NL Roster Moves: Marlins, Rogers, Reds, Santillan, Phillies, Haseley, De Los Santos
Marlins’ breakout starter Trevor Rogers has been placed on the injured list without an injury designation, per Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald (via Twitter). It’s safe to assume the move relates to COVID-19 in some form or fashion, though speculatively speaking, it could be that Rogers is dealing with side effects from the vaccine. McPherson notes that the injured list stint is not expected to be long. That’s obviously welcome news for the Marlins, given Rogers performance in 13 starts this season. The 23-year-old rookie has logged 75 2/3 stellar innings with a 2.02 ERA/2.56 FIP.
In the meantime, Preston Guilmet had his contract selected, and he has been added to the active roster. The 33-year-old has not appeared in the Majors since 2018. He owns a 9.27 career ERA in 33 innings dating back to his 2013 debut with the Indians. Guilmet has also seen game action with the Orioles, Rays, Brewers, Cardinals, and Blue Jays. Elsewhere in the National League…
- The Reds have recalled reliever Tony Santillan from Triple-A Louisville this morning, per the team. Santillan, 24, will make his Major League debut if he gets in a game. Fangraphs ranked him as the Reds’ 14th-ranked prospect at the start of this season, while Baseball America has him as high as ninth, noting some late-game potential for Santillan down the line.
- The Phillies recalled Enyel De Los Santos from Triple-A, optioning catcher Rafael Marcan to Triple-A Lehigh Valley, per the team. Outfielder Adam Haseley was also reinstated from the restricted list and optioned to Triple-A.
Padres Reinstate Trent Grisham From Injured List, Option Brian O’Grady
The Padres are getting a big bat back in the lineup today. Trent Grisham has been activated from the 10-day injured list, while Brian O’Grady has been optioned to Triple-A.
O’Grady has been the first man up from Triple-A for the Padres most of this season. The 29-year-old is a capable defender, but he’s hit just .167/.279/.333 in 44 plate appearances in the Majors this season.
Grisham is a key bat and defensive player for the Padres, despite his relative lack of Major League experience. The 24-year-old has 589 plate appearances in his career – more-or-less one full professional season – but that time has been broken up between 183 plate appearances with the Brewers in 2019, 252 plate appearances for the Padres during the shortened 2020 season, and 154 plate appearances around a couple of injured list stints this season. When healthy, he’s proven a potent and well-rounded contributor, slashing .301/.383/.515 with six home runs and seven stolen bases in 2021.
The Pads will be eager to get Grisham back, especially right now, as their offense has been in a bit of a funk of late. They have an 89 wRC+ as a team going back to May 15th.
Brewers Acquire Hunter Strickland From Angels For Cash Considerations
The Brewers have acquired right-hander Hunter Strickland from the Angels today in exchange for cash considerations. Both teams have announced the deal. The Angels had designated Strickland for assignment earlier this week.
Strickland has at various point in recent seasons provided quality bullpen work in uniform for the Mets, Nationals, Rays, Angels, and Mariners going back to 2019, when he won a World Series ring with the Nats. Prior to that, he was a steady hand out of the Giants’ pen from 2014 to 2018. The Brewers will be his third team of 2021. He has a 4.03 ERA/5.03 FIP in 22 1/3 innings with the Rays and Angels, though he particularly struggled in his short time with the Angels, giving up seven earned runs in just 6 1/3 innings of work.
To make rooom on the 40-man roster, the Brewers transferred Travis Shaw to the 60-day injured list. Shaw provided the media with an update today. He will attempt to rehab his shoulder dislocation, but if there’s not enough improvement at a certain point, he will be shut down for the year, per Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (via Twitter).
Yankees DFA Mike Ford, Reinstate Zack Britton, Option Brooks Kriske
The Yankees announced a number of roster moves today, including the return of southpaw Zack Britton. Britton has been reinstated from the 60-day injured list. Mike Ford has been designated for assignment, and right-hander Brooks Kriske has been optioned to Triple-A.
Britton will make his first appearance of the season, potentially making an already-strong Yankee bullpen even stronger. Yankees’ relievers are fourth among relief units in the Majors with a 3.30 ERA this season. For his part, Britton is coming off back-to-back sub-2.00 ERA seasons.
Ford has been designated for assignment after struggling offensively the past two seasons. Ford mashed in Triple-A back in 2019, earning a promotion to the bigs where he continued his good work at the plate with a .250/.350/.559 line in 163 plate appearances. Since then, Ford has batted just .134/.250/.276 across 156 plate appearances.
Kriske was a sixth round draft pick out of USC back in 2016. He rose steadily through the Yankees’ organization, but has struggled in short stints in the Majors. This season, Kriske served up five earned runs in four innings of work, allowing six hits and two walks while striking out three.
In other news, Luis Severino took a step forward in his rehab, earning a promotion from Low-A to High-A, per the team. Severino has made just three starts going back through 2019.
Giants Activate Mike Yastrzemski
The Giants will activate Mike Yastrzemski from the injured list and designate him the 27th man for today’s doubleheader against the Nationals, per Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chroncicle (via Twitter).
Yaz has been dealing with a number of different injuries this season, twice landing on the injured list. This latest stint was because of a thumb sprain. When healthy, Yaz has batted .222/.332/.456 in 184 plate appearances. LaMonte Wade Jr. and Mike Tauchman have split time in right field in Yaz’s absence.
Curt Casali could be activated from the injured list for the second game, but the Giants are going to wait to make an official decision on him or their game two pitching plans, per Slusser (Twitter notes). Kevin Gausman will take the bump in game one of the twin bill.
Nationals Make Series Of Roster Moves
The Nationals announced a series of roster moves today. Most notably, setup man Daniel Hudson has been placed on the 10-day injured list with right elbow inflammation. Meanwhile, Erick Fedde was reinstated from the injured list, and Jefry Rodriguez had his contracted selected from Triple-A.
The Nats also selected the contract of Andres Machado, whom they immediately optioned so that they could select him as the 27th man in today’s doubleheader. To make room on the active roster, outfielder Yadiel Hernandez was optioned to Triple-A Rochester. To make room on the 40-man roster, Will Harris was transferred to the 60-day injured list.
The most consequential move here is undoubtedly the short-term loss of Hudson, who has been a key figure in the Nats pen this season. The man who closed out the 2019 World Series has continued his career renaissance in Washington this season with a 2.59 ERA/2.74 FIP in 23 outings totaling 24 1/3 innings. Hudson has been a rock out of the pen, picking up 11 holds while striking out a career-high 37.2 percent of opponents and only walking 7.4 percent of batters.
With Harris out long-term and Hudson now out as well, the Nats are entering an experimental period when it comes to setting up closer Brad Hand. Tanner Rainey is the most likely to take on those responsibilities, but he has struggled with his command this season. Wander Suero, Kyle Finnegan, and Sam Clay are also likely to continue to see a lot of action out of the pen.
Hernandez has been a fun story for the Nats this season, and his demotion here is probably temporary. With Juan Soto and Kyle Schwarber in the outfield corners, Hernandez doesn’t have a path to regular playing time. Injuries to the pitching staff have left the Nats routinely short-handed this season as well, hence the need for an additional arm.
Getting Fedde off the injured list should help. He’ll jump right back into the starting rotation today. With Max Scherzer leaving yesterday’s game in the first inning and a doubleheader scheduled today, the Nats are in particular need of a lengthy outing from Fedde, who owns a 4.35 ERA/4.42 FIP in 39 1/3 innings this year over eight starts.
Rodriguez and Machado may very quickly find themselves of use to manager Davey Martinez. Rodriguez was a Nats farmhand who was traded to the Indians as part of the Yan Gomes trade back in 2018. He may now find himself throwing to Gomes after returning to the Nats on a minor league deal this winter.
Machado is back in the bigs for the first time since 2017, when he made two appearances for the Royals. The 28-year-old has allowed just one earned run in 9 1/3 innings at Triple-A for the Nats this season.
Mets Notes: deGrom, Nimmo, Conforto, McNeil, Carrasco
Jacob deGrom left yesterday’s game with flexor tendonitis, per Anthony DiComo of MLB.com (via Twitter). Speaking after the game, deGrom continually stressed that though the concern was near his elbow, it wasn’t something that he was overly concerned about. He plans/hopes to make his next regularly scheduled start. Obviously, a healthy deGrom is crucial for the Mets’ title chances. They have a four-game lead for the division, thanks in large part to deGrom’s 0.56 ERA in 10 starts this season. The Mets have won 70 percent of deGrom’s starts this season versus 53 percent of games in which someone else takes the hill. In other Mets news…
- Brandon Nimmo has a new understanding of the hand injury that’s kept him out of action since the first couple days of May. Nimmo received a new diagnosis of a small ligament tear near the base of his left index finger. He was thought to be dealing with a nerve issue. Nimmo previously had started a rehab assignment, but stopped it short after continued discomfort. While the diagnostic clarity is helpful, the new information doesn’t change the plan for Nimmo: He will continue to rest until the finger is healed, tweets Dicomo. A rehab assignment,however, could start as soon as next week.
- Dicomo provides more position player updates: the Mets hope to have Jeff McNeil back next weekend and Michael Conforto the weekend after, per GM Zack Scott. The Mets have done well to stay atop the NL East while a good portion of their starting lineup has been out. McNeil’s flexibility would be particularly useful in covering for the numerous injuries the team has sustained this season.
- Carlos Carrasco, meanwhile, received a PRP injection, which is why he has not been throwing of late, per Dicomo. Carrasco’s torn right hamstring has not been healing on schedule. Certainly, the Mets expected to get more from Carrasco this season. To have him healthy at the end of the season has to be the priority now, however, so there should be no rush in getting him back to the hill before he is 100 percent healthy. Carrasco isn’t likely to return to the rotation until after the All-Star break, per DiComo.
Diamondbacks General Manager Mike Hazen To Take Physical Leave Of Absence
The Diamondbacks announced that executive vice president and general manager Mike Hazen is taking a “physical leave of absence” from the team. Assistant GM Amiel Sawdaye will take over day-to-day baseball operations, with Hazen consulting regularly.
Sawdaye has been one of Hazen’s primary lieutenants throughout the duration of their tenures in Arizona. The pair worked together in the Red Sox front office, and Sawdaye followed Hazen to the desert less than two weeks after the latter was hired as Diamondbacks general manager. Sawdaye has long been viewed as a potential future GM, and he was among the finalists for the Angels job that went to Perry Minasian last winter.
Hazen’s wife Nicole has been battling brain cancer, notes Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic. Hazen told reporters (including Bob Nightengale of USA Today) he didn’t feel he could devote the time required to lead the team’s trade deadline and draft preparation while attending to his family responsibilities. MLBTR sends our best wishes to the Hazen family.
Minor MLB Transactions: 6/11/21
The latest minor transactions:
- The Orioles announced that right-hander Shawn Armstrong has cleared waivers and been sent outright to Triple-A Norfolk. Baltimore designated the 30-year-old for assignment last week. As a player who has previously been outrighted in his career, Armstrong had the right to elect free agency. He’s apparently chosen to accept the minor league assignment, though, as he’s listed on Norfolk’s active roster. Armstrong tossed twenty innings for the O’s this season before being designated, only managing an 8.55 ERA/4.30 SIERA.
Latest On Jon Gray, German Marquez
Rockies starter Jon Gray is scheduled to hit free agency at the end of the season. With Colorado having virtually no chance to make the playoffs, that makes the 29-year-old one of the more logical trade candidates in baseball. Indeed, MLBTR’s Steve Adams ranked Gray the #1 trade candidate in the sport last week.
Gray changing teams next month still seems the most likely outcome, but Ken Rosenthal of the Athletic reports the Rockies are expected to offer him a contract extension before pulling the trigger on any trade. Of course, the club offering Gray an extension doesn’t guarantee he’d stick around. The Rockies don’t look particularly close to contention, and the CAA Sports client may prefer to field offers from more immediate contenders this winter instead.
As Rosenthal notes, Colorado’s hitter-friendly home park could also work against them in convincing a pitcher to voluntarily stick around for the long haul. Gray, though, is the rare arm who hasn’t seemed too affected by Coors Field. His career home/road splits are nearly identical, and Gray’s actually been far better at home this season (3.25 ERA, .167/.264/.314 opponents’ slash line) than on the road (6.75 ERA, .350/.400/.538 line).
Extensions for starting pitchers this close to free agency are atypical, as one might expect. Over the past four seasons, only two starters with five-plus years of MLB service time signed extensions. Righty Sonny Gray inked a three-year, $30.5MM guarantee with the Reds in 2019. That was part of an agreement to facilitate a trade from the Yankees to Cincinnati, though, so it’s not a perfectly analogous situation. Righty Lance McCullers Jr., meanwhile, signed a five-year, $85MM deal with the Astros in March. McCullers is nearly two full years younger than Jon Gray and has a better career track record (even after adjusting for park), so the Rockies hurler would have a hard time commanding that kind of commitment.
Gray’s contractual status makes his situation one of the more pressing for interim general manager Bill Schmidt. He’s not the only Colorado starter drawing attention from rival clubs, though. Rosenthal reports the Rockies are also receiving interest in starter Germán Márquez. That’s certainly no surprise. Márquez has worked to a 3.91 ERA in 71 1/3 frames this season- a strong mark for a pitcher in Coors Field- with quality strikeout and ground ball rates (24.7% and 52.7%, respectively). Márquez has walked quite a few batters this year (11.2%), but he was one of the game’s better strike throwers between 2017-20.
In addition to his strong track record of performance, Márquez is controllable through 2024 under the terms of an extension he signed in April 2019. He’s making just $7.5MM this year, followed by respective salaries of $11MM and $15MM in 2022 and 2023. The deal contains a $16MM club option (with a $2.5MM buyout) for 2024. Given that long-term control, the Rockies needn’t move Márquez this summer, and Rosenthal suggests they’re unlikely to do so.
Between Gray, Márquez and impending free agent shortstop Trevor Story (who doesn’t seem likely to re-sign), the Rockies have a trio of players who should continue to generate plenty of calls from contenders. There’s a particular sense of urgency with regards to Gray and Story, as the organization seeks the core of the next contending club in Colorado.