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Yankees Sign Danny Salazar To Minor League Deal

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The Yankees have signed right-handed pitcher Danny Salazar to a minor league deal, per Mike Rodriguez of Univision.

Salazar, 32, was signed as an international free agent by Cleveland back in 2006. He climbed up the ranks of the minors and made his MLB debut in 2013. He had a tremendous four-year run from his debut through 2016, making 85 starts and throwing 484 1/3 innings. His ERA was 3.72 in that time, along with a 26.7% strikeout rate, 8.2% walk rate and 41.7% ground ball rate. He made the American League All-Star team in the last year of that stretch.

Unfortunately, cracks started to form in 2017, as Salazar struggled out of the gate and was demoted to the bullpen, though he would eventually reclaim his spot in the rotation. He finished the year with a 4.28 ERA over 103 innings, while missing time with shoulder issues. From there, bad went to worse as Salazar was diagnosed with right shoulder rotator cuff inflammation just as 2018 Spring Training was about to begin. After many failed attempts to heal his ailing shoulder, he eventually underwent exploratory surgery in June, which prevented him from taking the mound at all that year.

He was able to return to a big league mound in August of 2019, though he was trying to pitch through a groin issue and had severely diminished velocity compared to his previous form. He made a single four-inning start before being placed on the injured list a few days later and hasn’t pitched in a big league game since. He was outrighted at the end of the season.

At this point, it would be an incredible comeback story if Salazar is able to return to form and get back to the big leagues. Other than that lone injury-plagued outing in 2019, it’s been five years since he was a meaningful part of a big league staff. For the Yankees, there’s no risk in giving him a minor league deal and seeing if he can recapture some his previous form.

Bryce Harper Has Tear In UCL, Won’t Throw For Four Weeks

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An elbow issue that’s relegated Bryce Harper to DH duties since mid-April has been diagnosed as a ’small tear’ in his UCL, reports Alex Coffey of the Philadelphia Enquirer. While the reigning NL MVP remains able to swing the bat, he’ll undergo a platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection on Sunday that will keep him out of the Phillies lineup on Sunday, and possibly into early next week.

The team had previously called the issue a mild elbow sprain, but a visit to Dr. Neal ElAttrache confirmed a test from last week that appeared to show a small tear in his ulnar collateral ligament — the same ligament replaced in Tommy John surgeries. Whether or not such a surgery is in Harper’s future remains to be seen, but it appears that the Phils’ present intention is to keep Harper’s bat in the lineup in whatever way possible.

Signed by the Phillies to a 13-year, $330MM deal ahead of the 2019 season, Harper has mostly lived up to his billing, compiling a .280/.396/.553 triple-slash — good for a 145 wRC+ — in the first three-plus seasons of the deal. 2021 marked his best season in Philadelphia, as he led the majors in both slugging percentage and OPS with a .309/.429/.615 batting line (a 170 wRC+, also best in the bigs) en route to his second NL MVP.

Whatever the prognosis, Joe Girardi’s squad can ill afford to have Harper out of the lineup for long. It’s still early, of course, but the Phillies are already seven games off the pace in the NL East. They may have suffered a bit of bad luck already early in the year: despite a run differential of plus-ten, for instance, the Phillies are three games under .500 entering play on Thursday, and neither the offense (with a collective wRC+ of 106) nor the pitching staff (which has an xFIP of .365, ninth in the bigs) has clearly underperformed. Still, with both the red-hot Mets and the defending World Series champion Braves (not to mention the pitching-rich Marlins) in the same division, Girardi will need to right the ship sooner than later if his team wants to keep alive more than faint hopes for a division title.

After signing both Nick Castellanos (to a five-year, $100MM deal) and Kyle Schwarber (four years, $79MM) in the offseason, the Phils were already playing with defensive fire, but the expectation had been that one of the two would serve as the DH the vast majority of the time. While both have provided some punch at the plate (Castellanos much more so, with a 147 wRC+ to Schwarber’s 99), they’re also both liabilities on defense — an effect that’s amplified when they share an outfield. Harper has rated out as roughly average in right (his 9.9 career UZR suggests he’s saved roughly ten runs over his eleven-year career, though defensive advanced stats are far more controversial than offensive), but his replacement with either Castellanos or Schwarber represents a substantial downgrade.

Giants Sign Scott Alexander To Minor League Deal

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The Giants have signed left-handed reliever Scott Alexander to a minor league deal, reports Chris Hilburn-Trenkle of Baseball America.

Alexander, 32, was a sixth round pick of the Royals in 2010. He made it up to the big leagues and pitched out of the Royals’ bullpen over the 2015-2017 seasons. In that time, he threw 94 innings with a 2.78 ERA. His 19.9% strikeout rate and 9.7% walk rate were both worse than league average, but his success came from an incredible 72.9% ground ball rate.

Prior to the 2018 campaign, he was acquired by the Dodgers in a three-team swap that also involved the White Sox. He performed adequately in his first season as a Dodger, similar to his time in Kansas City. He threw 66 innings that year with a 3.68 ERA, 20.9% strikeout rate, 10.1% walk rate and 70.9% ground ball rate. Unfortunately, injuries severely limited him over the subsequent three seasons. From 2019 to 2021, he was only able to log 45 total innings with a 3.20 ERA. Perhaps due to the injuries, his rate stats suffered a bit, with his strikeout rate and ground ball rates falling to 13.3% and 63.7% in that time, respectively. He last pitched in a game July 19, after which shoulder inflammation sent him to the injured list. The club could have brought him back for 2022 via arbitration but outrighted him instead.

Alexander now joins a Giants organization that could use some left-handed help in the bullpen. Jake McGee went on the injured list yesterday, leaving just Jarlin Garcia and Jose Alvarez as southpaw relief options on the big league club. Alexander will join Sam Long as left-handed depth options in Triple-A. Alexander currently has five years and 39 days of service time, meaning he needs 133 more days on a big league roster to reach the six-year plateau. There’s about 145 days left in this season, making it very unlikely Alexander will cross that threshold before season’s end, assuming he will need some time to ramp back up into game shape after such a long absence. If he does earn a roster spot and holds onto it through season’s end, the Giants would have the ability to retain him for 2023 via arbitration.

COVID IL Notes: Wheeler, Arauz, Sosa, Wainwright

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Phillies ace Zack Wheeler, who’d been on the COVID IL since Sunday, has been cleared to rejoin the team and will start tonight’s game against the Dodgers, reports Scott Lauber of the Philadelphia Enquirer. To make room for Wheeler on the active roster, the Phillies optioned left-hander Bailey Falter to Triple-A Lehigh Valley. It’s a timely return for the Phillies, who’ll avoid a crunch in rotation following a pair of rainouts and a Sunday doubleheader against the Mets last weekend. Even with Wheeler’s return, the rotation is still down a man with Zach Eflin still on the COVID list. However, the club has an off-day on Monday, meaning they can survive with four starters for a couple of turns through the rotation. After five starts this year, Wheeler’s ERA is sitting at 4.10, with a 22.5% strikeout rate and 8.1% walk rate.

Rounding up the latest virus-related transactions…

  • The Red Sox announced that they have reinstated Jonathan Arauz from the COVID-related IL. To make room on the 40-man roster, left-hander Josh Taylor has been transferred from the 10-day IL to the 60-day IL. Taylor has somewhat quietly become an important part of the Red Sox bullpen. Over the previous three seasons, he’s thrown 102 1/3 innings with a 3.69 ERA, 29.4% strikeout rate and 10% walk rate. He’s gradually earned himself some higher-leverage outings, notching 15 holds and a save last year. However, he began this year on the injured list due to back soreness. He began a rehab assignment last month, though that was paused after the issue lingered. The Red Sox evidently don’t think he’s close to a return, based on today’s transaction. Taylor will be eligible to return 60 days from his original placement on the IL, meaning he could be back in early June, though the club hasn’t provided any timetable for his next steps.
  • The Cardinals announced that Edmundo Sosa was activated from the COVID IL today. Kramer Robertson was optioned in a corresponding move. With the recent demotion of Paul DeJong, there’s an opening for Sosa to take over as the everyday shortstop in St. Louis. Last year, he broke out with a .271/.346/.389 showing for a 104 wRC+. However, he got off to a slow start this year, hitting just .160/.250/.160 in a small ten-game sample before landing on the injured list. He’ll be jockeying with Brendan Donovan, who is off to a hot start to his MLB career. Over his first 12 games in the big leagues, Donovan is hitting .278/.381/.556, 169 wRC+. Another path the team could eventually take would be to slide Tommy Edman over to shortstop and call up second base prospect Nolan Gorman, who is hitting .287/.350/.658 in Triple-A this year for a wRC+ of 157.
  • There’s one Cardinal that is still on the COVID IL, right-hander Adam Wainwright. It seems that he is back with the club and could be taking the ball for Sunday’s game, per Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Packy Naughton recently made a spot start to cover for Wainwright and would likely be bumped to the bullpen or optioned to the minors if Waino can indeed return this weekend. The 40-man roster currently has a vacancy, meaning a corresponding move won’t be necessary in that regard. Through six starts this year, Wainwright has a 3.18 ERA, 20% strikeout rate, 9.3% walk rate and 57.6% ground ball rate.

Pirates Recall Rodolfo Castro, Reinstate Duane Underwood Jr., Option Cole Tucker and Max Kranick

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After already claiming right-hander Tyler Beede from the Giants and designating right-hander Beau Sulser for assignment this morning, the Pirates announced a series of further moves this afternoon, optioning shortstop Cole Tucker and right-hander Max Kranick to Triple-A Indianapolis, recalling shortstop Rodolfo Castro from Indianapolis, and reinstating right-hander Duane Underwood Jr. from the 10-day IL.

Tucker’s demotion is arguably the most notable element of all this, given his former prospect pedigree. Selected by the Pirates 24th overall in the 2014 draft, he instantly became one of the club’s most intriguing prospects. Baseball America ranked him #8 in the system the following year and Tucker would stay in the top 10 for four further years after that, gaining particular praise for his speed and defensive abilities.

However, since making his MLB debut in 2019, his performance at the plate has undermined his abilities elsewhere. In 154 career games in the big leagues, he has a batting line of .211/.259/.314, producing a wRC+ of 53. He has one option year remaining, so today’s demotion will make him out of options next year, assuming he spends at least 20 total days in the minors on the season.

Underwood, 27, was acquired from the Cubs and did yeoman’s work for the Pirates last year. In 43 games, he logged 72 2/3 innings, putting up a 4.33 ERA with a 20.3% strikeout rate, 8.4% walk rate and 43.5% ground ball rate. This year, he faced one batter before a hamstring strain put him on the shelf.

Dodgers Select Yency Almonte, Option Ryan Pepiot

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The Dodgers have selected right-hander Yency Almonte onto the major league roster and optioned Ryan Pepiot to Triple-A Oklahoma City, reports J.P. Hoornstra of the Southern California News Group. Pepiot had been selected himself only Tuesday in order to start yesterday’s game against the Pirates.

Almonte, who made 114 appearances for the Rockies between 2018 and 2021, was off to a strong start in the Pacific Coast League, covering 15 1/3 innings striking out 42.4% of batters faced and issuing only a single walk. But while he was effective in 2018 and 2020, Almonte’s big-league numbers aren’t nearly as rosy. In 124 career innings in the bigs, the righty owns a 5.30 ERA (4.83 FIP) with strikeout and walk rates of 20.7% and 9.7%, respectively. As with any former Rockie, though, Almonte’s overall numbers don’t tell the whole story; while his career ERA of 6.46 in 71 home innings is ghastly even by Coors Field standards, his 3.74 mark in 53 innings at sea level is far more palatable.

Pepiot’s Wednesday debut was something of a mixed bag. While he allowed no runs in his three innings of work, he also walked a bit of a tightrope, issuing five walks and one hit) didn’t give manager Dave Roberts much length — perhaps precipitating the call for an additional arm. While being optioned would ordinarily require a player to remain in the minors for ten days before being recalled, though, his stay could be much shorter. As Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic notes, Pepiot would be eligible to serve as the 27th man for Tuesday’s doubleheader against the Diamondbacks. With no timetable set for the return of Andrew Heaney from shoulder problems, the Butler product’s trip to Oklahoma City could well be little more than a procedural move as the Dodgers attempt to navigate an innings crunch.

Seven Members Of Guardians Coaching Staff In COVID Protocol

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Seven members of the Guardians coaching staff are in MLB Health and Safety Protocols following an apparent COVID outbreak. Pitching coach Carl Willis will serve as acting manager in this weekend’s series in Minnesota. Per Mandy Bell of MLB.com, those in the protocol include bench coach Demarlo Hale, hitting coach Chris Valaika, assistant pitching coach Joe Torres, first base coach Sandy Alomar Jr., third base coach Mike Sarbaugh, and hitting analyst Justin Toole, as well as manager Terry Francona. Only Francona and Hale are confirmed to have tested positive for the virus.

While the Guardians’ coaching situation does put the league into uncharted territory as it attempts to navigate the risk-reward of playing games in the midst of intra-team (or, in this case, intra-staff) outbreaks, it doesn’t come entirely as a surprise. MLB’s postponement of yesterday’s game against the White Sox due to COVID concerns — its first of the season — indicated a level of uncertainty regarding the scope of the outbreak sufficient for the commissioner’s office to step in. It remains unclear if any Guardians players were exposed to the virus, though Jesse Rogers of ESPN did report (via Twitter) that positive tests were “mostly” confined to coaches and traveling staff. The only Guardians player currently on the COVID IL is infielder Yu Chang, who went on the list in mid-April and has been on a rehab assignment with Triple-A Columbus since early last week.

A statement from Guardians president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti noted that “individuals throughout the organization” would support the team until coaches are able to return. Paul Hoynes of cleveland.com reports that these coaches will be drawn from the minor league ranks, though which coaches the team will call up, as well as how long they’ll stay, remains to be seen.

The Guardians may well have dodged a bullet if the outbreak leaves the roster unaffected, though the situation remains fluid. The official MLB-MLBPA health and safety protocols, which give the commissioner’s office final authority over cancellations, states that “MLB intends to postpone games only if necessary to protect the health and safety of Club personnel, players and umpires. Games will not be postponed for competitive reasons provided the Club has a sufficient number of players available to substitute those players on the Active Roster who are unavailable to play as a result of COVID-19.”

Twins Reinstate Luis Arraez, Option Jose Godoy, Transfer Chris Paddack to 60-Day IL

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The first-place Twins made a flurry of moves this afternoon, the team announced, including reinstating infielder Luis Arraez from the COVID IL and optioning catcher Jose Godoy to Triple-A St. Paul. They also appointed right-hander Cole Sands as the 27th man for today’s game against the Astros (allowed as a result of the suspension of last night’s Twins-Astros tilt in the fourth inning) and transferred right-hander Chris Paddack, who’s been out since Tuesday with elbow inflammation, to the 60-day IL.

Arraez, who’d been out since Friday, had gotten off to a hot start to the season, slashing .301/.378/.370 while logging significant time at first, second, and third. He’ll return to his role as manager Rocco Baldelli’s super-utility man, though he could also serve as the Twins’ primary first baseman with Miguel Sano set to miss a significant chunk of the season after undergoing surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee. He’s shared time there with top prospect Jose Miranda and outfielder Alex Kirilloff since Sano hit the IL.

Given the relatively short duration of Arraez’s absence, perhaps the more significant news in Minnesota is Paddack’s transferral to the 60-day injured list, which could signal that the recently acquired righty will undergo a second Tommy John surgery — as had been feared since his departure in the third inning of Sunday’s game against the A’s. This hasn’t been confirmed, though the timing is ominous: Dan Hayes of The Athletic reported yesterday morning that the former Padre would get a second opinion by today. Regardless, Paddack will now be on the shelf until at least July — and quite likely until at least next year. In 22 1/3 innings across five starts prior to the injury, Paddack posted a 4.03 ERA (1.73 FIP) for a Twins staff already without Bailey Ober, Dylan Bundy, and Kenta Maeda.

Sands, selected out of Florida State by the Twins in the fifth round of the 2018 amateur draft, has mostly started in the minors. While he’s off to a rough start to the season at Triple-A St. Paul, he did turn in a strong 2021, logging 80 1/3 innings with a 2.46 ERA and solidly more than a strikeout per inning for Double-A Wichita. The call-up marks his second stint in the majors this year; he covered two innings (and allowed two earned runs) in an early May blowout of the Rays.

Godoy, who made his big-league debut with the Mariners last year, appeared in only a single game for the Twins. The 27-year-old backstop will return to Triple-A to serve as injury cover Ryan Jeffers and Gary Sanchez.

Pirates Claim Tyler Beede Off Waivers From Giants

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The Pirates have claimed right-hander Tyler Beede off waivers from the Giants, reports Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Twitter link). San Francisco had designated him for assignment last week. Pittsburgh later announced the move, designating Beau Sulser for assignment to clear space on the 40-man roster.

Beede, who turns 29 later this month, is a former first-round pick and highly-regarded prospect. The Vanderbilt product reached the big leagues in 2018 and got his first extended look in the rotation the following year. Beede allowed a 5.08 ERA over 24 appearances (including 22 starts) in 2019, posting roughly league average strikeout, walk and ground-ball numbers but struggling with the longball. The Giants no doubt hoped he’d cement himself as a long-term starting pitcher in 2020 and beyond, but that didn’t wind up being the case.

Unfortunately, Beede required Tommy John surgery in March 2020. That cost him the entire season and kept him out until the following July. Beede spent the bulk of last season with Triple-A Sacramento, struggling to a 6.66 ERA with a massive 18.4% walk rate at the minors’ top level. Much of that came while he was still rehabbing from the Tommy John procedure, and his season ended in mid-August when he landed back on the IL because of a lower back strain.

Beede exhausted his final minor league option last year, meaning the Giants had to keep him on the active roster or expose him to waivers this season. They’d transitioned him to relief but he struggled over six outings. Beede allowed five runs in 9 2/3 innings, walking six batters while striking out just four. Devoting an active roster spot to a pitcher still battling control woes proved too much for a win-now Giants team, but that’s an easier dice roll for a rebuilding Pittsburgh club. Beede is averaging nearly 96 MPH on his heater this year and won’t reach arbitration eligibility until after the season, so there’s a chance he sticks around long-term if the Bucs can help him regain his control of the strike zone.

Sulser, 28, got his first MLB call last month. He made four appearances, allowing nine runs (albeit just four earned) in 9 2/3 innings out of the bullpen. The right-hander had an excellent three-start run with Triple-A Indianapolis to earn his first call-up and still has all three minor league options remaining. It’s possible another club takes a shot on him via small trade or waivers within the next week.

Angels To Promote Chase Silseth

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The Angels announced they’re planning to promote pitching prospect Chase Silseth to start tomorrow night’s game against the A’s. The team will need to make a 40-man roster move before the contest to officially accommodate his selection.

It’s a remarkably quick ascent for Silseth, who was still pitching at the University of Arizona less than a year ago. Anaheim selected him in the 11th round of last year’s draft, going overslot with a $485K bonus to lure him away from Tucson. Silseth started 18 games for the Wildcats but posted just a 5.55 ERA in a hitter-friendly environment, battling control inconsistency along the way. Nevertheless, his power arsenal — a mid-90s fastball, pair of promising breaking balls and split-changeup — made him the #145 prospect in the draft class, according to Baseball America.

Over the offseason, BA named Silseth the #12 minor leaguer in the Angels’ system. The outlet suggested his long-term home might be in the bullpen, as did FanGraphs’ Brendan Gawlowski and Eric Longenhagen in naming him the organization’s #28 prospect. The Angels quickly pushed him to Double-A Rocket City as a starter, though, and he’s impressed over five outings. The 21-year-old (22 next week) has a 1.73 ERA with a massive 37.4% strikeout rate in 26 innings. He’s only walked 7.1% of batters faced, and the front office clearly feels he’s capable of holding his own against big league hitters immediately.

Whether the forthcoming MLB stint will prove more lasting than a spot start is to be determined, but Silseth has quickly put himself on the map as a near-term depth option for the Halos. He’ll also earn the distinction of being the first player from his draft class to reach the majors after an excellent beginning to his pro career.

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