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Royals Win Arbitration Case Over Nicky Lopez

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The Royals have won their arbitration hearing over infielder Nicky Lopez, MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand reports (Twitter link).  Lopez will earn $2.55MM in salary for the 2022 season, instead of the $2.95MM he was seeking in his first trip through the arb process.

Lopez has somewhat quietly established himself as an everyday player in Kansas City, despite the presence of other more heralded infielders in the Royals’ system.  Adalberto Mondesi’s injury struggles opened the door for Lopez to get regular work in the Royals’ middle infield mix, and Lopez’s excellent glovework earned him a Gold Glove nomination as a second baseman in 2020.

This set the stage for a breakout season in 2021, as only 10 players in all of baseball had a higher fWAR than Lopez’s 6.0 mark last year.  Much of that value came from defense, as over 1233 2/3 innings at shortstop, Lopez posted +24 Outs Above Average, +3 Defensive Runs Saved, and +4.6 UZR/150.  He also had his best year at the plate in the majors, batting .300/.365/.378 (106 wRC+) with 78 runs scored and 22 steals in 23 chances.

Given that arbiters put more weight on standard counting stats than advanced metrics, Lopez’s lack of power and lack of a real offensive track record prior to 2021 probably contributed to the Royals’ victory in the hearing.  The arbiter was also only regarding Lopez’s 2021 numbers, so the infielder’s big struggles this season (.214/.286/.251 in 209 PA) weren’t supposed to be a factor.  Lopez’s top-flight speed helped him beat out many a grounder in 2021, but his .347 BABIP was a hint that regression was inevitable, as reflected by his .253 BABIP this season.

The Royals’ 2021-22 arbitration class is now finally settled, after the lockout pushed baseball’s arb business (and several hearings) deep into the season.  Lopez was the second arb-eligible Royal who went to a hearing, and Andrew Benintendi earned a victory in his case last month.

Cardinals Sign Austin Romine To Minors Deal

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The Cardinals announced that catcher Austin Romine has been signed to a minor league contract, and assigned to Triple-A Memphis.  Romine opted out of his previous minors deal with the Angels earlier this month.

With Yadier Molina sidelined due to knee soreness, the Cardinals were in need of some veteran catching depth, given the inexperience of both Andrew Knizner and Ivan Herrera.  Romine will essentially take the place of Ali Sanchez, who had been playing for Triple-A Memphis, but the Cards designated him for assignment two days ago.

After signing with the Angels in March, Romine appeared in three MLB games with the team, briefly filling in when both Max Stassi and Kurt Suzuki were on the COVID list.  Romine was optioned back to Triple-A, and then had the right to exercise an opt-out clause in his contract on June 1 if the Angels hadn’t recalled him back to the majors.

A veteran of 11 MLB seasons, Romine has mostly worked in part-time or backup roles, appearing in 436 games and hitting .238/.276/.357 over 1322 career plate appearances.  The 33-year-old might not be long for the Cardinals organization depending on how quickly Molina is able to return to action, but since Molina might not be back before the All-Star break, Romine will get an opportunity to work at Triple-A and perhaps get another shot on the active roster.

Twins Place Jorge Polanco On 10-Day IL, Recall Alex Kirilloff

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The Twins have placed second baseman Jorge Polanco on the 10-day injured list, as Polanco is dealing with tightness in his lower back.  The placement is retroactive to June 13.  Former top prospect Alex Kirilloff has been called up from Triple-A to take Polanco’s spot on the active roster.

Polanco has missed Minnesota’s last three games, though manager Rocco Baldelli told reporters (including MLB.com’s Do-Hyoung Park) that a recent MRI didn’t show anything unusual about Polanco’s sore back.  Baldelli said that Polanco has been dealing with back issues “on and off” for the last two seasons, though this is the first time the problem has actually forced the infielder to the injured list.  In fact, Park notes that this is the first IL placement of Polanco’s nine-year MLB career, and only his second trip to the injured list over 13 pro seasons.

While this doesn’t look like a long-term absence for Polanco, the Twins will miss his solid bat in the lineup.  Polanco’s power numbers are down from his career-high 33 home runs in 2021, but he is still an above-average (114 wRC+) offensive contributor this year, batting .245/.340/.389 over 250 plate appearances.

Luis Arraez was already playing second base in Polanco’s absence, which created more playing time for Jose Miranda at first base.  Kirilloff also looks to figure into the first base and outfield mix as he looks to finally establish himself in the majors.  After batting .251/.299/.423 with eight home runs over 231 PA in his 2021 rookie season, Kirilloff’s first year in the Show was cut short by wrist surgery last July.

Inflammation in that same wrist sent Kirilloff back to the IL early this season, and with only a .398 OPS to show for his first 32 PA of the 2022 season, the Twins optioned Kirilloff to Triple-A to get him back on track.  Judging by his .359/.465/.641 slash line over 157 PA for Triple-A St. Paul this year, Kirilloff is healthy, locked-in, and ready to start living up to his highly-touted potential.  Minnesota drafted Kirilloff with the 15th overall pick of the 2016 draft, and he was a regular in top-prospect rankings during his time in the minor leagues.

Mets Place Tylor Megill On 15-Day IL Due To Shoulder Strain

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The Mets have placed right-hander Tylor Megill on the 15-day injured list due to a shoulder strain.  The team announced several other corresponding moves, including righty Adonis Medina being called up from Triple-A, and the selection of Tommy Hunter’s contract (as previously reported).  Right-hander Jake Reed was also optioned to Triple-A, and infielder Gosuke Katoh was designated for assignment to open up a 40-man roster spot for Hunter.

Megill will be shut down for the next four weeks, and the team will then re-evaluate his status.  While the situation is still somewhat fluid, this lengthy shutdown period will likely require a pretty notable ramp-up period afterwards, so it looks like Megill could miss the better part of two months.  A move to the 60-day IL could eventually be possible, depending on New York’s 40-man roster needs and when more details are known about Megill’s status.

Megill has a 5.01 ERA over 41 1/3 innings and nine starts this season, though advanced metrics (3.03 xFIP, 3.24 SIERA) paint a far more favorable picture of the righty’s production.  His 27% strikeout rate and 6.3% walk rate are both above the league average, even if hitters have found a lot of success in barreling Megill’s offerings.  Megill’s numbers are clouded by one particularly dreadful start against the Nationals on May 11, as Megill allowed eight earned runs over just 1 1/3 innings of work.

The day after that start, Megill was sent to the IL due to right biceps inflammation, which sidelined him for almost a month.  The righty didn’t fare well in two starts in between his IL visits, with an 8.10 ERA over 6 2/3 innings.

The 26-year-old’s early success was a big help to a Mets team that was shorthanded with pitching injuries, but now Megill has joined New York’s still-notable list of absent arms.  Max Scherzer is set for a rehab start next week and could potentially be back from an oblique injury before June is over, though more will be known once Scherzer completes his rehab work.  Jacob deGrom is tentatively set to return at some point in July, after missing the entire season due to a stress reaction in his throwing shoulder (and the last half of the 2021 season due to forearm problems).

Off-days on June 23, June 27, and June 30 will help the Mets manage their rotation, as they might need a replacement for Megill for just one start.  Trevor Williams is probably the likeliest candidate to take that role, or the team could opt for a bullpen game.  If Scherzer is able to return sooner rather than later, he could slide right into that rotation spot.

This is the second time in two months that Katoh has been designated for assignment, as his previous trip to the DFA wire resulted in the Mets claiming the infielder away from the Blue Jays.  A longtime member of the Yankees’ farm system, Katoh made his MLB debut this season, appearing in eight games with Toronto.  In 55 combined plate appearances with the Mets’ and Jays’ Triple-A affiliates this season, Katoh has only a .367 OPS.

Tigers To Promote Riley Greene

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The Tigers are promoting top prospect Riley Greene, according to various reporters (including Chris McCosky of the Detroit News). Outfielder Austin Meadows is going on the COVID-19 injured list in a corresponding move.

Had it not been for a fractured right foot suffered in the last few days of Spring Training, Greene was on track to make his Major League debut back on Opening Day.  Instead, the 21-year-old has to work through injury rehab and then 17 minor league games (15 at Triple-A, two in A-ball on a rehab assignment) before officially being deemed ready for his first taste of the Show.

Detroit selected Greene with the fifth overall pick of the 2019 draft, and he has since been a fixture on top-prospect rankings, including a consensus top-six placement heading into the 2022 campaign.  The Athletic’s Keith Law considered Greene as the third-best prospect in baseball, with Baseball America (4th), MLB Pipeline (5th), and Baseball Prospectus (6th) not far behind.

Greene only had an okay start to his pro career in 2019 at age 18, and then naturally didn’t play at all in 2020 due to the canceled minor league season.  Returning to the field last year, Greene hit .301/.387/.534 with 24 home runs and 16 steals over 558 plate appearances at the Double-A (373 PA) and Triple-A (185) levels.

There is plenty of five-tool potential for Greene, who was already regarded as having “elite bat speed” (as per Baseball America’s scouting report) even before he started to display more power at the plate in 2021.  According to BA, Greene’s “physical gifts and advanced feel at the plate make him a potential plus-plus hitter who contends for batting titles and he has a chance to grow into 20-plus home run power.”  Greene adds to that offensive potential by being a stolen-base threat thanks to his plus speed, and that same speed has also helped him become a solid defensive center fielder.  He could ultimately be best suited to a corner outfield position, and Greene also has a strong throwing arm that would help him in right field.

As if there wasn’t enough pressure on a 21-year-old making his MLB debut, Greene also finds himself cast as perhaps a turning point (or savior) of what has been a disastrous season for the Tigers.  After years of rebuilding, the Tigers looked to be turning the corner with young talent on the way up, and they augmented that core of prospects with veteran additions like Javier Baez, Eduardo Rodriguez, and Meadows during the offseason.

Instead, Detroit has only a 24-39 record, as the club has been hampered injuries to almost every member of the rotation and a near-total lack of hitting.  Tarik Skubal, Beau Brieske, and Alex Faedo have helped keep the rotation afloat, but the Tigers are batting a collective .220/.275/.315.  Harold Castro’s modest 114 wRC+ leads all Detroit batters who have received regular or semi-regular playing time.

Against this backdrop, it is probably already too late for Greene to spark any sort of miracle turn-around.  Instead, the outfielder will try to hit the ground running and make a good showing for himself in his rookie season, in order to give the Tigers something to look forward to as they reshuffle the deck for 2023.  While Spencer Torkelson has struggled in his first MLB campaign, the Tigers’ long-term plan is to have Greene and Torkelson as lineup mainstays for years to come.

Meadows has hit .250/.347/.328 over 147 PA this season, and is still looking for his first homer of 2022 after mashing 27 balls out of the park with the Rays last year.  Meadows also spent close to four weeks battling vertigo-related symptoms, and was only activated off the regular injured list on June 7.

Mariners Recall Justin Upton

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The Mariners have recalled Justin Upton before tonight’s game against the Angels. Utilityman Sam Haggerty has been optioned to Triple-A Tacoma in a corresponding move. Upton, who signed a one-year deal with Seattle last month, is in position to make his M’s debut tonight against his former team.

Upton will step right in against his former club. The Angels made the somewhat surprising decision to release the four-time All-Star coming out Spring Training, electing to turn the corner outfield over to Brandon Marsh and Taylor Ward. The decision has panned out, as Ward has been one of the sport’s top breakout performers. Marsh has cooled after a hot start but is one of the sport’s better defenders in left field.

After being cut loose, Upton lingered on the open market for a while. He eventually signed a big league deal with a Seattle club that lost Mitch Haniger to injury and seen Jarred Kelenic perform poorly enough to be optioned back to Triple-A Tacoma. He took some time at the team’s Arizona complex and with the Rainiers to get into game shape, but he’s now apparently ready for his first MLB action of the 2022 season. He’ll pair with the lefty-hitting Taylor Trammell and Jesse Winker in the corner outfield mix.

Pirates To Select Cam Vieaux

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The Pirates are planning to select left-hander Cam Vieaux onto the major league roster, reports Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Twitter link). Outfielder Canaan Smith-Njigba is headed to the 60-day injured list after suffering a fracture in his right wrist.

Vieaux was the Bucs’ sixth-round pick back in 2016. The Michigan State product has spent six-plus seasons climbing the minor league ladder and is now in line for his major league debut. The 6’3″ southpaw worked exclusively as a starting pitcher up through 2020, but he split his time a bit more evenly between the rotation and the bullpen last year. Vieaux has pitched in relief this season, tossing 27 2/3 innings over 18 outings with Triple-A Indianapolis. He has an excellent 2.28 ERA, although he’s posted fairly pedestrian strikeout, walk and ground-ball numbers.

Smith-Njigba was just called to make his own big league debut on Monday. He appeared in three games and collected his first hit, a double. Unfortunately, he’ll be shelved for at least the next two months while he recovers from the wrist issue. He’ll collect major league pay and service time for any time spent on the IL.

Mike Shildt Interested In Future Managerial Opportunities

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Mike Shildt has worked in a hybrid coaching/player development job for the Padres this season, monitoring the organization’s farm system while occasionally joining the MLB dugout when other coaches are unavailable. It’s a less visible role than his previous position as Cardinals manager, a job he held for three-plus seasons before being fired after the 2021 campaign.

After some time away from the managerial office, Shildt expressed a desire to return to that role in a recent chat with Rick Hummel of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “I’ve won my whole life. I’m more convinced now that I’m ready to manage again and win,” the 53-year-old told Hummel. Shildt conceded he’s “not sure what the market looks like” but added he feels he “more than (deserves) the opportunity to do it.”

As Shildt alluded, the Cardinals had no small amount of success under his watch. St. Louis went 252-199 (55.9% winning percentage) during his tenure, making the postseason in two of his three full seasons. He was named the National League’s Manager of the Year in 2019, and his dismissal registered as a shock after the Cards had reeled off a 17-game win streak down the stretch to land a Wild Card spot. Nevertheless, president of baseball operations John Mozeliak pointed to “philosophical differences” between Shildt and the front office as the reason for going in another direction.

Within days of the manager’s dismissal, reports emerged that Shildt had bristled at the front office’s attempts to more rigorously incorporate analytics into in-game decisions. Katie Woo of the Athletic wrote at the time that the front office’s quiet 2021 trade deadline also “played a role in the growing disconnect” between the front office and the skipper.

In his recent conversation with Hummel, Shildt largely passed on the opportunity to revisit the end of his Cardinals tenure. He conceded the firing is still painful but said he’s “getting beyond it and ready to get back into the fray with the right opportunity.” He declined to elaborate further on the reported disconnect between himself and organizational higher-ups, stating only that “a combination of things happened. … The past is the past. It’s time to move on.”

Shildt will presumably remain in his role with the Friars for at least the rest of this season, but his name figures to be on the radar during next winter’s managerial hunts. He’d reportedly been set to interview in San Diego’s own managerial search last offseason, but Shildt tells Hummel he declined that opportunity.

The Friars eventually poached Bob Melvin from the A’s, a hiring with which they’re surely thrilled after opening the season 41-24. The Cardinals are no doubt happy with how things played out themselves. St. Louis promoted bench coach Oli Marmol and is off to a 37-28 start. The teams hold small leads in their respective divisions entering play Friday.

Orioles Reinstate Anthony Santander, Keegan Akin

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JUNE 17: As expected, Santander and Akin have been reinstated from the restricted list before this evening’s game against the Rays. Stowers and Garcia have been returned to the minor leagues and are off the 40-man roster.

JUNE 13: The Orioles announced they’ve selected outfielder Kyle Stowers and right-hander Rico Garcia onto the major league roster as designated COVID-19 “substitutes.” In corresponding moves, they’ve placed outfielder Anthony Santander and lefty Keegan Akin on the restricted list. That’s the standard practice for players who haven’t been vaccinated against COVID-19 on teams headed for a series in Toronto. The Canadian government prohibits unvaccinated athletes from crossing the border, so Santander and Akin will miss the next four games.

Stowers is the more notable of the two call-ups, as he’s now in line to make his major league debut. A supplemental second-round pick out of Stanford back in 2019, the left-handed hitter has been one of the organization’s most interesting prospects since that point. Stowers appeared among the top 30 farmhands in a quality Baltimore system each season from 2020-22, according to Baseball America, with the outlet recently placing him as the O’s #9 minor league talent.

Primarily a corner outfielder, Stowers’ calling card is his bat speed and power potential. BA graded his raw power as plus-plus (a 70 on the 20-80 scouting scale), and he popped 27 home runs and 23 doubles across three minor league levels last season. Stowers drew plenty of walks as well but struck out in more than 30% of his plate appearances at each stop, and both Baseball America and Keith Law of the Athletic raised questions about how often he swings through pitches inside the strike zone.

To Stowers’ credit, he’s cut back on his strikeout rate thus far in the 2022 campaign. Through 209 plate appearances at Triple-A Norfolk, he’s hitting  .253/.356/.545 with 12 homers and a more manageable 25.4% strikeout percentage. That’s still a few points north of the league average, but it’s unquestionably an improvement relative to last season and hasn’t come at the cost of any of Stowers’ extra-base impact.

Garcia, meanwhile, is headed to the majors for the first time in two years. The Honolulu native suited up with the Rockies and Giants between 2019-20, tossing 16 innings of 7.31 ERA ball between the division rivals. Garcia missed all of last season recovering from Tommy John surgery, and he was limited to a minor league deal this past winter. He has a 1.93 ERA across 18 2/3 innings between three levels, striking out an excellent 37.2% of opponents along the way.

That Baltimore specified both Stowers and Garcia are COVID replacements is notable, as they’ll each be occupying a temporary spot on the 40-man roster. Both players can be taken off the roster and returned to Norfolk when Santander and Akin are eligible to return on Friday, and that seems the likeliest course of action.

Stowers, in particular, figures to land a permanent roster spot in the relatively near future, though. He’ll need to be added to the 40-man at the start of next offseason to keep him from being taken in the Rule 5 draft, and Baltimore could bring him up for an extended look against big league arms before too long given his strong high minors showing.

In other O’s news, the club announced that infielder Chris Owings has passed through release waivers unclaimed. He’s now a free agent. Baltimore designated Owings for assignment last week after a .107/.254/.143 start to the season.

Injury Notes: Zunino, Buehler, Woodruff

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The Rays have been without backstop Mike Zunino for a week, as he landed on the injured list with left shoulder inflammation last Friday. The club has worked to pin down the diagnosis in recent days, and manager Kevin Cash indicated yesterday that Zunino may be dealing with thoracic outlet syndrome (via Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times). He’ll receive a Botox injection in hopes of alleviating the symptoms, and the club expects to have a more defined treatment program by next week.

If the injection doesn’t have the desired effect, it’s possible Zunino would need surgery to address the issue. A thoracic outlet procedure would come with a months-long rehab process and end his 2022 campaign. TOS surgery has become more prevalent around the league in recent years, although it’s been a far more common issue for pitchers than for position players. The Rays have relied on a Francisco Mejía – René Pinto pairing behind the dish in Zunino’s absence, and a long-term or season-ending issue could inspire them to turn to the trade market for help. Tampa Bay could arguably stand to upgrade even if Zunino is able to rehab and work his way back quickly, as the impending free agent is hitting only .148/.195/.304 through 36 games this season.

The latest developments on some other notable injury situations around the game:

  • The Dodgers placed Walker Buehler on the injured list last week after the righty was diagnosed with a flexor strain in his forearm. Shortly after landing on the shelf, Buehler underwent an arthroscopic procedure to remove a bone spur from his elbow, he told reporters this week (via Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register and Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times). The two-time All-Star indicated he’s been pitching through the spur for years and decided it best to remove it while he’s already shut down from throwing because of the flexor issue. The procedure isn’t expected to affect his recovery timeline, and Buehler reiterated he expects to be back on a major league mound 10-12 weeks from now. It’s not clear whether he’ll have enough time to build up as a prototypical starter for the stretch run, but if all goes as planned, he should be available as a postseason weapon for manager Dave Roberts.
  • Brewers starter Brandon Woodruff will join Triple-A Nashville for a rehab start tomorrow, tweets Will Sammon of the Athletic. It’ll be the first of two likely minor league appearances before the right-hander is set to return to American Family Field. Woodruff has been out since suffering a right high ankle sprain in late May. While he recovered quite quickly from the leg issue, he was dealt a bit of a setback when a battle with Raynaud’s syndrome — a condition that causes decreased blood flow to a person’s fingers — resulted in some numbness on his throwing hand. Fortunately, he was able to restart a throwing program within days and is apparently in good enough shape to progress to game action.

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