Headlines

Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Rays Place Diego Castillo On 10-Day IL, Activate Pete Fairbanks

By | at

The Rays announced that they have placed right-hander Diego Castillo on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to Tuesday, with right groin tightness. The club reinstated righty Pete Fairbanks from the 10-day IL in a corresponding move.

Tampa Bay will have to go at least the next week-plus without its primary closer in Castillo, who easily leads the team with seven saves in nine attempts. Beyond that, Castillo has posted a more-than-respectable 3.14 ERA/2.87 SIERA with an outstanding 34.5 percent strikeout rate over 14 1/3 innings. The early results suggest Castillo is well on his way to a fourth consecutive solid season to begin his major league career.

Fairbanks made three appearances and threw 2 2/3 innings before the Rays placed him on the IL on April 9 with a right rotator cuff strain. The 27-year-old said then that he was likely to miss about a month, which proved to be accurate. Fairbanks accumulated 26 2/3 quality frames as a member of the Rays last season, when he posted a 2.70 ERA/3.48 SIERA with a 33.3 percent strikeout rate, a 12 percent walk rate and a 46.8 percent groundball rate.

Indians Place Roberto Perez On IL, Select Rene Rivera, DFA Ben Gamel

By | at

The Indians have placed catcher Roberto Perez on the 10-day injured list with a fractured right ring finger, selected the contract of fellow backstop Rene Rivera, and designated outfielder Ben Gamel for assignment, Mandy Bell of MLB.com was among those to report.

Perez suffered the injury April 13 on a crossup with reliever James Karinchak, but it has become enough of a problem for him to land on the IL three weeks later. Perhaps thanks in part to the injury, the defensively adept Perez has recorded an unproductive .131/.274/.295 line with three home runs in 73 plate appearances this year.

The Indians will now pair catcher Austin Hedges with Rivera, whom they signed to a minor league contract last month. Rivera, 37, is a journeyman who hasn’t hit much in the majors since he debuted in 2004, and he totaled a mere 24 plate appearances with the Mets from 2019-20.

Gamel was another minors signing for the Indians in the offseason, and though he made their Opening Day roster, the 28-year-old didn’t do enough to hold down a spot. He wound up going 1-for-14 with a double and six strikeouts against three walks before the Indians sent him down on April 17.

Gamel has one more minor league option left, and considering he has put up passable offensive numbers throughout his career and lined up at all three outfield positions, he could catch on someplace else via trade or waivers in the next week.

Joey Votto Suffers Fractured Thumb

By | at

Reds first baseman Joey Votto suffered a fractured left thumb on Wednesday, manager David Bell told C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic and other reporters. Votto will miss “weeks,” likely around a month, according to Bell.

The 37-year-old Votto incurred the injury on a fourth-inning hit by pitch from White Sox left-hander Dallas Keuchel in a game the Reds ultimately won, 1-0. Votto stayed in through the fifth inning, but the Reds then replaced him with Kyle Farmer. It was a cruel way for Votto to leave the 1,800th game of his decorated career.

Votto’s injury continues what has been a tough start to the season for the former NL MVP, six-time All-Star and potential Hall of Famer. Through 118 plate appearances, Votto has batted a so-so .226/.305/.425 – a far cry from his lifetime line of .303/.418/.516. Votto’s walk and strikeout rates are also much worse than his career marks, though his bottom-line results looked due for a turnaround before Wednesday’s injury. According to Statcast, Votto ranks near the top of the league in expected slugging percentage, average exit velocity, expected weighted on-base average, hard-hit percentage and expected batting average.

Cincinnati and Votto will now have to wait even longer for a possible 180 from the franchise icon, and the Reds will have to find a replacement(s) in the meantime. Alex Blandino is the only other Red who has started a game at first base this year.

Twins Place Alex Kirilloff On Injured List, Activate Miguel Sano

By | at

The Twins announced that they’ve placed outfielder/first baseman Alex Kirilloff on the 10-day injured list due to a right wrist sprain and reinstated Miguel Sano from the injured list in his place. Kirilloff’s IL placement is retroactive to May 4. Minnesota also optioned lefty Brandon Waddell to Triple-A St. Paul and recalled fellow southpaw Lewis Thorpe, who’ll start tonight’s game.

It’s an ill-timed setback for the Twins and for the 23-year-old Kirilloff, a former first-round pick and consensus Top 50 overall prospect in MLB who’d been their hottest hitter of late. Kirilloff was called up for an audition two weeks ago, and while he got out to a miserable 0-for-15 start, he’d finally begun to see his huge hard-contact rates bear fruit.

Kirilloff homered four times in the Twins’ series victory over the Royals this past weekend and came back with a pair of doubles Monday against the Rangers. Over his past seven games, Kirilloff had put together a blistering .321/.333/.857 batting line with seven extra-base hits and 11 runs knocked in.

The team has yet to provide a timetable for when the promising slugger might return to the club. Manager Rocco Baldelli rather vaguely told reporters yesterday that that the injury “doesn’t appear to be the most minor of things,” adding that Kirilloff would see a specialist (link via Meagan Ryan of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune). It’s particularly concerning given that Kirilloff endured multiple IL stints in 2019 due to problems in that same right wrist.

Sano has been out for a bit more than two weeks due to a hamstring strain. He opened the season in a dreadful slump, going just 5-for-45 to begin the 2021 campaign. Sano has walked at what would (obviously) be a career-best 22.4 percent clip and has actually cut back on his prolific strikeout rate through his first 58 plate appearances, but some of those punchouts have simply been swapped out for pop-ups; he’s already up to six infield flies this year.

Phillies, Ruben Tejada Agree To Minor League Deal

By | at

The Phillies have agreed to a minor league contract with veteran infielder Ruben Tejada, tweets MLB Network’s Jon Heyman. The Primetime Sports client will presumably head to their Triple-A affiliate to open the season.

Outside of a brief, six-game resurgence with the 2019 Mets, we haven’t seen Tejada at the big league level since a rough showing with the Orioles back in 2017. He appeared in 41 games for the O’s that year and managed only a tepid .230/.293/.283 output in 124 trips to the plate.

The vast majority of Tejada’s career has come with the Mets, for whom he served as an oft-used utility infielder from his MLB debut as a 20-year-old in 2010 up through the 2015 season. Tejada logged significant action at shortstop, second base and third base in Queens and, in 2194 plate appearances as a Met, has posted a .254/.328/.322 batting line.

The Phillies currently have Jean Segura (quadriceps strain) and Ronald Torreyes (undisclosed) on the injured list, and they’re not exactly teeming with upper-level infield depth. The hope was that veteran infielder Greg Garcia could serve as this type of depth option, but he opted out of his minor league deal and was given his release earlier this week. As such, the most experienced infield pieces set to open the year in Lehigh Valley were former Red Sox prospect C.J. Chatham — whom the team released in late March but apparently re-signed, as he was announced as part of their Triple-A roster — and versatile Scott Kingery. Kingery has bounced between the Majors and the alternate site multiple times this year already as he looks to return to form after a disastrous 2020 season.

Cubs Grant Pedro Strop His Release

By | at

Right-hander Pedro Strop has asked his release from the Cubs, who have granted the request, tweets Bruce Levine of 670 The Score. He’s still in good standing with the organization, ESPN’s Jesse Rogers adds, indicating this was an amicable parting of ways. MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian tweets that the team remains open to bringing Strop back in the future.

Strop was away from the Cubs on a leave of absence due to personal reasons. Details surrounding that absence were not revealed, and it’s not clear at this point whether he’ll pursue an opportunity with another club. He pitched two shutout innings for the Cubs in 2021, but as of this weekend, Strop had returned to his home in the Dominican Republic.

Set to turn 36 next month, Strop has spent parts of 13 years in the Majors — eight of them with the Cubs. He came to the organization alongside Jake Arrieta in the franchise-altering deal that sent Scott Feldman to the Oriole and went on to become one of the team’s most vital relivers, pitching to a sub-3.00 ERA in his first six seasons in Chicago. Strop has tallied 375 innings in relief for the Cubs over the years and logged a 2.88 ERA while more than 28 percent of his opponents. He’s also been nails in the playoffs, logging a career 1.86 ERA in 19 1/3 postseason frames.

All told, Strop carries a lifetime 3.20 ERA through 505 2/3 big league innings split between the Cubs, Orioles, Rangers and Reds. If he indeed decides to explore other opportunities, there will no doubt be interest in him given his lengthy track record.

A’s Acquire Skye Bolt

By | at

The Athletics announced Wednesday that they’ve acquired outfielder Skye Bolt from the Giants in exchange for cash. Bolt is a former A’s draft pick who spent his entire career with the organization until being designated for assignment back on April 1 and subsequently claimed by the Giants. His time on the other side of the Bay lasted only a month, as he was designated for assignment by the Giants as well last week. He’ll now come full circle back to his original organization, where he’s been assigned to Triple-A Las Vegas.

The 27-year-old Bolt only appeared in two games with the Giants and struck out in his lone plate appearance with the team. He’s played in seven big league games dating back to 2019 but tallied only a dozen trips to the plate, going 1-for-11 with a walk and four punchouts.

Bolt spent the 2020 season in the Athletics’ 60-man player pool but never got the call from their alternate site to the big leagues. His last full season came in 2019 when he appeared in 89 games with Las Vegas, slashing .269/.350/.459 in 347 plate appearances. The 2015 fourth-rounder has never been considered one of the organization’s very top prospects, but his ability to play all three outfield spots and a knack for drawing walks (10.8 percent in the minors) has landed him in the middle tier of some A’s Top 30 lists. Overall, Bolt is a career .249/.335/.426 hitter in parts of five minor league seasons.

White Sox Sign Brian Goodwin

By | at

May 5: The White Sox confirmed the deal, and assistant GM Chris Getz tells The Athletic’s James Fegan and other reporters that Goodwin will report to Triple-A in the near future (Twitter link).

May 4, 1:54pm: Goodwin will earn a $1MM salary if the White Sox add him to their 40-man roster, Bob Nightengale of USA Today tweets.

1:21pm: The White Sox have agreed to a minor league contract with free-agent outfielder Brian Goodwin, reports Mark Feinsand of MLB.com (via Twitter). It’s a natural fit for a White Sox club that just learned it’ll be without center fielder Luis Robert for the next three to four months. Goodwin is represented by MVP Sports.

The 30-year-old Goodwin had an opt-out clause in a minor league deal with the Pirates and hit the market yesterday. He’s certainly not a star, but with the exception of a disastrous 20-game stint with the Reds in 2020, which consisted of a mere 55 plate appearances, he’s been a solid hitter in the Majors. Goodwin slashed .258/.327/.469 in 166 games with the Angels from 2019-20, and he’s a career .250/.317/.455 hitter in 1124 Major League plate appearances. His sudden return to the market made this a fairly straightforward fit for a White Sox club that has lost both Robert and Eloy Jimenez for the bulk of the season — if not the entirety of it — due to injury.

The White Sox have also been without another outfielder, Adam Engel, who has yet to play this year because of a strained right hamstring. General manager Rick Hahn announced yesterday that Engel suffered a setback that will prevent him from starting a minor league rehab assignment for three weeks (Twitter link via Scott Merkin of MLB.com). Hahn later suggested the White Sox would look to the trade route for outfielders, and while that still may be the case, they’re turning to the open market in this instance. For now, their primary outfielders are Andrew Vaughn, Leury Garcia and Adam Eaton.

Notably, there’s already familiarity between Hahn and Goodwin, whom the White Sox chose in the 17th round of the 2009 draft. Goodwin decided not to sign with the White Sox, though, instead electing to attend the University of North Carolina. It was a wise move by Goodwin, who boosted his stock enough for the Nationals to draft him 34th overall in 2011. Ten years later, he’s headed to the Chicago organization.

Blue Jays Moving Home Games To Buffalo Beginning June 1

By | at

The Blue Jays have spent the first month-plus of the 2021 season playing their home games at their Spring Training facility in Dunedin, Fla., but the team announced Wednesday that beginning June 1, they’ll move their home games to Buffalo’s Sahlen Field — the home of their Triple-A affiliate and the site of last summer’s home games. Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi reported on the move back to Buffalo shortly before the Jays made the formal announcement.

Per the announcement, the Blue Jays are in the process of a renovation project at Sahlen Field in order to prepare the facility for compliance with health-and-safety protocols associated with the return of fans. There are also updates being made to the field of play itself and the facilities, which include moving the bullpens off the field and behind the outfield walls, installing new batting cages beyond the right field wall, re-sodding the outfield grass, a new weight room, updated clubhouse facilities and updates to the stadium lighting. While those renovations are ongoing, they’re expected to be completed prior to June 1. The Bisons, meanwhile, are playing their home games out of Trenton, N.J. to accommodate the Blue Jays’ relocation and the ongoing renovations, Davidi points out.

The move to Sahlen Field is indefinite, as a return to Toronto is dependent on government regulations and recommendations of medical experts in Canada. For the time being, the Jays extended thanks the city of Buffalo and to Bisons ownership, expressing excitement over the ability to return to the site of their “strong 2020 campaign, this time with in-person cheers from Buffalo-area fans.”

The Jays will open Sahlen Field at 24 percent capacity and begin selling tickets the morning of May 13. You can see their full press release here (courtesy of MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand, on Twitter).

Mariners, Ryan Dull Agree To Minor League Deal

By | at

The Mariners have agreed to a minor league contract with veteran reliever Ryan Dull, tweets FanSided’s Robert Murray. He’ll presumably head to their Triple-A affiliate to join their bullpen.

Dull, 31, debuted with the A’s back in 2015 and had a huge 2016 season, delivering 74 1/3 innings of 2.42 ERA ball (3.33 SIERA) with what was then a well-above-average 25.2 percent strikeout rate and an excellent 5.2 percent walk rate. He’s never replicated that success, but Dull managed solid K/BB numbers and respectable fielding-independent marks in 2017-18.

A 2019 season split between the A’s, Yankees and Blue Jays, however, was an utter disaster for the righty. Dull tallied just 12 2/3 innings in the Majors that year and was slammed for 19 runs (18 earned) on 25 hits (including five homers) and seven walks with 15 strikeouts.

Dull hasn’t pitched in the big leagues since that time. He’d signed back with the Jays on a minor league deal last winter but wasn’t part of their 60-man player pool when play resumed last summer. Dull inked a deal with the Winnipeg Goldeneyes of the independent American Association back in January, but he’ll now return to affiliated ball just a couple of weeks before the American Association was set to commence its season.

Mariners relievers have been excellent this season, pitching to a collective 2.55 ERA that ranks third in the Majors, while their 3.62 FIP is good for sixth-best among MLB clubs. There won’t be an immediate spot for Dull, but he’ll give the club an experienced depth option as the organization looks to manage workloads on a generally young pitching staff after last year’s shortened schedule.

MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

hide arrows scroll to top