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Mets Prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong To Undergo Shoulder Surgery

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The Mets’ injury woes continued this week, as the team announced Tuesday that top outfield prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong will undergo surgery on his right shoulder “for a GLAD lesion (glenoid labral articular disruption).” Crow-Armstrong, according to the Mets’ press release, underwent an MRI this week, which “revealed a tear of the labrum as well as injury to the articular cartilage of the shoulder.”

The 19-year-old Crow-Armstrong wouldn’t have been a viable option for the Mets’ banged-up outfield in 2021 anyway, but it’s nevertheless a notable setback to the 2020 first-round pick’s development. He appeared in six games of Class-A ball in 2021, going 10-for-24 with a pair of doubles to begin his professional career. That limited sample will now be the only experience he gets under his belt for the 2021 season. The Mets have yet to announce a formal timeline on his recovery, but a surgery of this nature surely won’t be something from which he can return in just a few months’ time.

Crow-Armstrong becomes the second high-profile Mets prospect now slated for major surgery, joining 2019 draftee Matt Allan, who is out for the year due to Tommy John surgery. Both players rank among the Mets’ top six farmhands on the organizational rankings at Baseball America, MLB.com and FanGraphs.

Jake Petricka To Pitch For Atlantic League’s High Point Rockers

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Veteran reliever Jake Petricka is headed to High Point, N.C. to suit up for the High Point Rockers of the independent Atlantic League. The right-hander somewhat quietly signed a deal with the Rockers midway through Spring Training, and he tells Patrick Reusse of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune that he’s hoping for a resurgence with the indie league club.

Reusse writes that Petricka, 33, had a workout for multiple big league clubs this spring but didn’t land a deal after the fact. “To give it another shot, my hand was kind of forced to find the best option in independent ball,” Petricka tells Reusse. “And that was High Point.”

Petricka spent the 2020 season in the Blue Jays organization but didn’t get a call to the big leagues, instead working at their alternate training site for most of the year. He tossed eight innings with the 2019 Brewers and logged 45 2/3 frames with Toronto back in 2018, producing a combined 4.36 ERA in those 53 2/3 innings of relief. The former White Sox setup man is a veteran of seven big league seasons, during which time he’s compiled 231 2/3 innings — all out of the bullpen — and recorded a 3.96 ERA with a 17.2 percent strikeout rate, a 9.5 percent walk rate and an excellent 59.1 percent ground-ball rate.

Petricka will hardly be the only big league veteran on the Rockers’ roster this summer. He’ll report to High Point and team up with the likes of Logan Morrison, Mike Carp, Michael Martinez and Tyler Ladendorf, among others.

D-backs To Promote Corbin Martin, Place Luke Weaver On Injured List

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The Diamondbacks will place right-hander Luke Weaver on the 10-day injured list following his recent shoulder discomfort and call up right-hander Corbin Martin to make his team debut in one of the remaining games of this four-game set against the Dodgers, John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 FM reports (via Twitter).

Weaver, 27, exited his most recent outing with shoulder discomfort but expressed optimism after the fact that he could remedy the issue with a change to his mechanics. At the time the righty was optimistic that he’d avoid the injured list, but Gambadoro indicates that Weaver won’t make his scheduled start against the Rockies on Friday and is indeed IL-bound.

Acquired from the Cardinals as part of the Paul Goldschmidt trade, Weaver had an up-and-down season so far, sandwiching four ineffective starts between four pretty strong outings — two on either end of that rough stretch. Overall, the former first-rounder has a 4.50 ERA through 40 innings with a slightly below-average 22.8 percent strikeout rate but a better-than-average 7.8 percent walk rate. He’ll join Zac Gallen and Taylor Widener on an increasingly crowded D-backs injured list that also currently holds position players Ketel Marte, Asdrubal Cabrera, Christian Walker, Carson Kelly and Kole Calhoun.

Turning to the 25-year-old Martin, his promotion is of plenty note for the D-backs, who thought highly enough of the 2017 second-rounder to make him one of the key pieces they received from the Astros in return for Zack Greinke. Martin was on the injured list at the time, having undergone Tommy John surgery earlier in the 2019 season, but he entered that year regarded as one of the game’s 100 best prospects, ranking 78th at Baseball America and 81st at MLB.com. Eric Longenhagen of FanGraphs currently ranks Martin as the D-backs’ No. 6 prospect and the No. 114 prospect in baseball.

Martin did get his feet wet with the ’Stros before falling to that UCL injury, albeit in a small sample of 19 2/3 innings. He was roughed up for 14 runs in that time (two unearned), but his prospect pedigree and excellent minor league track record give plenty of hope that he can eventually be a big piece of the Arizona staff. He’s tossed 9 2/3 innings in Triple-A Reno this year and yielded only two runs with a 14-to-6 K/BB ratio.

The 2019 injury, the canceled 2020 minor league season and the delayed 2021 minor league campaign have all combined to limit Martin to a total of 201 2/3 innings in the minors, but he’s excelled at every level. The righty carries a career 2.54 ERA, a strong 27.8 percent strikeout rate, an 8.4 percent walk rate and a hearty 53.2 percent grounder rate in that time. He’s been as effective in Triple-A as he was in Double-A, logging a 2.87 ERA with 59 punchouts in 47 innings, although his 24 walks at that level are a bit more troubling. That’s the only level at which Martin has struggled with free passes, though, and scouting reports generally give him credit for average or above-average command.

Given last year’s lack of innings and the fact that he’s working back from major elbow surgery, Martin will probably see his workload managed rather judiciously in 2021. Still, his promotion gives the D-backs and their fans a first glimpse at a pitcher the club hopes can be a prominent contributor to the starting staff for the foreseeable future. If he sticks on the MLB roster this year, the D-backs would control him all the way through the 2025 season, but future optional assignments could push his free agency back even further.

Kevin Pillar Diagnosed With Multiple Nasal Fractures

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Mets outfielder Kevin Pillar has been diagnosed with multiple nasal fractures after being struck in the face by a fastball from Braves right-hander Jacob Webb, per a club announcement. He’ll meet with a specialist to determine the next steps in his treatment.

It was a grisly scene in last night’s Mets/Braves game, for those who didn’t see. An errant fastball from Webb rode up and in on Pillar, striking him flush on the nose and dropping the veteran outfielder in a heap. Pillar was eventually able to walk off the field under his own power, and fans were surely relieved all the more when Pillar tweeted later in the evening: “Thanks to everyone that has reached out! Scary moment but I’m doing fine!”

At this point, there’s no clearly defined timeline for when Pillar might return. If (or when) Pillar is ultimately placed on the injured list, he’ll be added to a staggering number of outfielders on the IL for the Mets. Michael Conforto, Brandon Nimmo and Albert Almora Jr. are all on the 10-day IL at the moment, as are infielders/outfielders Jeff McNeil and J.D. Davis. Jose Martinez, meanwhile, is on the 60-day IL.

With that group sidelined, the Mets have Dominic Smith, Khalil Lee and Johneshwy Fargas on the big league roster, in addition to infield/outfield options Jose Peraza and Jake Hager. The Mets have some other outfield options in Triple-A, including former big leaguers Mallex Smith, Brandon Drury and Mason Williams (none are on the 40-man roster), but their depth is obviously being pushed to its limits.

It’s not at all a surprise to see MLB Network’s Jon Heyman tweet that the Mets are exploring outfield additions from outside the organization, but the trade market typically doesn’t get started this early in the season. There have at least been a few recent DFAs who could be claimed or acquired to simply add some depth; Pittsburgh designated Troy Stokes Jr. for assignment, while veteran Jon Jay was designated by the Angels over the weekend. Jay’s transactions log at MLB.com indicates that he cleared waivers, but he has the service time to reject an outright assignment in favor of free agency.

Yankees Place Giancarlo Stanton On 10-Day Injured List

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The Yankees announced that slugger Giancarlo Stanton has been placed on the 10-day injured list due to a left quad strain.  Stanton’s placement is retroactive to May 14.  Right-hander Albert Abreu has been called up to take Stanton’s spot on the active roster.

The specter of Stanton hitting the IL is an ominous one for the Yankees and their fans, given how the 31-year-old has so often been sidelined by injuries throughout his career as a whole, and particularly his tenure in the Bronx.  A variety of leg injuries (and a biceps strain) limited Stanton to only 18 games in 2019 and 23 games in 2020, which led the Yankees to make Stanton into a full-time designated hitter prior to last season.

While New York’s lineup as a whole hasn’t lived up to its usual standard, Stanton has been a major bright spot, hitting .282/.347/.534 with nine home runs over 144 plate appearances.  Despite all the injuries, Stanton has always been a very dangerous bat when he has been able to play, which naturally only adds to the concern over this MVP-level hitter seemingly being unable to stay on the field.

The severity of Stanton’s quad strain isn’t yet known.  Given his track record, it’s probably safe to predict that the Yankees will hold Stanton out beyond the 10-day minimum just to be completely sure that this injury won’t linger (and result in another extended absence).

There is no way to really replace Stanton’s offensive contributions, of course, but the Yankees could now rotate a few players through the DH spot.  Rougned Odor is expected back from the injured list relatively soon, to add to the position player mix.  Speculatively, the absence of Stanton (not to mention Aaron Hicks and Gleyber Torres) could open up some playing time for Miguel Andujar, as the former Rookie Of The Year candidate has been lacking in consistent playing time since his own injury-ruined season in 2019.

Mike Trout Suffers Right Calf Strain

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Angels center fielder Mike Trout left their game against the Indians on Monday with a right calf strain, the team announced.  He exited after just one inning and was replaced by Juan Lagares.

This hopefully won’t lead to a stint on the injured list for Trout, who has been in typically great form to begin the season. The 29-year-old has batted .333./.466/.624 with eight home runs in 146 plate appearances.

There would be no way for the Angels to effectively replace Trout, a future Hall of Famer, for an extended span. Trout aside, the Angels have used Scott Schebler – whom they outrighted earlier this month – and Lagares at center this season. It goes without saying that those two pale in comparison to Trout.

Latest On Rockies, Jon Gray

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Jon Gray has stood out as a potential trade candidate for months, and the Rockies indeed “began putting feelers out to teams regarding Gray during Spring Training,” according to FanSided’s Robert Murray.  Gray is eligible for free agency after the season and has only improved his trade value by posting a 2.93 ERA/4.19 SIERA over 46 innings so far into the 2021 campaign.

There isn’t any sense that a deal could be particularly close, since teams usually don’t make major trades this far in advance of the July 30 trade deadline.  In addition, the Rockies’ front office has also undergone a sea change since Spring Training, as Bill Schmidt took over as interim general manager earlier this month after Jeff Bridich resigned his GM post in late April.

While the GM change could make a Gray trade (and perhaps a wider-scale rebuild for the Rockies) more likely, it would count as a surprise if the right-hander was moved quite so early in the season.  That said, as Murray notes, an aggressive team could benefit by landing Gray now, and Colorado would land a larger trade package if Gray was a “rental player” for more than just the last two months of the regular season.

Gray has rebounded well from a rough 2020 season that saw him spend a lot of time on the injured list due to shoulder inflammation, and post a 6.69 ERA over 39 innings.  Looking at his 2021 numbers, that difference between his ERA and SIERA indicates that Gray’s performance hasn’t exactly been ace-level, as his strikeout (22.9%) and walk (9.9%) rates are both below average and he has enjoyed a .250 BABIP.  On the plus side, Gray has done a very good job of limiting hard contact, and his usually-solid grounder rate has risen to a new career best of 53.7%.

Gray has pretty even home/road splits over his career, which is no mean feat considering his home ballpark is Coors Field.  Interestingly, Gray has generally pitched better at home than on the road in recent years, including a startling split of a 2.00 ERA in 36 innings at Coors Field this season as opposed to a 6.30 ERA in 10 innings on the road.  Granted, these are very small sample sizes, but Gray’s ability to pitch effectively in the thin air of Denver makes it intriguing to see how he would fare in a more normalized pitching environment.

Some executives, in fact, believe the Rockies should try to capitalize on Gray’s success at Coors Field and try to sign him to a contract extension.  Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post also thinks extension talks are a possibility, but with an “emphasis on ’attempt,’ ” meaning that the likelihood of Gray signing a new deal seems pretty low, this close to his trip to the free agent market.  Saunders ultimately believes Gray will be traded elsewhere prior to July 30.

Mariners Select Brady Lail, Designate Domingo Tapia

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The Mariners announced that they have selected the contract of right-hander Brady Lail and designated righty Domingo Tapia for assignment. The club also optioned infielder Jack Mayfield to Triple-A Tacoma.

Lail was an 18th-round draft pick of the Yankees in 2012 who pitched with them, the White Sox and Mariners during the previous two seasons. He picked up just 19 innings in those years and registered a 5.21 ERA with a 17.3 percent strikeout rate against a 9.9 percent walk rate. The 27-year-old owns a similar 5.15 ERA in 327 Triple-A frames.

Tapia, 29, went to Seattle when it claimed him from Boston last offseason. He threw two scoreless innings with the Mariners before they designated him, giving him 6 1/3 frames of one-run ball in the majors. Tapia has notched a 4.21 ERA in 141 Triple-A frames.

Latest On Noah Syndergaard

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Mets right-hander Noah Syndergaard is about to take a notable step in his recovery from March 2020 Tommy John surgery. The hard-throwing 28-year-old will begin a minor league rehab assignment at the Low-A level on Wednesday, Tim Healey of Newsday reports.

The Mets have gone the past season-plus without Syndergaard, who was among the game’s most valuable starters before he went under the knife. Syndergaard has pitched to a terrific 3.31 ERA/3.37 SIERA with above-average strikeout and walk percentages of 26.4 and 5.6, respectively, across 716 innings in the majors. He’s now in his final year of team control, making this season all the more crucial for him.

For their part, the Mets have designs on winning the National League East – a division they lead by a half-game – so Syndergaard (and fellow righty Carlos Carrasco, who has been out with all year with a hamstring strain) will be a key reinforcement when he’s ready to come back. Jacob deGrom has continued to dominate as the leader of the Mets’ rotation this year, though he’s now on the IL with tightness in his right side. Marcus Stroman and Taijuan Walker have served as more-than-capable complements to deGrom, but a healthy Syndergaard would nonetheless be a welcome in-season addition for New York.

Giants Claim Braden Bishop

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The Giants have claimed outfielder Braden Bishop off waivers from the Mariners, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area tweets. They shifted reliever Reyes Moronta to the 60-day injured list in a corresponding move, per Kerry Crowley of the Bay Area News Group.

The 27-year-old Bishop is returning to his native Bay Area and joining the same organization as his brother, Hunter, a fellow outfielder and the 10th overall pick of the Giants in the 2019 draft. Hunter Bishop hasn’t reached the majors yet, but Braden Bishop has taken 99 plate appearances at the sport’s highest level. He only hit .133/.188/.156 as a Mariner, leading the team to designate him for assignment last week.

Despite his struggles in the bigs, Bishop has at least a couple things working in his favor. For one, he still has a minor league option left, so the Giants can call him up and send him down at their leisure for the rest of the season. And Bishop has shown that he can handle Triple-A pitching, having batted .267/.355/.465 in 231 PA there.

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