Roster Notes: Rangers, Cubs, Pirates
The Rangers announced a pair of interlocking roster moves today, optioning Spencer Howard to Triple-A and recalling outfielder Zach Reks. Howard has been shelled in 6 2/3 innings of work this season, working to a 12.15 ERA, but the demotion is reportedly more about building him up as a “full-fledged” starter, per Jeff Wilson of Rangerstoday.com (via Twitter). Whatever the reason for the move, the Rangers will surely want to see a more productive couple of appearances in Triple-A out of Howard.
Reks, meanwhile, steps right into the starting lineup, starting today’s ballgame in left field. It will be Reks first appearance with the Rangers after being acquired from the Dodgers this past November. In other roster moves…
- The Cubs have optioned Mark Leiter Jr. to Triple-A, activating Locke St. John in his place, per Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune (via Twitter). Leiter Jr. appeared in four games for the Cubs, starting three, but yielding nine earned runs over 10 1/3 innings. St. John, meanwhile, was recently added to the 40-man roster to satisfy a condition of the minor league contract he signed over the winter. For now, he’ll join Daniel Norris and Sean Newcomb in a full Chicago bullpen.
- The Pirates have reinstated Cole Tucker from the COVID Injured List and optioned Tucupita Marcano to Double-A in order to give the infielder regular playing time, per Kevin Gorman of Tribune-Review Sports (via Twitter). Marcano, still just 22, was promoted to fill the void in the short-term. He was the key piece in last season’s trade that sent Adam Frazier to the Padres.
AL Notes: Blue Jays, White Sox
The Blue Jays have sent southpaw Tayler Saucedo to the 10-day injured list with right hip discomfort. Taking his roster spot, Bowden Francis has been brought back to the active roster, per Keegan Matheson of MLB.com (via Twitter). Francis was only just optioned to Triple-A yesterday. Saucedo was roughed up in 2 2/3 innings of work, yielding four earned runs and six hits, including three home runs.
- The Blue Jays have a couple of key players that might be coming back soon. Teoscar Hernandez and Hyun Jin Ryu have both returned to baseball activities and could be gearing up for a rehab assignment, per The Athletic’s Kaitlyn McGrath. Ross Stripling has held the line in Ryu’s stead, but the offense could use a jolt of Hernandez’s trademark power.
- Yoan Moncada is beginning his rehab assignment today, per the lineup card posted by the Charlotte Knights’ Twitter account. An oblique strain has kept Moncada out of the lineup for the entirety of the season thus far. 26-year-old Jake Burger has been starting games at third in his stead, slashing .260/.275/.420, good for a 105 wRC+ despite walking at just a 1.9% clip.
- X-rays on Andrew Vaughn‘s hand came back negative. He was hit on the hand with a pitch in yesterday’s game. He’s day-to-day for now, per The Athletic’s James Fegan (via Twitter). Vaughn has gotten off to a hot start at the plate, slashing .283/.367/.566 across 60 plate appearances.
Angels Notes: Maddon, Fletcher, Ward
Angels manager Joe Maddon signed a three-year, $12MM contract when hired over the 2019-20 offseason. Headed into year three, the longtime big league skipper is in a lame duck situation. Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports, however, that the contract also contains a $4MM option for next season that would vest if the Angels reach the World Series.
That may not wind up being an especially meaningful provision. After all, if the Angels win the American League pennant, it’d stand to reason owner Arte Moreno and general manager Perry Minasian would want to keep Maddon around on a long-term deal anyhow. Nevertheless, Heyman writes that the team “deferred discussion” on a possible contract extension over this past offseason. The Angels finished below .500 in each of Maddon’s first two seasons at the helm, but they’ve gotten off to an excellent 14-7 start in 2022. The 68-year-old Maddon is amidst his 17th consecutive season as an MLB manager; he has overseen eight playoff teams, including a 2008 AL pennant winner in Tampa Bay and the Cubs’ 2016 World Series team.
In other news out of Anaheim:
- The Angels activated David Fletcher from the injured list prior to this evening’s win over the White Sox. He returned to the starting lineup, getting the nod at shortstop and hitting a pair of doubles. Fletcher went on the IL on April 12 with a left hip strain and spent a little less than three weeks on the shelf. The 27-year-old was the Angels’ primary second baseman last season, but all five of his starts this year have come at shortstop. Matt Duffy and Tyler Wade have been the top options at the keystone, and both players have gotten off to nice starts. Andrew Velazquez, who saw the bulk of the shortstop time while Fletcher was out, has struggled. The Halos optioned Jack Mayfield to Triple-A Salt Lake to create active roster space for Fletcher, seemingly leaving Duffy and Wade as the second base tandem with Velazquez as utility depth.
- Taylor Ward has been one of the league’s most surprising performers in the early going. After opening the season on the injured list due to a groin strain, the 28-year-old returned to action on April 16. Ward has tallied 58 plate appearances in the two weeks since then and has gotten off to a blistering .404/.517/.830 start. He’s connected on five home runs and has a massive 19% walk rate, and the Halos have responded by pushing him to the top of the lineup. Ward discussed his hot start with Sam Blum of the Athletic this week, pointing to a more deliberate and selective approach in the batter’s box for his excellent results. Obviously, Ward isn’t going to continue to produce at this otherworldly level, but he quietly had an above-average .250/.332/.438 showing in 65 games last season. Even before his early-season tear, Maddon had declared Ward his primary right fielder. Each of Ward, Mike Trout and Brandon Marsh have hit the ground running, and the Angels have gotten by far the best outfield production of any team in MLB through the season’s first month.
Injury Notes: Acuna, Flaherty, Lewis
The Braves got a huge boost today, with superstar outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. returning to the team and the lineup after an absence of over nine months due to an ACL tear last year. However, the club will still be trying to gradually ramp things up for him, according to David O’Brien of The Athletic, who relays word from manager Brian Snitker. Acuna will reportedly have something less than a full workload, getting occasional days in the designated hitter slot or sitting out day games after night games or missing games after playing and traveling the same day. This plan is intended to go until July 22, which is all fairly sensible given that Acuna is incredibly valuable to the team and is coming off a long layoff from a very serious injury. It’s worth pointing out, though, that Snitker also said the situation is fluid and will be re-evaluated daily. Acuna’s already beaten a timeline in his rehab once, as the club was targeting a May 6 return, but he’s back in the lineup tonight and has already stolen two bases, tying himself for the team lead on the year. No one should be surprised if he alters the plan and finds a way to take the reins off sooner rather than later. In fact, he might not even be aware of the plan, as he had this to say about the idea of him sitting on Friday: “I don’t know who said the plan was for me not to play. The way I’m looking at it is, I’m playing tomorrow. So I guess we’ll see what happens.” O’Brien later clarified that the club did tell Acuna about the plan, but he was too excited about his return to hear it. (Twitter links)
Some other health updates from around the league:
- Cardinals righty Jack Flaherty is making progress towards a return, as manager Oliver Marmol tells Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat that Flaherty will throw off a mound in the second week of May. He’s been dealing with an ailing shoulder since Spring Training began, the same shoulder that put him on the shelf for about a month last year. The club has been able to weather his absence so far, starting the season 11-7. The rotation has four pillars in Adam Wainwright, Miles Mikolas, Dakota Hudson and Steven Matz, but one wild card in Jordan Hicks. After working exclusively as a reliever since his MLB debut in 2018, Hicks has made two starts recently, throwing 46 pitches over 3 innings in the first outing, followed by 42 pitches over 2 innings in the second. Time will tell if this transition will work out, but there’s no question a healthy Flaherty will improve things, either by sending Hicks back to the bullpen or covering for an injury to someone else down the line. In 2019, he threw 196 1/3 innings with a 2.75 ERA, 29.9% strikeout rate and 7.1% walk rate, coming in fourth in NL Cy Young voting that year.
- It’s been almost a year since Kyle Lewis has played a major league game, with his last appearance coming May 31 of last year. A torn meniscus ended his season, with Lewis hitting many obstacles on the road to recovery since then. In a sign of progress, Mariners president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto tells Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times that Lewis is now participating in games at extended spring training, both playing in the outfield and slotting into the designated hitter role. None of the Mariners’ three regular outfielders are off to a blazing start to the season, as Julio Rodriguez, Jarred Kelenic and Jesse Winker each have a wRC+ between 54 and 77. (League average is 100.) Mitch Haniger was also off to a sluggish start before being sidelined by a positive Covid test. If Lewis can get back to his pre-injury form, he’d provide a boost to the lineup, as his career batting line is .258/.343/.450, 121 wRC+.
COVID Notes: Pirates, Brewers, Giants
A few players landed on the COVID-19 injured list today. It’s not clear whether anyone in this group tested positive for the virus or has been identified as a close contact or a symptomatic individual. Players on the COVID IL don’t count against a team’s 40-man roster.
The latest virus-related situations:
- The Pirates placed outfielders Bryan Reynolds and Cole Tucker on the injured list before this evening’s game against the Brewers. Prospects Tucupita Marcano and Jack Suwinski were recalled to take their place on the active roster. Each of Reynolds and Tucker has struggled in the early going, but the former was one of the game’s best players last season and figures to turn things around whenever he’s ready to return. Marcano and Suwinski were both acquired from the Padres in last summer’s Adam Frazier deal. It’s the first MLB call for the 23-year-old Suwinski, who was selected onto the 40-man roster last offseason. The left-handed outfielder is off to a fantastic .353/.421/.686 start with Double-A Altoona this year.
- The Brewers had their own virus-related move before tonight’s game. Catcher Víctor Caratini went on the IL this afternoon. Backstop Alex Jackson, acquired from the Marlins during Spring Training, has been recalled from Triple-A Nashville in a corresponding move. Caratini has appeared in eight games as part of a loose early-season platoon with Omar Narváez. The latter will probably assume the lion’s share of work behind the dish so long as Caratini is sidelined. Jackson has hit .229/.300/.429 with a pair of homers in ten games with the Sounds.
- The Giants have placed reliever Zack Littell on the IL, tweets Maria Guardado of MLB.com. Kervin Castro has been recalled to take his place on the active roster. Littell has gotten off to a nice start to the season, tossing six scoreless innings in as many appearances. He’s allowed four hits, struck out five and has yet to issue a walk. Littell pitched to a 2.92 ERA in 61 2/3 frames last year.
NL Central Notes: Shelton, India, Stephenson, Miley
Terms weren’t reported on Derek Shelton’s contract when he was first hired as the Pirates‘ manager in November 2019, but The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal writes that Shelton’s deal is believed to run through the 2023 campaign. That would make it a four-year commitment to Shelton, who has only a 95-158 record during his two-plus years of managing the rebuilding team. While nobody expected Shelton to win given his threadbare rosters, progress of some type is expected, so Rosenthal feels there could be some questions asked if the Pirates post another 100-loss season. However, Rosenthal also notes that “Shelton has served almost as an assistant general manager” to GM Ben Cherington.
Speaking to a broader point of Rosenthal’s piece about skippers around baseball, he writes that “GMs of tanking teams, in particular, often are reluctant to hold managers responsible for the non-competitive clubs they’ve assembled, knowing a dismissal will only lead to greater scrutiny of their own actions.” While there are certainly some managers on shorter-term deals who are under additional pressure in 2022, it remains to be seen how many of these skippers might actually be let go after the year.
More from around the NL Central…
- The Reds might be able to activate Jonathan India from the 10-day IL on Tuesday, his first day of eligibility to return. India has taken grounders and run the bases on each of the last two days, and told MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon and other reporters that he is “feeling great,” though “I’m not going to push anything to come back right now.” India has been out of action with a right hamstring strain, and is one of 11 Cincinnati players on the injured list
- Tyler Stephenson is on the seven-day version of the IL after suffering a concussion on April 20, and manager David Bell told Sheldon and company that the catcher will likely be sidelined until early May. Bell even implied that Stephenson may not join the Reds during an upcoming road trip that runs April 29 to May 5, if just for precautionary reasons in advance of a possible May 6 activation.
- Wade Miley has yet to make his Cubs debut due to left elbow inflammation that arose during Spring Training, but the veteran southpaw is getting closer to pitching. 670 The Score’s Bruce Levine (Twitter link) was among those to report that Miley came out of a 50-pitch side session on Saturday with no issues, and Miley is now lined up to throw a live batting practice session on Wednesday. Miley is loosely scheduled to be activated off the 10-day IL sometime in May, though a more exact date will be known as the left-hander takes more steps in the recovery process.
AL Central Notes: Kwan, Tigers, Funkhouser, Manning, Mize, Kirilloff
The Guardians suffered a 10-2 defeat to the Yankees and also lost outfielder Steven Kwan to right hamstring tightness in the third inning. Kwan started the game in left field and made his first two plate appearances before being replaced in the field in the bottom of the third. Guardians manager Terry Francona told MLB.com’s Joe Trezza and other reporters that it was a “preventative” removal for Kwan, and that the outfielder is day-to-day.
Making his MLB debut on Opening Day, Kwan has been one of the season’s early stories, hitting a whopping .341/.456/.500 over his first 57 plate appearances. Quite a bit of that production came in Kwan’s first five games, yet there is still plenty of hope that the rookie can stick as Cleveland’s everyday left fielder. Depending on his hamstring’s status, however, Kwan might soon be making his first trip to the big league IL. Kwan missed almost seven weeks of the 2021 Triple-A season while dealing with a strain of that same right hamstring.
More injury updates from around the AL Central…
- Kyle Funkhouser has yet to pitch this season due to a right shoulder strain, and the Tigers moved him yesterday from the 10-day IL to the 60-day IL. “We’re trying to resolve the symptoms before we can progress more aggressively,” Hinch said. “The timeline made it virtually impossible for him to be back prior to the 60 days,” manager A.J. Hinch told reporters (including The Detroit News’ Chris McCosky). Hinch also noted that Funkhouser is speaking with doctors about whether or not surgery could be required, so the reliever could be facing a much longer absence than just the minimum 60 days.
- In other Tigers news, Hinch said that Casey Mize will be resuming his throwing program today at the team’s spring training facility in Lakeland. Mize was placed on the 10-day IL on April 15 with a sprained MCL, though there were already early indications that the former first overall pick wouldn’t be out of action for too long, and that he has escaped a more serious injury. Matt Manning is also headed to Lakeland but won’t yet begin throwing, as his right shoulder was still feeling some discomfort when Manning threw off flat ground yesterday. Despite this update, Hinch said Manning didn’t have “a setback. It’s nothing we are overly concerned about. It’s just a slower ramp to playing catch before we get him back on the mound.”
- Twins outfielder Alex Kirilloff is slated to begin a Triple-A rehab assignment on Tuesday, according to multiple reporters (including Betsy Helfand of The St. Paul Pioneer Press). Right wrist inflammation sent Kirilloff to the injured list on April 13, so between the injury absence and a dismal 1-for-17 start to the season, Kirilloff will be looking for a reset once he returns to Minnesota’s lineup. Most importantly, Kirilloff and the Twins hope that this is the end of his wrist problems, as the former top prospect also underwent ligament surgery last year.
Injury Notes: Bell, Voit, deGrom, Walker
Josh Bell left today’s 5-2 Nationals loss to the Giants due to tightness in his right hamstring. Bell walked and advanced to third base during the bottom of the second, but was replaced in the field for the top of the third inning. Nationals manager Davey Martinez said Bell was undergoing an MRI, which would mark the second MRI of the week for the first baseman after tests were negative on his left knee. Soreness in that left knee also forced Bell to make an early exit from Washington’s game on Wednesday.
Given that previous injury, Martinez told reporters (including Bobby Blanco of MASNsports.com) that “I want to be cautious” with Bell’s status. More will be known when the MRI results are in, but the Nationals might still opt to sit Bell on Sunday with an off-day coming up Monday, in the hopes that two days of rest will get him ready for Tuesday’s game with the Marlins. Apart from Bell and Juan Soto, the Nats are almost entirely off to a slow offensive start, so any time missed for Bell (batting .345/.446/.509 over his first 67 plate appearances) is a big loss for the D.C. lineup.
More injury news from around baseball….
- Luke Voit has been bothered by a lingering right biceps problems, the Padres first baseman told The San Diego Union-Tribune’s Jeff Saunders and other reporters. With only a .143/.315/.167 slash line over his first 54 PA, Voit bluntly described himself as “a waste of an at-bat right now. I’m not doing the team any good. I played through injuries last year and it’s really hard.” Voit isn’t in tonight’s lineup, and while manager Bob Melvin indicated that Voit could be available to pinch-hit, a trip to the injured list might be necessary.
- In an update on Jacob deGrom, the Mets ace underwent MRI and CT scans yesterday, manager Buck Showalter told The New York Post’s Mike Puma and other reporters. The MRI came a few days earlier than initially expected, though regardless, it doesn’t seem as though the Mets will have a plan of action in place anyway until doctors have fully reviewed the results. A stress reaction in deGrom’s right scapula during Spring Training resulted in a four-week shutdown, and these test results will mark the next step in the right-hander’s recovery process. If all goes well, deGrom could be cleared to start throwing, and a possible timetable could be floated for deGrom’s 2022 debut.
- Taijuan Walker is much closer to his return, as Showalter told reporters (including MLB.com’s Jake Rill) that the right-hander is tentatively set to face the Phillies on either Friday or Saturday. Walker tossed two innings in his first Mets start of the season but has since been on the 10-day IL recovering from shoulder bursitis. After throwing a side session yesterday, Walker is now lined up for either a minor league rehab start or a simulated game on Tuesday.
Rays Notes: No-Hit Bid, Suzuki, Yarbrough
The Rays tossed nine no-hit innings against the Red Sox today, but while the no-no was erased during a wild tenth inning, Kevin Kiermaier‘s walkoff homer gave Tampa a 3-2 victory. Six different Rays pitchers combined to hold Red Sox batters without a hit or a run over the game’s first nine innings, yet the Tampa Bay lineup was also shut out (on two hits) against Boston pitching. The Sox finally broke out for two hits and two runs in the top of the 10th, yet the Rays roared back in the bottom half of the inning for what might already be the most unusual win of their season.
This is the 15th time in Major League history that a would-be no-hitter wasn’t broken up until extra innings, and only the second time that such a game was tossed by more than one pitcher. Matt Garza‘s gem on July 26, 2010 remains the only no-hitter in Rays franchise history. Tampa has been on the wrong end of no-hit games on five occasions, with three of those five being perfect games (from Mark Buehrle, Dallas Braden, and Felix Hernandez).
Some more notes from St. Pete…
- Seiya Suzuki was known to be on the Rays’ target list during the offseason, and the club was apparently prepared to make a big investment. Jon Heyman of The New York Post reports that the Rays’ offer to Suzuki was “close” to the five-year, $85MM deal the outfielder eventually landed from the Cubs. Between this push for Suzuki and the Rays’ even more surprising interest in Freddie Freeman this past winter, it could hint that Tampa Bay is prepared to be more financially aggressive than usual in its pursuit of a World Series, which might set the stage for some interesting trade possibilities as the deadline approaches. It also seems like the Rays were onto something with Suzuki, given how he has been on fire for the first two weeks of his Major League career.
- Ryan Yarbrough is set to throw a rehab start at Triple-A today, Rays manager Kevin Cash told The Tampa Bay Times’ Marc Topkin and other reporters. If all goes well, it could line Yarbrough up to be activated from the 10-day injured list in time to start the Rays’ game with the Mariners on Thursday. Yarbrough has yet to pitch this season due to a groin injury. Working as a reliever, opener, bulk pitcher, and traditional starter over his four MLB seasons, Yarbrough has a 4.30 ERA over 499 2/3 career innings with Tampa.
Phillies Notes: Harper, Bohm
An MRI on Bryce Harper‘s injured right elbow came back clean, but it will still be a few days before he can take the field again, per The Athletic’s Matt Gelb. In fact, if it weren’t for the designated hitter now being a part of the National League, Harper would have been placed on the injured list, Gelb notes. He will stay on the roster and in the lineup as the designateted hitter.
With Harper at least temporarily entrenched as the DH, the Phillies’ defense will take a hit with Kyle Schwarber and Nick Castellanos in the outfield corners and Rhys Hoskins at first base. All three players would probably DH in a best-case scenario.
Harper’s injury, though hopefully short-term, highlights a larger roster issue for the Phillies. The outfield trio of Harper, Schwarber, and Castellanos aren’t going anywhere, but the Phillies could look to shake up the roster down the line by moving Hoskins or Alec Bohm. The younger Bohm has struggled defensively at the hot corner, and they could move him to first if they decide to move on from Hoskins, who has one more season of arbitration before free agency.
The club has also considered trading Bohm, however, notes The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal. In just 12 games this season, Bohm’s value has already experienced wild swings in both directions. A three-error game at third saw him pushed to the bench for a few games, but in the last couple of days, Bohm’s bat has taken off. Such variance for a young player like Bohm is exactly why finding a trade partner is such a difficult task.