Yankees Place Zack Britton, Wandy Peralta On Injured List, Recall Albert Abreu, Brooks Kriske
Yankees’ manager Aaron Boone told reporters that Zack Britton is heading back to the injured list with a left hamstring strain, per Lindsey Adler of The Athletic (via Twitter). A back issue has landed Wandy Peralta on the injured list as well, while Albert Abreu and Brooks Kriske will be recalled from Triple-A. They are available out of the bullpen tonight, per Erik Boland of Newsday Sports and MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch (Twitter links).
Britton, a significant piece of New York’s run prevention plan, has just five appearances on the season. On the bright side, the Yankees don’t expect Britton to miss too much time, with Boone characterizing the injury as more “cramping” than “strain,” per ESPN’s Marly Rivera (via Twitter). A bone spur in his elbow forced Britton to miss the first 72 days of the season. Since returning, the Yankees’ deputy southpaw tossed 4 1/3 innings, giving up two earned runs on three hits (one homer), three walks, and a hit batsman while striking out three.
Peralta’s IL stint is retroactive to June 23rd. Since arriving from the Giants in exchange for Mike Tauchman, Peralta has a 5.28 ERA/5.69 FIP in 15 1/3 innings over 20 outings. He has recorded just nine strikeouts in that time for a substandard 13.9 percent strikeout rate.
Peralta leans heavily on his change-up with a 38.4 percent usage rate, but it’s his slider that’s not generating swings and misses. The whiff rate on Peralta’s breaking ball has seen a year-over-year decline from 42.9 percent to 37.0 percent. He’s throwing it less as a result, but it’s still his second most-used offering with a 25.5 percent usage rate. If Peralta’s slider has been affected by his recent back pain, there may be some cause for optimism that he can again become an effective big-league arm, as he’s been at multiple stages of his MLB career.
Abreu, 25, and Kriske, 27, have each spent time in the Majors this season, making four appearances apiece. Abreu served as more of a long man, soaking up 8 2/3 innings while allowing just two earned runs on two hits while walking four and striking out 10. Kriske has been less effective, surrendering five earned runs while facing just 20 batters in those four innings of work.
Yankees Activate Luke Voit
Yankees first baseman Luke Voit has been activated from the injured list, the team announced Tuesday. Additionally, right-hander Darren O’Day and lefty Justin Wilson both embarked on rehab assignments with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. First baseman Chris Gittens was optioned after the Yankees’ game on Sunday, so the team had a vacancy on the active roster.
Voit, 30, has appeared in just 12 games so far in 2021. A torn meniscus required surgery and pushed his season debut back to May 11, and he went down with an oblique strain just two weeks later. That injury ultimately kept him on the shelf for just shy of a month.
Last summer’s Major League leader with 22 home runs, Voit showed some definite signs of rust in his first stint with the Yankees this year. He came out of the gates with an 0-for-10 skid and posted an overall line of .182/.280/.250 in 50 plate appearances before going down with his second injury. He’s looked much better on a rehab stint split between Double-A and Triple-A this time around, going 8-for-19 with a pair of homers and a pair of doubles in 20 plate appearances.
First base has been a black hole in the lineup at Yankee Stadium this season. Yankees who’ve been penciled into the first base position this year have combined for a miserable .176/.263/.285 slash in 267 plate appearances. DJ LeMahieu has seen the bulk of the playing time at first base, but while he’s hitting .259/.333/.352 on the season as a whole, he’s at just .234/.303/.324 as a first baseman. Voit, Jay Bruce, Mike Ford, Chris Gittens and Miguel Andujar have all seen time at the position as well, without much to show for it.
A healthy Voit would be a major boost for the Yankees, who are currently tied with the Marlins for the fifth-fewest runs in baseball (281). Voit not only led the Majors with 22 long balls last season, he batted a combined .279/.372/.549 with 57 homers in 892 plate appearances from the time of his 2018 acquisition from the Cardinals through the completion of the 2020 campaign. Meanwhile, the Yankees have posted a middling .232/.315/.389 batting line as a team in 2644 plate appearances this year.
Yankees Release Kyle Barraclough
The Yankees have released reliever Kyle Barraclough from his minor league contract, per an announcement from their Triple-A affiliate in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. He’s now a free agent.
Barraclough signed with the Yankees in February and has spent the entire 2021 season with the RailRiders. Over 14 innings, the righty pitched to a solid 3.21 ERA and struck out a fantastic 24 of 55 batters faced (43.6%). Barraclough doled out far too many free passes, though, issuing eleven walks (20%). Those control issues made it tough for Barraclough to crack a Yankees bullpen that has been one of the game’s best this season.
Those high-strikeout, high-walk ways are nothing new for Barraclough, who pitched in the majors for the Marlins, Nationals and Giants between 2015-19. He’s punched out a lofty 29% of opponents in his big league career while 14.1%. In each of his five MLB seasons, Barraclough struck out and walked batters at a higher than average rate.
It wouldn’t be a surprise to see him draw interest from teams needing bullpen help now that he’s back on the market. The 31-year-old was a quality option for much of his tenure in Miami and has demonstrated he’s still more than capable of missing high-level bats this season.
Rays Acquire Mike Ford From Yankees
The Rays have acquired first baseman Mike Ford from the Yankees for cash considerations and a player to be named later, both clubs announced. Ford has been optioned to Triple-A Durham. To clear 40-man roster space, Tampa Bay transferred righty Tyler Glasnow from the 10-day to the 60-day injured list.
Ford has appeared in the majors in each of the past three seasons. The left-handed hitter showed plenty of offensive promise as a rookie, when he raked at a .259/.350/.559 clip with twelve home runs over his first 163 MLB plate appearances. Ford, whom the Mariners had selected in the Rule 5 draft the previous year but returned in Spring Training, looked like a potential long-term contributor in the Bronx after that strong debut. He hasn’t been able to follow up on that over the past two years, though.
In 156 plate appearances since the start of 2020, Ford has mustered just a .134/.250/.276 line with five homers. With Luke Voit tearing the cover off the ball last year en route to an MLB-best 22 homers, Ford didn’t have much of an opportunity for regular playing time. Voit’s injury issues this season opened up some recent run for Ford, but the 28-year-old didn’t take advantage. He’s hit just .133/.278/.283 in 72 plate appearances this season with a fairly significant bump in his strikeout rate. That led the Yankees to designate him for assignment last weekend.
Ford’s MLB career is still a collection of fairly small samples. He’s tallied just 319 total plate appearances at the highest level, with a resulting .199/.301/.422 line. Ford has a much bigger body of work at Triple-A, where’s hit a robust .268/.359/.501 in parts of four seasons. With a quality minor league track record, a pair of minor league option years remaining and a low acquisition cost, the Rays felt Ford was a worthwhile pick-up.
Ji-Man Choi has hit very well in limited time between a pair of injured list stints this season. He returned to the lineup this week and figures to assume much of the playing time at first base. Tampa Bay has primarily rotated Austin Meadows and Randy Arozarena between DH and the corner outfield this year. Ford’s likely being brought on as an optionable depth player, and he adds another lefty bat to a first base/DH mix that also includes righties Yandy Díaz and Mike Brosseau.
Glasnow’s move to the 60-day IL is unsurprising. The 27-year-old went on the IL this week after an MRI revealed a partial tear of his UCL. He’s hoping to rehab the injury and avoid Tommy John surgery, but he told reporters after the diagnosis his goal was to make it back for a potential playoff run. Regardless of whether he’ll be able to return at the tail end of the regular season or during the postseason, it never seemed plausible he’d be back within two months.
Brendan Kuty of NJ Advance Media reported that the Rays had acquired Ford shortly before the official announcement. Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times (Twitter link) first reported Ford would be optioned to Triple-A.
AL Injury Notes: Gleyber, Boyd, Turnbull, White
Gleyber Torres made an early exit from tonight’s game due to what the Yankees described as stiffness in his left lower back. The shortstop will receive further examination tomorrow, when the Yankees return to the Bronx to open a three-game series with the Athletics. Torres took an awkward fall while fielding a Bo Bichette grounder in the third inning, and was replaced for a pinch-hitter in the top half of the fourth.
Torres has hit .260/.342/.344 over 244 plate appearances this season, working his way back up to close to league-average production (96 wRC+) after a rough April, and also a week-long absence in May due to a positive COVID-19 test. He also has a +3.7 UZR/150 and -2 Defensive Runs Saved over 505 2/3 innings at shortstop, a significant improvement with the glove after his shortstop defense has been such a point of criticism. If Torres’ back problem is serious enough to merit a visit to the injured list, Tyler Wade or Gio Urshela are the likely choices to step in at shortstop, with DJ LeMahieu or Miguel Andujar capable of stepping in at third base if Urshela changes positions.
More on other injury situations from around the American League…
- Matt Boyd will visit Dr. Neal ElAttrache for an examination of the Tigers southpaw’s ailing left arm, manager A.J. Hinch told reporters (including Chris McCosky of The Detroit News). More will be known once the exam takes place, though the team is already considering holding Boyd and Spencer Turnbull back until after the All-Star break. “Are we going to push these guys before the All-Star break versus utilizing the time (the four-day break) and targeting them back after the break? That’s the assessment that’s going to be done over the next couple of weeks on how we’re going to ramp these guys back up,” Hinch said. A forearm strain sent Turnbull to the IL on June 5, and while his injury wasn’t though to be overly serious, naturally the Tigers will be cautious with any forearm issue. Boyd — and perhaps Turnbull as well — figure to be trade chips for Detroit at the deadline, so while the team would surely want both hurlers to prove they’re healthy prior to July 30, there is no point in rushing them back and risking further injury.
- After missing a month due to strained left hip flexor, Mariners first baseman Evan White has halted his rehab due to a setback. (Jen Mueller of Root Sports was among those to report the news.) While White could potentially return to Triple-A Tacoma within a week, it represents another delay in his sophomore season. Though White won the Gold Glove for his excellent first base defense in 2020, he has yet to hit at the big league level, with only a .165/.235/.308 slash line in 306 career plate appearances in the majors.
Minor MLB Transactions: 6/16/21
The latest minor moves from around the league:
- The Red Sox announced that right-hander Brandon Brennan has cleared outright waivers and been assigned to Triple-A Worcester. Evidently, he’s accepted the assignment, as Brennan is listed on Worcester’s active roster. Boston designated him for assignment last weekend after he made one MLB appearance, tossing three scoreless innings out of the bullpen. He has a 2.16 ERA in 8 1/3 innings at the Triple-A level this year, with eleven strikeouts and five walks.
- The Yankees announced they’ve activated outfielder Ryan LaMarre from the injured list and passed him through outright waivers. New York selected LaMarre, whom they signed to a minor league deal over the winter, to the roster when Aaron Hicks went down in mid-May. The 32-year-old LaMarre went down with an injury himself just three days later and went on the IL. He’s been outrighted before in his career, so he has the right to reject a minor league assignment in favor of free agency.
AL East Notes: Cashman, Red Sox, Armstrong
The Yankees collected a 6-5 victory over the Blue Jays last night, though New York’s 34-32 record is still well below the team’s expectations. General manager Brian Cashman was blunt in speaking to reporters (including Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News) prior to yesterday’s game, saying that “Talk is cheap. No one really cares about all the hard work, all the good intentions. All they care about, and understandably so, is the results and the results just have failed so far.” In terms of addressing these problems, Cashman said the team is prepared to make additions prior to the July 30 trade deadline, with pitching and center field looking like obvious areas of improvement. It remains to be seen whether or not the front office will be allowed any additions that would put the Yankees over the $210MM luxury tax threshold, but Cashman said he would present ownership with “all recommendations that include that we’re going to have opportunities that present themselves that are money related.”
The GM also gave something of a vote of confidence to manager Aaron Boone and his coaches, saying that “I believe in the same coaching staff and same manager that’s had a lot of success here.” Cashman also made note of his track record in sticking with his personnel, as Cashman hasn’t made an in-season managerial or coaching change since becoming the Yankees’ general manager in 1998.
More from the AL East…
- The Red Sox probably aren’t likely to acquire “a big flashy name” at this year’s trade deadline, though The Athletic’s Jen McCaffrey thinks the team will look for upgrades like “a mid-level pitcher to bolster the rotation and another outfielder or leadoff type,” with that position player preferably being a left-handed hitter. Of course, top prospect Jarren Duran is a left-handed hitting outfielder, but since Duran is currently slated to play on Team USA at the Olympics, the Red Sox might opt to wait until the Games are over to promote him to the big leagues. It wasn’t long ago that Michael Chavis was himself a well-regarded prospect in Boston’s farm system, but McCaffrey thinks that Chavis could be a trade candidate. Chavis has hit only .243/.302/.428 in the majors (albeit in 573 plate appearances, roughly the equal of just one full season) and was a first-round pick in 2014 back when Ben Cherington was the Red Sox GM, so current chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom could be more willing to move on from Chavis.
- After being outrighted off the Orioles‘ 40-man roster, Shawn Armstrong had the option of rejecting the outright assignment and becoming a free agent. As Armstrong told MASNsports.com’s Roch Kubatko, he received interest from “quite a few teams” about a possible spot in a new organization, but he chose to remain in Baltimore. “I love being an Oriole….They have a very good understanding of what I need to be successful in my career,” Armstrong said. “The comfort of working with these guys that I’ve been with for the past three years is a huge plus for me.” The right-hander has struggled to an 8.55 ERA over 20 innings out of Baltimore’s pen this season, though Armstrong is optimistic about a turn-around after identifying several issues with both his biomechanics and “not being too predictable” with his pitch selection and location.
Injury Notes: Voit, Haniger, Kim, Gregorius
The Yankees announced yesterday first baseman Luke Voit was beginning a rehab assignment with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. The 30-year-old has missed a little less than three weeks after suffering a Grade 2 oblique strain. It’s been an injury-marred campaign so far for Voit, who also missed the first six weeks of the season with a meniscus tear in his knee. Last season’s home run leader, Voit has only managed 50 plate appearances in between the two IL stints. His forthcoming return will be a welcome development for the Yankees, whose first baseman have hit a dreadful .176/.266/.270 in 2021. Only the Indians have gotten less offensive production at the position this season.
More injury updates from around the game:
- Mariners outfielder Mitch Haniger left yesterday’s game in the first inning after fouling a ball off his left knee. It seems he’s dodged serious injury, though, as manager Scott Servais told reporters (including Corey Brock of the Athletic) he suffered a deep bone bruise but avoided any fractures. Haniger, who missed the second half of 2019 and all of 2020 due to injury, has rebounded to post a strong .259/.310/.518 line with 16 homers across 274 plate appearances this season.
- The Cardinals are likely to activate lefty Kwang-hyun Kim to start tomorrow night’s game against the Marlins, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat was among those to relay. The 32-year-old went on the IL on June 5 with back stiffness, but he’s apparently in line to return after a minimal stint. Kim has tossed 40 innings of 4.05 ERA/4.29 SIERA ball this season. The St. Louis rotation has been hit hard by injuries in recent weeks, with Miles Mikolas and Jack Flaherty both landing on the IL for extended periods. That makes the rotation an obvious area to target if the Cardinals look to acquire outside help before the trade deadline.
- Phillies shortstop Didi Gregorius suffered a setback in his rehab process from a right elbow impingement, manager Joe Girardi told reporters (including Jim Salisbury of NBC Sports Philadelphia). It doesn’t seem to be particularly worrisome, as Girardi said it was “a little stiffness and a little soreness” and that the organization is still hoping to get him back in relatively short order. It’s been a tough season for Gregorius, who hit just .229/.266/.364 in 128 plate appearances before landing on the IL last month.
Luis Severino Headed For MRI Due To Groin Injury
JUNE 13: Severino will undergo an MRI this afternoon and go for further examination on Monday, per Bryan Hoch of MLB.com.
JUNE 12, 5:24PM: Early indications are that Severino has suffered a groin injury, according to Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News (via Twitter).
JUNE 12, 4:57PM: Luis Severino‘s recovery from Tommy John surgery hit an apparent setback today, as the right-hander left his minor league rehab outing due to a lower-body injury. Reporter G.T. Julian Guilarte (Twitter link) has footage of the aftermath, as a clearly pained Severino had to be helped off the field.
While perhaps the only consolation is that Severino didn’t suffer another arm injury, it certainly looks like the right-hander will now have to work his way back from another serious-seeming problem. Since Severino wasn’t expected to be an option for the Yankees until at least the start of July and likely closer to the All-Star break, it is possible that his latest injury could threaten his entire season.
Such a scenario would make it essentially three lost seasons in a row for Severino. Shoulder and lat injuries limited him to 20 1/3 combined innings in the 2019 regular season and postseason, while the 2020 season was a total writeoff after Severino underwent Tommy John surgery in February of that year.
New York was eyeing Severino as a midseason rotation boost, adding depth to a starting five that has been generally solid thanks to Gerrit Cole, Domingo German, and Jordan Montgomery. Corey Kluber had also been pitching well before a rotator cuff injury sent him to the 60-day IL until at least late July, while Jameson Taillon has struggled — a nightmarish outing against the Phillies today boosted Taillon’s ERA to 5.74 over 53 1/3 innings. Michael King has been filling in for Kluber, and if Severino is unavailable, Deivi Garcia and Nick Nelson are now the top depth options if Taillon can’t get on track or if another injury surfaces.
Yankees DFA Mike Ford, Reinstate Zack Britton, Option Brooks Kriske
The Yankees announced a number of roster moves today, including the return of southpaw Zack Britton. Britton has been reinstated from the 60-day injured list. Mike Ford has been designated for assignment, and right-hander Brooks Kriske has been optioned to Triple-A.
Britton will make his first appearance of the season, potentially making an already-strong Yankee bullpen even stronger. Yankees’ relievers are fourth among relief units in the Majors with a 3.30 ERA this season. For his part, Britton is coming off back-to-back sub-2.00 ERA seasons.
Ford has been designated for assignment after struggling offensively the past two seasons. Ford mashed in Triple-A back in 2019, earning a promotion to the bigs where he continued his good work at the plate with a .250/.350/.559 line in 163 plate appearances. Since then, Ford has batted just .134/.250/.276 across 156 plate appearances.
Kriske was a sixth round draft pick out of USC back in 2016. He rose steadily through the Yankees’ organization, but has struggled in short stints in the Majors. This season, Kriske served up five earned runs in four innings of work, allowing six hits and two walks while striking out three.
In other news, Luis Severino took a step forward in his rehab, earning a promotion from Low-A to High-A, per the team. Severino has made just three starts going back through 2019.