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Blue Jays Reinstate Steven Matz From COVID-IL, Designate Jeremy Beasley

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As expected, the Blue Jays reinstated left-hander Steven Matz from the COVID-related injured list today.  Matz is scheduled to start tonight’s game against the Mariners.  The Jays also officially added newly-acquired right-hander Adam Cimber to the active roster, with righties Joel Payamps and Anthony Castro optioned to Triple-A.  To create room on the 40-man roster, right-hander Jeremy Beasley was designated for assignment.

Matz tested positive for the coronavirus on June 15, and had to wait out a mandatory 10-day isolation period even though he was an asymptomatic COVID case.  It was an unwelcome interruption to a season that has seen Matz go through a few swings of inconsistency, though he has been generally solid in posting a 4.26 ERA/3.78 SIERA over 69 2/3 innings for the Blue Jays.  Matz’s seven percent walk rate and 24.8% strikeout rate are both better than average, as are his hard-contact numbers, as per Statcast.

Beasley was acquired from the Diamondbacks for cash considerations in April, and the righty posted a 7.71 ERA over 9 1/3 innings out of Toronto’s bullpen.  That brief stint saw Beasley allow nine walks and three home runs.  A 30th-round pick for the Angels in the 2017 draft, Beasley made his MLB debut in cup-of-coffee fashion with Arizona last season, tossing one-third of an inning in a single appearance.

White Sox Activate Michael Kopech; Aaron Bummer, Evan Marshall Placed On 10-Day IL

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The White Sox have reinstated right-hander Michael Kopech from the 10-day injured list, and also called up left-hander Jace Fry from Triple-A Charlotte.  The moves come in response to a pair of bullpen injuries, as both southpaw Aaron Bummer (right hamstring strain) and righty Evan Marshall (strained right flexor pronator) are headed to the 10-day IL.

Due to a Tommy John surgery and then a COVID opt-out, Kopech’s 31 1/3 innings this season marked his first big league action since his debut campaign of 14 1/3 frames in 2018.  One of the game’s more highly-touted pitching prospects, Kopech has displayed that potential with a 1.72 ERA and a 36% strikeout rate this season before a strained left hamstring sent him to the IL on a retroactive May 28th placement.

The White Sox planned to keep Kopech in a hybrid swingman role a way of managing his innings, and it’s possible he could get more looks out of the pen in the near future considering the absences of Bummer and Marshall.  Chicago manager Tony La Russa told reporters (including James Fegan of The Athletic) that the club is hopeful Bummer is able to return after a minimal stint on the IL, though Marshall will be out of action for a to-be-determined longer period of time.

Bummer has a 3.26 ERA over 30 1/3 innings, with his typically large ground ball rate (a career-best 74%) as well as a 32.1% strikeout rate that would be a career high by a large margin over a full season.  Bummer has been an effective weapon out of Chicago’s bullpen for five years now, with the exception of an injury-shortened 2020 campaign.

Marshall pitched well last season to help account for Bummer’s absence, but 2021 has been a much tougher ride for the right-hander.  Marshall has a 5.60 ERA over 27 1/3 innings, due to the combination of a larger-than-usual homer rate, a below-average strikeout rate, and a 40.8% grounder rate that is well south of his 52.6% career average.

Orioles Make Five Roster Moves

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The Orioles announced a series of roster moves prior to tonight’s game with the Astros, including the news that right-hander Travis Lakins Sr. is heading to the 10-day injured list due to right elbow pain.  Additionally, infielder Stevie Wilkerson has been designated for assignment and left-handed Alexander Wells was optioned to Triple-A.  Filling the spots on the active roster will be right-handers Isaac Mattson and Spenser Watkins — Mattson was called up from Triple-A, while Watkins’ contract was selected.  USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reported earlier today that Watkins would be added to Baltimore’s 26-man roster.

Lakins was making a rare appearance as a starting pitcher last night when his elbow issue forced him out of the game ( a 13-3 Orioles victory over the Astros) after 1 2/3 innings.  O’s manager Brandon Hyde specified to The Baltimore Sun’s Jon Meoli and other reporters that Lakins suffered an elbow strain, and the righty will undergo further evaluation.  This isn’t Lakins’ first time dealing with elbow problems, as inflammation cut short his 2016 season while pitching in the Red Sox minor league system.

Baltimore claimed Lakins off waivers from the Cubs in the 2019-20 offseason, and the right-hander had a solid 2.81 ERA over 25 2/3 relief innings for the Orioles last year.  Things haven’t gone as smoothly this season, however, as Lakins has a 5.79 ERA and 13.8% walk rate over 28 innings of work in 2021.

With the O’s still in need of some rotation help while John Means is on the IL, it could open the door for Watkins to get a look in the starting five as he gets his first taste of the big leagues.  A 30th-round pick for the Tigers in 2014, Watkins pitched well at the lower levels of Detroit’s farm system but had some struggles at Double-A and Triple-A.  This almost led him to walk away from the game, as Nightengale notes that Watkins had a high school coaching job lined up before he signed a minor league deal with the Orioles this winter.

Wilkerson was another offseason minors signing for the O’s, and the utilityman appeared in 30 games for the team, hitting only .167/.211/.208 over 76 plate appearances.  Wilkerson didn’t see any big league action in 2020, and he has a career .210/.268/.340 slash line in 486 PA over parts of three seasons with Baltimore.

Josh Naylor To Undergo Fibula Surgery

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TODAY: Surgery is set for tomorrow to address “multiple fibula fractures and ligament tearing” in Naylor’s right leg (Ryan Lewis of The Akron Beacon Journal was among those to report the official diagnosis).  A timetable will be known following the procedure, though it would certainly appear as though Naylor’s season is in jeopardy.

JUNE 28: Naylor has been diagnosed with a closed fracture and dislocation of his right ankle, tweets Meisel. He’s traveling back to Cleveland today for further testing and to determine a timetable for potential surgery.

JUNE 27, 4:20pm: Cleveland manager Terry Francona told reporters (including Zack Meisel of the Athletic) that Naylor has been diagnosed with some type of fracture. He’s under evaluation at a Minnesota hospital, and the team hopes to know more about his condition in the coming hours.

3:03pm: Indians corner outfielder/first baseman Josh Naylor injured his right leg in this afternoon’s game against the Twins. Playing right field, Naylor came in on a pursuit of a shallow fly ball off the bat of Jorge Polanco. He collided with second baseman Ernie Clement, who was tracking the ball over his head. Naylor was sent airborne and landed awkwardly on his right leg/ankle.

Naylor was in visible anguish as he was attended to by the training staff. His leg was immobilized and he was carted off the field, notes Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com. There’s no official diagnosis as of yet, but all indications are that the 24-year-old suffered a serious injury of some sort.

Naylor has started 61 of Cleveland’s 72 games this season. The bulk of that time has come in right field, with occasional work at first base. Through 248 plate appearances, the left-handed hitter has slashed .255/.304/.403 with seven home runs.

Rays’ Chaz Roe Undergoes Season-Ending Shoulder Surgery

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Rays right-hander Chaz Roe has undergone surgery to correct a posterior labrum tear in his throwing shoulder, the team announced.  The procedure will end Roe’s 2021 campaign, as manager Kevin Cash told Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times and other reporters that the aim is to have the righty back in action for 2022.

Roe tossed only two-thirds of an inning in a single appearance for Tampa this season, before suffering a shoulder strain and then biceps tendinitis.  It marks the second straight abbreviated season for Roe, since elbow soreness limited him to 10 games and 9 1/3 innings.

Despite that injury, the Rays brought Roe back on a one-year, $1.15MM free agent contract that unfortunately is now a wash.  It wouldn’t be surprising to see Roe return for what would be a sixth season in Tampa Bay, however, if the club re-signed him on a minor league deal this winter.

Initially acquired from the Braves back in July 2017, Roe has posted some solid numbers for the Rays, including a 3.82 ERA over 101 1/3 relief innings in 2018-19.  That roughly matches the 3.89 ERA posted by the 34-year-old over parts of nine MLB seasons for five different teams.  While walks have been something of a nagging issue throughout Roe’s career, he has balanced those free passes with a good amount of missed bats (26.4% strikeout rate) and he has done a solid job of keeping the ball on the ground (48.9% grounder rate).

Jared Porter Placed On Ineligible List

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In January of this year, revelations about Jared Porter’s harassment of a female reporter surfaced not long after he was hired as the Mets general manager. The news brought issues of sexual harassment in baseball into the spotlight, prompting questions not only about the Mets’ hiring process, but about accountability throughout baseball — a process that is still very much in the beginning stages. Once Porter’s sexual misconduct was made public, he was fired by the Mets, just weeks after his hiring date.

Major League Baseball began an investigation into the case at that time, and today announced that Porter has been placed on the league’s ineligible list. Porter will be eligible to apply for reinstatement following the 2022 season. Those are, of course, the official terms; it would seem highly unlikely that Porter has much of a future in baseball, even if he is eventually reinstated.

Commissioner Rob Manfred released the following statement: “My office has completed its investigation into alleged inappropriate conduct by Jared Porter.  Having reviewed all of the available evidence, I have concluded that Mr. Porter violated MLB’s policies, and that placement on the Ineligible List is warranted.  We are committed to providing an appropriate work environment consistent with our values for all those involved in our game.“

Roster Notes: Mariners, Tigers, Indians, Rockies, Mets

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The Mariners have reinstated Marco Gonzales from the paternity list, the team announced. Donovan Walton has been optioned to Triple-A to create the roster spot. Gonzalez was gone for just a couple of days, and he’ll step right back into his rotation spot. Walton, meanwhile, has appeared in 21 games and posted a .205/.254/.365 line.

Let’s make the rounds and check in on some roster moves and injury updates…

  • The Tigers and Indians will play a doubleheader today, meaning both teams get to add a 27th man for the day. The Indians have brought up infielder Owen Miller, per Mandy Bell (via Twitter). The Tigers, meanwhile, will add Derek Hill, who only recently has been healthy enough to return from the injured list.
  • Ryan Castellani has cleared waivers and been assigned outright to Triple-A, the Rockies announced. Castellani made one start for the Rockies this year, tossing 3 1/3 innings and allowing two earned runs. The 25-year-old will look to put together more productive outings in Triple-A where he owns a 7.82 ERA across 35 2/3 innings.
  • Mets infielders Jonathan Villar and J.D. Davis will both begin rehab assignments with the Syracuse Mets today, tweets Tim Britton of The Athletic. What began as a hand contusion has ended up keeping Davis out for all but 14 games of the season thus far. Villar filled in ably for much of the year, but he, too, went down with a calf strain. Both now appear to be on the mend.

Dodgers Claim Bobby Wahl Off Waivers

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2:15 PM: The Dodgers have claimed Wahl off waivers, per Jorge Castillo of the LA Times (via Twitter). To make room on the 40-man roster, they moved Corey Seager to the 60-day injured list. He will not, therefore, return to the team before July 15.

11:08 AM: As expected, the Brewers have selected the contract of Aaron Ashby to make his Major League debut in today’s game against the Cubs. Pablo Reyes was optioned to Triple-A to make room on the active roster, and Bobby Wahl was designated for assignment, the team announced. The latter move was necessary to add Ashby to the 40-man roster.

Wahl, 29, will be exposed to waiver claim by any of the game’s other 29 teams. He made three appearances for the Brewers last season, but Wall has yet to appear in a game at the big-league level this season. He’s appeared in 13 games at Triple-A, however, struggling to a 9.58 ERA over that span. He has, at least, flashed some strikeout ability, striking out 18 over 10 1/3 innings. The Brewers acquired from the Mets in 2019 as part of the Keon Broxton trade.

As for Reyes, the 27-year-old infielder/outfielder has slashed .224/.240/.265 line in 50 plate appearances. The former Pirate has fared much better in 49 trips in Triple-A, with a triple slash line of .350/.449/.600. The Brewers will be down to a four-man bench for today, so Reyes could return shortly.

Quick Hits: Sticky Stuff Crackdown, Cardinals, Verlander

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As we approach trade season, teams are burdened with the overwhelming task of re-evaluating the league in the wake of the crackdown on illegal substances. Broad strokes, evaluators will be more trusting of pitchers who rely on two-seamers and sinkers, writes ESPN’s Buster Olney. Unsurprisingly, those pitchers who have taken to the recent trend of high-velocity heaters up in the zone and wicked curveballs diving away will be watched more closely. The next month will obviously provide important data points for potential buyers, but looking at how players have struggled and/or succeeded in the first few months of the year will also be heavily scrutinized by teams looking to find players on the rebound. In other MLB news….

  • The Cardinals are doing their best to patch together a rotation in the wake of Jack Flaherty’s extended absence, but they’re also exploring their options outside the organization. They have reached out to the Twins about Jose Berrios and the Rangers for Kyle Gibson, but the price for Berrios was “high,” and presumably, the same will be true of Gibson, per Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. With very few difference-making arms likely to be available, Berrios and Gibson are sure to be in high demand. President of Baseball Operations John Mozeliak spoke of the Cardinals’ desire to win, but “not at the cost of our future.” While that’s a reasonable mode of thinking, such a mind-set isn’t likely to procure an arm like Berrios or Gibson.
  • Justin Verlander hasn’t rule out the possibility of returning to the Detroit Tigers before his career runs out, per Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press. Of course, Verlander needs to get healthy first. He will be a free agent at the end of the season, however, free to pursue a return to Detroit, should that be his desire. Verlander played in Detroit for 13 seasons. He ranks 2nd in Tigers’ history for rWAR among pitchers, 2.7 rWAR behind Hal Newhouser. He is fifth in Tigers’ history in games started with 380 and 2nd in total strikeouts with 2,373.

Braves Reinstate Max Fried, Option Sean Newcomb

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The Braves have reinstated Max Fried from the injured list and optioned Sean Newcomb to Triple-A, the team announced.

It’s been a season of false starts so far for Fried, whose has twice been on the injured list, once with a hamstring strain and more recently with a blister. Nevertheless, he’s managed to make 11 starts, pitching to a 4.21 ERA/3.89 FIP across 57 2/3 innings. The Braves’ rotation has been a strength, tying for the Majors’ lead in fWAR this month with 3.1 fWAR.

He will not, unfortunately, help the offense. In the past month, the Braves’ bats rank 20th with a 95 wRC+. Despite their struggles the Braves are just 5 1/2 games behind the Mets in the NL East. With Fried alongside Charlie Morton, Drew Smyly, Kyle Muller, and Ian Anderson, the rotation will look to lead the Braves until their offense finds its way.

As for Newcomb, the 28-year-old hasn’t had the bottom line results he desires with a 5.82 ERA in 21 2/3 innings, though a 3.98 FIP suggests there could be smoother sailing ahead. Fact is, Newcomb needs to find his command after posting a far-too-high 18.5 percent walk rate.

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