Central Notes: Maeda, Kepler, Astudillo, O’Neill, Engel, Duffy
The Twins suffered a 7-6 walkoff loss to the Athletics today, and the defeat was perhaps a particularly costly one for the Minnesota team. Both Max Kepler (hamstring) and Willians Astudillo (bruised hand) had to make early exits due to injury, while manager Rocco Baldelli told Betsy Helfand of the St. Paul Pioneer Press and other reporters that Kenta Maeda was trying to fight through some minor groin tightness that developed during the game.
Astudillo was hit by a pitch in the second inning and remained in the game before being replaced at catcher prior to the top of the fourth. Kepler’s injury occurred during the eighth inning, when he doubled and then advanced to third on a wild pitch before scoring on an Andrelton Simmons home run. Both players are being evaluated, while Maeda’s problem seems to be somewhat minor and perhaps the least-serious of the three injuries.
More from both the AL and NL Central…
- Cardinals outfielder Tyler O’Neill is day-to-day after suffering a sprained left middle finger in tonight’s 5-3 St. Louis loss to the Padres. O’Neill hurt his finger while stealing second base in the sixth inning, and remained in the field for the bottom half of the inning before being replaced prior to the bottom half of the seventh. O’Neill has already spent time on the injured list due to a groin injury this season, and he has hit .250/.290/.530 with eight home runs over 107 PA. Despite the low OBP and an ungainly 32.7% strikeout rate, O’Neill has been an overall productive (122 wRC+) hitter thanks to his big power and a lot of hard contact. The defending Gold Glove winner is also still providing very solid defense in left field.
- Adam Engel has missed the entire season due to a hamstring strain but could be nearing a rehab assignment, White Sox manager Tony La Russa told MLB.com’s Scott Merkin and other reporters. Engel “certainly is looking more like himself” in workouts, according to La Russa, and “as far as the physical getting to 100 percent, I think he’s either there or very close.” Engel’s return would be welcome news to an injury-plagued Chicago outfield, particularly if Engel can combine his normal strong glovework with the offensive improvement (.295/.333/.477 in 93 PA) he showed in the 2020 campaign.
- Matt Duffy has been a solid contributor for the Cubs, hitting .284/.379/.370 over 95 plate appearances while getting the bulk of third base playing time since Kris Bryant has been regularly deployed in the outfield. According to The Athletic’s Patrick Mooney and Sahadev Sharma, Duffy has long been on the Cubs’ radar, as the team tried to land Duffy both in the 2019-20 offseason and last summer, before Duffy instead inked minor league contracts with the Rangers in the winter and then the Yankees after Texas released him before the season. Duffy didn’t end up seeing any MLB action in 2020, and his agent Paul Cohen tells Mooney and Sharma that “I probably had half a dozen teams reach out to me: ‘Would [Duffy] be interested in joining our front office or our coaching staff?’ That’s the kind of impression this guy has made through his travels.”
NL West Notes: Dickerson, Belt, Taylor, Weaver, Marte
The Giants activated outfielder Alex Dickerson off the 10-day injured list prior to today’s game with the Pirates, and Dickerson went 1-for-5 with a single in the 4-1 San Francisco victory. Dickerson only missed the minimum 10 days while recovering from a right shoulder impingement, and he’ll look to get on track at the plate after hitting only .213/.276/.338 over his first 87 plate appearances. Dickerson was a much more productive hitter in 2019-20, batting a somewhat under-the-radar .286/.350/.529 in 360 PA, all but 19 of which came in a Giants uniform.
Dickerson’s return could help a lineup hampered by the continued absence of Brandon Belt, who was a late scratch for today’s game. Belt left Tuesday’s game due to left side tightness and has made only two appearances since (one as a starter, and one as a pinch-hitter). It’s possible an IL stint might be necessary for Belt, who has impressed with a .233/.360/.495 slash line and eight home runs in his first 125 PA of the season.
More from the NL West…
- Chris Taylor was a late scratch from the Dodgers‘ lineup today, as manager Dave Roberts told reporters (including Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register) that Taylor felt some wrist soreness while taking pre-game swings in the batting cage. With Cody Bellinger still on the IL, the versatile Taylor has mostly played center field this season, while also seeing action at both corner outfield spots, second base, and shortstop. Taylor has also been an offensive force no matter his spot on the diamond, hitting .288/.425/.483 with four homers in 146 PA. While Bellinger may be close to a return, Corey Seager and AJ Pollock were both placed on the injured list within the last two days, so the last thing the Dodgers need is for Taylor to also miss time. Roberts said Taylor is already receiving treatment on his wrist and more will be known on Monday afternoon.
- The injury-plagued Diamondbacks had another scare today when Luke Weaver left today’s start due to right shoulder discomfort. Speaking to The Athletic’s Zach Buchanan (Twitter links) and other reporters after the game, Weaver downplayed the issue, saying that he thinks the shoulder problem can be corrected with a change to his pitching mechanics. The righty is “pretty confident” he won’t have to miss his next start, currently slated against the Rockies on Friday. It has been an inconsistent year for Weaver, as the Statcast metrics haven’t liked his work and he has posted a 4.50 ERA over 40 innings. Counting today’s outing, however, Weaver has tossed 10 1/3 shutout innings over his last two starts, so the right-hander may have turned a corner.
- Ketel Marte will begin a Triple-A rehab assignment on Monday, Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo told MLB.com’s Jake Rill and other reporters. Marte only played six games for the D’Backs before hitting the injured list with a right hamstring strain back on April 8. Due to the long absence, it isn’t yet clear how long Marte will be at Triple-A Reno, though he has been working out with the Diamondbacks and also played a six-inning simulated game at the team’s alternate training site. The 18-23 D’Backs are trying to stay afloat despite several notable injuries in the last few days alone, and the return of their star Marte would be an enormous boost to the club.
Blue Jays Notes: Tellez, Atkins, Manoah, Pearson, Hatch
The Blue Jays may be dealing with yet another injury absence, as Rowdy Tellez suffered a mild left hamstring strain that forced him out of today’s 10-8 victory over the Phillies. While batting in the eighth inning, Tellez slipped on home plate after hitting a line drive to left field, as a would-be double was limited to a single since Tellez was moving gingerly down the first base line. Jays manager Charlie Montoyo told Sportsnet’s Arden Zwelling and other reporters that “there’s a good chance” Tellez would be placed on the 10-day injured list.
An injury would compound that has already been a very tough start to the season for Tellez. After seemingly breaking out during the 2020 season, Tellez has hit only .188/.225/.282 with two home runs over 89 plate appearances this year. Despite making a lot of hard contact, Tellez has only a .222 BABIP and has only two walks against 20 strikeouts. The Jays already sent Tellez down to the alternate training site in April as a result of his struggles, and it’s possible he would still in the minors if he wasn’t needed to help fill a hole on Toronto’s injury-plagued roster.
With Tellez likely to join George Springer, Joe Panik, and Alejandro Kirk on the IL, the Jays may need to make a 40-man roster adjustment to add another position player (unless they’re willing to play with a very short bench). Such MLB-experienced players such as Tyler White, Dilson Herrera, Breyvic Valera, and Richard Urena are at Triple-A but would need to have their contracts selected to the 40-man before being able to join the big league team.
Injuries were naturally a big topic of discussion when Toronto GM Ross Atkins met with the media prior to today’s game. Speaking to Zwelling, Sportnet’s Ben Nicholson-Smith (Twitter links) and other reporters, Atkins gave a positive update on right-hander Thomas Hatch, who has yet to pitch this season due to a right elbow impingement. Hatch is on pace to be activated from the 60-day IL when first eligible, as he is up to three innings of work at a time. Capable of working as a starter, reliever, or in a swingman role, Hatch could be a valuable asset to Toronto’s pitching staff is he is able to return healthy.
Top prospect Nate Pearson would also naturally be a boon to the rotation if he is able to live up to his potential, but Pearson has dealt with a number of setbacks this year — a groin injury that delayed his season debut to May 9, a rough performance in that first outing, and then a demotion to Triple-A. Pearson will now miss his next Triple-A start due to a minor shoulder impingement, but Atkins says the Jays “don’t expect him to miss too much time at all.”
With Pearson a question mark and the Blue Jays rotation still in need of help, all eyes have turned to Alek Manoah, whose first two Triple-A starts have resulted in 12 scoreless innings. Selected 11th overall in the 2019 draft, Manoah was ranked 79th on Keith Law’s preseason top-100 prospects ranking and 83rd on the Baseball Prospectus list, and the right-hander has now slipped into the current top-100 listings of Baseball America (93rd) and MLB Pipeline (98th).
Manoah’s performance has naturally also caught the eye of the Jays front office, as Atkins said “he’s making that [a promotion] very much something that we’re discussing and talking about….The objective and subjective views of how effective he will be at the major league level are all really encouraging. He absolutely maximized his off-season and maximized Spring Training, and he’s getting absolutely every ounce out of Triple-A baseball right now.”
When Manoah might make his debut is still up in the air. The 23-year-old did lose a season of proper minor league development in 2020, his time at the alternate training site last season was shortened due to a bout of COVID-19, and Manoah’s two Triple-A appearances are his only games played above the low-A ball level. As Zwelling noted, however, the fact that the Blue Jays began Manoah’s season at Triple-A rather than Double-A is likely a sign that the team has confidence that Manoah is ready for a somewhat aggressive promotion if he keeps impressing in the upper minors.
Astros Notes: Minor Leaguers, Valdez, Urquidy
The Astros are providing fully furnished apartments to all of their minor leaguers across all levels for the 2021 season, reports Britt Ghiroli of The Athletic. Housing for minor leaguers has been complicated due to Covid-19 regulations, as host families are not allowed this season and there are restrictions on how many players can live in a given apartment. Minor league salaries are generally scant enough that it’s common for several teammates to crowd into a one- or two-bedroom apartment in order to save on rent and cover other basic expenses. It’s a commitment we’ve not previously seen an organization make for its minor league talent, most of whom receive much smaller bonuses than the six- or even seven-figure numbers that frequent the top end of each summer’s draft. It’s not known whether this will be a permanent commitment from the ‘Stros, nor is it clear whether other organizations might adopt a similar approach now or in the future.
More on the Astros…
- Southpaw Framber Valdez got through a 25-pitch bullpen session unscathed on Friday and will start a Triple-A rehab assignment on Sunday, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com was among those to report. Valdez will throw three innings in that game. Expectations are that he’ll rejoin the Astros’ rotation in June, which Valdez called a “miracle.” After all, there was fear back in the spring that Valdez’s broken left ring finger would require surgery and prevent him from pitching this year. “It was a bad injury, a break to the finger,” said Valdez, who was able to avoid going under the knife. When the 27-year-old does come back, he’ll work to build on an impressive 2020 in which he turned in 70 2/3 innings of 3.57 ERA/3.23 SIERA ball with great strikeout (26.4), walk (5.6) and groundball (60.0) percentages.
- Right-hander Jose Urquidy exited his start on Wednesday against the Angels in the fourth inning with shoulder discomfort, and it’s possible the issue will shelve him for a bit. Manager Dusty Baker told Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle and other reporters Friday that an MRI on Urquidy’s shoulder didn’t “show anything significant,” but said today (to FOX 26’s Mark Berman and others) that Urquidy will miss his next scheduled start on Tuesday. Urquidy shut out the Angels over 3 2/3 innings, continuing a nice start to 2021 for the 26-year-old. He has totaled 44 2/3 frames across eight starts and recorded a 3.22 ERA (with a less shiny 4.56 SIERA) and an 18.6 percent strikeout rate against a terrific 5.1 percent walk rate.
East Notes: Means, Mets, Yankees, Strasburg
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
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
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
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
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
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.]