Omar Narváez Out 8-9 Weeks With Calf Strain
April 7: As expected, the Mets have announced that Narváez has been placed on the IL with Álvarez recalled to take his place.
April 6: The Mets announced that catcher Omar Narváez has been diagnosed with a “medium to high-grade” strain of his left calf and will be placed on the injured list. They listed the typical return to play timeline for the injury as 8-9 weeks. It had been reported earlier that catching prospect Francisco Álvarez was joining the team in case Narváez needed to go on the IL, so that now seems likely to follow. No official announcement on Álvarez has been made yet and might not come until tomorrow, since today’s home opener was postponed to tomorrow by inclement weather.
Narváez, 31, had a reputation as a bat-first catcher earlier in his career but that changed in Milwaukee. After a few seasons with the White Sox and Mariners, he had a mark of -41 Defensive Runs Saved at the end of the 2019 campaign. He joined the Brewers going into 2020 and has been much better since, actually posting a +7 DRS from 2020 to 2022. That focus on glovework coincided with a decline at the plate, as he hit .233/.318/.350 for an 85 wRC+ with the Brewers after slashing .276/.361/.411 for a 113 wRC+ previously.
The Mets decided they needed to make a change behind the plate for 2023. Their four-year deal with James McCann had gone quite poorly in the first two seasons and they decided to shake things up. They signed Narváez to a two-year, $15MM and flipped McCann to the Orioles, eating most of the money to facilitate the deal. The plan was for Narváez and Tomás Nido to handle the catching duties at the big league level with Álvarez continuing his development in the minors.
This injury deals a significant blow to that plan, as Narváez will now be out of action for a couple of months. Given the estimated timeline, he should be able to return in June. But in the meantime, the Mets will be paying a lot of money to two catchers not on the roster. Narváez is making $8MM this year while the club is still on the hook for $19MM of the $24MM owed to McCann for this year and next. That doesn’t even include the taxes the club will pay by shooting past the top tier of the Competitive Balance Tax.
Leaving the financials aside, it’s entirely possible that the on-field impact to the club is minimal in the short-term. Álvarez is generally considered one of the top prospects in the league and already made his major league debut last year. Prospect evaluators generally consider his bat to be ready for the majors already, which isn’t surprising given his results in the minors last year. Splitting his time between Double-A and Triple-A, he hit 27 home runs in 112 games and drew walks at a healthy 14.1% rate. His .260/.374/.511 combined batting line led to a 136 wRC+ and a five-game cameo in the big leagues.
The Mets optioned him to the minors to start the season, relying on Nido and Narváez to handle the catching duties in the bigs. Despite his clear abilities at the plate, Álvarez is considered a work in progress defensively and is just 21 years old. Though the Mets might have wanted him to get more time in the minors, it seems the next stage of his development will be taking place at the major league level.
How the club divvies up the playing time remains to be seen, but it might help that Nido is considered more of a defensive specialist. He’s hit just .217/.254/.319 in his career for a wRC+ of 60 but has a +18 DRS. It’s possible that he gets more of the work behind the plate while Álvarez spends some time as the designated hitter. The DH slot has been a rotating platoon so far, with Daniel Vogelbach the left-handed hitting option while Tommy Pham and Mark Canha hit from the right side. Álvarez is a righty and could perhaps jump into that mix with Canha and Pham. Given his position as the perceived catcher of the future, his long-term development will still be important, but he might be able to help the club in the short term with his obvious offensive abilities.
On the personal side of things, today’s news could potentially have implications for both Narváez and Álvarez. The former has the ability to opt out of his contract at the end of this year, walking away from the $7MM he’d otherwise be owed in 2024. His decision could be swayed by his recuperation and how he fares once he’s healthy. For Álvarez, he came into the season with just six days of MLB service time, meaning that just a few weeks in the minors would have prevented him from getting to the one-year mark here in 2023. Now that he seems slated for a quick recall, that could now change. The season in 187 days long but a player only needs to spend 172 days in the big leagues or on the IL in order to bank a full year, which is now a possibility for Álvarez if he can retain his roster spot the rest of the way. That means that arbitration after 2025 and free agency after 2028 are still on the table for him, though future optional assignments could push those timelines by a year.
Mets Claim Edwin Uceta From Pirates
The Mets announced that they have claimed right-hander Edwin Uceta off waivers from the Pirates and optioned him to Triple-A. Uceta had been designated for assignment by Pittsburgh earlier this week. In order to open a roster spot for him, the Mets transferred righty Sam Coonrod to the 60-day injured list.
Uceta, 25, has been extremely popular on the waiver wire. He spent the early parts of his career with the Dodgers but was claimed off waivers by the Diamondbacks in October of 2021. He spent one season with the Snakes, though they put him on waivers in January of this year. Over the past few months, he’s been claimed by the Tigers, the Pirates and now the Mets, making for four claims in the past year and a half and three in just the past few months.
Amid all of that, he’s been able to make 24 major league appearances, 14 with the Dodgers in 2021 and 10 more with the D’Backs last year. He has a 6.27 ERA in that time, striking out 23% of opponents, walking 11.5% and getting grounders at a 37.1% clip.
What’s surely enticing to clubs is that Uceta has shown huge strikeout stuff in the minors, posting a 29.5% strikeout rate in Triple-A in 2021 and then 32.7% at that level last year. He’s also paired that with high walk rates and ERAs just under 5.00 in both instances, but there’s enough to dream on there that clubs keep giving him a shot. He still has an option year so the Mets can keep him in the minors and see if Uceta can better harness his stuff.
The club’s bullpen depth has taken a few hits already in the early parts of the season. Edwin Díaz required knee surgery that is likely to be season-ending, while Bryce Montes de Oca required Tommy John surgery. Tommy Hunter, Stephen Ridings and Coonrod are also on the IL with various ailments. By grabbing Uceta off waivers, the Mets have added a bit of optionable depth to their roster.
As for Coonrod, this transfer doesn’t come as a shock since he was recently diagnosed with a high-grade lat strain and wasn’t likely to be available in the near future. This move makes him ineligible to return until late May at the earliest.
NL Notes: Alvarez, Chisholm, Sánchez
Mets catching prospect Francisco Álvarez is joining the club in case fellow backstop Omar Narváez has to go on the injured list, per a report from Mike Puma and Ted Holmlund of The New York Post. The latter was removed from yesterday’s game with calf tightness and replaced by Tomás Nido. The Mets will have an extra day to let Narváez rest and assess the situation since their home opener was postponed until tomorrow due to inclement weather, though Andy Martino of SNY adds that the club is not optimistic about Narváez avoiding the IL.
Álvarez, 21, is one of the top prospects in the sport and is generally considered to be ready for the majors when it comes to his offense. He hit 27 home runs in the minors last year and also walked in 14.1% of his plate appearances, leading to a .260/.374/.511 and 136 wRC+. He also got promoted to the big leagues late in the year, getting into five regular season games and one postseason contest. He’s currently ranked among the top 10 prospects in the league by Baseball America and MLB Pipeline, and just outside the top 10 at FanGraphs.
However, he’s still quite young and his glove is considered to be a bit behind his bat. He also struggled a bit in spring on the heels of October ankle surgery. All those factors led the club to option him to Triple-A to start the season, relying on the more established players in Narváez and Nido. If the tightness in Narváez’s calf doesn’t clear up and he needs a spell on the injured list, Álvarez might get another crack at the big leagues sooner than expected.
Some more notes from the National League…
- The Marlins got a bit of a scare yesterday when outfielder Jazz Chisholm Jr. departed their game against the Twins with an apparent injury. While sliding into second base on an attempted steal, his shoulder collided with the leg of Kyle Farmer. Chisholm was in obvious pain and left the contest after a visit from the trainer. The club later announced Chisholm’s injury as a stinger and listed him as day-to-day, per Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. A “stinger” is a burning or stinging sensation of the nerves in the neck and shoulder area. Though the initial situation may have caused some hearts to skip a few beats, it seems he’s avoided a significant injury, which is great news for the club. Chisholm had a huge breakout last year, hitting .254/.325/.535 for a wRC+ of 139, though he was limited to 60 games by a stress fracture in his back. He’s now attempting to make the challenging transition from second base to center field this year, an experiment that might be put on hold for a few days. Bryan De La Cruz replaced Chisholm in center yesterday and could get more time there, though Jesús Sánchez and Garrett Hampson could also be options.
- The Giants recently brought Gary Sánchez aboard on a minor league deal to bolster their catching depth and president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi spoke to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle about the move this week. “We’re excited to see how he does,” Zaidi said. “At his best, he’s been one of the handful of best offensive catchers in baseball. If he can show signs of that kind of feeling, I think he can really be an impactful addition.” Sánchez hit .284/.354/.568 in 2016 and 2017 for a wRC+ of 143 but has fallen off from those heights in subsequent years. Since the signing, Joey Bart went on the injured list due to back tightness but isn’t expected to be gone long. In the meantime, Roberto Pérez and Blake Sabol are handling the catching duties, though Sabol is also playing some outfield and Zaidi admits that Pérez is “not an everyday player at this stage of his career, and we have to make sure that whoever we have complementing him can carry a pretty big workload as well.” The club will have to make a decision on Sánchez fairly soon, as he has a May 1 opt-out on his contract, which would come with a $4MM salary if added to the big league club. “We have a few weeks before we have to make a decision. It’s all about: Does he have the chance to bring it all together?” Zaidi said. “And if he does, it’d be pretty good.”
Latest On Justin Verlander
The Mets provided an update on Justin Verlander this afternoon. Their newly signed ace has been on the 15-day injured list after being diagnosed with a low-grade strain of the teres major muscle in his shoulder at the end of Spring Training.
New York sent Verlander for an MRI this morning, raising some amount of concern amongst the fanbase. Fortunately, imaging revealed diminished inflammation, according to the club. He remains without a firm timetable for a return to MLB action but is going to continue a throwing program.
It’s a solid update, all things considered. While there’s still some issue with Verlander’s shoulder and no specific return date, that imaging didn’t turn up any serious structural issues is a positive. The Mets are already going to be without José Quintana for a few months. That pushed David Peterson into the starting staff and Verlander’s injury led to Tylor Megill claiming a back-end job. Joey Lucchesi and José Butto are at Triple-A Syracuse as the presumed next options if any of the current five suffer an injury.
In other New York news, catcher Omar Narváez left this afternoon’s loss to Milwaukee in the ninth inning. After the game, manager Buck Showalter told reporters (including Tim Britton of the Athletic) Narváez had some discomfort in his left calf. He’s day-to-day for now and will presumably be further evaluated over the next few days.
Tomás Nido is the other backstop on the active roster. Top prospect Francisco Álvarez opened the year on optional assignment to Syracuse, with the Mets preferring to get him consistent reps in the minors as opposed to more sporadic MLB playing time. If Narváez requires an IL stint, Álvarez would be the most straightforward option to replace him on the active roster. The Mets don’t have any other catchers on the 40-man roster; veteran Michael Pérez is a non-roster option in Syracuse.
Mets Place Tommy Hunter On IL, Select Denyi Reyes
The Mets have announced that right-hander Tommy Hunter has been placed on the 15-day injured list with back spasms. To replace Hunter on the active roster, the club has selected the contract of right-hander Denyi Reyes. To make room for Reyes on the 40-man roster, right-hander Bryce Montes de Oca has been transferred to the 60-day injured list. Montes de Oca’s transfer to the 60-day IL comes as little surprise after the right-hander underwent Tommy John surgery last week. He was already expected to miss the entire 2023 season.
Hunter, 36, pitched a pair of scoreless innings for the Mets against the Marlins before getting lit up by the Brewers Monday for five runs in two innings of work. He now heads to the injured list with an 11.25 ERA during the young 2023 campaign in hopes of getting things back on track. 2023 is Hunter’s third season as a member of the Mets, but the journeyman right-hander has pitched for six other organizations in his career. From 2008-2012, Hunter pitcher primarily as a starter for the Rangers and Orioles, posting a 4.77 ERA (92 ERA+) in 469 1/3 innings of work. Baltimore then transitioned him into a regular bullpen role where Hunter began to flourish.
Since the beginning of the 2013 season, Hunter has posted a 3.21 ERA (129 ERA+) in 428 1/3 innings of work, with all but one of those appearances coming out of the bullpen. Hunter also sports a 20.6% strikeout rate against a minuscule 5.4% walk rate in addition to an above average 45.9% groundball rate during that time. Given his long track record of success out of the bullpen, it’s reasonable to think Hunter may be able to contribute to the relief corps in New York once he’s returned to full health.
In the meantime, the 26 year-old Reyes will take Hunter’s spot in the bullpen. Reyes made his big league debut as a member of the Orioles last year, pitching to a 2.35 ERA in 7 2/3 innings of work across three appearances. Reyes sports a career 3.29 ERA with a 21.3% strikeout rate and a 3.7% walk rate in 596 1/3 innings of work in the minors, with ample experience both starting and out of the rotation. He should give the Mets a solid multi-inning option out of the bullpen, a role Hunter had been filling for the Mets prior to his injury.
Big Hype Prospects: Grissom, Liberatore, Soderstrom, Naylor, Silseth
It feels good to breathe again – by which I mean identify players to write about based upon who is tearing up minor league ball. While there hasn’t been much action yet, we have many big-name prospects appearing in Triple-A boxscores. Catchers feature prominently this week.
Five Big Hype Prospects
Vaughn Grissom, 22, 2B/SS, ATL (AAA)
16 PA, 1 HR, 2 SB, .417/.563/1.083
One of the top performers of Opening Weekend, Grissom seeks to embarrass the Braves for choosing Orlando Arcia and Ehire Adrianza over him. This is his first exposure to Triple-A after spending most of 2022 in High-A and the Majors. The extra taste of upper-minors action could be designed to avoid a developmental setback related to facing Major League pitching. Grissom appeared overexposed late last season once scouting reports were refined. There are still questions about his shortstop defense – questions that should be answered during the course of 2023.
Matthew Liberatore, 23, SP, STL (AAA)
5 IP, 12.60 K/9, 3.60 BB/9, 0.00 ERA
Of the prospect pitchers in Triple-A, Liberatore posted the best 2023 debut. He allowed six baserunners in five innings of work with seven strikeouts. Liberatore is a complicated player to scout. His individual pitches rate well, especially a visually filthy curve ball. The issue is his curve doesn’t tunnel with any of his other offerings, making it identifiable out of the hand. Last season, Liberatore worked to a 5.17 ERA in Triple-A with a 5.97 ERA in 34.2 Major League innings.
Tyler Soderstrom, 21, C/1B, OAK (AAA)
10 PA, 1 HR, .556/.600/1.222
A first-round pick from the wonky 2020 draft, Soderstrom surged through the minors last season. His bat is his calling card. He’s particularly adept at producing high exit velocities at an ideal launch angle. Defensively, he leaves much to be desired. While he could conceivably stick at catcher with several more years of hard work, his bat is nearly Major League ready and should play at first base. For that reason, as well as the presence of Shea Langeliers, Soderstrom is widely expected to switch to the cold corner on a more permanent basis this season.
Bo Naylor, 23, C, CLE (AAA)
15 PA, 2 HR, .385/.467/.923
Naylor is coming off a huge rebound season in the minors with an aim toward building upon his reputation as a power-hitting backstop. He has above-average speed for a catcher and could potentially move off the position over the long haul. His defensive capability is viewed as below average at this time. For now, the Guardians have rostered a trio of catchers known mainly for their defense. Like Soderstrom, Naylor’s bat is his carrying trait. He is a discipline-forward slugger whose high rate of contact is offset by an unwillingness to swing at pitches he can’t barrel. The result is a high strikeout rate despite a low swinging strike rate.
Chase Silseth, 23, SP, LAA (AAA)
5 IP, 10.80 K/9, 1.80 BB/9, 0.00
Silseth popped up as a standout in Double-A early last season. The pitching-needy Angels brought him directly to the Majors where he posted a 6.59 ERA (4.24 xFIP) in 28.2 innings. Silseth has a five-pitch repertoire. I’ve received mixed notes on his command. While we know he doesn’t issue many free passes, that could be because his stuff plays in the zone against minor league hitters. His best offering is a splitter. Silseth himself blamed the splitter for his poor performance in the Majors, noting that he needed the pitch to be on to succeed. Splitter consistency is a difficult trait to develop, especially for a starting pitcher. Don’t be surprised if he’s inconsistent as he loses and regains feel for his top weapon.
Three More
Matt Mervis, CHC (25): Mervis is an odd prospect in that he continues to torch the ball, yet scouts doubt his ability to hold a regular role in the Majors. He has a 1.167 OPS through 15 plate appearances. We should see him tested against Major League pitching before the calendar flips to summer.
Brett Baty, NYM (24): Baty’s strong spring continued into Triple-A. He has two home runs, a stolen base, and a 1.257 OPS through 15 plate appearances. Mets fans on social media are eager to see Baty oust Eduardo Escobar who is currently 1-for-16 with seven strikeouts.
Connor Norby, BAL (22): The Orioles’ impending glut of middle infielders includes Norby. The second baseman consistently outperforms his modest scouting grades. Bear in mind, the Orioles’ minor league venues are far friendlier to right-handed batters than Camden Yards. Norby strikes me as an obvious trade candidate later this summer.
Mets Release Darin Ruf
The Mets have released infielder/outfielder Darin Ruf, according to his transactions tracker at MLB.com. He had been designated for assignment a week ago when the club selected Tommy Hunter to the roster.
Ruf, 36, came over to the Mets in a deadline deal last year. Unfortunately, that deal went south fairly quickly, as he hit just .152/.216/.197 in 29 games with the club down the stretch. He stuck on the roster all winter but then his struggles continued into the spring, as he hit just .167/.265/.233 in Grapefruit League action. The club had added Tommy Pham over the winter to help take over Ruf’s role as a right-handed hitting role player and Ruf was cut from the roster prior to Opening Day.
Ruf will now be free to sign with any of the other 29 clubs around the league. Despite his recent struggles, he should garner some interest based on his past work. After a successful three-year stretch in Korea from 2017 to 2019, Ruf returned to North America and hit very well with the Giants. In 2020 and 2021, he hit .272/.381/.519 for a wRC+ of 142. That latter figure was one of the 15 best in the majors in that time period, among hitters with at least 400 plate appearances.
Based on that excellent showing, the Giants signed him to an extension going into 2022. The two-year deal paid him $3MM in each of 2022 and 2023, with a $3.5MM option for 2024 that comes with a $250K buyout. The club struggled last year and flipped Ruf to the Mets in a deal that now looks awful for the latter club. They sent infielder J.D. Davis, left-hander Thomas Szapucki and a couple of prospects to San Francisco, only to see Ruf slump badly for a few months before now getting sent away for nothing.
The Mets have had the past week to try to work out a trade for Ruf or get him claimed on waivers, but a release always seemed the most likely path forward. He’s still owed the $3MM salary for this year and $250K buyout on next year’s option. Any acquiring team would have been responsible for that money, and it’s unsurprising none of them were willing to do so with Ruf’s recent performance. The Mets will remain on the hook for that, allowing any other club to add Ruf for the prorated league minimum for any time spent on their roster, with that amount subtracted from what the Mets pay.
Ruf’s aforementioned strong run in 2020 and 2021 should intrigue some clubs. He also wasn’t bad prior to the trade last year, hitting .216/.328/.373 for a wRC+ of 104. He also might interest teams that are especially concerned about their production against lefties, as that is Ruf’s specialty. He has a career .272/.367/.523 batting line against southpaws for a wRC+ of 143, compared to a .216/.300/.365 line and 86 wRC+ against righties. Even amid last year’s struggles, he still hit .222/.322/.430 with the platoon advantage for a wRC+ of 116.
NL East Notes: Verlander, Wright, Keuchel, Plawecki
Justin Verlander‘s tenure with the Mets got off to an unfortunate start when the veteran righty was placed on the 15-day injured list due to a teres major strain. The injury was described as “low-grade” in the Mets’ initial release, and a source tells SNY TV’s Andy Martino that Verlander’s strain is “very minor.” More will officially be known when Verlander undergoes a follow-up MRI next week, but it does seem like the ace might be able to be activated from the IL when first eligible. That could mean a home start against the Padres on April 11 or 12, or just out of added precaution, the Mets might wait to activate Verlander until April 14 when the team visits Oakland.
More from around the NL East….
- Kyle Wright is slated to throw a start at Triple-A on Wednesday, Braves manager Brian Snitker told The Atlanta Journal-Constiution’s Justin Toscano and other reporters. The team’s initial plan was to give Wright both a minor league outing and an outing in spring camp as he continues to make his preparations for the season, and Wright checked one box with a start in extended Spring Training last Thursday. Due to an offseason cortisone shot in his throwing shoulder, Wright’s normal winter routine was set back, and thus the Braves placed him on the IL to allow him more time to fully ramp up. Assuming no setbacks, Wright is projected to be activated from the IL during Atlanta’s series with the Reds from April 10-12.
- There hasn’t been any public buzz about Dallas Keuchel‘s market since the former AL Cy Young Award winner was released by the Rangers back in September, but the New York Post’s Jon Heyman reports that the Phillies had some interest in signing Keuchel to a minor league deal, though no official offer came. Keuchel has struggled to a 6.35 ERA over 222 2/3 innings with the White Sox, Diamondbacks, and Rangers since the start of the 2021 season, so it would be something of a low-risk flier for the Phillies or any other team to bring Keuchel aboard on a minors contract. While Keuchel might not be the choice, it certainly tracks that Philadelphia would be looking for some rotation depth, since Ranger Suarez, Nick Nelson, Cristopher Sanchez, and Andrew Painter are all battling injuries to begin the season.
- The Nationals and Kevin Plawecki agreed to terms on a minor league deal earlier today, and Mark Zuckerman of MASNsports.com writes that the move was inspired by Israel Pineda‘s IL placement. Pineda suffered a fractured finger and was placed on the 10-day IL, leaving the Nats short some catching depth at Triple-A Rochester. Plawecki now joins Francisco Arcia on the Red Wings’ roster, providing support behind Washington’s big-league catching tandem of starter Keibert Ruiz and backup Riley Adams.
Mets Place Justin Verlander On Injured List
March 31: The Mets have now officially placed Verlander on the IL and recalled Megill, per Tim Healey of Newsday. The move is retroactive to March 28.
March 30: The Mets announced that they will place right-hander Justin Verlander on the 15-day injured list with a “low-grade teres major strain.” According to the team, Verlander “will continue throwing at moderate intensity” and be reevaluated in a week. They’ll provide a further update at that time. Righty Tylor Megill will be recalled from Triple-A and take Verlander’s spot in the rotation for the time being, tweets Anthony DiComo of MLB.com.
The 40-year-old Verlander’s velocity was down in his final outing of spring training, but the team hadn’t hinted at any type of injury until today’s out-of-the-blue announcement. General manager Billy Eppler tells the Mets beat that Verlander first reported discomfort last night and had an MRI this morning (Twitter link via Newsday’s Tim Healey). Verlander himself said he was working through some things that he initially attributed to routine spring discomfort (video link via DiComo). However, when he felt continued discomfort into his final bullpen of spring training and “connected the dots” with his decreased velocity in his most recent spring outing, he decided to get checked out.
Until next week’s follow-up MRI, it’ll be impossible to know just how long Verlander might be sidelined. He’s voiced confidence that it’s minor in nature and said he’d pitch if this occurred during the postseason. That’s encouraging, but even a brief absence is notable.
The Mets are already without one of Verlander’s fellow offseason signees, left-hander Jose Quintana, who will miss upwards of half the season following a bone graft procedure to remove a benign lesion from his ribcage. Quintana’s injury pushed sixth starter David Peterson into the rotation, and they’ll now already be tapping into Megill, their No. 7 option, before a single inning of their season has transpired.
Verlander lost the 2021 season to Tommy John surgery and not only returned in 2022 but improbably stormed back to ace status at age 39, winning the American League Cy Young Award on the heels of a 1.75 ERA over 175 innings. He punched out 27.8% of his opponents against a masterful 4.4% walk rate, averaging 95.1 mph on his heater along the way and generally looking like his typical, dominant self. That brilliant comeback prompted the Mets to make a two-year, $86.66MM offer, matching the annual value on the record-setting contract they’d given to co-ace Max Scherzer.
Assuming Verlander’s absence indeed proves brief, he’ll still be expected to pair with Scherzer and give the Mets two of this generation’s most accomplished arms atop the starting staff. Still, it’s surely a gut-punch to a team that moved on from now-former ace Jacob deGrom largely for durability reasons in recent years. Verlander can be placed on the IL retroactive to March 27 — three days is the largest backdating permissible under MLB rules — so he’ll be shelved for at least the first 12 days of the season.
Pirates Designate Ryan Vilade For Assignment
The Pirates announced Thursday that they’ve designated outfielder Ryan Vilade for assignment and selected the contracts of left-hander Rob Zastryzny and catcher Jason Delay, both of whom were in spring training as non-roster invitees. Lefty Jarlin Garcia (nerve injury) was placed on the 60-day injured list to open a second spot on the 40-man roster. Righties JT Brubaker (right elbow discomfort) and Robert Stephenson (right elbow inflammation) have both been placed on the 15-day injured list as well.
Vilade, 24, was claimed off waivers from the Rockies back in November. He ranked among Colorado’s best prospects just one year ago but struggled in his second go through the Triple-A level, slashing a tepid .249/.345/.352 with five homers and ten steals through 99 games in that hitter-friendly setting. Originally drafted as a shortstop, Vilade has moved down the defensive spectrum, first shifting to third base before a move to the outfield corners. He went just 3-for-18 without an extra-base hit this spring, finishing with a .167/.211/.167 line in 19 trips to the plate. The Pirates will have a week to trade Vilade, release him or pass him through outright waivers.
Zastryzny, 31, returned to the Majors in 2022 after a three-year layoff and tossed four innings between the Mets and Angels. He’s making the first Opening Day roster of his 10-year professional career, Rob Biertempfel of The Athletic points out (Twitter link). Zastryzny earned it this spring, punching out 10 of his 29 opponents against one walk while firing 7 1/3 innings without allowing an earned run.
In parts of four big league seasons, mostly with the Cubs, Zastryzny has a 4.66 ERA and a 34-to-17 K/BB ratio in 38 2/3 innings of work. His Triple-A numbers across six seasons are generally similar, albeit with slightly better strikeout and walk rates. Zastryzny will give manager Derek Shelton a second lefty in the ‘pen, joining Rule 5 pick Jose Hernandez.
Delay, 28, made his big league debut with the Bucs in 2022 but was removed from the 40-man roster and re-signed to a minor league deal. He had a rough showing in camp, going just 3-for-20 with three walks, but he’s a strong defensive backstop and likely landed the backup gig by virtue of his glove. Delay posted plus framing marks last season, has a career 31% caught-stealing rate in the minors and was credited with two Defensive Runs Saved in 436 innings behind the dish last year. He beat out fellow non-roster invitees Kevin Plawecki and Tyler Heineman and will open the season as the backup to defensive standout Austin Hedges.
Garcia’s placement on the 60-day IL comes as little surprise. The team announced he’d be shut down midway through camp, and after a ten days of not throwing, they further announced that he was dealing with a nerve injury in his biceps and would continue to be shut down for as many as four to five weeks. He’ll need to completely build back up after that delay. Stephenson pitched just two innings this spring and was slowed by elbow discomfort, and Shelton acknowledged last week that an IL stint was likely.
There’s more concern with regard to Brubaker. Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette tweeted this morning that Brubaker’s elbow injury is “not minor” and the Pirates fear there’s a chance he could be lost for the season. The team hasn’t provided a formal diagnosis or update beyond today’s placement on the injured list, but additional news on Brubaker will likely follow in the near future. The 29-year-old Brubaker made 28 starts last season and pitched to a 4.69 ERA but with much more encouraging marks in FIP (3.92) and SIERA (3.97).