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East Notes: Means, Mets, Yankees, Strasburg

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The Mets made an attempt to acquire left-hander John Means from the Orioles during the offseason, but Baltimore rebuffed New York, per Jon Heyman of MLB Network. The Mets surely weren’t alone in trying to acquire Means, who’s making a minimal salary this year and still has three years of arbitration control remaining. Means proved himself as a capable mid- to back-of-the-rotation starter from 2019-20, but he has taken his game to an entirely different level this season. The 28-year-old has pitched to a microscopic 1.21 ERA with impressive strikeout and walk percentages of 28.0 and 5.3, respectively, over 52 innings. This has been a May to remember for Means, who no-hit the Mariners on the 5th and then tossed six scoreless innings against the team that wanted him, the Mets, this past Tuesday.

Here’s more on the Mets and a couple other East Coast clubs:

  • The Yankees announced Friday that designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton is dealing with tightness in his left quad. The issue sidelined Stanton on Friday, and he’s now “day to day, hopefully nothing more than that,” manager Aaron Boone told Bryan Hoch of MLB.com and other reporters. Stanton endured a pair of injury-ruined seasons from 2019-20, in which he played in 41 of a possible 222 games, but has mostly stayed healthy this year. The 31-year-old slugger has been in excellent form with a .282/.347/.534 line and nine home runs in 144 plate appearances.
  • Sticking with the Yankees, right-hander Luis Severino is at the “start of spring training mode” as he works his way back from February 2020 Tommy John surgery, Boone said Friday (via Marly Rivera of ESPN). Severino threw 23 pitches of live batting practice Friday and averaged between 96 and 97 mph. The 27-year-old was one of the game’s elite starters from 2017-18, leading the Yankees to sign him to a four-year, $40MM extension, though he totaled only 12 innings in 2019 as a result of shoulder problems and hasn’t pitched since. To its credit, New York’s rotation has done well this year without Severino; nevertheless, the team will surely be glad to welcome him back if he’s healthy.
  • Nationals righty Stephen Strasburg will make a Triple-A rehab start on Sunday, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com tweets. Manager Dave Martinez said the hope is that Strasburg will go five innings and throw 75 to 80 pitches. Washington has barely gotten anything in 2021 from Strasburg, who’s in the second season of a seven-year, $245MM contract, as a result of shoulder inflammation. This is the second straight injury-limited year for the former World Series MVP, who has totaled just 15 innings since 2020.
  • Mets third baseman J.D. Davis and reliever Seth Lugo will soon begin rehab assignments at the Triple-A level, Bill Ladson of MLB.com writes. While the Mets hoped Davis would exit the 10-day injured list Saturday, he’s still not ready to come back since suffering a left hand sprain on May 1. The club has gone all season without Lugo, who underwent surgery to remove a bone spur in his right elbow in February. Lugo started in seven of 16 appearances last season, but he’ll return to a relief role when he rejoins the Mets, per manager Luis Rojas.

Brewers Notes: Burnes, Yelich, Godley

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A few updates on the Brewers…

  • Milwaukee will welcome back ace Corbin Burnes from the COVID-19 injured list on Thursday, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com relays. Burnes confirmed Wednesday that he landed on the shelf April 26 as a result of a positive test, but he was asymptomatic and able to continue working out, per Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Prior to going on the IL, the 26-year-old flamethrower got off to a remarkable start with 29 1/3 innings of 1.53 ERA/1.25 SIERA, and he also piled up 49 strikeouts without issuing a single walk. Burnes is now three punchouts away from breaking Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen’s 4-year-old record of 51 strikeouts against no walks to open a season.
  • McCalvy also passes on the latest regarding left fielder Christian Yelich, who hit the 10-day IL for the second time last week because of ongoing back troubles. Yelich has returned to “doing baseball activities,” according to manager Craig Counsell, who didn’t offer a timeline for when he could rejoin their lineup. Yelich’s second IL placement came just one game after the team activated him from a three-week absence. Yelich has appeared in only 10 games and collected 41 plate appearances this year, but the former MVP has hit a rather productive .353/.463/.382 in that short span.
  • The Brewers designated righty Zack Godley for assignment on Monday, and he has since gone unclaimed on waivers, Steve Adams of MLBTR tweets. Godley has up to two days to accept an outright assignment or return to free agency. The Brewers signed the 30-year-old to a minor league contract in March, and they selected his contract April 27. Godley made a start the next day, but he managed only three innings of three earned-run ball before exiting with a right finger injury that required an IL stint.

AL Notes: Tsutsugo, Rangers, Willman, Red Sox

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It “seems inevitable” that Rays infielder/outfielder Yoshi Tsutsugo will lose his roster spot in the near future, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times observes. Although the Rays made a fairly expensive commitment to Tsutsugo prior to 2020, the former Nippon Professional Baseball standout hasn’t lived up to a two-year, $12MM guarantee. This season has been especially rough for the 29-year-old, who has batted a miserable .167/.244/.218 with zero home runs in 87 plate appearances. The Rays still owe Tsutsugo around $5.5MM, Topkin points out, but may decide to move on anyway. Tsutsugo could stay in the organization if they send him down, but he has an assignment clause in his contract and would have to sign off on a demotion. Otherwise, Tsutsugo could collect the remaining money he’s due and try his luck in free agency again.

  • The Rangers announced that they have hired Baseball Savant creator Daren Willman as their Senior Director, Research & Development/Applications for Baseball Operations. Willman, who was the Director of Research & Development for MLB’s Baseball Operations Department, “will be responsible for the development and expansion of the Rangers’ baseball information systems,” the Rangers said. “He will oversee a team of developers in the continued growth and improvement of the organization’s information infrastructure.” Rangers president of baseball operations Jon Daniels stated that he expects Willman to “have a significant impact on our organization.”
  • The Red Sox own the majors’ best record (22-14) and a three-game lead in the American League East. But even if the Red Sox remain in contention around the July 30 trade deadline, the likelihood is that they’ll avoid farm system-altering deals that hurt them over the long haul, Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic suggests (links: 1, 2). Chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom hasn’t shown he’s willing to sacrifice future gains for short-term help, which could rule out dealing valuable prospects for certain pending free agents (e.g., Kris Bryant and Max Scherzer), writes McCaffrey.
  • Having played three rehab games at the High-A level, Red Sox utilityman Danny Santana will make his 2021 Triple-A debut on Tuesday, Alex Speier of the Boston Globe was among those to report. Santana signed a minor league contract with the Red Sox in the offseason, but a foot infection cost him a chance to make their roster during the spring. Assuming Santana doesn’t suffer any setbacks, the Red Sox will have to make a decision on him soon because his deal includes an opt-out clause for this month.

Pitching Notes: Greene, Ynoa, Braves, Twins, Kuhl

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Shane Greene’s long free agent wait ended yesterday when he re-signed with the Braves on a one-year deal worth a prorated $1.5MM.  “It seemed early on that a return to the Braves was his preference,” SKOR North’s Darren Wolfson writes (Twitter link), as Wolfson notes that the Twins were willing to offer Greene more money.  This focus on Atlanta could explain why it took until May for Greene to land a contract, as David O’Brien of The Athletic estimated back in mid-March that the Braves were only willing to spend in the neighborhood of $1MM on Greene — given the prorated nature of Greene’s contract, he’ll end up earning around $1.1 or $1.2MM.

More pitching-related items from around baseball…

  • Another Braves/Twins link is explored by The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal, regarding how Atlanta acquired breakout star Huascar Ynoa from Minnesota back in 2017.  The Braves wanted to move Jaime Garcia at the trade deadline, and initially discussed a trade with the Yankees that would have sent Garcia to the Bronx for then-Yankees prospect Nick Solak.  Once those talks fell through, Atlanta pivoted and sent Garcia to Minnesota, and the Braves “did not do as much diligence on Ynoa as they normally would on a prospect” since their top priority was just to dump the rest of Garcia’s salary.  In fact, Ynoa wasn’t even Atlanta’s first ask from the Twins’ farm system, as Nick Burdi was initially part of the proposed trade.  From being a rather anonymous rookie ball pitcher and an apparent “plan C” type of pickup for the Braves, Ynoa has become an unexpected stalwart of the Atlanta rotation in 2021.  The righty has a 2.23 ERA/3.19 SIERA and an above-average 28.4% strikeout rate and 5.8% walk rate over 40 1/3 innings, plus Ynoa has augmented that pitching production with two home runs and a 1.267 OPS over 15 plate appearances.
  • Pirates right-hander Chad Kuhl threw a live batting practice on Saturday as he continues to recover from right shoulder discomfort.  In a radio interview on 93.7 FM (hat tip to Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette), Pittsburgh GM Ben Cherington said Kuhl will return “before too long” but will first require a minor league rehab assignment.  Kuhl has struggled in his first four starts of the year, posting a 6.32 ERA with more walks (16) than strikeouts (14) over 15 2/3 innings.

Cubs Notes: Marisnick, Heyward, Arrieta

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Cubs center fielder Jake Marisnick made an early exit from Sunday’s 6-5 loss to the Pirates, as a right hamstring strain forced Marisnick to depart during the top of the first inning.  While pursuing a Wilmer Difo fly ball to left-center field, Marisnick seemingly took a bad step and then fell to the ground as Difo’s hit fell for a single.  Marisnick was immediately removed from the game, with Kris Bryant taking over in center field and Joc Pederson replacing Bryant in left field.

Manager David Ross told MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian (Twitter link) and other reporters that Marisnick will undergo further tests tomorrow to determine the extent of the strain.  Hamstring problems were a recurring issue for Marisnick last season when he played for the Mets, as separate injuries to both hamstrings led to two separate trips to the injured list, and he ended up playing only 16 games in 2020.

Signed to a one-year free agent deal worth $1.5MM in guaranteed money, Marisnick was ticketed for a fourth outfielder role for Chicago.  With Ian Happ injured, however, Marisnick has seen more regular duty in center field, and delivered in something of an unexpected way.  Known for his defense more than his hitting over nine MLB seasons, Marisnick’s defense hasn’t been great (-1 Defensive Run Saved, -35.7 UZR/150) over 118 innings in center field, but he is hitting .264/.350/.623 over 60 plate appearances.

If Marisnick’s absence wasn’t enough, Jason Heyward was also removed from the game for a pinch-hitter in the ninth inning due to what Ross described as a problem with his right hand.  Heyward is also undergoing examination from team trainers.  It’s been a tough start to the season for the veteran outfielder, as Heyward is hitting just .173/.239/.317 over his first 113 PA.

The Cubs don’t play on Monday and they also have an off-day on Thursday, so it’s possible Heyward and Marisnick might have enough time to recuperate without a trip to the IL.  That being said, being down two outfielders would leave Chicago pretty short-handed with Happ and Nico Hoerner also sidelined, and it would leave Bryant as the team’s top center field option.  Cameron Maybin, Ian Miller, and Rafael Ortega are all available at Triple-A, though none are on the Cubs’ 40-man roster.

In better injury news for the Cubs, Jake Arrieta is tentatively scheduled to return from the injured list for a start against the Tigers on Friday.  In a pregame chat with reporters (including Gordon Wittenmyer of NBC Sports Chicago), Ross said that Arrieta felt good after a bullpen session yesterday, and would throw another bullpen on Tuesday or Wednesday.  A right thumb abrasion sent Arrieta to the 10-day IL on May 4, so he would miss only the minimum 10 days if he was activated on Friday.  Arrieta has a 4.31 ERA/4.63 SIERA and a below-average 20.7% strikeout rate and 8.9% walk rate over 31 1/3 innings for Chicago this season.

Rays Place Kevin Kiermaier On 10-Day Injured List

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TODAY: Kiermaier was indeed placed on the 10-day injured list prior to today’s game.  Right-hander Louis Head was called up from Triple-A to take Kiermaier’s roster spot.

MAY 8: X-rays are negative on Kevin Kiermaier’s left wrist after the outfielder left today’s game due to what the team described as a wrist sprain.  The injury occurred when Kiermaier was trying to steal second base in the second inning, and the center fielder looked to be in significant pain after jamming his left arm into the bag.

It seems like another trip to the injured list could be in order for Kiermaier, whose career has been defined by both superb center field defense and (unfortunately) his inability to stay on the field.  Kiermaier averaged just 105 games per season from 2016-19 due to a variety of injuries, including a past wrist problem in 2019.  A left quad strain already sidelined Kiermaier for 12 days in April, though if there wasn’t any structural damage on his wrist, he could be able to return to action from this latest issue after another relatively short absence.

The Rays already made an IL move prior to today’s game with the Athletics, as catcher Francisco Mejia was placed on the 10-day injured list due to left intercostal discomfort.  The injury doesn’t appear to be overly serious, as manager Kevin Cash told reporters (including MLB.com’s Justice delos Santos) that the team’s initial hope was that Mejia would be fine after just a couple of days’ off, but a minimum 10-day absence will give time for Mejia to fully recover.

Given how Mejia has played in his debut season in Tampa, the Rays certainly want the young backstop to be free of any lingering injury.  Acquired from the Padres as part of the Blake Snell blockbuster last offseason, Mejia has hit .300/.348/.450 over his first 67 plate appearances for the Rays, helping to bolster a catching spot that has long been a weak link in Tampa Bay’s lineup.

With Mejia out, Mike Zunino will get the bulk of playing time at catcher, while Kevan Smith was added from the taxi squad yesterday when Ryan Yarbrough was temporarily placed on the COVID-19 list.  Yarbrough was already reinstated from the COVID-IL today, after recovering from some vaccine side effects.

To create a 40-man roster spot, Chris Archer was shifted from the 10-day IL to the 60-day IL as the veteran right-hander continues to recover from forearm tightness.  It was roughly two weeks ago that Cash said Archer would need “at least” a couple of more weeks of rehab time, and today’s transaction will push Archer’s return to June at the earliest.  [UPDATE: Archer has been away from the team for several weeks due to a personal matter, and Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times writes that Archer’s mother passed away on May 1.  MLBTR sends our condolences to Archer and his family.]

Quick Hits: deGrom, Mets, Robert, Mondesi, Cron

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Jacob deGrom is scheduled to start Sunday’s game against the Diamondbacks, as the Mets ace reported no ill effects after a bullpen session.  DeGrom was scratched from his last start on Tuesday due to inflammation in his right lat, but “as we did the due diligence and work on it, it wasn’t something that anyone thought was a major issue,” Mets GM Zack Scott told The New York Daily News’ Deesha Thosar and other reporters.

In other Mets injury news, Scott said that Seth Lugo and Noah Syndergaard will begin rehab outings “in a week or so,” with Lugo (bone spur removal surgery) expected to make his 2021 debut by the end of May, and Syndergaard (Tommy John surgery) still ticketed for sometime in June.  The news isn’t as good for infielder Luis Guillorme, as Thosar tweeted yesterday that Guillorme is still feeling discomfort in his injured right oblique when he takes swings.  Guillorme is eligible to be activated from the injured list on Sunday, but he might not return for another week.

More from around baseball…

  • Luis Robert is facing a long absence from the White Sox lineup, but the outfielder will apparently avoid surgery on his Grade 3 hip flexor strain, the team revealed in its pregame notes package (hat tip to MLB.com’s Scott Merkin).  That likely counts as a small bit of good news for Robert, though it probably won’t materially change the possibility that his season could already be over.  The Sox have already announced that Robert will need 12-to-16 weeks just to resume baseball activities.
  • Adalberto Mondesi has yet to play this season due to a right oblique strain, though Royals manager Mike Matheny provided reporters (including MLB.com’s Bill Ladson) with another positive update on the shortstop’s condition.  The switch-hitting Mondesi cannot yet hit from the left side of the plate, though he can take batting practice and swing normally as a right-handed hitter.  Mondesi will soon be working out at the Royals’ Spring Training facility, and it isn’t yet known when he might embark on a rehab assignment.
  • Rockies first baseman C.J. Cron has missed the team’s last two games due to lower back tightness, and manager Bud Black told The Denver Post’s Patrick Saunders and other reporters that it isn’t yet clear if Cron will require an IL placement.  “We’re hoping it resolves itself the next day or two, to avoid the injured list…I think tomorrow and Monday are really big days when we evaluate C.J.,” Black said.  Signed to a minor league deal during the offseason, Cron has been a huge contributor for the Rockies, hitting .290/.394/.495 with five homers over his first 109 PA in a Colorado uniform.

NL Central Notes: Moran, Brewers, Baez, CarMar

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Colin Moran left in the first inning of today’s 3-2 Pirates loss to the Cubs, as Moran experienced some left groin discomfort while making a play at first base.  Moran snagged a line drive and then dove at the bag in an attempt to double Willson Contreras off of first base.  Moran is officially day-to-day, and an injured-list placement would cost the Pirates their top offensive performer of the last two seasons.

Moran is hitting .297/.352/.468 with four home runs thus far in 2021.  Given the forgettable state of his hard-hit ball numbers, it’s safe to say Moran has benefited greatly from his .392 BABIP, though he has been an above-average hitter (103 wRC+, 104 OPS+) since coming to Pittsburgh prior to the 2018 season.  Moran has seen almost all of the action at first base this season, and Todd Frazier is probably the likeliest candidate to fill in should Moran indeed require an IL stint.

More from the NL Central…

  • The Brewers have been hit hard by injuries this season but they’re finally starting to get some better health news.  Catcher Manny Pina (left toe fracture) returned to the lineup today after being sidelined since April 27, while southpaw Brett Anderson (right hamstring strain) is expected to start on Sunday for his first action since April 23.  Manager Craig Counsell also told MLB.com’s Anthony Castrovince and other reporters that Corbin Burnes will throw a bullpen session on Monday and in all likelihood return to the rotation during the Brewers’ upcoming homestand against the Cardinals and Braves.  Burnes was placed on the IL for unspecified reasons on April 29 but the ace looks to make a fairly quick resumption of a possible Cy Young Award-caliber season.  Over 29 1/3 innings, Burnes has a 1.53 ERA and 49 strikeouts, and he has yet to issue a walk.
  • Javier Baez also left today’s Pirates/Cubs game in the seventh inning due to lower back tightness, though it was a “precautionary” removal, as Cubs manager David Ross told NBC Sports Chicago’s Tim Stebbins and other reporters.  “I saw him moving a little bit stiff out there…He just wasn’t moving well, and it doesn’t make sense to push him there,” Ross said.  Baez reported some improvement with his back even after the game ended, though since the Cubs aren’t playing on Monday, it wouldn’t be surprising if Baez is rested on Sunday to give him some extra recovery time.
  • The Cardinals recorded a 9-8 victory over the Rockies today, despite a very shaky outing from Carlos Martinez that saw the starter allow five runs on six hits and five walks over five innings pitched.  After the game, Martinez told Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat (all Twitter links) and other reporters that he was pitching on a twisted ankle.  Manager Mike Shildt said trainers tested Martinez prior to the game and gave him the green light to make the start, and Martinez believes he’ll be ready for his next scheduled start.  The injury occurred during Friday’s game, Martinez said, as he hurt his ankle while standing on the dugout steps to high-five Jack Flaherty after Flaherty hit a home run.

Marlins Notes: Castano, Devers, Sixto

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The Marlins called up Daniel Castano to start today’s game, per Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald (via Twitter). To make room on the roster, Jose Devers was optioned to Triple-A.

Castano has three starts under this belt this season totaling 13 1/3 innings with a 4.73 ERA/5.63 FIP. He was slightly more effective last year with a 3.03 ERA/4.81 FIP across 29 2/3 innings. Castano was part of the Marcell Ozuna trade, coming to Florida with Sandy Alcantara, Zac Gallen, and Magneuris Sierra.

Devers, just 21 years old, went 2-for-12 with five strikeouts and a sac fly. He is the Marlins’ 25th-ranked prospect per Fangraphs. Baseball America named him as the Marlins prospect with the best hit tool; they rank his as the Marlins’ No. 10 prospect. Like Castano, he was acquired via trade. He came to Miami from the Yankees as part of the 2017 Giancarlo Stanton swap.

In other news, the Marlins are hopeful that young phenom Sixto Sanchez will have his shoulder healed enough to make his season debut in June, per Jon Heyman of MLB Network (via Twitter). Sanchez has not yet appeared this season after working his way into a role as the Marlins’ No. 3 starter during last season’s playoff run.

Latest Roster Moves From Twins, Orioles

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The Twins announced a trio of roster moves today. Right-hander Cody Stashak has been optioned to Triple-A, while Derek Law takes his place in the bullpen. Law had to be added to the 40-man roster, so infielder Travis Blankenhorn was designated for assignment.

After proving himself a solid option out of the bullpen for the Twins with 40 innings of 3.15 ERA baseball from 2019-20, Stashak has stumbled badly to start the season. Stashak is still missing bats at a good clip, striking out a robust 36.5 percent of hitters, but his walk rate has skyrocketed to 13.5 percent as well. Fielding Independent Pitching suggest decent work with a 4.20 FIP, but in terms of real world production, Stashak has allowed 10 earned runs in 10 2/3 innings.

If this is the end of Blankenhorn’s Twins’ tenure, it will be a somewhat ignominious one. The 24-year-old appeared in one game this season, pinch-running in extra-innings and scoring a run. He’d go on to make an error in the bottom of the inning on a play that would have ended the game. The A’s beat the Twins a batter later when Luis Arraez followed up Blankenhorn’s blunder with a throwing error of his own. Blankenhorn was a third round draft pick of the Twins in the 2015 draft, and he obviously has more to offer a Major League club than he’s had the opportunity to show this season.

If someone puts in a claim for Blankenhorn, it’ll be the second player lost on waivers by the Twins this week. The Orioles claimed left-hander Brandon Waddell off waivers from the Twins today, per Steve Melewski of MASNsports.com (via Twitter). He has been assigned to Triple-A. Waddell was designated for assignment by the Twins yesterday to make room on the 40-man roster for Trevor Larnach.

In order to make the claim, the Orioles designated Jay Flaa for assignment, notes Roch Kubatko of MASNsports. Flaa logged 1 1/3 scoreless on April 27th for the Orioles in his only big league action of his career.

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