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Mariners Acquire Riley O’Brien

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The Mariners announced that they have acquired right-hander Riley O’Brien from the Reds in exchange for cash considerations or a player to be named later. He had been designated for assignment recently when the Reds selected Nick Lodolo to their roster. The Mariners won’t need to make a corresponding move, as a spot on their 40-man roster was recently opened up when Mitch Haniger was placed on the Covid-related injured list.

Drafted by the Rays in 2017, O’Brien was traded to the Reds at the 2020 deadline for Cody Reed. He made his MLB debut in 2021, getting a cup of coffee that lasted 1 1/3 innings. He made 22 Triple-A starts and one relief appearance last year, logging 112 2/3 innings with a 4.55 ERA, 24.7% strikeout rate, 45% groundball rate and 11.2% walk rate. Control has been a consistent drag on O’Brien’s performance thus far in his career, as he’s never posted a walk rate below 9.8% at any level.

The 27-year-old still has options remaining, meaning he’ll likely join the Triple-A Tacoma Rainiers and serve as depth for the Mariners’ pitching staff. The big league rotation already has five members in Robbie Ray, Logan Gilbert, Marco Gonzales, Chris Flexen and Matt Brash. However, due to the shortened Spring Training this year, many teams are deploying six-man rotations or occasional spot starts from depth arms in order to weather the unusual schedule. O’Brien should be in the mix for such a role, alongside Nick Margevicius and Justus Sheffield. The club also has veteran Asher Wojciechowski in the minors, although he doesn’t currently have a roster spot. Top pitching prospect George Kirby could be an option at some point this season, although he’s started his year in Double-A and would also require a 40-man slot.

Twins Notes: Gray, Rodriguez, Buxton

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Sonny Gray left today’s start because of right hamstring tightness after facing just seven batters, per MLB.com’s Ian Browne (via Twitter). Gray is day-to-day, and they won’t move him to the injured list as of right now, per MLB.com’s Do-Hyoung Park (via Twitter). They should have a better idea tomorrow if they’re going to need to skip him in the rotation. Josh Winder pitched well in relief, and he could be an option for a spot start or two if Gray can’t go. With a six-man rotation, however, the Twins could also make do simply by skipping Gray’s spot. He’s not scheduled for another start until next Friday against the White Sox. In other Twins news…

  • Right-hander Dereck Rodriguez has cleared waivers and been assigned to Triple-A St. Paul, per MLB.com’s Do-Hyoung Park (via Twitter). Rodriguez made one appearance, giving up three earned runs over four innings before being designated for assignment. He spent last season in Triple-A with the Rockies, but did not make it to the Show. He posted a 6.72 ERA over 85 2/3 innings for Albuquerque.
  • Byron Buxton’s MRI came back clean, and like Gray, the Twins are leaning towards leaving him on the active roster as he heals, per The Athletic’s Dan Hayes. Buxton had his knee drained of fluid from inflammation, but with no structural damage, the hope is that Buxton can be back on the diamond in a couple of days. Buxton’s health is obviously a significant variable for the Twins this season, and they’ll want to be prudent before sending him back onto the grass.

Quick Hits: Pitch Clocks, Mariners, Brash, Cubs, Baez

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After one day of enforcing new pitch clock rules in the minor leagues, supporters of faster action and shorter games will be encouraged. Per J.J. Cooper of Baseball America, yesterday’s games were more than 25 minutes shorter on average. The pitch clock is set to 14 seconds with the bases empty and 18 seconds with men on base, but equally important is the fact that batters are expected to remain in the box. The experiment will last all season long, and enforcement is expected to be stricter this year than with smaller-scale experiments of past seasons. If yesterday’s sample is any indication, these changes could very well be on their way to the Majors. With all this extra time, let’s check in elsewhere around the game…

  • When the Mariners traded for right-hander Matt Brash at the 2020 trade deadline, their interest was based on a 71-pitch sample from the 5 1/3 innings in High-A that, at that point, made up the entirety of Brash’s professional career. Because of the pandemic, he wasn’t pitching in the minor leagues where the Mariners (or Padres, for that matter) could gather more data. He was at home in Canada lifting weights, per The Athletic’s Corey Brock, who charts the path Brash took from Niagara University to the big leagues. Brash was a surprise addition to the Major League roster this season, making his theoretical breakout an inflection point that could impact the American League West. It’s too early to tell, but Brash is certainly worth keeping an eye on.
  • Javier Baez and the Cubs were on the verge of an extension when the pandemic hit in 2020, per Gordon Wittenmyer of NBC Sports Chicago. Timing is everything, however. It was timing that allowed those young Cubs stars to converge for a 2016 title, and it was the timing of their free agencies that ultimately pushed Cubs leadership to ship them out.

Reds Place Nick Senzel On Injured List, Recall Daniel Duarte

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The Reds announced a pair of corresponding roster moves today. Nick Senzel has been placed on the COVID-related injured list, though he has not tested positive, per C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic (via Twitter). To take his roster spot, they recalled right-handed reliever Daniel Duarte. They now have an 11-man bullpen with just three extra position players on the bench.

Duarte made his big league debut already this season with a pair of appearances spanning 1 2/3 innings. The 25-year-old right-hander played across four different levels of the Reds’ system in 2021, totaling 23 2/3 innings over 19 outings with a 4.56 ERA.

But this move is more about Senzel, who has struggled to stay on the field in his young career. Jonathan India is also suffering from a sore hamstring, leaving the Reds pretty severely short-handed on the bench. They clearly aren’t all that concerned about it in the short-term, however, given their decision to add another arm to the bullpen. Given the COVID designation, there is no minimum length of stay on the injured list, so the Reds may expect to get Senzel back sooner than later. For today, Brandon Drury is getting the start for India again, while Jake Fraley steps in for Senzel as the center fielder of record.

Mitch Haniger Tests Positive For COVID-19

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Mariners outfielder Mitch Haniger has tested positive for COVID-19, per MLB.com’s Daniel Kramer (via Twitter). He has been placed on the injured list, while Donovan Walton has been recalled to claim his roster spot, the team announced.

With Haniger out for probably at least five days, the pressure should alleviate somewhat from the young duo of Julio Rodriguez and Jarred Kelenic, both of whom have started slowly at the plate. Abraham Toro, meanwhile, is the likeliest to move into the starting lineup while Haniger is away. Toro is at the hot corner today, with Eugenio Suarez moving to designated hitter. Haniger has started six games in right field and two at designated hitter for the M’s so far this season. He, too, is off to a slow start, slashing .176/.200/.471 over 35 plate appearances.

Walton, 27, figures to be back and forth from Triple-A a bit this season, as the lefty-swinging utility player has an option remaining. He has appeared with the Mariners in each of the past three seasons, but never seeing more than 69 plate appearances in a given year. In total, Walton has stepped to the dish 92 times and slashed .196/.260/.315 while appearing at second base, third base, shortstop, and left field.

Astros Place Ryan Pressly On 10-Day Injured List

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The Astros have placed closer Ryan Pressly on the 10-day injured list with right knee inflammation (retroactive to April 14), per Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle and others (via Twitter). In a corresponding move, Parker Mushinski has been called up to join the Major League team. Mushinski will make his debut if he finds his way into a ballgame.

Pressly has appeared in four games this season, earning three saves in 3 1/3 innings of work. The 33-year-old Dallas native is in his third season since taking over as the full-time closer in Houston. Without him, Houston could turn to former Phillies’ closer Hector Neris, or simply go closer-by-committee. Any number of Houston relievers have late-game experience. Rafael Montero has 15 career saves, and while Ryne Stanek, Pedro Baez, and Phil Maton don’t have much closing experience, they’re seasoned vets who could no doubt stomach the challenge of the game’s final frame.

The decision to add Mushinski could be in part because he’s a southpaw. Blake Taylor is the only lefty currently in manager Dusty Baker’s bullpen. The 26-year-old Mushinski made it to Triple-A for the first time last season – and including this year’s four appearances – the Texas native has tossed 17 1/3 innings for the Sugar Land Space Cowboys, posting a 2.08 ERA in that small sample.

Cubs Option Alfonso Rivas, DFA Cory Abbott, Greg Deichmann

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The Cubs made a number of roster moves this afternoon, in part to make room for Mark Leiter Jr., whose addition to the roster was reported earlier. Leiter Jr. is starting today’s ballgame for the Cubbies. To make room on the active roster for Leiter Jr., first baseman Alfonso Rivas was optioned to Iowa. In other moves, Locke St. John was added to the 40-man roster and sent to Triple-A. Cory Abbott and Greg Deichmann were both designated for assignment to make room on the 40-man for St. John and Leiter Jr., respectively, per the Athletic’s Sahadev Sharma (via Twitter).

The Cubs are not long on starting pitching, hence Leiter Jr. getting the call so early in the year. They could have simply turned to Abbott, who made his big league debut last season in seven appearances (one start), but they instead chose to risk losing Abbott on waivers. The 2-year-old Abbott made 19 starts in Triple-A last year, putting up a 5.91 ERA over 96 innings.

Leiter Jr.’s opportunity in the Majors might not be long, however, as the Cubs could see some starters return from the injured list soon. Wade Miley three 15 pitches off the mound today, and Alec Mills, out with an injured back, is scheduled to throw a bullpen session later today, per MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian (via Twitter). Both players will make their season debut when they return.

Deichmann was one of two players acquired last season from the A’s in the Andrew Chafin deal. Even at the time, Deichmann was an older prospect, but there was at least some hope that in an emptied outfield, the southpaw swinger might see some run. Deichmann made just 30 plate appearances with the Cubs last season, however, mostly as a pinch-hitter.

Fangraphs placed the outfielder/first baseman as the 22nd-ranked prospect in the Cubs’ system coming into the season, so it’s a tad surprising to see the Cubs expose him to waivers. Furthermore, Fangraphs had Abbott, a former second round pick, as the 26th-ranked prospect in the Cubs’ system, so they’re exposing two somewhat interesting players to waivers. A deal could still be worked out, and given the roster crunches all around baseball, it would not be surprising if one or both cleared waivers outright.

Besides, there’s lots of smoke and mirrors in prospect pedigree, and the Cubs’ system has not been all that highly regarded in recent years. For what it’s worth, neither Abbott nor Deichmann landed in the top-30 Cubs’ prospect by measure of MLB.com, and only Abbott made Baseball America’s list, coming in at number 23.

As for St. John, the Cubs signed the 29-year-old lefty as a free agent in November. His only time in the Majors came in 2019, when he made seven appearances for the Rangers. Last season, he tossed 58 1/3 innings for the Tigers’ Triple club in Toledo, posting a solid 2.58 ERA with a 29.2 percent strikeout rate.

Angels Activate Taylor Ward

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The Angels announced that outfielder Taylor Ward (left groin strain) has been reinstated from the 10-day injured list.  Infielder Jose Rojas was already optioned to Triple-A after last night’s game, so there was an open spot on Los Angeles’ active roster.

Ward will make his 2022 debut as the Angels’ cleanup hitter today, playing in right field.  Manager Joe Maddon has cited Ward as a starter in his outfield, which may surprise some fans who tabbed star prospects Jo Adell and Brandon Marsh as the logical candidates to start on the grass alongside Mike Trout.  However, Ward posted slightly below league-average offense in 2020 and then hit .250/.332/.438 over 237 plate appearances last season, good for a solid 109 OPS+ and 111 wRC+.

Ward and Adell are both right-handed hitters and Marsh swings from the left side, so there is some platoon maneuverability amongst the two non-Trout outfield spots.  Utilityman Tyler Wade can also chip in for outfield work, and Magneuris Sierra and Monte Harrison are at Triple-A on minor league contracts.

Rays Acquire Javy Guerra From Padres

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The Rays have acquired right-hander Javy Guerra from the Padres for cash considerations.  Guerra was designated for assignment by San Diego earlier this week.  The Rays moved Shane Baz to the 60-day injured list to create room on the 40-man roster, and Rays broadcaster Neil Solondz tweets that a move will be made to accommodate Guerra on the active roster when he reports.

Guerra has pitched 27 2/3 Major League innings over the last three-plus seasons, including two innings of work in the Padres’ 10-5 win over the Diamondbacks on April 10.  Not to be confused with the other Javy Guerra (a longtime veteran reliever), the Rays’ new Guerra is a former top-100 shortstop prospect who converted to pitching in 2019.  Injuries have hampered Guerra’s progress, and also some roster constrictions — since he is out of options, the Padres weren’t able to send him to the minors without putting him through DFA waivers.

San Diego finally opted to designate Guerra, and given how often the Padres and Rays have linked up on trades in recent years, it probably isn’t surprising that Tampa Bay emerged as a suitor for Guerra’s services.  Guerra’s fastball has routinely sat in the high-90s and even hit the 100mph threshold, so it will be intriguing to see if the Rays’ vaunted pitching development system can harness Guerra’s potential.

Baz underwent arthroscopic elbow surgery on March 21, and was expected to be shut down from throwing for 2-3 weeks.  The move to the 60-day IL will keep Baz out of action until June, though such an absence was probably necessary for ramp-up purposes considering how much of Spring Training Baz missed.  The star prospect made his MLB debut last season, making three starts in the regular season and one more in the playoffs.

Tigers Place Casey Mize On Injured List

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TODAY: Mize has a sprained MCL, Tigers manager A.J. Hinch told reporters (including Chris McCosky of The Detroit News and Evan Petzold of The Detroit Free Press).  Mize will undergo more tests on Monday but did say that his arm was already feeling better today.  Pineda has been scratched from tomorrow’s Triple-A start and is expected to pitch for the Tigers during their upcoming series (Apri 19-21) against the Yankees.

APRIL 15: The Tigers announced they’ve placed starter Casey Mize on the 10-day injured list with a right elbow sprain. Cody Stavenhagen of the Athletic relays the Tigers consider the IL placement “precautionary” in nature. In a corresponding move, outfielder Daz Cameron has been recalled from Triple-A Toledo.

Mize worked five innings of two-run ball yesterday against the Royals. He felt some elbow soreness upon waking up this morning and will go for further testing, tweets Jason Beck of MLB.com. That the team is stressing today’s IL placement to be precautionary is a bit of a relief, but it’s worrisome any time a young pitcher of Mize’s talent goes on the shelf with any sort of arm issue.

The first overall pick in the 2018 draft, Mize entered the professional ranks with sky-high expectations. He moved quickly through the minors, performing well consistently while maintaining his status as a top prospect. The Alabama native reached the big leagues late in 2020 and spent last season in the Detroit rotation. Over 30 starts, Mize tossed 150 1/3 innings of 3.71 ERA ball. His 19.3% strikeout percentage and 9.4% swinging strike rate were subpar, but he showed excellent control and induced ground-balls at a solid 48.1% clip.

Mize stayed healthy for the entirety of last season, but he’s had some injury concerns in the past. He missed time with forearm troubles during his sophomore year at Auburn — essentially the only flag raised on pre-draft scouting reports — and he spent a month on the minor league IL with shoulder soreness in 2019. Between that history and Mize’s obvious importance to the organization long-term, the Tigers are sure to proceed with caution.

With Mize out of the rotation for at least the next week and a half, the Tigers are down to Eduardo Rodríguez, Tarik Skubal, Matt Manning and Tyler Alexander as the top four. Detroit signed veteran righty Michael Pineda to a one-year deal to serve as the #5 starter, but he was delayed by visa issues and consented to be optioned to Toledo to open the year. Pineda is lined up to start for the Mud Hens this weekend but could be recalled by the middle or end of next week.

Right-hander Wily Peralta started 18 games for the Tigers last season and is in the organization on a minor league deal. He’s been building up arm strength after visa delays held him back too, but manager A.J. Hinch told reporters he’ll be brought up to the majors “shortly” (link via Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free-Press). Detroit plans on deploying him out of the bullpen this season, but his background as a starter should make him a multi-inning option. Peralta is not yet on the 40-man roster, so the Tigers will need to make a move in that regard to formally select his contract.

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