Blue Jays Place Cavan Biggio On Injured List, Option Anthony Kay
The Blue Jays announced they’ve placed third baseman Cavan Biggio on the 10-day injured list with a cervical spine ligament sprain. Additionally, lefty Anthony Kay and righty Jeremy Beasley were optioned to Triple-A Buffalo. To replace that trio on the active roster, infielder Joe Panik and reliever Anthony Castro were each reinstated from the IL, while righty Ty Tice was recalled from Buffalo.
Biggio’s IL placement is the most impactful of today’s spate of transactions. The 26-year-old has started 35 of Toronto’s first 42 games, with the bulk of his work coming at the hot corner. It’s been a difficult start to the year for Biggio, who has just a .205/.315/.315 slash with three homers across 151 plate appearances. That’s a far cry from the cumulative .240/.368/.430 mark (118 wRC+) he put up between 2019-20. Biggio’s impeccable plate discipline has remained intact, but he’s made contact on a career-worst 72% of his swings this season. (The league average contact rate is 75.2%). It’s no coincidence he’s striking out at a career-high 31.1% clip.
Panik and Santiago Espinal look like the best bets to handle third in Biggio’s absence. Neither has offered much offensively over the past few years, so the Jays will be anxious for Biggio’s return. It seems reasonable to expect him back in the short-term, as Scott Mitchell of TSN tweets that Biggio’s been playing through some neck stiffness recently and the team hopes a “few days” of rest will get him past the issue.
Kay has started four of his five appearances this season. He’s been hit around for a 6.62 ERA, although his peripherals suggest he’s been a bit unlucky to allow so many runs. Kay has stranded an unsustainably low 64.7% of baserunners and opposing hitters have managed a lofty .356 batting average on balls in play against him. A few more batted balls finding gloves and/or better sequencing could’ve resulted in an ERA closer to Kay’s 4.38 SIERA. Returning to the minors will give him a chance to work on his control; the lefty has walked a too-high 12.3% of batters faced this year.
The Jays will run a bullpen game to take Kay’s spot in the rotation for now, manager Charlie Montoyo said (via Shi Davidi of Sportsnet). Top prospects Nate Pearson and Alek Manoah are each performing well in Triple-A, though, and Kay’s demotion will only fuel speculation one or both of the vaunted young arms could get a look in the big leagues relatively soon. Pearson, of course, made a brief big league debut last season, while Manoah is pitching above A-ball for the first time this year.
Latest On Mariners COVID Situation
MAY 22: Dugger and Misiewicz were each reinstated from the IL before this evening’s game against the Padres, per a team announcement. Fletcher and Mills were optioned back to Tacoma.
MAY 21, 6:17pm: The Mariners announced a series of roster moves related to the positive test. Right-handers Robert Dugger, Drew Steckenrider and Will Vest were all placed on the IL, as was lefty Anthony Misiewicz. The Mariners did not indicate that a player tested positive but rather that the moves were made “out of an abundance of caution” due to a “potential” positive. Further testing and contact tracing is being conducted.
In a slate of corresponding moves, the Mariners reinstated right-hander Keynan Middleton from the injured list, selected the contract of journeyman infielder Eric Campbell and recalled three relievers from Triple-A Tacoma: lefty Aaron Fletcher and righties Wyatt Mills and Yohan Ramirez.
MAY 21, 2:08pm: The Mariners are dealing with a COVID-19 situation, as reported by both The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal and ESPN.com’s Jeff Passan. At least one player has tested positive for the virus, Passan reports, “and there is concern within the organization that the relatively low level of vaccination within the clubhouse could be problematic.” Not only are the Mariners under the league-mandated 85% vaccination threshold for the lessening of COVID protocols, but the M’s “are among the least-vaccinated teams in” the entire league.
The Mariners are in San Diego tonight to begin a three-game series with the Padres. Any of those games or perhaps even the three-game set with the Athletics from May 24-26 could perhaps face postponement in the event of a widespread outbreak amongst the team, though there isn’t yet any word that the M’s have anything beyond just the one positive test.
Giants Select Scott Kazmir, Designate Braden Bishop
Scott Kazmir‘s comeback story is complete, as the Giants have selected the veteran southpaw’s contract from Triple-A. Kazmir will start for the Giants in today’s game against the Dodgers — ironically, the team Kazmir last pitched for in the big leagues, back during the 2016 season. In corresponding moves, outfielder Braden Bishop was designated for assignment, and left-hander Sam Selman was optioned to Triple-A.
After appearing in parts of 12 MLB seasons from 2004-16, Kazmir pitched 12 innings with the Dodgers’ Triple-A team in 2017 but it seemed like his career was drawing to a close. However, the left-hander announced in early 2020 that he was preparing a comeback attempt, and after a stint in independent baseball, Kazmir landed a minor league deal with San Francisco last February.
Giants president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi is no stranger to Kazmir, as the southpaw pitched for the Athletics and Dodgers when Zaidi was working in those clubs’ front offices. Since being hired as the Giants’ PBO, Zaidi has also developed a knack for finding hidden gems and reviving stalled careers — this roster development can be seen in the standings, as many of those unheralded players have helped the Giants to a 28-17 record.
Kazmir might represent the most impressive revival yet, considering his 37-year-old age, his long absence from the big leagues, and the number of injuries that dotted his career. It is worth remembering, however, that when Kazmir was in his prime, he was a very effective pitcher. Kazmir has appeared in three All-Star games, helped the Rays reach the World Series in 2008, and he has a 4.01 ERA over 1689 2/3 innings.
San Francisco has received excellent results from its rotation so far, though Kazmir will now get an opportunity due to injuries to Aaron Sanchez and Logan Webb. Sanchez’s return may be a while off and Webb’s shoulder strain isn’t thought to be overly serious, but Kazmir will get some time to show what he can do in 2021.
Bishop’s tenure with the Giants could come to a quick end, as the team only claimed him off waivers from the Mariners on May 17. Bishop has appeared in each of the last three MLB seasons, hitting .133/.188/.156 over 99 plate appearances with Seattle.
Phillies Promote Spencer Howard, Place Matt Moore On 10-Day IL
The Phillies have officially called up right-hander Spencer Howard to start tonight’s game against the Red Sox. A roster spot was created when left-hander Matt Moore was placed on the 10-day IL due to a back injury, according to Matt Breen of the Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter link). According to the Phillies, Moore is suffering from back spasms, and his placement is retroactive to May 21.
Howard began the season in Philadelphia’s bullpen, as the team intended to deploy him as a reliever in order to better manage his innings. However, since Moore and Chase Anderson both struggled as the team’s fourth and fifth starters, the decision was made to stretch Howard out back into a starting role.
Manager Joe Girardi told reporters (including NBC Sports Philadelphia’s Jim Salisbury) yesterday that Howard would be limited to roughly 55-60 pitches today. It remains to be seen how long Howard’s stint in the rotation will last, or whether or not the Phillies will eventually use him as something of a “normal” starter, or whether they’ll continue to use him in these rather limited starts to get as much game action out of the young righty as possible.
Vince Velasquez‘s health status will certainly be a factor, as Velasquez was a late scratch from his most recent start due to a finger numbness issue that has bothered him in the past. Beyond the impressive top trio of Aaron Nola, Zach Eflin, and Zack Wheeler, Velasquez had been giving the Phillies some quality work as the fourth starter, so if he is able to stay healthy and Howard is able to pitch up to expectations, the Phils might suddenly have one of the more solid rotations in the game. Of course, there isn’t much depth beyond those options, given how Anderson has been relegated to bullpen work and Moore will be out of action for at least the next 10 days.
Howard has a 6.28 ERA over 28 2/3 innings in his brief MLB career thus far, though the 2017 second-rounder is considered to be one of baseball’s better pitching prospects. Injuries have slowed Howard’s progress (hence the innings limit), though he has performed well when healthy in the minor leagues. Getting his first taste of Triple-A this year, Howard has allowed only a single run over nine innings, though he has issued five walks.
Cardinals Activate Miles Mikolas From Injured List
The Cardinals have activated Miles Mikolas off the 10-day injured list, and the right-hander will start against the Cubs tonight. Righty Seth Elledge was sent to Triple-A to open up a 26-man roster spot for Mikolas.
October 11, 2019 marked the last time Mikolas appeared in a big league game, as he allowed one run over six innings in Game 1 of the 2019 NLCS. Flexor tendon surgery caused Mikolas to miss the entire 2020 season, and then shoulder problems delayed his return until today.
This isn’t the first time Mikolas’ Major League career has been interrupted, as he headed to Japan following the 2014 season and revived his stock with three outstanding seasons with the Yomiuri Giants. After signing a two-year, $15.5MM deal with the Cardinals in the 2017-18 offseason, Mikolas took that new form back into MLB, finishing sixth in NL Cy Young Award voting in 2018.
That success led to another contract with St. Louis, as Mikolas signed a four-year extension worth $68MM. Since that extension started with the 2020 season, however, Mikolas has yet to throw even a single pitch since that new deal kicked in, making it a questionable investment to date for the Cards’ front office. Still, there is plenty of time for Mikolas to still deliver, and his return should further bolster the Cardinals’ pitching staff.
Jack Flaherty, Kwang Hyun Kim, and John Gant have all been very solid for the Cards this season, while Carlos Martinez and Adam Wainwright have been a little more inconsistent. St. Louis plans to use a six-man rotation for the time being, unless plans change due to other injuries.
Mariners Claim Daniel Zamora From Mets
The Mariners announced that left-hander Daniel Zamora was claimed off waivers from the Mets. Zamora was designated for assignment just yesterday by New York, and now will quickly head to a new team.
Originally a 40th-round pick for the Pirates in the 2015 draft, Zamora reached the majors and posted a 4.08 ERA over 17 2/3 innings with the Mets during the 2018-19 seasons, striking out 24 of his 77 batters faced. He didn’t make an appearance during the 2020 campaign, and Zamora has been hit hard in Triple-A action this season, with a whopping 20.25 ERA over four appearances and 6 2/3 innings for Triple-A Syracuse.
Despite those recent results, Zamora found a new home in short order. Like many teams this season, Seattle has been dealing with a number of pitching injuries, and also put four players on the COVID list yesterday. The Mariners currently have Aaron Fletcher as the only left-handed option in their bullpen, so there appears to be an opportunity for Zamora to find a place back in the majors.
Mets Designate Jake Hager
The Mets designated outfielder Jake Hager for assignment, the team announced. Right-hander Jordan Yamamoto was called up from Triple-A, and southpaw Stephen Tarpley was activated off the COVID-related injury list.
New York just selected Hager to the roster a week ago. The 28-year-old earned that promotion with a fantastic start to the year at Triple-A Syracuse, hitting .405/.436/.703 with three homers in 39 plate appearances. Hager only tallied eight plate appearances with the big league club this week, collecting one hit (a single). The Mets will have a week to trade him or expose him to outright waivers.
Yamamoto and Tarpley will add some depth to a New York pitching staff that went through seven relievers in last night’s 12-inning victory over the Marlins. Both hurlers have pitched in one game for the Mets this season.
Rangers’ Kohei Arihara To Undergo Shoulder Surgery
Rangers right-hander Kohei Arihara will undergo surgery on his throwing shoulder, Texas GM Chris Young told reporters (including MLB.com’s Manny Randhawa and Sports Illustrated’s Chris Halicke). The surgery will fix an aneurysm that was found in Arihara’s shoulder earlier this week. It will be 12 weeks before Arihara can even resume throwing, so it is quite possible that Arihara’s 2021 season is finished.
Arihara was already on the injured list due to a contusion on his right middle finger, an issue that was revealed as being related to the aneurysm. Young suggested that the aneurysm impacted Arihara’s performance over three starts prior to the IL placement, as Arihara was hit hard to the tune of a 17.28 ERA over 8 1/3 innings.
Baseball is hardly the first matter of concern at this point, however, as Young described the issue as “a very serious condition if it’s not treated, and we’re very fortunate that this was caught early and we didn’t continue to push it with [Arihara].”
Arihara signed a two-year, $6.2MM contract with Texas in the offseason, a deal that cost the Rangers an additional $1.24MM in posting fees to Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters, Arihara’s NPB team. Arihara was a stalwart member of the Fighters’ rotation from 2015-20, posting a 3.74 ERA over 836 innings with a pitching repertoire that relied more on control and off-speed pitches rather than velocity. (Arihara’s fastball averaged only 91mph this season.)
The Rangers and their fans saw some of this during Arihara’s first four starts of 2021, presumably before his aneurysm problems developed. Arihara had a 2.21 ERA over his first 20 1/3 innings pitched in the big leagues, issuing 13 strikeouts against three walks. If this is indeed it for Arihara in 2021, he’ll finish his rookie campaign with a 6.59 ERA/5.57 SIERA in 28 2/3 innings.
Young didn’t comment on how Texas would address Arihara’ rotation spot, though Hyeon-Jong Yang would seem like the favorite to remain in the starting five. Drew Anderson, Brock Burke, or Wes Benjamin are some of the most likely options at Triple-A if the Rangers dipped into the farm system.
Marlins Place Jordan Holloway On 10-Day IL, Select Shawn Morimando
The Marlins have placed righty Jordan Holloway on the 10-day injured list, GM Kim Ng told the Miami Herald’s Jordan McPherson and other reporters. The Marlins will select the contract of left-hander Shawn Morimando to take Holloway’s spot on the active roster, and right-hander Elieser Hernandez will be moved to the 60-day IL to open up a 40-man roster spot for Morimando.
Holloway threw one inning in last night’s 6-5 loss to the Mets, but left the game due to groin soreness. Holloway was the second of 10 Miami pitchers to take the mound during the 12-inning game, and the addition of Morimando gives the Marlins at least one more fresh arm heading into today’s action.
While Holloway’s 19.2% strikeout rate and 13.7% walk rate are both well below average, the righty has nonetheless been effective over 17 2/3 innings of work this season, posting a 2.55 ERA. Holloway’s 5.20 SIERA reflects some significant good fortune, but Holloway has avoided damage with some outstanding hard-contact numbers.
Morimando is now in line to receive his first MLB action since the 2016 season. Originally a 19th-round pick for the Indians in the 2011 draft, the lefty’s Major League resume consists of 4 2/3 innings for Cleveland in 2016. Since that cup of coffee in the Show, Morimando pitched in the Blue Jays’ farm system in 2018-19 and he had a stint in the Australian Baseball League before inking a minor league deal with Miami this past offseason.
Hernandez has only pitched in one game this season due to biceps inflammation, so the shift to the 60-day IL covers the time he has already spent on the sidelines. The right-hander has already thrown one rehab outing, and Hernandez should be in line for at least one more rehab start before being eligible for activation.
Rays Promote Taylor Walls, Claim Deivy Grullon From Mets
The Rays have officially promoted infield prospect Taylor Walls, as was originally reported yesterday in the aftermath of the club’s four-player trade with the Brewers.
This is one of multiple transactions for the Rays, as Tampa also claimed catcher Deivy Grullon off waivers from the Mets, then optioned Grullon and the newly-acquired Drew Rasmussen to Triple-A. Right-hander Chris Mazza was also sent to Triple-A after being activated off the 10-day injured list. Left-hander Cody Reed was moved to the 60-day injured list to open up a 40-man roster spot.
With Willy Adames off to Milwaukee, the Rays addressed their shortstop vacancy not by calling up uber-prospect Wander Franco, but rather yet another well-regarded Tampa Bay farmhand in Walls. Defensively, Walls has long been big league-ready, as he is considered a plus defender at shortstop and “widely considered the best defensive player at any position in the Rays’ Minor League system,” as per MLB Pipeline’s scouting report. Walls has also stolen 66 bases (though in 99 attempts) during his minor league career and hit .327/.468/.490 over 62 Triple-A plate appearances this season.
This is the fifth time Grullon has been claimed off waivers since September 2020, and the second time Tampa Bay has claimed him in as many months. After initially taking Grullon from the Reds in early April, the catcher was again DFA’ed later in the month and claimed by the Mets. Through it all, Grullon has yet to appear in any Major League games in 2021, but he’ll now head to Triple-A as a depth option.
Shoulder inflammation cost Mazza just under a month of action. The righty posted an 8.49 ERA over his first 11 2/3 innings with the Rays, after being acquired from the Red Sox in the February trade that also brought Jeffrey Springs to Tampa.
Reed only went to the 10-day IL on Wednesday, marking the second time this season that Reed has been sidelined by a numbness/weakness issue in his left thumb. Manager Kevin Cash told Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times and other reporters that Reed has yet to see a specialist about the problem, though it’s probably safe to assume that next step is coming soon. The left-hander has a 3.72 ERA over 9 2/3 relief innings for the Rays this season.