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Several Marlins Players Cleared To Begin Workouts

By Mark Polishuk | August 16, 2020 at 3:35pm CDT

August 16: As of today, all of the 18 Marlins who landed on the COVID-19 injured list have been cleared to resume baseball activities and have reported to the team’s alternate training site in Jupiter, reports Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald. Surely, that group will collectively need some time to ramp back up to in-game action, but their impact should be felt in the near future. In particular, FNTSY’s Craig Mish suggests that pitcher Sandy Alcantara, throwing a bullpen session today, could be ready to start as early as next weekend. For that to happen, he (and any other players vying to return) would need to travel with the team to Washington on Thursday; if that doesn’t happen, the aforementioned August 28 home series is the likely target date.

August 15: Several of the 18 Marlins players who tested positive for the coronavirus have been cleared to start baseball activities and workouts. The exact number of clearances isn’t yet known, though the Associated Press described that “most” of the 18 were given the green light. In terms of specific names, Sportsgrid’s Craig Mish tweets that shortstop Miguel Rojas and right-hander Sandy Alcantara were two of the players cleared.

Needless to say, it’s wonderful news that many of these players are healthy and recovered from the COVID-19 outbreak that halted Miami’s season for a week and put the entire baseball world on notice. From an on-field perspective, the Marlins will surely benefit from the return of so many key performers, though the Fish have done well (a 9-5 record) even with a severely short-handed roster.

The AP article notes that August 28 might be a realistic target date for any of these cleared players to actually return to the Major League roster, as they will naturally need some time to get back up to speed after missing so much time. Should the team continue to be in playoff contention, this mass return will add another layer of uncertainty to any potential trade deadline moves the Miami front office could have under consideration. The return of at least 10 players could be enough of an in-house upgrade that the Marlins might prefer to see what they have internally rather than seek out a trade chip on another team.

Reds’ Latest Round Of COVID-19 Testing Reportedly Comes Back Negative

By Anthony Franco | August 16, 2020 at 3:15pm CDT

3:15pm: Despite the Reds’ and Pirates’ most recent test results showing no positive tests, the two teams will not play a makeup doubleheader on Monday in Cincinnati, as reported by Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Also per Mackey, Bucs skipper Derek Shelton said that “MLB has decided protocol-wise that they did not want us to play Monday.” Tomorrow will mark the third consecutive day that the two teams will have been out of action following a positive test within the Reds organization.

9:00am: The latest round of coronavirus testing for the Reds has come back negative, tweets MLB Network’s Jon Heyman. After one Cincinnati player was revealed Friday to have tested positive for COVID-19, the remainder of their weekend series with the Pirates was postponed. Fortunately, there’s no indication at this point the virus has progressed beyond that player.

There is no specific timetable on the Reds’ return to action, although Heyman notes that today’s clean round of testing sets them up for a potential resumption next week. MLB is understandably exercising plenty of caution in trying to forestall a possible large-scale outbreak. We’ve seen already in the cases of the Marlins and Cardinals how quickly the virus is capable of decimating a clubhouse.

Cubs DFA Jharel Cotton, Place Tyler Chatwood On IL

By George Miller | August 16, 2020 at 1:16pm CDT

The Cubs announced a series of roster moves today, courtesy of the Chicago Tribune’s Mark Gonzales (Twitter links). Tyler Chatwood was placed on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to Thursday, due to a back strain. His active roster spot will be filled by right-hander Jason Adam. In turn, Jharel Cotton was designated for assignment to clear a spot for Adam on the 40-man roster.

The Cubs will have a week to trade, release, or outright Cotton to the minors. With one option year remaining and four more seasons of team control, he could be a worthwhile depth pickup for teams with thin pitching staffs. At 28 years old, Cotton is still relatively inexperienced at the Major League level and finds himself in a somewhat new role; 2019 marked the first year since his pro debut in 2012 that the majority of Cotton’s appearances came in relief.

Chatwood has started off the season looking like he’s on track for a nice bounce-back season, although you wouldn’t think so based on his unimpressive 5.40 ERA. Still, he’s striking out batters at a career-best rate (13.8 K/9) while his walks, which have thus far been the biggest obstacle to his success, have trended in the opposite direction: 2.4 BB/9, a career-low rate. That’s lent itself to a 2.60 FIP, which the Cubs ought to be pleased with given his unremarkable numbers over the previous two years.

Adam, 29, signed with the Cubs as a minor-league free agent after two Major League stints with the Royals and Blue Jays. He enjoyed a bit of success last year, posting a 2.91 ERA in 21 2/3 innings. His strikeout-to-walk ratio (18 K/10 BB) was nothing special, but he’s good solid stuff: his fastball, which averaged 94.4 mph last year, brings a spin rate that ranked in the 97th-percentile last year, per Statcast. Supplemented with a curveball and changeup, that type of action can certainly play at the MLB level.

Phillies Place Roman Quinn On IL

By George Miller | August 16, 2020 at 1:00pm CDT

The Phillies have placed outfielder Roman Quinn on the COVID-19 injured list and have recalled Kyle Garlick, according to Scott Lauber of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Quinn, however, has not tested positive for the coronavirus. Rather, the outfielder cited minor symptoms this morning and will sit out as a precautionary measure. As such, there’s no minimum time that Quinn must spend on the injured list; he may be activated as soon as he is cleared to play.

With Quinn landing on the injured list, the Phillies are left without a true center fielder on the active roster. It’ll be interesting to see how they handle the position in the coming days; Garlick has no experience in center, though Bryce Harper does. Even so, it seems more likely that Scott Kingery will serve as Quinn’s replacement.

Either way, we’re hopeful that it’s a brief absence for Quinn and that he’s avoided contracting COVID-19. If that’s the case and he tests negative, it shouldn’t be long before he’s back in the lineup for Philly. With Adam Haseley on the injured list, Quinn has been a capable starter for the Phillies, batting .278/.297/.500 in 37 plate appearances this year.

Even though they haven’t had any cases during the regular season, they’ve had to work around several postponements due to their proximity to the Marlins at the outset of the outbreak within the Miami organization. Having played their 17th game this afternoon, they’re still slightly behind most MLB teams, but are largely caught up by now.

Pitching Notes: Morton, Farmer, Burnes, Matz, Smith

By Anthony Franco | August 16, 2020 at 12:06pm CDT

Some pitching notes from around baseball:

Rays’ right-hander Charlie Morton came out of a twenty-pitch bullpen session feeling well, reports Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. He’s seemingly on track to return next weekend, Topkin adds. The 36-year-old was placed on the 10-day injured list earlier this week with shoulder inflammation, which could partially explain Morton’s two mile per hour drop in fastball velocity from 2019 to 2020.
Like Morton, Tigers’ right-hander Buck Farmer looks on track to return from an IL stint in short order. Manager Ron Gardenhire confirmed to reporters (including Evan Woodbery of MLive Media Group) that the important set-up man could return from a groin injury by the middle of next week. Farmer’s swing-and-miss rate is down a bit from his strong 2019 effort, but he’s nevertheless held opponents to two runs over his first 6.2 relief innings this year.
Corbin Burnes will get the start for the Brewers on Tuesday, tweets Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Jounral Sentinel. He’ll take the place of Eric Lauer, who was optioned this week amidst a rough start to the season. Working primarily in a multi-inning relief capacity, the hard-throwing Burnes has racked up 24 strikeouts in 16 innings this season, although he’s also issued an alarming 11 walks.
Mets’ manager Luis Rojas was noncommital when asked if Steven Matz would remain in the team’s rotation, notes Anthony DiComo of MLB.com (Twitter link). The southpaw allowed six runs in 4.1 innings in last night’s loss to the Phillies, continuing a disastrous start to his 2020 season. He’s coughed up 23 earned runs in as many innings, thanks almost entirely to an untenable nine home runs. On the other hand, Matz’s velocity has held in its customary 94-95 MPH range, and he’s run a solid 23:6 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Of course, New York is rather thin on potential starting pitching replacements if they elect to remove Matz from the rotation.
As expected, the A’s have placed reliever Burch Smith on the 10-day injured list, per Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle (Twitter link). Smith was diagnosed with a forearm strain yesterday. Fellow right-hander James Kaprielian has been recalled to replace him on the active roster. Smith has tossed twelve very strong relief innings for Oakland this season. Kaprielian, meanwhile, will get another chance to make his MLB debut. The former first-rounder got his first MLB call August 4, but he was optioned down two days later without having gotten into a game.

Mets Designate Brian Dozier For Assignment

By Anthony Franco | August 16, 2020 at 11:05am CDT

The Mets have designated second baseman Brian Dozier for assignment, per various reporters (including Anthony DiComo of MLB.com). Right-hander Franklyn Kilome has been recalled to replace Dozier on the active roster.

Dozier’s time in Queens could have come to an end after just 16 plate appearances across seven games. The 33-year-old has now been cut loose by both the Padres and Mets over the past few months, but he managed a solid season with the Nationals just a year ago. Dozier hit .238/.340/.430 (99 wRC+) in 482 plate appearances in Washington last season. Speculatively speaking, the Nats could look back into a reunion with Dozier in the wake of Starlin Castro’s recent broken wrist, although Washington has quite a few internal options who could be relied upon to fill that void.

The Mets are dealing with an injury to one of their second base options as well. Jeff McNeil hasn’t played since leaving Thursday’s contest after running into the outfield wall. Fortunately, McNeil is available off the bench today, manager Luis Rojas says (via Tim Healey of Newsday). That seemingly bodes well for McNeil’s chances of returning to the starting lineup in short order.

Orioles Designate Chandler Shepherd

By Anthony Franco | August 16, 2020 at 8:54am CDT

The Orioles are designating right-hander Chandler Shepherd for assignment, reports Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com (Twitter link). The move clears roster space for John Means, who was activated from the injured list. (Means was placed on the IL while progressing through standard COVID-19 protocols after briefly stepping away from the team on bereavement leave).

Shepherd was just selected to the roster on Friday but didn’t get into a game. The 28-year-old only has 19 MLB innings under his belt, all with the 2019 O’s. Those didn’t go well, but he’s put together a solid minor-league track record. Shepherd is out of options, meaning Baltimore had either to keep him on the active roster or expose him to waivers if they wished to keep him in the organization.

Quick Hits: Trade Deadline, Boras, Lynn, Smith, Padres, Burger

By Mark Polishuk | August 15, 2020 at 10:30pm CDT

There’s no doubt the 2020 trade deadline will be the most unusual in baseball history, and The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal (subscription required) looks at some of the many unique aspects of the lead-up to August 31. Everything about how teams evaluate their own rosters, decide on being buyers or sellers, scout other teams’ talent, and potentially spend to acquire that talent will be in flux, plus there are some factors unique to the threat of COVID-19.

For instance, there might have to be some back-channel negotiations with trade candidates to ensure that a player wouldn’t opt out of the season rather than be dealt to an undesirable location. Just the idea of changing locations whatsoever also carries issues, as Rosenthal notes that intake testing could delay a new acquisition’s arrival to his new team by a few days (no small amount of time in a shortened season), and there is inherent risk in travel and in introducing the health x-factor of an unfamiliar player into a new clubhouse.

In regards to the latter concern, agent Scott Boras contacted Rosenthal with the following message (Twitter link): “So that deadline deals are not impacted by COVID, I am letting all owners know if any of our players are traded and asked to leave their existing teams’ protocols, we have arranged a private jet protocol to allow players to be safely transported (between clubs).”

Royals’ Foster Griffin Undergoes Tommy John Surgery

By Mark Polishuk | August 15, 2020 at 10:04pm CDT

Royals left-hander Foster Griffin revealed in a tweet tonight that he underwent Tommy John surgery last Tuesday in Los Angeles, with Dr. Neal ElAttrache performing the procedure. As such, Griffin will be out of action for the next 12-14 months, quite possibly sidelining him until the 2022 season.

Griffin suffered a tear in his UCL during his very first Major League game, back on July 27 in Kansas City’s 14-6 win over the Tigers. Griffin earned the win after tossing 1 2/3 innings of relief, retiring all five batters without a hit or a walk, and was perfect apart from one runner reaching via error. Adding to the bittersweet nature of Griffin’s debut and subsequent injury, July 27 was also his 25th birthday.

Drafted 28th overall in 2014, Griffin was making his MLB debut after an inconsistent six-year stint in the Royals’ farm system. The southpaw has a 4.77 ERA, 2.19 K/BB rate, and 7.2 K/9 over 708 minor league innings, starting 139 of his 141 games. Given this lack of a track record, back-end starter or long man might be his eventual ticket to remaining in the big leagues, though obviously Griffin’s first order of business will be getting healthy after a long rehab period.

DJ LeMahieu Leaves Game Due To Thumb Sprain

By Mark Polishuk | August 15, 2020 at 9:28pm CDT

9:28PM: LeMahieu is undergoing an MRI and CT scan but x-rays were negative on his thumb, Boone told MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch and other reporters. The injured list “could be” a possibility, Boone said.

8:28PM: Yankees second baseman DJ LeMahieu left tonight’s game due to what the team announced as a sprained left thumb. LeMahieu will undergo tests to determine the extent of the injury.

The injury seemed to occur during a fourth-inning at-bat, as LeMahieu was visited by trainers after swinging at a Nathan Eovaldi pitch. LeMahieu finished his plate appearance and then played second base in the top of the fifth, though not before another on-field visit from trainers and manager Aaron Boone. LeMahieu finished the inning but Tyler Wade replaced him at the keystone in the sixth inning.

After an injury-plagued 2019 season, the Yankees have again been hit with several notable health problems this season, including with Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton currently sidelined. Losing LeMahieu would be another significant blow, as the second baseman entered Saturday’s action with a .429/.474/.557 slash line over his first 76 plate appearances. Leading the AL in batting average, OBP, and hits thus far, LeMahieu is on pace to top even his outstanding numbers from his 2019 debut season in the Bronx.

Wade and Thairo Estrada would be the top choices at second base if LeMahieu is out, plus veteran infielder Matt Duffy is at the Yankees’ alternate training site. While it’s too early to know whether LeMahieu will even require an IL placement let alone miss significant time, the lack of second base depth represents a potential area of focus for New York at the trade deadline should LeMahieu indeed face any sort of extended absence.

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