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NL East Notes: Zimmerman, Phillies, Lowrie, Marlins

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Ryan Zimmerman is in the final guaranteed year of his contract, and the longtime Nationals staple tells MLB.com’s Bill Ladson that he has yet to speak to GM Mike Rizzo or team ownership about what he hopes will be a continued relationship in 2020 and beyond.  The Nats hold an $18MM club option ($2MM buyout) on Zimmerman for next season that is highly unlikely to be exercised, given the veteran’s injuries and declining production in recent years.  Zimmerman is very eager to finish his career with the only franchise he has ever known, and reiterated that he is open to playing the rest of his career by ear, even returning just in a platoon situation at first base.

“I’m willing to come back [to Washington] and do one year, year by year, for a lot less money,” Zimmerman said.  “I don’t think the money matters to me anymore.  I just want to continue to play baseball and keep playing baseball in D.C.  I’m lucky that my kids are here.  My family is here.”  If the Nats didn’t want to keep Zimmerman on the roster, he stopped short of saying he’d retire, though “it would be a tough decision to leave my family and not be around” while playing in another city.

Here’s more from around the NL East…

  • The Phillies’ surprise hire of former manager Charlie Manuel as the team’s new hitting coach is explored by Matt Gelb of The Athletic (subscription required), who wonders if it could be a harbinger of future moves if the Phils continue to underachieve.  Owner John Middleton, as per Gelb, “has solicited opinions in recent weeks from inside and outside the organization to gain a clearer picture of his franchise’s warts,” and Middleton also “became a decisive voice in” Manuel’s hiring.  It stands to reason that further coaching changes could be made, or manager Gabe Kapler could be on the hot seat, as he is only under contract through the 2020 season.
  • Mets GM Brodie Van Wagenen gave reporters (including the New York Post’s Mike Puma) an update on Jed Lowrie on Wednesday, saying that Lowrie has been participating in simulated games, including running, fielding, and hitting drills.  Due to a string of knee, hamstring, and calf injuries, Lowrie hasn’t played at all this season, and despite his recent progress, it still isn’t clear if he’ll be able to make it onto the field.  Van Wagenen is still hopeful Lowrie can play in 2019, though he also didn’t reveal any plans for a minor league rehab assignment.  Since Lowrie would obviously need a good deal of time to ramp up, there isn’t a lot of opportunity left for an overly-lengthy rehab assignment, given that the minor league season comes to a close in early September.
  • Marlins CEO Derek Jeter was non-committal about the idea of moving in the fences at Marlins Park for 2020, telling MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro and other reporters that the organization would “maybe” consider such an idea.  As Frisaro notes, Marlins Park has allowed the second-fewest home runs of any stadium in baseball since the start of the 2012 season (when the Miami ballpark opened), and while the Marlins’ oft-disappointing lineups have undoubtedly played a role in this power outage, players on all teams have been constantly bedeviled by the ballpark’s big dimensions.

Injury Notes: Astros, Ray, Nimmo, Voit

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The hamstring injury that prompted the Astros to scratch Gerrit Cole from yesterday’s start isn’t immediately believed to be serious, manager A.J. Hinch told reporters (Twitter link, with video, via Brian McTaggart of MLB.com). That doesn’t necessarily preclude a trip to the injured list, but Hinch explained that Cole “doesn’t think it’s that serious.” He’ll nonetheless be tested further to ensure there’s no risk of a more substantial injury. Scratching Cole had a trickle-down effect on the pitching staff, though, as it forced Houston into a bullpen game in the second half of a Tuesday doubleheader against the White Sox. As such, deadline acquisition Joe Biagini was optioned to Triple-A in order to get a fresh arm, Cy Sneed, into the bullpen. Biagini’s trip to the minors seems likely to be brief and won’t impact his arbitration or free-agent timeline.

More on a few other noteworthy injury situations…

  • Diamondbacks left-hander Robbie Ray exited his start in Colorado on Wednesday after two innings because of back spasms. Afterward, manager Torey Lovullo told Zach Buchanan of The Athletic and other reporters he hopes Ray won’t “need to miss much time” (subscription link). The club should have a better idea of Ray’s status after he undergoes an MRI on Thursday. With Arizona already looking like a playoff long shot (it’s 3 1/2 back of a wild-card spot), it can ill afford to lose Ray for any decent chunk of time. The 27-year-old is the No. 1 starter left in a rotation that has gone through significant changes this season. Ray was a trade candidate at last month’s deadline, but he stayed put while the team instead moved ace Zack Greinke, bringing in Mike Leake and Zac Gallen to help cover for his exit. Back in May, long before the deadline, the Diamondbacks saw emergent righty Luke Weaver hit the IL with arm troubles. Weaver still hasn’t come back. There is optimism Weaver will return this season, but he’ll likely finish the year as a reliever if he does.
  • Mets outfielder Brandon Nimmo is within a week or ten days of launching a rehab stint, per Anthony DiComo of MLB.com (via Twitter). Of course, the most recent prior report had indicated Nimmo might already have been prepared for minor-league game action, and that obviously did not come to pass. The 26-year-old is dealing with a bulging disc in his back. While the club has thrived of late, a healthy Nimmo would be a notable roster upgrade. Injuries have been mounting for the Mets, who’ve now lost Robinson Cano and Jeff McNeil to the IL in the past couple weeks. McNeil, who was placed on the IL today due to a mild hamstring strain, may yet beat Nimmo back from the injured list, though.
  • Yankees first baseman Luke Voit could begin his own rehab assignment “next week,” he said Wednesday (via George A. King III of the New York Post). That’s encouraging news for a player who has dealt with core issues since June 29 and looked like a serious candidate for season-ending sports hernia surgery not long ago.

Mets To Release Adeiny Hechavarria

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Aug. 14: The Mets placed Hechavarria on release waivers today, tweets MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo. He’ll be a free agent once he clears in 48 hours.

Aug. 9: The Mets have designated infielder Adeiny Hechavarria for assignment to make room for newly signed second baseman Joe Panik, the team announced.

The 30-year-old Hechavarria joined the Mets on a minor league contract last offseason. There hasn’t actually been a huge difference between him and Panik this year. Hechavarria has slashed .204/.252/.359 (62 wRC+) with minus-0.2 fWAR in 151 plate appearances. Panik has batted .235/.310/.317 (69 wRC+) with minus-0.2 fWAR in 388 PA. Nevertheless, the Mets will go with Panik, leaving the defensively gifted Hechavarria hoping he catches on with another franchise.

Hechavarria has played second base, shortstop and third base with the Mets this season but is best known for his quality glovework at shortstop. He’s never been much of a threat at the plate, as can be seen with a glance at his .252/.288/.346 career batting line, but he could be a versatile bench addition for a club looking to upgrade its infield defense.

Jeff McNeil Diagnosed With Mild Hamstring Strain

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The Mets seem to have caught a big break, as the club learned today that second baseman/outfielder Jeff McNeil has only a mild hamstring strain, MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo tweets. It is anticipated that McNeil will miss about ten days of action; unsurprisingly, he will go on the IL, per Jon Heyman of MLB Network (via Twitter).

There had been concern that McNeil may have suffered a more significant injury when he departed last night’s contest. Losing him for a lengthy stretch would’ve been devastating to the team’s chances in a tightly contested postseason race.

Placing McNeil on the 10-day injured list will free an active roster spot for Ruben Tejada. As expected, he will be selected to the 40-man and be ready for duty today, Andy Martino of SNY.tv tweets. It’ll be Tejada’s first MLB action in a Mets uniform since he broke his leg in the 2015 NLDS.

Mets Preparing To Call Up Ruben Tejada If Jeff McNeil Requires IL Stint

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The Mets are bringing infielder Ruben Tejada to meet the team on its road trip in Atlanta, according to Jon Heyman of MLB Network (via Twitter). Whether he’ll formally be added to the MLB roster will depend upon the still-pending medical review of Jeff McNeil, who was injured last night.

Regardless of how this situation plays out, it’s interesting to see Tejada tabbed as the McNeil replacement option. For one thing, it’s a homecoming for the former New York stalwart, whose original tenure in Queens ended in memorably blunt fashion. Of more immediate concern, it’s a bit of a curious choice from a roster fit.

Tejada and McNeil are both infielders by trade. But the Mets have utilized McNeil frequently in a corner outfield role of late, and that is the area of the roster that seems most in need of supplementation if he requires an IL stint.

As things stand, the Mets can utilize the recently-acquired Joe Panik at second while deploying Luis Guillorme as a utility infielder. But the outfield sans McNeil would feature Michael Conforto, J.D. Davis, Juan Lagares, and Aaron Altherr. The latter two players have turned in miserable offensive efforts to this point of the season.

Tejada has been swinging the bat well at Triple-A, where he owns a .332/.411/.477 batting line over 299 plate appearances. Even allowing for International League offensive inflation, that’s a strong 132 wRC+. But the 29-year-old has never appeared in the outfield as a professional. Neither has Guillorme. Ditto Panik.

That said, there is logic in going to Tejada right now. With opponents scheduling lefty starters in two of the next three games, he’ll be a nice compliment to the left-handed-hitting Panik. Meanwhile, the club will feel better about leaning on Lagares, a strong up-the-middle defender who has historically fared much better when facing southpaws.

Ultimately, if McNeil is down for a while, it seems some kind of outfield supplementation will be preferable — even if that means going outside the organization (tough as that may be this time of the year). Whether Tejada would have a shot at sticking on the roster for the duration of the season remains to be seen.

Jeff McNeil To Undergo MRI On Hamstring

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Mets outfielder/infielder Jeff McNeil departed the team’s loss to the Braves on Tuesday with an apparent left hamstring injury, per Deesha Thosar of the New York Daily News. He’ll undergo an MRI on Wednesday, Tim Healey of Newsday tweets.

McNeil already spent time on the injured list earlier in the season with a hamstring strain, which shelved him for 12 days. The 27-year-old has otherwise enjoyed a dream season, having slashed .332/.400/.529 (148 wRC+) with 15 home runs in 442 plate appearances. Along with serving as one of the majors’ premier hitters, McNeil has been a versatile defender for the Mets. He has appeared in 79 games in the corner outfield, 26 at second base and 16 at third.

The presence of McNeil is an obvious reason the Mets have saved their season over the past several weeks. Despite Tuesday’s defeat, the former bottom feeders find themselves 61-58 and a manageable two games out of a wild-card spot. At least on paper, losing McNeil would damage their chances to rally for a playoff berth. He’d also be the second keystone option to hit the IL recently for the Mets, who are without starter Robinson Cano because of a torn hamstring. However, the club does still have Joe Panik – whom it signed last week – to handle second and Todd Frazier to man third. It’s in less capable hands in the corner outfield, where Dominic Smith and Brandon Nimmo are currently on the IL.

The McNeil-less Mets would likely have to give more outfield playing time to the light-hitting Juan Lagares (who did have a 4-for-4 night Tuesday) as a complement to Michael Conforto and J.D. Davis. New York also has Aaron Altherr at the major league level, but he has endured a nightmarish season, with Dilson Herrera, Rajai Davis and Gregor Blanco among veteran possibilities in the minors. Alternatively, promoting infielder Ruben Tejada could be in the cards, according to Jon Heyman of MLB Network.

Minor MLB Transactions: 8/13/19

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The latest minor moves from around baseball…

  • The Pirates have reinstated right-hander Rookie Davis from the 60-day injured list and optioned him to Triple-A Indianapolis, the team announced. Davis had been out since early June with hand and forearm injuries. The 26-year-old has given up eight earned runs on 12 hits and eight walks (with 10 strikeouts) in 10 2/3 major league innings this season.
  • The Athletics have released righty Jake Buchanan, according to Kegan Lowe of Baseball America. The 29-year-old, who joined the Athletics on a minors pact last winter, struggled to a 6.16 ERA with 6.4 K/9 and 3.1 BB/9 in 99 1/3 innings with their Triple-A affiliate this season. The former Astro, Cub and Red last appeared in the majors in 2017.
  • More from Lowe, who reports the Mets recently released southpaw P.J. Conlon. The Belfast-born Conlon had been with the Mets since they used a 13th-round pick on him in 2015. Conlon, 25, threw 7 2/3 innings with the Mets in 2018 but spent far more time in Triple-A ball, where he put up a 6.71 ERA with 6.6 K/9 and 3.5 BB/9 across 122 frames in the Mets organization.
  • The Tigers announced that they’ve re-signed righty Sandy Baez to a minor league contract. The club released the 25-year-old last Friday. He has recorded a 5.59 ERA with 7.8 K/9 against 4.2 BB/9 over 116 innings with the Tigers’ Double-A team.
  • The Royals have signed righty Nick Howard to a minors contract, per Roster Roundup. Howard, the 19th overall pick of the Reds in 2014, hasn’t gotten past Double-A ball yet. The 26-year-old owns a 4.22 ERA with 5.9 K/9 and 4.2 BB/9 in 21 1/3 innings at that level.

East Notes: Scherzer, Stanton, Jays, Mets

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A look around the majors’ East divisions…

  • Nationals ace Max Scherzer came out of a 32-pitch sim game Tuesday feeling “really good,” Mark Zuckerman of MASNsports.com relays. If all goes well over the next few days, Scherzer could throw a bullpen session Thursday and then either make a rehab start or return to the Nationals’ rotation Sunday. The three-time Cy Young winner has started just twice for the team over the past month and a half – his most recent outing came on July 25 – because of back problems. Should he return this weekend, he’d be on a limited pitch count, according to manager Dave Martinez.
  • Injured Yankees outfielder Giancarlo Stanton is “up to 75 or 85 percent,” according to manager Aaron Boone (via Bryan Hoch of MLB.com). It’s unclear how close Stanton is to returning, though. The former NL MVP has been on the shelf since late July with a knee injury, and he only took 38 plate appearances before then. Somehow, though, the Yankees have thrived this season with basically no contributions from Stanton. Just about every outfielder they’ve plugged in has succeeded, including formerly unspectacular-looking pickups Mike Tauchman and Cameron Maybin.
  • The Blue Jays recalled first baseman Rowdy Tellez from Triple-A Buffalo on Tuesday. The 24-year-old forced his way back by mauling pitchers at the Triple-A level, where he slashed .366/.450/.688 with seven home runs in 109 plate appearances. Tellez wasn’t nearly that good this year in the majors before a mid-July demotion, as he hit .227/.280/.436 with 14 HRs over 286 PA. However, considering they’re looking toward the future, the rebuilding Blue Jays want to see if Tellez can continue his minor league brilliance in their uniform. His promotion could spell bad news for veteran first baseman Justin Smoak, who’s likely to lose playing time to Tellez, manager Charlie Montoyo said Tuesday (via Scott Mitchell of TSN). That doesn’t seem to bode well for the Toronto future of Smoak, a pending free agent.
  • Mets righty Jacob Rhame has undergone ulnar nerve transposition surgery and will miss the rest of the season, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com tweets. The 26-year-old only threw 27 innings between the majors and minors this season, six of which came as a member of the Mets.

East Notes: Red Sox, Mets, Diaz, Rays, Jays

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The Red Sox are going to have to “be creative” in the near future when it comes to drawing up a plan for their floundering rotation, manager Alex Cora said Sunday (via Chad Jennings of The Athletic; subscription required). The club has six days off in the next three weeks, which will enable it to skip certain starters, but there’s no denying Boston’s in trouble. The reigning world champions are what could be an insurmountable 7 1/2 games back of an American League wild-card spot, in part because their rotation has endured a Murphy’s Law year. Chris Sale and Eduardo Rodriguez have arguably been the Red Sox’s best starters, but the former hasn’t been the dominant ace we’ve grown accustomed to watching, and the latter has been more good than great. Meantime, David Price is on the injured list (and went through a horrid stretch before hitting the shelf Aug. 8), former Cy Young winner Rick Porcello has been horrid, and the pre-trade deadline acquisition of Andrew Cashner has blown up in the team’s face.

Here’s more from the East Coast…

  • Despite his ongoing struggles, the sizzling Mets aren’t considering demoting reliever Edwin Diaz to the minors, according to Andy Martino of SNY. The hyped offseason acquisition has surrendered at least one earned run in five of his past six outings, contributing to a horrendous 5.60 ERA in 45 innings on the season. That’s almost four runs higher than the 1.96 ERA the hard-throwing Diaz posted in his final season as a Mariner last year. Most of Diaz’s other numbers have also gone way downhill, though he has still struck out 14.6 batters per nine.
  • The sprained right hand Rays outfielder Tommy Pham is “something he’s going to have to manage” through the end of the season, skipper Kevin Cash said Sunday (via Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times). The Rays don’t expect Pham to land on the injured list, but it seems the sprain has negatively affected his production. He’s just 5 for 30 since suffering the injury, though Pham’s still batting a strong .266/.365/.440 with 16 home runs and 13 steals in 485 plate appearances on the season.
  • Blue Jays executive vice president, business operations Andrew Miller has joined the NFL’s Minnesota Vikings as their chief operating officer, Adam Schefter of ESPN tweets. Miller had been with the Blue Jays since 2016. His familiarity with Jays president of baseball operations Mark Shapiro and general manager Ross Atkins dates back to their time in Cleveland’s front office. For more on the Vikings and the NFL, visit ProFootballRumors.com.

Mets Sign Joe Panik

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1:10pm: Panik’s going to the Mets, Heyman tweets. They just have to clear a roster spot for him.

10:11am: The Mets are “expected to sign” second baseman Joe Panik, Jon Heyman of MLB Network reports (Mike Anthony of MetsmerizedOnline.com first reported the news). Panik will first need to clear waivers, which will occur at 1 p.m. ET, but that looks like a formality. He should join the Mets for Friday night’s game, per Andy Martino of SNY.

It’ll go down as a short stay without a team for Panik, whom the Giants designated for assignment Tuesday and then subsequently released. Because no one will take on Panik via waivers, the Giants will have to pay him the balance of his $3.8MM salary. The Mets will be able to add him for a prorated league-minimum salary.

Panik, 28, was a quality producer as a Giant from 2014-17, but his production has cratered since the beginning of last season. He has slashed just .245/.308/.325 with seven home runs in 780 plate appearances going back to 2018, giving him the majors’ fourth-worst wRC+ (72) among hitters with at least 700 PA. Panik remains a bear to strike out (9.8 K rate, 9.3 BB percentage), but that wasn’t enough to keep him in San Francisco. When the Giants acquired fellow second basemen Scooter Gennett and Mauricio Dubon at last week’s trade deadline, it sealed Panik’s fate with the franchise.

Panik, a Yonkers native who attended St. John’s University, will now try to bounce back in the familiar surroundings of New York. The Mets have an opening at second now that Robinson Cano’s dealing with a hamstring tear. The Cano injury is one of the few things to go wrong of late for the hard-charging Mets, who’ve gone from laughingstocks to serious playoff contenders in a matter of weeks. Winners of 13 of 14, the Mets suddenly own a 59-56 record and sit a mere half-game back in a congested National League wild-card race.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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