TJ Friedl Facing Extended Absence Due To Wrist Fracture
Reds center fielder TJ Friedl was pulled from yesterday’s game with what the club initially termed a right wrist sprain, as noted by Gordon Wittenmyer of the Cincinnati Enquirer. Since then, however, the club provided a far more dire update regarding Friedl’s status: the 28-year-old’s new diagnosis is a right wrist fracture that will keep him off the club’s Opening Day roster as he figures to miss an “extended period.” Per Wittenmyer, Friedl indicated to reporters this evening that he’ll have to wait for the bone to heal before he can resume baseball activities. While no timetable for Friedl’s return was specified, he expressed optimism that he play for the Reds at some point this year. He’ll be re-evaluated in three to four weeks to determine next steps in his rehab process.
The news is a major blow to the club’s chances in a competitive NL Central division this season. The 28-year-old was one of the club’s most reliable all-around contributors last year with a .279/.352/467 slash line in 138 games to go along with 27 stolen bases and strong defense in center field. That strong performance left Friedl in position to be one of the most crucial pieces in the club’s positional mix this season, particularly given the club’s relative lack of outfield depth in comparison to their famously deep infield mix. In Friedl’s absence, the club will likely turn to the likes of Will Benson and Stuart Fairchild in center field to open the season. That would open up playing time on the infield corners for the likes of Spencer Steer, Jake Fraley, and Jonathan India. Nick Martini and Bubba Thompson are among the club’s depth options in the outfield currently on the 40-man roster.
Between the loss of Friedl to injury and third baseman Noelvi Marte‘s 80-game suspension following a positive test for the performance enhancing substance Boldenone, the Reds figure to enter the season with substantially less depth on the positional side than expected entering the season. That will mean additional opportunities- and additional pressure- for the club’s bevy of young infielders, which includes the likes of Matt McLain, Elly De La Cruz, and Christian Encarnacion-Strand, each of whom appear likely to get everyday at-bats alongside the likes of Jeimer Candelario, India, and Steer in the club’s infield mix while Friedl and Marte are unavailable. The club also has a handful of non-roster options who could provide additional infield depth coming off the bench, such as Tony Kemp and Josh Harrison.
While those internal options all figure to be under consideration for the Reds, Wittenmyer indicated that president of baseball operations Nick Krall didn’t rule out looking outside of the organization for additional help on the positional side in light of Friedl’s injury. The Reds made clear how much they valued their position player depth this winter when they not only decided against trading Jonathan India despite him being seemingly squeezed out of the club’s everyday lineup, but doubled down on that decision by adding Candelario to the infield mix on a three-year deal. Those decisions have already paid off in a big way for the club by softening the blow of losing Marte and Friedl before the 2024 season has even begun, and it would be understandable if Krall was interested in finding ways to further bolster the club’s depth.
With that being said, the Pirates’ recent deal with veteran outfielder Michael A. Taylor took the last surefire center fielder off the free agent market last week, meaning the Reds would likely be forced to look to the trade market if they hope to improve their current outfield mix. It would be a surprise to see Cincinnati swing a major move for another bat, though it’s certainly possible the club could look to add a veteran currently in camp with another club on a non-roster deal who isn’t rostered by his current organization, either by way of a minor trade before Spring Training comes to a close or perhaps simply by waiting for them to trigger an opt-out clause and return to the open market. Oscar Mercado, Tim Locastro, Brett Phillips, Rafael Ortega, Trayce Thompson, and Albert Almora are among the many veteran center fielders currently in camp with other clubs on minor league deals who could be speculative fits for a bench role with the Reds should they be made available.
Padres To Name Jackson Merrill Opening Day Center Fielder
The Padres are poised to name top prospect Jackson Merrill the club’s Opening Day center fielder, per a report from MLB Network’s Jon Morosi. The news comes just days before the club is set to face the Dodgers in a two-game regular season set in South Korea as part of MLB’s Seoul Series. Game 1 of that set is scheduled for 5:05am CT Wednesday morning, or 7:05pm local time that evening. The club will need to select Merrill’s contract before then, but won’t need to make a corresponding 40-man roster move as the roster currently stands at 36.
Merrill, 21 in April, was the club’s first-round pick in the 2021 draft and is a consensus top-20 prospect in the sport. The youngster is something of a surprising choice for the role, at least on paper. He’s not yet played a game above Double-A in his big league career, having slashed a solid but unspectacular .277/.326/.444 in 114 games split between the High-A and Double-A levels last year. Perhaps even more importantly, Merrill had never appeared in center field in a professional game until camp opened last month. His professional outfield experience to that point consisted of 45 innings of work in left field that season. Prior to that, his professional work had come almost exclusively at shortstop, though he also made brief cameos at both first and second base.
With all that being said, the club’s decision to go with Merrill in center field on Opening Day is certainly a defensible one. Prospect evaluators around the game are unanimous in their belief in Merrill’s talent, with Baseball America lauding him as a future middle-of-the-order threat who figures to have the power for 30 homers a year while Fangraphs describes him as having “one of the prettiest swings in the minors” with excellent contact abilities. Furthermore, while his lack of upper-level reps at the plate and professional time in center field will certainly raise some eyebrows, Merrill has clearly done everything he can to prove himself ready for a big league opportunity this spring. In 40 plate appearances across 13 games during camp, Merrill slashed an excellent .351/.400/.595 while playing solid defense in center.
Of course, the decision to roster Merrill as the club’s Opening Day center fielder is also the results of a host of other decisions outside of Merrill’s control. Chief among them is the club choosing to part ways with superstar Juan Soto alongside Trent Grisham in a trade with the Yankees that removed two of the club’s three Opening Day starters in the outfield last year from the roster back in December. Since then, the club has been tied to external outfield options including Michael A. Taylor, Kevin Kiermaier, and Tommy Pham. The likes of Taylor and Kiermaier have since signed elsewhere, however, and while there may be some momentum toward a deal with Pham, the 36-year-old veteran hasn’t appeared in center field on a regular basis since 2018, with just 15 starts up the middle in the years since then.
That lack of clear options for the center field job led the Padres to look toward their internal, non-roster pieces for their next center fielder. Fellow prospect Jakob Marsee as well as veterans such as Oscar Mercado and Tim Locastro all joined Merrill as potential solutions in center when camp began last month, though of that group only Mercado was able to keep up with Merrill’s blistering performance this spring and the club recently tipped their hand regarding their decision by including only Merrill, corner bats Jose Azocar and Jurickson Profar, and right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr. as outfielders on their 31-man travel roster for the Seoul Series.
It’s possible Merrill won’t be the only rookie with minimal upper-minors experience on the club’s Opening Day lineup, as the club also included Graham Pauley on their travel roster for the coming series. The Athletic’s Dennis Lin indicated last week that Pauley was likely in position to fill in for veteran third baseman Manny Machado at the hot corner to open the season, as Machado will begin the season at DH while he recovers from elbow surgery, which he underwent back in October. Pauley, 23, was a 13th-round pick by the Padres in the 2022 draft and enjoyed a breakout season last year as he slashed a whopping .308/.393/.539 in 127 games split between the Single-A, High-A, and Double-A levels.
Mets Notes: Davis, Alonso, McNeil
The Mets were a finalist for third baseman J.D. Davis before he signed with the A’s last week, as noted by Joel Sherman of the New York Post. Per Sherman, a “large extent” of Davis’s reason for picking the A’s was that the A’s guaranteed him regular playing time, while the Mets weren’t able to do the same.
Davis, 31 next month, slashed a decent .248/.325/.413 with a 104 wRC+ last year as a member of the Giants and sports a strong 120 wRC+ in five seasons since he first broke out with the Mets back in 2019. A reunion in New York could have made plenty of sense, given the uncertainty the club is facing at both third base and DH entering the 2023 season. That being said, it’s hardly a surprise that the club wasn’t willing to guarantee Davis regular playing time. After all, president of baseball operations David Stearns has frequently made clear that the club doesn’t plan to make further additions at third base after signing Joey Wendle to a one-year deal back in November, instead letting youngsters Brett Baty and Mark Vientos attempt to claim the position while relying on Wendle as veteran insurance off the bench.
It’s a similar story at DH. While the club has been linked to veteran slugger J.D. Martinez as recently as last week, the club has long seemed to prefer to fill the spot internally by allowing Baty and Vientos additional time in the lineup when they aren’t playing third base while also opening up opportunities for the likes of DJ Stewart, who slashed an impressive .244/.333/.506 in 185 trips to the plate with the club last year, and offering the club the ability to rest veterans like Starling Marte without completely removing them from the lineup. While Davis was certainly a strong fit for the club’s positional needs, it’s possible they felt that his roughly league average numbers last year wouldn’t be enough of an upgrade to their roster to warrant passing on the opportunity to give younger players like Baty and Vientos regular reps.
More from around Mets camp…
- Club owner Steve Cohen spoke to reporters (including SNY’s Alex Smith), and during the presser discussed the future of first baseman Pete Alonso, who is slated to hit free agency following the 2024 season. Cohen made clear that the sides “haven’t had any discussions” regarding a possible extension this spring, adding that it would be best for both Alonso and the Mets if the sides went into the regular season without any distractions. Cohen’s words echo previous comments from Stearns, who has long indicated that Alonso was likely to hit free agency following the coming campaign. Even so, Cohen made clear that Alonso hitting free agency was in no way a guarantee that 2024 would be his final year as a Met, saying that the club will “figure it out” once free agency hits while noting the club’s successful deals to retain closer Edwin Diaz and center fielder Brandon Nimmo after the pair hit free agency during the 2022-23 offseason. One of the game’s premiere power hitters, Alonso owns a lifetime .251/.342/.528 slash line and has slugged 192 home runs during his career, 46 of which came during the 2023 season.
- As noted recently by Sherman, second baseman Jeff McNeil has yet to appear in a game this spring as he continues to recover from a partially torn UCL he was diagnosed with back in September. NcNeil was able to avoid surgery, but the club has taken things slow with him this spring to this point. While he was initially expected to make his spring debut during today’s game against the Nationals, Sherman relays that, per manager Carlos Mendoza, that’s been pushed back to a likely debut on Tuesday against the Cardinals in order to keep McNeil in a more controlled setting as long as possible. While a lengthy layoff from spring action often spurs questions about a player’s ability to be ready for Opening Day, Sherman adds that the Mets hold no such concern about McNeil, with hitting coach Eric Chavez suggesting that McNeil only needs 20 at-bats in spring games to prepare for the coming season. McNeil has played all around the diamond during his time with the Mets but figures to act as the club’s everyday second baseman in 2024.
Red Sox Notes: Grissom, Winckowski, Rotation, Booser
Vaughn Grissom was already questionable for Opening Day, but Alex Cora offered an update this morning on the timeline for his second baseman’s return. “We’re talking mid-April probably, [or] late April,” the Red Sox manager told members of the media, including Ian Browne of MLB.com. Grissom has not yet appeared in a Grapefruit League game; he has been nursing a groin strain all spring.
Boston traded for Grissom in December, sending Chris Sale (and $17MM) to Atlanta to complete the exchange. The Red Sox were counting on the 23-year-old to be their everyday second baseman in 2024. Barring a significant setback, he can still fill that role, and if he returns in mid-April, he might only miss 15-20 games.
When news of Grissom’s injury first broke, Cora told Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe that Enmanuel Valdez would fill in at second base. Valdez started 44 games at the keystone for the Red Sox last season. He slashed a perfectly respectable .266/.311/.453 in 149 plate appearances, with eight doubles and six home runs. However, he took nearly 90% of his plate appearances with the platoon advantage and went 2-for-14 against left-handed pitching. Thus, Pablo Reyes is likely to grab some starts at second with a southpaw on the mound.
In pitching news from Red Sox camp, Cora told reporters (including Sean McAdam of MassLive) that Josh Winckowski is no longer in the running for the Opening Day rotation, and he will likely move to the bullpen to begin the season. As Browne points out, that leaves Tanner Houck, Garrett Whitlock, and Cooper Criswell competing for the final two jobs on Boston’s starting staff. Brayan Bello, Nick Pivetta, and Kutter Crawford will hold down the top three spots.
Winckowski pitched well out of the bullpen last season, posting a 2.88 ERA in 84 1/3 innings of work. His 3.84 SIERA and 3.82 xERA were more good than great, but there is no denying he was an effective reliever, especially against left-handed opponents. The same cannot be said for his time as a starting pitcher the year before. Over 70 1/3 innings, Winckowski pitched to a 5.89 ERA, 4.84 xERA, and 4.82 SIERA, striking out a mere 44 batters while walking 27. Nonetheless, the 25-year-old told Rob Bradford of WEEI that he still considers himself a starting pitcher.
While Cora suggested Winckowski would likely fill a multi-inning role at the MLB level, he didn’t completely shut down the possibility that the righty could begin the season as a starter at Triple-A (per McAdam). “We still have got decisions to make,” said the skipper. “We’ll transition him now to the bullpen… and we’ll make decisions after that.”
Out of Houck, Whitlock, and Criswell, a trio of tall, 27-year-old right-handers, it seems like the former two have the edge over the latter. Houck and Whitlock have significantly more big league experience, and both were serviceable out of the rotation for Boston in 2023. Houck has a career 3.86 ERA in 252 innings, while Whitlock has a career 3.51 in 223 1/3 frames. Criswell has pitched well this spring, but it would be hard to argue he has done enough to edge out either of his more proven teammates.
Turning back to the bullpen, Cora mentioned an interesting name to Christopher Smith of MassLive: Cam Booser. Booser will turn 32 in May. He has spent time in the Twins, Diamondbacks, and Red Sox organizationx. He has never been selected to a 40-man roster, let alone pitched in the major leagues. Yet Booser was the first name the manager mentioned, pointing out his upper-90s fastball velocity and the way he has landed “offspeed pitches for strikes.”
That said, Cora was also clear to emphasize the value of experience. Brennan Bernardino, who already has a spot on the 40-man roster, made 55 appearances last year with a 3.20 ERA. Joely Rodríguez, a non-roster invitee, has pitched in 168 games over six big league seasons. Chris Murphy, another 40-man arm, found moderate success as a multi-inning reliever last season, tossing 47 2/3 frames over 20 appearances with the Red Sox. Cora brought up all three of their names in the same discussion, and it’s hard to imagine Booser beating out any of them for a spot on the Opening Day roster.
Still, it’s becoming clear that Booser is a name to keep an eye on this season. He has given up just two runs in eight innings this spring, striking out eight and walking none.
Padres, Tommy Pham Discussing One-Year Deal
According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, the Padres are “in talks” with free agent Tommy Pham and “could be moving closer” to an agreement. It would be a one-year contract in the $3MM to $4MM range. Nightengale also reports that the White Sox are interested in the veteran outfielder if his negotiations with the Padres fall through.
Pham has been linked to San Diego through several recent reports. Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune wrote that the team remained “engaged in conversations” with Pham earlier this week, while Jon Heyman of the New York Post noted the Padres were “among teams eying Tommy Pham.” Other outfielders linked to the Padres, namely Adam Duvall and Michael A. Taylor, have now signed elsewhere, while other teams linked to Pham, such as the Diamondbacks and Pirates, have gone in a different direction.
The fit for Pham in San Diego is clear. Jurickson Profar is currently slated to get most of the playing time in left field. The Padres are surely hoping Profar bounces back from his career-worst season in 2023, but it would be nice for manager Mike Shildt to have another option if that doesn’t happen. The team will also need a designated hitter once Manny Machado is ready to return to third base; Pham played 44 games at DH last year for the Mets and D-backs.
Pham previously played for San Diego in 2020 and ’21, and Annie Heilbrunn of the San Diego Union-Tribune reported earlier this offseason that he would be open to a reunion.
As for the White Sox, they should be set in left field and at DH with Andrew Benintendi and Eloy Jiménez, respectively. However, the left-handed rookie Dominic Fletcher could use a platoon partner in right field, and Chicago could use a right-handed bat for the bench. Presumably, Pham is looking to be more than a bench bat and the short side of a platoon; he said as much earlier this winter. Yet, at this point in the offseason, he may have to settle for a limited role, especially if he wants to get in some spring training games before the regular season begins. What’s more, if he plays well for the White Sox, he can earn more playing time, and he can expect to be dealt to a contender before the trade deadline.
Josh Lowe To Open Season On IL With Oblique Injury
Rays outfielder Josh Lowe will open the season on the injured list, reports Kristie Ackert of the Tampa Bay Times. He is nursing an oblique injury. The 26-year-old was already in the process of recovering from left hip inflammation which had sidelined him for most of the spring.
After a disappointing rookie season in 2022, Lowe broke out in his sophomore campaign. In 135 games, hit hit .292/.335/.500 with 20 home runs and 32 stolen bases. He finished one plate appearance shy of the threshold for qualification, but had he qualified, he would have ranked fifth in the AL in batting average, eighth in slugging percentage, and seventh with a 131 wRC+. The Rays often shielded him from same-handed pitching, but the lefty-batting Lowe held his own with a .712 OPS and 97 wRC+ against southpaws. On the other side of the ball, he made just two errors all season, racking up 6 Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) in right field.
It remains unclear how much time Lowe will spend on the IL. Oblique strains can vary widely in severity. Juan Soto suffered a mild oblique strain around this time last year and ended up playing all 162 games of the season. At the same time, it’s not uncommon for a player to miss a couple of months with such an injury. Presumably, the Rays will offer an update on Lowe’s timeline in the coming days.
Unfortunately for Tampa Bay, the news of Lowe’s injury comes just days after outfielder Jonny DeLuca fractured his right hand. The righty-batting DeLuca seemed like a good candidate to win a bench job and occasionally platoon with Lowe. With those two out of commission, the Rays will likely turn to some combination of Richie Palacios, Amed Rosario, and Harold Ramírez in right field. Neither Palacios nor Ramírez is a strong outfield defender, and Rosario has limited experience outside of the infield. Offensively, however, Rosario and Ramírez give manager Kevin Cash a couple of good options against left-handed pitching. Meanwhile, Palacios is a good bet to get most of the reps against right-handers. The Rays will hope he can improve upon his career .635 OPS (199 PA) against righties in a larger sample size.
Jake Mangum, acquired this winter in the trade that sent Vidal Bruján and Calvin Faucher to the Marlins, is lighting up camp as a non-roster invitee. The switch-hitting outfielder is a dark horse candidate for a spot on Tampa Bay’s bench. This recent spate of injuries could also clear up a path to more playing time for Curtis Mead, albeit indirectly. The young third baseman won’t play the outfield, but he could get more opportunities in the infield with Rosario covering in right. In addition, Mead would give Cash another right-handed bat on the bench for days when Rosario and Ramírez are in the starting lineup.
Schumaker: “Everyone’s On The Table” For Marlins Opening Day Rotation
Injuries are piling up for the Marlins pitching staff. Entering the spring, the Marlins knew they would have to survive the 2024 season without ace Sandy Alcantara. With Opening Day less than two weeks away, they could also be without Braxton Garrett, Edward Cabrera, and Eury Pérez. Thankfully for manager Skip Schumaker, Miami has rotation depth. That said, with so many injuries all at once, the depth is starting to run out.
Jesús Luzardo will lead the rotation this season. Trevor Rogers hasn’t looked the same since his All-Star rookie campaign in 2021, but he has big league experience and a healthy arm. So does Ryan Weathers. In addition, the Marlins are stretching out former closer A.J. Puk and preparing him for a starting role. Still, that’s only four of the five rotations spots accounted for. If all three of Garrett, Cabrera, and Pérez start the season on the IL, the Marlins will need one more starting pitcher.
Yonny Chirinos, currently in camp on a minor league contract, is an option. He has five years of big league experience, although he has only made 38 starts at the MLB level. The right-hander struggled in nine starts with the Rays and Braves last season, giving up 38 earned runs in 43 1/3 innings of work. Devin Smeltzer is another NRI with recent experience starting in the majors. Over the past two seasons, he has made 13 starts (66 2/3 IP) with a 3.92 ERA. Unfortunately, his 5.54 ERA as an MLB reliever and 6.82 ERA in the minors during that time put a damper on his respectable numbers out of the big league rotation. The Marlins’ 40-man roster is full, so the team would have to make a corresponding move to select either Chirinos or Smeltzer.
Given all the question marks surrounding the back end of Miami’s rotation, fans have begun to wonder if top prospect Max Meyer could make the Opening Day roster. Meyer has already been optioned to minor league camp, and as he makes his way back from Tommy John surgery, it seemed like the Marlins were going to take things slowly with the 25-year-old right-hander. However, Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald recently asked Schumaker if Meyer could make the big league rotation out of camp. The manager replied: “I think everyone’s on the table.”
That’s far from a guarantee Meyer will make the Opening Day rotation. Still, it’s worth noting that Schumaker didn’t shut down the possibility. Meyer struggled in his brief big league cup of coffee two years ago, but there’s a reason he was the third-overall pick in the 2020 draft, and there’s a reason he remains a top prospect despite the fact that he hasn’t pitched since August 2022. Even if he doesn’t make the Opening Day roster, none of Miami’s other depth options will stand in his way once he proves he’s ready for a big league role.
In addition to Meyer, Chirinos, and Smeltzer, McPherson mentions Bryan Hoeing as another possibility for the Marlins rotation. Like Meyer, Hoeing is already on the 40-man roster; unlike Meyer, Hoeing is still in big league camp. Hoeing doesn’t have Meyer’s upside, and he profiles more as a long man out of the bullpen. Still, he’ll be capable of eating innings until Meyer is ready for a call-up or one of the injured arms is ready to return.
Dodgers Notes: Lux, Hurt, Future Moves
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts made waves earlier this month when he announced that superstar Mookie Betts would play shortstop this season. The former MVP and seven-time All-Star is entering his 11th big league campaign and has played only 31 games at shortstop throughout his professional career. It was surprising enough in December when Roberts revealed that Betts, a six-time Gold Glove winner in the outfield, would play second base in 2024.
However, while Betts dominated the headlines, this move arguably had more to do with his teammate, 26-year-old Gavin Lux. The Dodgers originally planned for Lux to be their starting shortstop, but he will now play second base instead. Although Lux was primarily a shortstop in the minor leagues, he has spent most of his major league career at second. He has handled the keystone well, earning 16 Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) and 8 Outs Above Average (OAA) in 1346 2/3 defensive innings. As Lux prepares for a full-time role in 2024 (after missing the 2023 season with a torn ACL), the Dodgers decided it was in the young player’s best interests to keep him at second base for the time being.
When Roberts first spoke about the decision, he told reporters the new middle infield alignment was “permanent, for now” (per Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic). Those words are something of an oxymoron, so yesterday, president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman offered a little more clarity on the situation. Speaking to Doug McKain of Dodgers Nation, Friedman said the team remains “confident” Lux can play shortstop in the future. They will re-evaluate his health and position as they “get into the offseason next year.” That certainly suggests Lux will play second base and Betts will handle shortstop for the full 2024 campaign, but nothing is set in stone for the following season and beyond. In 2025, Lux will be another year removed from major knee surgery, while Betts will be 32 years old, an age at which many players begin to move down the defensive spectrum.
More Dodgers news as the team prepares to open the 2024 season in South Korea…
- According to Roberts, there is a “very good possibility” Kyle Hurt is in the Dodgers bullpen for the team’s opening series against the Padres at Gocheok Sky Dome (per Ardaya). Hurt, whom the team acquired from the Marlins in February 2021, has looked sharp so far this spring. The righty was selected to the 40-man roster last September and made one appearance for the big league squad, striking out three Padres batters in two scoreless innings of work. Nevertheless, he was optioned back to Triple-A the following day. As Ardaya notes, the Dodgers still see Hurt as a starting pitcher, but he has made appearances out of the bullpen in all three seasons of his professional career. He can offer the team a little extra bullpen depth early in the season before returning to the minor leagues to stretch back out as a starter. Hurt struck out five across 2 1/3 scoreless innings during an exhibition game against the Kiwoom Heroes of the KBO on Saturday.
- Speaking to McKain, Friedman would not say the Dodgers are done making moves. “We really feel good about this team,” the executive explained. “That being said, we’ll continue to explore avenues, and if there’s ways to get better, we won’t hesitate.” Perhaps this should be every team’s approach to roster building, but hearing this from the Dodgers president is still notable. L.A. has significantly outspent every other team this offseason, signing the most sought-after MLB free agent, Shohei Ohtani, and the most sought-after international free agent, Yoshinobu Yamamoto. They also made a deal for one of the most talented players on the trade market, Tyler Glasnow, and inked him to a nine-figure extension. The Dodgers have won at least 100 games for three consecutive seasons, yet they arguably improved their roster more than any other team this winter.
Eury Perez To Undergo Imaging Due To Elbow Soreness
The Marlins announced this afternoon that right-hander Eury Perez is experiencing elbow soreness and is set to undergo imaging and testing over the course of the coming days. Jon Heyman of the New York Post adds that part of the club’s diagnostic process will be a trip to Texas, where Perez will meet with noted orthopedic surgeon Dr. Keith Meister. Earlier this week, Perez was pulled from a Spring Training start after just 14 pitches due to discomfort caused by a broken fingernail.
It’s a brutal blow for the Marlins, who have been ravaged by rotation injuries this offseason. Sandy Alcantara underwent Tommy John surgery back in the fall and is set to miss the entire 2024 campaign, and since then both Braxton Garrett and Edward Cabrera have dealt with shoulder issues that could relegate them to the injured list to begin the season. Now Perez appears all but certain to open the regular season on the shelf as well. While the severity of the 20-year-old phenom’s specific issue is uncertain, concerns regarding the elbow are particularly ominous due to the possibility of a lengthy absence.
Elbow surgeries can often wipe out a pitcher’s entire season, as is the case with Alcantara, and even non-surgical rehab can take a pitcher away from game action for months at a time, as was recently demonstrated by Yankees ace Gerrit Cole. Even in the best case scenario, the time spent determining the extent of Perez’s injury figures to set him back as he looks to build up his pitch count for the regular season. Perez’s aforementioned fingernail issue has limited his ability to prepare for the coming season this spring, and with just two weeks until Opening Day and the right-hander likely to be sidelined for at least a few more days, it’s hard to imagine him being able to avoid at least a brief stint on the injured list.
With Perez, Cabrera, and Garrett all at least at risk of joining Alcantara on the injured list to open the season, that leaves southpaw Jesus Luzardo as the only member of the club’s on-paper starting rotation who is currently expected to be available on Opening Day. Southpaw A.J. Puk was already widely expected to begin the season in the club’s rotation after the club made the decision to stretch the lefty out despite his success as a high-leverage arm in the club’s bullpen last year, and the injuries also seem likely to open the door for the likes of Trevor Rogers and Ryan Weathers to step into rotation roles as the season begins. That would still leave the fifth spot in the club’s rotation vacant, however, though right-hander Bryan Hoeing represents one option already on the 40-man roster and the club has plenty of potential non-roster options at its disposal including Yonny Chirinos, Vladimir Gutierrez, and Devin Smeltzer.
Of course, none of those potential depth options can be reasonably expected to deliver the sort of impact that Perez offers. The righty, 21 next month, was a consensus top-15 prospect in all of baseball when he made his debut for Miami last year, and he immediately flashed the front-of-the-rotation potential that his prospect pedigree suggested as he dazzled with a microscopic 1.34 ERA and a solid 3.02 FIP in his first nine starts in the majors. He struck out 29.2% of batters faced during that stretch, and while midsummer struggles led the club to limit his workload down the stretch the youngster nonetheless features prominently in the club’s plans for the 2024 season and beyond. So much so, in fact, that Perez was generally regarded as the club’s sole untouchable as they fielded trade offers on the likes of Garrett, Luzardo, and Cabrera during the offseason.
The rotation injuries have been a major blow to a Marlins club that is looking to build upon a surprising postseason appearance in 2023. The club’s starting pitchers ranked top ten in the majors last year in ERA, FIP, and fWAR while striking out the fourth-most batters in all of baseball. That dominant run prevention apparatus was key to the club’s success last year as the lineup lagged behind, ranking just 20th in the majors with a collective wRC+ of 94. With so many injuries impacting the club’s rotation already this year, the team will need strong performance from the likes of Luis Arraez, Josh Bell, Jake Burger, and Jazz Chisholm Jr. if the club hopes to return to postseason contention in 2024.
Yasiel Puig Signs With Mexican League’s Aguila De Veracruz
Veteran outfielder Yasiel Puig is signing with the Aguila de Veracruz of the Mexican League, as reported by Francys Romero. Puig himself appeared to confirm the news on his personal X account. Puig previously played for the club in 2021.
The 33-year-old is a veteran of seven MLB seasons, six of which came as a member of the Dodgers, and last played in the majors in 2019 while splitting time between Cincinnati and Cleveland. The longtime outfielder slashed .277/.348/.475 in 861 career games in the majors, including a .305/.386/.502 line across the first two seasons of his career. That excellent early-career performance earned Puig, who was a consensus top-100 prospect prior to his big league debut, a second place finish in NL Rookie of the Year voting in 2013, an All Star nod in 2014, and down-ballot votes for the NL MVP award in both seasons.
After that phenomenal start to his career, Puig’s numbers took a turn for the worse, though he remained a quality regular throughout the rest of his time in the majors with a roughly league average .264/.330/.462 slash line over his final five seasons in the big leagues. Most of that production came with the Dodgers, though Puig was traded to the Reds alongside Alex Wood, Matt Kemp, and Kyle Farmer in a seven-player deal with the Reds just before the 2019 season that netted L.A. prospects Josiah Gray and Jeter Downs. After hitting free agency the following winter, Puig appeared to be nearing a deal to join the Braves for the 2020 campaign before a positive test for COVID-19 scuttled that deal and led to him sitting out the shortened season.
Since his last appearance in the majors, Puig has played international ball with stints in the Korea Baseball Organization as well as the Dominican and Venezuelan Winter Leagues in addition to the Mexican League. He’s performed well in those opportunities, slashing .291/.377/.558 in 1,032 combined plate appearances with 44 homers. That includes an impressive 51-game stretch in winter league play this offseason, where he slashed an incredible .330/.426/.607 in 202 trips to the plate.
Despite that strong performance, Puig hasn’t signed with an affiliated club since he first hit MLB free agency following the 2019 season. That apparent lack of interest may be thanks in part to off-the-field issues, which most recently have included allegations of lying to federal investigators during an investigation into an illegal gambling organization. Puig initially pled guilty to the charge in November 2022 before changing his plea to not guilty later that month. While Puig allegedly placed bets on football, basketball, and tennis back in 2019, there have been no indications in the case that he bet on baseball at any point.