Quick Hits: Yanks, Bucs, BoSox, Rangers, Mets
If first baseman Mark Teixeira and designated hitter Alex Rodriguez don’t turn around their seasons by the July All-Star break, the Yankees should buy the pair out, opines Joel Sherman of the New York Post. While the Yankees still owe them around $45.4MM combined, Sherman notes that the Rockies and Dodgers have taken similar financial hits with the recent buyouts of Jose Reyes and Carl Crawford. The 37-36 Yankees wouldn’t exactly be loaded with capable first basemen without Teixeira, though, as their depth chart shows. Jettisoning A-Rod, who’s signed through 2017, would enable the Yankees to put 39-year-old Carlos Beltran at DH and go with some combination of Aaron Hicks, Rob Refsnyder and prospect Aaron Judge in right field, Sherman contends. It seems doubtful that the Yankees would get rid of either, but the team clearly needs more production from the veteran duo. Teixeira, a pending free agent, is batting a horrendous .176/.271/.259 with three homers in 192 plate appearances – a far cry from the .255/.357/.548 line and 31 HRs he slugged in 462 PAs last year. Notably, Rodriguez is five homers shy of 700, which is another reason the Yankees look unlikely to move on from him. The 40-year-old is slashing a weak .222/.264/.398, however, after posting a .250/.356/.486 line and racking up 33 long balls in 2015.
Here’s more from around the majors:
- Pirates general manager Neal Huntington dismissed the idea of trading five-time All-Star center fielder Andrew McCutchen earlier this week, but it’s something the team should eventually consider, writes Travis Sawchik of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. The Pirates have a top-end outfield prospect in Austin Meadows, who would step in alongside Starling Marte and Gregory Polanco in the event of a McCutchen trade. Long the face of the Pirates’ franchise, the 29-year-old McCutchen is under team control through 2018 on an eminently reasonable contract. Even after a two-homer game Saturday, though, his normally excellent offensive production hasn’t been there this season. Through 316 PAs this year, the former NL MVP has hit .243/.320/423 – good for a league-average 101 wRC+. Right thumb issues have hampered McCutchen, who’s showing far less control over the strike zone than usual, as FanGraphs’ Jeff Sullivan detailed Thursday. For his part, McCutchen said Saturday that he isn’t concerned about trade rumors because they’re out of his control (Twitter link via Rob Biertempfel of the Tribune-Review).
- The Rangers inquired about Red Sox knuckleballer Steven Wright during the offseason, Texas president and GM Jon Daniels told Rob Bradford of WEEI on Saturday. “We asked about him this winter and they did not want to move him,” said Daniels. Wright was out of options and coming off a season in which he threw 72 2/3 innings and recorded a 4.09 ERA, 6.44 K/9, 3.34 BB/9 and 43.2 percent ground-ball rate. Nearly all of those numbers have improved this season, especially the 31-year-old’s ERA – which stands at a sparkling 2.18 through 103 frames. Daniels told Bradford that the Rangers “would have tried harder” to land Wright had they known he would be this successful in 2016.
- Mets outfielder Alejandro De Aza has batted an ugly .169/.221/.247 with 29 strikeouts and five walks through 96 trips to the plate, but designating him for assignment isn’t under consideration as of now, a source told Marc Carig of Newsday (Twitter link). De Aza, whom the Mets signed to a $5.75MM deal in the offseason, will be a free agent at year’s end.
East Notes: Phillies, BoSox, Yanks, Mets
Phillies right-hander Vincent Velasquez and his agent, Scott Boras, have talked about an innings limit for this season, the 24-year-old told Todd Zolecki of MLB.com. “The agents and I discussed it a little bit, but I don’t know the definite answer, an exact amount of innings. I don’t know, I’d want to say roughly like maybe 150 or something, maybe 160 tops,” said Velasquez, who has been on the disabled list since June 9 with a strained right biceps. “I would say, philosophically, we’re probably in the same ballpark,” stated team president Andy MacPhail. Velasquez has never racked up more than 124 2/3 innings in a season, as Zolecki notes, and was up to 61 2/3 frames this year before landing on the DL. The hard-throwing Velasquez recorded a 3.65 ERA, 10.65 K/9 and 3.21 BB/9 over that 12-start span, further establishing himself as one of baseball’s most exciting young starters, so it’s no surprise that both Boras and the rebuilding Phillies want to protect the ex-Astro.
Here’s more from MLB’s two East divisions:
- With Red Sox catcher Ryan Hanigan nearing a return from a neck strain and the out-of-options Sandy Leon swinging a red-hot bat, 25-year-old backstop Christian Vazquez‘s playing time and-or roster spot could soon be in jeopardy, per Scott Lauber of ESPN.com. Vazquez has graded well as a pitch framer this year and has caught a solid 7 of 18 would-be base stealers, but he has offset his terrific defense with an anemic .215/.255/.302 batting line and one home run in 157 plate appearances. That adds up to a 41 wRC+, the third-worst mark among catchers with at least 150 PAs.
- Yankees right-hander Michael Pineda has rebounded from a nightmarish two-month start to put up sterling numbers in June, with a 3.00 ERA, 37 strikeouts and five walks in 30 innings, and could be pitching his way into the team’s long-term plans, opines Brendan Kuty of NJ.com. That’s not a decision the Yankees will have to make immediately, though, as Pineda isn’t scheduled to become a free agent until the end of the 2017 season. Since recovering from a torn labrum and debuting with the Yankees in 2014, the former Mariner has amassed 320 1/3 innings of 4.08 ERA ball to accompany an excellent 6.45 K/BB ratio and a respectable 45 percent ground-ball rate. Similar production going forward should lead to an appreciable raise for the 27-year-old, who’s making $4.3MM this season.
- “Mental confusion” is what caused the Mets to demote left fielder Michael Conforto to Triple-A Las Vegas on Saturday, manager Terry Collins told reporters, including Adam Rubin of ESPN.com (video link). “I just want him to go get some confidence and get back here,” continued Collins. After hitting a videogamelike .365/.442/.676 in 86 April PAs, Conforto, 23, has since collected just 21 hits (six fewer than his April total) in 157 trips to the plate.
Mets Sign Jose Reyes To Minor League Deal
The Mets have announced that they’ve officially re-signed infielder Jose Reyes to a minor league deal. Reyes is represented by the Legacy Agency.
The move was widely expected, with various reporters writing Friday evening and Saturday morning that the Mets were set to acquire Reyes. Earlier this week, the Rockies requested release waivers on Reyes after designating him for assignment, and he officially cleared those waivers at noon Central time today. Reyes had been placed on administrative leave and then suspended after an offseason domestic violence incident, and he has not yet played in the big leagues this season.
Andy Martino of the Daily News tweets that Reyes is expected to play in the minors for a week or two before being promoted. Reyes will report to short-season Brooklyn on Sunday. He is in the midst of a long-term deal he initially signed with the Marlins, but the Mets will have to pay him only a prorated portion of the league minimum (a bit over $250K for the rest of the season), with the Rockies assuming the bulk of what’s left of his deal.
It’s unclear how the Mets plan to use Reyes. Asdrubal Cabrera has performed reasonably well at Reyes’ usual position of shortstop for the Mets this season, and Reyes has not graded well there defensively in recent years. Third base could be a possibility, or the Mets could play Reyes at second, with Neil Walker heading to the hot corner. Either scenario would bump Wilmer Flores from the lineup, at least occasionally. The team could also simply use Reyes to spot various regulars. MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo tweeted yesterday that the team has even considered using Reyes as an outfielder. Via Newsday’s Marc Carig (on Twitter), Mets GM Sandy Alderson says that the team has talked with Reyes about him playing a number of positions.
It’s far from clear, at least from the numbers, that Reyes would be an upgrade as a starter for the Mets, since he batted just .274/.310/.378 last year despite spending part of the season with Coors Field as his home park. Reyes’ advancing age (he’s now 33) and apparently declining skills raise questions about why the Mets are interested in him, particularly given the domestic violence incident, in which he allegedly grabbed his wife’s throat and pushed her into a door. The Mets also have a young second baseman in Dilson Herrera who is batting .290/.337/.496 for Triple-A and would appear to fit in well if the Mets do decide to move Walker to third. Despite significant injuries to infielders David Wright (neck) and Lucas Duda (back), the Mets could certainly have found a path forward without Reyes.
As James Wagner of the New York Times explains, though, the Mets see Reyes as family after he spent 12 years in their organization. Despite the domestic violence issue, then, they appear to see him as being worth a second chance.
“We made the decision to offer a contract to Jose after extensive consideration and discussion with Jose, his representatives, Major League Baseball and various departments at the Mets,” said Mets GM Sandy Alderson in a team statement. “We are convinced that Jose has accepted responsibility for his actions and their consequences and have confirmed he is taking steps beyond those prescribed by MLB, including ongoing counseling.”
Reyes himself expressed remorse for his off-field behavior.
“As I have expressed in the past, I deeply regret the incident that occurred,” he said. “I have completed the counseling required by MLB, have been in ongoing therapy, and will continue with counseling going forward.”
Purely from the standpoint of his on-field performance, Reyes might have something left — he produced at least 2.2 fWAR in every season from 2010 through 2014, frequently ranking among his league’s leaders in stolen bases and generally producing good on-base percentages. The Mets currently rank 24th in the Majors with a .308 OBP, and a revitalized Reyes certainly would help with that figure.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Mets To Promote Brandon Nimmo, Will Option Michael Conforto
The Mets will promote outfield prospect Brandon Nimmo, Jeremiah Johnke of the Wyoming Tribune Eagle (Nimmo’s hometown paper) tweets. He will take the roster spot of Michael Conforto, who will be optioned to Triple-A Las Vegas, as MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo tweets.
[Related: Updated Mets Depth Chart]
Nimmo, the 13th overall pick in the 2011 draft, has moved slowly through the minor leagues, but he’s done well in his second season at Las Vegas this year, batting .328/.409/.508 — solid numbers even in a very good environment for hitters. MLB.com currently ranks Nimmo the Mets’ fourth-best prospect, praising his batting eye (he has 290 career minor league walks against 454 strikeouts) but noting that it remains to be seen whether the power he’s demonstrated in batting practice will begin to turn up in games. (He has just five homers this season, although he does have 16 doubles and seven triples.) Nimmo might require a move to a corner spot eventually, but for now he’s a center fielder, having played 48 games there so far in 2016. It’s unclear how the Mets will use him, although their current primary center fielder, Yoenis Cespedes, hasn’t rated well at that position this season and has more career games in left.
Conforto’s demotion, meanwhile, must come as a disappointment for both player and team. He burst onto the scene last year as a rookie and actually hasn’t hit terribly this season overall, with his 24 extra-base hits mostly compensating for his poor .222 average. He has struggled horribly of late, however, with just a .399 OPS in the last 28 days, and could perhaps use a stay in Las Vegas to fix what isn’t working. Conforto skipped Triple-A completely on his way to the big leagues last year, so he’ll get his first experience at the level in the coming weeks.
Mets Expected To Sign Jose Reyes
SATURDAY: The Mets will sign Reyes once he officially becomes a free agent at noon Central time, as various reporters, including ESPN’s Adam Rubin, have noted.
FRIDAY 10:18pm: New York expects to sign Reyes as soon as tomorrow, sources tell MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo.
4:08pm: Jose Reyes isn’t yet a free agent, but he’ll formally clear release waivers tomorrow afternoon, and according to David Lennon and Marc Carig of Newsday, all signs point to a reunion with the Mets once his release from the Rockies becomes official. According to the Newsday duo, the Mets haven’t made a final decision, but a deal could come together this weekend. Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports hears similar chatter, writing that a reunion between the two sides is “very likely” to come to fruition.
Indeed, manager Terry Collins certainly spoke about Reyes today as if the signing is quite likely, as SNY’s Kerith Burke notes on Twitter. The skipper said that he has not only chatted with the coaching staff about how Reyes could be used, but that those discusses have included the idea of deploying him as an outfielder. (Twitter links via MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo.) As Newsday noted earlier this week, a move to third base would seem to make the most sense, though New York has also discussed sliding Neil Walker over there and playing Reyes at second base.
The idea has evidently picked up steam in the past week after initially being floated in the media while Reyes was in DFA limbo. The team is said to be intrigued by his speed and history of on-base skills — two traits the roster currently lacks. Reyes currently resides in Long Island and would love to return to the team with which he began his career, per Lennon and Carig.
The Mets have seen their infield depth compromised this season due to neck surgery for David Wright and a stress fracture in Lucas Duda‘s back. The team cut bait with one infield option in Spring Training when it released Ruben Tejada, as well, and the current depth chart is much different than New York probably expected coming into the year. Reyes would make reasonable sense as a depth option at either second base or third base — there’s been no mention of shortstop, and defensive metrics/scouts alike have questioned his ability to play shortstop for some time now — and he’ll of course come cheaply. After his release is official, the Mets would be on the hook for the pro-rated portion of the league minimum through season’s end — a total of $277,322. (That money would be subtracted from what the Rockies owe Reyes.)
East Notes: Red Sox Outfield, Phillies, Syndergaard, Teheran
Red Sox outfielder Chris Young hit the DL with a hamstring injury, as Chris Mason of the Boston Herald writes. He joins Brock Holt and Blake Swihart as unavailable left field options for Boston, which already had ample justification to pursue an upgrade at the position. There’s some optimism for both of those players, at least, as Holt has begun a rehab assignment and Swihart is out of his walking boot.
Here’s more from the eastern divisions:
- The Red Sox are stretched thin in left even as Rusney Castillo looks less and less like a viable major leaguer. Rob Bradford of WEEI.com takes an interesting look at the process that led the team to sign him to a contract that now seems like an expensive miss.
- Phillies GM Matt Klentak says that the “feeling out process” has begun for summer trade activity, as Corey Seidman of CSNPhilly.com reports. Still, he suggests that it’s largely been quiet for Philly thus far. Klentak also discussed the progress of top prospect J.P. Crawford, explaining that some early struggles at Triple-A are just part of the maturation process and noting that he has continued to exhibit a mastery of the strike zone.
- The Mets appear to believe that Noah Syndergaard‘s valuable right elbow isn’t at risk despite a recent scare, as MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo reports. An MRI showed only inflammation, and manager Terry Collins noted that Syndergaard has dealth with minor flare-ups at times in the past without any real structural issue arising. He’s set to make his next scheduled start.
- Over at Fangraphs, Eno Sarris explores an important question for the Braves as well as potential suitors for righty Julio Teheran: just how good is he? He suggests that Teheran may be able to continue to outperform ERA estimators somewhat, though perhaps some movement toward those marks is to be expected. In the end, Sarris calls him “a good pitcher on a great contract,” which seems like a fair appraisal.
Minor MLB Transactions: 6/23/16
Here are the day’s minor moves:
- The Rays have acquired outfielder Eury Perez from the Astros, per an announcement from Tampa Bay’s Triple-A affiliate. Cash considerations will go back to Houston in the deal. Perez, 26, received a career-high 133 plate appearances last year with the Braves, slashing .269/.331/.303 and swiping three bags. The speedy center fielder does bring value with the glove and on the bases, though, so he is at least a useful depth piece. Tampa Bay has dealt with a variety of injuries at the major league level, and was obviously looking to fill out its roster at Durham and ensure that it has options on hand. Perez owns a .267/.298/.385 batting line with nine steals in his 146 plate appearances at Triple-A this year.
- Southpaw Darin Gorski has joined the Mets on a minor league deal, per an announcement from his independent league club, the Somerset Patriots. (Hat tip to Mike Ashmore of mycentraljersey.com.) The 28-year-old will head to Triple-A Las Vegas, which is where he spent last season. He moved to the indy ranks after putting up 137 innings of 5.52 ERA pitching there in 2015, with 7.1 K/9 against 4.5 BB/9. Those peripherals look about the same over his 60 1/3 frames for Somerset this year, though Gorski has tamped down the earned runs to under four per nine. New York originally selected him in the seventh round of the 2009 draft; this will mark his eighth season with the organization.
NL Notes: Syndergaard, Cespedes, Dodgers, Myers, Gray, Cards
The Mets and their fans had a scare earlier today when both Noah Syndergaard and Yoenis Cespedes departed from a game early, but the team gave fairly positive updates on that pair and on Zack Wheeler tonight (links to Twitter via David Lennon of Newsday). There’s no structural damage in Syndergaard’s elbow. He’s free to resume his normal routine and will begin taking some anti-inflammatory medication to help with the discomfort he’s experienced twice this season. Cespedes received a cortisone shot for a sprained left wrist but is day to day and isn’t headed to the disabled list at this time. Wheeler, too, received a cortisone shot for a nerve issue in his elbow but has no structural damage.
As Mets fans breathe a sigh of relief, here are a few other notes from around the Senior Circuit…
- Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports points out that the Dodgers spent more on international amateurs (players that fall within international signing guidelines) than six organizations spent on their Major League payroll to open the season. Los Angeles spent about $96MM this period ($48MM on players plus about $48MM in luxury taxes), and that figure doesn’t even factor in the six-year, $30MM deal signed by right-hander Yaisel Sierra. Rosenthal spoke to commissioner Rob Manfred about the Dodgers’ spending, and Manfred said that there will be a strong focus on changes to the international system in the upcoming wave of CBA negotiations. “…when you see that kind of disparity in any part of the system, it generally suggests to us that the system is not functioning in a way that promotes competitive balance,” said the commissioner. “Rest assured, we’re going to be making proposals to address that.”
- The Padres remain “active” in trade talks, per Jon Morosi of MLB.com (via Twitter), but one name that hasn’t seen much chatter is Wil Myers. It seems that San Diego is not terribly interested in discussing the outfielder/first baseman. The 25-year-old will hit arbitration eligibility after the season, and will be in line for a nice payday if he can keep hitting at anything like his current .290/.336/.529 pace. Myers has already knocked a career-high 16 long balls in 301 plate appearances, and finally seems to be coming into his own after inconsistency and injury issues in recent years. San Diego paid a high price to get Myers before the 2015 season, with talented young players Joe Ross and Trea Turner moving to D.C. in a notable three-team swap, and it appears for now as if the club would like to see its investment pay off on the field rather than cashing him in for prospects.
- The Rockies pulled Jon Gray from today’s start with what the team is terming “arm fatigue,” and he’ll be reevaluated tomorrow, writes Nick Groke of the Denver Post. Gray threw just 40 of his 80 pitches for strikes and admitted that he’s felt some fatigue in his arm for his past couple of outings, but “it’s just now getting to a serious point.” Manager Walt Weiss said that Gray’s arm felt “heavy” today, and the right-hander himself said he had more trouble with his control than he ever has. “I’ve never had great control, but this, I didn’t know where this was going,” he said. “I wanted to leave it all out there and grind through it, but it wasn’t working.”
- Brayan Pena is nearing the end of his 20-day rehab window with the Cardinals, writes Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, which could mean that the team will part ways with veteran backup Eric Fryer. The 30-year-old Fryer has been great in a very limited role with St. Louis, hitting .406/.457/.469 in just 35 plate appearances (despite appearing in 22 games). However, Pena is on a two-year contract signed with the Cardinals last offseason, so even though he’s struggled through 11 rehab games as he recovers from knee surgery, he figures to be in the team’s plans.
NL East Notes: Reyes, Mets, Ramos, Marlins
The Mets are beginning to “warm up” to the idea of a reunion with Jose Reyes, according to Newsday’s David Lennon. While Lennon cautions that those familiar with the team’s thinking won’t characterize it as any sort of sure thing, the team has begun to discuss the idea more seriously over the past several days, per Lennon. While Reyes has privately voiced a willingness to play third base if it means returning to Queens, Lennon hears that the Mets have also considered sliding Neil Walker to the hot corner when discussing various scenarios, which could open second base for Reyes. The Mets won’t be able to make anything happen on the Reyes front until this weekend, as he still needs to be placed on release waivers and clear (a 48-hour process) before he’s eligible to sign else where.
Here’s more from the National League East:
- While Reyes is one infield option for the Mets, Fangraphs’ Dave Cameron opines that a trade for Danny Valencia is the perfect fit for New York. In perusing the teams that are likely to emerge as sellers this summer, Cameron notes that there’s a lack of impact bats available that can handle third base. Valencia is the exception, he writes, noting that the former platoon weapon has emerged as a legitimate threat to right-handed pitching over the past season-plus. Indeed, Valencia is hitting .304/.355/.528 across his past 155 contests, and his $3.2MM salary is eminently affordable. Cameron’s assessment is sound, and I’ll add to his argument that the remainder of Valencia’s relatively modest salary is less than the roughly $5.5MM the Mets stand to recoup from the insurance policy on Wright’s contract. Valencia is controllable through 2017 as well, and as Cameron points out, he’d serve as a safety net at third base in the event that Wright is again unable to take the field for the majority of the 2017 campaign.
- Catcher Wilson Ramos has been a force for the Nationals this year, and Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post explores what his breakout means for the organization. “It hasn’t changed a lot for me,” said GM Mike Rizzo. “Since we traded for him, we’ve always seen the upside. We knew he was as good an offensive catcher as there is in the game.” The Nats certainly do not appear to have an everyday option waiting in the wings at the position, so it’s not hard to see the rationale for bringing back the pending free agent. Rizzo suggested that an extension could make sense, even at this point of the season, though he declined to spill any details. “I don’t think it’s ever too late or too early to think about [an extension],” he said. “We’ve got a plan in place for all the guys we have. He’s a guy we see as a long-term asset for us. Those are conversations we keep internal.”
- Earlier this week FOX’s Jon Morosi reported that the Marlins have interest in Rays righty Jake Odorizzi, and Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald hears the same. However, Jackson also notes that the Marlins are aware that their farm system isn’t teeming with the types of players that it would take to net a controllable arm such as Odorizzi. Prior to the season, Baseball America and ESPN’s Keith Law both rated the Marlins’ farm system 29th among all 30 teams, with only the Angels trailing them. That, paired with the team’s perennially low payroll, makes the Marlins’ search for rotation help a bit more difficult than it might be for most clubs. Jackson also adds that the Marlins figure to skip one more Jose Fernandez start later this season in an effort to conserve some of his innings for a potential postseason berth.
Injury Notes: Syndergaard, Cespedes, Holland, Montero, Cole
The Mets were hit with a pair of troubling injuries today, as Noah Syndergaard exited the game after six innings because his right elbow “flared up” (via MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo) and Yoenis Cespedes exited with a wrist injury (per ESPN New York’s Adam Rubin). Both players are being evaluated by doctors this afternoon, and the extent of their respective injuries remains unclear for the time being. However, manager Terry Collins conceded to Rubin that the Cespedes issue “is a concern,” as Cespedes dealt with a similar issue in 2015. And, as DiComo points out, Syndergaard has already experienced elbow discomfort once this season, although he didn’t miss a start. Certainly, the loss of either player for even a couple of weeks would be a notable blow to the Mets, who currently trail the Nationals by four games in the NL East.
As we await further word on the Mets, here are some more notable injury storylines from around the game…
- The Rangers announced today that Derek Holland has been placed on the 15-day disabled list due to inflammation in his left shoulder. Texas didn’t include any sort of timeline, though the press release announcing the move did reference the fact that he’s eligible for activation on June 6. Holland has struggled quite a bit of late, and his 5.20 ERA is especially troubling due to the fact that his K/9 rate (5.3), BB/9 rate (3.1), ground-ball rate (36.2 percent) and average fastball velocity (91.8 mph) have all trended in the wrong direction this season. Knee and shoulder injuries have plagued Holland over the past two seasons; this year’s 72 2/3 innings are already the most he’s thrown in a big league season since 2013. The Rangers brought up right-hander Luke Jackson to take his place on the active roster.
- UPDATED: Manager Joe Maddon said following today’s game that Cubs catcher Miguel Montero checked out OK after being forced to exit the contest with a knee injury (via ESPN Chicago’s Jesse Rogers, on Twitter). Montero initially sustained a right knee injury after Brandon Moss slid into home on a play at the plate following a chopper to third base. (That’s not to say Moss’ slide was dirty, as he slid into the lane left open by Montero, as can be seen in the MLB.com video of the play.) Montero was able to walk to the mound and back to home plate under his own power, though he was visibly limping and wincing. Willson Contreras, who was recently promoted from Triple-A Iowa, entered the game in Montero’s place and hit a two-run homer in place of Montero. An injury to Montero would’ve likely opened the door for more playing time for the top prospect, but Contreras will continue to be worked in alongside Montero and veteran David Ross.
- MLB.com’s Adam Berry tweets that Gerrit Cole will not be rejoining the Pirates on the first day that he’s eligible to be activated from the DL. Cole has been playing catch but has yet to throw off a mound as he works his way back from a strained triceps muscle. Cole’s DL stint was backdated to June 11.