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NL Central Notes: Reds, Weaver, Cessa, Suzuki, Wesneski, Miller

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Luke Weaver hasn’t pitched since Monday due to a sore forearm, and “I think we’d have to push pretty hard to get him ready for Opening Day,” Reds manager David Bell told the Cincinnati Enquirer’s Bobby Nightengale and other reporters.  Despite the ominous nature of forearm-related injuries, Weaver’s issue seems to be just soreness, and he might throw a bullpen session in a few days’ time.  However, that still doesn’t leave the right-hander with much time to fully build his arm strength in advance of the Reds’ first game on March 30.

Weaver was projected to be Cincinnati’s fourth starter, creating another wrinkle in what was already a battle for the fifth starter’s job.  Connor Overton, Luis Cessa, Brandon Williamson, and non-roster invitee Chase Anderson were all in the running for the final rotation job, and two of those pitchers might now earn jobs if Weaver indeed needs to miss any regular-season time.  Cessa is also a bit of a question mark for workload-related reasons, as he might need to build up his arm since he hasn’t pitched much as a member of Mexico’s World Baseball Classic team.  Even if Cessa doesn’t make the rotation, Bell said the right-hander will still be a member of the Reds’ bullpen.

More from around the NL Central…

  • Cubs manager David Ross provided media (including MLB.com) with an update on Seiya Suzuki, as the outfielder continues to recover from an oblique strain.  Suzuki will likely need to begin the season on the injured list to make up for his lost Spring Training time, but he has been steadily increasing his workouts, and been taking part in some light baseball activities within the last week.
  • Hayden Wesneski has become the favorite for the Cubs’ fifth starter role, The Athletic’s Sahadev Sharma writes, which could mean that Adrian Sampson will begin the season as a depth starter at Triple-A.  Wesneski made his MLB debut last season, with an impressive 2.18 ERA, 25% strikeout rate, and 5.3% walk rate over the small sample size of 33 innings.  Besides Sampson, Javier Assad is also still in the competition for a rotation job, though Assad hasn’t been amassing innings in spring camp, but rather with Mexico’s WBC team.  Sharma feels Assad might also have a path to Chicago’s roster as a reliever rather than as a starter, if Keegan Thompson’s velocity continues to be inconsistent.
  • The Brewers have been working Owen Miller out in center field, as the team attempts to give itself another outfield option with Tyrone Taylor injured and top prospect Garrett Mitchell nursing a sore hamstring.  “It’s good to get game reps like that.  I’ll keep working every day to see as many balls out there as I can,” Miller told MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy.  Acquired in a trade from the Guardians over the offseason, Miller has seen action at all four infield positions (but primarily first and second base) over his two MLB seasons with Cleveland, but one Triple-A game in 2021 represents the entirety of his professional experience as an outfielder.  Still, becoming even more versatile can only help Miller’s chances of carving out a spot on Milwaukee’s roster.

Juan Soto Day-To-Day With Mild Oblique Strain

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Juan Soto suffered what the Padres described as a mild left oblique strain during a minor league game today.  Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune hears from a team source that the the Padres are being “careful” with the injury and that the removal was precautionary, which is naturally understandable given the risk involved in any oblique injury.

For now, Soto is listed as day-to-day, and the outfielder is sure to undergo a battery of tests to investigate the exact nature of the problem.  While oblique injuries can vary greatly in severity, it’s rare to see a player suffer even a small strain (or less than a Grade 1 type of strain) and not miss any time whatsoever.  It wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Padres place Soto on the injured list as a further precaution, just to give him an extra 10 days (at minimum) at the start of the season to both get healthy and to get fully ramped up.

Soto was limited earlier in Spring Training by a minor calf problem and he only just returned to San Diego’s camp after playing with the Dominican Republic’s team in the World Baseball Classic.  Soto was on fire during WBC play and during his limited Spring Training action, so he might not need a lot of time to get ready once he is healthy.  However, Acee notes that Soto was playing in the minor league game in order to get some extra work in following his WBC stint.

Losing Soto for any amount of time obviously isn’t ideal for the Padres, especially considering that the team has already been visited by the injury bug during camp.  Joe Musgrove is expected to miss at least his first two start of the season due to a fractured toe, Adrian Morejon is likely also IL-bound due to elbow inflammation, and just earlier today, Austin Nola suffered a possible broken nose after being hit in the face with a pitch.

Adam Engel was slowed by a calf injury earlier in Spring Training, but he is on pace to be ready for Opening Day and possibly for a larger slice of playing time if Soto is sidelined.  Jose Azocar and minor league signing David Dahl could now both make the team, and join with Matt Carpenter (projected for right field duty) and starting center fielder Trent Grisham in the Padres’ outfield mix.  Fernando Tatis Jr. will also join this group and take over a starting role, but not until he serves the final 20 games of his PED suspension.

A number of other non-roster invitees (i.e. Rangel Ravelo, Tim Lopes, Alfonso Rivas, Max Schrock, Preston Tucker, Brandon Dixon, Luis Liberato) have varying levels of MLB experience and at least some experience in the outfield, so they could also factor into San Diego’s plans.  The Padres could also certainly add to this group with other minor league signings or perhaps a higher-level trade in the event that Soto’s oblique strain is more severe than it seems.

Diamondbacks’ Corbin Martin To Undergo Lat Tendon Surgery, Likely To Miss 2023 Season

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TODAY: Martin has chosen to undergo surgery to repair his lat tendon, Lovullo told Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic and other reporters.  It is “doubtful” that Martin will be able to return before the end of the 2023 season, Lovullo said.

MARCH 18: Corbin Martin left Wednesday’s game due to injury, as the Diamondbacks right-hander was brought to his knees in obvious pain after throwing a pitch.  Martin has been diagnosed with a tear in the lat tendon under his right shoulder, and though manager Torey Lovullo said that Martin is exploring a second opinion on the injury, “we’re talking months instead of weeks” before the righty can return to action.

“We’re going to get that second opinion but no matter what, we feel like it’s going to be a long road to recovery and he’ll get back out there as soon as possible,” Lovullo said during an appearance on the Burns & Gambo radio show.

Even if Martin is able to avoid a surgery, the lat tear represents another tough setback for the 27-year-old.  Martin missed most of the 2019 season and all of the 2020 season recovering from Tommy John surgery, and an oblique strain prevented him from even a cameo appearance near the end of the abbreviated 2020 campaign.  Martin has hit the injured list in each of the last two seasons while also being shuttled back and forth between Arizona’s roster and Triple-A Reno.

With only a 6.71 ERA to show for 57 2/3 career innings in the majors, Martin has yet to really get on track as a big leaguer.  The Astros took Martin in the second round of the 2017 draft and the righty even drew some top-100 prospect attention prior to the 2019 season.  His stock was high enough that even after the Tommy John surgery, Martin was still sought after by the D’Backs as part of the four-player package for Zack Greinke at the 2019 trade deadline.  This spring, the D’Backs were using Martin in a new bullpen role in an attempt to help keep him healthy.

Between Martin’s lat tear and Mark Melancon’s shoulder strain, Arizona is suddenly facing two long-term injury absences and two holes to fill in the bullpen.  The Diamondbacks have a long list of experienced relievers in camp on minor league contracts, and of that group, Jeurys Familia look to be the favorite to win a job on the Opening Day roster.  Familia has looked sharp in posting a 1.59 ERA over 5 2/3 innings in Cactus League play, and he would receive a guaranteed $1.5MM salary if he did crack the D’Backs roster at any point during the season.

Austin Nola Leaves Game After Being Hit By Pitch In The Face

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Padres catcher Austin Nola suffered a scary injury during today’s Cactus League game, as he was hit in the face by an errant Michael Fulmer pitch.  Nola was carted off the field, though he was able to get up under his own power.  Padres manager Bob Melvin suggested to reporters (including Jeff Sanders of the San Diego Union-Tribune) that Nola suffered a broken nose given the circumstances, but no official word has come from the team about the nature of the injury.

With just 11 days until Opening Day, it certainly looks as if the Padres will be missing their starting catcher for at least the beginning of the regular season.  Nola was still projected to get the majority of playing time behind the plate this season, though former top prospect Luis Campusano (who was himself set back with a hamstring injury this spring) is slated for at least the backup role, and the Padres would surely be pleased if Campusano plays himself into a timeshare of catching duties.

With Nola now facing the injured list, however, Campusano might be the starter by default as the season opens.  Brett Sullivan is also on the Padres’ 40-man roster but non-roster invitee Pedro Severino has MLB experience and would likely get the nod as the replacement in the event of Nola’s absence.

Acquired from the Mariners at the 2020 trade deadline, Nola has hit .254/.327/.348 over 665 plate appearances and 185 games in a Padres uniform, translating to a 95 OPS+.  He also missed a big chunk of the 2021 season due to finger, thumb, and knee injuries, resulting in only 56 games during the 2021 campaign.  Public defensive metrics were also very down on Nola’s glovework in 2022, with Statcast and Fangraphs each giving him subpar framing grades, as well as minus-6 Defensive Runs Saved.

The always-aggressive Padres explored the idea of signing Willson Contreras and Christian Vazquez during the offseason, before opting to stand pat with their catching corps apart from Severino’s minor league deal.  It stands to reason that San Diego could be actively seeking out more catching help in the coming days, whether that comes in the trade market, or in pursuing any free agents who may soon be available due to end-of-camp roster cuts or veterans opting out of their minor league contracts.

Braves Outright Jackson Stephens

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The Braves announced that right-hander Jackson Stephens was outrighted to Triple-A.  The move was necessary to remove Stephens from the 40-man roster since he is out of minor league options, but the righty will remain in Atlanta’s organization.

Stephens first joined the Braves on a minor league deal last winter, and he ended up seeing quite a bit of Major League work in tossing 53 1/3 innings out of the bullpen (including three innings as the designated starter of a bullpen game at the end of the regular season).  Stephens posted a 3.69 ERA and did an excellent job of inducing soft contact, even if his strikeout and walk rates were both below the league average.

It was a respectable showing for Stephens’ first MLB action since 2018 as a member of the Reds, and the performance earned Stephen a new contract with the Braves back in December.  Since that deal was a split contract that wasn’t fully guaranteed, however, Stephens will only earn his $740K salary if he appears on Atlanta’s active roster at any point during the season.

Stephens didn’t acquit himself well in Spring Training, with a 33.75 ERA to show for 1 1/3 frames over two appearances of Grapefruit League work.  (The Orioles tagged Stephens for five runs in one-third of an inning on March 13.)  The outright assignment puts Stephens out of the running for a job in the Braves’ Opening Day bullpen, and the club also has another 40-man roster spot to work with in contemplating other moves.  Most immediately, the Braves might have that space earmarked for one of Dylan Dodd or Jared Shuster, who are competing to be the team’s fifth starter.

Mariners Sign Delino DeShields To Minors Contract

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The Mariners have signed outfielder Delino DeShields to a minor league deal, according to the team’s official transactions page.  DeShields last played in the big leagues in 2021, as a member of the Reds.

Seattle becomes the eighth different MLB organization of DeShields’ career, though he has seen official game action with only three of them, playing with Texas from 2015-19, Cleveland in 2020, and then Cincinnati in 2021.  The outfielder was also briefly a member of the Red Sox in between stints with the Rangers and Reds in 2021, and he signed minor league contracts with the Marlins and Braves in 2022.  DeShields spent the 2022 campaign with Triple-A Gwinnett, hitting .220/.367/.264 over 426 PA for Atlanta’s top affiliate.

While DeShields has rarely contributed much with his bat, his speed and defense has consistently earned him looks from teams in need of outfield depth.  Taylor Trammell and utilityman Dylan Moore will both start the season on the Mariners’ injured list, so the M’s might see DeShields as a bit of extra experience to have on hand in camp, along with fellow veteran minor league signings Kole Calhoun and Leonys Martin.  Julio Rodriguez, Teoscar Hernandez, AJ Pollock, and Jarred Kelenic are projected as Seattle’s regular outfielders, with Pollock and Kelenic slated to split duties in left field.

Red Sox Acquire Angel Pierre From Royals

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The Red Sox announced that infielder Angel Pierre has been acquired from the Royals.  Pierre is the player to be named later included along with Adalberto Mondesi in the January swap that sent Josh Taylor to Kansas City.

Pierre was an international signing for the Royals in January 2022, and the 19-year-old’s first year as professional saw him hit .300/.424/.550 with two home runs over 125 plate appearances in the Dominican Summer League.  Pierre hails from “the Cradle of Shortstops” in San Pedro de Macoris, Dominican Republic, but he mostly played third base in DSL action, with a handful of games as a shortstop and second baseman.

NL East Notes: Braves, Nimmo, Painter

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The Braves have a handful of areas on the roster that have yet to be settled, even with Opening Day only a little over a week away. The fifth starter competition has been upended since the beginning of spring, as Michael Soroka has once again struggled with injuries while early favorites Ian Anderson and Bryce Elder fell out of favor thanks to excellent springs from prospects Jared Shuster and Dylan Dodd. The final spot in the bullpen and the fourth outfielder position are other areas with uncertainty, but perhaps the most interesting camp battle at this point in the Spring is one few expected headed into the year.

As noted by Justin Toscano of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the shortstop position is still up for grabs, though most considered youngster Vaughn Grissom all but locked into the role as camp began last month. Since then, though, prospect Braden Shewmake has paired already-excellent defense with a torrid spring at the plate as he’s slashed .333/.400/.482 in 12 grapefruit league games. While it seems that the most likely conclusion to this remains Grissom as the starting shortstop, backed up by Orlando Arcia, Shewmake has made a case for himself this spring, and it’s worth noting that his left-handed bat could serve as a better complement to the right-handed Arcia than Grissom, who also bats righty. Toscano notes that it seems unlikely the Braves would roster both players to open the season, but it’s reasonable to expect that even if Shewmake fails to take the starting shortstop gig for himself to open the season, an opportunity to make his big league debut will open up at some point this season.

More from around the NL East…

  • Mets outfielder Brandon Nimmo tells reporters, including Joel Sherman of the New York Post, that he was “relieved” following his diagnosis with a sprained knee and ankle that there was no structural damage in either area. Nimmo believes he will still be ready for Opening Day next week, which is surely a relief for Mets fans who recently lost fellow high-dollar returning free agent signing Edwin Diaz for the season to knee surgery. Should Nimmo miss time, it seems likely that would open up playing time for the likes of Tommy Pham and Tim Locastro.
  • Phillies GM Dave Dombrowski told reporters, including Todd Zolecki of MLB.com, that he still expects top prospect Andrew Painter to make his big league debut at some point this season. Painter was diagnosed with a UCL sprain earlier this spring which took him out of the fifth starter competition in Philadelphia, but the young right-hander has not been recommended for Tommy John surgery, instead attempting to rehab the injury after a four week shutdown. Should the rehab route prove successful, it’s no surprise that Painter would be in the mix to make his debut later this season, as he proved himself to be clearly MLB-ready with a dominant spring prior to the sprain.

Glenn Otto To Undergo MRI On Right Lat Muscle

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The Rangers’s rotation depth has been dealt another blow, as right-hander Glenn Otto, who was scratched from his start yesterday with “right lat tightness”, tells reporters (including Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News) that he is set to undergo an MRI on the muscle after feeling more soreness this morning.

Otto, who celebrated his 27th birthday last week, made 27 starts for the Rangers last year, pitching to a 4.64 ERA that was 15% below league average by ERA+. Underlying metrics further underscore Otto’s struggles last year, as he posted a strikeout rate of just 18.2% against a 10.6% walk rate, with a whopping 8.9% of his batted balls allowed resulting in barrels. All that added up to a 5.21 FIP, more than half a run higher than his ERA. Given that performance, its no surprise that Texas’s offseason spending spree on starters that saw them acquire Jake Odorizzi, Jacob deGrom, Andrew Heaney, and Nathan Eovaldi while re-signing Martin Perez pushed Otto out of the rotation picture. Still, Otto figured to compete for a roster spot with Cole Ragans and Dane Dunning following the announcement that Odorizzi would begin the season on the injured list.

Though Otto was far from the favorite to secure that roster spot, it’s worth noting that virtually every team needs depth starters throughout the regular season, and Otto was sure to make appearances in the big leagues at some point this year even if he didn’t make the Opening Day roster. That’s especially true for the Rangers, who have a starting five featuring a handful of players who have missed significant time in recent years: deGrom and Heaney both failed to clear 75 innings of work last year, while Eovaldi has pitched more than 111 innings just once since the end of the 2016 season.

Should Otto join Odorizzi on the injured list to open the season and miss significant time, that lines Ragans and Dunning up for a battle to be the long man out of the Rangers’s bullpen to open the season, with the other likely headed to Triple-A to serve as a depth starter alongside Spencer Howard. That being said, it’s worth noting that both Eovaldi and deGrom are expected to open the season on limited pitch counts, meaning it could behoove the Rangers to carry both Ragans and Dunning into the season in order to have more long relief options available to shoulder the additional workload while Eovaldi and deGrom ramp up.

While few details regarding Otto’s injury are available, MLB.com notes that lat strains come in three grades, with the mildest ones requiring a recovery time of just a few weeks while the most severe ones can require surgery and a lengthy rehab afterward. With such a wide range of possible outcomes, it’s impossible to predict the outcome of Otto’s MRI, the severity of his injury, or the timetable for his return to action.

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