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Pirates Acquire Andre Jackson

By Mark Polishuk | June 25, 2023 at 12:58pm CDT

The Pirates and Dodgers have worked out a trade that will send right-hander Andre Jackson to Pittsburgh, FanSided’s Robert Murray reports (via Twitter). The Pirates have announced the trade, adding that Jackson has been optioned to Triple-A and that the Dodgers are getting cash considerations in return. Mark Mathias has been designated for assignment to open up space on Pittsburgh’s 40-man roster.

The Dodgers designated Jackson for assignment earlier this week to open up a 40-man roster spot for Ryan Brasier. He’ll now change organizations for the first time in a pro career that began when the Dodgers selected Jackson in the 12th round of the 2017 draft. The righty has appeared in each of the last three Major League seasons, with a total of 39 innings on his resume.

While Jackson had a 2.11 ERA over 21 1/3 innings in 2021-22, things haven’t gone as smoothly this year, as Jackson had a 6.62 ERA in 17 2/3 frames of work. The long ball has been Jackson’s biggest nemesis, as after giving up just one home run in 2021-22, he has already allowed five homers this season. It isn’t exactly a new problem for the right-hander, as he has trouble keeping the ball in the park over his three seasons at Triple-A (in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League).

Between the homers and an inflated 14.77% walk rate, Jackson has a 5.21 ERA in 129 2/3 career innings at the Triple-A level, with a 22.07% strikeout rate. It isn’t the most promising set of numbers, yet as a pitcher capable of working as a traditional starter or long reliever, Jackson has some interesting value as at least a depth arm, particularly to a pitching-needy team like Pittsburgh.

With multiple relievers on the injured list, the Pirates will likely explore Jackson as a reliever first and foremost, or possibly as a bulk pitcher behind an opener if the Bucs get creative with their rotation. Tomorrow’s off-day is the Pirates’ last free day until the All-Star break, and coming off a stretch of 13 games in 13 days, the Pirates might be looking for spot-start possibilities.

Pittsburgh acquired Mathias in a trade with the Rangers in March, and the utilityman has been shuttled back and forth several times between the majors and Triple-A. Mathias has hit .231/.355/.269 over 62 plate appearances, playing mostly as a second baseman with a pair of other appearances in right field. 2023 is Mathias’ third Major League season, after he previously appeared in 16 games with the Brewers in 2020 and a combined 30 games with Milwaukee and Texas in 2022. In between, Mathias spent the 2021 campaign recovering from shoulder surgery.

If Mathias clears waivers, he has the right to reject a possible outright assignment to Triple-A Indianapolis. Because Mathias has been outrighted before in his career, he has the option of turning down another outright from the Bucs and instead can become a free agent.

Mets Claim Reed Garrett From Orioles

By Mark Polishuk | June 25, 2023 at 12:43pm CDT

The Orioles announced that the Mets have claimed right-hander Reed Garrett off waivers. Garrett was designated for assignment by the O’s last weekend.

Garrett signed a minor league deal with Baltimore in the offseason, and his contract was selected to the MLB roster 11 days ago. The righty lasted only four days in the Show before being DFA’ed, with Garrett posting a 10.13 ERA over two appearances and 2 2/3 innings pitched. In the longer sample size of 22 2/3 innings thrown by Garrett at Triple-A Norfolk, he has a 1.59 ERA and a 28.4% strikeout rate, albeit with a 10.4% walk rate.

Originally a 16th-round draft pick for the Rangers in 2014, Garrett’s big league career began in 2019 when the Tigers selected him in the Rule 5 Draft but later returned him to the Texas organization. Garrett pitched in Japan with the Seibu Lions in 2020-21 with good results, before returning to North America on a minor league contract with the Nationals and getting into seven games (9 1/3 IP) with Washington in 2022.

In claiming Garrett, the Mets add a bit more bullpen depth to a pitching staff that has had more than its share of injuries. Garrett would be a bit of a late bloomer at 30 years old, but his numbers in Triple-A and in Nippon Professional Baseball are intriguing enough that the Mets might think the righty has some untapped potential.

Reds Designate Silvino Bracho, Select Randy Wynne

By Mark Polishuk | June 25, 2023 at 11:46am CDT

The Reds announced a trio of roster moves, including the selection of Randy Wynne’s contract from Triple-A Louisville. Cincinnati also called up righty Levi Stoudt from Triple-A, and Stoudt will get the start today against the Braves. To create roster space, the Reds designated right-hander Silvino Bracho for assignment.

Wynne will be making his Major League debut with his first appearance, and that personal milestone could come as early as today in relief of Stoudt. The Cincinnati Enquirer’s Charlie Goldsmith notes that Stoudt is just recently back from a ribcage injury and isn’t fully built up for a proper starter’s workload, so Stoudt might not last long no matter how he fares against the Atlanta lineup. Wynne has been a swingman for much of his pro career, and the Reds could employ something of a piggyback system between Stoudt and Wynne today.

Wynne is an undrafted right-hander who pitched in independent baseball for parts of the 2016-19 seasons before finally catching on with the Reds in 2019. He continued with the organization after the canceled 2020 minor league season, pitching at Double-A in 2021 and then at Triple-A in each of the last two years. Wynne doesn’t record many strikeouts or grounders, as he relies on soft contact and an impressive walk rate to keep batters in check. Over 164 1/3 innings at Triple-A, the 30-year-old Wynne has a 4.82 ERA over 164 1/3 innings, starting 29 of 38 games.

Stoudt and Wynne could each get some looks in the rotation as the Reds try to navigate multiple pitching injuries. Hunter Greene, Nick Lodolo, and Ben Lively are all sidelined, and while Graham Ashcraft was activated from the 15-day IL yesterday, the good news of his return was tempered by Lively heading to the injured list with pectoral soreness. Lively had been slated to start today’s game, which is why Cincinnati is turning to their latest backup plan of Stoudt.

This is the second time the Reds have DFA’ed Bracho this season, as he was previously designated and then outrighted off the roster back in May. Bracho’s contract was selected again just a few days ago, and over his two stints in Cincinnati has posted a 3.68 ERA in 7 1/3 relief innings, with an equal number (six) of strikeouts and walks. Bracho already passed on the opportunity to elect minor league free agency the last time he was outrighted off the Reds’ 40-man roster, but assuming he clears DFA waivers again, he still has the right to reject another outright assignment and test the open market.

Bracho has appeared in parts of seven MLB seasons, debuting with the Diamondbacks in 2015. After four up-and-down seasons, he underwent a Tommy John surgery that sidelined him for basically all of the 2019-20 seasons, save for one inning in one game with Arizona in 2020. Bracho then caught on with the Giants, Red Sox, and Braves before landing in Cincinnati on a minor league contract this past winter, though the right-hander’s only other Major League experience in 2021-22 was 4 1/3 innings with Atlanta last season.

AL Central Notes: Anderson, Buxton, E-Rod, Manning

By Mark Polishuk | June 25, 2023 at 10:39am CDT

Over the first 824 games of his Major League career, Tim Anderson had almost exclusively as a shortstop, with a couple of DH days thrown into the mix. However, Anderson has now made two consecutive starts at second base, as a way of getting the veteran into the White Sox lineup despite some lingering soreness in his right throwing shoulder. Sox manager Pedro Grifol told MLB.com’s Scott Merkin and other reporters that “all intentions are for [Anderson] to go back to shortstop” eventually, and that the club was monitoring Anderson’s shoulder on a day-to-day basis.

Considering Chicago’s 33-45 record, it can’t be ignored that Anderson’s temporary move to the keystone could also serve as a showcase for any interested trade partners. As per most public defensive metrics, Anderson has had subpar glovework as a shortstop over the last two seasons, and a move to second base might eventually be required as Anderson (who turned 30 years old two days ago) gets deeper into his career. A team doubtful of Anderson’s shortstop defense could be more keen on using him as a second baseman, or an ability to shuttle between both positions might also boost the former All-Star’ trade value given how clubs prize versatile players. That said, offense is a bigger concern than defense for Anderson at this point, since he has struggled to a .241/.279/.282 slash line over 229 plate appearances while missing about three weeks on the injured list with a left knee sprain. 2023 is the final guaranteed year of Anderson’s contract, as the White Sox hold a $14MM club option on his services for 2024.

Twins Place Jose De Leon On 15-Day Injured List

By Mark Polishuk | June 25, 2023 at 8:59am CDT

The Twins placed right-hander Jose De Leon on the 15-day injured list due to a strain in his right flexor muscle. Righty Josh Winder was called up from Triple-A to take De Leon’s spot on the active roster.

De Leon suffered the injury as he was preparing to enter yesterday’s game, a 3-2 Twins loss to the Tigers. The righty was on the mound and throwing warmup pitches when he suddenly grabbed his arm in obvious pain after tossing his final pitch. Speaking with MLB.com’s Do-Hyoung Park and other reporters afterwards, De Leon said his elbow had swollen and the sharp pain in his right arm felt like an “electric shock.”

There wasn’t any doubt that De Leon would be headed to the 15-day IL, though the full extent of the injury won’t be known until he undergoes an MRI. Flexor strains can vary greatly based on the severity — some pitchers are able to return to action within a few weeks’ time, while others face the worst-case scenario of a Tommy John surgery. De Leon is unfortunately no stranger to such a procedure, as a TJ surgery cost him the entire 2018 season.

That 2018 surgery and some other injuries quite possibly changed the course of De Leon’s entire career, as he had been a top-100 prospect over the previous two seasons while pitching in the Dodgers and Rays farm systems. De Leon has since become a journeyman, pitching for six different organizations over the course of his career. He has tossed 65 1/3 innings over parts of six MLB seasons, and his 17 1/3 frames for the Twins in 2023 marks the second-highest inning total of his big league career.

Minnesota signed De Leon to a minor league deal over the offseason and selected his contract to the active roster in May. He has a 4.67 ERA with respectable strikeout (24.3%) and walk (7.1%) rates, and his 3.67 SIERA is a full run lower than his ERA, indicating that De Leon has been a bit unlucky with his bottom-line results. For now, however, the hope is that De Leon can get some good fortune and avoid another long-term injury setback.

Twins Outright Kyle Garlick To Triple-A

By Mark Polishuk | June 25, 2023 at 7:36am CDT

Kyle Garlick has accepted an outright assignment to the Twins’ Triple-A affiliate, the team announced. Minnesota designated Garlick for assignment earlier this week and he cleared waivers, but Garlick had the right to reject the outright assignment in favor of free agency, since he has previously been outrighted in his career.

Instead, the 31-year-old outfielder has chosen to remain in the Twins organization. Finances certainly played some role in Garlick’s decision, as he would’ve forfeited the remainder of his guaranteed salary for the season (roughly $375K) by becoming a free agent. But, it could be that Garlick is also comfortable with the Twins, and is confident that he’ll get another look at the big league team.

Garlick initially came to the Twins on a waiver claim from the Braves in February 2021, and the outfielder has hit .227/.278/.444 over 299 plate appearances and 116 MLB games since the start of the 2021 season. His production in 2023 has dropped off in both the majors (.662 OPS in 30 PA) and minors (.735 OPS in 143 PA), largely due to a big decline against left-handed pitching. The right-handed hitting Garlick has traditionally posted very solid numbers against southpaws, which has helped him carve out a niche over his five Major League seasons with the Dodgers, Phillies, and Twins.

Angels Acquire Mike Moustakas

By Tim Dierkes | June 24, 2023 at 11:15pm CDT

The Angels acquired infielder Mike Moustakas tonight, sending minor league righty Connor Van Scoyoc to the Rockies. The deal, which is now official, was first reported by Robert Murray of Fansided. The Halos designated infielder Kevin Padlo for assignment to open a spot for Moustakas, reports MLB.com’s Rhett Bollinger.

Moustakas, 34, was released by the Reds in January, with the club eating $22MM in the process. He hooked on with the Rockies on a minor league deal in March and cracked the Opening Day roster with a strong spring. With the Rockies, Moustakas was used as a backup at the infield corners behind C.J. Cron and Ryan McMahon. Cron has been on the IL with a back injury since mid-May, but Elehuris Montero has been drawing a good number of starts at first base in his stead.

After a pair of injury-wracked seasons, the left-handed-hitting Moustakas bounced back to a degree in his 136 plate appearances with Colorado this year by posting a 101 wRC+. Moustakas effectively got to walk over to the visitors’ clubhouse tonight, after the Angels set various franchise records with a 25-1 drubbing of the Rockies at Coors Field.

Moustakas didn’t get to play in that one, but he’ll move from the NL’s worst team to a Halos club that is tied for the third AL wild-card spot with the Blue Jays. The Angels are looking to make the playoffs for the first time since 2014. With the Moustakas acquisition tonight, they’ve added a three-time All-Star, 2015 World Champion, and 13-year MLB veteran. Moose hit 35 home runs in 2019, the fifth time he’d hit at least 20 in a season.

Moustakas’ initial two bouts with free agency were disappointments. The first time through in 2017-18, he turned down a $17.4MM qualifying offer from the Royals only to return in March on a one-year, $6.5MM deal. The next time, he lingered on the market until February before re-signing with the Brewers for $10MM. Moustakas was able to use his 2019 All-Star season as a springboard to a surprising four-year, $64MM deal with the Reds. Unfortunately, Moustakas played in only 140 games for the Reds from 2021-22 due heel injuries, a right biceps strain, calf strains, and stints on the COVID-IL.

Moustakas spent some time at second base in 2019-20, but since then he’s been utilized at the infield corners and designated hitter. The Angels have used a cast of players at first this year, with over 100 innings apiece going to Brandon Drury, Jared Walsh, Gio Urshela, and Jake Lamb. Lamb was optioned to Triple-A in May, and Walsh followed him on Saturday. Urshela recently suffered a season-ending fractured pelvis.

Angels third baseman Anthony Rendon went on the IL last Monday with a bruised wrist. Luis Rengifo had been getting the nod at the hot corner, until the Angels picked up switch-hitter Eduardo Escobar as something of an Urshela replacement in a trade with the Mets on Friday. Escobar, the Mets’ starting third baseman last year, could complement Moustakas at first and dabble at second base once Rendon returns. Escobar has hit lefties quite well in recent seasons, with a 131 wRC+ in 398 plate appearances against them since 2021. Moustakas hit righties to the tune of a 115 wRC+ from 2015-20, and may need to do so again to maintain his roster spot.

As for the Rockies, Moustakas could perhaps be the first domino to fall in advance of the August 1st trade deadline. GM Bill Schmidt didn’t give much away in his comments on the topic on the Rockies broadcast about a week ago, but the team’s potential free agents include Charlie Blackmon, Randal Grichuk, Jurickson Profar, C.J. Cron, Pierce Johnson, Brent Suter, and Brad Hand.

In Van Scoyoc, the Rockies picked up a 23-year-old righty who’s served as a starting pitcher for the High-A Tri-City Dust Devils this year. He was an 11th round pick by the Angels out of an Iowa high school back in 2018. Van Scoyoc has posted a 2.76 ERA in 62 innings at that level on the strength of a 51.2% groundball rate. Oddly enough, Van Scoyoc also switched clubhouses to join his new team, notes Doug Taylor on Twitter.

The 26-year-old Padlo had signed a minor league deal with the Angels back in December, earning a Major League look by hitting .273/.396/.555 at Triple-A. The Angels selected his contract on Monday and gave him eight plate appearances, but now he’s lost a 40-man spot once again. Padlo, a corner infielder, has also seen MLB time with the Rays, Mariners, Giants, and Pirates.

Aaron Judge Suffering From Torn Ligament In Big Toe

By Mark Polishuk | June 24, 2023 at 11:00pm CDT

12:44PM: Judge discussed his injury with Hoch (Twitter links) and other reporters, saying “It’s not going to be perfect here in a couple of weeks. Once we can manage the pain, we’re going to be in a good spot….I don’t think too many people in here have torn a ligament in their toe. If it was a quad, we’d have a better answer. If it’s an oblique or hamstring, we have answers and a timeline for that. With how unique this injury is, and it being my back foot, which I push off of and run off of, it’s a tough spot.”

12:26PM: Aaron Judge suffered what was thought to be a sprained right big toe and a bruise when he crashed into the concrete support beam under the Dodger Stadium right-field bullpen door on June 3, while making a spectacular catch. Judge hasn’t played since, and while he has reportedly been making steady progress in his recovery, Yankees manager Aaron Boone was non-committal about predicting when Judge might return.

Another detail has now come from Judge himself, who told reporters (including Newsday’s Erik Boland and The Athletic’s Chris Kirschner) that his injury included a torn toe ligament, not just a sprain. Judge is still feeling pain when he walks, and while he might be starting some limited baseball-related activities soon, he won’t yet be able to run until he can at least walk without discomfort.

While this is new information to the public, it obviously isn’t a surprise to the team, so it isn’t clear if this materially changes whatever very loose timeline might be in place for Judge to return to New York’s lineup. Boone suggested that Judge could get back to action before the All-Star break, and that might appear to be a best-case scenario given how relatively far away Judge seems to be from truly ramping up his rehab work.

Speaking with MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch and other reporters today, Boone said he believes Judge will be back before the end of the 2023 season, though he didn’t guarantee it. As ominous as this sounds, Boone may have been holding back on linguistic grounds (since a guarantee is “an absolute. I can’t say that about anyone.”) rather than out of genuine concern over a truly long-term injury to the reigning AL MVP. That said, it is certainly disconcerting that there’s even a slim chance Judge’s toe injury might bring a premature end to his season.

The Yankees have a mediocre 6-10 record since Judge’s last game, with a league-worst 66 wRC+. Considering that severe lack of offense, a 6-10 record might actually be an achievement, and the Yankees have remained in a wild card spot due to some struggles from other AL playoff contenders. Needless to say, New York’s chances of staying in the playoff race will be heavily diminished if Judge can’t get back to the field soon, given his outsized role in carrying the Yankee lineup.

West Notes: Campusano, San Jose, Urquidy, Moore

By Nick Deeds | June 24, 2023 at 10:56pm CDT

Padres catcher Luis Campusano is making notable progress in his rehab from a sprained left thumb. As Jeff Sanders of the San Diego Union-Tribune notes, Campusano hit on the field prior to today’s game against the Nationals before catching a bullpen session for right-hander Yu Darvish. As noted by MLB.com, manager Bob Melvin considered today’s steps forward “significant” as Campusano continues his rehab process, but the club has not yet set a timeline for the catcher to begin a rehab assignment.

Campusano appeared in just seven games this season prior to going on the injured list, leaving much of the catching duties to Austin Nola, who’s struggled to a brutal .144/.263/.195 slash line this season. More recently, the Padres have learned on in-season addition Gary Sanchez behind the plate. In 80 plate appearances since arriving in San Diego, Sanchez has slashed .206/.275/.521 with a wRC+ of 114 while grading out as a roughly average defensive catcher. Still, Campusano’s eventual return figures to give the Padres insurance if Sanchez’s production takes a turn for the worse and an alternative to Nola as the second catcher on the roster.

More from around MLB’s western divisions…

As reported by John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle, San Jose mayor Matt Mahan and four previous mayors of the city have issued a letter to commissioner Rob Manfred pleading the city’s case for an MLB expansion or relocation team. In the letter, the mayors argue that San Jose presents a unique opportunity for MLB considering its population, annual GDP, and its relationship with major tech companies. As Shea notes, the Giants currently have territorial rights over San Jose following an agreement between San Francisco and Oakland in 1990. That agreement was a major factor in the failure of a bid by the Athletics to move to San Jose back in 2013. While the idea of San Jose as a potential expansion team location farfetched considering MLB’s decision to support the Giants in their dispute with the A’s over territorial rights a decade ago, the situation is nonetheless worth noting as groups around the country such as those in Nashville and Salt Lake City prepare for the possibility of expansion in the coming decade.
Astros right-hander Jose Urquidy threw a bullpen session today and told reporters, including Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle, that he was sitting 88-89 with his fastball, down from his typical velocity of 93-94. That’s not much of a cause for concern at the moment, however, considering how early it is in Urquidy’s rehab from shoulder woes that have kept him on the injured list since the beginning of May. Urquidy, who has long been expected to return sometime in July, told reporters that the current plan is for him to throw two more bullpen sessions before advancing to facing live hitters. It seems reasonable to expect a rehab assignment to be in the near future for Urquidy once he begins facing live batters, assuming everything goes well up to that point.
Angels lefty Matt Moore is making progress in his rehab from an oblique injury that has left his sidelined for nearly a month, though he told reporters, including MLB.com’s Rhett Bollinger, that today’s bullpen didn’t go well enough for him to be activated from the injured list on Monday. While how Moore feels tomorrow will decide a lot of the process, the Halos reliever indicated that he expects to throw at least one more bullpen before he’s activated from the IL. Moore has been stellar for the Angels this season when healthy, with a 1.44 ERA in 25 innings, though the club has managed to maintain a solid bullpen in his absence thanks to the efforts of players like Carlos Estevez, Jaime Barria, and Chris Devenski.

AL East Notes: Duvall, McClanahan, Givens

By Nick Deeds | June 24, 2023 at 9:41pm CDT

Speculation has begun to swirl around Red Sox outfielder Adam Duvall as a potential trade chip for the club this summer. Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe notes that rival executives think that Boston is play Duvall virtually every day despite the success of Jarren Duran in center field earlier this season in hopes that the 34-year-old slugger will catch fire and become a tradable asset ahead of the deadline on August 1. Meanwhile, MassLive’s Sean McAdam echoes the sentiment that Chaim Bloom’s front office could look to move Duvall, noting that starting pitching, left-handed relief, and middle infield help are among the weaknesses the Red Sox could look to patch up in return for Duvall’s services.

Duvall got off to one of the hottest starts to open the season across the league, slashing an incredible .455/.514/1.030 in eight games for the Red Sox prior to being sidelined with a fractured left wrist. He returned to action earlier this month, but has struggled in 13 games since returning from the IL with a slash line of just .146/.255/.268 in that time. Of course, both Duvall’s performance before and after the injury are incredibly small sample sizes, and the slugger has less than 100 plate appearances total on the season, meaning there’s still plenty of time for his numbers to stabilize one way or another as Boston weighs its options regarding their veteran outfielder.

More from around the AL East…

Rays fans can breathe a sigh of relief regarding ace Shane McClanahan today, as Kristie Ackert of the Tampa Bay Times notes that the young lefty woke up “in a good spot” Friday morning after exiting Thursday’s start with mid-back tightness. Still, Ackert notes that the club is exercising caution with its prized left-hander, and considering utilizing Monday’s off-day to push his next start back until next weekend against the Mariners in Seattle. Ackert adds that McClanahan was not sent for imaging and has continued his usual routine between starts. That McClanahan seems to be healthy is great news for the Rays, as the 26-year-old lefty has put himself squarely in the midst of the AL Cy Young award discussion with an MLB-leading 2.23 ERA in 93 innings of work this season.
Orioles right-hander Mychal Givens was scratched from his planned rehab appearance at Triple-A tomorrow, as noted by Nathan Ruiz of The Baltimore Sun. Instead, Givens is set to return to Baltimore for an evaluation. Further details about the evaluation are limited, though it certainly seems to be an ominous sign for the right-hander, who’s been on the shelf with shoulder inflammation since the beginning of the month and had the start to his 2023 campaign delayed by knee inflammation. While Givens has been limited to just four innings of work by those injuries, the Orioles bullpen has nonetheless excelled thanks to the emergence of Felix Bautista and Yennier Cano as perhaps the best relief duo in baseball this season. [UPDATE: Orioles manager Brandon Hyde told MASNsports.com’s Roch Kubatko and other reporters that Givens has some soreness in his throwing shoulder but there is a relatively “low level” of concern about a serious setback.]

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