Dodgers To Promote Michael Grove
The Dodgers will promote right-handed pitching prospect Michael Grove on Sunday, and Grove will make his MLB debut in some capacity during Los Angeles’ game with the Phillies. Manager Dave Roberts told reporters (including J.P. Hoornstra of The Southern California News Group) that Grove will either work as a starter, or as a bulk pitcher behind an opener.
The 25-year-old Grove was a second-round pick for the Dodgers in the 2018 draft, and could have gone higher if he hadn’t had over a full season of college ball wiped out by Tommy John surgery. Both MLB Pipeline (23rd) and Baseball America (24th) place the righty within their rankings of the team’s top 30 prospects, citing his big fastball that sits in the 96-99mph range, and with Pipeline also giving his slider a 60 grade on the 20-80 scouting scale.
A midseason arm slot adjustment helped Grove achieve better results at Double-A last season, and he has kept it going this year with a 2.76 ERA, 32.8% strikeout rate, and 7.5% walk rate over 16 1/3 frames (still at the Double-A level). The drop in walk rate is a particularly good sign given the control problems that hampered Grove earlier in his minor league career, and he has allowed only one home run this season after giving up 26 long balls during his first 122 2/3 pro innings.
Scouts aren’t sure if Grove’s stuff will allow him to remain as a starter in the big leagues, or if he could eventually be used as a bullpen weapon. Theoretically, Grove could be an intriguing choice as a multi-inning reliever if L.A. doesn’t feel he can succeed in a normal starting role, and the Dodgers’ creative pitcher usage allows for many possibilities for Grove’s future.
For now, he’ll get to bypass Triple-A and jump right to the big leagues. Clayton Kershaw‘s recent trip to the 15-day injured list left the Dodgers down two starters (Kershaw and Andrew Heaney), and in need of some rotation help during a stretch of 31 games in 30 days. Prospect Ryan Pepiot also recently made his MLB debut and could be the likeliest candidate for a more extended look, so it’s possible Sunday’s outing could be a one-off for Grove.
Giants, Mariners Trade Alex Blandino For Stuart Fairchild
The Giants and Mariners have agreed to a trade that will send infielder Alex Blandino and cash considerations to the M’s, according to Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times (Twitter link). San Francisco will acquire outfielder Stuart Fairchild, who was designated for assignment yesterday.
Fairchild is joining his third different organization in less than a month, as the Mariners obtained him from the Diamondbacks back on April 23. A Seattle native, Fairchild’s brief tenure with his hometown team did see him play in three games and receive three plate appearances as a late-game sub. This makes it 15 MLB appearances for Fairchild over the last two seasons, after he made his big league debut with the D’Backs in 2021.
The Reds took Fairchild in the second round in the 2017 draft, and has posted some good numbers in the minors, including a .282/.382/.536 slash line over 246 PA at the Triple-A level. As a right-handed hitting outfielder who can play all three outfield spots, Fairchild represents an interesting depth option for the Giants, who are forever looking for more pieces to mix and match. Since the Giants’ first-choice outfield group of Mike Yastrzemski, LaMonte Wade Jr., Joc Pederson, and Luis Gonzalez are all left-handed hitters, Fairchild joins Austin Slater and Darin Ruf as the top complements from the right side.
It could be argued that Seattle had a similar need for outfield depth with Mitch Haniger on the injured list and Jarred Kelenic optioned to Triple-A, but the M’s clearly felt Fairchild was an expendable part. Instead, the Mariners will now add to their infield depth chart with Blandino, a veteran of 135 games with the Reds over parts of the last three seasons. Blandino was another high draft pick for Cincinnati, selected with the 29th overall pick of the 2014 draft.
Blandino has hit only .226/.339/.291 over his 279 PA in the majors, but brings plenty of versatility. The 29-year-old has lined up at all four infield positions, and played a handful of games as a corner outfielder at the MLB level (plus five mop-up appearances as a pitcher). Abraham Toro and Dylan Moore are currently acting in similar super-utility capacities on the Mariners’ active roster, so Blandino provides some extra cover in the event of an injury.
Blandino was born in Palo Alto, California and played college ball at Stanford, so the trade represents a rather unusual case of two teams swapping local products. Then again, the frequency of trades between the Giants and Mariners is an oddity unto itself — this is the fourth deal between the two clubs in less than a month.
Grant Dayton To Opt Out Of Minors Deal With Marlins
Marlins left-hander Grant Dayton is planning to exercise his minor league contract’s opt-out clause on Sunday, FanSided’s Robert Murray reports (via Twitter). As per the usual structure of minors deals, the Marlins could retain Dayton by selecting his contract to the Major League roster, but it doesn’t appear as though the club is willing to make that move.
Dayton has a 3.43 ERA over 102 1/3 career innings in the majors, and left-handed hitters haven’t had much success (.169/.256/.331) against Dayton’s offerings. However, Dayton has been plagued by a 13.6% career home run rate, as well as multiple injuries. A Tommy John surgery cost him all of the 2018 season, and Dayton also missed substantial time in 2019 (foot fracture) and 2021 (shoulder inflammation) campaigns. That latter injury limited Dayton to only 13 innings last year for the World Series champion Braves.
As Triple-A Jacksonville this year, Dayton helped his case for a call-up by posting a 2.51 ERA, 8.5% walk rate, and a huge 37.3% strikeout rate over 14 1/3 innings. However, it seems like Miami is satisfied with the left-handed relief depth they already have in Tanner Scott, Steven Okert, and (currently on the COVID-IL) Richard Bleier. As Murray notes, Dayton figures to generate interest as a free agent, and could find a quicker path back to the majors on a team in more dire need of some left-handed help
Red Sox Activate Rich Hill, Designate Jaylin Davis
The Red Sox have activated Rich Hill from the COVID-related injury list, and the veteran southpaw is set to start tonight’s game against the Rangers. Righty Kutter Crawford was optioned to Triple-A after yesterday’s game, creating space for Hill on the active roster. In another move, the Sox also announced that outfielder Jaylin Davis has been designated for assignment.
Hill returns after a little over a week on the COVID-IL, as the lefty tested positive for the coronavirus. Now in his age-42 season and in his fourth different stint with the Red Sox, Hill is still effective, posting a 2.86 ERA over his first five starts and 22 innings of the season.
With Michael Wacha still on the regular injured list due to left intercostal irritation, Hill’s return will bring one full-time starter back into the Red Sox rotation. Nathan Eovaldi, Nick Pivetta, Garrett Whitlock, and Tanner Houck comprised the rest of the starting five, with the expectation that Houck will likely return to bullpen duty once Wacha is ready.
Davis was claimed off waivers from the Giants in late April, and the outfielder has played nine games at Triple-A Worcester and two games at the big league level. That makes it a fourth straight season of MLB action for Davis, albeit in somewhat sparing fashion, with only 28 games and 72 plate appearances on his resume in the Show. The 27-year-old Davis is struggling to shed the “Quad-A” label, as he has yet to produce much in the majors, but also little else to prove in the minors (a .958 OPS over 554 PA at the Triple-A level).
Twins Select Devin Smeltzer, Option Alex Kirilloff To Triple-A
3:31PM: Alex Kirilloff was optioned to Triple-A to make room for Smeltzer on the active roster. Kirilloff has hit only .172/.226/.172 over 32 plate appearances, and also spent close to three weeks the IL due to wrist inflammation. To open a 40-man spot for Smeltzer, Miguel Sano is being placed on the 60-day IL. Sano underwent knee surgery on May 3, and the Twins’ expectation is that Sano will return at some point this season, though the 60-day placement sidelines him until July at the earliest.
2:36PM: The Twins are going to select the contract of Devin Smeltzer today, per Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com, with the lefty getting the start in tonight’s game against the Guardians. Smeltzer is not currently on the club’s 40-man roster, meaning a corresponding move will be required to open a spot for him.
Acquired from the Dodgers in the Brian Dozier trade, Smeltzer had a solid MLB debut with the Twins in 2019. In 49 innings over six starts and five relief appearances, he put up a 3.86 ERA. His 18.8% strikeout rate was below average, but he limited walks at a rate of 5.9%. In the shortened 2020 season, he took a step backward, logging a 6.75 ERA in 16 innings. Last year, elbow issues limited him to just 4 2/3 innings and led to his outright in November.
The 26-year-old seems to have gotten things back on track this year, as he’s been healthy and starting in Triple-A. Over five starts, he’s thrown 21 innings with a 3.86 ERA, 20.5% strikeout rate and 6.8% walk rate.
For the Twins, as recently as a week ago, it seemed they were nearing a starting pitching surplus. Sonny Gray came off the injured list and joined Chris Archer, Chris Paddack, Josh Winder and Joe Ryan in the rotation. It seemed like the club would have to make a tough choice on how to assign the pitching duties once Dylan Bundy and Bailey Ober returned from the injured list. However, a few days later, Paddack left his start with elbow inflammation and is now on the 60-day IL, possibly heading towards Tommy John surgery.
While Paddack’s injury has created the need for Smeltzer to step in, it’s possible that it could just be a spot start. After today, the club plays four more before an off-day on May 19. However, after that, the club will play 18 games in 17 days, due to a doubleheader on May 31. Smeltzer is out of options, meaning the club will need to keep him on the roster if they hope to use him again during that stretch.
The recuperation of Bundy and Ober will likely play a role in determining Smeltzer’s status. Bundy is currently on the COVID IL and will need a spot on the 40-man roster when he returns. He has cleared COVID protocols but is still feeling some of the effects of the illness, per Phil Miller of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. Ober went on the IL two weeks ago due to a groin strain but has been throwing bullpens recently, per Park.
Reds Select Ross Detwiler, Designate Robert Dugger
The Reds announced that they have selected the contract of left-hander Ross Detwiler. To make room for him on the 40-man roster, righty Robert Dugger has been designated for assignment.
Detwiler, 36, has appeared in 13 MLB seasons dating back to 2007. Last year, he pitched for both the Marlins and the Padres, logging 52 1/3 frames with a 4.64 ERA. Working with a changed pitch mix, Detwiller completely altered his profile last year. Swapping out sinkers for four-seam fastballs, he sacrificed grounders but gained strikeouts. After getting worm burners above 50% for three years in a row from 2018-2020, it dropped to 39.9 in 2021. His strikeout rate, which had been around 15% for most of his career, jumped to 27.1% last year.
Signed by the Reds to a minor league deal in April, the southpaw has thrown seven innings for the Triple-A Louisville Bats. That’s obviously a tiny sample size, but he has a 3.86 ERA with a 40% ground ball rate, 21.9% strikeout rate and 15.6% walk rate. With Justin Wilson on the IL and Phillip Diehl designated for assignment last week, the club has been without a lefty in the bullpen until they added Detwiler today.
As for Dugger, this is his third time being designated for assignment in the past couple of weeks. He was selected by the Rays at the beginning of May and given 5 1/3 innings of mop-up duty just before the roster size was set to shrink from 28 to 26. After that outing, he was put on waivers and claimed by the Reds. Cincy gave him three more innings of mop-up work, designated him again, outrighted him to Triple-A and then selected his contract two days later. This time, he’s sent back out into DFA limbo without the mop-up duty, as he still just has the two appearances on the year.
Orioles Claim Beau Sulser, Designate Paul Fry
The Orioles announced that they have claimed Beau Sulser off waivers from the Pirates and optioned him to Triple-A Norfolk. Lefty Paul Fry has been designated for assignment in a corresponding move.
Sulser had his contract selected three weeks ago and made his MLB debut in late April. He pitched 9 2/3 innings out of Pittsburgh’s bullpen over four outings. His 3.72 ERA and 21.7% strikeout rate were acceptable, but he also had a concerning walk rate of 13%. The Pirates designated him for assignment a couple of days ago when they claimed Tyler Beede off waivers.
As for Fry, his designation is at least somewhat surprising, given that he was garnering trade interest at the deadline less than a year ago. Despite a penchant for walks, Fry’s ability to rack up strikeouts and ground balls seemed to give him appeal to other clubs around the league. For his career, he’s thrown 176 1/3 innings over this season and the previous four. His 4.80 ERA isn’t terribly enticing, but he has struck out 24.6% of batters he’s faced as well as inducing grounders at a 56.4% clip. His 12.2% walk rate has put a damper on his overall results, though.
This year, through 12 innings, the pattern is largely intact. His 6.00 ERA comes with a 22.2% strikeout rate, 65.6% ground ball rate and 13% walk rate. However, he’s been undone by a 25% HR/FB ratio. That’s a small sample, but it comes at a time when power is down across the league.
Given the interest he’s garnered in the past, it seems likely that he’ll latch on somewhere. He qualified for arbitration for the first time and is making a salary of $850K this year, just a hair above the $700K league minimum. He came into the season with three years and 75 days of service time and still has a pair of option years, meaning he could certainly be of interest to teams lacking in lefty bullpen depth.
Blue Jays Activate Hyun Jin Ryu, Danny Jansen
The Blue Jays announced a series of roster moves today, with lefty Hyun Jin Ryu and catcher Danny Jansen being activated from the injured list. In corresponding moves, catcher Tyler Heineman and righty Trent Thornton have been optioned to Triple-A Buffalo.
Ryu was only able to make two starts this year before elbow inflammation landed him on the IL. Both of them were poor outings, with Ryu allowing at least five earned runs in each. The Jays are surely hoping that Ryu can bounce back so that those results can be chalked up to the injury. In 169 innings last year, Ryu had a 4.37 ERA, with a diminished 20.4% strikeout rate but strong walk rate of 5.3%. His return to the rotation should bump Ross Stripling back into a long relief role in the bullpen, a role that Thornton had been filling in the interim.
Jansen’s season got off to a great start before an oblique injury put him on the shelf. In a tiny sample of three games, Jansen hit a couple of home runs and was slashing .571/.625/1.571 to start the season. Last year, he hit .223/.299/.473, wRC+ of 105 in 70 games. With Heineman’s option and Jansen’s activation, the club is still rolling with a three-catcher setup, as Jansen joins Alejandro Kirk and Zack Collins on the roster.
Rays Acquire Josh Roberson To Complete Louis Head Trade
The Rays announced to members of the media, including team broadcaster Neil Solondz, that they have acquired right-handed pitcher Josh Roberson as the player to be named later in the trade that sent Louis Head to the Marlins.
Roberson, 26, was selected by the Marlins in the 12th round of the 2017 draft, despite having had Tommy John surgery before the draft. As he’s climbed up the minor league ladder, he’s racked up huge strikeout numbers but also a fair share of walks. Last year, across four different levels of the minors, he threw 45 innings with a 6.40 ERA, 31.2% strikeout rate and 13.2% walk rate. So far this year, between A-ball and Double-A, he’s thrown 6 2/3 innings with a 6.75 ERA, ten Ks but also eight walks and a couple of wild pitches. A year ago, Eric Longenhagen of FanGraphs ranked Roberson the 33rd-best prospect in the Miami system, highlighting his “very nasty” breaking ball. (FanGraphs hasn’t yet released their Marlins prospect list for this year.) The Rays will try to sprinkle some of their magic dust on him in order to try to improve that control and turn him into another weapon for their pitching staff.
As for Head, he’s had good results for the Marlins so far this year, despite concerning peripherals. In a small sample of ten innings on the year, his ERA is a tidy 1.80. Last year’s 23.9% strikeout rate has dropped to 16.3% this year, with his walk rate jumping from 6.7% to 11.6%. He has been getting more worm burners, though, with his ground ball rate jumping from 31.1% to 40%.
Pirates To Hire Jason Kendall
Jason Kendall is rejoining the Pirates, as the club is going to be hiring him to a player developmental role, reports Rob Biertempfel of The Athletic. As noted by Biertempfel, the move isn’t technically official yet, with Kendall’s job still not having a title. Semantics aside, the duties will seemingly revolve around working with the club’s minor leaguers. “Put it this way, you’ll see me around,” Kendall says. He later elaborated: “I told the Pirates whatever they want me to do, I’ll do it. I’ll go down and watch minor-league teams and certain players. Catching is what I know, but I also can talk to the kids as someone who’s been there, done that.”
Of course, this is a homecoming for Kendall, 47, as he was drafted by the Pirates in the first round of the 1992 draft and spent the first nine years of his career with the black and yellow. “It just feels like I’m back home,” Kendall said. “This is the team that drafted me. This is the city that watched me grow up through good times and bad times.”
After retiring in 2012, Kendall worked as a special assistant coach with the Royals from 2012 to 2018. In late 2019, he expressed his interest in taking over the vacant manager position in Pittsburgh after the firing of Clint Hurdle. However, that job eventually went to Derek Shelton, who is now in his third season as the Bucs’ skipper.
The Pirates have performed quite poorly since Shelton took over, though that’s no fault of his. The club has been clearly in rebuild mode for quite some time. With the team focused on the future instead of the present, player development will be extremely important for the organization, especially given their low-spending habits. Up until the recent extension of Ke’Bryan Hayes, the club’s largest contract was the $60MM extension given to Kendall himself way back in the year 2000. That means that the work of the team’s player development staff, which now includes Kendall, will be a key factor in the trajectory of the club in the years to come.