Injury Notes: Contreras, Springer, Dozier
The Cubs‘ 2-1 victory over the Cardinals last night came with some pain for Willson Contreras, as the backstop was hit in the wrist while trying to catch a pitch from Craig Kimbrel in the 10th inning. Contreras remained in the game after being checked out by trainers, though Cubs manager David Ross told reporters (including MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian) that he initially was worried that Contreras had broken his wrist.
While it seems like the worst has been avoided, Contreras could quite possibly sit out Chicago’s next game (on Tuesday against the Pirates) for precautionary reasons, and an injured-list trip probably shouldn’t be ruled out given the vagaries of wrist injuries. This would create a vacuum behind the plate for the Cubs, as normal backup Austin Romine is on the 60-day IL due to a sprained wrist. Rookie P.J. Higgins is current acting as Contreras’ backup, and veterans Tony Wolters and Jose Lobaton are at Triple-A but not on the 40-man roster — Wolters was only just outrighted off the 40-man on Saturday.
More on other injury situations from around baseball..
- There isn’t much new on George Springer‘s status, as Blue Jays manager Charlie Montoyo told reporters (including Sportsnet’s Ben Nicholson-Smith) that Springer is “improving” but there isn’t yet any sense of when the outfielder might begin a rehab assignment or be ready to rejoin the lineup. Springer is, however, accompanying the Jays on their upcoming road trip. Due to an oblique strain and a pair of quad strains, Springer has played in only four games for Toronto this season.
- The Royals moved Hunter Dozier from the seven-day concussion IL to the regular 10-day IL, which could be a hint that he is nearing a return to the lineup. Dozier went to the seven-day IL on May 14 after a collision with Jose Abreu on the basepaths, so he has already been absent for the minimum 10 days and could be activated as early as tomorrow, when the Royals begin a series against the Rays. Dozier has already played in two Triple-A rehab games. Over 124 plate appearances this season, Dozier has yet to get going, as he has hit only .139/.202/.339 with five homers.
West Notes: Angels, Adell, Mariners, France, Diamondbacks, Widener
Angels manager Joe Maddon spoke with his GM Perry Minasian about potentially turning to top prospect Jo Adell in the wake of Mike Trout‘s injury, per Mike DiGiovanna of the LA Times (via Twitter). Ultimately, the Angels feel Adell needs more development time and that takes precedence to the team’s need in the short-term. Adell has hit .246/.319/.631 in Triple-A, but his strikeout rate remains disconcertingly high at 36.1 percent. Elsewhere out west…
- Ty France could be back as early as tomorrow for the Mariners, per Corey Brock of the Athletic (via Twitter). Left wrist inflammation sent France to the injured list in the middle of May. France has walked at a career-best 10.5 percent rate in 153 plate appearances this season, but his numbers have otherwise been a touch down from last year. Still, despite a .278 BABIP and .137 ISO, both of which should rebound at least a touch, France has still been five percent better than average with the bat. If he’s not back on Tuesday, the Mariners regardless expect him to return at some point in their series against Oakland.
- Taylor Widener was removed from his start today with right groin discomfort, per Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic (via Twitter). Widener had just been activated from the injured list after a groin injury, so this is certainly an unwelcome development for the right-hander. He lasted just 1 2/3 innings before handing the ball to the bullpen. The bullpen did a nice job keeping the Diamondbacks in the game, but they ultimately lost 4-3 to the Rockies, their eighth straight loss.
Mets Notes: Carrasco, Yamamoto, Pillar, Nimmo
Carlos Carrasco is still weeks away at the minimum from returning to make his Mets’ debut, per Tim Healey of Newsday (via Twitter). Jordan Yamamoto, one of the candidates to keep Carrasco’s rotation spot warm, left his start today with right shoulder soreness, per Healey. Today was just Yamamoto’s second appearance of the season and his first start. He took the loss surrendering five runs (four earned) on six hits and two walks with two strikeouts. The rotation is not the only area of concern for the first-place Mets, however…
- Kevin Pillar underwent surgery to repair his broken nose on Friday, but he could be ready for baseball activities as early as next week, per Ken Davidoff of the New York Post. Pillar suffered a gruesome injury back on May 17th, taking a direct hit from a Jacob Webb fastball. The Mets centerfield depth chart has been decimated in the early going with Pillar, Brandon Nimmo, and Albert Almora landing on the injured list. Johneshwy Fargas has been the starter in center since Pillar went down, holding his own through 18 plate appearances thanks to three extra-base hits and solid glovework.
- Nimmo, the opening day starter in center, remains out due to a frustrating finger injury that just won’t go away. “It’s been extremely frustrating, because obviously when it happened I thought this might be a few days,” said Nimmo, per Zach Braziller of the New York Post. A rehab assignment was shut down when pain returned, and Nimmo and the Mets continue to wait for the finger to be pain free before sending him out on another assignment.
Injury Notes: Wacha, Widener, Arroyo, Wood, Engel
Michael Wacha will return from the 10-day injured list to start the Rays‘ game against the Blue Jays today. As noted by Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times, the plan is for Wacha and Josh Fleming to essentially work in a piggyback capacity today, with Wacha handling the first couple of innings before Fleming takes over for a longer stint. Brent Honeywell Jr. was already optioned to Triple-A yesterday to create roster room for Wacha’s return.
Wacha has been out of action since May 4 due to right hamstring tightness. After signing a one-year, $3MM free agent deal with Tampa this winter, Wacha’s first 28 1/3 innings with the Rays has resulted in a 4.76 ERA/4.06 SIERA. An above-average 6.9% walk rate is just about the only good news for Wacha advanced metric-wise, as his Statcast numbers have been quite underwhelming.
More injury updates from around baseball…
- Taylor Widener has been activated off the 10-day injured list, the Diamondbacks announced. The right-hander will get the start today’s game against the Rockies, and he will take the roster spot left open when Josh VanMeter was optioned to Triple-A yesterday. Widener hasn’t pitched since April 22 due to a right groin strain, after posting some solid bottom-line numbers (a 2.82 ERA in 22 1/3 innings) in four starts for the D’Backs, though Statcast indicates Widener had quite a bit of good fortune in managing that quality ERA. Arizona’s rotation will get a bit closer to full health with Widener back, as Zac Gallen and Luke Weaver are still on the injured list.
- Red Sox infielder Christian Arroyo will likely be activated from the injured list on Tuesday, manager Alex Cora told MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo and other reporters. A left hand contusion sent Arroyo to the 10-day IL on May 9 (retroactive to May 7) after he was hit by a pitch. Arroyo cooled down after a strong start to the season, but he still has a respectable .275/.333/.377 slash line in 76 PA, serving as Boston’s regular second baseman.
- Hunter Wood was removed from last night’s game due to what the Rangers termed as right elbow tightness. Wood recorded two outs and issued a walk after entering last night’s game in the seventh inning, but then departed in the midst of an Alex Bregman plate appearance. Wood has a 3.60 ERA in five innings out of the Texas bullpen this season, after signing a minor league deal with the team during the offseason.
- Adam Engel told The Athletic’s James Fegan (Twitter links) and other reporters that his minor league rehab assignment will begin tomorrow. The White Sox outfielder has yet to play this season due to a hamstring strain, as Engel explained that his rehab was slowed by a further injury that tore the muscle off his tendon, increasing his strain from a Grade 2 to a Grade 3.
Nationals Place Will Harris, Victor Robles On 10-Day Injured List
11:37AM: In a change of course, the Nationals have now placed Robles on the 10-day IL (retroactive to May 20) due to the right ankle sprain. No corresponding move has been announced with less than a half-hour before the Nats take the field against the Orioles, so the Nats will only have 25 active players today.
11:33AM: The Nationals placed right-hander Will Harris on the 10-day injured list today, as Harris is again bothered by right hand inflammation. The same injury sent Harris to the IL earlier this season and kept him from making his season debut until May 4. Righty Kyle McGowin has been called up from Triple-A to take Harris’ spot on the active roster.
Harris had a blood clot removed from his right arm back in March, and there was some thought that he might require thoracic outlet syndrome surgery, though that much more extensive procedure wasn’t necessary. That said, Harris was still dealing with inflammation almost a month after the blood clot’s removal, and it seems as though it has been a persistent problem for the veteran reliever that finally required another IL visit.
Needless to say, Harris’ pitching has been impacted by his injury, as he has a 9.00 ERA over six innings this season. Yesterday’s rough outing against the Orioles might have been the proverbial last straw, as Harris faced three Baltimore hitters and allowed two runs without recording an out in an eventual 12-9 Washington victory.
In other injury news for the District team, Victor Robles isn’t in today’s starting lineup, as the outfielder continues to nurse a sprained right ankle. Robles hasn’t played since suffering the injury on Wednesday, and X-rays on Robles’ ankle were negative and an MRI revealed the sprain.
Manager Davey Martinez told MASNsports.com’s Mark Zuckerman and other reporters that Robles did some hitting off a tee yesterday. Since the Nationals don’t have a game on Monday, Martinez said the hope is that two more days off will allow Robles to be ready by Tuesday, so a trip to the injured list can be avoided. Andrew Stevenson has been filling in as the Nats’ center fielder while Robles is sidelined, and Yadiel Hernandez is also on hand for further outfield depth.
Robles’ injury is particularly poorly timed, as he had a 1.206 OPS over his last 20 plate appearances and was showing signs of emerging from his season-long slump. Even with that hot streak, Robles was hitting only .246/.348/.325 over 133 PA, but was still helping the Nationals with his customary strong defense up the middle.
Injury Notes: Bellinger, McKinstry, Martinez, Velasquez, Wacha
Cody Bellinger and Zach McKinstry will each begin Triple-A rehab stints today, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told MLB.com’s Juan Toribio and other reporters. Bellinger played in just four games this season before suffering what was originally thought to be a left calf contusion, but later diagnosed as a hairline fracture in his left leg. Considering the long layoff, Bellinger’s rehab stint figures to be more than just a game or two, but the team didn’t put any sort of timeline on a potential return.
McKinstry went on the 10-day injured list on April 23 due to a right oblique strain, which interrupted a very impressive start to the season for the rookie utilityman. McKinstry had a .296/.328/.556 slash line and three home runs over his first 58 plate appearances, and saw time at four different positions (second base, third base, both corner outfield spots). Getting both Bellinger and McKinstry back soon will be an enormous help to a Dodgers team that has already had even its considerable depth tested by a long list of injuries.
More on some other injury situations around baseball…
- The Cardinals announced that Carlos Martinez has been activated from the 10-day injured list, and the righty will start tonight’s game against the Cubs. Martinez was (retroactively) placed on the IL with a right ankle injury on May 9, so he’ll end up missing only slightly more than the minimum 10 days. Martinez has managed a 4.35 ERA over 41 1/3 innings this season despite one of the game’s lowest strikeout rates (12.6%) and a very unflattering set of Statcast numbers.
- Vince Velasquez was scratched shortly before his scheduled start last night against the Marlins, as Velasquez felt numbness in his index finger. “It was very hard for me to even grip the ball,” Velasquez told NBC Sports Philadelphia’s Jim Salisbury and other reporters, though he is “not worried at all” and expects to make his next start. Phillies manager Joe Girardi was rather less certain, calling the issue “something that we’re concerned about.” Velasquez previously underwent surgery in 2017 to correct a numbness problem in his right middle finger, and that same finger had a brief bout of numbness this past weekend, he said. Since moving back into the Phils’ rotation on April 23, Velasquez had posted a 2.84 ERA and 26.4% strikeout rate over 25 1/3 innings, helping add some stability to the back end of the Philadelphia staff.
- Rays right-hander Michael Wacha is expected to return soon from the 10-day injured list, likely during the club’s four-game series with the Blue Jays that begins tonight. Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash told MLB.com’s Adam Berry and other reporters that Wacha looked good during a simulated game on Wednesday. Right hamstring tightness sent Wacha to the IL on May 4, after he’d posted a 4.76 ERA in his first 28 1/3 innings of the season. Despite a 4.06 SIERA, advanced metrics aren’t friendly overall to Wacha, who is allowing a ton of hard contact and has a .400 xwOBA that soars above his .317 wOBA.
Minor MLB Transactions: 5/18/21
The latest minor moves from around the game…
- The Twins have released right-hander Glenn Sparkman, Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com tweets. The 29-year-old, a former Blue Jay and Royal, signed a minor league contract with the Twins last winter after appearing in the majors in each of the previous four seasons. Sparkman has registered a 5.99 ERA/5.41 SIERA with a 13.5 percent strikeout rate against a 7.5 percent walk rate in 180 1/3 innings. He has notched a far superior 3.51 ERA over 84 2/3 Triple-A frames, including three innings of one-run ball this year.
AL East Notes: Wander, Odor, Arroyo, Hernandez
Wander Franco has performed well in his first 52 plate appearances at Triple-A, posting a .348/.404/.652 slash line that befits his status as baseball’s top prospect. However, it doesn’t appear likely that Franco will get a quick promotion to the big leagues, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times writes. The Rays aren’t likely to rush a 20-year-old who is only now getting his first taste of the pros beyond the A-ball level, and naturally, some payroll considerations are likely at play — delaying Franco’s debut until at least late June would probably keep him from reaching Super Two status. A pre-career contract extension would address that concern, but Topkin doesn’t see such a deal as very likely.
Beyond just the financial aspects, the Rays don’t want to make a development misstep with a prospect who represents such a major part of their future. “The team wants “to be ‘more’ sure a player is ready, and avoiding the confidence crusher of sending him back. Also, they definitely want to avoid putting a young player in a role of being cast as a ‘savior’ as Franco might be if the Rays offense still was struggling when he was summoned,” Topkin writes. This doesn’t mean that Tampa Bay wouldn’t turn to its farm system in the event of a sudden need, of course, but Topkin feels that Vidal Brujan or Taylor Walls (notable prospects in their own right) would get the call ahead of Franco since Brujan and Walls are both a few years older, and also already on the 40-man roster.
More from around the AL East…
- The Yankees are hoping that Rougned Odor will be back from the injured list in time to face off with his old Rangers teammates, as per Bryan Hoch of MLB.com (via Twitter). New York begins a four-game set against Texas beginning today. Odor was placed on the 10-day IL on May 5 due to a left knee sprain. Though Odor has hit just .164/.271/.361 in pinstripes, the Yankees are in need of middle infield reinforcements due to Tyler Wade‘s similarly underwhelming offense and Gleyber Torres‘ COVID list absence.
- The Red Sox are expected to activate Enrique Hernandez from the 10-day IL on Tuesday prior to their game with the Blue Jays. Boston made the first move in this direction by optioning infielder Jonathan Arauz to Triple-A today, thus clearing a spot on the active roster. A right hamstring strain sent Hernandez to the injured list on May 7, so the utilityman would miss only the minimum 10 days of action. Christian Arroyo‘s IL placement due to a hand contusion was also retroactively dated to May 7, but Alex Speier of the Boston Globe notes (Twitter link) that Arroyo won’t join the Sox for the start of their road trip against the Jays and Phillies this week. Arroyo did begin hitting off a tee yesterday, however, so his return might not be far off. The Red Sox have played with a three-man bench for much of the season, and if they choose to stick with this roster alignment, Michael Chavis would be the odd man out once Arroyo is ready to be reinstated from the IL.
Pitching Notes: Blue Jays, Allgeyer, Nats, Strasburg, Astros, Valdez, Odorizzi
The Blue Jays have optioned Nick Allgeyer to Triple-A, per Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca (via Twitter). Allgeyer did not make an appearance and has yet to make his Major League debut. The Jays won’t make a corresponding move until tomorrow. There’s no need to fill his roster spot today given their day off. Since service time is measured in days and not games, there’s no reason to make a move any earlier than necessary. In other pitcher news…
- The Nationals may be close to activating Stephen Strasburg, depending on how his shoulder feels today, per Mark Zuckerman of MASNsports.com (via Twitter). Nationals’ starters rank an uncharacteristic 25th in the Majors by fWAR, 16th with a 4.29 ERA and next-to-last with a 4.83 FIP. Strasburg has contributed just two starts totaling 10 innings on the year.
- Framber Valdez and Jake Odorizzi will start on back-to-back days for the Sugar Land Skeeters this week, per Sports Director at Fox 26 Mark Berman (via Twitter). That’s especially good news considering that Jose Urquidy just landed on the injured list. Because of their schedule, however, Houston could largely get by with only four starters until June, writes the Athletic’s Jake Kaplan. If everyone can get healthy, the Astros will have a surplus of starters, which could lead to Cristian Javier or Luis Garcia being bumped to the bullpen or back to Triple-A, despite their solid efforts thus far.
Mets Notes: Conforto, Nimmo, deGrom
The Mets had a rough end to their seven-game winning streak in Tampa Bay this weekend. They were handed a sweep by the Rays. They now limp into a high-stakes week of action against the Braves and Marlins facing the potential loss of more key regulars. Michael Conforto, in particular, appears heading to the injured list with a hamstring injury, per Jon Morosi of MLB Network (via Twitter). Conforto (along with Jeff McNeil) left yesterday’s game due to injury.
Brandon Nimmo, unfortunately, won’t be the answer. The Mets’ injured centerfielder is abandoning his rehab assignment and opting for further rest until he is without pain in his finger, per Tim Healey of Newsday. Nimmo hasn’t appeared in a game since May 2nd.
The Mets could use him now more than ever, especially considering his hot start. Nimmo had raked to the tune of a .318/.430/.439 triple slash line across his first 80 plate appearances. With Albert Almora also on the injured list, the Mets will turn to Jake Hager, Jose Peraza and, perhaps eventually, prospect Khalil Lee to fill in. Super-sub Jonathan Villar is already in a regular role replacing injured regular J.D. Davis at the hot corner.
The good news is that Jacob deGrom could be back in time to start Friday’s ballgame, per Bill Ladson of MLB.com. He may still go on a rehab assignment, however, pending the results of a bullpen session on Tuesday. Friday against the Marlins is the earliest Mets fans will see their all-world ace back on the hill.