A’s To Place Stephen Piscotty On 10-Day Injured List
The Athletics will be placing outfielder Stephen Piscotty on the 10-day injured list due to a Grade 1 calf strain, manager Mark Kotsay told reporters (including MLB.com’s Martin Gallegos). Piscotty suffered the injury while running the bases in Friday’s game, and had to be removed in the second inning.
Due to an earlier stint on the COVID-19 list, Piscotty has played in only 14 games this season, hitting .225/.340/.325 over his 47 plate appearances. With a 105 wRC+/106 OPS+, Piscotty is one of the few batters with above-average offensive production for the struggling A’s, though the outfielder hasn’t produced much at the plate over the previous three seasons. Injuries have hampered Piscotty in that time and he’ll now make another trip to the IL, though if there is any silver lining, a Grade 1 is the least-serious type of calf strain.
The A’s will have a ready-made replacement for Piscotty in the outfield, as Ramon Laureano is eligible to be reinstated to the active roster tomorrow. Laureano was issued an 80-game PED suspension last August, so he missed the remainder of the 2021 season and the first 27 games of this season. It isn’t quite a sure thing that Laureano is activated, however, as he has only a .462 OPS over 44 PA since beginning a Triple-A rehab assignment two weeks ago — Oakland might opt to give Laureano a bit more of a tune-up period in the minors before bringing him back to Major League action.
Brewers Place Andrew McCutchen On COVID List
4:34PM: McCutchen did test positive for the coronavirus, manager Craig Counsell told MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy and other reporters.
4:18PM: The Brewers have placed outfielder Andrew McCutchen on the COVID-related injury list. Utilityman Mike Brosseau has been called up from Triple-A while McCutchen is sidelined.
It isn’t yet known if McCutchen has tested positive for COVID-19 or if his placement is merely precautionary due to symptoms or a close-contact situation. If the latter, the veteran outfielder could be back in Milwaukee’s lineup as early as tomorrow. If McCutchen has tested positive, he’ll miss at least 10 days unless he can deliver two negative tests, go at least 24 hours without a fever, and get approved by a panel of three physicians (a team doctor, a league-approved doctor, and a players’ union-approved doctor).
After signing a one-year, $8.5MM free agent deal to join the Brew Crew, McCutchen has yet to really get going, hitting a modest .240/.291/.350 with two home runs over his first 110 plate appearances in a Brewers uniform. McCutchen has mostly worked as the designated hitter, so Milwaukee is likely to rotate several regulars through the DH spot in his absence, with Brosseau, Tyrone Taylor, and Jace Peterson filling holes around the diamond or getting some DH time themselves.
Minor MLB Transactions: 5/7/22
Today’s minor moves from around baseball…
- The Reds outrighted Aristides Aquino to Triple-A after the outfielder cleared waivers. Aquino was designated for assignment last week, a move Cincinnati had to make in order to demote Aquino since he is out of minor league options. Aquino had only a .215 OPS over his first 43 plate appearances, with two hits in 41 at-bats.
Giants Reinstate Brandon Belt, Dominic Leone From COVID List
The Giants have reinstated first baseman Brandon Belt and right-hander Dominic Leone from the COVID-related injured list. Infielder Jason Vosler and righty Sean Hjelle were optioned to Triple-A in the corresponding roster moves.
Belt and Leone return after positive COVID-19 tests sidelined the duo on April 29. Both were off to strong starts — Belt hit .242/.367/.470 with four home runs over his first 79 plate appearances, while Leone had a 2.57 ERA over his first eight innings out of the Giants bullpen.
With Belt moving back to his customary first base spot, Wilmer Flores (who had been filling in at first base) is likely to slide across the diamond and take over at third now that Vosler is back in Triple-A. Evan Longoria has yet to play this season due to finger surgery, but the veteran is on a minor league rehab assignment and could be close to his 2022 debut.
Red Sox Notes: Sale, Paxton, Whitlock, Hill, Hernandez, Duran
With the Red Sox struggling, it will still be a while before two big reinforcements are back on the mound. Boston chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom told reporters (including The Boston Globe’s Julian McWilliams and MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith) today that Chris Sale‘s rehab from a stress fracture in his ribcage has been delayed by another medical issue, one not related to baseball or to COVID-19. Sale has yet to resume throwing, and his return from the 60-day injured list is now expected for late June.
James Paxton is also dealing with some posterior elbow soreness, which is concerning since Paxton is just over a year removed from Tommy John surgery. That rehab was already expected to keep Paxton from returning until around June or July, though this latest soreness could very well push back Paxton’s timeline, even though the southpaw is expected to resume throwing soon.
Paxton signed a one-year “swellopt” contract with Boston prior to the lockout, which will pay the left-hander $10MM in guaranteed money in 2022, and potentially up to $32MM over the 2022-24 seasons depending on whether or not the Red Sox exercise a pair of club options. Naturally, the deal was signed with the knowledge that Paxton would miss a good chunk of the 2022 season, but Boston’s 10-17 record to date might change the equation. While there is still plenty of time left for the Sox to turn things around, falling too far back in the competitive AL East might lead Bloom and company to consider selling at the trade deadline.
Sale is no stranger to Tommy John recoveries, as a TJ procedure sidelined Sale for the entire 2020 season and delayed his 2021 debut until August. Since elbow problems also shut Sale down early in the 2019 campaign, the veteran lefty has pitched only 51 2/3 innings (in the regular season and postseason) since August 14, 2019.
Nathan Eovaldi, Michael Wacha, and Rich Hill have all pitched very well in Boston’s rotation this year, while Nick Pivetta has struggled and Garrett Whitlock and Tanner Houck have split duties as both starters and relievers. Whitlock has been the better of the two, and Bloom said that Whitlock will be officially moved into the starting five while Hill is sidelined with a positive COVID-19 test.
Whitlock will start Tuesday’s game against the Braves, which will mark his fourth consecutive start. Thus far, Whitlock has been just about as dominant in the rotation as he has in the bullpen, with a 1.50 ERA over his first 12 innings as a starting pitcher. The Sox have been gradually building Whitlock’s pitch counts over those three starts, and he could now be close to being stretched out enough to operate in a more normal starting capacity.
Both Hill and Enrique Hernandez were placed on the COVID-related IL yeterday, though Hernandez was already activated today, as his symptoms weren’t coronavirus-related. In the corresponding move, Jarren Duran was optioned back to Triple-A after a one-game appearance in the Show. Duran tripled and walked as part of a 1-for-4 performance in Boston’s 4-2 loss to the White Sox last night.
Phillies Place Didi Gregorius On 10-Day IL, Promote Bryson Stott
The Phillies announced that shortstop Didi Gregorius has been placed on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to May 5. Gregorius is dealing with a left knee sprain. He’ll be replaced on the active roster by Bryson Stott, who has been called up from Triple-A Lehigh Valley.
While Gregorius’ .288/.338/.356 slash line over 65 plate appearances isn’t anything overwhelming, it does count as above-average production (102 wRC+, 105 OPS+) within an offensively-challenged 2022 season. At the very least, it does represent a step up from Gregorius’ disappointing numbers over his first season in Philadelphia, and that lack of performance left Gregorius’ starting status very much in question heading into this year.
Stott even broke camp with the Phillies out of Spring Training, a sign that the club was ready and willing to let the former first-rounder usurp Gregorius’ starting shortstop job entirely. However, Stott hit only .133/.161/.167 over his first 31 PA in the majors, and he was sent back to Triple-A for some more seasoning.
The top prospect seems to have gotten on track in the minors, as Stott has a .986 OPS over his 40 PA at the Triple-A level. This doesn’t necessarily mean that Stott will just slide right into regular duty with Gregorius out, as utilityman Johan Camargo is on hand for at least a timeshare and perhaps even the bulk of starting assignments at shortstop.
Mets Claim Gosuke Katoh From Blue Jays
The Mets have claimed infielder Gosuke Katoh off waivers from the Blue Jays, according to an announcement from Toronto. The Mets had a vacancy on the 40-man roster and immediately optioned him to Triple-A Syracuse.
Katoh, 27, signed a minor league deal with the Jays over the offseason. A nine-year minor league veteran, he got his first big league opportunity when Toronto selected him to break camp with the MLB club. That proved a brief stay, as Katoh was optioned to Triple-A before appearing in a game. He was quickly recalled thereafter and got into his first eight contents, collecting a double and three walks with just one strikeout in 11 plate appearances.
The Jays designated Katoh for assignment on Wednesday when the need for another pitcher arose. They’ll lose him to the Mets, who add a versatile defender with a solid Triple-A track record to the organization. The left-handed hitting Katoh has a .292/.383/.457 line in a bit more than 700 career Triple-A plate appearances. He’s walked in a robust 12.3% of his trips to the dish at the top rung of the minor league ladder.
Blue Jays Activate Teoscar Hernandez From Injured List
The Blue Jays announced they’ve reinstated Teoscar Hernández from the injured list. Toronto has an extra active roster spot for today’s doubleheader against the Guardians, so no further move was necessary.
Hernández is back a little more than three weeks after landing on the shelf with a mild oblique strain. The star outfielder had played in only six games before going down. He’d collected six hits and a pair of walks in 23 plate appearances, a strong start to build off his middle-of-the-order output of the previous two seasons. Between 2020-21, Hernández compiled a .295/.345/.538 slash line. By measure of wRC+, that was the 26th-best production on a rate basis in the majors (among those with at least 500 plate appearances).
That kind of hitting would go a long way towards solidifying the Jays’ offense among the league’s best. Toronto’s lineup has been middle-of-the-pack through the season’s first month, a disappointing outcome considering the talent on the roster. That’s at least partially attributable to oblique strains for both Hernández and catcher Danny Jansen.
While the former has been out of commission, Raimel Tapia has stepped into the primary outfield. That hasn’t gone well, with the offseason trade acquisition limping to a .212/.227/.282 line in his first 90 plate appearances with the Jays. Pushing Tapia back into a depth role behind the starting outfield of Lourdes Gurriel Jr., George Springer and Hernández should be a dramatic upgrade on offense.
Dodgers Select Robbie Erlin
The Dodgers are planning to select left-hander Robbie Erlin onto the big league roster, the team informed reporters (including Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times). They won’t need to make a corresponding move. Erlin will serve as the 27th man for today’s doubleheader against the Cubs, and they already have a pair of vacancies on the 40-man roster.
Erlin is back in the big leagues for the first time since 2020. A former division rival, the 2009 third-round pick spent the 2013-19 seasons as a swing option for the Padres. A quality strike-thrower, he didn’t miss many bats but he rarely handed out free passes or served up home runs. Erlin posted a cumulative 4.57 ERA in that time, but he missed most of 2016 and all of the 2017 season because of Tommy John surgery.
Upon returning, Erlin assumed more of a multi-inning relief role. He started 12 of 39 outings in 2018 and worked 55 1/3 frames over 37 appearances the following season. He split the shortened 2020 campaign between the Pirates and Braves, struggling to an 8.10 ERA in 26 2/3 innings over nine games.
Last year, Erlin joined the Nippon-Ham Fighters in Japan. He tossed 38 innings of 3.32 ERA ball before returning stateside on a minor league deal with the Dodgers. The 31-year-old has started three of his five outings with Triple-A Oklahoma City, allowing 15 runs in 21 2/3 frames with 20 strikeouts and nine walks.
Presumably, Erlin will take on a long relief role in L.A., given the strength of the Dodgers’ starting staff. The bullpen has also been excellent in the early going, posting a 2.65 ERA that ranks third-lowest in MLB. However, Los Angeles lost star reliever Blake Treinen to the injured list a couple weeks ago, and his recovery from shoulder soreness isn’t going as hoped. Manager Dave Roberts told reporters (including Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register) the righty is headed for an MRI early next week as he continues to deal with discomfort.
Health Notes: Gray, Murphy, Flaherty, Soroka
The Twins announced this morning that Sonny Gray has been activated from the injured list to start today’s game against the A’s, with Cole Sands optioned out in a corresponding move. Gray has been out of action since April 16, when he left a start in the second inning due to a right hamstring strain. Acquired from the Reds as the Twins’ biggest rotation pickup of the offseason, Gray has made just a pair of starts with his new club. Despite his three-week absence, Minnesota has gotten excellent production out of their starting staff thus far. Twins starters rank sixth in MLB in ERA (3.12) and eighth in strikeout/walk rate differential (17.1 percentage points). Joe Ryan, Bailey Ober, Chris Archer, Chris Paddack and highly-regarded prospect Josh Winder each have an ERA of 3.26 or lower; Dylan Bundy is currently on the COVID-19 injured list, but the Twins could have an interesting call on how the rotation should be comprised once Bundy returns.
Some other injury updates around the league:
- Mariners catcher Tom Murphy left last night’s game against the Rays after dislocating his shoulder on a tag attempt at home plate. After the game, skipper Scott Servais said Murphy will be out for a while (via Corey Brock of the Athletic). The team will presumably provide a more specific timetable in the coming days, but it’s all but certain he’ll head to the injured list before tonight’s contest. The M’s optioned Opening Day backstop Cal Raleigh to Triple-A last week, and it’s likely he’ll be recalled to pair with Luis Torrens behind the dish. Murphy had been off to an excellent start to the year, reaching base in 18 of his first 42 plate appearances.
- Cardinals ace Jack Flaherty is set to throw a bullpen session before tonight’s game against the Giants, tweets Katie Woo of the Athletic. She notes that it’s Flaherty’s first bullpen work since he was shut down from throwing in Spring Training due to shoulder bursitis. It’s obviously a notable step in the righty’s recovery timeline, but manager Oli Marmol cautioned the club was prepared for a “pretty lengthy (rehab) progression” and still doesn’t have a target date for his return. Flaherty missed a month last season because of a shoulder strain (in addition to a longer absence on account of an oblique issue), so it’s wholly unsurprising the team is proceeding with caution. St. Louis has managed an impressive 3.15 rotation ERA — albeit with more pedestrian peripherals — in the absence of arguably their top starter.
- Braves right-hander Mike Soroka hasn’t thrown an MLB pitch since August 2020, the result of successive Achilles ruptures that have sidetracked a fantastic start to his young career. The most recent of his surgeries occurred last June and came with an estimated year-long recovery timeline, and he opened this season on the injured list. Soroka remains on track in his rehab, he and manager Brian Snitker informed reporters yesterday (via Justin Toscano of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Mark Bowman of MLB.com). The right-hander has thrown off a mound without issue around five times, and he’s soon to begin pitcher-fielding practice. The club is still hoping he can make it back to the majors shortly after the All-Star Break, and Toscano notes they’re not considering transitioning him to relief to expedite his return.