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Injury Notes: Judge, LeMahieu, Yankees, White, Puk, Bowden

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The latest on multiple injury situations throughout the game…

  • Aaron Judge’s most recent calf injury “seems like a recurrence of what he had before,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said during an interview with WFAN (hat tip to MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch).  Judge re-injured his calf in his first game back from a minimum 10-day stint on the injured list, and Boone suggested that this latest issue “does seem minor in nature again, but certainly something that could turn into an IL stint again.”
  • While Judge is a question mark, the Yankees could potentially have DJ LeMahieu back for this weekend’s series against the Mets.  Boone said that LeMahieu took batting practice today at Yankee Stadium and will now report to the club’s alternate training site.  Assuming the second baseman is indeed able to return against the Mets, it would represent a slightly early return from the initial 2-to-3 week timeline projected after LeMahieu was initially placed on the injured list with a thumb sprain on August 16.  In other Yankees injury news, Boone said Giancarlo Stanton (hamstring) also took on-field batting practice today, and that Gleyber Torres (quad/hamstring) is making good progress.
  • Evan White left during the third inning of the Mariners’ 10-7 loss to the Padres due to what the M’s termed as right shoulder discomfort.  After the game, Seattle manager Scott Servais told the Seattle Times’ Ryan Divish and other reporters that White initially suffered the injury while diving for a ball in Tuesday’s game and was trying to play through the pain.  The rookie first baseman entered today’s game with only a .168/.238/.379 slash line through his first 105 plate appearances in the big leagues, though White had begun to heat up over the last week.
  • The next step in A.J. Puk’s rehab will take place Friday, as Athletics manager Bob Melvin told the San Francisco Chroncile’s Susan Slusser and other reporters that Puk will throw 30 pitches over two simulated innings against live batters.  This will be the second time that Puk has faced actual hitters during his recovery from shoulder woes that have plagued him since Spring Training.  There is still no clear timetable on when Puk could make his return to the A’s, though the club has already said that he will be deployed as a reliever in 2020.
  • Rockies pitching prospect Ben Bowden isn’t likely to make his MLB debut this season, manager Bud Black told The Athletic’s Nick Groke and other reporters.  Bowden suffered another injury he was already recovering from a back problem that sidelined him during Spring Training.  A second-round pick out of Vanderbilt in the 2016 draft, Bowden didn’t have a great performance in the hitter-friendly environment of Triple-A Colorado Springs in 2019, though the southpaw has a 3.60 ERA, 13.1 K/9, and 3.15 K/BB over 127 1/3 total minor league innings, all as a reliever.

Seven Games Postponed On Thursday

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6:23PM: Tonight’s game between the Marlins and Mets will not be played.  As relayed by several reporters, players on both teams took part in a powerful symbolic moment, with Mets players taking their usual positions in the field and the other Mets and Marlins players standing outside their dugouts.  After a 42-second moment of silence in honor of Jackie Robinson, all players tipped and waved their caps at one another before departing the field, with a Black Lives Matter t-shirt left atop home plate.

5:41PM: The game between the Orioles and Rays will also not be played.  Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times (Twitter site) was among those to note the lack of normal pregame activity between the two clubs, and equipment being packed up from both dugouts.

5:06PM: Tonight’s game between the Rockies and Diamondbacks has also been postponed, as per Bob Nightengale of USA Today (Twitter link).

3:51PM: Players on the Nationals and Phillies collectively decided to postpone tonight’s game, as per a Phillies media release.

3:21PM: The Red Sox have decided not to play their game against the Blue Jays tonight, Julian McWilliams of the Boston Globe reports (via Twitter).

3:04PM: Tonight’s game between the Twins and Tigers will also be postponed, according to MLB Network’s Jon Heyman (Twitter link).  Twins and Tigers players each voted against playing the game, as respectively reported by The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal and MLB.com’s Jason Beck.

1:42PM: Phillies players have voted against playing their scheduled game versus the Nationals tonight, Jim Salisbury of NBC Sports Philadelphia reports (via Twitter). ESPN’s Jeff Passan tweets that the Rangers/Athletics game will also be postponed tonight. Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle tweeted shortly prior that the A’s were giving strong consideration to opting not to play. Passan tweeted earlier that Red Sox players were also considering a decision not to play against the Blue Jays.

Today’s decisions follow several clubs who declined to play yesterday in the wake of the police shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin. In total, three MLB games — Brewers/Reds, Mariners/Padres and Dodgers/Giants were postponed yesterday. All three are expected to be made up in doubleheaders today.

Last night, Major League Baseball issued the following statement in response to teams’ decisions to protest:

“Given the pain in the communities of Wisconsin and beyond following the shooting of Jacob Blake, we respect the decisions of a number of players not to play tonight. MLB remains united for change in our society & we will be allies in the fight to end racism and injustice.”

Similar protests were made in the NBA, where the scheduled postseason games Wednesday and Thursday were all postponed. The current expectation is for the NBA to resume play Saturday (link via HoopsRumors).

Cardinals Place Andrew Miller On 10-Day Injured List

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The Cardinals placed lefty Andrew Miller on the 10-day injured list due to shoulder fatigue, the team announced.  Right-hander Junior Fernandez was activated from the injured list in a corresponding move.

Miller’s IL visit is apparently “just a recovery thing,” manager Mike Shildt told MLB.com’s Anne Rogers and other reporters.  Like many other Cardinals players, Miller is still getting back up to full speed following the team’s coronavirus outbreak-driven stoppage in play.  To that end, Fernandez himself is returning after a positive COVID-19 sidelined him for much of the season, as the rookie has only appeared in one game this season.  Rogers also notes that infielder Edmundo Sosa was assigned to the Cardinals’ alternate training site after being activated today from the team’s coronavirus injured list.

Shildt feels Miller will be back after the 10-day minimum stay, saying that “he’s been a warrior and just was honest and said, ’I could probably keep going and pushing through it,’ but I think we’d all feel better if we could get it behind him.”

Miller has a 4.76 ERA through 5 2/3 innings this season, with the bulk of that damage coming in one tough outing (two earned runs over one-third of an inning) against the Cubs on August 19.  The left-hander has held opponents scoreless in five of his other six appearances this season.

Even a minimal visit to the injured list will create a bit of extra drama in regards to Miller’s contractual status.  His original two-year, $25MM deal carries a $12MM club option for 2021 that was originally set to become guaranteed with at least 110 games pitched over the 2019 and 2020 seasons.  Rogers writes that Miller is seven games short of triggering his vesting option, meaning that the 37 appearances he still required (after pitching in 73 games in 2019) was prorated down to 14 appearances, as per the normal prorated rate of a 60-game schedule.  Assuming Miller is back in 10 days or not much beyond, however, he should still have time left to bank his remaining seven games, though his usage down the stretch could be worth observing in the season’s final weeks.

Orioles Activate Jose Iglesias From 10-Day IL

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The Orioles have activated shortstop Jose Iglesias from the 10-day injured list, one of multiple transactions announced today by the team.  Infielder Ramon Urias and southpaw Keegan Akin have been optioned to the Orioles’ alternate training site, while the O’s selected the contract of right-hander Cesar Valdez.  In addition, outfielder Dwight Smith Jr. cleared waivers (Smith was designated for assignment earlier this week) and was outrighted to the alternate site.

Iglesias’ return from a left quad injury comes after a minimum 10-day absence, as his original placement was backdated to August 16.  Baltimore will now get perhaps its most unexpectedly hot bat back in the lineup, as Iglesias was off to a fantastic .400/.414/.564 start through his first 58 plate appearances.

Valdez signed a minor league deal with the Orioles over the offseason and is now on track to appear in his first Major League game since the 2017 season.  His 30 2/3 innings with the A’s and Blue Jays that season marked a return to the Show from an even longer absence, as Valdez’s previous MLB experience came in a nine-game stint with the Diamondbacks in 2010.  In between these hiatuses from the big leagues, Valdez has a long track record in the Mexican League, as well as eight games in the Chinese Professional Baseball League and 861 1/3 career minor league innings with the A’s, Blue Jays, D’Backs, and also the Marlins, Astros, and Pirates.

Tigers Shut Down Matt Manning, Alex Faedo

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The Tigers have shut down pitching prospects Matt Manning and Alex Faedo for the remainder of the season, GM Al Avila announced to reporters (including Chris McCosky of the Detroit News).  Both right-handers have been diagnosed with right forearm strains, though Avila emphasized that four different specialists examined the pair to ensure that there was not a more severe injury at play.

“We wanted to be super cautious,” Avila said. “We just wanted to be sure we were right in our assessment, that it was not going to be a big deal and we were prescribing the right course of rehab.”

With Casey Mize and Tarik Skubal already making their MLB debuts this season, bringing Manning and Faedo up to the active roster would have given Detroit fans an early preview of what the Tigers hope will be their rotation core for the next decade.  Even before the forearm problems, however, Faedo missed the Tigers’ summer camp due to COVID-19, and McCosky notes that Manning was dealing with mechanical issues both in summer camp and dating all the way back to Spring Training.

In terms of who could replace Manning and Faedo in the 60-man player pool, Avila said the club is “looking at adding prospects from within the organization,” though “we do have a list of players outside the organization who, if we needed to in an emergency go out and sign.”  Avila didn’t mention the possibility of a trade, though since the 13-16 Tigers are only two games out of a wild card berth, it isn’t out of the question that the club could make an addition before the trade deadline.

Diamondbacks Designate Matt Grace For Assignment

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The Diamondbacks have designated left-hander Matt Grace for assignment, as per a press release.  The D’Backs also announced that infielder Andy Young and righty Joel Payamps were called up from the club’s alternate training site to take the roster spots left open by Grace and Kevin Cron, who was optioned to the training site after last night’s game.

Grace just had his contract selected by the D’Backs last week, though his three-game tenure with the club has been a rough one.  Grace has a 54.00 ERA over one official inning pitched, as his last two outings have seen the southpaw charged with three earned runs without recording an out.

A veteran of six MLB seasons, Grace posted a 4.29 ERA, 2.69 K/BB rate, 53.4% grounder rate, and 6.7 K/9 over  176 1/3 relief innings for the Nationals from 2015-19.  The highlight was a 2018 season that saw Grace deliver a 2.87 ERA over 59 2/3 frames, though he struggled to a 6.36 ERA over 46 2/3 innings in 2019 and was left off Washington’s postseason roster.

Rockies Sign Zac Rosscup

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TODAY: The Rockies have announced the signing.  Rosscup has inked a minor league deal and been added to the team’s 60-man player pool.

AUGUST 25: The Rockies are close to a deal with left-hander Zac Rosscup, FOX 26’s Mark Berman reports (Twitter link).  The deal, presumably a minor league contract, will be official once Rosscup passes a physical and a COVID-19 screening.

Rosscup previously pitched for Colorado in 2017-18 and was also a member of the organization just this season, as he signed a minor league deal last winter but was released in June.  He’ll now get a second chance at that second stint with the Rox, who are likely looking to add some bullpen depth in the wake of some injuries.  James Pazos and Phillip Diehl are the only left-handed relievers on the Rockies’ current active roster, and none of the other southpaws at their alternate training site have any big league experience.

Rosscup has tossed 83 2/3 career innings over parts of six MLB seasons, pitching for the Rockies and four other clubs.  In 2019, Rosscup threw 18 innings split over separate stints with the Mariners, Blue Jays, and Dodgers, plus he also spent time in the Cardinals’ farm system.  Since being released by Colorado this summer, Rosscup has been pitching in independent baseball in Sugar Land, Texas.

The 32-year-old has a 5.16 ERA and a very impressive 12.2 K/9 over his 83 2/3 frames, though home runs (1.6 HR/9) and walks (5.9 BB/9) have been consistent issues over Rosscup’s time in the majors.  Over 329 1/3 career minor league innings, Rosscup has a 2.71 ERA, 11.0 K/9 and only an 0.4 HR/9 and 3.6 BB/9, though he had some major control issues over 16 2/3 innings of Triple-A ball in 2019.

Pirates Claim Anthony Alford

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The Pirates have claimed outfielder Anthony Alford off waivers from the Blue Jays.  Alford was designated for assignment by Toronto last week.

Alford is still only 26 years old, and was still garnering top-60 prospect buzz as recently as the 2018 preseason.  Over nine pro seasons, however, Alford’s production has been inconsistent, though his development has been hampered by multiple injuries.  Alford has a .265/.358/.393 slash line over 2098 career plate appearances in the minors, along with 34 homers and 114 stolen bases (out of 146 chances).  At the big league level, Alford has appeared in each of the last four seasons, though he has played in only 46 total games and amassed 75 total plate appearances (with only a .454 OPS over that small sample size).

The Bucs are hoping that a change of scenery can help unlock Alford’s potential, and it’s possible Alford could immediately jump onto the Pirates’ roster as a backup outfielder.  With the trade deadline just around the corner, it also isn’t out of the question that Alford could see more playing time if Pittsburgh opted to move another outfielder in a future deal.

Rays Acquire Brett Phillips From Royals

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The Rays have acquired outfielder Brett Phillips from the Royals in exchange for minor league infielder Lucius Fox, the teams announced. Both players are on the 40-man roster, so corresponding 40-man moves aren’t necessary.

It’s a swap of two once-heralded young talents whose respective stocks have dipped in recent years. Phillips, 26, went from the Astros to the Brewers alongside Josh Hader in the famed Mike Fiers/Carlos Gomez deal. At the time, he was a top 50 prospect who was regarded as a potential five-tool superstar, but in the years since, his contact issues have continued to limit his value. Phillips went from Milwaukee to K.C. in the original Mike Moustakas trade, and he’s since settled in as an absolutely rocket-armed, plus defensive outfielder with power but major swing-and-miss issues at the plate.

It’s fun to think about what an outfield of Kevin Kiermaier, Manuel Margot and Phillips could do from a defensive standpoint, but it’s hard to overlook the fact that in 358 MLB plate appearances, Phillips is a .205/.282/.344 hitter with an enormous 35.2% strikeout rate. His penchant for “did-he-just-do-that,” highlight-reel assists from any of the three outfield spots make him one of the game’s more entertaining defenders, but the Rays have some work to do if they are to coax anything out of Phillips from an offensive standpoint. Phillips is controllable through 2024, but he’s already out of minor league options, so the Rays have to keep him on the big league roster.

The 23-year-old Fox, meanwhile, is a switch-hitting Bahamian shortstop who signed a hefty $6MM bonus with the Giants back in 2015. That deal came near the peak of aggressive spending on international amateurs that preceded the hard-capped bonus pools which are now in place under the 2016-21 CBA. He was seen at the time as an athletic, high-contact middle infielder or center fielder with speed and the potential to grow into a bit more power than he had, but Fox hasn’t developed at the plate as hoped.

He lasted just one season with the Giants before being traded to the Rays as part of their return for Matt Moore, and there was some controversy when it was discovered post-trade that Fox had been playing through a foot injury which was not disclosed to the Rays. Fox eventually settled in as a mid-range prospect in a deep Rays system, but his stock has continued to dip as he’s posted pedestrian minor league numbers. He spent most of the 2019 season in Double-A, where he hit .230/.340/.342 with three homers and 37 steals. The speed is surely a highly appealing trait to a Royals club that tends to stockpile stolen-base threats, but Fox’s overall offensive game has yet to come together.

Pirates Place Keone Kela, Colin Moran On Injured List

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The Pirates announced Thursday that they’ve placed right-hander Keone Kela and infielder Colin Moran on the injured list. Kela heads to the 10-day IL with forearm tightness, while Moran is on the 7-day concussion list. Both moves are retroactive to Aug. 24. Righty Nick Mears and infielder Will Craig were recalled in a pair of corresponding moves.

The IL placement for Kela substantially hampers the team’s ability to extract a meaningful return in a trade for the righty, who’d been the Pirates’ most obvious trade chip prior to Monday’s deadline. He can technically still be traded even while on the IL, but he won’t be eligible for activation until a few days after Monday’s trade deadline has passed. Considering that Kela is a free agent at season’s end, however, the Bucs could still try to move him for whatever they’re able to get.

Kela, 27, has been limited to just two innings in 2020 due to a positive Covid-19 test that caused him to miss all of Summer Camp and the forearm issue that prompted him to be lifted from last Friday’s relief outing. His fastball sat at 96.5 mph in his three outings this year — right in line with his career average — but that doesn’t guarantee the issue he’s facing to be minor. Kela has a strong track record dating back to his 2015 debut, but he’s obviously a wild card for the remainder of the year.

Moran himself could conceivably been a trade candidate on the heels of a huge start to the season. The former No. 6 overall pick is out to a .259/.326/.531 start with six homers and four doubles through 89 plate appearances. Moran’s 93.4 mph average exit velocity (per Statcast) is up more than five miles per hour from the 88.2 mph mark he logged in his first two years with Pittsburgh, and his 48.3 percent hard-hit rate absolutely dwarfs the 34.6 percent mark he posted in 2018-19. He’s controllable for three years beyond 2020, however, so a move involving him carries less urgency and wasn’t necessarily likely (as it was with Kela).

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