Yankees Release Dan Jennings
The Yankees recently released left-handed reliever Dan Jennings, according to Kegan Lowe of Baseball America. Jennings just joined the organization last month on a minor league contract.
The 32-year-old Jennings only threw 1 1/3 innings with the Yankees’ Triple-A affiliate in Scranton, but his production was disastrous in that small sample. He yielded five earned runs on five hits, including three homers. Jennings was better with the Nationals earlier this season, though that isn’t saying much. He surrendered eight runs (seven earned) on eight hits and seven walks (nine strikeouts) across 4 2/3 frames in Washington, making him one of many relievers to struggle as members of the Nats this season.
Of course, it hasn’t always been so difficult for Jennings, who had been an eminently effective option with the Marlins, White Sox, Rays and Brewers from 2012-18. During that 343 2/3-inning span, Jennings recorded a stingy 2.96 ERA/3.83 FIP with 7.12 K/9, 3.93 BB/9 and a terrific 55.3 percent groundball rate. He’s only a year removed from posting a useful 64 1/3 frames in Milwaukee, where he managed a 3.22 ERA/4.09 FIP with 6.3 K/9 and 3.22 BB/9, and induced grounders at a 56.1 percent grounder clip. As has typically been the case, lefties had a tough time figuring out Jennings, who limited them to a measly .251 weighted on-base average as a Brewer. For whatever reason, though, Jennings hasn’t come close to replicating his past success this season.
Yankees Announce Series Of Pitching Transactions
The Yankees announced a series of pitching transactions today. Recently acquired southpaw Joe Mantiply was designated for assignment, removing him from the 40-man roster. Also departing the 40-man is southpaw Daniel Camarena, who was released.
Those 40-man spots went to a pair of other hurlers. The club activated righty Jonathan Loaisiga from the 60-day injured list and selected the contract of righty Adonis Rosa. The Yanks had already optioned Mantiply and righty Brady Lail, opening the two active roster spots that have now been filled.
What’s most significant here for the division-leading Yankees is the return of Loaisiga. He has battled shoulder troubles this year and hasn’t yet been a consistent piece at the MLB level. But the talent is obvious and the Yanks have plenty to gain by getting him up to speed down the stretch. He is not fully stretched out as a starter, so the club seems likely to utilize him in some sort of relief role, perhaps of the multi-inning variety.
Latest On Yankees’ Voit, Severino, Betances, Sabathia
Surgery has seemed like a strong possibility for Yankees first baseman Luke Voit since he landed on the injured list with a sports hernia on July 31. Fortunately for New York, however, Voit’s “very optimistic” he’ll be able to avoid going under the knife, Lindsey Adler of The Athletic tweets. Voit will hit Tuesday for the first time he went to the IL.
Core problems have derailed Voit’s season dating back to the start of July, when an abdominal strain forced him to the shelf. This has nonetheless been a strong season for the 28-year-old Voit, who has slashed .278/.392/.493 with 19 home runs in 416 plate appearances. Voit has been one of the top offensive performers in a New York offense that has survived one major injury after another this year en route to a first-place tie for the American League’s best record. With him and DH/first baseman Edwin Encarnacion currently among wounded Yankees, the club has been deploying a combination of utilityman extraordinaire DJ LeMahieu and Mike Ford at 1B. A large cast, including Ford, has been sharing DH duties of late.
Like New York’s offense, its pitching staff has faced notable injuries throughout 2019. The Yankees’ top starter, Luis Severino, and their No. 1 setup man, Dellin Betances, haven’t pitched at all because of shoulder and lat problems. But both right-handers got through their bullpen sessions Monday without issues, per Meredith Marakovits of the YES Network (Twitter links). Expectations are that Severino will throw one more bullpen before he graduates to facing live hitters. There’s optimism he’ll be able to help the Yankees’ rotation by mid-September, David Lennon of Newsday observes. Betances will toss another bullpen Wednesday.
Meanwhile, left-hander CC Sabathia is progressing in his recovery from right knee inflammation and could rejoin the Yankees’ rotation for their series against Cleveland this weekend, per Bryan Hoch of MLB.com. Sabathia has been on the IL since July 28.
Recovery Notes: Moncada, Cueto, Dickerson, Nelson, Loaisiga, Luzardo
We’ve already heard of one notable player making progress in his attempt to return from injury yesterday. We’ll round up a few more notes here.
- White Sox star infielder Yoán Moncada took a small step in his return from a hamstring strain that knocked him from action a week and a half ago, reports David Just of the Chicago Sun-Times. He took batting practice and infield drills and emerged feeling optimistic about his outlook. While the switch-hitter noted he still has “some discomfort,” particularly when charging ground balls or hitting right-handed, he’s “feeling better, way better” than he did when he first suffered the injury. There’s no timetable for his return, and the 52-63 White Sox will surely play things cautiously with the 24 year-old, who is a central piece of their rebuild. The former top prospect has actualized his tools this season to slash (an admittedly somewhat BABIP-inflated) .301/.358/.535 (134 wRC+).
- Johnny Cueto made his second rehab appearance in the rookie level Arizona League Friday, tweets Maria Guardado of MLB.com. Guardado notes he maxed out at 92 MPH, right in line with the low-90’s fastball he sported before going down with Tommy John surgery. While the Giants’ miserable August has all but ended any hope they had of a surprise Wild Card run, getting Cueto back on the mound this season could offer something of a morale boost for a still-important piece of the organization. The 33 year-old is guaranteed $47MM for the remainder of his six-year contract ($21MM per year through 2021 with a $5MM buyout on a 2022 club option).
- One of Cueto’s future teammates is about to embark on a rehab assignment of his own. Outfielder Alex Dickerson, who went on the injured list August 1 with an oblique strain, will begin a minor-league assignment Tuesday with Triple-A Sacramento, tweets Andrew Baggarly of the Athletic. The 29 year-old has a laundry list of injuries in his career, but he’s always been a promising offensive player, prompting San Francisco to acquire him in a minor trade with the division-rival Padres. He’s mashed since then, putting together a .386/.449/.773 line in 98 plate appearances.
- Brewers right-hander Jimmy Nelson, who went down in June with an elbow injury, will work out of the bullpen on rehab in Double-A San Antonio, tweets Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Nelson isn’t eligible to be activated until August 26. A burgeoning ace in 2017, Nelson has lost most of the last two seasons to arm injuries. While he returned from an 18-month absence stemming from shoulder surgery in June, his fastball velocity was down over 2 miles per hour from his 2017 peak, per Brooks Baseball, reflecting the toll the surgery had taken. While there may still be hope for the 30 year-old as a starter in the long run, any 2019 impact he can make will be in short stints for the playoff-hopeful Brew Crew.
- Like Nelson, Jonathan Loáisiga may be able to make an impact on a contending bullpen down the stretch. The 24 year-old Yankee right-hander has been out since May 10 with a strained throwing shoulder, but he threw three innings Friday with Triple-A Scranton Wilkes-Barre. As MLB.com Bryan’s Hoch tweets, manager Aaron Boone confirmed Loáisiga could return this week to bolster one of baseball’s top bullpens.
- Another promising young arm is on the doorstep of the big leagues. Jesús Luzardo, Baseball America’s #12 prospect, was unscathed through three rehab innings in the High-A California League, tweets Martín Gallegos of MLB.com. He’ll pitch again at the same level Thursday, Gallegos adds. A lat strain has delayed Luzardo’s big league debut, but scouting reports and his high minors performance indicate he could contribute, if healthy, to the A’s playoff push down the stretch.
Yankees Select Brady Lail And Joe Mantiply, Transfer Stanton To 60-Day IL
9:53 am: Tarpley is set to undergo an MRI on his balky elbow, tweets Bryan Hoch of MLB.com.
9:15 am: The Yankees announced a correction to Tarpley’s injury. He suffered a left elbow impingement, not a shoulder impingement as previously reported.
7:46 am: The Yankees announced today they have selected the contracts of relievers Joe Mantiply and Brady Lail. To create 40-man roster space, the club has transferred Giancarlo Stanton to the 60-day injured list. Infielder Breyvic Valera was optioned to Triple-A Scranton Wilkes-Barre, while left-hander Stephen Tarpley was placed on the 10-day injured list with a left shoulder impingement, opening up active roster spots.
New York just acquired Mantiply from the Reds on Friday. While the acquisition was swung after the hard July 31 deadline, Mantiply was still eligible to be traded because he initially signed a minor-league contract with Cincinnati. The left-hander threw a solid 29 innings in a long relief role for the Reds’ Triple-A affiliate before the trade and will get his second big league crack, having previously pitched five games for the Tigers in 2016.
It’ll be the first MLB go-round for Lail, who turned 26 on Friday. The Yankees’ 18th-round pick out of high school in 2012, Lail hasn’t been among the club’s top 30 farmhands since 2015, per Baseball America, and he went unselected in the Rule V draft last offseason. That said, Lail pitched to a 1.93 ERA with a 36.9% strikeout rate in Double-A this season. Like Manitply, he’s worked multiple innings in the minors and gives the club some long relief depth.
Stanton’s transfer to the 60-day IL is more of a formality than an indicator of any new health problems. He was already known to be out until September, and because his initial 10-day IL placement occurred June 26, he’ll be eligible to return August 26. With a commanding lead in the AL East and stunning production from their fill-in options, the club will surely be cautious with the star slugger.
The club didn’t announce a timetable for Tarpley’s return. The 26 year-old has served as optionable bullpen depth himself this season, pitching dreadfully in the majors- to an 8.24 ERA- but putting up solid results in Scranton. As James Wagner of the New York Times notes, he becomes the 27th different pinstriped player to hit the IL this season, making the club’s 76-41 record all the more remarkable.
Valera, a May waiver claim most notable for his defensive abilities in the infield, has been used sparingly at the big league level this season, but has raked in Triple-A. He’s hitting .328/.402/.532 with more walks than strikeouts for the RailRiders. He’s also bounced around in trade over the past few years, indicating multiple teams view him as a quality depth piece.
East Notes: Scherzer, Voit, Gurriel Jr.
The Nationals shouldered another late-inning loss at Citi Field last night as Sean Doolittle folded in the ninth for four runs and the loss. Max Scherzer‘s return is more vital now than ever for the Nats, but there’s still not a clear timetable for his activation from the injured list. He threw off flat ground yesterday and may follow it up with a bullpen session today, but the Nationals are content being cautious with their ace, per MASN’s Byron Kerr (via Twitter). Joe Ross has stepped up in Scherzer’s absence with back-to-back scoreless outings on the road. Lowering a 9.85 ERA to 6.75 over the course of two starts must feel pretty good for Ross, but Scherzer’s health remains Washington’s focus. When he does return, Washington will decide between Ross and Erick Fedde for the fifth starter spot. Let’s head to the American League for a couple of health updates…
- Yankees first baseman Luke Voit is doing his best to return to the team, but there won’t be a clear timeline until he resumes baseball activities, per George A. King III of the New York Post. He is running now, but hernia surgery remains a possibility for the 28-year-old Missouri native. Voit built upon his surprising 2018 breakout with more of the same this season. In roughly one season’s worth of playing time between this year and last, Voit appeared in 141 games for 577 plate appearances with a .291/.393/.545 line, 34 home runs and 90 RBIs. With a batting champion taking over for Voit at first (DJ LeMahieu) and another unearthed offensive marvel covering for him at third (Gio Urshela), the Yankees aren’t exactly suffering in Voit’s absence. With a 9 1/2 game lead in the division, they are willing to wait out Voit’s injury in the hopes that he can avoid season-ending surgery.
- The Blue Jays are placing outfielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr. on the 10-day injured list, as Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca tweets. He has been diagnosed with a quadriceps strain. Gurriel is one of the many MLB legacies making waves in Toronto this season with an overall batting line of .279/.331/.548 with 19 home runs. Gurriel Jr. struggled early in the season to the point of being sent back to Triple-A, but since returning from a six-week exile in Buffalo, Yuli’s little brother has looked like an All-Star, hitting .295/.344/.591 with all 19 of his home runs coming since his return. The Blue Jays are rapidly putting together a lineup worth talking about, and Gurriel Jr. is no small part of their future.
Yankees Activate Gary Sanchez, Recall Stephen Tarpley, Place Jonathan Holder On IL
Yankees catcher Gary Sanchez will be activated from the injured list today in Toronto, per MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch (via Twitter). The club’s PR department has announced the move as well.
Sanchez is in the midst of another strong season when healthy behind the plate. The nuances of Sanchez’s contributions are self-evident in his power-heavy .229/.299/508 batting line. On-base struggles notwithstanding, Sanchez remains one of the more potent catchers in the game, and his position means his power contributions are of slightly more unique to New York than those of other Yankees’ mashers. Backup Austin Romine has been a surprisingly fair facsimile while hitting .265/.290/.426, but it’s still a position without a ton of reliable depth. This was Sanchez’s second stint on the injured list this season.
Kyle Higashioka was optioned to Scranton Wilkes-Barre to make room. Higashioka, 29, hasn’t seen a ton of playing time, but he has stood in ably when given the opportunity: .256/.250/.590 across just 40 plate appearances.
Left-hander Stephen Tarpley will also be joining the big league club from Triple-A. Tarpley has made 15 appearances with the big league club with an 8.31 ERA/6.56 FIP across 17 1/3 innings. Big league hitters have launched against the 26-year-old Arizona native for 13.5 hits and 2.6 home runs per nine innings. It’s a small sample so far this season for Tarpley, who made the ALDS roster last year after 10 strong outings in September.
Meanwhile, Jonathan Holder was placed on the 1o-day injured list due to right shoulder inflammation. Despite strong peripherals (10 K/9 to 2.4 BB/9, 4.18 K/BB), Holder has struggled to keep the ball in the yard at times, blowing his ERA up to 6.31 (4.45 FIP) across 34 appearances. The 26-year-old has been a steady contributor the last two season for the Yankees – 3.42 ERA over 97 games in 2017 and 2018 – so there’s a fair amount of flukiness in the unusually high number of runs allowed.
Clint Frazier Discusses Minor League Status
Yankees outfielder Clint Frazier must be one of the most discussed minor leaguers in baseball. Some wonder why the 24-year-old, a former top prospect, isn’t on the Yankees. Others ask why the outfielder-laden Yankees haven’t traded him away for immediate pitching help over the past couple years. It doesn’t seem they’ve shown a lot of willingness to add Frazier to their roster or trade hm since sending him back to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in mid-June. Frazier has been stuck in the land of Dunder Mifflin for about two months with no clear end in sight, which he discussed with James Wagner of the New York Times in a piece that’s worth a full read.
Frazier held his own offensively earlier this season in the bigs, where he used what general manager Brian Cashman once called “legendary bat speed” to slash .283/.330/.513 (116 wRC+) with 11 home runs in 209 plate appearances. But that wasn’t enough to keep Frazier in New York. When the team acquired designated hitter Edwin Encarnacion from Seattle on June 15, it demoted Frazier. His defensive issues were among the primary reasons why (and it also helped that he has minor league options remaining).
Frazier had an embarrassing outing in right field, where he was filling in for the then-injured Aaron Judge, during a nationally televised loss to the Red Sox on June 3. That night wasn’t the lone dark hour for Frazier as a defender, though. Rather, Frazier has accounted for minus-11 Defensive Runs Saved and a minus-8 Ultimate Zone Rating in 686 innings since he debuted in 2017.
Cashman, wanting Frazier to become less one-dimensional, was “brutally honest” in a phone call with the player a a few weeks after they sent him down, Frazier told Wagner. To help Frazier, the Yankees have deployed Scranton defensive coach Julio Bordon to work with him in the field. Manager Jay Bell appreciates Frazier’s diligence, informing Wagner, “I can’t tell you enough how impressed I’ve been with the way he’s gone about his work.”
Frazier does indeed seem committed to improving as a fielder, saying, “All my energy is going into being a defender because if I’m fortunate to get that call back, man, I want to be in the outfield and turn heads and people be like, ‘Wow, this guy has been working down there.’”
That may explain why Frazier’s minor league offensive numbers are significantly worse than they are in the majors this year. He has batted an underwhelming .250/.301/.469 (89 wRC+) with seven home runs in 173 trips to the plate. In Frazier’s estimation, though, it’s “crazy” that he’s not in the majors. “It’s one of those things where I know I’m not a finished product, but I don’t know if anyone is a finished product up there. I think I need to be tested against major league pitching and defense in the outfield in every aspect.”
Frazier, however, did admit: “I can’t be mad about my situation. Ultimately, I put myself here.”
Even with Encarnacion, first baseman Luke Voit and outfielder Giancarlo Stanton battling injuries, the Yankees haven’t recalled Frazier. There’s simply still no place for him in New York, which – despite its myriad injuries – is seemingly able to plug in anyone and get a big year from that player.
Veteran outfielder Brett Gardner has continued to get the job done, while fellow outfielders Mike Tauchman and Cameron Maybin have come from nowhere to enjoy magical campaigns. Judge and Aaron Hicks returned from early season injuries a while ago, too, and Mike Ford is logging time at DH/first. Frazier will have to continue waiting for his turn this year, then, and whether the Yankees will give him a real shot next season is difficult to determine. Judge, Stanton and Hicks will be back to start in the outfield, Encarnacion could return as DH, Tauchman won’t have an option remaining and the rock-solid Gardner could re-sign.
Yankees Acquire Joe Mantiply From Reds
The Yankees have acquired left-hander Joe Mantiply from the Reds for cash considerations, per an announcement from New York. Mantiply will report to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
This is the second deal we’ve seen this week in a new MLB landscape that no longer includes an August waiver deadline. Unsurprisingly, it’s a rather minor move – one that will deliver a player who wasn’t on Cincinnati’s 40-man roster to New York’s top minors team. It’ll be the second run with the Yankees for Mantiply, who pitched in Scranton in 2017.
Now 28, Mantiply entered the pros as a 27th-round pick of the Tigers in 2013. He briefly cracked Detroit’s roster in 2016, throwing 2 2/3 innings, but that’s the extent of his big league experience. Mantiply has fared nicely in Triple-A ball, though. He has amassed 117 1/3 innings of 2.99 ERA pitching with 7.8 K/9 and 1.8 BB/9 during his time at the minors’ highest level.
East Injury Notes: Yankees, Braves, Mets
The latest on a few notable injury situations from the East Coast…
- Yankees outfielder Giancarlo Stanton has resumed baseball activities, but the club doesn’t expect him to return before rosters expand in September, George A. King III of the New York Post reports. Stanton has been on the injured list since June 26 with a sprained right knee – the latest ailment in a season packed with them for the former NL MVP. The 29-year-old slugger has collected just 38 plate appearances, but the injury-ravaged Yankees have persevered through his absence and many others en route to the American League’s top record (75-39). Key right-handers Luis Severino and Dellin Betances have accompanied Stanton among this year’s unavailable Yankees, though King explains that both pitchers continue to progress. Shoulder and lat problems have prevented either from throwing a single pitch in the majors this season. They could be crucial late-season reinforcements for a pitching-needy New York club that was unable to make upgrades at last week’s trade deadline.
- The Braves still have no timetable for the return of shortstop Dansby Swanson, manager Brian Snitker said Thursday (via David O’Brien of The Athletic). Swanson has been dealing with a heel issue for more than two weeks, which has primarily left short to Johan Camargo in his stead. Unfortunately for the Braves, though, Camargo has put up a year to forget. Since Swanson went down, Camargo has seen his already weak batting line drop to .217/.267/.333 in 222 plate appearances this season. On the other hand, Swanson was hitting a career-high .265/.330/.468 with 17 home runs in 431 PA when he hit the injured list.
- The Mets sent outfielder Brandon Nimmo to the 60-day IL Thursday in a procedural move, though he could begin a rehab assignment within a week, Mike Puma of the New York Post tweets. After what looked like a breakout 2018 campaign, in which Nimmo slashed .263/.404/.483 with 17 HRs in 535 PA, he has struggled through injuries and poor performance this season. Nimmo hasn’t played since late May because of a bulging disk in his neck, and he limped to a .200/.344/.323 line with three long balls over 161 PA before then. Even without Nimmo, the Mets have gone on an improbable run over the past couple weeks to put themselves firmly in NL wild-card contention. Some of Nimmo’s fellow outfielders, including Michael Conforto, Jeff McNeil and J.D. Davis, have helped lead the charge.