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MLB To Implement 28-Man Rosters For Balance Of 2020 Season, Postseason

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AUG. 5: The league announced that it will go to 28-man rosters and, if clubs choose, five-man taxi squads for the regular season and playoffs beginning Thursday. Teams will be able to carry 29 players for doubleheaders.

AUG. 4: While the initial plan for the shortened 2020 season was for rosters to begin at 30 players, drop to 28 after 15 days and drop to 26 two weeks later, it appears that plan will change. The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal tweets that rosters will drop to 28 players as scheduled on Thursday, but they’ll remain at that level through the end of the regular season and through the postseason. The three-man taxi squad that teams have been allotted will also be expanded to five players. USA Today’s Bob Nightengale tweeted earlier today that some potential alterations to roster reduction were being discussed.

The implementation of 28-man rosters for the balance of the season comes in a direct response to the number of injuries that have popped up throughout the league and the Covid-19 outbreaks within the Marlins and Cardinals organizations. The hope is that carrying a pair of extra players over the standard 26-man rosters can help to reduce strain on players — pitchers in particular — after an abbreviated three-week ramp-up period during Summer Camp. There’s no indication that the change will carry over beyond the 2020 season.

Larger rosters will leave managers with more flexibility and reduce the need to put extra stress on pitchers, though the extra relievers being carried by each club won’t do any favors in terms of limiting game times, as MLB has sought to do in recent years. That’s far from a pressing concern at this point, however, as all involved with the league are prioritizing player health and simply being able to get through a 60-game regular-season schedule before playing an expanded 16-team playoff format.

Latest On MLB’s Coronavirus Protocols

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With the coronavirus already having disrupted multiple teams’ seasons, commissioner Rob Manfred reportedly warned union chief Tony Clark last week that Major League Baseball could shut down the campaign prematurely if clubs don’t follow its protocols. Baseball has continued on since then, though, and Manfred seems confident the league will finish its current season.

The Marlins and Cardinals are well behind schedule because of positive COVID-19 tests, though Manfred told ESPN.com’s Jesse Rogers on Wednesday that most of the league’s players have behaved properly under tough circumstances.

“I think the vast majority of our players have done a really good job adhering to what are difficult protocols,” Manfred said. “They’re contrary to the way people normally live their lives.”

As Rogers explains, MLB’s protocols include surgical masks instead of cloth masks and social distancing on airplanes. According to Manfred, the league’s even considering a way to “spread” relief pitchers out in teams’ bullpens. With no fans in the stands, Manfred suggested some relievers could sit there.

Moreover, the Manfred-led league sent its 30 teams “severe, revised protocol measures” on Wednesday that say it could suspend players or staff members if they’re guilty of “repeated or flagrant violations,” Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports. Nightengale details those measures in his piece, but in short, the league’s hammering home the importance of wearing face coverings, socially distancing from one another and limiting travel to essential personnel.

“The behavior of every covered individual affects the players and staff on his or her team, and on other clubs as well,” the league said in a memo to its clubs.

Latest On Simmons, Ohtani

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Angels skipper Joe Maddon provided an update on the injury situations of shortstop Andrelton Simmons and starter/DH Shohei Ohtani. Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times was among those to cover the chat (Twitter links).

In the case of Simmons, who is nursing an ankle injury, he’s not going to be activated as soon as eligible. Fortunately, it isn’t as serious as the one he suffered last year, but there’s still some healing left to be done.

Simmons is “still pretty sore,” Maddon explains, and will likely not be back in the “real immediate future.” Maddon continued: “From what I read today, it’s progressing but not as quickly as it could.”

Meanwhile, tantalizing talent Shohei Ohtani is expected to be back in lineup tomorrow. That’s a consoling development after the recent news that he’ll be sidelined from mound work for the foreseeable future after suffering a forearm injury.

Ohtani, who didn’t pitch last year due to Tommy John surgery, spoke to media members including MLB.com’s Rhett Bollinger (Twitter link) this evening. The injury isn’t that severe, by Ohtani’s reckoning, which at least seems to indicate he’s not at risk of another procedure.

When asked about the possibility of ultimately focusing only on one side of the game, Ohtani said he’d rather keep trying to do both. At the same time, he indicated he’d be open to considering that possibility if the team made such a request. It seems unlikely at this point that the Halos would forgo a chance to see Ohtani reemerge on the mound.

Max Scherzer Departs Early With Hamstring Injury

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7:59pm: Thankfully, Scherzer is not dealing with an arm issue. He says he has a hamstring issue that flared up during the game, as Mark Zuckerman of MASNsports.com was among those to cover on Twitter.

5:32pm: The Nationals pulled ace Max Scherzer from tonight’s game after one inning. It’s not yet clear what drove the decision.

Scherzer had a bit of a rough frame, throwing 27 pitches and allowing one run. He had exhibited lower-nineties velocity — not necessarily a bright red flag in its own right, but a step down from his typical heat.

This is a developing story …

Marlins Sign Brandon Leibrandt

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The Marlins have inked lefty Brandon Leibrandt, Craig Mish of Sports Grid reports on Twitter. He’ll join the organization’s 60-man player pool.

There’s little doubt the deal is of the minor-league variety. Liebrandt, son of Charlie, comes aboard after participating in the Somerset Professional Baseball Series staged by the indy ball Somerset Patriots.

The 27-year-old Leibrandt, a former sixth-round pick, turned in a sterling 1.42 ERA over 50 2/3 Triple-A innings in 2018. Despite recording only 32 strikeouts, he also limited opposing hitters to ten walks and just a single long ball.

Unfortunately, Leibrandt ended up requiring Tommy John surgery and was sidelined for all of the 2019 season. He had not returned to the affiliated ranks until this move to join the Miami organization.

Rockies Add Brian Serven To 60-Man Player Pool

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The Rockies have added catcher Brian Serven to the 60-man player pool, per a team announcement. He’d still need to be added to the 40-man roster in order to be brought onto the active roster.

Serven, 25, was taken in the fifth round of the 2016 draft. He had a rough offensive season in 2019, turning in a .202/.286/.364 slash in 276 Double-A plate appearances. The organization is obviously still holding out hope that his abilities at the plate will catch up to his skill behind it.

Royals Outright Oscar Hernandez, Place Starling & Sparkman On IL

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The Royals have announced a series of roster moves. Backstop Oscar Hernandez was outrighted after clearing waivers.

In other moves, the team has sent outfielder Bubba Starling and righty Glenn Sparkman to the injured list. The latter is dealing with a forearm strain. To replace them, catcher Meibrys Viloria and righty Scott Blewett were called up to the active roster.

Hernandez will report to the Royals’ alternate training site. The 27-year-old has seen minimal MLB action in three of the past four seasons. He’ll remain a depth option for the club.

It’s not yet fully clear what kind of absences are anticipated from Starling and Sparkman. The former has continued to struggle at the plate with limited opportunities. The latter has allowed three earned runs on nine hits in his five innings on the season.

Nick Madrigal Headed For IL With Separated Shoulder

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Just-promoted White Sox infielder Nick Madrigal is headed directly to the injured list. He has been diagnosed with a separated shoulder, GM Rick Hahn told reporters including James Fegan of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Fortunately, it sounds as if the prognosis is generally good. Madrigal could return to action by the end of the month, Hahn says. It is still possible he’ll also require surgery after the campaign ends.

The South Siders also reported rather promising news on both Carlos Rodon and Reynaldo Lopez. They’re both dealing with shoulder problems but don’t appear to have structural damage. In each case, a return to the MLB rotation could be several weeks away.

Hahn further weighed in on veteran slugger Edwin Encarnacion. He’s said to be dealing with some SC joint inflammation. It’s a day to day situation at the moment, so it sounds as if the hope is Encarnacion won’t be out for any notable stretch.

Kwang Hyun Kim Moves Into Cardinals Rotation

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The Cardinals will utilize lefty Kwang Hyun Kim in the rotation, manager Mike Shildt tells reporters including Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (Twitter link).

Kim, 32, had been slotted into the relief unit after battling for a starting job in camp. He has made just one relief appearance, picking up a save but allowing an earned run on two hits.

The southpaw will step into the rotation spot left when Carlos Martinez recently hit the injured list. Whether Kim can hang onto a rotation job will depend upon many factors, with his performance and the duration of Martinez’s absence likely chief among them.

Kim, a long-time Korea Baseball Organization standout, joined the Redbirds over the offseason. He’s earning at a $4MM rate this year and is guaranteed the same in 2021, with an annual $1.5MM incentive package also available.

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