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Mets Activate Jared Hughes From Injured List; Move Jed Lowrie To 45-Day IL

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The Mets announced a series of roster moves this morning, including the news that right-hander Jared Hughes has been activated from the injured list.  Righty Franklyn Kilome was optioned to the minor league training site to make 30-man roster room for Hughes.  Also of note is the news that infielder Jed Lowrie has been moved from the 10-day IL to the 45-day IL.

Hughes is making his way back from a positive COVID-19 diagnosis that involved about 10 days of symptoms and kept the veteran reliever sidelined for much of the Mets’ Summer Camp.  Hughes signed a Major League contract with New York at the end of June that will pay him roughly $260K (the prorated portion of a $700K deal) over the 2020 season.  The groundball specialist is coming off a season that saw him post a 4.04 ERA over 71 1/3 combined innings for the Reds and Phillies, as a 1.6 HR/9 (more than twice his previous career average) contributed to that higher than usual ERA.

From 2014-18, Hughes was quietly one of baseball’s most durable and effective relievers, with a 2.41 ERA, 1.99 K/BB rate, and 5.8 K/9 over 329 innings with the Pirates, Brewers, and Reds.  Anything close to that type of production would be an enormous boost to a Mets bullpen that has been inconsistent in the early going.

An official designation of left knee discomfort sent Lowrie to the injured list back on July 20, though GM Brodie Van Wagenen recently revealed that Lowrie was dealing with PCL laxity.  A wide variety of leg problems (including a sprained left knee capsule and a right calf strain) kept Lowrie out of action for all but nine games of the 2019 season, and today’s news would hint that he is unlikely to play at all in 2020.

Lowrie signed a two-year, $20MM deal in the 2018-19 offseason that stands as a near-total bust of a signing.  In the Mets’ defense, $20MM isn’t an exorbitant amount for an infielder who had posted very strong numbers with the A’s in 2017-18 (37 homers and a .272/.356/.448 slash line over 1325 plate appearances).  Lowrie also played in 310 games over those two seasons, so while he had a lengthy injury history in previous years and 2019 was his age-35 season, it was still hard to imagine that Lowrie wouldn’t be able to contribute whatsoever.

Mets Acquire Billy Hamilton From Giants For Jordan Humphreys

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The Mets and Giants have agreed to a trade that will sent veteran outfielder Billy Hamilton to New York in exchange for right-hander Jordan Humphreys, MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo reports (Twitter link).

After signing a minor league deal with San Francisco in February, Hamilton will move on without ever officially suiting up for the club.  Hamilton’s chances of making the Opening Day roster were likely scuttled by an injured list stint that caused him to miss over a week of the Giants’ Summer Camp.

Hamilton’s heralded center field glove will be a boost to a Mets team that recently lost Jake Marisnick to a hamstring strain, leaving the team defensively short-handed in the outfield and without a late-game sub for Brandon Nimmo in center.  Beyond defense, Hamilton’s blazing speed gives the Mets a strong candidate for pinch-running situations, and potential usage as the automatic runner at second base in extra-inning games.

Humphreys was designated for assignment earlier this week, ending his Mets tenure after 169 2/3 innings since being selected in the 18th round of the 2015 draft.  Only two of those innings have come since June 2017, however, as Humphreys missed almost two full years due to Tommy John surgery and ulnar nerve surgery.  MLB Pipeline has already ranked Humphreys as the 23rd-best prospect in the Giants’ farm system and credits the righty with a plus fastball, though “San Francisco probably won’t know exactly what it has in Humphreys until he returns to game action in 2021.”  Essentially, the Giants are taking a flier on a young arm in exchange for a veteran who wasn’t in their plans.

Latest On Marcus Stroman

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Mets right-hander Marcus Stroman hasn’t debuted this year because of a tear in his left calf muscle, but the club’s No. 2 starter continues to make progress in his recovery. Stroman got through a four-inning simulated game unscathed on Friday, Tim Healey of Newsday relays.

Manager Luis Rojas said Stroman had “a very productive day,” though it remains unclear when the 29-year-old will be able to rejoin the Mets’ rotation.

Without Stroman, who’s facing a key year as a high-profile pending free agent, the Mets have turned to left-hander David Peterson to fill the void in their starting staff. That has gone well so far, as Peterson turned in 5 2/3 innings of two-run ball in a win over the Red Sox on Tuesday. As for the rest of New York’s rotation, back-to-back NL Cy Young winner Jacob deGrom has been his usual self thus far, and Steven Matz and Michael Wacha have prevented runs with aplomb through a combined three starts. However, Rick Porcello took a beating at the hands of the Braves in his first Mets start last Sunday. Porcello’s back on the mound in Atlanta on Friday.

Elsewhere on the Mets’ roster, the club has placed catcher Rene Rivera on the 10-day injured list with a hyperextended left (non-throwing) elbow and recalled righty Franklyn Kilome, per Healey. Rivera has joined Tomas Nido in starting one game behind the plate for the Mets this season, but the lion’s share of work has unsurprisingly gone to Wilson Ramos.

Rivera’s injury means the 25-year-old Kilome may get a chance to make his major league debut after working back from October 2018 Tommy John surgery. Kilome, whom the Mets acquired from the Phillies for infielder Asdrubal Cabrera just a few months before he underwent surgery, logged a 4.03 ERA/3.17 FIP with 9.95 K/9 against 2.37 BB/9 over 38 innings in his first action with the New York organization two years ago.

Quick Hits: Mets, E. Rodriguez, Tigers

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The Mets are off to a slow start at 3-4, and high-profile reliever Edwin Diaz hasn’t helped matters. Diaz, whom the Mets hoped would rebound this year after a subpar first season with the team in 2019, has allowed an earned run in two of three appearances this year. He struggled Thursday in a loss to the Red Sox, allowing four of five hitters to reach base. Afterward, manager Luis Rojas told Anthony DiComo of MLB.com and other reporters that Mets bigwigs will discuss whether to use Diaz in high-leverage situations going forward. Considering Diaz has only thrown 2 1/3 innings this season, it’s far too soon to say he won’t bounce back. Nevertheless, it’s stunning to see how far he has fallen off since a tremendous run with the Mariners from 2016-18. The Mets’ decision to trade for Diaz and second baseman Robinson Cano continues to look worse and worse.

  • Infielder Jed Lowrie joined the Mets in the same offseason as Diaz and Cano, but he has barely played for the club. Now in the second season of a two-year, $20MM contract, various injuries have limited Lowrie to nine games and eight plate appearances as a Met. He hasn’t played yet this season, and the reason became somewhat more clear Thursday. It turns out that Lowrie is dealing with PCL laxity in his left knee, according to general manager Brodie Van Wagenen. It’s still unknown if Lowrie will play for the Mets this season, however.
  • Red Sox left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez has been out this season because of coronavirus complications, but chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom told Greg Hill of WEEI on Thursday (h/t: Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com) that they believe he will pitch this year. “We do expect to get him back,” Bloom said. “I couldn’t tell you exactly when. Obviously, we’re fortunate in that the complication that he had was very mild in terms of the severity of it.” Rodriguez went on the injured list July 7 after testing positive for the virus and has been dealing with a heart issue related to the illness lately. If healthy, he’ll unquestionably be the No. 1 starter in a Boston staff that’s rife with problems.
  • The Tigers are placing oufielder Cameron Maybin on the injured list because of a strained quad, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com relays. Maybin suffered the injury Thursday, just the sixth game since the once-touted Tigers prospect returned to Detroit for a third stint. The club signed Maybin to a one-year, $1.5MM deal in free agency.

Mets Select Brian Dozier, Designate Hunter Strickland For Assignment

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The Mets announced a series of roster moves today, placing Eduardo Nunez on the 10-day injured list with a left knee contusion and selecting the contract of veteran second baseman Brian Dozier in his place. In order to open a spot on the roster for Dozier, New York designated right-hander Hunter Strickland for assignment. Lefty Daniel Zamora is up from the team’s alternate training site to take Strickland’s spot on the 30-man roster.

Dozier, 33, inked a minor league deal with the Mets midway through Summer Camp after being let go by the Padres. He’s already in tonight’s lineup and will give the club some thump against lefty starter Martin Perez. Dozier, a former All-Star with the Twins, is a lifetime .270/.354/.500 hitter against southpaws. For a brief stretch from 2014-17, he was among the league’s best second basemen, hitting a combined .254/.338/.476 with 127 home runs in that four-year stretch. That included a monstrous 42-homer effort in 2016, which he followed up with a 34-dinger season in 2017.

A knee injury hobbled Dozier for much of the 2018 season, which surely contributed to a dismal .215/.305/.391 showing. He bounced back a bit with the World Series-winning Nationals in 2019, slashing .238/.340/.430 in 482 plate appearances. However, Dozier’s role shrunk late in the regular season and in the postseason. This winter, with an abundance of supply and considerably less demand on the second base market, Dozier settled for a minor league deal — but he’s quickly worked his way back to the bigs.

As for Strickland, he’ll depart after surrendering four runs (three earned) on six hits in just 2 1/3 frames as a Met. The 31-year-old posted terrific numbers with the Giants from 2014-17 before slipping a bit in 2018 and completely cratering in 2019. Strickland still has a 3.24 ERA in 252 2/3 Major League innings, but his recent track record is concerning, and he’s had some issues off the mound. The righty broke his hand when he punched a door after blowing a save back in 2018, and he’s previously incited a benches-clearing brawl by throwing at Bryce Harper (widely believed to be in response to Harper homering off him twice in the postseason three years prior).

East Notes: Mets, Rays, Red Sox

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Mets right-hander Marcus Stroman is making progress in his recovery from the left calf tear he suffered last week. Stroman has returned to throwing “full tilt” bullpen sessions, manager Luis Rojas said (via Deesha Thosar of the New York Daily News). Pitching coach Jeremy Hefner added that Stroman is still unable to sprint, so it remains unclear when he’ll be in line for his season debut. The sooner the better for the Mets, for whom Stroman is a must-have complement to ace Jacob deGrom. From his own standpoint, Stroman’s in for a rather important season with his first trip to free agency scheduled for the winter.

  • One of Stroman’s Mets teammates, fellow righty Jared Hughes, has been on the injured list since July 15. The team didn’t announce a reason for the move at the time, though it turns out he tested positive for the coronavirus, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports. Hughes was symptomatic for roughly 10 days, per Rosenthal, but he’s now healthy and pitching at the team’s alternate training site. Prior to his bout with the virus, Hughes appeared as if he’d earn a season-opening roster spot after the Mets signed him to a major league contract.
  • The Rays have gotten good news on a couple of their outfielders who, because of their own positive COVID tests, have missed the season so far. Star Austin Meadows engaged in baseball activities on Wednesday, Juan Toribio of MLB.com relays (Twitter links). Manager Kevin Cash indicated Meadows could return sometime during the Rays’ Aug. 4-9 homestand. Meanwhile, Randy Arozarena was cleared to rejoin the team and resume baseball activities, per Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. He started a rehab assignment at the Rays’ alternate training site Wednesday.
  • The Red Sox, having gotten poor production from their patchwork rotation thus far, will give righty Zack Godley an opportunity as a starter, Jason Mastrodonato of the Boston Herald tweets. Godley, whom the Red Sox signed to a minor league contract this month, will make his first start with the club on Saturday against the Yankees. The former Diamondback and Blue Jay was an effective starter just a couple years ago before falling off dramatically last season. Godley had an extremely encouraging long-relief appearance Monday, though, as he tossed four scoreless, four-hit innings with seven strikeouts against no walks in a loss to the Mets.

Mets Place Jake Marisnick On IL, Select Ryan Cordell, Designate Jordan Humphreys

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The Mets have announced a series of roster moves. Outfielder Ryan Cordell is headed onto the 40-man and active roster, MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo reports on Twitter, taking the place of injured outfielder Jake Marisnick.

Marisnick is headed to the injured list with a hamstring strain. To create a 40-man spot, righty Jordan Humphreys was designated for assignment.

Humphreys, 24, was added to the 40-man in advance of the 2019 Rule 5 draft. But he obviously wasn’t seen as a critical part of the team’s immediate or future plans.

Cordell has appeared in each of the two prior MLB campaigns, compiling a cumulative .205/.267/.335 batting line over 287 plate appearances. He’ll help fill in for Marisnick, though it may be tough for him to hang onto a roster spot thereafter.

Jose Reyes Announces Official Retirement

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Veteran infielder Jose Reyes has announced his retirement from the game. The 37-year-old appeared in 16 MLB seasons.

Reyes had at one point hoped to play in the 2019 season, but evidently did not draw sufficient interest to continue his career. It isn’t surprising at this point to hear that he will no longer pursue playing opportunities.

There’s no denying what a dynamic player Reyes was at his height. During his first run with the Mets, he turned in 4,453 plate appearances of .292/.341/.441 hitting with 81 home runs and 370 steals while delivering excellent glovework at the shortstop position.

By the end of the 2011 season, Reyes had accumulated four All-Star appearances and 28 rWAR. He was never better at the plate than in 2011, when he posted a .337/.384/.493 slash to set the stage for a lucrative trip onto the free agent market.

Reyes landed with the Marlins on a $106MM deal. While he performed well in his first season in Miami, the team shipped him and other veterans to the Blue Jays at season’s end. Reyes supplied two more quality campaigns in Toronto before hitting a wall in 2015. That set the stage for a blockbuster swap in which the Jays sent Reyes and prospects to Colorado for Rockies star Troy Tulowitzki.

While his struggles continued down the stretch in 2015, Reyes seemed primed for a rebound effort in the ensuing season. Instead, he was arrested in the offseason and faced charges for domestic abuse. Though charges were dropped because the alleged victim declined to testify, Reyes admitted he had made a “terrible mistake” and MLB found sufficient evidence to impose a suspension under the league’s domestic violence policy.

The Mets elected to overlook the awful situation and brought Reyes in for a second stint. He provided solid output for the 2016 and 2017 seasons but scuffled to a .189/.260/.320 slash line in what turned out to be his final campaign.

Mets Designate Tyler Bashlor For Assignment

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The Mets announced Tuesday that they’ve designated right-hander Tyler Bashlor for assignment. His roster spot will go to southpaw David Peterson, who is being selected to the 40-man roster for his MLB debut.

Bashlor, 27, has seen time in the Majors in each of the past two seasons but hasn’t yet stood out. Over 54 frames in the big leagues, the former 11th-round pick has a 5.33 ERA, 7.5 K/9 and 4.8 BB/9. Bashlor averages 96 mph on his heater, but he’s an extreme fly-ball pitcher (career 31.2 percent ground-ball rate) who has averaged two home runs per nine inning pitched in the Majors.

Bashlor does have a sharp track record in Double-A and Triple-A, which, combined with his high-end fastball spin (97th percentile) and a remaining minor league option, could make him appealing to another organization in need of some bullpen depth. The Mets have a week to trade Bashlor, place him on outright waivers or release him.

Mets To Sign Bruce Maxwell

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The Mets have agreed to a deal with catcher Bruce Maxwell, per Tim Healey of Newsday (via Twitter). He’ll report to the team’s alternative training site once he passes a physical and gets a pair of clean coronavirus tests.

Maxwell is unquestionably best known for his decision to kneel during the playing of the National Anthem when he played for the Athletics in 2017. He drew a lot of attention of all kinds at the time, which only increased the spotlight on his later arrest and subsequent plea arrangement. ESPN.com’s Howard Bryant has authored an important account of Maxwell’s situation.

The A’s dropped Maxwell in the wake of the 2018 season, in which he performed poorly on the field in addition to his off-field troubles. He has not suited up with another affiliated organization since.

Maxwell, now 29, did have a successful 2019 showing in the Mexican League. Over 487 plate appearances, he turned in an excellent .325/.407/.559 slash and hit 24 home runs.

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