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Cardinals Notes: DeJong, Matz, Molina

By Darragh McDonald | June 26, 2022 at 2:12pm CDT

After years of declining offense, the Cardinals optioned Paul DeJong to the minors in early May. Since that time, he’s showed some improved results, relatively speaking. Through 37 games with the Triple-A Memphis Redbirds, he’s hitting .230/.276/.500. The resulting 95 wRC+ is still below league average, but is miles ahead of the 25 wRC+ he posted at the MLB level this year.

Even if DeJong were to take a step forward and get into a nice groove, it will be difficult for him to force his way back to the big leagues due to the success of those already there. John Mozeliak, the team’s president of baseball operations, spoke to Rick Hummel of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch about the situation recently. “The way Tommy Edman’s playing, and we’re getting a lot of production out of our second basemen, (DeJong) is going to have to hit his way back,” Mozeliak said. “It’s really been a situation where he would go down, get himself right and then come back. In the meantime, there’s been a little bit of a Wally Pipp situation where the players who have taken over those positions have been thriving.” For those unfamiliar, Wally Pipp was a Yankees first baseman who was once replaced by Lou Gehrig, who then went on to play 2,130 consecutive games. Since then, Pipp’s name has become synonymous with a player’s job being stolen and never relinquished.

As Mozeliak mentioned, Edman is indeed playing well. The positional switch doesn’t seem to have slowed him down at all, as Statcast currently pegs him as having provided five Outs Above Average at both second base and shortstop, totaling ten on the season. DRS and UZR are similarly bullish on his glovework at both positions. At the plate, he’s hitting .274/.347/.407 for a wRC+ of 119. That’s just shy of the 124 from his rookie season and much better than the 91 he posted in each of the past two seasons.

As for the second basemen that were alluded to, since Edman moved to primary shortstop duty, the keystone has been manned by rookies Brendan Donovan and Nolan Gorman. Both of them are having great seasons at the plate, with Donovan hitting .311/.422/.416 for a wRC+ of 146 and Gorman slashing .255/.317/.455 for a wRC+ of 120. With the Cards getting that type of production from their middle infield, it’s understandable that they’re going to making DeJong show another gear before giving him another shot. DeJong is turning 29 in August and still under contract through 2023 at a $9MM salary. There are also club options for 2024 and 2025, at $12.5MM and $15MM, though those seem sure to be bought out, barring a major turnaround in the meantime.

Elsewhere on the roster, Mozeliak notes that Steven Matz has recuperated from his shoulder issues enough to throw a bullpen session and seems lined up to start a rehab assignment on Tuesday. Signed to a four-year, $44MM contract in the offseason, Matz has only been able to make nine starts so far, with diminished results. His 6.03 ERA is certainly unsightly, but there’s likely some misfortune in there. Matz actually improved his strikeout and walk rates compared to last year, but has a .350 BABIP, 67% strand rate and 21.1% HR/FB rate, all of those being worse than his career averages. As such, all of the advanced metrics believe him to be much better than that ERA, with xFIP going so far as to place him at 2.98. When Matz returns, he will likely join Jack Flaherty, Miles Mikolas, Adam Wainwright and Dakota Hudson in the rotation, leaving Andre Pallante as the odd man out. Pallante has a 2.03 ERA through 48 2/3 innings thanks to a healthy 62.7% ground ball rate. However, his 15% strikeout rate and 10.2% walk rate are both worse than league average, with a .282 BABIP and 91.3% strand rate helping him keep that ERA down.

One member of the team who doesn’t seem close to a return, however, is franchise catcher Yadier Molina. Hummel relays that he has returned to his home in Puerto Rico while rehabbing his knee, with no timetable for his return. Turning 40 in a just over two weeks, Molina has already declared that this will be his final season. However, knee soreness has limited his production to a line of .213/.225/.294 on the year for a 47 wRC+. Andrew Knizner has gotten the bulk of playing time in his absence, though he’s hitting just .185/.281/.244 on the season for a 60 wRC+. With just over a month to go until the trade deadline, the health of Molina’s knees and the status of Knizner’s bat could compel the team to consider outside options before the August 2 cutoff.

Diamondbacks Designate Ryan Weiss For Assignment

By Darragh McDonald | June 26, 2022 at 12:55pm CDT

The Diamondbacks announced a few roster moves prior to today’s game. As was previously reported, lefty Dallas Keuchel was selected to the roster to start today’s game. To create room on the active roster, right-hander Sean Poppen was optioned following yesterday’s game. To create space on the 40-man roster, righty Ryan Weiss was designated for assignment.

A fourth round selection in the 2018 draft, Weiss was primarily a starter in his first few years as a pro. Based on a solid showing at some stops in the lower levels of the minors, he was ranked the #18 prospect in the system by Baseball America in 2019. As Weiss has climbed the ladder, however, he’s been gradually transitioned into bullpen duty. Last year, between Double-A and Triple-A, he threw 78 1/3 innings with a 4.60 ERA, 27% strikeout rate and 9.5% walk rate.

That was enough for Weiss to get added to the club’s 40-man roster in November, ahead of the Rule 5 draft that ended up getting quashed by the lockout. This year, however, things have gone south for Weiss, as he’s put up a 5.74 ERA in 26 2/3 innings, again split between Double-A and Triple-A. He’s improved his walk rate to 6.7% but also seen his strikeout rate dip to 20.8%.

Based on those mediocre results this season, it’s easy to see why the Diamondbacks felt they had to move on. However, he may still have appeal to other clubs based on the fact that he’s still just 25 years old and has all three of his option years remaining.

Astros Reinstate Jeremy Pena, Option Chas McCormick

By Darragh McDonald | June 26, 2022 at 12:27pm CDT

The Astros announced to reporters, including Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle, that shortstop Jeremy Pena has been reinstated from the injured list. Outfielder Chas McCormick was optioned to Triple-A in a corresponding move.

Pena landed on the IL due to some thumb discomfort but has returned fairly quickly, as no serious structural damage was found. That’s surely good news for the Astros, as the rookie is enjoying an excellent debut season. His .277/.333/.471 batting line amounts to a wRC+ of 132, or 32% better than the league average hitter. He’s also added excellent shortstop defense, producing 6 OAA and 6 DRS, although UZR is more bearish, placing him at -3.5. He’s already produced 2.4 wins above replacement on the season, according to FanGraphs. That’s the highest such mark among rookies this year, making him a serious contender for AL Rookie of the Year honors, though Julio Rodriguez is hot on his heels at 2.3 fWAR.

The news on McCormick is somewhat surprising, as he’s been close to an everyday player this year. After last year’s trade of Myles Straw and the injury to Jake Meyers, McCormick and Jose Siri became the team’s regular center fielders. McCormick has put up a line of .219/.291/.394 this year for a 98 wRC+, a slight drop from last year’s 109 but still around league average. Jose Siri, on the other hand, has a batting line of .185/.248/.315 for a wRC+ of 64. Meyers returned from his injury on Friday, with Siri being optioned to the minors. McCormick seemed safe as the bench outfielder, backing up Meyers, Kyle Tucker, Michael Brantley and Yordan Alvarez, who would regularly slot into the three outfield positions and designated hitter.

Perhaps the Astros preferred McCormick to get regular at-bats in the minors, as opposed to riding the pine in the majors. Whatever the reason, the club now has J.J. Matijevic, Mauricio Dubon and Aledmys Diaz as the outfield safety net. This move has potential service time implications for McCormick, as he entered the year with exactly one year of MLB service time. Had he stayed on the big league roster, he would have reached arbitration after the 2023 campaign and then free agency after 2026. If he spends a few weeks in the minors, he will be unable to get a full year of service time here in 2022, thus pushing his free agency back by a year. He could still qualify for arbitration after 2023 as a Super Two player, however, depending on how much time he spends on the farm.

Rangers Announce Series Of Roster Moves

By Darragh McDonald | June 26, 2022 at 11:45am CDT

The Rangers announced a pile of roster moves today, in addition to a couple of moves that were announced after yesterday’s game. Last night, left-hander Taylor Hearn and infielder Ezequiel Duran were optioned to Triple-A Round Rock. Today, a third opening was created when right-hander Matt Bush was placed on the 15-day injured list, retroactive to June 25, with right forearm soreness. Those openings will be filled by Steven Duggar, Glenn Otto and Josh Sborz. Duggar was recently acquired from the Giants in a trade. Otto has been reinstated from the COVID IL while Sborz was recalled from Round Rock. In order to open a spot on the 40-man roster for Otto, right-hander Demarcus Evans was designated for assignment.

Evans, 25, was a 25th round pick of the Rangers back in 2015. He was added to the team’s 40-man roster prior to the 2019 Rule 5 draft. His last start was back in A-ball back in 2017, as he’s been purely a reliever since then. He logged 30 1/3 MLB innings over 2020 and 2021 with a 4.75 ERA. He racked up strikeouts at a healthy 27.6% clip in that sample, though with a 11.9% walk rate and 20.5% ground ball rate.

He’s generally fared well in the minors but is having poor results so far this year. Through 12 innings for Round Rock, he has a 7.50 ERA. He’s still getting strikeouts 29.8% of the time, but with a 24.6% walk rate and 11.5% ground ball rate. He’s in his final option year, meaning a team that acquires him could stash him in Triple-A for the rest of the year, provided they’re willing to give him a spot on the 40-man roster.

As for Bush, 36, the news of forearm soreness is potentially ominous, especially given his lengthy injury history. In 2018, he underwent surgery to deal with a partially torn ligament and attempted to return in the latter half of 2019. At that point, he suffered a torn UCL and required Tommy John surgery, the second time he would have to undergo that procedure. The Rangers signed him to a two-year minors deal to cover his rehab over 2020 and eventual return in 2021. A flexor strain limited him to just four innings last year, after which he was outrighted and then re-signed to yet another minor league deal by the Rangers. He made the Opening Day roster this year and has thrown 26 2/3 innings with a 4.05 ERA, 31.3% strikeout rate, 6.1% walk rate and 36.8% ground ball rate. He’s emerged as a high-leverage option for the club, racking up a save and eight holds on the season.

The club hasn’t provided any estimates on his absence and he will surely undergo more testing. Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News relays that this move is being characterized as “precautionary” but also adds that the club was insisting that Bush was not injured as recently as yesterday. More news will surely be released in the days to come, though Bush has now thrown just over 30 total innings over the past four years due to persistent arm troubles, making it fair to wonder just how much the Rangers can rely on him going forward. For what it’s worth, Bush himself doesn’t seem overly concerned, telling Levi Weaver of The Athletic that he just needs a few days’ rest. Manager Chris Woodward says that the overworked bullpen couldn’t afford to give a roster spot to an unavailable reliever, which necessitated the IL placement.

Shogo Akiyama Signs With NPB’s Hiroshima Carp

By Steve Adams | June 26, 2022 at 10:30am CDT

June 26: Akiyama has signed a three-year deal with the NPB’s Hiroshima Carp, per C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic.

June 20: Former Reds outfielder Shogo Akiyama is headed back to Japan, Akiyama himself tells Japanese media (English languagelink via the Japan Times). A report from The Manichi in Japan suggests that Akiyama’s former team, the Seibu Lions, could have an offer waiting for him.

Originally signed by the Reds to a three-year, $21MM contract heading into the 2020 season, Akiyama was never able to replicate the star-level production he’d showed with the Lions over a nine-year career in Nippon Professional Baseball. The now-34-year-old outfielder tallied just 366 plate appearances with Cincinnati and posted an underwhelming .224/.320/.274 batting line — a far cry from the brilliant .301/.376/.454 batting line he posted in nine years with his former Seibu club.

The Reds released Akiyama partway through the third and final season of that contract, and he quickly landed a minor league deal with the Padres. Akiyama recently opted out of that contract, however, and he tells the Japanese media that his agent informed him there were no offers from big league teams. Akiyama didn’t specify whether that meant no Major League offers or no offers at all, but given that he just hit .343/.378/.529 with three homers, two doubles, a triple and a pair of steals in 16 games with the Padres’ Triple-A affiliate in El Paso, it wouldn’t be a surprise if there had been other minor league opportunities available.

It remains to be seen whether Akiyama will ultimately return to the Lions, sign with another team in NPB, or simply take the remainder of the year off. However, his return and acknowledgement of a lack of MLB interest looks to have closed the door on any near-term return to North American ball. He only recently turned 34, though, so Akiyama ought to have other opportunities to add to an impressive collection of accolades in Japan, where he’s a six-time Gold Glove winner and five-time NPB All-Star.

Marlins Select Erik Gonzalez, Designate Willians Astudillo

By Darragh McDonald | June 26, 2022 at 10:25am CDT

The Marlins announced to reporters, including Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald, that they have selected the contract of infielder Erik Gonzalez. To make room for him on the active roster, infielder Willians Astudillo has been designated for assignment.

Astudillo, 30, spent the first four years of his career with Minnesota, becoming a fan favorite due to his unusual size and profile. “La Tortuga” played every position on the diamond except for shortstop while with the Twins, including a few stints on the mound. He was also noteworthy for nearly constantly putting the ball in play, very rarely walking or striking out. However, his overall production lacked enough that the Twins designated him for assignment in November of last year.

The Marlins added him on a minor league deal in March, eventually selecting him to the big league team in May. Since then, he’s matched his profile, lining up at multiple positions, striking out just 5.3% of the time and walking just 2.6% of the time. His overall slash line of .270/.289/.351 amounts to a wRC+ of 84.

The Marlins evidently think that they can coax better production out of Gonzalez, based on this transaction. The veteran spent a few weeks with the club earlier this year, when they were dealing with a COVID situation. As such, Gonzalez was designated a “substitute” that could be removed from the 40-man roster without being exposed to waivers. During that time with the big league team, he got into 12 games and hit just .194/.286/.194 for a wRC+ of 49. However, he’s fared much better in Triple-A this year, slashing .339/.376/.431, 119 wRC+. With injuries to Joey Wendle and Brian Anderson, the Marlins have been trying to find infield solutions, including utility types like Astudillo and Jon Berti, with Gonzalez now being swapped in as the latest attempt.

Rays Reinstate Wander Franco

By Mark Polishuk | June 26, 2022 at 10:10am CDT

June 26: The Rays have officially reinstated Franco, per broadcaster Neil Solondz, with Jonathan Aranda being optioned in a corresponding move.

June 25: The Rays are hopeful of activating shortstop Wander Franco from the 10-day injured list on Sunday, manager Kevin Cash told reporters (including The Tampa Bay Times’ Marc Topkin). Franco hasn’t played since May 30 due to a right quad strain, though he did rejoin the Rays today after finishing a five-game minor league rehab assignment. Cash said that Franco will meet with team trainers before the official go-ahead is given to reinstate him to the active roster.

Quad and hamstring problems bothered Franco even prior to his IL stint, as Cash said that for “maybe a month’s worth of games, he just wasn’t himself.” This is reflected in Franco’s splits, since the star shortstop posted a .912 OPS in his first 87 plate appearances of the season, but then slumped to a .566 OPS over 103 PA in May.

However, Franco now appears to be healthy, and ready to fully build on his excellent 2021 rookie season. Considering baseball’s top prospect before his debut last season, the 21-year-old Franco lived up to those high expectations, to the point that the Rays jumped to extend him via the biggest contract in club history.

Getting Franco back into the everyday lineup will be a huge help for a Rays team that hasn’t gotten much consistent hitting. Tampa’s typically excellent pitching (particularly the rotation) has helped keep the Rays afloat in the tough AL East, as the Rays still have a 39-32 record and are in possession of a wild card berth. Getting even average hitting would help the Rays solidify that playoff positioning, and perhaps help them cut into the Yankees’ big division lead.

Franco isn’t the only reinforcement on the way, as Drew Rasmussen is tentatively slated to return during the Rays’ upcoming series (June 30-July 3) against the Blue Jays. Rasmussen was retroactively placed on the 15-day IL due to a hamstring strain on June 12, and more will be known about his status once he completes three innings of live batting practice today at the Rays’ Spring Training facility.

Pete Fairbanks is also on the comeback trail, as the right-hander has yet to pitch this season after suffering a partial lat tear in March. Fairbanks is scheduled for his own live BP session on Monday and then a Florida Coast League game on Thursday, and may join Triple-A Durham for a rehab assignment afterwards.

Brewers Place Hunter Renfroe On IL With Calf Strain

By Darragh McDonald | June 26, 2022 at 9:55am CDT

The Brewers announced that outfielder Hunter Renfroe has been placed on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to June 23, with a left calf strain. Infielder/outfielder Pablo Reyes was recalled to take his place on the active roster.

Losing Renfroe’s bat is a notable blow to the Brewers’ lineup, as he’s been arguably the club’s best hitter this season. Acquired in an offseason trade with the Red Sox, Renfroe is hitting .247/.300/.490. His wRC+ of 116 is the highest among Milwaukee hitters with at least 200 plate appearances.

The club hasn’t provided any updates about the severity of the issue or an expected timeline, but it’s perhaps worth pointing out that calf strains are notoriously tricky to deal with. For example, Mike Trout landed on the IL with a calf strain in May of last year. Although he was expected to return in 6-8 weeks, it ended up wiping out the remainder of his season. Of course, every injury is different and it’s entirely possible that Renfroe is dealing with a much milder issue than the one Trout faced last year.

The Brewers are 41-33, tied with the Cardinals for the NL Central lead. However, they are a pitching-heavy team that doesn’t have an elite offense. The entire team’s batting line on the season is .232/.311/.401. That amounts to a wRC+ of 99, just a hair below league average. With one of their most-productive hitters now sidelined for an undetermined amount of time, that’s likely to go in the wrong direction.

This also further depletes an outfield mix that already subtracted Lorenzo Cain in recent weeks. With Renfroe sitting out the past few days, the club has slotted Christian Yelich, Andrew McCutchen, Tyrone Taylor and Jonathan Davis through the outfield positions and designated hitter role. All four of that group have a wRC+ between 83 and 101, fitting the team’s theme of mediocre offensive output.

Even before this injury, the outfield stood out as an area where the Brewers could look to improve at the trade deadline. If this injury should linger and keep Renfroe out of action through the August 2 cutoff, it should only enhance Milwaukee’s resolve to make an addition of some kind on the grass.

Diamondbacks To Select Dallas Keuchel

By Darragh McDonald | June 26, 2022 at 7:59am CDT

Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo informed reporters, including Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic, that lefty Dallas Keuchel will start Sunday’s game for the club. Keuchel isn’t currently on Arizona’s 40-man roster, meaning a corresponding move of some kind will be required.

Keuchel, 34, began the season with the White Sox, in the final season of the three-year deal he signed with them prior to the 2020 campaign. His first season of the deal was brilliant, as he threw 63 1/3 innings in the shortened season with a 1.99 ERA. However, there were reasons to be skeptical of those results, with the advanced metrics grading him less kindly, possibly due to his .255 BABIP and 4.7% HR/FB rate. Indeed, the pendulum swung the other way in 2021, with Keuchel’s ERA shooting up to 5.28. In 2022, things got even worse, as his ERA was at 7.88 after eight starts when the White Sox released him.

Once Keuchel cleared release waivers, any other team could sign him for the prorated league minimum rate, with the White Sox on the hook for the remainder. The Diamondbacks stepped up and offered him a minor league deal, reuniting Keuchel with Brent Strom, who was the pitching coach with the Astros during Keuchel’s best seasons but is now with the D-Backs. That deal came with opt-outs on June 25, July 3 and July 11. With yesterday being the first of those opt-outs, it’s possible that motivated the team to make the move, though it’s not known if Keuchel indeed triggered his opt-out. Since signing that deal, Keuchel made a pair of starts at the Complex League level, logging 12 innings and allowing six earned runs, 17 strikeouts and a pair of walks.

The Diamondbacks have used four primary starters this year: Zac Gallen, Madison Bumgarner, Merrill Kelly and Zach Davies. The fifth slot was taken by Humberto Castellanos for most of the season until he landed on the IL at the end of May. Since then, the club has been patching the last spot together, giving the occasional spot start to the likes of Tyler Gilbert and Luke Weaver. But it seems now they will give the ball to Keuchel and see if he can take over a role and stabilize the back end of the rotation.

Currently 32-41, the Diamondbacks are 8 1/2 games out of a playoff spot at the moment. With just over a month to go until the August 2 trade deadline, the club will likely be considering doing some selling in that time, at least when it comes to players with short windows of control. Keuchel himself isn’t likely to garner huge amounts of interest, given that he just had to settle for a minor league deal. However, it’s possible Arizona will trade another member of the rotation between now and then. Zach Davies is on a one-year contract and headed towards free agency at the end of the year. There is a mutual option for 2023, though those are almost never picked up by both sides. After a miserable season with the Cubs in 2021, Davies is having a nice bounceback here in 2022, putting up a 3.94 ERA through 80 innings.

If the club pulls the trigger on a deal, Keuchel could potentially provide some veteran innings down the stretch. For him personally, he’ll look to show some improved results before returning to free agency at the end of the year.

Mets Notes: McCann, Scherzer, Holderman, deGrom

By Mark Polishuk | June 25, 2022 at 10:24pm CDT

James McCann was activated from the 10-day injured list prior to today’s 5-3 win over the Marlins, and the catcher went 1-for-4 with a single and a run scored in his first game since May 10. McCann had to undergo surgery to fix a broken left hamate bone, costing him a little beyond the initial six-week recovery timeline. Nevertheless, McCann is back behind the plate and looking to finally get his Queens tenure on track. Since signing a four-year, $40.6MM free agent deal in the 2020-21 offseason, McCann has hit only .227/.290/.341 over his first 142 games and 476 plate appearances in a Mets uniform.

Neither Tomas Nido or Patrick Mazeika shone while McCann was out, so there isn’t much chance of McCann losing his starting job….unless the aggressive Mets either added a short-term catcher (i.e. a pending free agent like Willson Contreras) or perhaps promoted star prospect Francisco Alvarez. While Alvarez is crushing Double-A pitching, it would be bold to see the Mets promote him past Triple-A and directly to the majors, so the club would certainly prefer to just see McCann flash some of his good hitting form from the 2019-20 seasons.

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