Mets Release Brian Dozier
The Mets have released second baseman Brian Dozier, tweets MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo. He’d been designated for assignment prior to last Sunday’s game, when New York called up right-hander Franklyn Kilome.
The 33-year-old Dozier will return to the open market and be eligible to sign with any club as a free agent. He inked a minor league deal with the Padres over the winter but took his release from that organization and had a less-than-favorable review of his time there upon signing with the Mets late last month. Dozier’s time in Queens proved brief, though, as Robinson Cano‘s scorching return from the injured list left him without much of a path to playing time. In 16 plate appearances as a Met, Dozier went 2-for-15 with a walk and five strikeouts.
It’s been a swift decline for Dozier, who from 2014-17 starred for the Twins as one of the game’s best second basemen. In that time, he batted .254/.338/.476 with 127 home runs — including a 42-homer campaign in 2016 and a 34-homer effort in 2017. His 2018 season was wrecked by a knee injury which he attempted to play through, and while he had a solid bounceback effort with the Nats in 2019 (.238/.340/.430), Dozier also ceded playing time to Asdrubal Cabrera late in 2019.
Dozier could still hold appeal to clubs seeking some infield depth. A team in need of help against left-handed pitching would stand out as a particularly solid fit for the former All-Star, given that the right-handed-hitting Dozier carries a stout .268/.352/.496 batting line against southpaws.
Latest On Mets’ COVID-19 Testing
TODAY: According to a press release from the team, all Mets players and personnel who returned to New York from Miami have registered negatives on tests taken both Thursday and Friday. “Test results of close contacts for those that remained in Miami also came back negative,” the statement said.
AUGUST 20, 6:52pm: A Mets position player and a coach tested positive, according to Mike Puma of the New York Post.
5:08pm: Most Mets will fly out of Miami tonight, Andy Martino of SNY first reported. Only the two members of the organization who tested positive and those who aren’t delayed by contact tracing will stay behind. The belief is that the Mets did not violate protocols on the road, per Martino.
4:07pm: A Mets player and a staff member have tested positive for the coronavirus, per Jon Heyman of MLB Network and Tim Healey of Newsday. As a result, their road game against the Marlins tonight has been postponed, as has their matchup against the Yankees on Friday.
This is the latest COVID-related setback in a season chock-full of them for Major League Baseball, which has seen numerous games postponed as a result of the illness. The Marlins and Cardinals have been hit especially hard so far, and the league has tightened up its protocols of late in an effort to prevent outbreaks and make sure each team completes its 60-game regular-season schedule.
For now, it’s unknown how Thursday’s development will affect these three teams’ schedules. Thursday was supposed to be the last Mets-Marlins game in Miami this year, but they’ll have to make it up at a later date. The Mets are slated to host the Yankees on Saturday and Sunday, so there could be a doubleheader on one of those days. However, the Mets will have to receive clearance to return to the field first.
Mets/Yankees Weekend Series Postponed
This weekend’s series between the Yankees and Mets has been postponed due to the recent positive Covid-19 tests within the Mets organization, Major League Baseball announced in a press release. Newsday’s Tim Healey reported minutes beforehand that the league would be taking this step (Twitter link). Last night’s game between the Mets and Marlins was also postponed.
There have been some degree of cancellations stemming from positive Covid-19 tests each weekend in MLB since the Marlins played in the wake of a few positive tests on opening weekend. That led to a team outbreak which ultimately resulted in a reported 18 cases for the Marlins, and the league has since been more diligent and proactive in postponing games in an effort to avoid similarly widespread instances of the virus. While the Cardinals had an outbreak of their own, the Reds and Mets are the only other clubs to have had positive tests during the season. The Reds only saw three games postponed, and the hope here is obviously that the Mets will see a similarly brief stoppage of play.
When the game against the Marlins and the series against the Yankees will be made up isn’t yet determined, although the East-centric nature of this year’s schedule gives ample opportunity for doubleheaders and other makeup games. The Mets are scheduled to play at Yankee Stadium from Aug. 28-30, and they’re slated to host the Marlins at Citi Field from Aug. 25-27. The Athletic’s Tim Britton points out that Aug. 24, Sept. 3 and Sept. 14 are all mutual off-days for both the Mets and Yankees.
Mets Move Steven Matz To Bullpen; Seth Lugo Joining Rotation
The Mets have moved left-hander Steven Matz to the bullpen and will shift setup man Seth Lugo back into a starting role, manager Luis Rojas revealed after last night’s game (Twitter link via Deesha Thosar of the New York Daily News). Lugo will take the ball to start tonight’s game.
The 29-year-old Matz was excellent in his first start of 2020 but has since been clobbered for 22 runs on 28 hits (eight homers) and five walks in just 17 innings. He hasn’t gotten out of the fifth in any of his past three starts and is toting a 9.00 ERA in 23 frames overall. Lugo, meanwhile, has once again been sharp out of the ‘pen, with a 2.61 ERA and an 11-to-2 K/BB ratio in 10 1/3 frames. By subtracting him from the late-inning mix, the Mets are betting that others like Justin Wilson, Jeurys Familia, Brad Brach, Dellin Betances and most importantly Edwin Diaz will be able to find consistent success as games draw to a close. Lugo has a career 2.53 ERA and 2.88 FIP in 188 2/3 relief innings, compared to a 4.06 ERA and 4.16 FIP in 168 1/3 innings as a starter.
It’s the latest shakeup in a Mets season that has been punctuated by rotation troubles. The Mets believed they’d stockpiled a strong group of starters, one through six, but only Jacob deGrom has performed as hoped. Noah Syndergaard didn’t pitch after undergoing Tommy John surgery in May, and Marcus Stroman opted out of the 2020 season entirely. Matz has stumbled through one of the bleakest stretches of his career, while reclamation projects Rick Porcello and Michael Wacha haven’t paid dividends. Porcello, to his credit, has had some rough luck on balls in play and pitched much better since a disastrous Mets debut. Wacha is on the injured list due to shoulder inflammation.
The Mets’ options beyond that sextet have long appeared to be lacking, although 2017 first-rounder David Peterson proved to be a bright spot … until he landed on the injured list due to shoulder troubles of his own. It’s notable that a recent MRI confirmed that there’s no structural damage in Peterson’s shoulder (Twitter link via MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand), but he still won’t be an option until next week.
Aside from Peterson, fallback options like Corey Oswalt and Walker Lockett haven’t impressed. The club has instead shifted Robert Gsellman and now Lugo back into the starting mix. It wasn’t long ago that there was some spirited debate over whether that pair would be starters or relievers for the long haul. Both settled in as bullpen pieces, with Lugo in particular emerging as a high-end option. But the inadequacies among current Mets starters have now forced both right-handers back into the rotation picture.
Lugo will join deGrom, Porcello, Gsellman and (once healthy) Peterson in a rotation that can’t resemble anything the Mets’ front office might have anticipated heading into the season. But for all their pitching woes, the Mets remain in the playoff hunt thanks to a strong offense that ranks second in MLB with a 122 wRC+. They’ve rattled off three straight wins, and while they’re sitting at a pedestrian 12-14 on the year, the good news for them is that the rest of the NL East looks similarly underwhelming. The Braves lead the way at 14-11, but their own rotation has been decimated by injury, leaving ample space for the Mets to close the mere two-and-a-half game gap that separates them.
Given that the Wilpon family is reportedly deep in the process of fielding offers to sell the club, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Mets approach the looming Aug. 31 trade deadline with a clear buyer’s mentality. This could be the last opportunity for current ownership to secure the World Series title that alluded them when they fell to the Royals in 2015, and it only stands to reason that they’d take one final shot while they have the chance.
As for Matz himself, his future is decidedly murky. He could be a potential change-of-scenery candidate with the deadline looming, and even if he sticks with the Mets, he’ll have limited opportunities to turn things around as a low-leverage bullpen option. He’s on a $5MM salary for the 2020 season and will be arbitration-eligible for a third and final time this winter. It’s hardly a given that the Mets will want to allocate the necessary resources to retain him through the arbitration process.
Mets Place David Peterson On Injured List
The Mets have placed left-hander David Peterson on the 10-day injured list with shoulder fatigue, Tim Healey of Newsday tweets. In other moves, they recalled righties Drew Smith and Corey Oswalt and optioned RHP Franklyn Kilome.
Peterson exited his most recent start last Thursday with shoulder discomfort, though he was supposed to take the ball tonight before this news came down. The Mets will presumably start Oswalt instead, and if their career numbers to this point are any indication, the drop-off will be significant.
While Peterson is only in first season, he has been one of the few bright spots out of the Mets’ rotation in 2020. Peterson has been one of the game’s best rookies so far, in fact, having logged a 2.91 ERA/4.00 FIP with 7.06 K/9 and 3.32 BB/9 in 21 2/3 innings. Meanwhile, over 75 1/3 lifetime frames, Oswalt has limped to a 6.69 ERA/6.75 FIP.
The hope is that Peterson will return in short order, but shoulder injuries are ominous and time’s already running out on this season. Furthermore, the Mets have gotten out to a weak 10-14 start thanks in no small part to what has become a questionable rotation behind Jacob deGrom and Peterson. It looked promising a few months back, but Noah Syndergaard has since undergone Tommy John surgery and Marcus Stroman decided to opt out. Meanwhile, offseason signings Rick Porcello and Michael Wacha haven’t prevented runs at acceptable clips, nor has holdover Steven Matz. The Mets did just add reliever Robert Gsellman to their starting staff, but he only threw 1 2/3 innings in a start against the Marlins on Monday.
NL Health Notes: Braves, Mets, Cards, Giants, Padres, Dodgers
The Braves placed outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. on the injured list Saturday (retroactive to Aug. 12) because of left wrist inflammation, and the team’s hope then was that Acuna would be back by the upcoming weekend. However, there’s still no timetable for the superstar’s return, per The Athletic’s David O’Brien, who reports he’s continuing to battle soreness in his wrist. Meanwhile, second baseman Ozzie Albies – whom the Braves put on the IL on Aug. 5 with a bone contusion in his right wrist – is progressing but still has a ways to go, according to O’Brien.
- Mets starters David Peterson and Jacob deGrom will take the ball as scheduled Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively, Tim Healey of Newsday relays. Peterson had to leave his previous start last Thursday against the Nationals with left shoulder fatigue, while the club scratched deGrom on Friday because of a stiff neck. They’ve been the two best members of the rotation this year for the struggling Mets, as Peterson has performed like one of the game’s top rookies and the back-to-back Cy Young winner deGrom has continued to shine.
- Cardinals righty Carlos Martinez and infielder Edmundo Sosa have been cleared to resume baseball activities, manager Mike Shildt announced to Mark Saxon of The Athletic and other reporters. They’re two of the many Cardinals who recently tested positive for the coronavirus. It’s not clear when either could return, as Shildt noted they’ll need time to build themselves back up. Martinez, long a key part of the Cardinals’ pitching staff, made one very rocky appearance earlier this season. Sosa hasn’t played in the majors this year.
- Giants righty Jeff Samardzija will begin a throwing program Wednesday, according to the club (via Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle). Samardzija went on the injured list Aug. 8 with a shoulder impingement, which came after he opened the season with three rough performances. The pending free agent, 35, owns a ghastly 9.88 ERA across 13 2/3 innings, has already given up 18 hits and six home runs, and has only struck out five hitters.
- The Padres placed catcher Francisco Mejia on the IL on Monday with a thumb bruise, Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune tweets. With him and outfielder Tommy Pham (previously reported) headed to the shelf, the Padres recalled backstop Luis Torrens and utility player Ty France. Prior to going on the IL, Mejia got off to a woeful start this year with an .079/.146/.184 line in 41 plate appearances. He and fellow Padres catcher Austin Hedges have combined for a disastrous minus-1 wRC+ over 79 trips to the plate thus far.
- The Dodgers announced that they’ve placed infielder Edwin Rios on the IL with a left hamstring strain and recalled lefty Adam Kolarek. The Rios injury is a blow to the Dodgers’ offense, as even though he’s just a part-time player, the 26-year-old has done nothing but hit since debuting last season. So far in 2020, Rios has slashed .276/.323/.690 with three home runs in 31 plate appearances.
Mets Add Ronny Mauricio To 60-Player Pool
The Mets have added infield prospect Ronny Mauricio to their 60-man player pool and placed catcher Rene Rivera on the 45-day injured list, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com tweets. Rivera’s dealing with a hyperextended left elbow.
Mauricio is still just 19 years old and hasn’t played above the Single-A level, so he remains a ways off from the majors. Regardless, not only does he rate as one the Mets’ top farmhands, but one of the game’s best prospects in general. For example, Baseball America places Mauricio at No. 70 overall and writes he has the ceiling of a “classic power-hitting corner infielder.”
Mauricio is now the third Mets prospect to join their player pool since Saturday, following catcher Francisco Alvarez and right-hander Matthew Allan. As MLBTR’s Mark Polishuk noted then, only players in teams’ pools are eligible to be traded prior to the Aug. 31 deadline. That obviously doesn’t mean the Mets are going to move any of these players (Mauricio would be especially tough to pry away), but the option is there if an enticing enough offer comes along. In all likelihood, though, the Mets added the three for developmental purposes.
Pitching Notes: Morton, Farmer, Burnes, Matz, Smith
Some pitching notes from around baseball:
- Rays’ right-hander Charlie Morton came out of a twenty-pitch bullpen session feeling well, reports Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. He’s seemingly on track to return next weekend, Topkin adds. The 36-year-old was placed on the 10-day injured list earlier this week with shoulder inflammation, which could partially explain Morton’s two mile per hour drop in fastball velocity from 2019 to 2020.
- Like Morton, Tigers’ right-hander Buck Farmer looks on track to return from an IL stint in short order. Manager Ron Gardenhire confirmed to reporters (including Evan Woodbery of MLive Media Group) that the important set-up man could return from a groin injury by the middle of next week. Farmer’s swing-and-miss rate is down a bit from his strong 2019 effort, but he’s nevertheless held opponents to two runs over his first 6.2 relief innings this year.
- Corbin Burnes will get the start for the Brewers on Tuesday, tweets Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Jounral Sentinel. He’ll take the place of Eric Lauer, who was optioned this week amidst a rough start to the season. Working primarily in a multi-inning relief capacity, the hard-throwing Burnes has racked up 24 strikeouts in 16 innings this season, although he’s also issued an alarming 11 walks.
- Mets’ manager Luis Rojas was noncommital when asked if Steven Matz would remain in the team’s rotation, notes Anthony DiComo of MLB.com (Twitter link). The southpaw allowed six runs in 4.1 innings in last night’s loss to the Phillies, continuing a disastrous start to his 2020 season. He’s coughed up 23 earned runs in as many innings, thanks almost entirely to an untenable nine home runs. On the other hand, Matz’s velocity has held in its customary 94-95 MPH range, and he’s run a solid 23:6 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Of course, New York is rather thin on potential starting pitching replacements if they elect to remove Matz from the rotation.
- As expected, the A’s have placed reliever Burch Smith on the 10-day injured list, per Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle (Twitter link). Smith was diagnosed with a forearm strain yesterday. Fellow right-hander James Kaprielian has been recalled to replace him on the active roster. Smith has tossed twelve very strong relief innings for Oakland this season. Kaprielian, meanwhile, will get another chance to make his MLB debut. The former first-rounder got his first MLB call August 4, but he was optioned down two days later without having gotten into a game.
Mets Designate Brian Dozier For Assignment
The Mets have designated second baseman Brian Dozier for assignment, per various reporters (including Anthony DiComo of MLB.com). Right-hander Franklyn Kilome has been recalled to replace Dozier on the active roster.
Dozier’s time in Queens could have come to an end after just 16 plate appearances across seven games. The 33-year-old has now been cut loose by both the Padres and Mets over the past few months, but he managed a solid season with the Nationals just a year ago. Dozier hit .238/.340/.430 (99 wRC+) in 482 plate appearances in Washington last season. Speculatively speaking, the Nats could look back into a reunion with Dozier in the wake of Starlin Castro’s recent broken wrist, although Washington has quite a few internal options who could be relied upon to fill that void.
The Mets are dealing with an injury to one of their second base options as well. Jeff McNeil hasn’t played since leaving Thursday’s contest after running into the outfield wall. Fortunately, McNeil is available off the bench today, manager Luis Rojas says (via Tim Healey of Newsday). That seemingly bodes well for McNeil’s chances of returning to the starting lineup in short order.
Mets Add Francisco Alvarez, Matthew Allan To 60-Man Player Pool
The Mets have added two of their top prospects to their 60-man player pool, as the team announced that catcher Francisco Alvarez and right-hander Matthew Allan will head to the alternate training site in Brooklyn.
Joining the player pool allows Alvarez and Allan to be eligible for a big league call-up, though such a promotion would seem a bit unlikely given how both players only began their pro careers last season. Alvarez appeared in 42 games in rookie ball in 2019, while Allan pitched just 10 1/3 innings in rookie ball before making one appearance for the Mets’ lower A-ball affiliate.
It should be noted that being added to the player pool also makes Alvarez and Allan eligible to be traded prior to the August 31 deadline. However, The Athletic’s Tim Britton tweets that the Mets “aren’t looking to move” either prospect, and that today’s transaction was only made help the two youngsters continue their development.
Alvarez was rated as a top-100 prospect in preseason rankings from The Athletic’s Keith Law (who had Alvarez 48th), MLB.com (63rd), Baseball America (67th), and Baseball Prospectus (88th). Signed to a $2.7MM bonus during the 2018-19 international signing window, Law praised Alvarez’s well-rounded hitting potential and described his swing as “arguably the best in the Mets’ system.” Defensively, Alvarez is unsurprisingly a little raw considering he is only 18 years old, though MLB.com’s scouting report cited his athleticism, “accurate, plus arm strength” and “energy level and willingness to learn” as reasons why Alvarez could eventually become at least an average defender behind the plate.
A third-round pick in the 2019 draft, Allan was heavily targeted by the Mets, who signed several other picks to underslot deals to free up enough pool money for a $2.5MM bonus for the righty. The strategy paid off, as Allan opted to join the Mets rather than pitch at the University Of Florida. Allan already boasts a strong fastball (in the mid-90’s range) and curveball, and is widely seen as a future rotation member, perhaps even a front-of-the-rotation type if all goes well.