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Brewers Notes: Shaw, Fisher, Houser, Cain, Black

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Travis Shaw can opt out of his minor league contract with the Brewers tomorrow but it seems very likely that the team will include Shaw on its Opening Day roster, according to Tom Haudricourt and Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.  Officially selecting Shaw’s contract would guarantee the veteran a $1.5MM salary for the coming season, and the Brewers would have to make another corresponding move to open up a 40-man roster spot.  The left-handed hitting Shaw is expected to get the bulk of playing time at third base when a right-hander is on the mound, with Orlando Arcia, Daniel Robertson, and (if not at shortstop) Luis Urias all getting at-bats against southpaws.

More from the city of Giannis, Liberace, Laverne and Shirley…

  • Today’s Cactus League game with the Mariners saw both Derek Fisher and Adrian Houser leave early due to injury. According to the Brewers’ official announcement, “left hamstring discomfort” forced Fisher from the game after he scored from first base on a double, and manager Craig Counsell told Haudricourt and other reporters that Fisher will be out of action for a while.  The out-of-options Fisher was already facing some tough competition to win a roster job, and this injury setback could further hamper if not ruin his chances.  As for Houser, he left the game with right thumb discomfort, but both the hurler and Counsell felt it was a minor issue that shouldn’t much interrupt Houser’s preseason preparations.
  • In other injury news, Lorenzo Cain is expected to make his Spring Training debut by the weekend, Counsell told The Athletic’s Will Sammon and other reporters.  After opting out of much of the 2020 season, Cain’s return to the field has been slowed by a quad injury.  It remains to be seen how much time Cain will need to ramp up for the season, so an injured list placement probably still isn’t out of the question for at least the first week of the schedule.
  • Right-hander Ray Black will begin throwing off a mound by the end of the week, Counsell said, as Black will return to work after being shut down due to elbow inflammation.  The hard-throwing Black tossed only three innings over three games in 2020, missing much of the season due to a strain in his right rotator cuff.  Given his recent injury history, Black could very well be an IL candidate for Opening Day.

Sonny Gray Likely To Begin Season On Injured List

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Sonny Gray was scratched from a scheduled Cactus League outing today due to a recurring back issue that will likely put the right-handed on the injured list to begin the season.  Gray told The Cincinnati Enquirer’s Bobby Nightengale and other reporters that he has been dealing with back spasms for the past month, and since he’ll need time to ramp back up after being shut down for a few days, he will probably miss the season’s first week.

“The way we’ve all kind of thought about it was, do we take five or six days right now and completely try to knock it out so you’re a week behind to start the season or eight days or whatever it ends up being? Or do you just keep going and maybe it turns into a larger issue and then maybe you miss 10 starts,” Gray said.

Since IL placements can be backdated by three days, a minimum 10-day injured list visit would result in Gray missing the Reds’ first six games, thanks to an off-day in the schedule.  Since the Reds are also off on April 8, it would theoretically line Gray up for his season debut April 9 against the Diamondbacks if his injury recovery goes as planned.

As Gray noted, both he and the Reds surely want to be as cautious as possible, though Gray’s absence does create a larger void in Cincinnati’s rotation that has taken some hits in recent days.  Fifth starter candidate Tejay Antone left today’s game with a minor groin strain, while Wade Miley left a game earlier this week due to a hamstring injury.  While there has yet to be word the seriousness of these injuries, should IL placements also be required, the Reds would be starting the year with a provisional rotation of Luis Castillo, Tyler Mahle, Michael Lorenzen, Jeff Hoffman, and Jose De Leon.  Cincy picked up another arm today by claiming Carson Fulmer off waivers from the Pirates.

Rangers Prospect Bayron Lora In Car Accident

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MARCH 14: Lora has been released from the hospital, reports Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News (Twitter link). An investigation into the accident is ongoing.

MARCH 13: Rangers outfield prospect Bayron Lora is in hospital after a recent car accident in his native Dominican Republic, Hector Gomez of Deportivo Z 101 (Twitter links) reports.  One of the passengers in Lora’s car was killed in the collision.  Lora and the other passengers are in serious condition, though in a follow-up tweet, Gomez writes that Lora “has been recovering satisfactorily.”

The Rangers released a statement, saying “We are aware of the accident involving Bayron Lora and several other individuals today in the Dominican Republic. We are working to gather more information at this time. Our thoughts and prayers are with the individuals who were involved in this accident and with their families. We have will have no further comment until we have more information on the accident. Thank you for your understanding.”

The 18-year-old Lora signed with Texas during the 2019-20 international signing window, inking a deal that contained a $3.9MM bonus.  Lora was considered one of the top hitting prospects of the 2019-20 int’l class, with MLB Pipeline’s scouting report citing his “prodigious bat speed and strength.”  Pipeline ranks Lora 20th on its list of the Rangers’ top 30 prospects, and gave Texas fans a noteworthy comp in saying that Lora is “looks like Joey Gallo’s tag-team partner and produces similar exit velocities.”

NL Notes: Rodgers, Carrasco, Cardinals, Nationals

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Rockies infielder Brendan Rodgers left yesterday’s Spring Training contest after pulling up while trying to steal second base. He has since been diagnosed with a right hamstring strain, per Thomas Harding of MLB.com (Twitter link). It isn’t yet clear if the issue threatens his availability for Opening Day. If healthy, the former #3 overall pick looks to have a clear path to everyday playing time at second base. Should he be forced to miss time, Garrett Hampson or Josh Fuentes could stand to see an increased role (the latter at third base with Ryan McMahon playing the keystone). Chris Owings is also back in camp as a non-roster invitee and has plenty of second base experience.

More from the Senior Circuit:

Reds Claim Carson Fulmer

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The Reds announced they’ve claimed right-hander Carson Fulmer off waivers from the Pirates. Pittsburgh designated Fulmer for assignment last week to create 40-man roster space after acquiring Duane Underwood Jr.

Fulmer has pitched parts of five seasons at the major league level and has yet to find much success. Over 105 career innings, he has just a 6.34 ERA/5.41 SIERA. Fulmer has posted worse than average strikeout (18.9%), walk (13.9%) and groundball (37.5%) rates.

In spite of the poor results, the 27-year-old has continued to attract interest around the league. Within the past eight months, the former eighth overall pick has been claimed off waivers by the Tigers, Pirates (twice) and Orioles. In each situation, the claiming team had been near the top of the league by waiver priority. Fulmer fell a little farther down the waiver order this time around, but he’ll find another landing spot nonetheless.

It’s hardly a surprise to see the Reds put in a claim for Fulmer. The Cincinnati organization has been rather open about their affinity for pitchers with high spin rates, and Fulmer certainly qualifies. The 27-year-old sat in the 91st percentile in fastball spin and 88th percentile in curveball spin last season, per Statcast. While that has yet to translate to MLB performance, there’s no harm for the Reds in taking a flier. Fulmer is out of minor league options, so he’ll need to either break camp with the big league club or else again be offered to rival teams.

Stephen Strasburg Day-To-Day With Calf Injury

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2:23 pm: Fortunately, it seems there’s not much cause for concern. Strasburg felt some discomfort in his left calf but says the issue is “nothing major” (via Dougherty). “It’s not something that’s going to require any sort (of) long-term recovery. It’s definitely good news. So day-to-day,” Strasburg added.

1:23 pm: Nationals starter Stephen Strasburg left his Spring Training outing early this afternoon, Jesse Dougherty of the Washington Post was among those to note (video provided by Alex Fast of Pitcher List). He appeared to show discomfort in his lower half.

There’s no indication at this point the issue is particularly serious. A return to form from Strasburg is key to the Nats’ hopes of contending in the NL East in 2021. After shining in the regular season between 2017-19, he took his game to new heights in the 2019 playoffs, helping Washington to a championship and winning World Series MVP honors. Unfortunately, carpal tunnel syndrome limited Strasburg to just five innings over two starts in 2020.

The Nationals are hoping for Strasburg to join Max Scherzer, Patrick Corbin and Jon Lester in the season-opening rotation. The fifth spot remains undecided between Joe Ross and Erick Fedde, although Ross appears to have the inside track.

Austin Nola Fractures Finger

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Padres catcher Austin Nola has suffered a fractured left middle finger, manager Jayce Tingler announced to reporters (including AJ Cassavell of MLB.com and Dennis Lin of the Athletic). The injury occurred when Nola was struck with a foul tip during yesterday’s Spring Training contest, Tingler added. A definitive timetable will become clearer in a couple days.

With less than three weeks until Opening Day, it’s possible Nola will have to open the season on the injured list. If that’s the case, San Diego does have a capable replacement. Backup Víctor Caratini has a .250/.327/.372 line over the past four seasons and has generally rated well defensively. The 27-year-old also has a rapport with Yu Darvish, part of the reason he was acquired alongside the reigning NL Cy Young runner-up in this offseason’s blockbuster with the Cubs. Top prospect Luis Campusano is the only other catcher on the Padres’ 40-man roster. Campusano made his MLB debut last year due to the anomalous nature of the 2020 season but has only played one game above the High-A level.

While the Friars are more equipped than most teams to handle an absence to their top catcher, losing Nola for any extended period of time would be a difficult blow. Despite not making his MLB debut until his age-30 season in 2019, Nola has rather incredibly broken out as one of the sport’s most productive backstops over the past two seasons. He has a cumulative .271/.347/.461 slash between the Mariners and Padres, popping 17 home runs in 451 plate appearances while showcasing high-end glovework behind the plate.

East Notes: Andujar, Chirinos, Brasier, Rainey

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Miguel Andújar has been held back by soreness in his right hand/wrist area and will see a specialist tomorrow, Yankees manager Aaron Boone told reporters (including Marly Rivera of ESPN and Lindsey Adler of the Athletic). That evaluation will surely provide a clearer diagnosis and timetable for Andújar’s return to action, but this seemingly raises the possibility of a season-opening IL stint. Andújar hasn’t played much over the past two years after a strong rookie season in 2018. The 26-year-old has been frequently mentioned as a possible trade candidate based on the offensive upside he showed a few years ago and his lack of an obvious path to playing time in New York. The Yankees could continue to hold onto him as high-minors depth, though, as Andújar has an option year remaining.

More from the game’s East divisions:

  • Fellow Yankee Robinson Chirinos will also see a specialist tomorrow as he seeks a second opinion on his fractured right wrist (via Rivera and Bryan Hoch of MLB.com). Surgery is a possibility, per Hoch. Chirinos has been in camp as a non-roster invitee. The 36-year-old catcher is typically a productive hitter for his position but struggled in 82 plate appearances between the Rangers and Mets in 2020.
  • Red Sox reliever Ryan Brasier seems unlikely to be ready for Opening Day, per Chris Cotillo of MassLive and Alex Speier of the Boston Globe. Manager Alex Cora revealed this morning that Brasier fractured a pinky over the offseason and was also absent early in camp for personal reasons. That pair of obstacles has delayed his ramp-up process, and it doesn’t seem he’ll be able to build up sufficient strength in time for April 1. The right-hander posted a decent 3.96 ERA/3.86 SIERA over 25 innings last season.
  • Another reliever slowed down by injury is Nationals right-hander Tanner Rainey. The fireballing 28-year-old has yet to pitch in a Spring Training game due to a minor muscle strain near his right collarbone, writes Jesse Dougherty of the Washington Post. He was able to throw a 30-pitch bullpen session yesterday though. Washington manager Dave Martinez expressed some hope Rainey will be able to make it back by Opening Day, but that doesn’t appear to be certain. Rainey was quietly excellent for the Nats last season, tossing 20.1 innings of 2.66 ERA/2.30 SIERA ball.

Injury Notes: Grandal, Belt, Miller, Akiyama

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After suffering a twisted knee early in camp, Yasmani Grandal played in his first game of the spring today.  Grandal was in the White Sox lineup as a DH, and it isn’t yet known when he might return to his usual spot at catcher.  Grandal told reporters (including NBC Sports Chicago’s Vinnie Duber) that he is focused on his catching preparation, saying “right now, repetition behind the plate is probably No. 1.  I could (not) care less if I start off the season hitting or not.  I know the bat is going to come through at some point, and once that happens, then it’s a done deal.”

Given the length of time between now and Opening Day, it doesn’t seem like Grandal will require any sort of injured list trip to allow him another week to get fully ready.  With James McCann now signed with the Mets, Chicago’s backup catching options include the inexperienced Zack Collins and veteran Jonathan Lucroy (in camp on a minor league deal), and Grandal is expected to take more of the catching load in 2021.

More on some injury situations from around the league…

  • Brandon Belt’s readiness for the Giants’ opener is more of a question, as he got a late start on Spring Training and still hasn’t played in any games.  Belt told reporters (including Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle) that he spent several weeks recovering first from a positive COVID-19 diagnosis and then a case of mono almost immediately afterwards.  Beyond these twin illnesses, Belt’s readiness for Opening Day was already a bit up in the air due to his heel surgery from last October.  While Belt is a major contributor to the Giants’ offense, the team at least has quite a bit of first base depth — Darin Ruf, Wilmer Flores, Austin Slater, Tommy La Stella, or even Buster Posey — to fill the gap until Belt is ready to play.
  • Brad Miller was a late scratch from today’s Phillies lineup after suffering a ribcage injury during a running drill.  Manager Joe Girardi told NBC Sports’ Jim Salisbury and other reporters that Miller suffered a “tweak” and will get further testing done to determine the extent of the injury.  There certainly appears to be some concern that Miller has hurt his oblique, which would require at least a few weeks out of action and an IL stint.  After initially playing for the Phillies in 2019, Miller spent last season with the Cardinals before signing a one-year, $3.5MM deal this winter to return to Philadelphia.  The 31-year Miller brings both multi-positional value and a solid bat (.247/.343/.510 with 20 home runs over 341 plate appearances in 2019-20) to the roster, making him a difficult player to replace for the Phils if indeed Miller does end up on the IL.
  • Reds outfielder Shogo Akiyama left tonight’s game with a tight left hamstring and will be re-evaluated tomorrow.  In his first MLB season, Akiyama hit .245/.357/.297 in 183 PA, though he hit significantly better in September and October once he became more adjusted to Major League pitching.  Between this improved bat and some solid glovework, Akiyama was being counted on for at least a big part-time role in Cincinnati’s outfield, though those plans could be altered should his hamstring injury prove serious.

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