Injury Notes: Bell, Voit, deGrom, Walker
Josh Bell left today’s 5-2 Nationals loss to the Giants due to tightness in his right hamstring. Bell walked and advanced to third base during the bottom of the second, but was replaced in the field for the top of the third inning. Nationals manager Davey Martinez said Bell was undergoing an MRI, which would mark the second MRI of the week for the first baseman after tests were negative on his left knee. Soreness in that left knee also forced Bell to make an early exit from Washington’s game on Wednesday.
Given that previous injury, Martinez told reporters (including Bobby Blanco of MASNsports.com) that “I want to be cautious” with Bell’s status. More will be known when the MRI results are in, but the Nationals might still opt to sit Bell on Sunday with an off-day coming up Monday, in the hopes that two days of rest will get him ready for Tuesday’s game with the Marlins. Apart from Bell and Juan Soto, the Nats are almost entirely off to a slow offensive start, so any time missed for Bell (batting .345/.446/.509 over his first 67 plate appearances) is a big loss for the D.C. lineup.
More injury news from around baseball….
- Luke Voit has been bothered by a lingering right biceps problems, the Padres first baseman told The San Diego Union-Tribune’s Jeff Saunders and other reporters. With only a .143/.315/.167 slash line over his first 54 PA, Voit bluntly described himself as “a waste of an at-bat right now. I’m not doing the team any good. I played through injuries last year and it’s really hard.” Voit isn’t in tonight’s lineup, and while manager Bob Melvin indicated that Voit could be available to pinch-hit, a trip to the injured list might be necessary.
- In an update on Jacob deGrom, the Mets ace underwent MRI and CT scans yesterday, manager Buck Showalter told The New York Post’s Mike Puma and other reporters. The MRI came a few days earlier than initially expected, though regardless, it doesn’t seem as though the Mets will have a plan of action in place anyway until doctors have fully reviewed the results. A stress reaction in deGrom’s right scapula during Spring Training resulted in a four-week shutdown, and these test results will mark the next step in the right-hander’s recovery process. If all goes well, deGrom could be cleared to start throwing, and a possible timetable could be floated for deGrom’s 2022 debut.
- Taijuan Walker is much closer to his return, as Showalter told reporters (including MLB.com’s Jake Rill) that the right-hander is tentatively set to face the Phillies on either Friday or Saturday. Walker tossed two innings in his first Mets start of the season but has since been on the 10-day IL recovering from shoulder bursitis. After throwing a side session yesterday, Walker is now lined up for either a minor league rehab start or a simulated game on Tuesday.
Rays Notes: No-Hit Bid, Suzuki, Yarbrough
The Rays tossed nine no-hit innings against the Red Sox today, but while the no-no was erased during a wild tenth inning, Kevin Kiermaier‘s walkoff homer gave Tampa a 3-2 victory. Six different Rays pitchers combined to hold Red Sox batters without a hit or a run over the game’s first nine innings, yet the Tampa Bay lineup was also shut out (on two hits) against Boston pitching. The Sox finally broke out for two hits and two runs in the top of the 10th, yet the Rays roared back in the bottom half of the inning for what might already be the most unusual win of their season.
This is the 15th time in Major League history that a would-be no-hitter wasn’t broken up until extra innings, and only the second time that such a game was tossed by more than one pitcher. Matt Garza‘s gem on July 26, 2010 remains the only no-hitter in Rays franchise history. Tampa has been on the wrong end of no-hit games on five occasions, with three of those five being perfect games (from Mark Buehrle, Dallas Braden, and Felix Hernandez).
Some more notes from St. Pete…
- Seiya Suzuki was known to be on the Rays’ target list during the offseason, and the club was apparently prepared to make a big investment. Jon Heyman of The New York Post reports that the Rays’ offer to Suzuki was “close” to the five-year, $85MM deal the outfielder eventually landed from the Cubs. Between this push for Suzuki and the Rays’ even more surprising interest in Freddie Freeman this past winter, it could hint that Tampa Bay is prepared to be more financially aggressive than usual in its pursuit of a World Series, which might set the stage for some interesting trade possibilities as the deadline approaches. It also seems like the Rays were onto something with Suzuki, given how he has been on fire for the first two weeks of his Major League career.
- Ryan Yarbrough is set to throw a rehab start at Triple-A today, Rays manager Kevin Cash told The Tampa Bay Times’ Marc Topkin and other reporters. If all goes well, it could line Yarbrough up to be activated from the 10-day injured list in time to start the Rays’ game with the Mariners on Thursday. Yarbrough has yet to pitch this season due to a groin injury. Working as a reliever, opener, bulk pitcher, and traditional starter over his four MLB seasons, Yarbrough has a 4.30 ERA over 499 2/3 career innings with Tampa.
Yankees, Jacoby Ellsbury Resolved Contract Grievance
Back in 2019, the Yankees filed a grievance against Jacoby Ellsbury in an attempt to withhold the remaining $26,142,857 still owed on the outfielder’s contract. Not many details have surfaced about the situation until now, as The New York Post’s Jon Heyman reports that the two sides reached a settlement “at least a year ago” in order to avoid a hearing.
There was a monetary settlement involved, and though the total isn’t known, it appears as though some portion of Ellsbury’s remaining salary was reduced. As Heyman notes, it was enough to keep the Yankees under the second tier of the luxury tax penalty limit in 2020, and exceeding that total would’ve meant that New York’s first pick in the 2021 draft would’ve fallen 10 slots lower (from 20th to 30th overall). The luxury tax payments were suspended for the shortened 2020 season but not each team’s status as a multi-time payor, so the Yankees had to get under the tax threshold in 2021 to officially reset their CBT status.
The source of the grievance stemmed from the Yankees’ allegation that Ellsbury received outside medical treatment without the team’s permission, as Ellsbury was exploring various ways to get back on the field after injuries essentially ended his career. In response, the MLB Players Association countered with a grievance of their own against the Yankees, though it can be assumed that that grievance was also quietly sidestepped when Ellsbury and the Yankees reached their settlement.
As it is, the settlement would appear to put a final cap on Ellsbury’s tenure in New York, which officially ended from a transactional standpoint when the Yankees released him in November 2019. Following a huge 2013 season with the World Series champion Red Sox, Ellsbury signed a seven-year, $153MM free agent to jump from Boston to the Bronx.
However, injuries plagued Ellsbury throughout his time in the pinstripes, and he hit only .264/.330/.386 over 2171 plate appearances and 520 games from 2014-17. He didn’t play at all in 2018-19 due to a variety of injuries, most notably a hip surgery. With the release, the Yankees ate the final year of Ellsbury’s contract as well the buyout of his club option for the 2021 season.
Ellsbury has never officially announced his retirement, and as of the 2019-20 offseason was still working out in an attempt to get back onto the field. There hasn’t been any word on his future plans, and since Ellsbury is now 38 years old and hasn’t played since October 2017, it is probably safe to assume that his big league career is done after 11 seasons.
Ronald Acuna Jr. Tentatively Set To Return On May 6
The Braves have set May 6 as a potential target date for Ronald Acuna Jr.‘s return to the active roster, though manager Brian Snitker told reporters (including The Athletic’s David O’Brien) that there is plenty of flexibility built into that plan. Acuna is thus far three games into his minor league rehab assignment.
“Next week will be big because I think he’s scheduled to go lengthy defensive games, like 3 out of 4 days, something like that,” Snitker said. “At the end of next week they’ll have a really good read on probably where his body is.”
Acuna tore his right ACL last July 10, so it will be just shy of a 10-month absence if he does make his return for the May 6 game against the Brewers. Despite the severity of the injury and the obvious caution the Braves have taken with their superstar, Acuna’s rehab has gone about as smoothly as possible. Snitker even intimated that if Acuna’s next week of action goes particularly well, the outfielder might even be back on Atlanta’s roster prior to May 6.
The defending World Series champs have a 7-8 record heading into today’s game with the Marlins, in part due to an overall lack of production from the outfield. While Marcell Ozuna has hit well, Adam Duvall, Eddie Rosario, Guillermo Heredia, and Alex Dickerson (who has played mostly DH), have all struggled, so Acuna’s return to the everyday right field spot should immediately shore things up.
While it may be unfair to expect Acuna to immediately pick up where he left off in 2021, even a slightly lessened version of Acuna is still one of the game’s best players. The outfielder has done nothing but mash since debuting in 2018, and he was batting .283/.394/.596 with 24 homers in his first 360 plate appearances of the 2021 season before suffering his ACL tear.
Dodgers’ Darien Nunez To Undergo Tommy John Surgery
Dodgers left-hander Darien Nunez will undergo Tommy John surgery this week, according to reporter Francys Romero (Twitter link). Given the usual recovery timeline for TJ surgery, the 29-year-old Nunez will be sidelined until at least May or June 2023. Nunez is on Los Angeles’ 40-man roster, so his inevitable placement on the 60-day injured list will give the Dodgers another 40-man spot to work with for future moves
Nunez was an amateur signing out of Cuba in 2018, as the southpaw followed five seasons in the Cuban National Series with a couple of years away from the game, as he was trying to secure his release from the CNS and his eligibility for playing in the majors. Over 126 1/3 innings in the Dodgers’ farm system, Nunez has a huge 39.57% strikeout rate and a 2.49 ERA, though his 9.45% walk rate is slightly on the high side.
This production resulted in Nunez getting a call to the big leagues last season, though he posted only an 8.22 ERA over 7 2/3 innings of work. Still, between Nunez’s ability to miss bats and toss multiple innings, he was seen as an interesting bullpen depth option for the Dodgers down on the farm, though now his career will be put on hold for the next 13-15 months.
Rays Place Yandy Diaz On COVID-IL, Promote Vidal Brujan
The Rays have placed infielder Yandy Diaz on the COVID-related injury list, according to team broadcaster Neil Solondz (Twitter link). Infielder Vidal Brujan has been called up from Triple-A to take Diaz’s spot on the active roster — earlier today, The Tampa Bay Times’ Marc Topkin reported that Brujan would at least be joining the Rays’ taxi squad.
Diaz is showing symptoms but there hasn’t been any word about a positive COVID test, so it is possible the IL placement is simply for precautionary reasons. If so, Diaz could be back within a couple of days’ time as long as he continues to test negative for the coronavirus. The veteran infielder has been an on-base machine early in the season, hitting .275/.383/.325 over his first 47 plate appearances of the 2022 campaign.
While Diaz is out, the Rays will get another (possibly brief) look at a top prospect. Brujan made his MLB debut last season but in limited fashion, appearing in only 10 games and delivering only two hits over 26 plate appearances. Brujan also received his first taste of Triple-A ball last season and performed much better, hitting .262/.346/.440 with 12 home runs over 441 PA, while also stealing 44 bases from 52 chances.
Some knee issues have limited Brujan to just five Triple-A games thus far in 2022, and he has split time as a third baseman and a shortstop. Originally seen as a shortstop candidate, Brujan has most recently seen action at multiple positions in the infield and outfield given that Wander Franco has Tampa Bay’s shortstop position locked up for the foreseeable future. It stands to reason that Brujan will focus on third base for now if he is to serve as Diaz’s short-term replacement, but his eventual position at the MLB level remains to be seen (assuming he doesn’t evolve into a super-utility type).
Tigers Promote Beau Brieske
TODAY: The Tigers officially selected Brieske’s contract in between games of today’s doubleheader with Colorado. Right-hander Angel De Jesus was optioned to Triple-A, and righty Kyle Funkhouser was moved to the 60-day IL to create 40-man roster space.
APRIL 21: The Tigers announced this afternoon that right-hander Beau Brieske will start Saturday’s game against the Rockies. The 24-year-old will be making his major league debut. Brieske is not on the 40-man roster, so Detroit will need to make another move in that regard to formally accommodate the selection of his contract.
Brieske signed for just $75K as a 27th-round pick out of Division II Colorado State-Pueblo in 2019. The Arizona native overcame that lack of draft pedigree to reach the big leagues less than three years later, a testament to his strong work in the minors. Brieske pitched well in 11 relief appearances during his post-draft summer. He didn’t appear in 2020 because of the canceled minor league season, but he traversed a pair of levels last year.
Assigned to High-A Lakeland to open the season, Brieske pitched to a 3.45 ERA with a stellar 30.2% strikeout rate over 13 starts. That earned him an August bump to Double-A Erie, where he posted a 2.66 mark in eight outings. Brieske’s strikeout rate fell to an average 23.3%, but he walked 6% of opponents or fewer at both levels.
That strong performance was paired with a better arsenal that caught the attention of prospect evaluators. Naming him the #18 prospect in the organization this past winter, Baseball America wrote that Brieske had pushed his fastball into the 92-95 MPH range with good life at the top of the strike zone. BA praised his average or better slider and changeup and above-average command and suggested he’d blossomed into a legitimate starting pitching prospect. Eric Longenhagen and Kevin Goldstein at FanGraphs largely echoed that sentiment in their write-up of the Tigers’ farm in January, slotting him #10 in the system.
Brieske opened this season with Triple-A Toledo, where he’s allowed five runs in ten innings over his first two starts. Despite his lack of experience at the minors’ highest level, the Tigers will add him to an MLB rotation that has lost Casey Mize and Matt Manning to the injured list in recent days. Manning, in particular, is expected back in fairly short order, at which point Brieske might wind up optioned back to the minors. Whether his initial call is a lengthy one, Brieske’s addition to the 40-man solidifies him as a near-term depth option for the Detroit rotation.
Mariners Acquire Stuart Fairchild, Designate Kevin Padlo
The Mariners announced that outfielder Stuart Fairchild has been acquired from the Diamondbacks in exchange for cash considerations. To open up a roster spot, infielder Kevin Padlo has been designated for assignment.
Arizona DFA’ed Fairchild earlier this week. Originally acquired along with Josh VanMeter in the Archie Bradley deal at the 2020 trade deadline, Fairchild’s tenure with the Diamondbacks saw him make his MLB debut last season, appearing in 12 games and making 17 plate appearance with the D’Backs. Fairchild posted some big numbers at Triple-A in 2021 but got off to a slow start this year, with only a .162/.279/.379 slash line over 43 PA for Triple-A Reno.
Fairchild will now look for a fresh start with his hometown team, as the 26-year-old was born in Seattle and played his high school ball in the Emerald City before playing his college ball at Wake Forest. The Reds selected Fairchild with the 38th overall pick of the 2017 draft, and he has posted solid (.272/.358/.438, 35 homers in 1443 PA) if unspectacular numbers over his minor league career. Fairchild can also play all three outfield positions, making him an interesting depth piece for the Mariners.
Padlo also made his Major League debut in 2021, playing in nine games with the Rays and then one game with the Mariners after being claimed off waivers from Tampa in August. Padlo has 92 home runs and a .239/.350/.439 slash line over 2738 career PA in the minors, with a resume that includes quite a lot of power potential and swing-and-miss.
Despite some nice numbers for the Triple-A Tacoma Rainiers following last year’s trade, Padlo didn’t get a long look on the M’s big league roster and he was also off to a rough start with the Rainiers this season. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see another club take a flier of a waiver claim on Padlo just as the Mariners did last August, to see if some consistent results could be mined from his power bat.
Phillies Notes: Harper, Bohm
An MRI on Bryce Harper‘s injured right elbow came back clean, but it will still be a few days before he can take the field again, per The Athletic’s Matt Gelb. In fact, if it weren’t for the designated hitter now being a part of the National League, Harper would have been placed on the injured list, Gelb notes. He will stay on the roster and in the lineup as the designateted hitter.
With Harper at least temporarily entrenched as the DH, the Phillies’ defense will take a hit with Kyle Schwarber and Nick Castellanos in the outfield corners and Rhys Hoskins at first base. All three players would probably DH in a best-case scenario.
Harper’s injury, though hopefully short-term, highlights a larger roster issue for the Phillies. The outfield trio of Harper, Schwarber, and Castellanos aren’t going anywhere, but the Phillies could look to shake up the roster down the line by moving Hoskins or Alec Bohm. The younger Bohm has struggled defensively at the hot corner, and they could move him to first if they decide to move on from Hoskins, who has one more season of arbitration before free agency.
The club has also considered trading Bohm, however, notes The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal. In just 12 games this season, Bohm’s value has already experienced wild swings in both directions. A three-error game at third saw him pushed to the bench for a few games, but in the last couple of days, Bohm’s bat has taken off. Such variance for a young player like Bohm is exactly why finding a trade partner is such a difficult task.
Twins Select Jose Godoy, Place Jhon Romero On 10-Day Injured List
The Twins have placed Jhon Romero on the 10-day injured list and selected the contract of catcher Jose Godoy, per Betsy Helfand of the Pioneer Press (via Twitter). Jorge Alcala, out with elbow inflammation, was moved to the 60-day injured list.
Godoy is back on the active roster in part to protect Gary Sanchez, who is day-to-day with abdominal tightness. The Twins will look to avoid an injured list stint for Sanchez. Godoy has been the third catcher for Minnesota thus far this season, backing up Sachez and Ryan Jeffers. If he appears in a game, however, it will be the first time this season. He had 40 plate appearances with the Mariners last season, slashing .162/.225/.189.
Romero’s IL placement is made retroactive to April 20th. He is suffering from right biceps tendinitis. He was claimed off waivers from the Nationals before the season started and appeared in four games before the injury.