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Tigers Sign Sam Clay To Minor League Deal

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The Tigers have signed left-hander Sam Clay to a minor league deal, according to his transactions tracker at MLB.com. He had signed a minors deal with the Diamondbacks in the offseason but was released, per the tracker.

Clay, 30 in June, has a bit of major league experience on his ledger to this point in his career. A Twins draftee, he never got the call to the big leagues with them, reaching free agency after 2020. The Nationals then signed him to a major league deal and put him into 58 games in 2021. He didn’t rack up a ton of strikeouts, just 15.9% of batters faced, but he got ground balls at an excellent 60.1% rate. The lefty posted a 5.60 ERA that year but might have deserved better, given his .342 batting average on balls in play and 65.4% strand rate, which were both on the unfortunate side of average. His 4.61 FIP and 4.42 SIERA were each about a full run better than his ERA.

Clay spent most of 2022 in the minors and eventually went to the Phillies and Mets in July with a couple of waiver claims in a span of a week. The Mets would later outright him off the roster in August. Amid all of that bouncing around, he tossed just 5 1/3 innings in the majors with a 8.44 ERA. But in 43 Triple-A innings, he had a much more palatable 3.56 ERA, getting grounders on almost two thirds of balls in play and striking out 24.1% of opponents.

Clay returned to the open market this winter and signed a minor league deal with the Diamondbacks. He wasn’t terribly effective in four spring outings and was released but will now join the Tigers. Per the transactions tracker, he’s been assigned to the FCL Tigers and will presumably get back into game shape after a layoff of about a month, at which point he’ll likely head to Triple-A Toledo. The Tigers have three lefties in the big league bullpen in Tyler Holton, Tyler Alexander and Chasen Shreve but Alexander currently has a 5.28 ERA on the year and Shreve a 7.84. Clay will give them a non-roster option to potentially turn to in the not-too-distant future.

Red Sox Notes: Whitlock, Rotation, Casas

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Despite a series of injuries to Garrett Whitlock and a history of success in the bullpen, the Red Sox are planning to keep the 26-year-old righty in the rotation once he returns from the injured list, writes Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe. Manager Alex Cora plainly stated multiple times this weekend that the organization views Whitlock as a starter, and he pushed back on the notion that pitching on consecutive days, being ready to throw nearly everyday, warming up and sitting down without getting into a game (i.e. all the rigors that come with being a relief pitcher) would help Whitlock remain healthier.

Whitlock has a career 4.75 ERA in 55 innings as a starter compared to a 2.24 mark in 112 2/3 frames as a reliever, but he’s not yet had a lengthy audition in the rotation. Part of that is due to health issues — he had Tommy John surgery in 2020, missed time this year recovering from hip surgery, and is now with ulnar neuritis in his right arm — but the Sox remain committed to giving him an opportunity to work as a member of the starting staff.

Turning a lineup over has proven difficult for Whitlock to this point in his young career. Opponents have batted .275/.313/.363 against him the first time around as a starter, but that jumps to .272/.313/.533 on the second trip and .300/.364/.700 on the third time through (albeit, in a sample of just 22 plate appearances).

The Boston rotation currently consists of Chris Sale, Corey Kluber, Nick Pivetta, Tanner Houck and Brayan Bello. Houck, who’s also hoping to establish himself as a viable long-term rotation piece for the Sox, is the only member of that group with an ERA south of 5.00. Sale, Kluber and Bello are all north of six earned runs per nine frames in their limited 2023 work thus far. Given those struggles and the fact that Kluber (signed through ’23) and Sale (signed through ’24) are relatively short-term pieces, it makes sense to see whether Whitlock, who is signed through 2026 with a pair of club options thereafter, can eventually find his footing in a rotation setting.

One potential arm on the mend is lefty James Paxton, who could impact the starting staff sooner than later. The veteran southpaw hasn’t appeared in a Major League game since April 2021 thanks to Tommy John surgery, a significant lat strain and a more minor hamstring strain, but he’s made five rehab appearances and was particularly sharp his last time out, with 5 1/3 shutout frames and an 8-to-1 K/BB ratio. It’s a stark contrast from an April 19 rehab appearance against the Phillies’ Triple-A affiliate, where Paxton was tattooed for seven runs while only recording two outs.

MLB.com notes that Paxton will be reevaluated today to determine whether another rehab start is necessary. He’s coming up on the end of his 30-day minor league rehab window next week but would have time to make one more Triple-A outing if the organization deems it best for him.

In the lineup, the Sox have seen struggles from another hopeful long-term piece: first baseman Triston Casas, who’s hitting just .133/.283/.293 through his first 92 trips to the plate. The Athletic’s Jen McCaffrey writes that the team expects to stick with Casas at the MLB level for now, rather than sending him to Triple-A Worcester for any kind of reset. McCaffrey notes that manager Alex Cora cited Casas’ pitch recognition as a plus, despite the rocky average. Casas’ issues haven’t been chasing pitches off the plate so much as fouling off the in-zone pitches he needs to be punishing, Cora observed.

Casas currently has a 30.5% chase rate on pitches off the plate, which clocks in just shy of the 31.5% MLB average. He’s been more passive in the zone, however, with his 62.8% swing rate on pitches over the plate checking in five percentage points south of average. He’s averaging a hearty 90.7 mph off the bat when does put the ball in play and has three homers on the year, but Casas has also fanned in more than 29% of his plate appearances.

The Sox aren’t teeming with alternatives, however, particularly with Bobby Dalbec sporting a near-40% strikeout rate in Triple-A since his demotion. Veteran Justin Turner has started six games at first base for the Sox this season, so he’d presumably be in line for more work there if the team eventually decides that a minor league breather would be best for Casas.

The Opener: Harper, Judge, Rojas

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As the calendar flips to May, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:

1. Is Harper back?

Phillies superstar Bryce Harper is reportedly set to visit Dr. Neal ElAttrache today for evaluation with the possibility of Harper returning from Tommy John surgery, which he underwent back in November, on the table as soon as tomorrow. The former NL Rookie of the Year and two-time MVP provided the spark for Philadelphia’s improbable run to the NL pennant last year by launching 22 hits (including six homers) in 17 postseason games. The Phillies could certainly use the boost that Harper would provide, as the club has started the season just 15-14, good for fourth place in the NL East.

2. Will Judge avoid the IL?

After an MRI revealed reigning AL MVP Aaron Judge has a mild strain in his hip, the Yankees decided to be cautious with their captain, who has not played the last three games in order to rest the injury. The club has indicated that the final decision on a potential trip to the injured list is expected to come later today. If Judge is placed on the IL today, the Yankees will be able to backdate the move the maximum of three days, meaning Judge could miss as little as one more week. Still, even that much missed time would be a serious blow to the Yankees team that ranks just 23rd in the Majors in runs scored. New York is tied for last place in the AL East with a 15-14 record.

3. Miguel Rojas to return:

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts indicated yesterday that shortstop Miguel Rojas is set to be activated from the 10-day IL today, so long as he feels good after his last rehab game. The Dodgers swung a deal with the Marlins for Rojas’s services this past offseason with the intention of using Rojas as a glove-first utility player, though Rojas’s initial role became far larger than that thanks to Gavin Lux’s torn ACL during spring training. As the club’s regular shortstop, Rojas scuffled badly to a .125/.200/.156 slash line in 35 plate appearances before going on the injured list. Upon his return, he’ll split time at short with Chris Taylor and Mookie Betts, who has spent more time in the infield in recent days and has passed the eye test so far defensively.

Bryce Harper To Visit Doctor, Could Be Activated For Tuesday’s Game

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A little over five months after undergoing Tommy John surgery, Bryce Harper might be on the verge of returning to the field.  According to The Athletic’s Matt Gelb, Harper is scheduled for a Monday appointment with Dr. Neal ElAttrache, who performed Harper’s TJ surgery on November 23.  If Dr. ElAttrache gives the green light, Harper will likely be activated from the 10-day injured list on Tuesday, when the Phillies face the Dodgers.

While pitchers have a pretty firm 12-to-15 month recovery timeline for Tommy John procedures, hitters face shorter timelines, obviously because they don’t have to rebuild arm strength to the same extent.  For instance, Shohei Ohtani underwent a TJ procedure at the start of October 2018 and was back in the Angels lineup as a DH on May 7, 2019.  That might be the closest comp for Harper’s situation since he will only be acting as a designated hitter for now, though he has been working out as a first baseman for the first time in his career.  A return to his customary spot in right field late in the season might be a possibility if Harper’s elbow continues to improve.

With all this in mind, Harper is still beating Ohtani’s timeline by nearly two full months, making this something of an unprecedented recovery from TJ surgery.  The Phillies initially targeted the All-Star break for Harper’s potential return, and yet as the weeks and months went by following his surgery, more optimism began to grow about a quicker comeback.  Harper started hitting off a tee in early March, then advanced to regular battting-cage work by the end of the month, and has since been taking batting practice and even participating in simulated games against live pitching.

Most tellingly, Harper was only placed on the 10-day injured list to begin the season, rather than the 60-day IL.  Philadelphia president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said at the time that the decision was made because the Phillies didn’t have any immediate need for a 40-man roster spot, but it seemed clear that there was already a possibility that Harper would be ready before the end of May.

“He’s absolutely amazing.  He’s a great athlete,” Dombrowski said about Harper to Gelb.  “He works hard.  He’s focused.  He wants to get back.  I mean, it’s amazing what he’s accomplished. We have that next step (with Dr. ElAttrache), but the progress he’s made is phenomenal.”

Monday’s appointment shouldn’t be seen as a foregone conclusion, as it is possible a full examination and check-up might reveal some type of physical issue that would set back Harper’s progress.  That said, Harper played most of the 2022 season with a small UCL tear, and while he was limited to DH duty, it didn’t impact his effectiveness at the plate.  Harper hit .286/.364/.514 over 426 plate appearances during the regular season and then posted a whopping 1.160 OPS over 71 PA in the playoffs, winning NLCS MVP honors en route to leading Philadelphia to the National League pennant.

Getting Harper back at anywhere near his top form would be a huge boost to a Phillies team that has started to heat up, winning seven of their last eight games.  With Harper at DH, Kyle Schwarber and Nick Castellanos would again be the regular corner outfielders.  Alec Bohm has filled in capably at first base for the injured Rhys Hoskins, and if Harper is able to eventually play some first base, Bohm can move back to third base (though Edmundo Sosa has been playing very well in regular duty at the hot corner).

Jose Urquidy To Receive MRI On Sore Right Shoulder

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Jose Urquidy left tonight’s game due to soreness in his right shoulder, cutting short his start after 5 1/3 innings.  A wayward pitch during an at-bat against Nick Castellanos caused Urquidy to “feel a little bit of pain in the back of my shoulder,” as he told FOX 26’s Mark Berman (Twitter links) and other reporters after the game.  Urquidy didn’t sound overly concerned with the injury, but he’ll receive an MRI on Monday to determine the extent of any damage.

Because the Astros have an off-day on Thursday, it’s possible Urquidy might not miss a start if his MRI comes back clean, as the team could just push back his next outing if he needs just a bit of extra time to rest and monitor his shoulder.  Even in the event of a clean MRI, however, it’s possible the Astros might err on the side of caution with a shoulder-related issue, and place Urquidy on the 15-day injured list as something of a preventative measure.

Houston’s quirky schedule could be a factor, as the Astros don’t play on any of the four Thursdays in May.  This means that the club will need a fifth starter if Urquidy did require an IL stint, but for maybe just one turn through the rotation if Urquidy spent just the 15-day minimum on the injured list.  Since Lance McCullers Jr. is still at least a few weeks away from returning from his own IL stint, the Astros could turn to any of Brandon Bielak, J.P. France, Forrest Whitley, or Sean Dubin at Triple-A.  Bryan Garcia isn’t on the 40-man roster but he and Bielak are the only members of the Triple-A group with any MLB experience.

Urquidy hasn’t been too sharp over six starts this year, posting a 5.20 ERA over 27 2/3 innings.  A lot of that damage came in a pair of rough outings against the Blue Jays and Rays, but Urquidy was on track in tonight’s game, holding the Phillies to two earned runs on three hits and a walk over his 5 1/3 frames.  A below-average walk rate has been the biggest issue, as Urquidy had posted a very solid 5.2% walk rate over his first four MLB seasons.  The righty has also been trying to make the sweeper a much bigger part of his arsenal, at the expense of a four-seamer was formally Uriquidy’s primary pitch — he has thrown his four-seamer 29.2% of the time and his sweeper 26.4% of the time this season, after throwing the four-seamer well over half the time from 2020-22.

Perhaps due to the Astros’ wealth of quality pitching, Urquidy has been a little overlooked during his time in Houston, though he has posted very solid numbers over his career.  The right-hander had a 3.74 ERA over 342 regular-season innings from 2019-22, and a very similar 3.72 ERA in 36 1/3 career frames in the playoffs while working as both a starter and a reliever.  Houston’s pitching depth meant that Urquidy was limited to one appearance (three scoreless innings in Game 3 of the World Series) during the Astros’ championship run last year, but he still earned a well-deserved ring for his contributions to the club’s season.

Mike Yastrzemski To Undergo MRI For Hamstring Strain

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Giants outfielder Mike Yastrzemski suffered a left hamstring strain while diving for a fly ball in the eighth inning of today’s game with the Padres.  Matt Carpenter’s fly to shallow center field fell in for what ended up as the game-winning two-run double in San Diego’s 6-4 victory, as Yastrzemski made a long run for the ball and fell just short of a highlight-reel catch.  After the play was over, Yastrzemski left the game after a visit from team trainers.

Speaking with the San Francisco Chronicle’s Susan Slusser and other reporters after the game, Yastrzemski said the injury occurred on the second step of his run towards the ball.  The outfielder will undergo an MRI on Monday to determine the extent of the strain, but a trip to the 10-day injured list certainly seems likely.

After seemingly breaking out with the Giants in 2019-20, Yastrzemski was roughly a league-average hitter (102 wRC+) over his next two seasons, batting .219/.308/.424 with 42 homers over 1090 plate appearances in 2021-22.  Teams increasingly played the shift against the left-handed hitting Yastrzemski in those two seasons, so it isn’t surprising that he has been off to a much more promising start in 2023, given the new rules limiting defensive shifts.  Yaz has hit .292/.333/.521 with five home runs in his first 102 PA, and while below-average strikeout and walk rates and a notable gap in his wOBA (.364) to his xwOBA (.327) indicate he is somewhat outperforming his peripherals, Yastrzemski is still making plenty of hard contact.

Since Bryce Johnson is still on the seven-day concussion IL, Slusser figures that Brett Wisely (just called up as the Giants’ extra player for their two-game series in Mexico City) will probably stick with the team to get a chunk of the center field work with Yastrzemski sidelined.  Austin Slater also just recently returned from the injured list, making a Slater/Wisely platoon the likeliest answer in center field until Yastrzemski or Johnson are back.

The two games in Mexico City provided plenty of injury drama for the Giants, as Brandon Crawford and Sean Manaea each picked up knocks on Saturday.  Crawford left the game in the fourth inning due to some right calf tightness and didn’t play today, but told Slusser and other reporters that hopes to be back in action for Monday’s date with the Astros.  Manaea was hit on the leg by a Nelson Cruz line drive on Saturday and lasted only 2 2/3 innings, but appeared to be okay today.

Twins Option Alex Kirilloff To Triple-A After Injured List Activation

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The Twins activated Alex Kirilloff from the 10-day injured list, but he won’t be joining the big league roster for his 2023 debut.  Instead, Minnesota has optioned Kirilloff to Triple-A, where he will continue to play after already spending over a week in St. Paul as part of a minor league rehab assignment.

There was speculation last weekend that the Twins might take this route with Kirilloff, as the club’s hand was somewhat forced by the fact that Kirilloff was nearing the end of this allotted 20-day rehab period.  Kiriloff has played in 11 games (seven at Triple-A, four in A-ball) during his rehab assignment, and at least performance-wise, he appears to be in good form — the outfielder/first baseman is hitting .316/.447/.658 over 47 total appearances.  However, it was already known that Kirilloff didn’t have anything left to prove in the minors, given the strong numbers he has posted throughout his minor league career and his past status as one of baseball’s top prospects.

Kirilloff made his MLB debut in 2021, but his first two Major League seasons have come to an early end due to wrist surgeries.  Kirilloff’s most recent procedure took place last August, and was described by The Athletic’s Dan Hayes as a “drastic” and “complex” surgery meant to fully correct the lingering wrist issues.  As a result, the Twins took things slowly with Kirilloff in the offseason and throughout Spring Training as he recovered, and Kirilloff ended up not playing in any spring games.

With this in mind, the Twins likely want to see Kirilloff get at least a little closer to a Spring Training-esque workload before he makes his return to the majors.  After a string of injuries earlier in the season, Minnesota is also now getting pretty close to full roster strength on the position player side, so there might be more benefit to Kirilloff getting regular at-bats in St. Paul rather than playing in a part-time basis with the Twins.

Dodgers Likely To Activate Miguel Rojas On Monday

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As planned, Miguel Rojas played five innings with the Dodgers’ A-ball affiliate in Rancho Cucamonga yesterday, in what looks like it will be the only game of his rehab assignment.  Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told The Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya and other reporters that assuming Rojas came out of that game in good health, the shortstop will be activated from the 10-day injured list prior to Monday’s game with the Phillies.

A left hamstring strain sent Rojas to the IL on April 19, though the strain was one of several nagging lower-body issues that Rojas said had been bothering him since Opening Day.  With that in mind, this IL stint could be something of a reset to get Rojas both physically and mentally on track, considering his tough start to the season.  Over his first 35 plate appearances, Rojas had hit only .125/.200/.156, resulting in a rare negative OPS+ total of -2.

Rojas’ struggles carried a greater import considering that he went into the year as the Dodgers’ de facto everyday shortstop, due to the torn ACL that prematurely ended Gavin Lux’s season in Spring Training.  Los Angeles acquired Rojas in an offseason trade with the Marlins to add some veteran depth behind Lux, though the Dodgers didn’t expect Rojas to be taking on a regular role in such sudden fashion.

Unsurprisingly, Roberts said that Rojas wouldn’t be resuming everyday shortstop duties when he does return, and L.A. will continue to give Chris Taylor and Mookie Betts time at the position.  Taylor has also been ice-cold at the plate and even Betts is batting well below his usual superstar standard, but for now, the Dodgers don’t have a lot of options at shortstop.  While Rojas wasn’t known for his bat during his time in Miami, even getting close to league-average offense (like the 96 wRC+ Rojas posted in 2021) would help the Dodgers in getting their lineup at least somewhat closer to its usual alignment.

Twins’ Tyler Mahle To Be Shut Down For Four Weeks

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Twins right-hander Tyler Mahle underwent an MRI today to determine the nature of an elbow impingement, and the results aren’t promising.  Manager Rocco Baldelli told reporters (including Dan Hayes of The Athletic) that Mahle will be shut down for the next four weeks due to both a posterior impingement and a flexor pronator strain.

Assuming Mahle emerges from that shutdown period in good condition, it will still likely take a couple of weeks for him to rehab and rebuild his strength back up to regular levels, so the Twins might be without one of their rotation stalwarts until late June.  Kenta Maeda also went to the 15-day IL just two days ago, but while Maeda’s strained right triceps issue seems slightly less serious, it seems like Maeda could also miss a big portion of May.

The Twins have an off-day on Monday, so Mahle’s own IL placement will likely be held off until prior to the team’s game against the White Sox on Tuesday.  Bailey Ober was already called up from Triple-A to act as Maeda’s replacement in the rotation, so Minnesota will again have to dip into its starter depth.  The silver lining might be that the Twins are better equipped than most teams to withstand rotation injuries, since Louie Varland is also on hand at Triple-A and seems the likeliest candidate to be called up in Mahle’s place.  Simeon Woods Richardson and Brent Headrick might also be options, as both are on Minnesota’s 40-man roster.

The injury is a tough setback for Mahle, who looked good in posting a 3.16 ERA over his first five starts and 25 2/3 innings of the season.  The righty’s 27.5% strikeout rate and 4.9% walk rate were both above league average, and the latter figure is of particular note given how control has often been an issue for Mahle throughout his six previous MLB seasons.  A .266 BABIP and 80% strand rate have contributed to Mahle’s good numbers, but his 3.50 SIERA isn’t too far north of his actual 3.16 ERA.

In the bigger picture, Mahle is a free agent after the season, so any kind of lengthy injury layoff could certainly hamper his chances of maximizing his value on his next contract.  It doesn’t help that Mahle also missed a big chunk of the 2022 season due to shoulder problems, as he pitched only 28 1/3 innings after July 2 due to three separate IL trips.  Only time will tell if Mahle will be able to be able to return from this current injury in relatively short order and in good form, but an extended run of good health and quality pitching after his return could line Mahle up for a hefty multi-year deal this winter.

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