The Opener: Abreu, Thomas, Polanco
Here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around baseball this Memorial Day:
1. Astros to recall José Abreu
The Astros are set to recall veteran first baseman José Abreu from Triple-A ahead of their game with the Mariners this evening. Abreu himself first made the announcement, while manager Joe Espada later confirmed the news (per Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle).
The former AL MVP agreed to be optioned to the Astros’ spring training facility in West Palm Beach after a dreadful performance this April (.099/.156/.113 in 22 games). Evidently, the team has decided that he showed enough improvement to warrant his return to the majors. Abreu himself called the demotion “the best thing I’ve ever gone through,” expressing gratitude for the opportunity to clear his head and fix his swing (per Chandler Rome of The Athletic).
The 37-year-old played a couple of games at Triple-A Sugar Land this weekend, and although he went 0-for-7, Astros GM Dana Brown said, “It’s not really about the hits. We want to make sure he’s getting quality at-bats. Sounds like he had a few quality at-bats” (as relayed by Rome).
2. Nationals to activate Lane Thomas:
Nationals manager Dave Martinez told reporters (including Mark Zuckerman of MASN) that right fielder Lane Thomas “should be ready” to return from the injured list in time for this afternoon’s game against the Braves at Truist Park. Thomas has not played since April 23, when he exited with a left knee sprain. He will likely take Jesse Winker‘s spot in the lineup today, as Winker takes a day off with a cramp in his left quad (per Zuckerman), but Martinez did not comment on any potential transactions to open up a spot for Thomas on the Nationals’ 26-man roster.
Although Thomas was off to a slow start before his injury, slashing .184/.250/.253 in 22 games, Washington will surely be pleased to have him back on the active roster. The 28-year-old was the team’s most productive player in 2023, hitting 28 homers, swiping 20 bags, and scoring 101 runs while racking up 3.1 FanGraphs WAR. Even if he continues to struggle, Thomas is a sure bet to contribute with elite speed and a powerful arm in right field.
3. Jorge Polanco to undergo MRI:
Mariners second baseman Jorge Polanco will undergo an MRI today after exiting with right hamstring tightness on Sunday, reports Shannon Dryer of Seattle Sports. The 30-year-old missed seven games earlier this month with a similar issue.
Polanco spent the first 10 seasons of his career with the Twins, developing a reputation as a consistent, productive hitter. From 2019-23, the first five years of an extension he signed during the 2018-19 offseason, he hit 89 home runs with a 117 wRC+ over 544 games. However, he has struggled in his first season with the Mariners, slashing .195/.293/.302 with a 78 wRC+ in 46 games played. The M’s will hope his MRI comes back negative, and in a best-case scenario, perhaps a few games off his feet will help Polanco clear his head and break out of his uncharacteristic slump.
Ronald Acuna Jr. Suffers Torn ACL, Will Miss Rest Of 2024 Season
Reigning NL MVP Ronald Acuna Jr. suffered a fully torn left ACL during today’s game, as the Braves announced following an MRI examination tonight. Acuna will undergo surgery and miss the remainder of the 2024 season.
Acuna was taking a lead off second base during the first inning of today’s 8-1 Atlanta win over the Pirates when he faked a possible steal attempt with a move towards third base. However, Acuna’s left leg twisted under him and he fell to the ground in obvious pain. Speaking with reporters after the game, Acuna said that he didn’t feel a pop in his knee and expressed hope that might perhaps miss just a month of action if his knee was only strained, but unfortunately the MRI has revealed the worst-case scenario for the star outfielder.
This is the second major knee surgery of Acuna’s career, as he previously tore his right ACL on July 10, 2021. He was able to return to action quicker than expected and was back in the Braves lineup by the end of April 2022, though it didn’t seem like he was quite back in full form, as Acuna batted a relatively underwhelming .266/.351/.413 over 533 plate appearances that season.
With a full and normal offseason of prep and recovery over the winter of 2022-23, Acuna bounced back with not just his best season, but one of the best all-around seasons in the history of the sport. Acuna was a unanimous choice as NL MVP after hitting .337/.416/.596 with 41 homers and 73 stolen bases (in 87 attempts). This made Acuna the first player to ever have a 40-50 season, let alone establishing the 40-60 and 40-70 clubs to boot.
That type of season would’ve been a tough act to follow for anyone, but Acuna was hitting only .246/.348/.356 over 221 PA heading into what ended up as his final game of the 2024 campaign. Acuna’s barrel rates were still above average but well below his career norms, and both his home run total (four) and his overall power numbers sharply dropped. He also reverted back to his pre-2023 free-swinging ways, after he was one of baseball’s toughest hitters to strike out last season.
We’ll now never know if Acuna could’ve shaken off this slow start, as he is facing yet another brutally long absence from the Braves lineup. Since Acuna suffered a complete tear in his ACL, his recovery figures to be on the longer side of the usual 7-10 month timeframe for such surgeries. This would still put him in line to return by Opening Day 2025, though it seems quite possible Acuna and the Braves might explore a longer rehab this time given that it is Acuna’s second ACL tear, and because his previous relatively quick return in 2022 seemed to result in nagging knee soreness and his comparatively lackluster numbers.
More will be known about Acuna’s recovery timeline in the coming weeks and months, but the bottom line is that the news is devastating on all fronts for Acuna, the Braves, and for MLB itself in losing a signature star. Acuna still doesn’t turn 27 until December, and yet while he has plenty of time to continue building on what seems like a Cooperstown-worthy career, it is anyone’s guess if he’ll be able to again recapture his old form after ACL surgeries on both knees.
The Braves overcame Acuna’s previous ACL injury to launch an unlikely run to the 2021 World Series crown. Atlanta chose to double down on its attempt to stay in the playoff race by adding four outfielders (Jorge Soler, Eddie Rosario, Joc Pederson, and Adam Duvall) prior to the trade deadline, and the entire quartet stepped up to help carry the team in the remainder of the regular season and during the postseason. Soler even won World Series MVP honors and Rosario was the NLCS MVP, cementing Alex Anthopoulos’ bold decision to reload rather than not give up on the season in the wake of losing Acuna.
With this in mind, it is impossible to say that Acuna’s latest injury will doom Atlanta’s chances in 2024, even if president of baseball operations Anthopoulos now faces another tricky path to building a championship team. Though the Braves are six games behind the Phillies for the NL East lead, Atlanta’s 30-20 record gives them a comfortable five-game edge for the top NL wild card berth, and it certainly looks like a return to the postseason in the cards. This is despite middling seasons from most of the Braves’ lineup (save Marcell Ozuna and Travis d’Arnaud), Sean Murphy missing almost the entire season with an oblique strain, and staff ace Spencer Strider undergoing a season-ending surgery of his own with an internal brace procedure.
Since the Braves still went for it in 2021 despite a sub-.500 record at the start of August, they will obviously still be all-in on a title now given their team-record payroll and one of baseball’s most enviable collections of long-term talent. Jarred Kelenic and Adam Duvall have been splitting time in left field so either could shift over to right field for the time being, or Atlanta might just stick with the left field platoon and look to find another full-time replacement on the trade market. Making an early strike in a trade could be costly for Anthopoulos, yet he might look to replicate 2021 by adding multiple outfielders in somewhat lower-tier deals.
If the Braves really wanted to get the band back together, Rosario (now with the Nationals) figures to be available as a deadline rental and Pederson might be the same if the Diamondbacks can’t get back into contention. In terms of internal help, Atlanta’s tendency to rarely rest its starters means that Acuna, Kelenic, Duvall, Michael Harris II, and (with one inning in right field) Forrest Wall are the only players who have gotten any work in the Braves outfield all season. Wall, J.P. Martinez, and Luke Williams are all at Triple-A and on the 40-man roster, plus Eli White and Skye Bolt are among a few other Triple-A outfield options with Major League experience. Newly-acquired utilityman Zack Short has also gotten some time in the corner outfield during his career and figures to be part of this mix as well.
While there will be no shortage of trade speculation surrounding the Braves heading into the July 30 deadline, the obvious fact is that there is no way to truly replace Acuna, his 2024 struggles notwithstanding. Losing Acuna for the season puts even more pressure on Atlanta’s other bats to get on track, and on the club’s pitching staff to continue its solid work. The Braves’ attempt at a seventh consecutive division title is already in jeopardy thanks to the Phillies’ hot start, and without Acuna, it will be much more difficult for the Braves to navigate their way back to the World Series.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Cristian Javier Day-To-Day With Forearm Discomfort
Cristian Javier was set to throw a bullpen session today in advance of his next scheduled start on Tuesday, but Astros manager Joe Espada told reporters (including Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle) that “a little forearm discomfort” led to Javier’s bullpen being scrapped. The right-hander was deemed as day to day for now, though it would certainly seem like his next start will be pushed back or skipped altogether, and naturally any forearm-related injury will be monitored closely by team doctors.
While the best case scenario is that Javier’s soreness goes away in a couple of days, even a minimal 15-day stint on the injured list might also be considered a relative win considering how serious forearm problems can often result in much longer absences. That said, even 15 days without Javier would be a blow to an Astros team that has already been stretched thin by pitching injuries this season, including a prior IL stint for Javier himself — the righty missed a little over three weeks recovering from a neck strain.
Javier has a solid but unspectacular 3.89 ERA over 34 2/3 innings this season, and his Statcast metrics are almost all below average apart from strong hard-hit ball rates. Javier didn’t look sharp in allowing four runs over four innings against the Angels in his most recent outing last Tuesday, and Kawahara noted that Javier’s average fastball velocity in that start was 1.5mph below his mean number for the season.
It could be that if even the forearm injury isn’t overly serious, the Astros could consider giving Javier a 15-day IL stint just as a way to fully reset himself and get healthy after his inconsistent start to the season. This tactic would also, however, put more pressure on a rotation that is trying to navigate a stretch of 29 games in 30 games. The only off-day of that gauntlet just took place last Thursday, and the Astros have 10 games remaining before their next scheduled off-day on June 6.
In the event that Javier was either on a proper IL trip or was just held out in day-to-day form, Houston will have to make up two starts. Veteran Eric Lauer was just signed to a minor league deal last week and could be a candidate to step into the rotation on a short-term basis, or both of Hunter Brown and Spencer Arrighetti could remain in the rotation. Ronel Blanco‘s return from suspension looked like it would push one of Brown or Arrighetti out of the regular starting mix, but if Javier is going to miss some time, an extra arm will be required.
Justin Verlander, Framber Valdez, and Blanco form a sturdy top three in the rotation. Elsewhere on the injured list, Luis Garcia (Tommy John surgery) and Lance McCullers Jr. (forearm tendon surgery) are expected to make their 2024 debuts closer to midseason, and Jose Urquidy is dealing with some forearm soreness of his own that developed during a recent minor league rehab outing.
MLBTR Chat Transcript
Click here to read the transcript of tonight’s live baseball chat
Injured List Transactions: Beck, Robertson, Saucedo
Rockies outfielder Jordan Beck suffered a fracture in his left hand while making a diving catch of a Nick Castellanos line drive in Colorado’s 8-4 loss to Philadelphia on Saturday. The injury naturally forced Beck out of the game, and the Rockies placed him on the 10-day injured list today, with outfielder Sean Bouchard called up from Triple-A in the corresponding move. Beck told reporters (including the Denver Post’s Patrick Saunders) that he’ll undergo more tests today, and might then have a better idea of his recovery timeline.
Beck has been Colorado’s everyday left fielder since he made his MLB debut on April 30, as the Rox have wanted to take a long look at the top-100 prospect. It hasn’t been a smooth transition for Beck, who was hitting only .190/.198/.316 with 30 strikeouts over his first 81 plate appearances in the big leagues. The broken hand only adds to these woes, though getting to bank Major League service time while on the IL might represent some small silver lining for the 23-year-old.
Some other comings and goings from injured lists around baseball….
- The Cardinals placed right-hander Nick Robertson on the 15-day IL (retroactive to May 23) and called up righty Andre Pallante from Triple-A Memphis. Robertson is dealing with inflammation in his throwing elbow, but he told Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat (X link) that he doesn’t believe the injury is too serious. St. Louis acquired Robertson from the Red Sox as part of the trade package for Tyler O’Neill last December, and he has posted a 4.38 ERA over 12 1/3 innings out of the Cardinals’ bullpen. A .364 BABIP and three homers allowed have inflated Robertson’s ERA, as his walk (3.8%) and strikeout (26.9%) rates have been impressive.
- The Mariners reinstated left-hander Tayler Saucedo from the 15-day IL, and created roster space by optioning righty Eduard Bazardo to Triple-A. Saucedo returns after missing just shy of three weeks due to a hyperextension of his right knee. After emerging as a solid member of Seattle’s bullpen last year, Saucedo has been even better this season, with a 2.70 ERA and 52.8% grounder rate over his first 14 appearances and 13 1/3 innings in 2024.
Twins Outright Jay Jackson To Triple-A
TODAY: Jackson has been outrighted off the 40-man roster after clearing waivers. Betsy Helfand of the St. Paul Pioneer Press (via X) reports that Jackson will report to Triple-A, rather than exercising his right to free agency.
MAY 19: The Twins have designated right-hander Jay Jackson for assignment, per a club announcement. Right-hander Caleb Boushley was recalled in the corresponding move.
Jackson, 36, signed a $1.5MM guarantee with the Twins back in February but has struggled badly across 17 appearances with the Twins this season. In 22 1/3 innings of work, Jackson has posted a 6.75 ERA with a 4.49 FIP despite a solid 24% strikeout rate and a decent 8.3% walk rate. Much of the damage against Jackson has come via the long ball, as the veteran has already allowed a whopping four homers this season. While an unbelievably low 47.2% strand rate in conjunction with those solid strikeout and walk rates suggest Jackson may have been a victim of some bad luck (as demonstrated by his 3.49 SIERA and 3.74 xERA), those early season struggles were nonetheless enough for the Twins to make a change.
The 36-year-old’s professional career began all the way back in 2008, when he was a ninth-round pick by the Cubs. Jackson eventually made his big league debut as a member of the Padres but pitched just 34 2/3 innings in the majors between his 2015 debut and the 2021 season, instead having spent the majority of his career to that point pitching in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball. He posted excellent results during his time overseas with a 2.16 ERA and a 27.4% strikeout rate, and made his way back to the big leagues in 2021 as a member of the Giants. Jackson managed just 52 2/3 innings of work at the big league level from 2021-23, but posted solid results when on the mound with a 2.73 ERA and 4.07 FIP in 50 appearances.
Those strong previous results in conjunction with his solid peripherals in Minnesota could make Jackson and interesting target for teams in need of relief pitching, though it’s possible no team will want to assume the remainder of his contract with the Twins by claiming him off waivers. Should Jackson clear waivers, he’d have the right to reject an outright assignment and elect free agency, although he would forfeit his guaranteed salary in doing so.
Replacing Jackson on the Twins’ active roster is Boushley, who will be returning to the majors after a single-game cup of coffee with the Brewers last season. Boushley’s lone MLB appearance went fairly well as he posted a 3.86 ERA while striking out five 2 1/3 innings of work, although he did surrender two walks and a home run during the outing. Boushley found himself outrighted off the 40-man roster in Milwaukee this past offseason and elected free agency before signing with the Twins on a minor league deal back in January. Boushley’s contract was selected by the Twins earlier this month, although he did not make it into an MLB game before being optioned back to the minors. The right-hander has pitched to a decent 4.54 ERA in eight starts at the Triple-A level and figures to offer the Twins a long relief option out of the bullpen going forward.
Ronald Acuna Jr. Exits Game With Apparent Knee Injury
4:22PM: Speaking with The Athletic’s David O’Brien (X link) and other reporters after the game, Acuna said he will be placed on the 10-day injured list tomorrow, but he feels he might miss only about a month rather than a longer absence. Acuna compared the feel of the injury to his 2018 ACL sprain rather than his tear three years ago.
2:49PM: Braves superstar Ronald Acuna Jr. exited today’s game against the Pirates in the first inning due to an apparent injury suffered while running the bases, and he limped off the field while gesturing to his left knee. The Braves later termed the issue “left knee soreness.” Of note, the ACL tear that required surgery during the 2021 campaign affected Acuna’s right knee.
The severity of the injury is not yet clear and likely won’t be known in detail until after the game, but it appears likely that Acuna will miss at least some time due to the issue given his history of lower half injuries. In addition to the aforementioned ACL tear in his right leg, Acuna has also suffered a left knee injury before in his career. During his rookie season back in 2018, the phenom suffered a left knee contusion and mild sprain of his left ACL that kept him out of action for one month.
An absence of virtually any length for Acuna would be a major blow to the Braves on the heels of a tough month of May that’s seen them fall to second place in the NL East, seven games back of the surging Phillies for the division crown. That’s particularly true given the offensive funk the club has found itself in this season; Atlanta’s hitters have collectively posted a wRC+ of just 88 in the month of May that leaves the Braves bottom-six among all major league clubs.
Acuna has been in the thick of that slump. It’s been a rather pedestrian start to the season for the 26-year-old, as he’s posted a roughly league average .246/.348/.356 slash line in 221 trips to the plate entering play today. Despite those uninspiring numbers, there’s no denying Acuna’s ability to carry an offense when he’s at his best; the star outfielder is of course just one season removed from a historic 2023 campaign that saw him win the NL MVP award while crushing 40 home runs, swiping 70 stolen bases, and leading the major leagues with a .416 on-base percentage.
Acuna’s offensive malaise in 2024 after a standout 2023 season is shared between much of the Braves’ lineup. Austin Riley has not appeared in a game in two weeks amid an intercostal injury but sported a wRC+ of just 102 when healthy enough to appear in games, and other key pieces such as Matt Olson, Ozzie Albies, and Michael Harris II have posted similarly pedestrian numbers at the plate this season after the club’s incredible 104-win campaign last year.
Looking at the potential roster impacts of Acuna’s injury, Adam Duvall and Jarred Kelenic are handling the corner outfield spots in Acuna’s absence this afternoon, though it’s possible the club could turn to Forrest Wall or J.P. Martinez to supply additional depth should Acuna require a trip to the injured list. It’s also possible that Acuna’s injury forces the Braves to make a decision regarding Riley’s injury, as the club has effectively been playing a man down for two weeks while he’s been unavailable and the club may not be able to afford the lack of production without Acuna’s bat in the lineup.
Royals Place Michael Massey On 10-Day Injured List
The Royals placed second baseman Michael Massey on the 10-day injured list today (retroactive to May 25) due to a ligament sprain in his lower back. Infielder Nick Loftin was called up from Triple-A Omaha in the corresponding move.
This is the second time Massey’s bad back has sent him to the IL, as his season debut was delayed until April 19 because of a similar injury that cropped up during Spring Training. Massey made an early exit from Friday’s 8-1 victory over the Rays due to back soreness and he didn’t play yesterday, so K.C. manager Matt Quatraro felt a roster move was necessary.
“We are at a point where he wasn’t feeling great today. It’s been a couple of days and we have another day game tomorrow,” Quatraro told the Kansas City Star’s Jaylon Thompson and other reporters. “We got to make a move to kind of put him on a course to get better and is more sustainable than going day to day.”
It would seem like Massey will miss longer than the minimum 10 days in order to fully rest up and try to put the back problem behind him, and he might also seek out a specialist to see if any longer-term solution is necessary. Loftin and Adam Frazier handled second base duty during Massey’s previous IL stint, and that figures to be the case again, even if it will be hard for the duo to match Massey’s underrated all-around production.
One of the unsung stars of the Royals’ unexpected surge into contention, Massey has hit .294/.306/.529 with six home runs over 110 plate appearances. Between this 124 wRC+ and solidly above-average glovework at second base, Massey has generated 0.8 fWAR in his 29 games this season, already topping his 0.7 fWAR over 181 games in 2022-23. While his modest hard-hit ball rates and .309 xwOBA indicate that some regression is inevitable, Massey has drastically reduced his strikeout rate from his first two MLB seasons, and is hitting for much more power.
Red Sox Release Vladimir Gutierrez
The Red Sox announced that Vladimir Gutierrez has been released. The right-hander had been pitching at Triple-A Worcester since he was acquired from the Brewers last month, though he was designated for assignment and then outrighted off Boston’s 40-man roster earlier this month.
Because Gutierrez has previously been outrighted in his career, he had the option to reject that assignment and opt into free agency. He chose to stick with the Sox at that point but now finds himself on the open market anyway, as the righty simply didn’t seem to be in the team’s plans. Gutierrez didn’t help his case with a 9.00 ERA over eight innings in Worcester, as he allowed more walks (12) than strikeouts (eight) over his five appearances.
Gutierrez could now potentially join his fourth different organization in as many months. He inked a minor league deal with the Marlins during the offseason, and has since been designated for assignment three times — once apiece by Miami, Milwaukee, and Boston. Gutierrez has seen some big league action this season, with a 6.75 ERA in four innings for the Marlins before he was DFA’ed and then claimed off waivers by the Brewers at the start of April.
Those four innings represented Gutierrez’s first time on a Major League mound since 2022, as Tommy John surgery sidelined him for the entirety of the 2023 season apart from 6 1/3 minor league innings in the Reds’ farm system. Formerly a highly-regarded pitching prospect during his time in Cincinnati’s minor league ranks, Gutierrez debuted in the Show in 2021 and finished eighth in NL Rookie of the Year voting after posting a 4.74 ERA in 114 innings. Home runs and control became greater issues for him in 2022, however, as Gutierrez struggled to a 7.61 ERA in 36 2/3 innings before the TJ procedure brought his tough year to an early end.
Royals Return Rule 5 Pick Matt Sauer To Yankees
The Yankees announced this afternoon that right-hander Matt Sauer had been returned to the organization by the Royals. The 25-year-old was selected by Kansas City with the second-overall pick in the 2023 Rule 5 Draft but was designated for assignment earlier this week. Evidently, Sauer cleared waivers, meaning the Royals had to offer Sauer back to New York for $50K. The Yankees pulled the trigger on that offer and have assigned him to Triple-A.
Sauer was New York’s second-round pick in the 2017 draft and had spent his career prior to the 2024 season climbing the minor league ladder before ultimately topping out at the Double-A level. The righty was impressive in 14 appearances (13 starts) at the level last year as he pitched to a 3.42 ERA with a 29.5% strikeout rate in 68 1/3 innings of work. That performance was clearly enough for the Royals to take a shot on Sauer, and he impressed in 10 2/3 innings of work during Spring Training with a 2.53 ERA and 13 strikeouts.
That spring performance was enough for the Royals to offer Sauer a spot on their Opening Day roster, and he responded by delivering solid results throughout the month of April with a 2.38 ERA in 11 1/3 innings of work. That being said, Sauer’s peripherals left something to be desired as evidenced by his 17% walk rate and 9.4% strikeout rate during that time. Unfortunately, Sauer’s results began to catch up to his peripherals in May as he was lit up to the tune of a 19.80 ERA in five appearances throughout the month, prompting the club’s decision to designate him for assignment.
Were the Royals still the rebuilding club many expected them to be entering the 2024 campaign, it’s possible they would have retained Sauer on the roster for longer in hopes he could right the ship. Unfortunately for the righty, Kansas City has played like anything but a rebuilding club this year with a fantastic 34-19 record that puts them in control of the top AL Wild Card spot and just 1.5 games back of the Guardians for first place in a surprisingly competitive AL Central division. Given the Royals arrival as contenders, the club evidently decided they could not afford to hide Sauer in its final bullpen spot.
That’s great news for the Yankees, who were able to re-acquire Sauer when he went unclaimed on waivers. Now back in the minors with his original club, Sauer figures to continue his development at the Triple-A level and await his next big league opportunity while serving as non-roster depth for New York alongside non-roster veterans such as Phil Bickford and Duane Underwood Jr.