we don’t know.”

What’s most interesting about these developments is how they’ll impact the team’s deadline moves. Both the rotation and bullpen would clearly be better units with Soroka and Vizcaino, respectively. GM Alex Anthopoulos has said all along he’d like to wait until he has all the information needed to determine priorities. The decision point is now nearly upon him.

With regard to the rotation, the fact that there’s no longer a clear path back for Soroka makes it more likely than ever that the Braves will push to land an established, controllable starter. The unit has at least one hole, and that’s before considering the fact that all of the top four existing options have rather significantly outperformed their peripherals by measure of major ERA estimators. Young lefty Max Fried is moving back toward the majors on a rehab assignment, as David O’Brien of The Athletic recently tweeted, though he’s hardly a sure thing and arguably won’t be capable of delivering the kind of near-term impact the team needs (or, at least, wants).

[RELATED: MLBTR’s Top 75 Trade Candidates]

In the pen, it’s certainly encouraging to hear that the team can reasonably hope for a contribution from Vizcaino down the stretch. But there are no guarantees. And the relief unit was already an area that the Braves likely would have targeted for at least some improvement. From here on out, every game is a high-leverage one given the situation in the NL East, so late-inning arms will be of critical importance. Waiting and hoping for Vizcaino to return, then, likely won’t be sufficient.

Anthopoulos said just yesterday that he’s open to adding in multiple areas. In addition to the rotation and relief corps, he cited “a bat” as a possibility. (Improving the mix on the left side of the infield still seems the likeliest course in that regard.) The GM also indicated he’s interested in securing controllable assets if possible. Indeed, that may be necessary if he hopes to land impact arms, as there are relatively few rental hurlers that figure to represent significant upgrades and multiple other teams that will pursue them.

Braves Select Contract Of Wes Parsons, Move Mike Soroka To 60-Day DL

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10:04am: To create 40-man space, the Braves moved young righty Mike Soroka to the 60-day disabled list. That means he’ll be on the shelf for quite some time, as he only went on the DL last Friday.

Clearly, the Atlanta organization anticipated that it would need to give Soroka’s ailing shoulder a lengthy rest. He already sat for a month before inflammation again cropped up, and this time he’ll miss at least twice that time.

The prized hurler will first be eligible to return to action on August 21st. It is not yet known whether the team anticipates that Soroka will be physically ready to return at that time.

9:46am: The Braves will select the contract of righty Wes Parsons today, MLB.com’s Mark Bowman was among those to report (Twitter links). It is not yet known how the organization will clear a 40-man spot. To create space on the active roster, though, the Braves will option righty Matt Wisler.

Parsons, now 25, originally joined the organization as an undrafted free agent. He has climbed the ladder steadily ever since, but really emerged last year at the Double-A level. In 103 total innings there, over ten starts and 16 relief appearances, Parsons worked to a 2.71 ERA with 8.6 K/9 and 2.9 BB/9 as well as a 54.2% groundball rate.

The success has continued into the 2018 campaign, with Parsons functioning almost exclusively as a starter. He has thrown 64 1/3 frames, split about evenly between Double-A and Triple-A, with a cumulative 2.10 ERA and peripherals that line up with his 2017 showing.

It seems likely that Parsons will contribute to the relief corps out of the gates. He may not be up for long, depending upon how the roster needs shake out. Now that he’s on the 40-man, though, Parsons could certainly be called upon at any moment — even in the rotation, perhaps, if that proves necessary.

Braves Place Mike Soroka On DL, Select Contract Of Danny Santana

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3:57pm: Soroka says that an MRI cleared him of any structural issues, as David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution tweets. That’s certainly good news for the team, though presumably a conservative course will still be taken.

2:10pm: The Braves have sent young righty Mike Soroka back to the 10-day DL, per a club announcement. He’s again dealing with inflammation in his pitching shoulder.

To replace him on the active roster, the Atlanta organization selected the contract of infielder/outfielder Danny Santana. A 40-man roster spot was opened for Santana by moving righty Jose Ramirez to the 60-day DL.

Soroka has been quite impressive this year, throwing 25 2/3 innings of 3.51 ERA ball in his first five MLB starts at just twenty years of age. Unfortunately, though, he already missed about a month with a shoulder ailment and is now back on the shelf.

There’s still no indication that there’s a significant underlying problem at play here, though MLB.com’s Mark Bowman tweets that Soroka experienced a velocity drop-off in the midst of his last outing. Needless to say, any kind of issues in the shoulder will certainly be handled with ample care by the Braves, who are counting on Soroka to be a major contributor for years to come.

At this point, we’ll need to await further word before knowing more about Soroka’s outlook. A lengthy absence could certainly impact the team’s plans as the trade deadline approaches. Though rotation depth doesn’t seem to be a particular concern for the Braves at the time being, that can change quickly if injuries or performance issues begin to add up. And an upgrade is always a possibility, too.

The 27-year-old Santana played a significant role down the stretch last year for the Braves, but was non-tendered after the season. He ended up re-joining the organization on a minors deal.

Since his eye-popping debut season in 2014, Santana has struggled to hit at the MLB level. He has produced this year at Triple-A, though, launching 11 long balls and carrying a .539 slugging percentage Of course, Santana also maintains a meager .300 on-base percentage and has drawn just eight walks while going down on strikes 57 times.

Braves Designate Luke Jackson

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The Braves have designated right-hander Luke Jackson for assignment, per a club announcement. His roster spot will go to starter Mike Soroka, who has been activated from the 10-day DL.

Jackson, 26, has been on and off the Atlanta 40-man roster a few times already in the past two seasons. For the most part, other than exhibiting good velocity, he has not shown much cause to command a regular MLB job.

That said, Jackson has shown an intriguing increase in his strikeout rate thus far in 2018, recording nine strikeouts (and allowing just two hits) in 5 1/3 MLB innings and 34 more in his 21 1/3 frames at Triple-A. He has also doled out too many free passes, though, including four in his brief time this year in the majors.

We’ll see if another organization decides to give Jackson a look, or if he’ll strike out onto the open market if he clears waivers. Having been outrighted previously, he’ll have the right to decide.

Meanwhile, the Braves will gladly welcome back Soroka. The 20-year-old phenom ended up missing about a month with a shoulder injury. He’ll make his fourth MLB start today.

East Notes: Yankees, H. Harvey, Soroka, Cespedes

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It turns out top prospect Justus Sheffield might not be the next minor league pitcher in line to join the Yankees’ rotation, as Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports in his latest video that the club nearly promoted 23-year-old Jonathan Loaisiga for a spot start during a doubleheader, until rain altered their schedule. Rosenthal notes that Loaisiga had never pitched above Low-A ball until this season. It seems like he’s met little resistance this year, though, as he’s posted a 3.13 ERA this season while striking out 10.96 batters per nine against an equally impressive 1.17 walks per nine. Of course, plenty could change by the next time the Yankees need another starter. It’s certainly worth noting that promoting Sheffield last Monday might have improved his chances of making the Super Two cut, had he impressed enough to stick in the rotation from there on out. There will certainly be some entertaining suspense surrounding this situation from here forward.

Other items fresh off the East coast…

  • Orioles prospect Hunter Harvey was scratched from his most recent Double-A start due to a shoulder injury, Dan Connoly of baltimorebaseball.com reports. Harvey’s dealt with plenty of injury issues in his career already, and this latest case (described as “posterior shoulder instability) has left him on an unknown timetable to return to the rotation. Harvey also had Tommy John surgery on his throwing elbow in 2016. Even when on the field, he hasn’t been particularly impressive this year. His 5.57 ERA across 32 1/3 innings on the season is an eyesore.
  • Rookie Mike Soroka is set to come off the DL and start Wednesday for the Braves, reports David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. O’Brien adds that manager Brian Snitker plans to hold Soroka to a pitch count of 85-90. Soroka is widely considered to be one of the best right-handed pitching prospects in the game, and he’s backed that up by pitching to a 2.77 FIP in three starts this season while striking out more than a batter per inning.
  • Injury news isn’t looking so good for a division rival, however, as the Mets’ Yoenis Cespedes reportedly left his rehab start tonight with tightness in his right quad. He’ll be re-evaluated tomorrow, but even a small setback is certainly discouraging; Cespedes has been riddled with injuries since signing a four-year, $110MM pact with New York following the 2016 season.

NL Injury Notes: Soroka, Hoskins, Bailey, Cards

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A few injury updates from the National League:

  • Right-hander Mike Soroka could return to the Braves’ rotation as early as June 16, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports. Soroka, who has been on the disabled list since May 14 with shoulder inflammation, made a successful rehab start Friday at the Single-A level and will throw two more – the first with Triple-A Gwinnett on Wednesday. The 20-year-old rookie began his major league career in impressive fashion prior to the injury, tossing 14 2/3 innings of 3.68 ERA ball with 9.2 K/9 and 2.45 BB/9 over three starts.
  • Despite suffering a fractured jaw this past Monday, Phillies left fielder Rhys Hoskins told reporters (including Matt Breen of Philly.com) that it’s possible he’ll be able to return as early as June 9. Whether that happens will depend on the news Hoskins receives during his follow-up appointment with the Phillies’ oral surgeon next week, per Breen.
  • The Reds have placed righty Homer Bailey on the DL, retroactive to May 30, with right knee inflammation, Jay Paris of MLB.com relays. Interim manager Jim Riggleman revealed that Bailey has been dealing with a knee issue “for about a month,” though the club doesn’t regard it as a serious injury. In any case, the DL placement continues a tough week for Bailey, whom the Reds demoted to a relief role on Wednesday. To this point, all 204 of Bailey’s MLB appearances have come as a starter. Unsurprisingly, then, Bailey’s “not thrilled” about shifting to the bullpen, according to Paris.
  • Cardinals reliever Dominic Leone went on the DL on May 5 with a nerve issue in his right biceps. Nearly a month later, Leone has shown some improvement, but there’s still no timetable for his return, Joe Trezza of MLB.com writes. Leone’s injury is an unusual one, as Trezza details, and the righty noted that “I still have yet to receive a true diagnosis as to why it happened, and it might never come. Any other injury, you have a timetable.” That’s certainly a letdown for both Leone and St. Louis, which acquired him from Toronto as part of a trade for outfielder Randal Grichuk in the offseason. Leone was coming off an outstanding 2017 at the time, though he has only been able to chip in 13 innings of 4.15 ERA ball this year.

Braves Place Mike Soroka On 10-Day DL, Recall Max Fried

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The Braves have placed young righty Mike Soroka on the 10-day DL with a right shoulder strain, per a club announcement. The placement is retroactive to May 14th. His scheduled start tonight will instead be taken by Max Fried, who has been recalled.

That’s not the news the Braves were hoping for with a prized young hurler, though perhaps the team is just exercising precaution. MLB.com’s Mark Bowman tweets that the club believes he could be able to return in time to make his next scheduled start, which would presumably mean coming off of the DL after the minimum absence.

Soroka, one of the Atlanta roster’s slate of fascinating twenty-year-old talents, has impressed through three MLB starts. He carries a 3.68 ERA in 14 2/3 innings, with underlying peripherals (9.2 K/9, 2.5 BB/9, 42.9% groundball rate) that suggest he’s more than ready for the majors. Though it was not certain when he came up whether he’d stick, it now seems reasonable to anticipate he’ll be in the majors to stay so long as he remains healthy.

For the time being, though, it’ll be Fried who gets the chance. The 24-year-old has made four relief appearances on the year in the majors but also took three starts at Triple-A. At his best, Fried can generate grounders and strikeouts in much the same manner Soroka has, though the southpaw has long handed out too many free passes and is not considered as promising as the man he’ll substitute for.

Quick Hits: Harvey, Giants, Red Sox, Orioles, Soroka, Cubs

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As the legendary Willie Mays celebrates his 87th birthday, here are some notes from around the baseball world…

  • The Giants could be a potential fit as a suitor for Matt Harvey, as the former Mets ace’s arm intrigues some members of San Francisco organization, Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle reports (via Twitter).  Rather than take on the extra salary that would come with claiming or trading for Harvey during his DFA period, Schulman figures the Giants will wait until he hits the open market before considering a pursuit.  The Giants have little salary room to spare as they aim to stay under the $187MM luxury tax limit, so their obvious preference is to sign Harvey for a prorated minimum salary.
  • While a Matt Harvey-for-Blake Swihart trade doesn’t seem to be in the cards, The Athletic’s Jen McCaffrey (subscription required) wonders if the Red Sox could still have interest in Harvey as a reclamation project given assistant pitching coach Brian Bannister’s recent success in reviving struggling veteran starters.  The Sox also have some experience in dealing with pitchers returning from thoracic outlet syndrome surgery in the form of Tyler Thornburg, though Bannister notes that “we’re all kind of still learning about” how to best rehab pitchers after the TOS procedure.
  • With an 8-26 record, it’s seemingly only a matter of time before the Orioles start making some necessary changes, The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal writes (subscription required) in a follow-up to his piece last month about Baltimore’s evolving front office and ownership dynamic.  Since executive VP of baseball operations Dan Duquette seems to be losing influence within the organization, Rosenthal asks “why would they keep Duquette at all?” as the team approaches some critical long-term decisions at the trade deadline.  Duquette considered firing pitching coach Roger McDowell after last season in the wake of the poor performance of Baltimore’s arms, though it isn’t known whether moves like coaching changes are still under consideration, or if Buck Showalter could step in to prevent firing members of his coaching staff.  Whatever changes are made, fans aren’t buying into the current (lack of) direction, as attendance is way down at Camden Yards.
  • Braves pitching prospect Mike Soroka’s second career MLB start wasn’t nearly as impressive as his first, as Soroka allowed four earned runs over four innings today against the Giants.  Manager Brian Snitker told MLB.com’s Mark Bowman (Twitter link) and other media that Soroka is scheduled to make his next start, with an implication being that Atlanta isn’t planning to demote the 20-year-old anytime soon.  Anibal Sanchez is still sidelined with a hamstring injury, and will likely be moved to relief pitching when he returns so the Braves can give Soroka a fuller look in his first taste of the majors.
  • Phillies hitting coach John Mallee “was totally surprised” at being replaced as the Cubs’ hitting coach after last season, he tells Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times.  Though manager Joe Maddon praised Mallee’s work, the Cubs’ decision to part ways with Mallee and hire Chili Davis seemed due (as Maddon and Theo Epstein explain) to an organizational preference for more of a well-rounded hitting attack, as opposed to Mallee’s more launch angle-based philosophy.  It seems like there could be a bit of a learning curve to the new approach for Cubs hitters, as the team’s offensive numbers are down over the first six weeks of the season.

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