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The Opener: Prospect Promotions, Steele, Martin

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With 20% of the 2024 regular season now in the books, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:

1. Prospect promotions incoming:

The Guardians plan to select the contract of first baseman Kyle Manzardo prior to today’s game against the Tigers this evening. Cleveland will need to make room on both its active and 40-man rosters to accommodate the addition of Manzardo, though the former will be accomplished by the club’s expected placement of outfielder Steven Kwan on the 10-day IL. Also reportedly receiving the bump to the majors today is Giants right-hander Mason Black. He too will require corresponding moves on both the 40-man and active rosters before this afternoon’s game against the Phillies.

Acquired from the Rays at last year’s trade deadline in exchange for Aaron Civale, the 23-year-old Manzardo is a consensus top-100 talent with little left to prove in the minor leagues, slashing an incredible .303/.375/.642 in 128 trips to the plate at the Triple-A level this year. A full-time first baseman, Manzardo’s defensive limitations leave him likely to handle either first or DH alongside Josh Naylor, with Estevan Florial moving to occupy left field in Kwan’s absence. As for Black, he appears poised to step into the San Francisco rotation after the club lost left-hander Blake Snell to the injured list and received a combined 4 2/3 innings from starting pitchers Keaton Winn and Logan Webb over the weekend. Black, a 24-year-old with an excellent 1.01 ERA in six starts at the Triple-A level this season, figures to be tasked with helping to give the club’s bullpen a much-needed breather.

2. Steele to be activated:

Cubs left-hander Justin Steele has been on the injured list since suffering a hamstring strain on Opening Day. Steele made his first All-Star team in 2023, posted a 3.06 ERA (146 ERA+) with a 3.02 FIP, and finished fifth in NL Cy Young voting last year. He’d been cruising through 4 2/3 innings of one-run ball at the time of his injury.

The Cubs will need to make a corresponding move to make room for Steele on the active roster prior to the game. Shota Imanaga, Jameson Taillon, and Javier Assad have all been outstanding in Steele’s absence, and the staff ace’s return should further bolster a starting staff that ranks third in the majors with a 3.13 ERA this year. Steele’s return will also allow the club to move either Hayden Wesneski or Ben Brown to the bullpen, thereby strengthening the relief corps.

3. Could Martin be facing an IL stint?

Veteran right-hander Chris Martin was dominant in his first season with the Red Sox last year, pitching to a sterling 1.05 ERA with a 2.44 FIP in 55 appearances while acting as the primary set-up man for closer Kenley Jansen. Things haven’t gone quite as smoothly for the 37-year-old in his second year with the club, however. While he’s struck out a strong 25% of batters faced, Martin has seen his ERA balloon to 5.11 this season and has made just one appearance since the calendar flipped to May.

Per Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe, that absence has been due to Martin dealing with “lingering soreness” in his non-throwing shoulder that could ultimately require a trip to the injured list. While an injury in Martin’s left shoulder is certainly not as serious as one in his right would be, Abraham notes that the Red Sox are concerned that the soreness could impact his mechanics and negatively impact his throwing arm down the line. Should Martin require a trip to the shelf, left-hander Bailey Horn is the only relief arm available to come up from the minors currently on the 40-man roster. If the club is willing to clear a 40-man spot, veterans like Lucas Luetge and Joely Rodriguez or a prospect like Luis Guerrero would become available.

Padres Place Joe Musgrove On 15-Day Injured List

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The Padres announced that right-hander Joe Musgrove has been placed on the 15-day injured list due to right elbow inflammation.  Righty Randy Vasquez has been called up from Triple-A to take Musgrove’s spot on the active roster and in San Diego’s rotation.

More specifically, Musgrove is suffering from triceps tendinitis, as the Padres told reporters (including The Athletic’s Dennis Lin).  Since the IL placement was described as precautionary, it’s possible Musgrove could miss just the minimum 15 days if the triceps issue isn’t overly serious.  However, returning to the IL continues a rough stretch of injury-related misery for Musgrove that has now stretched across two seasons.

A broken toe suffered in a Spring Training weight-room accident delayed Musgrove’s 2023 debut until late April, and he was limited to 17 starts after a bout of shoulder inflammation returned him to the IL in late July, and ultimately ended his season.  The former All-Star still delivered a 3.05 ERA in 97 1/3 innings between these IL stints, but Musgrove has gotten off to a slow start in 2024.

No pitcher in baseball has allowed more home runs (10) or earned runs (29) than Musgrove this season, as he has lurched to a 6.37 ERA over eight starts and 41 innings.  This trouble with the long ball has naturally coincided with a huge drop in Musgrove’s barrels and barrel rate, and his strikeout and hard-hit ball rates are also below average.

It could be that Musgrove’s elbow problem contributed to these struggles, or potentially some lingering affects from his long shutdown period in 2023.  Assuming that his injury doesn’t sideline him for too long, this IL visit could be viewed as something of a chance for Musgrove to reboot his season after his time off.

Getting a healthy and effective Musgrove atop the rotation is critical to the Padres’ hopes, as Musgrove being an unexpected weak link has contributed to an overall inconsistent performance for the rotation.  Dylan Cease has been tremendous and Yu Darvish has started to stabilize after a tough start of his own, while Michael King and Matt Waldron have both been up-and-down.

Vazquez has also made a pair of starts, delivering a 5.87 ERA in 7 2/3 innings.  The 25-year-old right-hander was acquired as part of the Juan Soto trade package from the Yankees this past winter, and it remains to be seen if starting pitching will be his long-term role.  Though he has gotten the start in 92 of his 102 professional games, Vazquez hasn’t shown much at Triple-A (5.19 ERA in 95 1/3 career innings) or his 45 1/3 frames in the majors.  He’ll get another look in Musgrove’s absence, though the Padres could approach Vazquez’s starts as bullpen games if he can’t deliver a good chunk of consistent innings at the front of games.

Blue Jays Sign Beau Sulser To Minors Contract

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The Blue Jays have signed right-hander Beau Sulser to a minor league contract.  Sulser made the start for Triple-A Buffalo today, which happens to be his 30th birthday.

Sulser’s only MLB experience came during the 2022 season, when he posted a 3.63 ERA across 22 1/3 combined innings with the Pirates and Orioles.  He was a 10th-round pick for Pittsburgh in the 2017 draft, was claimed off waivers from Baltimore in May 2022, and then was claimed back by the Pirates following the season before then landing a deal with the KT Wiz of the Korea Baseball Organization.  The righty’s 2023 campaign was split between pitching in South Korea and then yet another stint with Pittsburgh, since Sulser signed with the Bucs last June after his release from the Wiz.

Over 413 innings in the affiliated minors, Sulser has posted a 4.31 ERA and a 6.64% walk rate.  Sulser has relied more on control, grounders and soft contact than missed bats, as he has a modest 19.49% strikeout rate.  He struggled during his brief time in the KBO League, with a 5.62 ERA over nine starts and 49 2/3 innings.

Besides the nine KBO starts, Sulser has also started 49 of his 145 career appearances in the minors.  Most of those starts have come within the last three seasons, though Sulser’s flexibility as a swingman could help him find another path back to the majors.  Starting depth is an issue for a Blue Jays team that has both Yariel Rodriguez and Bowden Francis on the injured list, plus Alek Manoah is still a big question mark after all his struggles since the start of the 2023 season.  If Manoah can’t get on track or if the Jays have another rotation injury, swingman Paolo Espino might be the next man up from Triple-A, but Sulser might not be far behind in line given Toronto’s lack of options.

Diamondbacks Notes: Sewald, Thomas, Nelson, E-Rod, Perdomo

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Paul Sewald and Alek Thomas could both return from the injured list on Tuesday, when the Diamondbacks start a six-game road trip by facing the Reds.  Sewald has yet to pitch this season due to a Grade 2 oblique strain suffered near the end of Spring Training, while Thomas got four games under his belt before being sidelined by a hamstring strain.

Sewald seems to be the closer of the two to being activated, as he already joined the D’Backs in the clubhouse today prior to their departure for Cincinnati.  The closer started a Triple-A rehab assignment with two-thirds of an inning on April 23, but then his rehab was slowed down after he felt sore following a bullpen session.  A subsequent bullpen session went much more smoothly, and after tossing an inning in an extended Spring Training game Saturday, Sewald appears to be ready to get his 2024 season underway.

The return can’t come soon enough for an Arizona bullpen that has been shaky at best.  The Diamondbacks can only hope that Sewald can stabilize things as well as he did last summer after being acquired from the Mariners at the trade deadline, as Sewald solidified Arizona’s ninth-inning situation and played a huge role in the club’s pennant-winning postseason drive.  This success brought a bit of spotlight to a reliever who had largely flown under the radar in posting a 2.95 ERA over 189 1/3 innings with the M’s and D’Backs since the start of the 2021 season.

Thomas is much more familiar with the hype train due to his time as a top-100 prospect, but the outfielder is still looking to break out in his third Major League season.  On the plus side, Thomas has been an excellent defensive center fielder and he brings a lot of speed to the table, but his career .230/.273/.362 slash line (over 827 plate appearances) leaves a lot to be desired.

Once he makes his return, the Diamondbacks should be able to finally adopt their preferred outfield alignment of Corbin Carroll in right field, Thomas in center, Lourdes Gurriel Jr. in left field, and Randal Grichuk and Jake McCarthy providing depth (with Grichuk likely spelling Thomas against left-handed pitching).  This alignment might have the carry-on effect of helping Carroll get on track at the plate, as the reigning NL Rookie of the Year’s struggles could be linked to the fact that he took over regular center field duty with Thomas sidelined.

Speaking of injury returns, the D’Backs got some reinforcement back today when Ryne Nelson was activated from the 15-day IL.  Nelson hadn’t pitched since he was struck in the elbow by a line drive on April 18, and while he looked a little rusty in allowing four earned runs in five innings today, it was still enough to earn a win in Arizona’s 11-4 rout of the Padres.

Nelson provides some help to a rotation that is still without Merrill Kelly and Eduardo Rodriguez due to their placements on the 60-day IL.  Kelly is gone until at least late June, but manager Torey Lovullo provided some news about Rodriguez today, telling Alex Weiner of Arizona Sports and other reporters that the southpaw will undergo some more tests on his injured lat muscle.  If E-Rod is feeling good and the tests come back clean, Lovullo said Rodriguez could soon start a throwing program.

Rodriguez started the season on the 15-day IL before being transferred to the 60-day, so late May represents the absolute best-case scenario for his first official appearance in a D’Backs uniform.  Since some significant ramp-up time will be required and Rodriguez has already been shut down from throwing once due to continued discomfort in his lat, it’s probably safe to guess that his rehab process will stretch into early June.

Lovullo also had an update on Geraldo Perdomo, as the infielder is throwing and taking grounders.  “Three weeks post surgery, so he’s gotta be careful with his next steps.  It’s getting close to him getting to full baseball activities and I’m excited about that,” the manager told Weiner and company.  Perdomo tore his right meniscus just shy of a month ago, so is on pace with the usual 4-6 week timeline associated with such injuries.

Rangers To Place Wyatt Langford On 10-Day Injured List

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The Rangers will place outfielder Wyatt Langford on the 10-day injured list, manager Bruce Bochy told Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News (X link) and other media.  Langford left yesterday’s game due to what was described as hamstring tightness, and Bochy reports that the injury is a strain, slightly beyond a Grade 1-level injury.  The expected recovery timeline for Langford is three or four weeks.

It has still been less than a year since Langford was selected fourth overall by the Rangers in the 2023 draft, and the star prospect’s quickly moved up the minor league ladder all the way to Triple-A before the end of his first pro season.  Langford posted a 1.157 OPS over 200 plate appearances across four different minor league levels last year, and another huge performance in Spring Training led Texas to make the aggressive decision to include Langford on the Opening Day roster.

Despite all the fanfare, it perhaps isn’t surprising that Langford has thus far been overmatched by big league pitching.  The 22-year-old has hit only .224/.295/.293 in his first 129 plate appearances in the Show, and he ranks slightly below average in most Statcast categories (though his chase and whiff rates are strong, and his elite speed has lived up to expectations).  While Langford’s barrels and barrel rate are around average, that hasn’t translated into much pop, as he has just one home run and an .069 Isolated Power score.

This isn’t exactly ideal for a designated hitter, which has been Langford’s regular role when he isn’t spelling Evan Carter in left field when a southpaw in on the mound.  Utilityman Ezequiel Duran seems likeliest to slide into this role in Langford’s absence, or Duran could play third base and Josh Smith could get some time in left field.  Depending on how the Rangers approach the situation, Jonathan Ornelas could be called up from Triple-A for further depth, or Texas could go beyond the 40-man roster to select someone with more MLB experience (Matt Duffy, Derek Hill, Jose Barrero, etc.) from Triple-A.

Giants To Promote Mason Black

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The Giants will start Mason Black against the Phillies on Monday, manager Bob Melvin told reporters (including Shayna Rubin of the San Francisco Chronicle) during today’s pregame media session.  It will mark Black’s Major League debut, and the Giants will have to make space for the right-hander on both the 26-man and 40-man rosters.

MLB Pipeline rates Black as the seventh-best prospect in the San Francisco farm system, while Baseball America puts the him in the eighth spot.  Black’s slider and sinking fastball each earned 60 grades on BA’s scouting report and 55s from Pipeline, though the problem is that these two plus pitches account for virtually all of Black’s arsenal, as his changeup is only okay and he has only lightly experimented with other offerings.  Baseball America thinks Black could eventually end up as a reliever due to his limited array of pitches, and since Pipeline notes that Black’s velocity has hit the 100mph mark (up from his usual 92-94mph range) “in shorter stints,” there is some intrigue in a move to the pen down the road.

For now, however, there’s plenty of potential in Black as a starting pitcher.  A third-round pick for the Giants in the 2021 draft, Black has a 3.22 ERA over 262 1/3 career minor league innings.  This includes an eye-opening 1.01 ERA in six starts and 26 2/3 innings at Triple-A Sacramento this season, as Black has a 29% strikeout rate and eight percent walk rate to add to his impressive numbers.

While a 4.01 xFIP and a .246 BABIP indicate that Black isn’t as entirely dominant as his ERA seems, the performance still stands out in the batter-friendly environs of the Pacific Coast League.  BA’s scouting report suggests that Black’s tendency to pitch on the fringes of the strike zone might play better in the majors than in the minors, as human umpires could be more forgiving than the automated ball-strike system.

Since Blake Snell went on the injured list on April 24, San Francisco has used bullpen games to cover Snell’s two scheduled turns in the rotation.  Black hasn’t thrown more than 71 pitches in a game this season and could be on something of a short leash, as Daulton Jefferies (called up to the roster today) might act behind Black in a piggyback capacity.  However, given Black’s status as a prospect of note, the Giants are likely to give him a longer look if he pitches well.  The Phillies are a very tough draw for a pitcher’s first Major League game, yet there is some symbolism at play, as Black was born in Scranton and grew up a Phillies fan.

With Snell, Robbie Ray, Alex Cobb, and Tristan Beck all on the IL, San Francisco has gotten good results from rookies Kyle Harrison and Keaton Winn, Jordan Hicks has looked very sharp as a starter, and ace Logan Webb has been his typical solid self.  There’s some room for Black to bank some starts as a regular fifth starter, and he should get two outings since the Giants don’t have another off-day until May 16.

Giants Select Jakson Reetz, Designate Mitch White For Assignment

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The Giants announced a set of roster moves this afternoon including selecting the contract of catcher Jakson Reetz ahead of tonight’s game against the Phillies to take the place of veteran catcher Tom Murphy, who was placed on the 10-day injured list with a left knee sprain. Right-hander Mitch White was designated for assignment to make room for Reetz on the 40-man roster, while righty Daulton Jefferies was recalled to replace White on the active roster. Robert Murray of FanSided first reported Reetz’s selection to the majors, while Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area first suggested that Reetz would be the next man up in the event of an additional roster move.

Reetz, 28, was a third-round pick by the Nationals in the 2014 draft but didn’t make his MLB debut until 2021, when he appeared in two games with the club while filling in for injured veteran Yan Gomes alongside Tres Barrera. He received just two plate appearances at the big league level, going one-for-two with a double before being sent back to the minor leagues. Reetz has not appeared in the majors since then, instead bouncing between the Nationals, Royals, Brewers, and Giants minor league systems.

Despite his lack of MLB opportunities in recent years, Reetz has generally hit quite well at the Triple-A level, particularly for a catcher. He owns a career slash line of .234/.328/.478 in 577 trips to the plate at the level and enjoyed a particularly strong season with the Giants last year, for whom he slashed .243/.342/.500 in 82 games behind the dish.

While Reetz’s strong defensive reputation behind the plate and solid offensive numbers likely would have earned him a look by now in another organization, San Francisco is deep enough behind the plate to have parted ways with former top prospect Joey Bart earlier this season due to a roster crunch. However, with Patrick Bailey on the injured list due to a concussion and Murphy now out with an injury of his own, the Giants are now left to rely on 2023 Rule 5 Draft pick Blake Sabol and Reetz behind the plate for the time being.

As for Murphy, the veteran backstop told reporters (including The Athletic’s Andrew Baggarly) following yesterday’s game that he had “felt a pop” while blocking the ball and was slated to undergo an MRI today. No timetable has been made available for the 33-year-old’s return to action, though even a short absence is a blow the San Francisco given the club’s quickly evaporating depth behind the plate. Murphy signed with the club this past offseason on a two-year, $8.25MM deal to serve as Bailey’s backup but has struggled in the early going this season, slashing just .118/.211/.235 in 13 games. Hopefully, the time on the shelf will offer Murphy a chance to reset ahead of returning to the Giants later on in the season.

As for White, his brief tenure with his hometown team may be coming to an end as the club will have seven days to either trade the right-hander or attempt to pass him through waivers. Should White successfully clear waivers, the Giants would have the opportunity to outright the righty to the minor leagues. The 29-year-old righty once received top-100 prospect buzz as a member of the Dodgers and posted a strong 3.58 ERA in 105 2/3 innings with the club across parts of three seasons but has struggled badly since being traded to the Blue Jays prior to the 2022 trade deadline.

White posted a 7.65 ERA in 24 appearances with the Blue Jays before the club ultimately designated him for assignment earlier this year, at which point he was swapped to the Giants in a cash deal. White’s return to the NL West hasn’t gone well as he’s been lit up for seven runs on eight hits and five walks while striking out just one in 5 1/3 innings of work. Taking his place on the roster will be Jefferies, who allowed 13 runs (nine earned) in 4 2/3 innings with the Giants earlier this season but has settled in at the Triple-A level with a solid 3.44 ERA in 18 1/3 frames since then.

Dodgers Place Evan Phillips On 15-Day Injured List

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The Dodgers announced this afternoon that right-hander Evan Phillips has been place on the 15-day injured list, with veteran righty Blake Treinen being activated off the IL in the corresponding move. Manager Dave Roberts told reporters (including The Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya) this afternoon that Phillips suffered a Grade 1 hamstring strain when his spike caught in the outfield grass while playing catch yesterday. Roberts added that the club is hoping that Phillips will only require a minimum stint on the shelf due to the issue.

Even if Phillips only requires the 15 day minimum, the news is still a major blow to the Dodgers. The 29-year-old has been among the most dominant relievers in baseball this year with a microscopic 0.66 ERA in 13 2/3 innings of work to go with eight saves, a 1.32 FIP, and a 30.9% strikeout rate. The righty has been an anchor for the club’s bullpen, which has struggled somewhat despite a decent 3.47 ERA overall.

The group’s collective 4.19 FIP is bottom-ten in the majors and its xFIP, fWAR, and groundball rate are all well below league average. Perhaps most concerning of all is that the club’s relief corps isn’t striking many batters out; only the Giants’, Diamondbacks’, and Rockies’ relievers have struck out batters at a lower clip. Those lackluster metrics are further compounded by the club’s overuse of the bullpen to this point in the season; Dodgers relief arms have thrown a whopping 142 2/3 innings this season, second to only the Marlins in the majors.

Given the state of the club’s bullpen, it’s perhaps not a surprise that Roberts told reporters he wasn’t sure who would close games while Phillips is on the shelf. Daniel Hudson appears to be the most obvious choice, as he’s acted as the club’s primary set-up man this season and sports a solid 3.60 ERA in 15 appearances, but he’s blown back-to-back save opportunities and has already allowed four home runs this year. Joe Kelly has been Hudson’s partner in setting up for Phillips, but the veteran righty has struggled to a 4.85 ERA in 13 innings of work this season.

It’s possible then, that Treinen could find himself thrust into the closer’s role now that he’s back in the big leagues. The right-hander has always been nothing short of excellent for the club when healthy: in 103 innings of work in a Dodgers uniform, Treinen boasts a 2.45 ERA and 3.00 FIP with a 27.6% strikeout rate and a 56.2% groundball rate. He’s certainly found success in the closer’s role before as well, including the 2018 campaign when he posted a 0.78 ERA in 80 1/3 innings of work for the A’s while picking up 38 saves and finish sixth in AL Cy Young award voting.

Despite his excellent resume, however, closing games would be a tall ask for a pitcher who last appeared on a big league mound in 2022 and has just five innings of work to his name since the end of the 2021 season. It’s possible, then, that the club could simply opt for a closer-by-committee situation while Phillips is on the shelf, particularly if the injury ends up being as minor as currently believed. In that case, Treinen could get occasional save opportunities alongside the likes of Hudson, Alex Vesia, and perhaps even Michael Grove.

Padres Select Donovan Solano

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The Padres announced this afternoon that they’ve selected the contract of infielder Donovan Solano. Infielder Eguy Rosario was optioned to Triple-A in the corresponding move, and San Diego’s 40-man roster now stands at 40.

Solano, 36, is a veteran of ten MLB seasons who first made his debut back in 2012. He struggled to hit at the big league level earlier in his career, with a .257/.306/.331 slash line in 370 games from 2012 to 2016, and didn’t appear at all at the major league level in 2017 or 2018. Since resurfacing with the Giants back in 2019, however, Solano has emerged as one of the more underrated utility hitters in the game in recent years. Since returning to the big leagues in 2019, Solano has slashed an impressive .296/.355/.413 (112 wRC+) without a single below-average offensive season during that timeframe. He’s been even more effective against southpaws, boasting a 119 wRC+ and just a 17.2% strikeout rate against lefty pitchers over the past five years.

On top of that strong work at the plate, Solano has offered considerable positional flexibility. He’s appeared at all four infield spots throughout his career, and while the veteran last appeared in a game at shortstop back in 2021 and has primarily played first base in recent years, he’s still more than capable of covering both second and third base as needed with Outs Above Average grading him as a scratch to slightly below average defender at both positions in each of the last three seasons.

The addition of Solano to the club’s positional mix adds yet another quality infielder to a roster deep in infield talent. With former infielders Jurickson Profar, Jackson Merrill, and Fernando Tatis Jr. now playing the outfield on a full-time basis in San Diego, the Solano figures to join the newly-acquired Luis Arraez in taking starts at first, second, and third base when necessary to back up regular infielders Manny Machado, Xander Bogaerts, Ha-Seong Kim, and Jake Cronenworth. Arraez figures to get the lion’s share of playing time at DH, though Solano figures to act as a solid right-handed complement to both he and Cronenworth to provide manager Mike Shildt with a bit of extra flexibility and protection against injuries.

Making room for Solano’s addition to the active roster is Rosario. The 24-year-old made his MLB debut back in 2022 with the Padres and has generally impressed in an up-and-down role over the past three seasons, but his most recent stint in the majors was perhaps the most impressive of all. In 52 trips to the plate that came mostly by way of platooning with Tyler Wade at third base while Machado recovered from offseason surgery earlier this year, Rosario hit a fantastic .250/.294/.542 (141 wRC+) with a whopping eight extra base hits, including three home runs.

That impressive work at the plate combined with Rosario’s ability to play both second and third base as well as shortstop figure to make him a leading candidate to return to the majors in San Diego should an injury require the club to dip into its depth options. Until then, Rosario will return to the Triple-A level where he’s slashed a solid .282/.363/.486 over the past two seasons.

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