Headlines

Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Mets Rumors

Injury Notes: Schwarber, DeSclafani, deGrom, Inciarte, Ryu

By | at

The big news of the day, of course, is the Cubs’ loss of Kyle Schwarber for the season with a devastating knee injury. Schwarber won’t have his knee operation until the swelling has subsided, which may take a few weeks, and his expected timeline won’t really be known until that time, Jesse Rogers of ESPNChicago.com was among those to tweet. Manager Joe Maddon, meanwhile, said it was “classic validation of why we signed Dexter Fowler” (via Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times, on Twitter). Maddon added that Jorge Soler will see plenty of action in Schwarber’s stead, with Kris Bryant and Ben Zobrist also representing options to fill in.

There were a few other notable injury matters that hit the news wire:

  • Reds righty Anthony DeSclafani will be bumped once again after being expected to make his season debut on Sunday, C. Trent Rosecrans of the Cincinnati Enquirer reports on Twitter. Manager Bryan Price said there hasn’t been a setback, but suggested that the club was exercising added caution. DeSclafani had been slated for Opening Day duties, but is trying to work through an oblique strain.
  • Star Mets righty Jacob deGrom only made it through 76 pitches in his first outing of the year and was pulled early with tightness in his lat. As Mike Puma of the New York Post reports, deGrom’s velocity was notably down from its usual mid-90s pace — which could be a result of the cool weather and lat issues. Of course, he was still plenty effective, and he isn’t currently set for an MRI, but there are still some warning signs and good reason to proceed with caution.
  • Braves center fielder Ender Inciarte left tonight’s action early with a hamstring issue, David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports on Twitter. He’s being labeled as day-to-day for the time being, and it doesn’t appear likely to be a serious injury, but those sorts of muscle tweaks can lead to longer absences than one might think. Atlanta fans will no doubt wonder whether a possible DL stint would open the door for the promotion of Mallex Smith, but the likelier course would be to lean on Drew Stubbs for the meantime.
  • The Dodgers got some promising news on lefty Hyun-jin Ryu, who, tossed two 20-pitch sim-game innings today. As Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register tweets, manager Dave Roberts says that Ryu “felt great” after getting his work in. There’s still a long way to go before Ryu will make it back to the big league mound, but he is set to increase his pitch output in another simulated outing on Tuesday. The club will hope that the quality southpaw can keep some positive momentum going, as he has progressed somewhat slower than expected from his shoulder labrum surgery.

NL East Notes: Wheeler, Teheran, Kolek, Phillies

By | at

Mets right-hander Zack Wheeler, who is recovering from 2015 Tommy John surgery, will have a minor surgical procedure to remove an undissolved stitch that remains in his elbow, reports Adam Rubin of ESPN New York. The minor surgery will slow Wheeler’s recovery by about two weeks, Rubin notes, but it is not considered serious in nature. The lingering stitch was the lone issue that appeared on a recent MRI that Wheeler underwent as a checkup, and the test was otherwise “super clean,” per Rubin’s source. Wheeler’s target date for a big league return is July 1.

Here’s more from the division…

  • The Braves have sought a pre-arbitration bat that they can insert into the middle portion of their lineup in trade talks for right-hander Julio Teheran, writes ESPN’s Jim Bowden in an early rundown of some potential 2016 trade candidates. The Cubs were an oft-cited potential trade partner for the Braves this offseason, and Bowden again lists them as a speculative fit, noting that either Jorge Soler or Javier Baez could hold appear. Of course, in addition to the fact that it’s extremely rare for trades of that magnitude to occur in April, the Cubs are also still waiting to learn the full extent of Kyle Schwarber’s left leg injury. (A prolonged absence for Schwarber would make it more difficult for Chicago to part with Soler.) Nonetheless, it’s worth keeping in mind as the season wears on; Teheran is controlled through 2019 for a total of $29.6MM, and his contract includes a $12MM club option for the 2020 season.
  • Marlins president of baseball operations Michael Hill confirmed top prospect Tyler Kolek’s Tommy John surgery and elaborated on the injury a bit, as MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro reports. “It was a complete tear of the [ulnar collateral] ligament,” Hill said. “They said there were no issues, that surgery went well, and now he’s on the road to recovery.” Kolek had been tabbed to open the season at Class-A Greensboro before eventually moving up to the Class-A Advanced Florida State League, but he’ll now be on the shelf for 12 to 18 months as he recovers, Frisaro writes.
  • After David Hernandez and Dalier Hinojosa each blew their first save opportunities of the season for the Phillies, manager Pete Mackanin tells reporters, including MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki, that fellow righty Jeanmar Gomez is next in line for a save opportunity. “We’re auditioning,” said Mackanin, who is in his first full season as Philadelphia’s skipper. “We’ve got to find out. It’s a daily question. Why not Gomez? Let’s see what he can do.” Hernandez was signed with the idea that he could potentially fill the ninth-inning role for the Phils, and it’s worth noting that his second appearance was a clean inning with much-improved velocity. However, for the time being, there’s little clarity in the Phillies’ ninth-inning scene. (On a related note: fantasy players looking to monitor the situation and other ninth-inning scenarios around the league can follow MLBTR’s @closernews Twitter account for daily updates on saves-related news.)

East Notes: Rays, Mets, Fernandez, Phillies

By and | at

The Rays’ quest for a new stadium in the greater Tampa Bay area remains an important topic for the organization and the league. As Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports, club owner Stuart Sternberg continues to assert a commitment to finding a way forward in Florida. MLB commissioner Rob Manfred, meanwhile, said he’s putting his faith in Sternberg, saying: “as long as he’s committed, I think we — me and Major League Baseball — will remain committed to the market.” Manfred also addressed the matter of geography more generally, as Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca reports. He suggested that the priority is to figure out the outstanding ballpark difficulties of organizations in their current cities, before considering any expansion possibilities. “Sequentially, I think it’s important for Tampa Bay and Oakland to get their facility situations resolved before we move into a real active consideration of expansion,” said Manfred. Of course, that’s an important factor in maintaining leverage; as Manfred perhaps implicitly acknowledged in stating, “we feel it’s our obligation to have alternatives to consider in the event that a relocation becomes necessary.”

There was also some sad news out of St. Petersburg today, as Rays’ minority owner Lance Ringhaver was reportedly killed in a car accident yesterday, as the Tampa Bay Times reports. Sternberg issued a statement mourning the loss of the 76-year-old, and MLBTR joins in offering condolences to his family and the Rays organization.

  • The Mets are likely to face ongoing questions of daily lineup construction with both Juan Lagares and Michael Conforto in line for playing time, as John Harper of the New York Daily News writes. Lagares appears to be back in good form while Conforto continues to show the promise he displayed in 2015, but Yoenis Cespedes is an everyday player and Curtis Granderson still seems lined up for the majority of the action in right. (Then, of course, there’s Alejandro De Aza.) For now, this seems like a good problem to have, but it certainly could lead to some tough decisions as the season goes along.
  • Meanwhile, the Mets could face yet tougher issues with third baseman David Wright, as Joel Sherman of the New York Post explains. Wright’s movement in the infield and ability to keep pace at the plate while dealing with spinal stenosis remain in question, though of course the standout veteran will have every chance to battle through.
  • Via MLB Network’s Jon Heyman (on Twitter), the Marlins say that they have placed an innings limit of about 180 on right-hander Jose Fernandez in his first full season back from Tommy John surgery. The 23-year-old ace tossed 89 1/3 innings last season after returning in early July, though he was slowed late in the season by a biceps injury as well. Fernandez is slated to make his season debut tomorrow against the Tigers in Miami.
  • As Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer points out, only three teams in the past decade have kept two Rule 5 Draft picks for the entirety of a season, but manager Pete Mackanin tells him that the Phillies are aiming to become the fourth by retaining both outfielder Tyler Goeddel and lefty Daniel Stumpf for the entire year. “They’ve both shown enough ability where they can be part of the future,” Mackanin told Gelb. “…It’s hard to turn away young talent and that’s what our goal is, to keep them.” For the time being, Goeddel will platoon with Cedric Hunter, per Gelb. And while Stumpf could initially be used as a situational lefty, the uncertainty that is permeating the Phillies’ bullpen gives each reliever a chance to see his role grow, he adds. Additionally, Gelb notes that while Carlos Ruiz got the nos on Opening Day, it’ll be the younger Cameron Rupp seeing the lion’s share of playing time behind the plate this year. Ruiz is earning $8.5MM in the final season of a three-year deal.

Mets, Rene Rivera Agree To Minor League Deal

By | at

The Mets and veteran catcher Rene Rivera have agreed to a minor league deal, reports Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times (via Twitter). Rivera, 32, was released by the Rays last month after the Rays decided that Hank Conger and Curt Casali would comprise their primary catching tandem in 2016. The new agreement with New York marks a return to the Mets organization for Rivera, who spent the 2009 season playing with their Triple-A affiliate.

Rivera, a client of MDR Sports Management, is considered to be a premium defensive catcher but also was one of baseball’s worst hitters in 2015 when he batted .178/.213/.275. A minuscule .230 batting average on balls in play contributed heavily to that lack of productivity, but Rivera has never been much of a hitter with the exception of the 2014 season, when he batted .252/.319/.432 in 103 games with the Padres. That year looks like as much (if not more) of an outlier as last season’s woeful campaign, however, and something in the middle — Rivera is a career .211/.258/.331 hitter — is probably a more realistic expectation.

Despite lacking much in the way of offensive upside, Rivera is a standout defender, which is the reason that the Rays stuck with him in 2015. Rivera has halted 38 percent of stolen base attempts against him over the life of his big league career, and he has consistently graded out as a well above-average pitch framer, including a 2014 season in which Baseball Prospectus rated him as the game’s third-best backstop in terms of stealing strikes for his pitchers.

The Mets were said in Spring Training to be on the lookout for a veteran backup catcher, as the club doesn’t like the idea of young Kevin Plawecki playing sparingly in a backup role but also isn’t high on Johnny Monell serving as the primary backup to Travis d’Arnaud. While Rivera’s deal is of the minor league variety, it’s possible that the Mets could eventually promote him to serve as a defensive-minded backup to d’Arnaud while allowing Plawecki to receive everyday at-bats at the minor league level.

NL Notes: Reds’ Medicals, Henderson, Heisey, Gott, Nolin

By | at

Zach Buchanan of the Cincinnati Enquirer has penned an interesting piece on the process for evaluating medicals in prospective trades — a matter that has taken on increasingly public significance with several recent swaps blown up after agreement was reportedly reached in principle. He chats at length with Reds orthopedist Dr. Timothy Kremchek and GM Dick Williams about the “streamlined” but still-nuanced assessment of player health in finalizing trades. “You’re hearing more about the ones that don’t happen,” Williams explained. “I do think because the technology is better. In the old days, it’s like, ‘Well, he has a sore elbow, but I’m sure it’ll be fine by spring.’ Now they’re taking scans and x-rays and you’re getting a lot more detail. There’s a lot more opportunity for interpretation. The dollars have gotten so much bigger that doctors don’t want to be the scapegoat.” The article is well worth a full read.

Of course, Williams also chatted recently with MLBTR about quite a different topic — his time at the University of Virginia. (As a fellow U.Va. alum, that made for an especially interesting trip down memory lane.) Here’s the latest from the National League:

  • Righty Jim Henderson has cracked the Mets’ Opening Day roster, as the team announced and ESPNNewYork.com’s Adam Rubin reports. Once a late-inning reliever, Henderson has struggled with shoulder injuries in recent years, but impressed this spring by allowing just two earned runs on eight hits and one walk while striking out 13 over 10 2/3 frames. Meanwhile, lefty Sean Gilmartin — who had a strong season in the pen as a Rule 5 pick last year — has been optioned down to Triple-A. Logan Verrett will instead make the roster and function as New York’s longman.
  • Outfielder Chris Heisey will take a reserve role with the Nationals out of camp, Devan Fink first reported on Twitter. A 40-man spot was cleared by adding TJ rehabber Aaron Barrett to the 60-day DL.
  • Meanwhile, Blake Treinen appears to have beaten out Sean Burnett and Trevor Gott for the final pen role, James Wagner of the Washington Post tweets. Burnett is set to opt out of his deal, and the team has announced that Gott was optioned. What’s surprising isn’t so much that Treinen made the pen — he has an impressive arsenal and nice spring under his belt — but that Matt Belisle took the spot that had seemed destined to go to Gott. It’s not as if he had rough camp, as he finished with three earned runs on his tab over nine innings, allowing nine hits and two walks while recording five strikeouts. Though he generated quite a few grounders last year with the Angels, Gott only struck out 5.1 batters per nine, and he could certainly stand to add some polish to his curve to develop another pitch to go with a 96.1 mph heater. Gott enters the year with 114 days of service on his ledger, so a sufficiently lengthy minor league stint could also buy the club another year of control. He could eventually join Barrett, Treinen, and lefty Felipe Rivero in a young, cheap, high-powered pen corps of the future.
  • Brewers manager Craig Counsell says that lefty Sean Nolin has been diagnosed with a “significant” injury to his UCL, MLB.com’s Chris Abshire reports. There had been some suggestion that Nolin had avoided a ligament issue, but today’s news seemingly puts a lengthier absence on the table. A final prognosis will await a second opinion, though, so the 26-year-old’s fate remains to be seen. Nolin, who was claimed off waivers from the A’s over the winter, had been competing for a pen spot before he was shut down a few weeks ago.

Minor MLB Transactions: 4/1/16

By | at

Here are today’s minor moves from around the league:

  • The Mets have announced that they’ve selected the contract of righty Jim Henderson. The former Brewers closer will be back in the big leagues for the first time since 2014. Henderson has battled shoulder issues in recent seasons, but he got good results in Spring Training, whiffing 13 batters in 10 2/3 innings. The hard-throwing 33-year-old has a lifetime 3.44 ERA, 12.1 K/9 and 3.6 BB/9 in three big-league seasons.
  • The Red Sox have announced that they’ve signed outfielder Justin Maxwell to a minor-league deal, and he’ll report to Triple-A Pawtucket. The Marlins released Maxwell earlier this week. The 32-year-old hit .209/.275/.341 in 274 plate appearances with the Giants in 2015. Previously, he had played for the Nationals, Astros and Royals.
  • The Rockies have signed shortstop Jeff Bianchi to a minor-league deal, Matt Eddy of Baseball America tweets. Bianchi played briefly for Boston last year, spending most of the year at Triple-A, where he hit .262/.329/.315. He has a .531 OPS in 404 career big-league plate appearances spread over four years, most of them coming with the Brewers.
  • The Orioles have released 1B/OF Mike Carp and 3B/1B/OF Alex Liddi from minor-league camp, Jon Meoli of the Baltimore Sun writes. Carp, who’s played six seasons in the big leagues with the Mariners, Red Sox (with whom he won a World Series in 2013) and Rangers, played only briefly at the Triple-A level in the Dodgers organization in 2015. He’s a lifetime .254/.330/.414 hitter in the big leagues. Liddi played parts of three seasons for the Mariners from 2011 through 2013 and spent last season split between the Royals’ Double-A Northwest Arkansas affiliate and Jalisco in the Mexican Pacific Winter League.

NL Notes: Cardinals, Guerrero, Pirates, Nolin

By | at

Cardinals shortstop Ruben Tejada left Thursday’s game with a muscle strain in his left quadriceps and will begin the season on the disabled list, according to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (Twitter link). As a result, both infielder Greg Garcia and outfielder Jeremy Hazelbaker have made the Cardinals’ Opening Day roster, Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com tweets. Tejada’s injury is the latest unfortunate news at shortstop for the Cardinals, who signed the ex-Met earlier this month to replace the injured Jhonny Peralta. With Tejada on the shelf, the Cardinals are expected to start Jedd Gyorko at short in their Sunday opener against Pittsburgh, Goold writes. Garcia, meanwhile, has dealt with his own injury – a sore knee – and put up a meager .289 slugging percentage in 52 plate appearances this spring. Hazelbaker has been far more successful at the plate, amassing a .300/.364/.500 line in 44 PAs. The 28-year-old, a longtime minor leaguer, will finally have a chance to see his first major league action since Boston took him in the fourth round of the 2009 draft.

Here’s more from the National League:

  • Righty Matthew Bowman will join Garcia and Hazelbaker on the Cardinals’ Opening Day roster, per Adam Rubin of ESPN.com. The injury to Jordan Walden helped clear a path in the bullpen for Bowman, whom the Cardinals took from the Mets in the Rule 5 draft last December. Bowman has allowed seven earned runs in eight innings this spring while striking out five and walking three.
  • Dodgers third baseman/outfielder Alex Guerrero will start the season on the DL after an MRI showed “minimal damage” in his knee, manager Dave Roberts announced (Twitter link via Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times). The fact that Guerrero is DL-bound gives the Dodgers time to delay a roster decision on a player whose contract precludes them from sending him to the minors without his permission. The Dodgers reportedly tried to trade Guerrero over the winter, but they didn’t find any takers. If dealt sometime this season, Guerrero will have a chance to void the final year of his contract and become a free agent next offseason. The 29-year-old is slated to earn $5MM this season after compiling a dismal -0.2 fWAR in 106 games in 2015. In 21 plate appearances this spring, Guerrero slashed .238/.238/.571.
  • The Pirates’ decision to give Juan Nicasio their last rotation spot over Ryan Vogelsong was an agonizing one for team brass, general manager Neal Huntington said. “It was the most intense conversation we’ve had,” Huntington stated (via Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh-Tribune Review). “There were strong convictions on both sides.” In the end, Nicasio’s dominant Spring Training showing – 15 innings, no runs, 24 strikeouts, five walks – was simply too much for the Pirates to ignore.
  • An MRI revealed Thursday that Brewers southpaw Sean Nolin has a left elbow strain, general manager David Stearns said. Nolin will get a second opinion before a prognosis is announced, tweets Adam McCalvy of MLB.com. If Nolin’s diagnosis proves correct, McCalvy expects the 26-year-old to avoid Tommy John surgery. Nolin was a candidate to serve in the Brewers’ bullpen before they had to shut him down earlier this month with the injury. He’ll begin the season on the DL.

AL & NL East Roster Decisions

By and | at

The Red Sox intend to use Brock Holt as their primary option in left field against left-handed pitching, Ian Browne of MLB.com tweets. That means that high-priced Cuban outfielder Rusney Castillo will be battling with Chris Young for playing time against righties. While both could certainly be in the lineup at the same time, manager John Farrell suggested that he sees both Jackie Bradley Jr. and Mookie Betts as more or less everyday options, as Rob Bradford of WEEI.com reports. That certainly could leave few options for Castillo, who is looking to make good on the big contract he signed as a free agent out of Cuba.

Here’s a look at more notable roster moves to come from the East divisions:

  • It’s “a given” that Juan Lagares and Yoenis Cespedes will both be in the Mets’ lineup against left-handed pitching, ESPNNewYork.com’s tweets. It’s not yet clear whether Michael Conforto or Curtis Granderson will see the lion’s share of time in right field when a southpaw is on the mound, he adds, but the scenario figures to cut into their time. As for Alejandro De Aza, it’s unclear when and how he’ll get action, though a late-spring trade still seems possible.
  • Meanwhile, the Mets appear not to have any cause for concern with righty Matt Harvey, who is dealing with blood clots in his bladder but is expected to open the season on the active roster, according to WFAN’s Ed Coleman (h/t to MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo, via Twitter). Alarm bells were rung after the team announced an undisclosed medical issue for the star hurler, but it seems he’s still in line to take the ball on April 3rd.
  • Erasmo Ramirez will start out in the pen for the Rays, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports (Twitter links). He’ll presumably move back into the rotation when the need for a fifth starter arises, but Tampa Bay is set to use four starters for most of the first five weeks of the year.

Matt Harvey Questionable For Opening Day With Undisclosed Medical Issue

By | at

Matt Harvey will miss the rest of Spring Training and his status for his Opening Day start is up in the air due to what Mets GM Sandy Alderson described as “a non-baseball medical issue that we have to address.”  Alderson and manager Terry Collins told reporters that (including ESPN New York’s Adam Rubin) Harvey informed the Mets about the problem after some type of symptom developed this morning, and the right-hander will undergo further tests.

A source familiar with Harvey’s condition tells Mike Puma of the New York Post (Twitter links) that the problem “isn’t major” in the sense that it would cause Harvey to miss a lot of time, which is obviously good news on both a personal and professional level for the ace righty.

The Mets were naturally guarded with details out of respect for Harvey’s privacy and possibly due to the fact that his ailment isn’t quite confirmed.  “I think it’s a little early to attach any level of concern.  We need to wait for more medical information before we decide if it’s of concern or grave concern or no concern,” Alderson said.

Collins and Alderson both stressed that the ailment was non-orthopedic in nature, so not related to Harvey’s shoulder or elbow.  Obviously, this was the first thought of many in regards to a Harvey-related injury given how he already missed all of 2014 recovering from Tommy John surgery.  Harvey returned from that procedure in fine form, posting a 2.71 ERA, 8.9 K/9 and 5.08 K/BB rate over 189 1/3 innings in the regular season and then a 3.04 ERA over 26 2/3 innings in the postseason as the Mets advanced to the World Series.

Mets Seeking Backup Catcher

By | at

MARCH 27th: The Mets are leaning towards having Plawecki open the season as the backup catcher on the big league roster, Rubin writes.  However, they have told scouts to keep their eyes peeled for an available backup catcher.  Rubin adds that the Mets are not all that interested in out-of-options Tigers catcher Bryan Holaday.

MARCH 13th: The Mets are telling teams that they are looking to land a backup catcher, a source tells Adam Rubin of ESPN.com. As it stands, the Mets have Kevin Plawecki slotted in as the backup for starter Travis d’Arnaud.

If Plawecki were to remain on the big league roster, he wouldn’t see a whole lot of playing time with d’Arnaud serving as the team’s primary backstop.  Team officials are mulling the idea of putting the 25-year-old in Triple-A to get some at-bats and, if they go that route, they feel it is necessary to go out-of-house to get a new understudy for d’Arnaud.  The source tells Rubin that the team is not happy with its other internal catching options, including Johnny Monell.

Over the weekend, Mets manager Terry Collins was asked where Plawecki could open the season and he indicated that things are fluid:

“We haven’t had that discussion as to where he’s going to fit the best, or what we think is the best for everyone involved. That has not taken place. What we’ve got to do is take what we think are the best 25 and get out of the gate and go from there. If the conversation goes to, ’Hey, look, we need to have this guy ready to be an everyday guy,’ he may have to go play [in Las Vegas]. If we think we’re better off being able to get him two to three games a week at times [backing up d’Arnaud], then he’s got a good chance of making the club.”

Plawecki, a first-round pick in the 2012 draft, saw 258 plate appearances for the Mets last season and slashed just .219/.280/.296 with three homers.  In parts of two seasons at Triple-A, the catcher hit .262/.318/.392.

Show all

MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

hide arrows scroll to top