Angels Place Archie Bradley On 10-Day Injured List
The Angels placed reliever Archie Bradley on the 10-day injured list with a left abdominal strain, per Jeff Fletcher of the SoCal News Group (via Twitter). Elvis Peguero has been recalled to take his roster spot.
Bradley signed a one-year, $3.75MM contract to join the Angels bullpen this season. The 29-year-old is off to a rough start, yielding seven earned runs on eight hits and two walks while striking out seven over 8 2/3 innings. The Angels would be fair to expect quite a bit more from Bradley, who posted a 3.71 ERA/4.35 FIP over 51 frames last season for the Phillies.
Peguero, 25, has impressed in Triple-A this season with a 1.74 ERA in six appearances covering 10 1/3 innings with an impressive 13-to-3 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Peguero joined the Angels organization from the Yankees as part of the Andrew Heaney deal.
A’s Claim Domingo Tapia From Royals, Designate Mickey McDonald For Assignment
The A’s have claimed right-hander Domingo Tapia off of waivers from the Royals and optioned him to Triple-A Las Vegas, the team announced. To make room on the 40-man roster, the Athletics designated Mickey McDonald for assignment.
Tapia, 30, has not appeared with the Royals this season. He appeared with the Royals, Mariners, and Red Sox over the past two seasons, however. Tapia owns a career 2.61 ERA over 38 innings between the three teams, notching most of that experience with the Royals last season.
McDonald, 27, has walked twice but failed to notch a base hit in his first six plate appearances. The switch-hitter doesn’t hit for power, but he did put together a .305/.402/.390 line in 430 plate appearances with Double-A and Triple-A last season. He’s likely to pass through waivers and return to the A’s Triple-A affiliate in Las Vegas.
Padres To Sign Shogo Akiyama To Minors Deal
The Padres have reached an agreement to sign former Reds outfielder Shogo Akiyama to a minor league deal, per The Athletic’s C. Trent Rosecrans (via Twitter).
There were rumors even earlier today that the Seibu Lions were interested in bringing Akiyama back to the organization where he made his name, but the Japanese outfielder apparently is not yet done with Major League Baseball. With the Reds, he made 183 trips to the plate in each of 2020 and 2021, hitting a combined .224/.320/.274 in that time.
The Padres seem almost continually to shuffle their roster in reaction to injury. So long as Trent Grisham remains healthy, he’ll be the man in center field, though health has been an issue at times for Grisham. With Wil Myers recently going on the injured list, however, it’s been a new collection of bodied patrolling the grass including Matt Beaty, Trayce Thompson, and Jose Azocar. Akiyama could provide necessary depth in this area.
Giants Acquire Mike Ford From Mariners For Cash Considerations
The Mariners have traded Mike Ford to the Giants in exchange for cash considerations, per a team announcement. Ford had been designated for assignment by Seattle. Ford has been added to the Giants active roster.
In a corresponding move, the Giants have optioned outfielder Ka’ai Tom to Triple-A, per MLB.com’s Maria I. Guardado (via Twitter). Tom, 28, had made just one plate appearance for the Giants. Tom bounced around last season after the A’s got him from the Guardians as a Rule 5 pick. The Pirates claimed him off waivers when Oakland readied to send him back to Cleveland. He finished out the season with Pittsburgh, who released him over the winter.
In Ford, the Giants get a little more coverage for the absence of Brandon Belt at first base. Ford, like Tom, has bounced around over the past year. He has only appeared in the Majors with the Yankees, however, with whom he suited up in each of the past three seasons. In the past year, Ford has appeared in Triple-A for the Yankees, Rays, Nationals, and Mariners. Ford owns a career .199/.301/.422 line in 319 plate appearances.
Twins Place Bailey Ober On Injured List, Recall Cole Sands
The Twins have placed starter Bailey Ober on the 10-day injured list with a right groin strain, per MLB.com’s Do-Hyoung Park (via Twitter). In a corresponding move, Cole Sands has been recalled from Triple-A to make his Major League debut.
Ober has gotten off to a strong start for Minnesota, making four starts and posting a 2.75 ERA/3.56 FIP spanning 19 2/3 innings. He’d lasted at least five innings in each of his first three before being pulled early due to the injury.
Sands had an excellent season in Double-A last year, posting a 2.46 ERA in 80 1/3 innings. He hasn’t gotten off to quite that grand of a start in Triple-A, but the sample is small after just 12 2/3 innings. He is the Twins 15th-ranked prospect per Baseball America.
Quick Hits: Musgrove, Alford, Kreidler, Arenado
The Padres and Joe Musgrove remain far apart in their potential extension talks. The latest offer from San Diego was reportedly in the ballpark of an eight-year deal with an $11MM AAV, per The Athletic’s Dennis Lin and Ken Rosenthal. The length of the deal is somewhat surprising for the 29-year-old Musgrove, though the overall value is probably south of what the righty is seeking. Musgrove was arguably the Friars’ most reliable starter last season, tossing 181 1/3 innings with a 3.18 ERA/3.70 FIP, 27.1% strikeout rate, 7.2% walk rate, and 43.5% groundball rate. He is a free agent at the end of the year.
- Outfielder Anthony Alford has cleared waivers and joined the Pirates Triple-A affiliate in Indianapolis, per Jason Mackey of PG Sports Now (via Twitter). Alford has appeared in the Majors in each season going back to 2017, including this one. The 27-year-old went 1-4 in two games. He made 148 plate appearances last season, a career high, slashing .233/.311/.406, good for a 93 wRC+. Alford’s ability to man all three outfield spots could be a factor in finding his way back to the bigs, either for the Pirates or elsewhere later in the season.
- Tigers prospect Ryan Kreidler suffered a right hand fracture that will knock the Triple-A infielder out indefinitely, per Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press. The 24-year-old had yet to make his Major League debut, though with a .246/.346/.462 line through 78 plate appearances in Triple-A, he was on his way.
- Nolan Arenado was able to cut his suspension from two games down to one, per The Athletic’s Katie Woo (via Twitter). He will serve the suspension today, per MLB.com’s John Denton (via Twitter). The Cardinals third baseman was suspended for his part in a bench-clearing brawl with the Mets. The tiff was sparked by a high-and-tight fastball on Arenado from Yoan Lopez.
Reds Notes: Overton, Hendrix, Akiyama
The Reds will purchase Connor Overton‘s contract from Triple-A today, per Bobby Nightenale of the Cincinnati Enquirer (via Twitter). Overton will get the start in tonight’s game against the Rockies. Overton made his big league debut last year, splitting the year between the Blue Jays and Pirates. Between the two stops, he tossed 15 1/3 innings over nine appearances (3 starts) with a 4.70 ERA/3.89 FIP.
Reliever Ryan Hendrix, who was designated for assignment, has cleared waivers and been outrighted to Triple-A, per Nightengale. The 27-year-old struggled through five relief appearances, serving up three earned runs over 4 1/3 innings.
Former Red Shogo Akiyama may soon find a new home: his old home. The Seibu Lions have expressed interest in signing Akiyama, per Jason Cockrey (via Twitter). Akiyama played for the Lions from 2011 to 2019, when he moved to the States for two seasons with the Reds. He was released earlier this year in the final season of his contract.
Angels Notes: Maddon, Fletcher, Ward
Angels manager Joe Maddon signed a three-year, $12MM contract when hired over the 2019-20 offseason. Headed into year three, the longtime big league skipper is in a lame duck situation. Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports, however, that the contract also contains a $4MM option for next season that would vest if the Angels reach the World Series.
That may not wind up being an especially meaningful provision. After all, if the Angels win the American League pennant, it’d stand to reason owner Arte Moreno and general manager Perry Minasian would want to keep Maddon around on a long-term deal anyhow. Nevertheless, Heyman writes that the team “deferred discussion” on a possible contract extension over this past offseason. The Angels finished below .500 in each of Maddon’s first two seasons at the helm, but they’ve gotten off to an excellent 14-7 start in 2022. The 68-year-old Maddon is amidst his 17th consecutive season as an MLB manager; he has overseen eight playoff teams, including a 2008 AL pennant winner in Tampa Bay and the Cubs’ 2016 World Series team.
In other news out of Anaheim:
- The Angels activated David Fletcher from the injured list prior to this evening’s win over the White Sox. He returned to the starting lineup, getting the nod at shortstop and hitting a pair of doubles. Fletcher went on the IL on April 12 with a left hip strain and spent a little less than three weeks on the shelf. The 27-year-old was the Angels’ primary second baseman last season, but all five of his starts this year have come at shortstop. Matt Duffy and Tyler Wade have been the top options at the keystone, and both players have gotten off to nice starts. Andrew Velazquez, who saw the bulk of the shortstop time while Fletcher was out, has struggled. The Halos optioned Jack Mayfield to Triple-A Salt Lake to create active roster space for Fletcher, seemingly leaving Duffy and Wade as the second base tandem with Velazquez as utility depth.
- Taylor Ward has been one of the league’s most surprising performers in the early going. After opening the season on the injured list due to a groin strain, the 28-year-old returned to action on April 16. Ward has tallied 58 plate appearances in the two weeks since then and has gotten off to a blistering .404/.517/.830 start. He’s connected on five home runs and has a massive 19% walk rate, and the Halos have responded by pushing him to the top of the lineup. Ward discussed his hot start with Sam Blum of the Athletic this week, pointing to a more deliberate and selective approach in the batter’s box for his excellent results. Obviously, Ward isn’t going to continue to produce at this otherworldly level, but he quietly had an above-average .250/.332/.438 showing in 65 games last season. Even before his early-season tear, Maddon had declared Ward his primary right fielder. Each of Ward, Mike Trout and Brandon Marsh have hit the ground running, and the Angels have gotten by far the best outfield production of any team in MLB through the season’s first month.
Big Hype Prospects: 4/29/22
Welcome to Big Hype Prospects. Every Friday, we’ll use this space to look at a select few top prospects. Some will already be in the Majors. Others will be making their way towards a promotion. And, occasionally, we’ll catch a guy at just the right time for their debut. Speaking of which, we have one of those below.
Five Big Hype Prospects
Kyle Bradish, 25, SP, BAL (AAA)
15 IP, 1.20 ERA, 10.20 K/9, 1.80 BB/9
Bradish started tonight’s game against the Boston Red Sox. The right-hander, originally acquired in the Dylan Bundy trade, features a four-pitch repertoire headlined by a 95-mph fastball. Like many pitchers of this era, he works up in the zone with his heater. Multiple scouting reports mention he’s not good at locating the pitch lower in the zone. That’s fine – a high fastball pairs well with most breaking balls. Bradish throws two – a vertically-oriented curveball and a sweeping slider. Like many pitching prospects, his changeup rates as a definite fourth-best offering. Beyond his stuff, a key aspect of his success is a funky delivery (rear view and front view). Scouts note Bradish tends to work deep counts. We should expect relatively short starts on average.
Something to monitor is his ability to generate called and swinging strikes. While the top-level results from his three minor league starts were golden, the ways he succeeded varied. He didn’t draw many whiffs in the first two starts. His third appearance included plenty of misses, but he also allowed three runs. Bradish should be considered to have a wide range of plausible outcomes.
Oneil Cruz, 23, SS, PIT (AAA)
74 PA, 1 HR, 6 SB, /197/.284/.318
When Tim Dierkes suggested I write this column last weekend, he not-so-subtly used Cruz as an example. His brief 2021 debut included a ball hit 118.2-mph. Only six players produced a harder-hit baseball – Giancarlo Stanton, Manny Machado, Shohei Ohtani, Aaron Judge, Franchy Cordero, and Pete Alonso. Cruz needed just five batted balls to join them. His size and batted ball profile are reminiscent of Judge – if the Yankees slugger could play a passable shortstop and steal bases too!
The Pirates broke our hearts by optioning Cruz to Triple-A so he could work on his “outfield defense.” Notably, he has played only two games in left field. The rest of his starts have come at shortstop. Which makes sense – the Pirates don’t really have a notable shortstop, and Cruz is a perfectly acceptable defender.
While the defense excuse fell flat, it does appear Cruz can benefit from more seasoning. Aside from his six steals, he’s struggling offensively. His 31.1 percent strikeout rate is bloated when compared to a 12.1 percent swinging strike rate. Often, this indicates some type of passivity. I suspect he’s taking too many hittable early-count pitches. His batted ball data is also strange. I don’t have access to granular information on minor league batted balls, but we can see he’s hit 51.2 percent of his contact to the opposite field. Most of the rest is pull side with very few balls hit up the middle. Such extremes are virtually never observed in successful Major Leaguers. That’s not to say Cruz is doomed. If anything, his batted ball outcomes will probably regress toward normality. It’s also worth noting he’s a physical unicorn. Perhaps he’ll also statistically thrive in a truly unique way.
For now, Cruz is a hot streak away from a promotion. He’s shown a pulse over the last six days (.231/.286/.385).
Adley Rutschman, 24, C, BAL (A+)
7 PA, .167./.286/.333
Rutschman quietly began a rehab assignment earlier this week. The FanGraphs prospect crew gave him a rare 70-FV grade, essentially stating they believe he’s already one of the best players in the sport. He’s a switch-hitter with above average discipline and contact skills. He’s also lauded for his defensive chops behind the plate. If his game has weaknesses, it’s merely-good power and below average speed. Based on a batted ball profile oriented to fly ball contact, he should still push 20 or more home runs annually in a full season.
The Orioles have two potential paths to follow. It’s expected that, once promoted, Rutschman will be in the Majors for good. The club could try to hold off until sometime in July, thereby dodging Super Two status. A likelier outcome, based on comments made by GM Mike Elias, is a rapid climb from High- to Triple-A followed by a quick promotion to the Majors. Prior to injury, the Orioles signaled willingness to promote him on Opening Day. The present tandem of Robinson Chirinos and Anthony Bemboom has 10 hits in 71 plate appearances and lacks Rutschman’s defensive capacity.
Triston Casas, 22, 1B, BOS (AAA)
88 PA, 4 HR, .225/.354/.437
The 8-12 Red Sox have a bit of a conundrum. Casas, their top prospect, is off to a respectable start at Triple-A. Meanwhile, Bobby Dalbec has struggled mightily in the Majors. Dalbec is a hot-and-cold hitter who slumped through the entire first half of 2021 before emerging as one of the top sluggers in the second half. His power-driven approach is volatile and could possibly benefit from a jump-start in Triple-A.
Casas features elite plate discipline. Scouts drool over his breaking ball recognition. Oddly, he’s running a 19.4 percent swinging strike rate this season, a sign his much-ballyhooed pitch-recognition isn’t in top form at the moment. Even so, Casas could be on the shortlist for promotion. His approach offers a higher floor than that of Dalbec, which could help the team to win more ballgames in the short term.
Corbin Carroll, 21, OF, ARI (AA)
79 PA, 4 HR, 5 SB, .344/.456/.641
In the Majors, we usually point to elevated BABIPs as a reason why a hitter will probably regress. For a minor leaguer, it just as often signals when they’re done with a level. Thus, Carroll’s .429 BABIP leads me to believe he’s ready for a promotion. Although he’s only the 19th-ranked prospect by MLB Pipeline – one spot below teammate Alek Thomas – scouts I’ve spoken with believe he may be the number one prospect in baseball once Bobby Witt Jr., Julio Rodriguez, Spencer Torkelson, and Rutschman are no longer qualified. The skill set is even more exciting for fantasy baseball enthusiasts. Carroll, a lefty, combines discipline and contact skills already believed to be above the Major League average with elite speed and gap power. He’s credited with a line-to-line approach, although he can also generate potent, pulled contact.
The present trajectory is of a high-average and OBP hitter with potential for 15-25 home runs and over 25 stolen bases. Barring injury or an unforeseen setback at Triple-A, we should see him later this season.
Five More
Alek Thomas (22): While Carroll may be the spicier prospect, Thomas is already on the cusp of promotion to the Majors. He’s hitting .263/.329/.500 in 85 Triple-A plate appearances.
Nolan Gorman (22): Is anyone hotter than Gorman? He’s already bashed 10 home runs in 77 plate appearances. A 32.5 percent strikeout rate partly backed by a 14.2 percent swinging strike rate is the only blemish to his .343/.390/.800 triple-slash. A suspension of Nolan Arenado could be an excuse for a brief trial run.
Grayson Rodriguez (22): The top pitching prospect in the minors has nothing left to prove in Triple-A. Baltimore is carefully managing his workload. He’s yet to face 20 batters in a game. He has a 2.45 ERA with 13.75 K/9 and 1.47 BB/9.
Bobby Witt Jr. (21): Even Mike Trout wasn’t great in his debut. Witt Jr. has shown a pulse over his last seven games, hitting .310/.333/.379 with three steals in four attempts. The power will play sooner or later.
C.J. Abrams (21): Abrams skipped Triple-A and it shows. Once Luke Voit and/or Wil Myers are healthy, Abrams could be sent to the farm to get back on track.
Giants Place Brandon Belt, Dominic Leone On Injured List
The Giants announced a series of roster moves before tonight’s matchup with the Nationals. First baseman Brandon Belt and reliever Dominic Leone have each tested positive for COVID-19 and were placed on the injured list. Outfielders Jason Krizan and Ka’ai Tom and reliever Mauricio Llovera have each been selected onto the major league roster. Additionally, San Francisco released recently-claimed southpaw Darien Núñez.
Under the league’s 2022 health-and-safety protocols, players who test positive are subject to a 10-day absence from the club, though 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). Belt and Leone join outfielder Mike Yastrzemski and reliever Zack Littell on the Giants’ COVID list.
San Francisco is down two notable pieces to both the lineup and the bullpen. Belt, one of the game’s best hitters from 2020-21, has again gotten off to an excellent start. The 34-year-old is hitting .242/.367/.470 with four homers through 79 plate appearances. Leone, meanwhile, has fired seven innings of three-run ball with eight strikeouts and one walk through the season’s first few weeks.
The Giants didn’t specify whether the three players selected today are designated COVID “substitutes,” although it seems likely that’ll be the case. This season, the commissioner’s office has sole discretion to determine whether a team’s “ability to field a competitive team” has been sufficiently impacted by the virus to warrant temporary replacements. In that event, those “substitute” players could be removed from the 40-man roster and returned to the minor leagues without having to clear waivers as the team gets back to health. Given that the Giants have lost four players to positive tests in fairly rapid succession, it seems likely the league would afford them that luxury.
While it may not be under ideal circumstances, it’s no doubt a rewarding day for Krizan. Selected by the Tigers out of Dallas Baptist in 2011, the left-handed hitting corner outfielder has spent 11 years in the minor leagues. That includes parts of seven seasons at Triple-A, where Krizan has a career .276/.347/.412 line in more than 400 games. He had an impressive .316/.367/.492 showing with the Giants’ top affiliate in Sacramento last year. Krizan hasn’t gotten off to a great start with the River Cats this season, but his established track record in the minors earns him his first big league call a couple months shy of his 33rd birthday.
Tom and Llovera both joined the organization on minor league deals. The former is a left-handed hitter who tallied his first 133 MLB plate appearances as a Rule 5 pick of the Pirates last year. Tom struggled to a .139/.278/.231 line and was eventually let go by Pittsburgh, but he’s generally been an excellent offensive player in the minors. He’s off to a .327/.387/.509 start at Sacramento.
Llovera pitched in seven big league games with the Phillies between 2020-21. He allowed 11 runs in just 7 2/3 innings, although he did average north of 94 MPH on his fastball. The 26-year-old is off to an excellent start with his new organization, having tossed 10 2/3 scoreless innings in Triple-A. Llovera has fanned 14 batters while issuing just a pair of walks.
The Giants’ decision to release Núñez comes as a surprise. San Francisco just grabbed him off waivers from the Dodgers on Wednesday. Núñez had recently undergone Tommy John surgery, and it seemed as if the Giants were content to stash him on the 60-day injured list while he recovered in hopes of hanging onto his long-term contractual rights.
For whatever reason, San Francisco has decided to go in a different direction. Injured players can’t be outrighted, so San Francisco had to release Núñez to take him off the 40-man roster if they weren’t going to keep him on the IL. If he passes through release waivers unclaimed, he’ll be a free agent.