Giants Place Brandon Belt On 10-Day Injured List
6:49PM: Belt told The Athletic’s Andrew Baggarly and other reporters that he received a cortisone shot in his knee today. Both Belt and Giants manager Gabe Kapler feel that the first baseman won’t miss much time, perhaps even just the minimum 10 days.
3:20PM: The Giants have placed first baseman Brandon Belt on the 10-day injured list due to right knee inflammation. Kevin Padlo was called up from Triple-A to take Belt’s spot on the active roster.
Belt is no stranger to injury problems in general, and inflammation in his right knee has led to two recent lengthy absences — a six-week stint on the IL last season, and Belt missed most of this year’s Spring Training. There was some thought that Belt might need to start the year on the IL in order to ramp up after missing so much of camp, but Belt was on the Opening Day roster and has been playing regularly, apart from a 10-day trip to the COVID-related IL.
It’s probably safe to assume that this knee issue and the positive COVID test have contributed to a somewhat slow start for Belt, who is still producing at a 110 OPS+/115 wRC+ pace by hitting .228/.342/.386 over his first 120 PA. By Belt’s recent high standards, however, this counts as a veritable slump, considering Belt delivered a whopping .988 OPS over 560 PA in the 2020-21 seasons.
This production led San Francisco to issue Belt (who turned 34 last month) a one-year, $18.4MM qualifying offer last fall, and Belt opted to take the one-year payday rather than test free agency. Belt has become a staple in the Bay Area, spending his entire pro career with the Giants and earning World Series rings in both 2012 and 2014.
Belt and the Giants can hope that this bout of inflammation won’t cost the slugger another six weeks, but the club does have some depth on hand even though LaMonte Wade Jr. also just went on the 10-day IL due to his own case of knee inflammation. Darin Ruf and Wilmer Flores figure to take the bulk of first base duty in Belt’s absence, and Tommy La Stella can provide a left-handed hitting complement to the first base picture now that he’s back from his own IL stint.
Dodgers Extend Blake Treinen
5:32PM: The 2024 option could be worth between $1MM and $7MM based on Treinen’s health and other factors, Ardaya tweets. According to Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times (Twitter links), the option price will depend on what specific kinds of injuries Treinen may or may not miss time with over the course of the next two seasons.
This uncertain health situation factored into Treinen’s decision to agree to the extension, Harris writes, as Treinen’s return in 2022 isn’t a lock. A source tells Harris that there is a “decent” chance Treinen pitches again this season, while another source tells Ardaya that Trienen has a “very possible” chance.
4:58PM: Treinen will earn $8MM in 2023, as The Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya reports that the extension will guarantee the club option. The deal also gives the Dodgers a conditional option over Treinen for 2024.
4:38PM: The Dodgers announced a contract extension with right-hander Blake Treinen that will officially keep the reliever in the fold for the 2023 season. Treinen was already controlled for 2023 via a club option, which would’ve paid him $8MM if exercised (or $1.5MM if bought out). Treinen is represented by Apex Baseball.
Treinen was first signed by L.A. following an underwhelming 2019 season with the A’s, but the righty bounced back with an impressive performance for the eventual World Series champions. The Dodgers then re-signed Treinen to a two-year, $17.5MM pact in January 2021, which broke down as $6MM salaries in both 2021 and 2022, the $1.5MM guaranteed by the possible option buyout, and a $4MM signing bonus.
In 2021, Treinen more than lived up to his end of the deal, posting a 1.99 ERA over 72 1/3 innings out of the Los Angeles bullpen. Other than a below-average 8.7% walk rate, Treinen was otherwise stellar across the board in both bottom-line results and Statcast numbers. This season, however, Treinen only pitched in three games before shoulder soreness sent him to the injured list.
Manager Dave Roberts recently said that Treinen wasn’t expected back until around the All-Star break, and the club moved Treinen to the 60-day IL earlier this week. With this injured status in mind, the timing of the extension is perhaps a little curious, though it could also be interpreted as a positive sign about the Dodgers’ confidence in the right-hander’s longer-term health.
Treinen is a little over a month away from his 34th birthday, and he is in his ninth season of MLB action, with stops in Washington and Oakland before his arrival in Los Angeles. The 2018 season saw Treinen finish sixth in AL Cy Young Award voting due to a superb season as the Athletics’ closer, but for much of his career, Treinen has worked in a set-up capacity. With Craig Kimbrel handling the ninth inning for the Dodgers, Treinen is expected to resume his usual set-up role when he does return to action.
Brewers To Place Freddy Peralta On Injured List Due To Shoulder Tightness
Brewers right-hander Freddy Peralta had to leave today’s game in the fourth inning due to right shoulder tightness. Manager Craig Counsell told reporters (including Andrew Wagner) will be placed on the injured list, and an MRI will reveal more about Peralta’s condition tomorrow.
Something was clearly off with Peralta all game, as he allowed five runs on six hits over his three-plus innings of work in today’s 8-2 Brewers loss to the Nationals. Only two of those runs came in Peralta’s first three frames, but after allowing hits to the first three batters faced in the fourth inning, Peralta left the game after a mound visit from the team trainer.
Peralta also missed about two weeks late last season with inflammation in that same shoulder. That IL visit was pretty much the only blemish in an otherwise terrific year for the righty, as Peralta posted a 2.81 ERA, 33.6% strikeout rate, and 9.7% walk rate over 144 1/3 innings. This earned Peralta his first All-Star appearance, and also cemented his spot in Milwaukee’s rotation after working mostly as a part-time starter or swingman role in his first three Major League seasons.
The Brewers will undoubtedly miss Peralta while he recovers, especially since the club is set to play 15 games over the next 14 days. However, the Brew Crew are one of the few teams with a deep enough rotation to potentially withstand the loss, as Aaron Ashby is on hand to fill Peralta’s spot in the starting five. Counsell confirmed that the team would stay with a five-man rotation, so a spot starter will be required at some point over this busy stretch of the schedule (probably when the Brewers face the Cubs in a doubleheader on May 30).
Mariners Sign Justin Upton
TODAY: Upton’s deal contains a 10-team no-trade clause, Bob Nightengale reports. Upton has had partial or full no-trade protection in all three of his major multi-year contracts (with the D’Backs, Tigers, and Angels), and he’ll retain some measure of control over his future should the Mariners look to flip him before the trade deadline.
MAY 21: The Mariners have signed outfielder Justin Upton to a one-year, Major League contract. The club has officially announced the move, and in a corresponding transaction designated righty Adrian Sampson for assignment to clear roster space. Upton will report to the Mariners’ extended Spring Training camp in order to ramp up for his eventual debut with the team.
USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reports (Twitter link) was the first to announce the Upton signing, and noted that Upton will earn around $550K on the deal, or the prorated portion of the MLB minimum salary. The M’s will cover the $550K, while the Angels will still owe Upton the remainder of his original $28MM salary for the 2022 season.
The Angels released Upton just before the season began, ending the outfielder’s four-plus year run in Los Angeles. Originally acquired from the Tigers in August 2017, Upton was already under contract through the 2021 season but held an opt-out clause, and agreed to forego that clause when the Halos tacked another year onto his deal. The extension added $17.5MM in new money to Upton’s contract and locked up through the 2022 campaign.
Unfortunately, it was a deal the Angels came to regret, after Upton struggled during the 2019-21 seasons. Due to both injuries and a simple lack of production, Upton has hit .211/.299/.414 with 38 home runs over 784 plate appearances in the last three seasons. Between this lack of hitting and declining glovework in left field, Upton has been almost exactly a replacement-level player, generating only 0.1 fWAR since the start of the 2019 season.
In his prime, of course, Upton was an outstanding player, with a resume that includes four All-Star appearances, 324 career homers, and a .262/.343/.471 slash line over 7592 PA with five different organizations. Selected by the Diamondbacks with the first overall pick of the 2005 draft, Upton is a very familiar face to Mariners GM Jerry Dipoto, who worked in Arizona’s front office during Upton’s time with the club.
For the minimal cost, there isn’t much risk for Dipoto and the Mariners in seeing if Upton still has anything left at age 34. With Mitch Haniger on the injured list until around July, Jarred Kelenic demoted to the minors, and Kyle Lewis still working his way back from injury, the M’s have a need for outfield depth. Jesse Winker and rookie phenom Julio Rodriguez have two of the spots spoken for, with Adam Frazier, Dylan Moore, and Steven Souza Jr. all recently seeing starts on the grass since Haniger was lost to the IL.
Sampson was only claimed off waivers from the Cubs earlier this week, and now might be moving on from Seattle without a single appearance in either the minors or majors. The swingman’s 2022 resume thus far consists of a single MLB inning with the Cubs and 19 2/3 innings with Triple-A Iowa. The Washington native did break into the majors with his home state Mariners back in 2016, marking the first of Sampson’s five Major League seasons — the righty has a 5.13 ERA over 189 1/3 innings, with 125 1/3 of those frames coming with the Rangers in 2019.
A’s Reinstate Cole Irvin
The Athletics have announced that left-hander Cole Irvin has been reinstated from the injured list, with infielder Nick Allen being optioned to Triple-A Las Vegas in a corresponding move.
Irvin went on the injured list just over two weeks ago due to soreness in his throwing shoulder. His season had gotten off to a strong start before that, as he threw 27 2/3 innings with a 2.93 ERA. It’s not likely Irvin can sustain that production completely, as he has a meager strikeout rate of 15.9% and a .253 BABIP, suggesting there’s a bit of good fortune helping him out so far. The advanced metrics certainly think so, with FIP placing him at 4.54, xFIP at 4.16 and SIERA at 4.26.
Still, Irvin figures to be an important part of Oakland’s staff moving forward. Daulton Jefferies was recently diagnosed with thoracic outlet syndrome, a very significant injury that is very difficult to recover from. Even if Jefferies is able to return from the ailment, it will certainly be an extended period of time before that happens. The rotation now consists of Irvin, Frankie Montas, Paul Blackburn, James Kaprielian and Zach Logue.
Even if that crew manages to stay healthy for the next few months, the club might have to rely on their depth starters either way, as Montas is expected to be one of the most highly-targeted trade candidates as the August 2 deadline approaches. Montas was hit on his hand by a comebacker and left last night’s game, though it seems that was mostly precautionary. Matt Kawahara of the San Francisco Chronicle relays word from Montas, who is playing catch today without pain. Adam Oller and Adrian Martinez have already been recalled to make starts for the big league club this year and would likely be the top options the next time a depth starter is needed.
Yankees Place Joey Gallo, Kyle Higashioka On COVID IL
With just minutes to go before today’s doubleheader against the White Sox, the Yankees have announced a series of roster moves. Outfielder Joey Gallo and catcher Kyle Higashioka have been placed on the COVID-19 injured list. Catcher Ben Rortvedt was transferred from the 10-day IL to the 60-day IL. Additionally, the club recalled righty David McKay and signed catcher Rob Brantly to the active roster.
The club hasn’t provided any information about why exactly Gallo and Higashioka have been placed on the COVID list, though manager Aaron Boone did say that Gallo was “under the weather” yesterday, per Bryan Hoch of MLB.com. Players can be placed on the COVID-related IL for positive tests, experiencing symptoms or for contract tracing purposes. Under the league’s 2022 health-and-safety protocols, players who test positive are subject to a 10-day absence from the club. It’s possible to be reinstated in less time if the player has gone 24 or more hours without a fever, received a pair of negative PCR tests, and been given approval from a team physician and the MLB/MLBPA joint committee (a panel of one league-appointed and one union-appointed physician).
With Gallo out, the Yankees still have Aaron Judge, Aaron Hicks and Giancarlo Stanton for their outfield mix. Though with Stanton frequently in the DH slot, it’s possible that Marwin Gonzalez gets more time on the grass. Estevan Florial, the 27th man for today’s doubleheader, could also stick around for some added outfield depth in the days to come.
Higashioka and Jose Trevino have been combining to handle the work behind the dish for the Yanks, with each appearing in parts of 24 games so far this year. Brantly, 32, is a journeyman catcher, having played for the Marlins, White Sox, Phillies and Giants, before suiting up for the Yankees last year. He was outrighted and re-signed to a minor league deal in the offseason. Through 14 Triple-A games this year, he’s hitting .257/.341/.371, 96 wRC+. He’ll presumably act as Trevino’s backup until Higashioka is eligible to return.
As for Rortvedt, he recently underwent knee surgery and isn’t expected to return to game activity for 6-8 weeks, making his transfer largely a formality. Acquired alongside Josh Donaldson in this offseason’s trade with the Twins, he has yet to appear in a game for the Yankees, starting the year off with an oblique issue before this knee injury surfaced.
McKay, 27, was signed by the Rays to a minor league deal over the winter but was traded to the Yankees in April. He’s yet to appear with the big league team, but has been throwing well in Triple-A. In 14 2/3 innings with the RailRiders, he has a 1.84 ERA and 36.8% strikeout rate, though that comes with a 14% walk rate.
White Sox Reinstate Aaron Bummer
The White Sox announced that, prior to today’s doubleheader, left-hander Aaron Bummer has been activated from the injured list. No corresponding move is necessary at this time, as the club is allowed to carry 27 players on their active roster for today’s doubleheader, instead of the usual 26.
Bummer, 28, landed on the injured list two weeks ago due to a knee issue. This is the sixth straight season of Bummer appearing out of the club’s bullpen, having thrown 198 career innings with a 3.23 ERA, 26% strikeout rate, 11% walk rate and 67.9% ground ball rate. He’s been moving up the depth chart to higher leverage responsibilities, having notched 67 holds in that time. He got off to a bit of a slow start this year, logging a 4.91 ERA over his first 11 innings, though it’s possible this knee issue has been a factor.
Bummer and Garrett Crochet were set to be the club’s top lefties coming into the season, though Crochet underwent Tommy John surgery in April and Bummer has been on the shelf for the past couple of weeks. In that time, the club has turned to Bennett Sousa and Tanner Banks as bullpen southpaws, who have held their own in limited action so far. Sousa has an ERA of 3.46 through 13 innings, though his 17% strikeout rate and .216 BABIP suggest there might be a bit of good luck buoying that performance. Similarly, Banks has a 3.00 ERA through 18 innings, though with a 17.6% strikeout rate and .216 BABIP. Both of them have options and could be sent down at some point before Tuesday’s game, when the club will need to shrink the size of their roster back down to 26.
Chad Green To Undergo Tommy John Surgery
Yankees manager Aaron Boone told reporters, including Lindsey Adler of The Athletic, that Chad Green will undergo Tommy John surgery.
The news is not surprising but is nonetheless disappointing. Green left Thursday’s game with forearm discomfort, with Boone relaying that the injury was feared to be significant. The club initially held off on making any declarative statements, though it seemed like a notable surgical procedure was on the table as they collected further medical opinions. Now, unfortunately, the severity of the situation has been agreed upon, with Green headed for the surgery that should keep him out of action for the next 12-18 months.
This is the second blow to the Yankees’ pitching staff in recent days, as it was announced yesterday that Luis Gil is also going under the knife for Tommy John. The club has had remarkable pitching health on the year overall, with their rotation front five of Gerrit Cole, Jordan Montgomery, Jameson Taillon, Luis Severino and Nestor Cortes Jr. making every start for the team, except for a single spot start from Gil. However, these two surgeries are still notable, taking out the club’s sixth starter and a key member of the relief corps.
Green has somewhat quietly been one of the most effective and durable relievers in the game over the past few years, having not been on the IL since 2016, until this week. His 326 relief innings pitched from 2016 to the present are bested by only 21 other pitchers in the league. He hasn’t just been taking mop-up duty either, as he has a 2.79 ERA out of the bullpen in his career, with a 32.8% strikeout rate and 5.9% walk rate, racking up 11 saves and 52 holds.
It’s also very unfortunate for Green personally, as he is set to reach free agency at season’s end. After years of being healthy and productive, suffering a serious injury just months before heading into the open market is incredibly unlucky timing, to state the obvious. He will now head into free agency with teams knowing he won’t be available until the middle of the 2023 campaign, at the earliest. It’s possible he will still garner interest on a back-loaded or incentive-laden contract, such as those recently signed by Ken Giles, Kirby Yates or Tommy Kahnle., who were also working their way back from Tommy John when their contracts were signed.
Rays Select Dusten Knight, Place Andrew Kittredge On IL
The Rays announced that they have selected the contract of right-handed pitcher Dusten Knight, with fellow righty Andrew Kittredge landing on the 15-day injured list due to low back tightness. In order to open a spot for Knight on the 40-man roster, righty J.T. Chargois was transferred to the 60-day IL.
This will be Knight’s second stint on the Rays’ roster this year, as he had his contract selected in the middle of April but was designated for assignment after just a single appearance. After being outrighted, he’s thrown 16 2/3 innings in Triple-A, putting up an ERA of 3.24 along with a strong 30.6% strikeout rate but elevated 13.9% walk rate.
The loss of Kittredge is an unfortunate one for the Tampa bullpen, as he’s emerged as a key cog in the relief corps. Last year, he threw 71 2/3 innings with a 1.88 ERA, 27.3% strikeout rate, 5.3% walk rate and 53.5% ground ball rate. He racked up eight saves and seven holds on the year as he increasingly earned higher-leverage assignments. This year, however, things have gone in the wrong direction, perhaps due to this back injury. Over 18 innings, his ERA is an even 3.00, with a 19.7% strikeout rate and 44.2% grounder rate, though he’s limited walks to just 1.5% of batters faced. The club will surely hope that a few weeks of downtime can help him recuperate and regain the form he showed last year.
As for Chargois, he was only able to make a single appearance this year before being placed on the injured list with left oblique tightness. He recently made an attempt to start a rehab assignment, appearing for the Triple-A Durham Bulls on Friday. However, he left after throwing just a single pitch, with Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times relaying that he suffered a strain of that same oblique. He’ll now be ineligible to return until 60 days from his initial April 12 IL placement, though it doesn’t seem like he’s close to a return given this unfortunate setback.
Mariners Designate Steven Souza Jr., Select Sam Haggerty
The Mariners are making a series of roster moves today, per Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times. Infielder Abraham Toro is heading to the 10-day injured list. He had hurt himself in a collision with Adam Frazier during last night’s game. The club’s announcement of the moves describes his injury as a left shoulder sprain. Also leaving the roster is outfield Steven Souza Jr., who has been designated for assignment. To fill those two holes on the active roster, the club has recalled utility player Sam Haggerty and outfielder Taylor Trammell.
With the recent demotion of Jarred Kelenic and injury of Mitch Haniger, the Mariners turned to the veteran Souza as another outfield option. He had been off to a great start to the year in Triple-A, hitting .267/.417/.533 for a wRC+ of 140. Unfortunately, he hasn’t been able to carry that production into the big leagues, as he’s hit .158/.158/.158 over six games since his promotion. The club will now have a week to trade the 33-year-old or put him on waivers.
Taking his spot on the 40-man roster is the 27-year-old Haggerty. Over 59 career games between the Mets and Mariners, he has a batting line of .207/.265/.321, wRC+ of 66. Last year, he went on the IL in May with a shoulder injury and never returned. He was outrighted by the M’s at the end of the season after clearing waivers. He seems to have recuperated and gotten things back on track this year, as he’s hitting .304/.378/.512, 123 wRC+ through 32 Triple-A games so far. The club will now see if he can sustain that in the big leagues. He’s played exclusively at second base so far this year, though he’s previously spent time at third base, shortstop and all three outfield positions. He’ll likely fill the utility role that was previously filled by Toro, who had spent time at first, second and third base this year.
As for Trammell, he will be the club’s latest attempt to get some kind of production out of its corner outfielders. Julio Rodriguez has played well in center but hasn’t gotten much help from those on his flanks. Kelenic and Souza struggled enough to get demoted and designated for assignment, respectively, with Haniger only able to play nine games on the year so far. Jesse Winker has slumped to a line of .216/.310/.304, 89 wRC+ on the campaign. Dylan Moore has technically been above average with a wRC+ of 104, though in a very uneven fashion. He’s popped a couple homers and walked in 14.6% of his plate appearances, though he’s also struck out 27.1% of the time and is hitting .154.
Trammell suffered a hamstring strain in April and has been gradually working his way back to health, though he hasn’t even begun a rehab assignment before today’s recall, having been in extended Spring Training until now. He played 51 games last year and hit just .160/.256/.359, 73 wRC+, though his Triple-A numbers were much better.