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Mariners Claim Daniel Zamora From Mets

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The Mariners announced that left-hander Daniel Zamora was claimed off waivers from the Mets.  Zamora was designated for assignment just yesterday by New York, and now will quickly head to a new team.

Originally a 40th-round pick for the Pirates in the 2015 draft, Zamora reached the majors and posted a 4.08 ERA over 17 2/3 innings with the Mets during the 2018-19 seasons, striking out 24 of his 77 batters faced.  He didn’t make an appearance during the 2020 campaign, and Zamora has been hit hard in Triple-A action this season, with a whopping 20.25 ERA over four appearances and 6 2/3 innings for Triple-A Syracuse.

Despite those recent results, Zamora found a new home in short order.  Like many teams this season, Seattle has been dealing with a number of pitching injuries, and also put four players on the COVID list yesterday.  The Mariners currently have Aaron Fletcher as the only left-handed option in their bullpen, so there appears to be an opportunity for Zamora to find a place back in the majors.

Mets Designate Jake Hager

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The Mets designated outfielder Jake Hager for assignment, the team announced.  Right-hander Jordan Yamamoto was called up from Triple-A, and southpaw Stephen Tarpley was activated off the COVID-related injury list.

New York just selected Hager to the roster a week ago. The 28-year-old earned that promotion with a fantastic start to the year at Triple-A Syracuse, hitting .405/.436/.703 with three homers in 39 plate appearances. Hager only tallied eight plate appearances with the big league club this week, collecting one hit (a single). The Mets will have a week to trade him or expose him to outright waivers.

Yamamoto and Tarpley will add some depth to a New York pitching staff that went through seven relievers in last night’s 12-inning victory over the Marlins. Both hurlers have pitched in one game for the Mets this season.

Rays Promote Taylor Walls, Claim Deivy Grullon From Mets

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The Rays have officially promoted infield prospect Taylor Walls, as was originally reported yesterday in the aftermath of the club’s four-player trade with the Brewers.

This is one of multiple transactions for the Rays, as Tampa also claimed catcher Deivy Grullon off waivers from the Mets, then optioned Grullon and the newly-acquired Drew Rasmussen to Triple-A.  Right-hander Chris Mazza was also sent to Triple-A after being activated off the 10-day injured list.  Left-hander Cody Reed was moved to the 60-day injured list to open up a 40-man roster spot.

With Willy Adames off to Milwaukee, the Rays addressed their shortstop vacancy not by calling up uber-prospect Wander Franco, but rather yet another well-regarded Tampa Bay farmhand in Walls.  Defensively, Walls has long been big league-ready, as he is considered a plus defender at shortstop and “widely considered the best defensive player at any position in the Rays’ Minor League system,” as per MLB Pipeline’s scouting report.  Walls has also stolen 66 bases (though in 99 attempts) during his minor league career and hit .327/.468/.490 over 62 Triple-A plate appearances this season.

This is the fifth time Grullon has been claimed off waivers since September 2020, and the second time Tampa Bay has claimed him in as many months.  After initially taking Grullon from the Reds in early April, the catcher was again DFA’ed later in the month and claimed by the Mets.  Through it all, Grullon has yet to appear in any Major League games in 2021, but he’ll now head to Triple-A as a depth option.

Shoulder inflammation cost Mazza just under a month of action.  The righty posted an 8.49 ERA over his first 11 2/3 innings with the Rays, after being acquired from the Red Sox in the February trade that also brought Jeffrey Springs to Tampa.

Reed only went to the 10-day IL on Wednesday, marking the second time this season that Reed has been sidelined by a numbness/weakness issue in his left thumb.  Manager Kevin Cash told Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times and other reporters that Reed has yet to see a specialist about the problem, though it’s probably safe to assume that next step is coming soon.  The left-hander has a 3.72 ERA over 9 2/3 relief innings for the Rays this season.

Mets Place Pete Alonso On IL, Select Brandon Drury, Designate Daniel Zamora

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In a flurry of roster moves, the Mets announced that first baseman Pete Alonso has been placed on the injured list with a sprained right hand. Right-hander Tommy Hunter is also headed to the 10-day IL due to a lower back injury. To replace that pair on the active roster, the Mets recalled right-hander Yennsy Diaz from Triple-A Syracuse and selected the contract of veteran infielder/outfielder Brandon Drury. Left-hander Daniel Zamora was designated for assignment in order to open a spot for Drury on the 40-man roster.

The 26-year-old Alonso said that his injury troubles began when he was hit by a pitch back on May 5 (Twitter link via Tim Healey of Newsday). He was hitting .281/.369/.517 at the conclusion of that day’s doubleheader, but in the 11 games since that time he’s mustered only a .132/.261/.237 slash while clearly playing through some discomfort. The Mets have yet to provide an expected timeline for his return.

Normally, Dominic Smith would step in as the primary first baseman in the event of any Alonso injury, but he’s currently been thrust into everyday duties in left field thanks to a slew of injuries elsewhere on the roster. Alonso joins Michael Conforto (strained hamstring), Brandon Nimmo (bone bruise), J.D. Davis (sprained finger), Jeff McNeil (strained hamstring), Albert Almora (shoulder contusion), Kevin Pillar (facial fractures), Luis Guillorme (strained oblique) and Jose Martinez (torn meniscus) on the injured list — and that’s just the list of position players on the shelf for the Mets. They’re also currently without Jacob deGrom, Taijuan Walker, Carlos Carrasco, Noah Syndergaard, Dellin Betances and Seth Lugo.

It’s still possible that Smith will take the bulk of the work at first base, as Drury has experience in the outfield corners in addition to considerable time spent bouncing around the infield. Regardless, the Mets’ current lineup looks nothing like the front office envisioned when putting this team together. They’ve already picked up Cameron Maybin and called up former Giants farmhand Johneshwy Fargas to help cover ground in the outfield. Jose Peraza and Jonathan Villar are being counted on as starters in the infield at the moment as well.

That mountain of injuries will combine to cost Zamora his 40-man roster spot. The 28-year-old lefty hasn’t appeared in the Majors since 2019, but he’s logged a 4.o8 ERA with a 24-to-8 K/BB ratio in 17 2/3 innings out of the bullpen for the Mets in the past. Zamora sported a fine minor league track record prior to 2021, but he’s been absolutely shelled in Syracuse so far, surrendering 15 runs on 10 hits and 10 walks with seven punchouts in just 6 2/3 innings. The Mets will have a week to trade him or try to pass him through outright waivers. His monumental struggles in Triple-A this year might make it hard for another club to feel comfortable claiming him.

Mets To Place Taijuan Walker On 10-Day IL

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4:55pm: McWilliams and Tarpley are on the COVID list, Healey tweets.

4:46pm: The team has officially placed Walker and fellow hurlers Sam McWilliams and Stephen Tarpley on the IL, Thosar relays. New York also activated outfielder Cameron Maybin, whom it acquired from the Cubs on Tuesday.

4:06pm: The Mets will place right-hander Taijuan Walker on the 10-day injured list, Deesha Thosar of the New York Daily News was among those to report. Walker is dealing with tightness in his left side.

The Mets now have four notable starters on the IL, with Walker joining Jacob deGrom (right side tightness), Noah Syndergaard (Tommy John surgery recovery) and Carlos Carrasco (hamstring strain) on the shelf. Nevertheless, the Mets have gone 20-16 and are in possession of a one-game lead in the National League East.

For his part, Walker – whom the Mets signed to a two-year, $20MM guarantee in free agency – has more than held his own in 2021. The former Mariner, Diamondback and Blue Jay, 28, has pitched to a 2.05 ERA over eight starts and 44 innings. That’s obviously going to be difficult production to replace, but the Mets seem hopeful Walker won’t miss much time, per manager Luis Rojas (via Tim Healey of Newsday).

Mets Place Kevin Pillar On IL, Select Wilfredo Tovar, Designate Deivy Grullon

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5:27pm: Pillar will undergo plastic surgery on his broken nose in the near future, Thosar tweets. He’ll resume baseball activities 10 to 14 days after that.

3:28pm: The Mets have placed outfielder Kevin Pillar on the 10-day injured list, selected infielder Wilfredo Tovar and designated catcher Deivy Grullon for assignment, per Deesha Thosar of the New York Daily News.

Pillar’s IL placement comes as no surprise after the 32-year-old suffered multiple nasal fractures on a hit by pitch on Monday. He’s now among a slew of Mets position players on the IL, though, joining Brandon Nimmo, J.D. Davis, Jeff McNeil, Michael Conforto, Albert Almora, Luis Guillorme and Jose Martinez.

The 29-year-old Tovar is in his second stint as a member of the Mets, with whom he spent 2008-15 and then rejoined on a minor league contract this past offseason. Tovar has totaled just 110 major league plate appearances (22 with the Mets and then 88 with the Angels in 2019) and batted .188/.241/.238 without a home run. He’s a .277/.325/.368 hitter with 19 home runs over 2,054 PA in Triple-A ball.

Grullon, 25, latched on with the Mets when they claimed him off waivers from the Rays on April 28. He didn’t appear in the bigs with the Mets, instead amassing 42 PA with their Triple-A team and slashing .146/.167/.341 with a pair of home runs, before they designated him. Grullon picked up a combined 13 PA with the Phillies and Red Sox from 2019-20.

Mets Acquire Cameron Maybin

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4:56pm: The Mets gave up a dollar for Maybin, per Joel Sherman of the New York Post. The Cubs weren’t going to prevent Maybin from getting another major league opportunity, which he should soon receive with the Mets.

4:07pm: The Mets have acquired outfielder Cameron Maybin from the Cubs, Bob Nightengale of USA Today tweets. The Cubs will receive cash in return, according to Deesha Thosar of the New York Daily News.

Maybin will provide some much-needed depth to a New York outfield that is dealing with some key injuries. The club placed Kevin Pillar on the IL on Monday as a result of multiple nasal fractures. The Mets are also without Michael Conforto and Brandon Nimmo, among other outfield-capable members of their lineup.

Maybin, now 34 years old, has seen action with nine major league teams since the Tigers chose him 10th overall in the 2005 draft. He has hit .256/.324/.376 with 72 home runs and 186 stolen bases in 4,218 plate appearances, but he put up a worse .247/.308/.387 line with one HR over 101 PA between the Cubs and Tigers a season ago. The Cubs re-signed Maybin to a minor league contract in the offseason, and he batted .103/.186/.205 in 43 trips to the plate with their Triple-A affiliate prior to the trade.

Giants Move Tommy La Stella To 60-Day IL, Claim Trevor Hildenberger

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The Giants have moved infielder Tommy La Stella to the 60-day injured list and claimed right-handed reliever Trevor Hildenberger from the Mets, Maria Guardado of MLB.com was among those to report. San Francisco subsequently optioned Hildenberger to Triple-A Sacramento.

La Stella went on the 10-day IL with a left hamstring strain on May 4, and Tuesday’s switch to the 60-day version means he won’t return until at least July. That’s obviously less-than-ideal news for him and the Giants, who signed La Stella to a three-year, $18.75MM contact in free agency. The 32-year-old hit a disappointing .235/.297/.353 with one home run in 75 plate appearances before suffering his injury. The Giants have relied on Wilmer Flores and Mauricio Dubon at the keystone in La Stella’s place, but they should soon reinstate Donovan Solano, who has been on the IL with a calf strain since April 22.

Hildenberger, 30, threw just 2 1/3 innings with the Mets this year before they designated him for assignment last weekend. Also a former Twin, Hildenberger has pitched to a 5.52 ERA (with a much more encouraging 3.60 SIERA) and recorded a 22.5 percent strikeout rate, a 7.1 percent walk rate and a 48.4 percent groundball rate over 133 2/3 frames in the bigs.

Mets Prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong To Undergo Shoulder Surgery

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The Mets’ injury woes continued this week, as the team announced Tuesday that top outfield prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong will undergo surgery on his right shoulder “for a GLAD lesion (glenoid labral articular disruption).” Crow-Armstrong, according to the Mets’ press release, underwent an MRI this week, which “revealed a tear of the labrum as well as injury to the articular cartilage of the shoulder.”

The 19-year-old Crow-Armstrong wouldn’t have been a viable option for the Mets’ banged-up outfield in 2021 anyway, but it’s nevertheless a notable setback to the 2020 first-round pick’s development. He appeared in six games of Class-A ball in 2021, going 10-for-24 with a pair of doubles to begin his professional career. That limited sample will now be the only experience he gets under his belt for the 2021 season. The Mets have yet to announce a formal timeline on his recovery, but a surgery of this nature surely won’t be something from which he can return in just a few months’ time.

Crow-Armstrong becomes the second high-profile Mets prospect now slated for major surgery, joining 2019 draftee Matt Allan, who is out for the year due to Tommy John surgery. Both players rank among the Mets’ top six farmhands on the organizational rankings at Baseball America, MLB.com and FanGraphs.

Kevin Pillar Diagnosed With Multiple Nasal Fractures

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Mets outfielder Kevin Pillar has been diagnosed with multiple nasal fractures after being struck in the face by a fastball from Braves right-hander Jacob Webb, per a club announcement. He’ll meet with a specialist to determine the next steps in his treatment.

It was a grisly scene in last night’s Mets/Braves game, for those who didn’t see. An errant fastball from Webb rode up and in on Pillar, striking him flush on the nose and dropping the veteran outfielder in a heap. Pillar was eventually able to walk off the field under his own power, and fans were surely relieved all the more when Pillar tweeted later in the evening: “Thanks to everyone that has reached out! Scary moment but I’m doing fine!”

At this point, there’s no clearly defined timeline for when Pillar might return. If (or when) Pillar is ultimately placed on the injured list, he’ll be added to a staggering number of outfielders on the IL for the Mets. Michael Conforto, Brandon Nimmo and Albert Almora Jr. are all on the 10-day IL at the moment, as are infielders/outfielders Jeff McNeil and J.D. Davis. Jose Martinez, meanwhile, is on the 60-day IL.

With that group sidelined, the Mets have Dominic Smith, Khalil Lee and Johneshwy Fargas on the big league roster, in addition to infield/outfield options Jose Peraza and Jake Hager. The Mets have some other outfield options in Triple-A, including former big leaguers Mallex Smith, Brandon Drury and Mason Williams (none are on the 40-man roster), but their depth is obviously being pushed to its limits.

It’s not at all a surprise to see MLB Network’s Jon Heyman tweet that the Mets are exploring outfield additions from outside the organization, but the trade market typically doesn’t get started this early in the season. There have at least been a few recent DFAs who could be claimed or acquired to simply add some depth; Pittsburgh designated Troy Stokes Jr. for assignment, while veteran Jon Jay was designated by the Angels over the weekend. Jay’s transactions log at MLB.com indicates that he cleared waivers, but he has the service time to reject an outright assignment in favor of free agency.

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