Injury Notes: Scherzer, Lowe, Cavalli, Ashby
The Mets have been without Max Scherzer for the past ten days, as the three-time Cy Young winner has battled some fatigue in his left oblique. That was a bit of a concern given that a strain in the muscle cost him around two months earlier this season, but Scherzer looks as if he’s on track to be reinstated when first eligible next Monday. He made a rehab start with Triple-A Syracuse tonight, tossing 59 pitches over 3 2/3 innings. After the game, Scherzer told reporters he feels “excellent” and would be ready to rejoin the big league rotation at the beginning of next week (via Anthony DiComo of MLB.com).
Scherzer’s prompt return is obviously a boon for a Mets team battling for a division title down the stretch. At 89-55, New York holds a half-game advantage over the Braves in the NL East. They’re a postseason lock, but securing the division is likely to come with a first-round bye as a top-two seed in the National League. New York is five games clear of the third-seeded Cardinals, who lead the NL Central, putting the East winner in good position to join the Dodgers in earning an immediate trip to the NL Division Series.
Some other injury updates around the game:
- The Rays just placed Brandon Lowe on the 10-day injured list yesterday, the second baseman’s third such stint of the 2022 season. Manager Kevin Cash told reporters (including Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times) that an MRI revealed some inflammation in Lowe’s back. He’s headed for further evaluation to determine treatment possibilities, but Cash indicated the club is still hopeful he’ll return to the diamond this season. The Rays look set to mix-and-match at second base while Lowe’s out, giving the last three starts at the position to Taylor Walls, Jonathan Aranda and Isaac Paredes respectively. Walls is the best defender of the group, but he’s not hit well this year. Paredes has only a .293 on-base percentage but has connected on 18 home runs in 92 games. Aranda has only 15 big league games under his belt, but he’s raked at a .318/.394/.521 clip through 465 plate appearances with Triple-A Durham.
- Nationals right-hander Cade Cavalli has been out for the past two weeks after being diagnosed with inflammation in his throwing shoulder. That seems likely to end his season, as manager Dave Martinez told reporters (including Bobby Blanco of MASNsports.com) that Cavalli is unlikely to make it back to game action this year. With three weeks remaining and the Nationals virtual locks for last place, there’s no reason for the club to take any chances with the prized young hurler. Martinez indicated that Cavalli has been cleared to start throwing after a brief shutdown period and the team feels he’ll be able to work from a mound before the season is out, but it seems that’ll be in a bullpen session rather than in-game work. Cavalli, generally regarded as the top pitching prospect in the organization, made his first MLB appearance on August 26. He’s likely to compete for a job in the season-opening rotation as Washington continues their rebuild next year.
- Aaron Ashby returned to a mound for the first time since landing on the injured list three weeks ago, tossing an 18-pitch bullpen session this afternoon (reported by Adam McCalvy of MLB.com). He’s scheduled for another bullpen session over the weekend. The Brewers remain hopeful the southpaw will be able to make it back this season, although he’d work in shorter stints due to the abbreviated ramp-up period. Ashby has started 17 of his 23 appearances this year, but he came out of the bullpen for nine of his 13 outings in 2021. He’s thrived as a reliever in his MLB career, posting a 3.63 ERA with a 36.2% strikeout rate through 34 2/3 innings in that capacity. Ashby has been a bit more erratic when trying to navigate a lineup multiple times as a starter, although he’s still flashed the swing-and-miss and ground-ball combination that made him such a promising pitching prospect. Milwaukee sits two games back of the Padres for the National League’s final Wild Card spot, so they’d surely welcome any contributions they can get from the 24-year-old for the stretch run.
Mets Designate Deven Marrero For Assignment
The Mets announced a host of roster moves before tonight’s series opener with the Cubs. Luis Guillorme is back from the 10-day injured list, while Trevor May has returned from the COVID-19 list. In corresponding moves, the Mets placed reliever Bryce Montes de Oca on the 15-day IL with left hamstring tightness and designated infielder Deven Marrero for assignment.
Guillorme returns just under a month after straining his groin. The left-handed hitting utilityman has had a productive season, posting a .283/.355/.357 line across 289 plate appearances. He’s not much of a power threat, but Guillorme puts the ball in play and is capable of playing all around the infield. He’s rated particularly well as a second baseman in his career, but he’s also a viable backup for Francisco Lindor at shortstop and a candidate to take some third base playing time from Eduardo Escobar (although Escobar has been on a tear since being reinstated from his own IL stint a couple weeks back).
At the very least, Guillorme gives the Mets a high-quality utility infielder. His return left no room for Marrero, who was initially promoted when Guillorme first went down in mid-August. New York quickly outrighted Marrero off the roster but brought him back to the majors not long after. The 32-year-old has been on the roster for the past couple weeks but only gotten into five games, going hitless with three strikeouts in six at-bats.
It’s familiar territory for Marrero, who was also frequently shuttled on and off the Marlins roster last season. Despite only appearing in 15 MLB games over the last two years, he’s been designated for assignment a staggering eight times since June 2021. He’s cleared outright waivers each time. He’d have the right to refuse a minor league assignment in favor of free agency if he goes unclaimed again, but it seems likely he’d elect to return to Triple-A Syracuse. Marrero has a .217/.309/.325 line over 137 plate appearances there this year.
Montes de Oca was first promoted on September 3, when May landed on the injured list. He’s made three appearances, allowing four runs in 3 1/3 innings but striking out six. The big right-hander has averaged 95.4 MPH on his cutter and just under triple digits on his sinker, per Statcast, showcasing the impact stuff that allowed him to strike out more than 35% of opponents in 30 Triple-A innings this year. The 26-year-old also walked 15.4% of batters faced at that level, though, and the Mets eased him into the big leagues with low-leverage work.
Outrights: VanMeter, Vieaux, Bard, Araúz, Medina, Castro, Jewell
Catching up on some players who were recently designated for assignment…
Latest Moves
- The Pirates outrighted left-hander Cam Vieaux and infielder Josh VanMeter to Triple-A after the duo each cleared waivers, according to John Dreker of Pirates Prospects (Twitter link). Vieaux and VanMeter were each designated for assignment earlier this week. VanMeter hit .187/.266/.292 over 192 PA with Pittsburgh this season, while playing all over the field as a defensive fill-in. Vieaux made his MLB debut this year, with a 10.38 ERA over 8 2/3 innings in his first taste of big league action.
- The Yankees announced that right-hander Luke Bard has been outrighted to Triple-A. Since this isn’t the first time Bard has been outrighted in his career, he can opt for free agency rather than accept the Triple-A assignment. The righty pitched one game in the pinstripes after being claimed off waivers from the Rays in early August, and for the 2022 season in total, Bard has a 1.80 ERA over 15 innings with Tampa Bay and New York.
Earlier Today
- The Orioles announced that infielder Jonathan Araúz cleared outright waivers and has been assigned to Triple-A Norfolk. He was claimed off waivers from the Red Sox in June and has gotten into 15 games at the big league level this year between the two clubs. The 24-year-old hit just .132/.150/.211 in that time but provided defensive versatility by playing second base, third base and shortstop. In 35 Triple-A games this year, he’s hit .192/.264/.238. Since this is the first outright of his career and he has less than three years of MLB service time, he won’t have the right to reject the assignment and become a free agent.
- The Mets outrighted right-hander Adonis Medina, according to his transactions tracker at MLB.com. Medina, 25, was acquired from the Pirates in April for cash considerations and has been tossed between Triple-A and the majors all year long. In 23 2/3 MLB innings, he has a 6.08 ERA, 15.5% strikeout rate and 5.5% walk rate. In 26 2/3 innings for Syracuse, he has a much better 3.71 ERA and 20.2% strikeout rate, though a much higher walk rate of 12.1%. This is the first outright of his career and he has less than three years of MLB service time, meaning he will have to accept the outright assignment to Syracuse.
- The Cubs sent right-hander Kervin Castro outright to Triple-A Iowa, according to his transactions tracker at MLB.com. The 23-year-old began the season with the Giants but went to the Cubs on a waiver claim in August. Between the two clubs, he’s thrown 12 1/3 MLB innings this year, but with a 10.22 ERA and 12.3% walk rate. In 34 2/3 Triple-A innings between the two organizations, he has a 5.19 ERA with a 16% walk rate. He has less than three years of MLB service time and this is his first career outright, meaning he will not be eligible to reject this assignment.
- The Twins sent right-hander Jake Jewell outright to Triple-A St. Paul, according to his transactions tracker at MLB.com. The 29-year-old began the year with the Guardians on a minor league deal, getting selected to the big league roster in August but getting optioned before appearing in a game. He lasted just over a week on the 40-man roster before getting designated for assignment and landing with Minnesota on waivers. In 48 2/3 Triple-A innings between the two organizations, he has a 3.14 ERA, 25.9% strikeout rate and 8.8% walk rate. Unlike the others on this list, he has been previously outrighted in his career. That gives him the right to reject this assignment and elect free agency, though it’s unclear at this point if he has done so.
Mets Place Starling Marte On 10-Day Injured List
The Mets have placed Starling Marte on the 10-day injured list, with the placement backdated to September 6. Marte’s IL stint opens a roster spot for prospect Mark Vientos, whose promotion was reported earlier today.
Marte hasn’t played since Tuesday, when he suffered a partial, non-displaced fracture in his right middle finger after being hit by a pitch by Pirates righty Mitch Keller. New York delayed in placing Marte on the IL in the hopes that he could recover enough to return to the lineup without an extended absence, but Marte still seemed very limited in terms of baseball activities. Newsday’s Tim Healey wrote prior to Friday’s game, Marte only “participated lightly in pregame drills” without any throwing or swinging.
The veteran outfielder will now get a full week off to recuperate, though given the nature of the injury, it isn’t a given that Marte will spend only the minimum amount of time on the injured list. The Mets surely don’t want to rush Marte back and risk further injury, which would then possibly put Marte’s availability for the playoffs in question. While the Mets are in a tight race with the Braves for the NL East title, the Mets are basically a lock to reach the postseason as at least a wild card team, and Marte will be a big part of any push throughout October.
Through 505 plate appearances, Marte is hitting .292/.347/.468 with 16 homers. This translates to a 134 wRC+, tying the career-best mark Marte posted just last season. Marte was named to his second All-Star roster earlier this summer. It has been an immediate impact for Marte in Queens, and the Mets’ four-year, $78MM free agent deal with the outfielder back in November currently looks like one of the winter’s wisest investments.
Tyler Naquin has taken over in right field in Marte’s absence, and it seems likely that the left-handed hitting Naquin and the right-handed hitting Darin Ruf will work in a platoon until Marte is able to return. The two trade deadline acquisitions have pronounced splits over their careers, and for 2022, Naquin is hitting .264/.329/.495 in 228 PA against righties, while Ruf has slashed .224/.329/.455 in 167 PA against southpaws.
Mets To Promote Mark Vientos
The Mets are set to call up infield prospect Mark Vientos, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post. Vientos is already on New York’s 40-man roster, having been selected in November of 2021 to protect him from the Rule 5 draft that eventually was canceled by the lockout. That means the club will only need to open a spot on the active roster in terms of corresponding moves.
Vientos, 22, was a second-round pick of the Mets, getting selected 59th overall in 2017. He got into some rookie ball games that year and fared well, despite still just being 17 years old. Going into 2018, Baseball America ranked him as the #6 prospect in the Mets system. Since then, Vientos has been creeping up the minor league ladder, largely holding steady in the 4-6 range in the organization, per BA’s rankings.
After the pandemic wiped out the minors in 2020, Vientos got assigned to Double-A in 2021. In 72 games with the Binghamton Rumble Ponies, he hit 22 home runs and produced an overall batting line of .281/.346/.580. He also struck out in 28.4% of his plate appearances, but it was still impressive enough for Vientos to get a call-up to Triple-A in September.
He returned to the Syracuse Mets here in 2022, getting into 101 games so far on the season. He’s hit another 24 home runs and slashed .280/.358/.519. He’s still going down on strikes at a high rate, with a 28.6% mark for the year. Nonetheless, his overall production with the bat has been 29% better than league average, as evidenced by his 129 wRC+. He’ll now get a chance to bring some of that tremendous power up to the big leagues with him. He’ll be making his MLB debut as soon as he gets into a game.
Although Vientos has played some first base this season, he’s primarily been slotted in at third, which is probably where he’s most likely to take the field since Pete Alonso has first base covered. The Mets already tried promoting a prospect to cover third when they brought up Bretty Baty. Unfortunately, he had to undergo thumb surgery and might be done for the season. He and Luis Guillorme are both on the injured list at the moment, though Guillorme is rehabbing and could return soon. With those two on the shelf, Eduardo Escobar has been at the hot corner. He’s been hot lately but still below average on the season overall, slashing .231/.282/.408, wRC+ of 95.
There’s also the possibility of Vientos being deployed as a designated hitter, where the Mets have been using a platoon of Daniel Vogelbach and Darin Ruf. The left-handed-hitting Vogelbach is doing fine but Ruf is struggling with his part of the deal. Since being acquired from the Giants, he’s hitting just .156/.200/.222. Since Vientos is right-handed, he could take some at-bats away from Ruf. However he’s deployed, the Mets will be hoping Vientos provides a spark to help them in a divisional race that has tightened significantly of late. They had a 10 1/2 game lead in the NL East in early June but have since been passed by a surging Atlanta club that is now half a game ahead.
Starling Marte Diagnosed With Non-Displaced Finger Fracture
Mets outfielder Starling Marte has been diagnosed with a partial non-displaced fracture of the middle finger on his right hand, the team informed reporters (including Steve Gelbs of SNY). The club currently considers him day-to-day, although it remains to be seen if he’ll eventually require a stint on the injured list.
Marte suffered the injury last night, when he was hit on the hand by a 96 MPH fastball from Pittsburgh’s Mitch Keller. He came out of the game a couple innings later, and he sat out today’s doubleheader. The Mets haven’t provided a timetable as to when they expect Marte to be ready for game action, although it’s seemingly encouraging they’re not immediately placing him on the injured list. The expansion of active rosters in September from 26 to 28 players gives the Mets a bit more leeway to give Marte a few days, particularly with an off day tomorrow to reassess his condition.
Signed to a four-year, $78MM deal over the winter, Marte has had an All-Star first season in Queens. He’s hitting .292/.347/.468 through 505 trips to the plate, on par with the best offensive seasons of his career. The star outfielder has connected on 16 homers, 24 doubles and five triples. He’s chipped in 18 stolen bases (albeit with nine caught stealings) and served as the club’s primary right fielder and #2 hitter.
The Mets turned to Tyler Naquin in right field today, and he’d presumably pick up the majority of playing time if Marte’s forced out of action. The lefty-hitting Naquin can split time with the right-handed Darin Ruf in the corner opposite Mark Canha, with Brandon Nimmo continuing to man center field.
New York has been hit with a couple notable injury situations in recent days. They placed Max Scherzer on the 15-day injured list with side fatigue this morning. At 87-51, the Mets are a lock to make the playoffs, but they’re in a tight NL East battle with the defending World Series champions. New York holds a half-game lead on the Braves in a race for the division title and accompanying first-round bye.
Mets Designate Adonis Medina For Assignment
The Mets designated right-hander Adonis Medina for assignment, and also made Max Scherzer‘s 15-day IL placement official. In corresponding moves, New York selected the contract of left-hander Alex Claudio and called up right-hander Yoan Lopez from Triple-A. Lopez will be the 29th man for today’s doubleheader against the Pirates.
Medina has been up and down from Triple-A multiple times this season, and all of the shuttling may have had an adverse effect on his performance. The righty has a 6.08 ERA over 23 2/3 innings with the Mets and a more palatable 3.71 ERA in 26 2/3 frames for Triple-A Syracuse, though Medina’s minor league walk rate is a troubling 12.1%.
This is the third time that Medina has been designated for assignment within the last year, with the first of those DFA stints keeping Medina in transactional limbo throughout the entirety of the offseason lockout. The Pirates claimed Medina off waivers from the Phillies once the lockout was over, and a subsequent DFA from Pittsburgh resulted in Medina being traded to the Mets just prior to Opening Day.
Medina received some top-100 prospect attention as recently as 2019, but he has yet to make a big impact in the majors, pitching only 11 2/3 innings with the Phillies prior to this season. Generally a below-average strikeout pitcher, Medina has posted grounder rates around the 50% mark during his career, usually relying more on soft contact and keeping the ball in play rather than missed bats. Medina has worked as a starter for much of his career but he primarily been a reliever this season in Syracuse, and his 14 Mets appearances were all out of the bullpen.
Claudio inked a minor league deal with the Mets during the offseason, and the southpaw is now on the verge of making it a ninth consecutive season with some MLB action. Speaking of low-strikeout grounder specialists, Claudio has a 17% strikeout rate and 59.8% groundball rate over his 344 1/3 career innings in the majors. Claudio was a generally reliable bullpen arm throughout his time with the Rangers and Brewers from 2014-20, posting a 3.44 ERA and eating plenty of innings — his 83 appearances led the big leagues in 2019.
The Brewers opted to non-tender Claudio following the 2020 season, in part due to his lack of strikeouts or high velocity, as well as the idea that Claudio (who has pretty big career splits) would be hampered by the three-batter rule. Signing with the Angels in the 2020-21 offseason, the southpaw had only a 5.51 ERA over 32 2/3 innings with Anaheim in 2021, and also pitched in the Red Sox farm system after the Angels cut him loose midway through the campaign.
The Mets’ lack of left-handed relief depth has been an ongoing story of their season, with Joely Rodriguez being the only southpaw regular within the bullpen mix. Such left-handed pitchers as Chasen Shreve, Nate Fisher, Rob Zastryzny, Sam Clay, and Thomas Szapucki have all gotten some looks, and Claudio will become the latest southpaw to get a shot at catching on as extra depth.
Mets Place Max Scherzer On 15-Day Injured List
10:12AM: Scherzer has been officially placed on the IL, retroactive to September 4.
8:58AM: The Mets are placing ace Max Scherzer on the 15-day injured list, manager Buck Showalter announced to reporters Wednesday morning (Twitter link via Newsday’s Tim Healey). The team is hopeful that he’ll return after a minimum stint on the shelf. Scherzer departed his most recent start due to “fatigue” in the same left oblique muscle he strained earlier in the season — an injury that kept him sidelined for nearly two months.
Scherzer, 38, has been sensational for the Mets when healthy enough to take the mound. The three-time Cy Young winner has logged a 2.26 ERA while striking out 30.6% of his opponents against just a 4.6% walk rate. He’s averaged 6 1/3 innings per outing, even with a pair of early exits due to an increasingly problematic left oblique. Scherzer had been slated to start this Friday in Miami.
The injury to Scherzer comes in conjunction with a sequence of brutal losses to the last-place Pirates and Nationals. The Mets have dropped three in row while watching the Braves cruise to six straight victories, culminating in the evaporation of what was once a whopping 10.5-game lead in the NL East for the Mets; the two teams are currently tied with identical 85-51 records.
Even with Scherzer sidelined, the Mets have a strong top four in the rotation, with Jacob deGrom, Carlos Carrasco, Chris Bassitt and Taijuan Walker all active. Walker has struggled of late, with a 6.25 ERA since the All-Star break, although the majority of the damage against him came in one appearance: an eight-run meltdown against Atlanta. Both David Peterson and Trevor Williams are stretched out enough to make starts in place of Scherzer. Peterson started for the Mets both on Aug. 27 and Sept. 2, working a combined 11 1/3 innings, so he’d certainly be an option to step in for Scherzer on Friday against the Marlins.
Outrights: Banda, Grey, Fishman
A few players recently designated for assignment have gone unclaimed on outright waivers:
- The Yankees announced Monday afternoon that southpaw Anthony Banda has been sent outright to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Signed to a major league contract on August 28, Banda spent only seven days on the MLB roster before being designated for assignment. Banda pitched twice as a Yankee, allowing eight of the ten batters he faced to reach base (five walks, a hit batman and two hits). That disappointing showing brought his overall season line up to a 6.75 ERA with slightly worse than average strikeout and walk rates (22.2% and 9.6%, respectively) through 26 2/3 innings split between the Pirates, Blue Jays and Yanks. Having previously been outrighted in his career, Banda will have the right to refuse the assignment in favor of minor league free agency.
- Mets right-hander Connor Grey was outrighted to Triple-A Syracuse, according to his transactions log at MLB.com. A seven-year minor league veteran, Grey received his first big league call on August 22. Unfortunately, he didn’t appear in a game before he was optioned out. Now that he’s passed through waivers, he’ll have to work his way back onto a 40-man roster if he’s to make his MLB debut. Grey has made 22 appearances (21 starts) with Syracuse this season, pitching to a 5.52 ERA over 93 innings. He’s posted subpar strikeout and walk numbers but generated grounders on nearly half the batted balls he’s allowed. Grey will remain in the organization but would reach minor league free agency this winter if the Mets don’t add him back onto the 40-man roster.
- Marlins southpaw Jake Fishman has gone unclaimed on waivers, according to his transactions tracker at MLB.com. The 27-year-old has earned a pair of big league calls this season, but he’s only been on the roster briefly. Fishman did make his first two big league outings, tallying 4 1/3 innings of one-run ball. He’s spent the majority of the season working as a long reliever with Triple-A Jacksonville, pitching to an excellent 2.04 ERA over 53 innings. He’s induced grounders on a strong 52.6% of batted balls with a solid 23.9% strikeout rate. Fishman has now been outrighted twice this year by the Marlins, giving him the opportunity to refuse this assignment in favor of free agency.
Mets Notes: Carrasco, Medina, Scherzer
The Mets will welcome Carlos Carrasco back from the 15-day injured list today, with the veteran righty being activated to start against the Nationals. Right-hander Adonis Medina was optioned to Triple-A to open up a spot for Carrasco on the active roster.
Carrasco hasn’t pitched since August 15 due to a left oblique strain, though fortunately for both the right-hander and the Mets, it was a lower-grade oblique issue. Rather than a season-threatening injury, Carrasco is now back after just shy of three weeks on the sidelines, and ready to help the Mets in their bid for the NL East title. Though the injury wasn’t overly serious, it did have some notable ramifications on Carrasco’s contract, as he now won’t be able to reach the 170 innings necessary to turn the Mets’ $14MM club option for 2023 into a guaranteed year.
However, it is also quite possible the Mets will end up exercising that option anyway, given how solid Carrasco has been this year. After his first season in New York was marred by injuries, Carrasco has rebounded to post a 3.92 ERA/3.60 SIERA over 126 1/3 innings in 2022. While his hard-contact numbers are middling and Carrasco has been hampered by a .330 BABIP, he has posted above-average strikeout and walk rates. As has often been the case throughout his career, Carrasco also still has one of the best chase rates of any pitcher in baseball.
The Mets have an 85-49 record despite playing virtually the entire season without their first-choice rotation, and that trend might be in danger of continuing just as Carrasco makes his return. Max Scherzer had to leave yesterday’s start after 67 pitches due to what the team described as left side fatigue.
Considering that Scherzer missed close to two months with a oblique strain of his own earlier this season, his removal “was a precautionary move,” the right-hander told MLB.com’s Joe Trezza and other reporters.
“There was nothing that happened. Nothing tightened up. Just had general fatigue overall on my left side,” Scherzer said. “That is where you can run into an injury, when you’re pitching through fatigue….I just couldn’t take any risks, especially where the calendar is at. There is no time left to re-ramp back up. I think that played just as important a factor in coming out after five [innings].”
Scherzer said he would be able to make his next start, while Mets manager Buck Showalter was a little less steadfast, instead saying “we’re hopeful [Scherzer] can make his next start.” New York doesn’t have a game on Thursday, so Scherzer will already get an extra day to rest and recover before he is slated to face the Marlins on September 9. Given the right-hander’s importance to the Mets’ playoff chances, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see that start pushed back or perhaps even scratched if Scherzer has any at all lingering effects from his side issue.