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2023-24 Player Option/Opt-Out Update: April Edition

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Not long ago, any given year in Major League Baseball might have seen a handful of players have player options to decide upon at the end of a season. Opt-out clauses have slowly worked their way into normalcy among contract negotiations, however, and what was once a perk typically reserved for star players has become more commonly used as a means of either sealing a deal with mid-range free agents or in many instances, gaming the luxury tax. Player options are considered guaranteed money, after all, so it’s become common for clubs on the precipice of luxury penalization to negotiate complex player options that tamp down a contract’s average annual value even though they’re unlikely to ever be exercised.

For the purposes of this look around the league, there’s little sense in separating opt-outs from player options. The two are effectively the same, though “opt-out” typically refers to an out clause where there are multiple years remaining on the contract and “player option” generally refers to an individual decision on the forthcoming season. Both are considered guaranteed money for luxury purposes, and both ultimately come down to the player’s preference, risk tolerance, etc.

At their core, opt-out provisions aren’t particularly different from the much longer-accepted club options that teams have negotiated for years. Teams guarantee a certain number of dollars over a certain number of years, and if the player continues performing at a high enough level, they’ll exercise a club option that’s typically locked in at a below-market price. If not, the player will be bought out and sent back to free agency. Player options and opt-outs are merely the inverse; the player/agent negotiate a certain length and annual value but reserve the right to opt back into the market if the player continues to perform at a high level. It’s two sides of the same coin.

There are more players with the opportunity to opt out of their contract this offseason, by way of a one-year player option or a multi-year opt-out, than ever before. As such, we’ll be keeping tabs on these situations throughout the season. Short of a major injury, performance this early in the season isn’t likely to have a major impact on a player’s likelihood of opting out or forgoing that right, but it’s worth listing out which players will have the opportunity, what their contracts look like, and at least taking an early glance at how they’re performing.

Note: All stats through play on Tuesday.

Position Players

  • Tucker Barnhart, C, Cubs ($3.25MM player option): Barnhart’s deal was announced as a two-year, $6.5MM contract, though he also obtained the right to opt out after 2023, effectively rendering 2024 a player option. He’s 5-for-16 with a walk and four strikeouts through just 17 plate appearances as the backup to Yan Gomes. Barnhart got this guarantee on the heels of a dismal .221/.287/.267 showing with the Tigers in 2022, so with even a decent season he’ll have reason to opt out and try his luck again amid a thin group of free-agent catchers.
  • Josh Bell, 1B/DH, Guardians ($16.5MM player option): Bell limped to the finish line with the Padres after being traded over from the Nationals alongside Juan Soto in last summer’s blockbuster, and he hasn’t yet found his footing in 76 plate appearances with the Guardians. It’s a small sample, but Bell’s .203/.316/.344 slash looks quite similar to the .192/.316/.271 he mustered with San Diego in 2022. Bell hit 37 homers in 2019 and 27 in 2021, but he hits the ball on the ground far too often for someone with his power and lack of speed. Only one qualified hitter in MLB (Masataka Yoshida) has a higher ground-ball rate than Bell’s staggering 66.7% mark.
  • Trey Mancini, 1B/OF, Cubs ($7MM player option, if he reaches 350 plate appearances): Like Bell, Mancini saw his offensive production crater following a deadline trade (to the Astros) last summer and has not yet recovered in a new setting. Through 60 plate appearances, he’s hitting just .196/.220/.250. While his contract is a two-year, $14MM deal, Mancini can opt out if he reaches 350 plate appearances (i.e., the second year becomes a player option). He isn’t hitting yet, but Mancini is playing regularly and appears to be trending toward earning that right.
  • Javier Baez, SS, Tigers (can opt out of remaining four years, $98MM): After turning in a tepid .238/.278/.393 batting line in 590 plate appearances during his first season as a Tiger, Baez would need quite the season to walk away from this kind of cash. So far, he’s hitting .193/.254/.246 in 64 trips to the plate, however. When Baez gets hot, he can go on hot streaks for the ages, but he certainly doesn’t look like he’ll be opting out at season’s end.
  • Justin Turner, 3B/DH, Red Sox ($13.4MM player option): Turner hasn’t found his power yet in Boston, but he’s out to a .277/.385/.385 start with nearly as many walks as strikeouts. His $13.4MM player option comes with a hefty $6.7MM buyout. He’ll turn 39 in November, but as long as he hits reasonably well, he should have more earning power than that $6.7MM net decision.
  • Jorge Soler, OF/DH, Marlins ($9MM player option): Soler’s three-year, $36MM deal in Miami pays him $12MM in 2022, $15MM in 2023 and $9MM in 2024, but he had the right to opt out after each season of the deal. He hit just .207/.295/.400 with 13 homers in 306 plate appearances last year, so there was no way he was taking the first opt-out. He’s already clubbed five dingers in 62 plate appearances in 2023. His .263/.323/.649 slash translates to a 155 wRC+, and his exit velocity and hard-hit rate are through the roof, so his .256 average on balls in play should at least hold steady. Soler is an extremely streaky hitter, so time will tell how much of this early heater he can sustain, but there’s plenty to like about his start, including a reduced strikeout rate.
  • Michael Conforto, OF, Giants ($18MM player option, if he reaches 350 plate appearances): As with Mancini, Conforto is on a two-year deal but gains the right to opt out after one year if he reaches 350 plate appearances. You can call it an opt-out or a player option, but it’s the same mechanism; if Conforto is healthy, he’ll likely get the right to opt out. So far, he’s hitting .220/.373/.439 with a trio of homers in 51 trips to the plate. Conforto has walked nine times in those 51 plate appearances (17.6%), and his chase rate is actually down, so he still has good knowledge of the zone. However, a year-long layoff due to shoulder surgery is perhaps making itself known with a 74.5% contact rate on pitches in the strike zone, as that’s nearly 10 percentage points below his career mark of 84%. Unsurprisingly, Conforto’s 31.4% strikeout rate is a career worst. Some rust was inevitable, though, and the plate discipline and hard contact when he has made contact (94.4 mph exit velo, 52.5% hard-hit rate) are encouraging.
  • Matt Carpenter, 1B/DH, Padres ($5.5MM player option): Carpenter’s stunning return with the Yankees last year was one of the best stories of the summer, but he’s out to a sluggish .152/.317/.273 start with the Padres. He’s chasing off the plate at a 30.3% clip after doing so at a 20.7% rate last summer, and his contact rate on swings off the plate has plummeted from 62.5% to 36.4%. It’s a small sample and there’s time to turn things around, of course, but he’s had a tough start.

Pitchers

  • Andrew Heaney, LHP, Dodgers ($13MM player option): Heaney’s first Rangers start was one to forget (seven earned runs), but his second start was dominant, as he tied an AL record by fanning nine consecutive hitters. If Heaney tops 150 innings and doesn’t finish the year with an injury that’d likely keep him out for the first 60-plus innings of the 2024 season, the value of that player option jumps to $20MM. He hasn’t reached 150 innings since 2018.
  • Seth Lugo, RHP, Padres ($7.5MM player option): Lugo’s return to the rotation has been solid. He’s posted a 2.70 ERA through 16 2/3 frames with strikeout and walk ratios that look similar to his numbers out of the bullpen (24.3% strikeout rate, 7.1% walk rate). It’s anyone’s guess how many innings Lugo will tally after throwing just 228 innings combined from 2019-22, when he was primarily a reliever, but a solid run out of the rotation will position him to turn down that player option in search of a multi-year deal in free agency.
  • Sean Manaea, LHP, Giants ($12.5MM player option): The early ERA isn’t much to look at (4.76 in 11 1/3 innings), but the Giants have Manaea averaging 94.7 mph on his four-seamer. That’s a career-high by a wide margin, as he sat 91.7 mph on a now-scrapped sinker in 2021-22 and 91.1 mph on his four-seamer in 2017-20. Any major velocity gain of this nature is worth keeping an eye on.
  • Nick Martinez, RHP, Padres (team has two-year, $32MM club option; if declined, Martinez has two-year, $16MM player option): Martinez’s strikeout rate, walk rate, home-run rate and velocity have all gone the wrong direction through his first three starts. It’s just 17 2/3 innings, so it could be rendered a footnote if he rebounds and the Padres pick up their hefty option on the righty. Still, it’s not the start he or the Padres wanted.
  • Eduardo Rodriguez, LHP, Tigers (can opt out remaining three years, $49MM): E-Rod hasn’t missed bats anywhere near his Boston levels since signing with the Tigers. The lefty still showed good command both in 2022 and so far in 2023, but his 8.7% swinging-strike rate and 20.4% strikeout rate are well shy of the respective 11.6% and 26% marks he posted in his final four years with the Red Sox. Rodriguez’s velocity in 2023 is back up after a slight dip in 2022, but if he can’t get back to missing bats at his prior levels it’ll be an easy call for him to forego that opt-out provision.
  • Max Scherzer, RHP, Mets ($43.333MM player option): Scherzer hasn’t gotten out to his best start, but he posted a 2.29 ERA with gaudy strikeout and walk rates (30.6% and 4.2%) in 145 1/3 frames with the Mets in 2022. He was at the center of controversy after being ejected from today’s start after failing a foreign substance check, though that’s not likely to have any effect on his opt-out decision. Scherzer has already suggested that his opt-out was negotiated in part to ensure that he’d have an opportunity to look elsewhere if the Mets didn’t remain fully committed to winning. That hasn’t been the case under owner Steve Cohen, who’s currently financing the largest payroll and luxury-tax bill in MLB history.
  • Ross Stripling, RHP, Giants ($12.5MM player option): Stripling has been ambushed for 10 runs in his first 12 1/3 innings of work and had been set to operate primarily out of the bullpen before the injury to Alex Wood. It’s not a great start considering the weighty $25MM guarantee on his deal, but he has time to turn things around. A stunning six of the 13 fly-balls Stripling has yielded in 2023 have cleared the fence for a home run, and that rate will surely stabilize over a larger sample. Still, if he’s relegated to long-relief duty for too long, it’ll become difficult for him to even consider his opt-out.
  • Marcus Stroman, RHP, Cubs ($21MM player option): Stroman took a rather atypical contract structure for a 31-year-old free agent, inking a three-year guarantee at a premium annual value with an opt-out after year two. It’s more common to see pitchers that age push for the longest deal possible, but it might work out in Stroman’s favor. He’ll bank $50MM through the contract’s first two seasons, and after a nice 2022 season (3.50 ERA, 3.74 SIERA in 138 2/3 innings), he’s come roaring out of the gates with a 0.75 ERA and vastly improved 26.9% strikeout rate through his first 24 frames. Stroman’s walk rate is also up, and it’s all a small sample for now anyway, but it’s a promising start all the same. He’ll turn 33 in 2024, and if he continues anywhere near the pace he’s set since 2019 (3.15  ERA in 520 innings), he should have no problem topping that $21MM in free agency. He’ll also be ineligible for a qualifying offer, having already received one earlier in his career.
  • Michael Wacha, RHP, Padres (two-year, $32MM club option; if declined, Wacha has $6.5MM player option and $6MM player options in 2025-26): Wacha’s four-year, $26MM deal was effectively just the Padres manipulating the luxury tax by meeting Wacha’s price tag on a multi-year deal but spreading out the term to tamp down the AAV. Wacha’s total guarantee is the type of money one might’ve expected him to land over a two- or perhaps three-year term. By spreading it to four, the Padres could end up avoiding the third luxury-tax bracket. Wacha has a 6.06 ERA through three starts and posted an ERA of 4.76 or worse each season from 2019-21. If he can wind up replicating his strong 2022 results, the Padres might consider picking up their end of the option, but the likelier scenario is that they decline, leaving Wacha with a remaining three years and $19MM, but opt-outs after each season.
  • Chad Green, RHP, Blue Jays (three-year, $27MM club option; if declined, Green has $6.25MM player option; if both decline, team has two-year, $21MM option): Green may have the most convoluted contract of the entire free-agent class. That’s reflective both of his considerable talent and the broad range of outcomes as he works back from last May’s Tommy John surgery. We won’t know have an inkling of how this’ll play out until at least the summer, as Green needs to finish off his rehab. If he can return to peak form (1.83 ERA, 40.7% strikeout rate, 6.7% walk rate) for three or so months down the stretch, perhaps the Jays would actually consider the three-year, $27MM option. But that’s premium setup man money, and Green will be coming back from a year-long absence with a major surgery on his recent resume. He’ll have a $6.25MM player option if that three-year team option is declined, and that seems far more plausible. The two-year, $21MM option if both parties decline their first options feels only slightly more viable than the Jays’ original 3/27 decision.

Josh Donaldson Underwent MRI For Hamstring Injury

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Yankees third baseman Josh Donaldson announced this morning that he went for an MRI on his ailing right hamstring (relayed by Bryan Hoch of MLB.com). Specifics of the injury still aren’t clear, though he’s being shut down for an indeterminate period of time.

It’s a disappointing setback for a player who was initially expected to return to the majors this week. The Yankees sent Donaldson on a rehab assignment with Double-A Somerset yesterday. He took three plate appearances but apparently felt renewed discomfort. Manager Aaron Boone told reporters last night that Donaldson was still experiencing some hamstring tightness (via Chris Kirschner of the Athletic).

Donaldson has been out since April 6. He’s gotten into only five games this year. While he’s been out, the Yankees have given the majority of the third base reps to DJ LeMahieu. Utility players Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Oswaldo Cabrera have also gotten some action, but they’ve each seen more playing time in the outfield in the early going. Donaldson is hoping to get back on track after a down first season in the Bronx, in which he hit only .222/.308/.374 across 546 plate appearances.

In other Yankees’ injury news, the club announced that offseason pickup Carlos Rodón is still being bothered by back soreness. He started the year on the 15-day injured list with a forearm strain, but it’s now the back that seems to be giving him trouble. Boone called the issue a “minor, nagging thing” this evening (relayed by Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News).

Meanwhile, Boone pegged the hopeful recovery timeline on Giancarlo Stanton at six weeks last night (Kirschner link). Stanton suffered a Grade 2 hamstring strain over the weekend; initial reports pegged the absence at four to six weeks, but it seems the longer end of that timetable is likely.

Scherzer, Boras, Umpires Discuss Foreign Substance Ejection

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The sticky stuff crackdown returned to the forefront of MLB attention this afternoon. Mets ace Max Scherzer was ejected after three innings in today’s contest against the Dodgers. An agitated Scherzer was thrown out by crew chief Phil Cuzzi after an extended conversation and inspection of his hands (video provided by Fox Sports MLB).

Failed foreign substance checks come with an automatic 10-game suspension. MLB hasn’t officially levied any discipline to this point, though it’s widely expected the eight-time All-Star will be hit with a suspension. Scherzer told reporters after the game he planned to appeal if suspended (via Bob Nightengale of USA Today).

Scherzer proclaimed his innocence, saying umpires had only detected a combination of sweat and permissible rosin (relayed by Steve Gelbs of SNY). “I said I swear on my kids’ life I’m not using anything else. This is sweat and rosin, sweat and rosin. I keep saying it over and over.” Scherzer added that he anticipated a substance check before the fourth inning, saying he’d “have to be an absolute idiot” to apply anything else.

The three-time Cy Young winner said his hand had gotten “clumpy” with rosin during the second inning. That’s apparently not atypical, as Cuzzi told the pitcher to wash his hand. Scherzer was adamant he washed it with alcohol and changed his glove before reapplying rosin headed into the fourth.

Scherzer’s agent Scott Boras predictably came to his defense. In a statement to Joel Sherman of the New York Post (on Twitter), Boras attacked what he perceived as umpire subjectivity. “MLB standards and rules enforcement should mandate and require an objective verifiable standard,” Boras said. “If you want to attack the integrity of the competition, you need clear precise standards (or) else you damage the game and its players. The Cuzzi on field spectrometer is not the answer. MLB needs to employ available scientific methods (not subjective) to create verifiable certainly of its rules.”

Cuzzi and home plate umpire Dan Bellino defended their actions after the game. “This was the stickiest [a hand] has been since I’ve been inspecting hands, which goes back three seasons,” Bellino said (via Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times). “It was so sticky that when we touched his hand, our fingers were sticking to his hand.” He went on to call it “far more than we have ever seen before on a pitcher in live action” and noted that umpires are aware of the consequences for pitchers ejected for foreign substances, implying they don’t take lightly the expected suspension in making that decision (transcribed by Mike Puma of the New York Post).

Cuzzi made a similar argument, saying Scherzer’s hand was “far stickier than anything that we felt certainly today and anything this year. And so in that case, we felt as though he had two chances to clean it up and he didn’t” (relayed by Tim Healey of Newsday). Bellino called it “something likely more than rosin” in his judgment (thread via Jesse Rogers of ESPN). “We know what the rosin typically feels like on a pitcher’s hand because everyone is using the same rosin bag,” he added. Rogers notes that while rosin itself is not a banned substance, it can be impermissible if used excessively or misapplied.

Drawing that line presents a judgment call for an umpiring crew. Scherzer’s ejection was the first for a failed substance check since the end of the 2021 campaign. Yankees righty Domingo Germán had a close call during a start against the Twins last week, when umpires twice warned him for using too much rosin (link via Dan Hayes of the Athletic). Germán was allowed to stay in the game after washing the rosin to the umpiring crew’s satisfaction. That displeased Twins manager Rocco Baldelli, who was ejected for arguing against Germán being allowed to continue. Dodgers skipper Dave Roberts said that Los Angeles did not request any of the glove inspections in Scherzer’s case (via Rowan Kavner of Fox Sports).

It’s only the beginning of what figures to be a notable saga if/when MLB levies a suspension. In suspensions for violations of on-field rules, clubs are required to play a man short while the ban is being served. The Mets already have three starters — Justin Verlander, José Quintana and Carlos Carrasco — on the injured list.

Red Sox’ Zack Kelly To Undergo Elbow Surgery

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5:25pm: The Red Sox issued an update to reporters, including Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe. His UCL and brace are both in tact, but he needs an ulnar nerve transposition. Three to five months is the expected range of his recovery, but it also could be longer.

3:27pm: Red Sox right-hander Zack Kelly will undergo right elbow surgery in the coming days, manager Alex Cora announced to the team’s beat this afternoon (Twitter link via Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com). While he won’t require Tommy John surgery, Kelly will require a procedure to repair a previous internal brace that was inserted into his pitching elbow.

Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic tweets that Kelly originally had an internal brace operation — an increasingly common Tommy John alternative that can be performed on some but not all ligament tears (dependent on the extent and placement of the damage) — performed back in 2020. Cora did not indicate whether Kelly might pitch again in 2023, only stating that he’ll be out “for awhile.” Kelly was already placed on the 60-day IL earlier this week when Boston claimed lefty Brennan Bernardino from the Mariners.

The 28-year-old Kelly sustained his current elbow injury when pitching against the Rays last week (video link via MLB.com). After letting go of an errant pitch that plunked infielder Yandy Diaz, Kelly immediately removed his glove, clutched his elbow, and dropped into a crouch. Trainers came to the mound, and an emotional Kelly walked off the field, clearly fearing that he’d incurred a substantial injury. That indeed was the case, as McCaffrey indicates the previously installed brace came detached on that ill-fated pitch. His ligament is intact, but the new procedure will reattach the brace.

The emotion shown is particularly understandable for Kelly, a 28-year-old journeyman who made his big league debut in Boston last season after going undrafted out of college and grinding through six minor league seasons between three organizations before finally getting his first cup of coffee. He pitched 13 2/3 innings with a solid 3.95 ERA in his debut campaign, and he’d tossed another 7 1/3 frames with three runs allowed in 2023. Overall, in 21 Major League innings, Kelly has a 3.86 ERA and 17-to-10 K/BB ratio.

Red Sox Promote Enmanuel Valdez

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The Red Sox announced that they have recalled infielder/outfielder Enmanuel Valdez from Triple-A, taking the place of infielder Yu Chang, who has been placed on the paternity list. Valdez himself revealed the news on Instagram prior to the official announcement, as relayed on Twitter by Christopher Smith of MassLive.

Valdez, 24, spent his entire career in the Astros’ organization until he came to the Red Sox as part of the Christian Vázquez trade at last year’s deadline. His minor league career was somewhat unremarkable until a big breakout campaign in 2021. Between High-A and Double-A that year, he hit 26 home runs and slashed .255/.326/.534 for a wRC+ of 122. That continued into 2022, as he was hitting .327/.410/.606 at the time of the trade. His line slipped a bit from there, as he hit .237/.309/.422 after the deal, but he still impressed the Boston brass enough that they targeted him in the deal and then added him to their 40-man roster in November to protect him from being selected in the Rule 5 draft. He was ranked the club’s #19 prospect by Baseball America coming into this year.

The youngster will make his major league debut tonight, as he’s playing second base and batting ninth. The Sox have been playing a bit of musical chairs in their middle infield this season, which started when Trevor Story required internal brace surgery on his throwing elbow in the offseason. With Xander Bogaerts having opted out and signed with the Padres, the club had to turn to backup plans, moving Enrique Hernández in from center field to take over shortstop and partner with Christian Arroyo at second base. Adalberto Mondesí was acquired to be part of the picture but he’s still recovering from last year’s torn ACL. Adam Duvall was signed to cover center field but he’s now dealing with a fractured wrist. Hernandez moved out to center again for a while with Chang taking some starts at short, though Jarren Duran was recently recalled to bolster the outfield mix. With Arroyo dealing with some hamstring issues recently and Chang stepping away, it all got a little more tenuous, which required the recall of Valdez. Bobby Dalbec had been on the roster until he was optioned a few days ago, meaning he isn’t eligible to return until 10 days from that optioning, unless someone goes on the injured list.

Pirates’ Ji-Man Choi Expected To Miss About Two Months

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5:37pm: Zastryzny’s shutdown period lasts seven to ten days, not weeks, Mackey clarifies (Twitter link). Tomczyk had misspoken during his initial update. That obviously changes the southpaw’s recovery timetable significantly and reduces the chances he’ll find himself on the 60-day IL.

1:19pm: The Pirates placed first baseman Ji-Man Choi on the 10-day injured list due to a strained left Achilles tendon earlier this week, but he’ll face a considerably lengthier absence than that 10-day minimum. Pirates director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk tells reporters that Choi is expected to miss the next eight weeks of action (Twitter links via Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette). Tomczyk also provided discouraging updates on lefties Jarlin Garcia and Rob Zastryzny. The former is still incapable of gripping a ball, while the latter is likely out for seven to ten weeks himself after being diagnosed with ulnar neuritis.

Choi, 32 next month, was acquired from the Rays in a November trade that sent minor league righty Jack Hartman the other way. Pittsburgh knew at the time that he’d need to undergo a relatively minor elbow procedure but expected him to be ready for the 2023 season. That indeed proved to be the case, but Choi has gotten out to a slow start, going just 4-for-32 with an uncharacteristic 15 strikeouts and no walks. For a hitter who came into the season with a 13.4% walk rate and 25.6% strikeout rate, it’s an odd trend even in a small sample of plate appearances. To Choi’s credit, two of his hits did clear the fence for home runs.

An eight-week timeline will put Choi on the shelf into at least mid-June and make him a candidate for transfer to the 60-day injured list, should the Pirates need to open a 40-man roster spot at any point in the near future. Veteran Carlos Santana can handle the lion’s share of work at first base while Choi misses time, freeing the DH spot up for fan favorite Andrew McCutchen. Giving Cutch more time at DH could keep his legs fresher and give the Pirates the opportunity to trot out a superior defensive group in the outfield, where Bryan Reynolds, Jack Suwinski, Canaan Smith-Njigba and Connor Joe are among the current options. Joe also has experience at first base, if the Pirates want to give Santana some DH time.

Turning to the bullpen updates, things are similarly unfortunate. Garcia was signed as a free agent in the offseason, inking a one-year, $2.5MM contract with an option for a second season. The 30-year-old southpaw, however, exited an early spring start due to tightness in his left arm, and the Pirates announced not long after that he’d be shut down for “several weeks.” That shutdown period grew once he was diagnosed with a nerve issue near his biceps and prescribed an additional four to five weeks without throwing. Pittsburgh transferred him to the 60-day IL earlier this month.

While it was already know that Garcia would be in for a lengthy absence, this latest update is nonetheless discouraging, as it’s now been four and a half weeks since the team announced that five-week shutdown. Given that he’s still unable to grip a ball, it seems his no-throw period will extend further, though Tomczyk did not provide a specific timetable or divulge whether any additional treatment options are under consideration.

As for Zastryzny, he returned the Majors in 2022 after a three-year absence and tossed four innings between the Mets and Angels. Pittsburgh inked him to a minor league deal over the winter, and he parlayed a strong spring performance into the first Opening Day roster of his career at age 31.

Unfortunately, that impressive spring showing — 7 1/3 scoreless innings, 10 strikeouts, one walk — has given way to quick struggles early in the season. He appeared in seven games and yielded five runs on six hits and five walks (one intentional) in 5 2/3 innings before hitting the injured list. The diagnosis of ulnar neuritis is the same as the one that just led to Rays southpaw Jeffrey Springs’ Tommy John surgery, though the injury has a wide breadth of possible outcomes.

Ulnar neuritis, by its most simple definition, is inflammation of the ulnar nerve. Over the past several years we’ve seen everything from minimal IL stints (Jordan Romano), to ulnar nerve transposition surgery (Michael Fulmer) to Springs’ more recent Tommy John surgery. As with many injuries, each case is unique and comes with its own outlook. In Zastryzny’s case, there’s been no indication to this point that he’ll require surgery, but a prolonged absence is in store. Like Choi, he’ll be a 60-day IL candidate whenever the Pirates need a 40-man roster spot.

With both Garcia and Zastryzny out for extended periods of time, the only lefty in the Pittsburgh bullpen is Rule 5 pick Jose Hernandez. The Buccos don’t have any minor league lefties on the 40-man roster, but former big leaguers Caleb Smith, Daniel Zamora and Angel Perdomo are all in Triple-A. It also wouldn’t be a surprise to see Pittsburgh keep an eye out for some depth via waivers; the Giants just designated Sam Long for assignment this morning, for instance, and he’d be one speculative option. If not him, other southpaws will surely be made available via DFA in the coming weeks.

A’s Place Ramon Laureano, Trevor May On Injured List

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The A’s announced a series of roster moves Wednesday, placing outfielder Ramon Laureano and righty Trevor May on the 10-day and 15-day injured lists, respectively. Laureano is dealing with a left groin strain, while May has been placed on the injured list for issues pertaining to anxiety. The A’s formally selected the contract of top pitching prospect Mason Miller and recalled infield prospect Jordan Diaz in their place, as had been previously reported. Righty Dany Jimenez was moved to the 60-day injured list to open a spot on the 40-man roster for Miller.

Laureano, 28, is hitting .218/.295/.436 with a pair of homers, four doubles, a triple and two stolen bases through 61 plate appearances this season. He’s already garnered strong marks for his glovework in right field despite the limited amount of innings he’s put in, recording four Defensive Runs Saved on the young season. He’d missed the past couple games due to hamstring soreness, however, and will now miss at least 10 days in total. With Brent Rooker also banged up at the moment, the A’s have Tyler Wade in left field and Conner Capel in right field.

May becomes the third player with a recent IL stint owing to anxiety issues, joining Daniel Bard (who was just activated today) and Austin Meadows, who have both spoken up about their own anxiety issues in recent months. Oakland general manager David Forst provided the following statement on May (Twitter link via Martin Gallegos of MLB.com):

“I commend Trevor for speaking up about his mental health, and for taking action to address it. The whole A’s organization supports him fully and we are committed to giving Trevor whatever time he needs to be ready to return to playing, as well as continued resources to help all our players tackle the physical and mental challenges they face daily.”

May, 33, signed a one-year deal with the Athletics over the winter. He entered the season looking to rebound from an injury-shortened 2022 campaign in which he missed three months with a triceps issue while playing out the second half of a two-year deal signed with the Mets. His results in 2023 are jarring, as the typically steady right-hander has yielded eight runs on 10 hits and an alarming nine walks (two intentional) in six innings. May came into the season with a 7.5% walk rate dating all the way back to 2015, but he’s walked nearly a quarter of his opponents. His strikeout rate, which had topped 30% over the past six years — including a four-year run with a combined 32.7% rate — is sitting at just 16.2%, despite his velocity still clocking in at an average of 95 mph.

There’s no telling how long he’ll be away, but as Forst said, it’s good to see May speak up about his mental health not only to do what’s best for him and the team but also to help others who might be going through similar battles. Our readers might remember May chronicling some of his journey through Tommy John surgery rehabilitation right here at MLBTR, and he’s also graciously taken some time in the past to host a mailbag column with MLBTR readers. We at MLBTR offer our best wishes to Trevor.

Dodgers Place Miguel Rojas On IL With Hamstring Strain

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The Dodgers announced that they have placed infielder Miguel Rojas on the 10-day injured list due to a left hamstring strain. Fellow infielder Yonny Hernández has been recalled to take his place on the active roster.

Rojas, 34, was removed from last night’s game, with manager Dave Roberts speaking about the issue afterwards. He told reporters, including Juan Toribio of MLB.com, that Rojas had a hamstring issue and had been dealing with lower body stuff all season. It wasn’t clear how serious the injury was, but now Rojas will be out of action for over a week at least.

Acquired in an offseason trade with the Marlins, Rojas is known generally as a glove-first option at shortstop. He has a career batting line of .259/.312/.356, leading to a wRC+ of 84. He’s been well south of that so far this year, currently sporting a line of .125/.200/.156, possibly due to his lingering injuries.

Nonetheless, it’s a frustrating development for a Dodgers club that is dealing with various issues in its shortstop depth. Rojas was only supposed to be a part-time player, with Gavin Lux the planned everyday shortstop to take over for the departing Trea Turner. But Lux suffered a devastating injury in spring, tearing his ACL and damaging the LCL in his right knee, which will cost him the entire 2023 season. That bumped Rojas into everyday duty, though he’s now going to be out of action for a while himself. Super utility guy Chris Taylor has been seeing some time at short, but he’s also banged up, fighting some side soreness this week. Luke Williams was selected yesterday to give the club some cover and he’s in the starting lineup today, with Hernández now recalled to be the backup. He has just six games of major league experience at the position but much more in the minors.

All this is seemingly leading towards the surprising development of Mookie Betts getting some time at shortstop. He’s currently on the paternity list but Roberts told reporters, including Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times, that he would have gotten the start today if he were with the club. When he rejoins them, he could get a crack at the job, at least until Taylor or Rojas is healthy. Betts hasn’t played shortstop since his early prospect days, the most recent stint being in the Arizona Fall League way back in 2013. He was primarily a second baseman in the minors before the Red Sox moved him to right field in deference to Dustin Pedroia. He’s still spent some time at the keystone on occasion, including 35 innings this year, but playing shortstop at a high level would be a new thing for him.

Red Sox Outright Jake Faria

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The Red Sox announced Wednesday that right-hander Jake Faria went unclaimed on outright waivers and has been assigned to Triple-A Worcester. Faria’s contract was selected over the weekend when the Sox needed a fresh arm, but he didn’t get into a game before being designated for assignment on Monday morning. He’s been outrighted in the past and will thus have the option of rejecting the assignment in favor of free agency if he chooses.

The 29-year-old Faria hasn’t appeared in the Majors since 2021, when he tossed 32 2/3 innings of 5.53 ERA ball with the Diamondbacks. He spent the 2022 season with the Twins’ Triple-A affiliate but was hit hard in 43 1/3 innings, and his 2023 start in Worcester hasn’t gone any better. In five frames, Faria has more earned runs and walks (six apiece) than he does strikeouts (five).

Faria had a strong debut season with the Rays back in 2017, when he appeared in 16 games (14 starts) and tossed 86 2/3 innings of 3.43 ERA ball. The former tenth-round pick fanned 23.5% of his opponents that season against a solid 8.7% walk rate and looked like he’d be a valuable member of Tampa Bay’s staff for the foreseeable future.

Things didn’t pan out that way, however. Faria’s sophomore season with the Rays resulted in 65 innings of 5.40 ERA ball, as his strikeout, walk and home-run rates all trended in negative directions. The Rays traded him to the Brewers in exchange for Jesus Aguilar at the 2019 trade deadline in a move that worked out better for Tampa Bay but didn’t pay huge dividends for either party. (The Rays placed Aguilar on waivers after the season and lost him to the Marlins.)

Overall, in 116 2/3 frames since that impressive debut, Faria carries a 5.65 ERA with a middling 19% strikeout rate and a bloated 10.9% walk rate. He posted sharp Triple-A results earlier in his career, but more recent struggles there have bumped his lifetime Triple-A earned run average to 4.59 in a total of 308 innings.

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