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White Sox Select Adam Haseley, Place Hanser Alberto On 10-Day IL

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Per The Athletic’s James Fegan, the White Sox have selected the contract of outfielder Adam Haseley. In addition, infielder Hanser Alberto has been placed on the 10-day injured list (retroactive to Saturday) with a left quad strain. Infielder Nick Solak was designated for assignment to make room for Haseley on the 40-man roster.

Haseley, who celebrated his 27th birthday earlier this week, was taken 8th overall in the 2017 draft by the Phillies, but has failed to live up to that promise he showed as a prospect to this point in his career. In 355 plate appearances with Philadelphia, Haseley slashed just .264/.322/.373 before being traded to the White Sox ahead of the 2022 season. The outfielder only made it into 14 games with his new club in 2022, posting a 73 wRC+ in those games prior to being outrighted by Chicago during the offseason. With Alberto headed to the injured list, Haseley will now get another chance in the big leagues, where he will likely be the fourth outfielder on the roster, backing up Andrew Benintendi, Luis Robert Jr., and Oscar Colas.

Haseley will take the roster spot of Alberto, who is headed to the injured list without a timetable for his return. A veteran now playing in his 8th MLB season, Alberto has ever hit much in his career, posting a .271/.293/.380 line across 1406 plate appearances while only cracking 90 wRC+ once in his career, in 2019 with the Orioles. Still, the 30 year old remains a useful bench piece by virtue of his career strikeout rate of just 12.2% and his positional versatility; Alberto has played all four infield spots and the outfield corners in his career. With Alberto on the shelf, that should make more playing time available to fellow bench infielder Romy Gonzalez.

As for Solak, the utilityman spent the past four seasons as a member of the Rangers, slashing .252/.327/.372 (93 wRC+) in 974 plate appearances while playing primarily second base, though he’s also seen time at third base, left field, and even center field during his career. Solak was shipped from Texas to Cincinnati at the beginning of last offseason, and since then has bounced to the Mariners and the White Sox. Now, he figures to look to catch on with his fifth club in the past six months. That should be an attainable goal, considering the attractiveness of optionable infield depth.

Dodgers Sign Austin Wynns To Major League Deal, Place Will Smith On 7-Day Concussion IL

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According to Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic, the Dodgers have signed catcher Austin Wynns to a major league deal and placed him on the active roster as catcher Will Smith heads to the 7-Day Concussion IL, retroactive to April 13. According to Juan Toribio of MLB.com, the Dodgers have transferred right-hander Alex Reyes to the 60-day IL to make room for Wynns on the 40-man roster.

Wynns appeared in one game this season for the Giants before being designated for assignment earlier this week. Wynns had accepted an outright assignment from San Francisco earlier in the offseason rather than elect free agency, but opted to test the open market after finding himself blocked by Joey Bart, Blake Sabol, and Gary Sanchez on the catching depth chart for the Giants. Wynns sports a career 67 wRC+ in 510 plate appearances since his MLB debut with the Orioles in 2018, but flashed the bat of a serviceable backup with San Francisco last season, slashing .259/.313/.358, good for a wRC+ of 92.

Smith, 28, is among the game’s premiere catchers, with a career wRC+ of 130, a 10.9% walk rate and 18.8% strikeout rate to go with his 25-homer power. Ardaya notes that manager Dave Roberts told reporters that Smith reported symptoms of a concussion on Thursday, and those symptoms have persisted despite him passing SCAT5 testing on Friday. Smith is set to undergo more tests and Roberts is hopefully he will be able to rejoin the club in time for the club’s road trip on Thursday, but if his symptoms persist he may be out for longer. While Smith is on the shelf, Austin Barnes figures to get the lion’s share of starts behind the plate, with Wynns acting as the backup.

As for Reyes, he signed with the Dodgers this offseason on an incentive-laden major-league deal and is still working his way back from shoulder surgery he underwent last May. His placement on the 60-day IL isn’t much of a surprise, as he was not expected to be a contributor for the club until sometime midseason.

Reds Notes: Santillan, Votto, Sims

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The Reds have halted the rehab of right-hander Tony Santillan, as noted by The Athletic’s C. Trent Rosencrans. Santillan was limited to just 19 2/3 innings of work in 2022 due to low back pain, and was diagnosed with a Pars stress fracture in his low back this spring that has kept him out of action ever since. He appeared to be on the verge of returning to big league action, as he had begun a rehab assignment in Triple-A recently, but Santillan is now dealing with discomfort in his right knee that will keep him out of action for longer, according to Rosencrans.

Santillan struggled to a 5.49 ERA during his injury-plagued 2022 season, but impressed in his 2021 rookie season with a 2.91 ERA (162 ERA+) in 43 1/3 innings, though it came with a concerning 4.62 FIP thanks to Santillan stranding an unsustainable 90% of baserunners, though he did post an impressive 29.5% strikeout rate that season. When healthy, Santillan could join the likes of Alex Diaz and Fernando Cruz in covering late-inning duties for the Reds.

First baseman Joey Votto is also halting his rehab process, per a club announcement. Votto returned to Cincinnati and spoke with reporters today, with Bobby Nightengale of the Cincinnati Enquirer noting that Votto has not suffered any setbacks and MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon relaying that the first baseman remains optimistic about returning to big league action in the near future, though he isn’t ready to do so yet. As Nightengale notes, Votto could begin another rehab assignment in five days if he’s ready to do so.

Votto underwent surgery on his rotator cuff and bicep last season after struggling to a slash line of just .205/.319/.370 in 91 games last year, the worst performance of his future Hall of Fame career. Following his surgery, Votto took things slowly this spring, and has continued to work his way back at a careful pace as he has repeatedly expressed a desire to not return to the club until he’s fully healthy and ready to return. The Reds have given their veteran slugger the latitude to guide his own rehab process, including leaving the decision about whether he would start the season on the Opening Day roster up to him.

In more positive injury news, reliever Lucas Sims is scheduled to pitch for a second day in a row at Triple-A today, according to Nightengale, with a return to the big leagues later this week a possibility if all goes well. A first round pick by the Braves in the 2012 draft, Sims was part of the return for the trade that sent Adam Duvall from Cincinnati to Atlanta at the 2018 trade deadline. Since then, Sims has been a bullpen regular for the Reds, posting a 4.44 ERA (107 ERA+) and 3.87 FIP in 127 2/3 innings of work with the club. Sims pitched just 6 2/3 innings last year before being placed on the IL with lower back spasms last May, an issue he’s dealt with ever since. Fortunately, it appears Sims is primed to return to big league action and join a bullpen that currently features the likes of Derek Law and Buck Farmer covering the middle innings.

Twins Option Louie Varland, Recall Brent Headrick

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Per a team announcement, the Twins have optioned right-hander Louie Varland to Triple-A following his spot start against the Yankees yesterday. In a corresponding move, the club recalled left-hander Brent Headrick.

Varland, 25, pitched effectively against the Yankees yesterday, turning in a quality start of six innings and three runs allowed, each of which came on a solo home run. Those were the only hits allowed by Varland, who walked one and struck out eight. Varland also made five starts for the club in 2022, posting a solid 3.81 ERA in 26 innings of work. With six successful big league starts under his belt and a career 2.59 ERA in the minor leagues, Varland figures to continue to be a top option for spot starts in the future for the Twins, though their deep group of potential rotation options leaves him unlikely to get a longer look this season without multiple rotation injuries. Varland is the Twins’ #10 prospect, according to MLB.com.

As for Headrick, the 25 year-old lefty has been added to an MLB roster for the first time in his career and appears poised to make his big league debut in the near future. A ninth round pick in the 2019 draft, Headrick has a 3.52 ERA in 184 innings of work in the minors. The club’s #25 prospect, per MLB.com, Headrick is a soft-tossing lefty who has added velocity in recent years, leading to something of a breakout at Double-A in 2022 where he impressed by striking out 31.9% of the batters he faced. Most of his work in the minors has come as a starter, but Headrick did pitch four innings of relief in his first Triple-A appearance this year.

Padres Notes: Rotation, Wacha, Engel

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Padres right-hander Joe Musgrove is expected to make his final rehab start today for the organization’s Single-A affiliate, as noted by Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union Tribune. That would put Musgrove on track to return to the Padres sometime later this week, a welcome development for a club that has seen its current six-man rotation set-up lead to an overly taxed bullpen.

With only seven relievers on the roster, the club needs its starters to be able to go deeper into games and cover more innings, but that hasn’t been the case early in the season. San Diego starters have failed to complete six innings in nine of the club’s 16 games this season, with just three starts lasting into the seventh inning. The return of Musgrove, who pitched at least six innings in 22 of his 30 regular season starts last season, should help relieve some of the load off the bullpen, but the question remains as to who Musgrove will replace in the rotation.

Ken Rosenthal suggested on FOX Sports yesterday that right-hander Nick Martinez could head to the bullpen as the odd man out, while Jeff Sanders of the San Diego Union Tribune suggested that it could be young left-hander Ryan Weathers who is either optioned to Triple-A or pushed to the bullpen in order to make room for Musgrove, though Sanders notes that the club’s schedule, which includes two off-days in the final week of April and five throughout the month of May, could make the current six-man rotation setup untenable in the longer term and force the club to look at moving Martinez or righty Seth Lugo to the bullpen.

Weathers, 23, struggled to a 5.49 ERA with a 5.42 FIP the past two seasons, with all of that work except for a single 3 2/3 inning spot start coming during the 2021 campaign. He’s done well so far in 2023, posting an strong 2.70 ERA in two starts (10 innings) so far this season, though he’s struck out just five batters so far and failed to record an out in the sixth inning. By contrast, Martinez has struggled in terms of run prevention, with a 5.60 ERA across three starts, but has been able to go deeper into games, failing to make it out of the fifth inning just once while recording six and seven innings in his other two appearances.

More from San Diego…

  • As noted by Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com, Padres right-hander Michael Wacha entered the offseason hoping to return to the Red Sox, for whom he posted a 3.32 ERA in 127 1/3 innings in 2022. Cotillo notes that the Red Sox never appeared close to re-signing the 31 year-old righty, who eventually signed in San Diego on a complex four-year, $26MM deal with multiple team and player options involved. Wacha noted that Boston expressed interest in retaining him for the 2023 season, but ultimately did not get into specifics of his negotations with the club, saying that “you might have to ask [Red Sox GM Chaim Bloom] about that one.” That being said, Wacha did note the importance of San Diego’s willingness to offer a multi-year deal held in his ultimate decision to sign with the club.
  • As noted by Sanders, outfielder Adam Engel, who’s been sidelined to this point in the season with a hamstring injury. began a rehab assignment in Triple-A yesterday. With David Dahl having recently joined Engel on the injured list, the club’s outfield depth has been tested, with the likes of Rougned Odor and Brandon Dixon making recent starts in the outfield alongside Juan Soto and Trent Grisham. Engel’s impending return should provide some much-needed support to the Padres outfield, as should Fernando Tatis Jr., who is set to return from his suspension later this week.

Angels Promote Zach Neto, Option David Fletcher

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The Angels made a significant transaction today, calling up top prospect Zach Neto, their first round pick from the 2022 draft. In the corresponding move, the Angels optioned David Fletcher, sending the six-year veteran to Triple-A. To make room on the 40-man roster, Chris Rodriguez has been transferred to the 60-day IL.

Neto will make his debut less than a year after the Angels took him 13th overall in the draft. The 22-year-old has absolutely torn up minor league pitching in that time, slashing .444/.559/.815 with three home runs in 34 plate appearances at Double-A to start this year, after slashing .320/.389/.492 over 136 plate appearances at the level last year.

All told, it took Neto just 44 minor league games to do enough for the Angels to call him up, and he’s now expected to take over as their everyday shortstop, per Jeff Passan of ESPN. The Athletic’s Keith Law ranked Neto as the Angels’ top prospect, and had him 59th overall in the sport. Law describes Neto as a “definite shortstop who projects to be a plus defender”, and combined with his bat expects him to be a “strong regular”.

The other side of this transaction is the demotion of Fletcher. The 28-year-old signed a five-year, $26MM extension just prior to the 2021 season, but Fletcher’s numbers have since deteriorated. After hitting .298/.356/.395 over 883 plate appearances between 2019-20, Fletcher has managed only a .258/.292/.323 slash line with four home runs over 909 PA, good for a wRC+ of just 69.

Fletcher’s a quality defender at second and third, posting a combined 31 Outs Above Average at the two positions throughout his career, while he’s more of a solid defender (two career OAA) at shortstop. He’s also sporadically played in the outfield.

Fletcher’s owed $6MM in 2023, and then a further $12.5MM over the next two seasons plus $3MM in buyouts on a pair of club options for 2026-27. It’s not an overly burdensome amount of money, but it’s a lot to be paying a minor league infielder. It’s possible the Angels see if Fletcher can rediscover his bat at Triple-A and then look to recall him to serve as a utilityman on the big league club going forward.

Of course, Neto has never played above Double-A so if he struggles after a stint in the big leagues the team could opt to give him a bit more time at Triple-A to develop and turn back to Fletcher. For now though, Neto will be the Angels’ starting shortstop, and if his hitting in the minor leagues can translate to the Show he could have that position for many years to come.

West Notes: Tepera, Davis, Davies, Gray

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Ryan Tepera left today’s game with a shoulder issue and will receive further examination, Angels manager Phil Nevin told MLB.com’s Rhett Bollinger and other reporters.  Tepera needed 33 pitches to get through two-thirds of an inning against the Red Sox today, with two hits, a walk, and two catcher’s interference calls on Matt Thaiss resulting in three runs (one earned).

Losing Tepera to injury wouldn’t help an Anaheim bullpen that has already had its share of struggles in the early going, though Tepera has been part of those struggles with a 13.50 ERA over 3 1/3 innings of work.  The veteran reliever signed a two-year, $14MM free agent deal with Los Angeles during the 2021-22 offseason and was pretty solid in 2022, posting a 3.61 ERA over 57 1/3 innings with some elite soft-contact rates. [UPDATE: the Angels placed Tepera on the 15-day IL due to shoulder inflammation on Sunday. Tepera doesn’t think the injury is too serious, as he told Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register and other reporters that he plans to start throwing again after a few days off.]

More from around both the AL and NL West divisions as Jackie Robinson Day comes to a close….

  • The Rockies will call up right-hander Noah Davis from Triple-A to start Sunday’s game against the Mariners.  (The Denver Gazette’s Danielle Allentuck was among those who reported the news.)  With German Marquez now on the 15-day IL, Davis was seen as a logical candidate to take Marquez’s spot in the rotation, as Davis is already on Colorado’s 40-man roster and has plenty of experience as a starter during his time in the Rockies’ and Reds’ farm systems.  Davis is just a week away from his 26th birthday, and he made his MLB debut in the form of one inning of relief work with the Rockies last season.
  • Zach Davies was placed on the 15-day injured list due a strained left oblique last weekend, and Diamondbacks Torey Lovullo told reporters (including the Arizona Republic’s Nick Piecoro) that Davies will need “several weeks” to recover.  Lovullo was a little vague about the nature of Davies’ injury, stopping short of calling it a Grade 2 oblique strain, but also saying it was “more than” a Grade 1 strain.  Regardless, Davies now looks to miss some significant time, so Drey Jameson might get a long look at the replacement in Arizona’s rotation.
  • X-rays were negative on Rangers right-hander Jon Gray after Gray was hit on the elbow by a Yanier Diaz line drive in tonight’s game.  Texas manager Bruce Bochy even told MLB.com’s Kennedi Landry and other reporters that Gray isn’t expected to miss his next turn in the rotation.  An upcoming off-day on Thursday will give Gray an extra day to rest and recover, and while plans could change if his elbow/forearm area continues to be sore, it still counts as some real good fortune for Gray in avoiding what looked like a potentially serious injury.  Counting today’s abbreviated two-inning outing, Gray has a 3.21 ERA over three starts and 14 innings thus far in 2023.

AL Notes: Urias, Ortiz, Romano, Red Sox, Springs

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Ramon Urias is in concussion protocol after a scary incident in the Orioles’ 7-6 loss to the White Sox today.  Urias was hit in the head by a Kendall Graveman fastball in the seventh inning of the game, but fortunately the infielder was able to leave the field under his own power.  At the very least, Urias certainly doesn’t look like he’ll be playing in Sunday’ game, and it remains to be seen if a stint on the seven-day concussion-related injury list is necessary.  Urias had a single and two walks prior to his HBP today, boosting the Gold Glover’s slash line to a productive .250./.388/.400 over his first 49 plate appearances of the season.

Infielder Joey Ortiz would be the roster replacement if Urias is sidelined, as MASNsports.com’s Roch Kubatko was among the reporters who noted that Ortiz was removed from the lineup for Triple-A Norfolk tonight.  Since the Orioles don’t play on Monday, it’s possible the club might not make a roster move prior to Sunday’s game, in order to give Urias more time to recover and undergo further examination in the hopes that an IL stint could be avoided.  Ortiz has yet to make his MLB debut, and is yet another talented youngster from Baltimore’s farm system — both MLB Pipeline and Baseball America included Ortiz near the end of their preseason top-100 prospect lists.

More from around the AL East…

  • Jordan Romano earned a save in painful fashion today, as the Blue Jays closer was hit by a hard Wander Franco comebacker to the mound in the final out of a 5-2 win over the Rays.  The Jays told reporters (including The Athletic’s Kaitlyn McGrath) that Romano suffered a right rib contusion on the play, though x-rays were negative.  After pitching on three of the last four days, Romano was probably already going to be unavailable for Sunday’s game, but it remains to be seen if the closer will have to miss any more time.  Romano has five saves and a 3.86 ERA over seven innings this season, with all three of his runs allowed during a disastrous outing against the Angels last Sunday.
  • With the Red Sox shorthanded in the middle infield, assistant GM Brian O’Halloran told MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo that the Sox are “comfortable with the group we have,” though the team is “always looking to find ways to improve the roster. Especially when you have injuries, and significant injuries.  That’s even more heightened.”  Enrique Hernandez has had to move from shortstop to center field to fill in for the injured Adam Duvall, subtracting from a middle infield mix that was already thin with Trevor Story and Adalberto Mondesi on the 60-day IL.  Cotillo notes that it’s pretty early in the season for any significant trade to take place, though a lower-level swap or even a waiver claim could help the Red Sox fill some holes.
  • Jeffrey Springs struggled to a 7.08 ERA over 20 1/3 innings with the Red Sox in 2020, and Springs told Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe that he regretting having “severely underperformed” during his lone season in a Sox uniform.  “I think I put too much pressure on myself there,” Springs said.  “I felt like I had to put up a zero every time and that made it harder on myself.  That’s a bad mentality to have.”  The Sox pivoted by dealing Springs to the Rays as part of a four-player trade during the 2020-21 offseason, yet now that deal is looking like a regret on Boston’s part, as Springs has become the latest pitcher to blossom in Tampa Bay.  Springs has an outstanding 2.53 ERA in 196 innings in a Rays uniform, but his great start to the 2023 season has now been interrupted by ulnar neuritis in his left arm, resulting in what will be a lengthy IL visit.

NL East Notes: Scherzer, Arcia, Sosa, Suarez, Harper

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Max Scherzer was scheduled to start for the Mets on Sunday against the Athletics, but Jose Butto will now take the hill tomorrow and Scherzer will be pushed to Wednesday.  Mets manager Buck Showalter told the New York Post’s Mike Puma (Twitter links) and other reporters that Scherzer has some “lingering soreness” in his side, though Scherzer said that scans of the area below his scapula didn’t reveal any structural damage.

Butto was tentatively expected to receive a spot start at some point during the Mets’ road trip, so today’s news seems mostly precautionary in nature, notwithstanding Scherzer’s injury history.  There might also be a bit of gamesmanship at play, since rather than face the struggling A’s, Scherzer is now lined up to face the Dodgers on Wednesday in a game with more implications on the NL playoff race.

More from around the NL East…

  • Orlando Arcia’s microfracture in his left wrist will be re-evaluated in 10-14 days, the Braves told reporters (including MLB.com’s Mark Bowman).  Arcia was placed on the 10-day injured list yesterday and will obviously miss more than the minimum number of days, but a more thorough timeline won’t be known until Arcia is next examined by doctors.  Arcia entered the season with the twin momentum of a new contract extension and a role as Atlanta’s starting shortstop, and he was hitting a hefty .333/.400/.511 over 50 plate appearances prior to his injury.
  • Edmundo Sosa left today’s game due to discomfort in his lower back, according to the Phillies.  Since Philadelphia was trailing 8-0 to the Reds at the time of Sosa’s departure in the bottom of the sixth, it could be that Sosa was just being given a rest from the last few innings of what ended up as a 13-0 rout.  If Sosa did have to miss any time, it would further stretch the depth of a Phillies infield that is already missing Rhys Hoskins and Darick Hall, as Sosa was seeing more action at third base while Alec Bohm had moved to first base.
  • In other Phillies injury news, Ranger Suarez will throw to live hitters during a simulated game on Tuesday, Scott Lauper of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes.  Suarez has yet to pitch this season due to forearm inflammation, and he’ll be facing at least prominent batter during that sim game in the form of Bryce Harper, who will face live pitching for the first time in his rehab from Tommy John surgery.  Initially given a return timeline of around the All-Star break, there continue to be hints that Harper might be back sooner, including the fact that both Harper and manager Rob Thomson don’t feel Harper will need a minor league rehab assignment before re-entering Philadelphia’s lineup.  Given the Trajekt Arc video projection system installed at Citizens Bank Park, Harper can somewhat replicate facing MLB-level pitching during his batting cage work, rather than face live minor league pitching during a rehab assignment.

IL Activations: Hughes, Nootbaar, Kepler, Lorenzen

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Catching up on notable players returning from the injured list today…

LATEST MOVES

  • The Cubs activated left-hander Brandon Hughes from the 15-day IL, and outfielder Nelson Velazquez was optioned to Triple-A to create roster space.  Hughes was bothered by inflammation in his left knee during Spring Training, so Chicago placed him on the IL prior to Opening Day so Hughes could recover and then complete his ramp-up progress.  In an impressive rookie season, Hughes posted a 3.12 ERA and an above-average 28.3% strikeout rate (albeit with a subpar walk rate) over 57 2/3 innings out of the Cubs’ bullpen.

EARLIER TODAY

  • The Cardinals activated Lars Nootbaar from the 10-day IL, and sent Juan Yepez to Triple-A in the corresponding move.  Nootbaar was in the St. Louis lineup for the first time since Opening Day, when he injured his left thumb diving into a base.  While the Cardinals’ outfield depth chart might prevent Nootbaar from true everyday duty, he is still expected to get a lot of playing time as a left-handed hitter capable of playing all three outfield spots.  Jordan Walker’s emergence has only added to a crowded outfield picture that also includes Nootbaar, Tyler O’Neill, Alec Burleson, Dylan Carlson, Yepez, and utilityman Brendan Donovan.
  • The Twins activated outfielder Max Kepler from the 10-day IL, as Kepler returned after missing the minimum 10 days while recovering from right patellar tendinitis.  Minnesota optioned outfielder Matt Wallner to Triple-A in the corresponding move.  Kepler’s return will bring a bit of relief for the injury-plagued Twins, and he’ll look for something of a reset to his season after playing in only four games prior to his IL stint.  Kepler is entering the final guaranteed year of his contract, and will be a free agent this winter unless the Twins exercise a $10MM club option for 2024.
  • Michael Lorenzen made his first start of the season today, as the Tigers activated the right-hander from the 15-day IL.  Unsurprisingly, Lorenzen showed some rust, allowing six earned runs over four innings in what ended up being a 7-6 comeback win for Detroit over San Francisco.  A left groin strain has kept Lorenzen on the shelf, but going forward, he is expected to contribute in the Tigers’ rotation after signing a one-year, $8.5MM free agent deal during the offseason.  Along with activating Lorenzen, Detroit also called up southpaw Tyler Holton from Triple-A, and sent righty Garrett Hill and infielder Ryan Kreidler to Triple-A.

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