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Hunter Dozier Tests Positive For COVID-19

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Royals outfielder Hunter Dozier will open the season on the coronavirus-specific injured list. The club announced that he has tested positive for COVID-19.

This is obviously quite disappointing (and rather worrisome) news to receive, particularly on the eve of Opening Day. Dozier will be sidelined until he’s able to clear the virus from his system and register two positive tests. He says he is experiencing some symptoms. Hopefully, he’s able to make a swift and full recovery.

It’s concerning also that Dozier has been active with his teammates this week. He has obviously been isolated since receiving the test results, but it’s hypothetically possible he could’ve transmitted the virus to others in the organization before that time. It isn’t yet known if any other personnel came into such close contact with Dozier that isolation will be required.

Dozier, who’ll soon turn 29, entered 2020 hoping to build on a breakout effort last year. The first-round pick finally made good on his original promise, turning in a .279/.348/.522 batting line with 26 home runs and a league-leading ten triples over 586 plate appearances. While he benefited from a lofty .339 BABIP, Dozier backed it up with excellent exit velocity and sprint speed.

The news will dent Dozier’s earning abilities after the season, when he’ll qualify for arbitration for the first time. And it’ll hurt the Royals’ hopes for a surprise run in 2020. The added opportunity will open the door for a variety of other players for at least a few weeks. The newly acquired Franchy Cordero should be in line for significant action, with players such as Bubba Starling and Brett Phillips perhaps also seeing increased chances.

Indians Set Rotation

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The Indians have set their rotation to open the 2020 season, manager Terry Francona told reporters including MLB.com’s Mandy Bell (Twitter link). Aaron Civale and Zach Plesac have made the five-man unit.

That decision leaves righty Adam Plutko on the outside looking in. He’ll jump into the relief unit to begin the season. With the short run-up to the season, there ought to be plenty of frames to go around.

The 28-year-old Plutko made twenty starts for the Indians last year, working to a 4.86 ERA with 6.4 K/9 and 2.1 BB/9. He had a lot of ground to make up to catch the other two hurlers.

Both Civale and Plesac are 25-year-old righties who debuted with aplomb in 2019. The former limited opponents to 2.34 earned per nine in his first ten starts. The latter posted a 3.81 ERA in 115 2/3 frames.

In both cases, there’s some cause to question the repeatability of the output. Civale benefited from a .250 BABIP-against, though Statcast suggests he has a real skill for inducing soft contact — related, no doubt, to his exceptional spin rates. Plesac’s own .255 BABIP-against doesn’t seem quite as sustainable. Opposing hitters produced a .315 wOBA against him last year, but Statcast spit out a far-less-promising .343 xwOBA based upon the quality of contact.

Injury Notes: Rendon, Altuve, Hamels, Cubs, Orioles

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The Angels aren’t sure whether third baseman and top winter acquisition Anthony Rendon will be ready when they open their season Friday, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com relays. Rendon, a former Nationals star whom the Angels signed to a seven-year, $245MM contract in free agency, has been dealing with oblique soreness since last week. If he’s not able to take the field in a few days, the Angels are expected to use David Fletcher and Matt Thaiss at the hot corner, per Bollinger. The Angels’ infield could also be missing Luis Rengifo, who Bollinger writes stands a “strong chance” of sitting out the opener on account of hamstring soreness.

  • Astros second baseman Jose Altuve left the team’s preseason game against the Royals on Tuesday with a left leg contusion, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports. There’s now some question as to whether the former MVP will be healthy enough to go when the Astros’ season starts. “We’re hopeful he’ll be ready on Friday,” manager Dusty Baker said. “We’ll analyze him tomorrow and see where he is in the morning. Usually the day after that, you’re pretty sore.”
  • “It’s going to be a while” before left-hander Cole Hamels debuts in 2020, Braves manager Brian Snitker said Tuesday (via Mark Bowman of MLB.com). Hamels dealt with shoulder inflammation during spring training and has recently battled triceps tendinitis, thereby preventing him from facing live hitters over the past several months. Considering how short this season will be, the Braves may have trouble getting much bang for their buck out of Hamels. They inked the longtime workhorse to a one-year, $18MM contract over the winter. That guarantee turned into approximately a prorated $7MM when the season went from 162 games to 60.
  • Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo, who has been fighting rib and back issues, seems to be progressing. Manager David Ross said Tuesday (via Jordan Bastian of MLB.com) that it “looks like all thumbs up from today” in regards to Rizzo. He’s slated to start the team’s exhibition game against Minnesota on Wednesday. Meanwhile, southpaw  Jose Quintana – who underwent surgery on his left thumb three weeks ago – issued an encouraging update on his status (per Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune), saying he’s not feeling any pain. It remains unclear when he’ll be able to take the mound this season, though.
  • Orioles left-hander John Means will miss Opening Day because of arm fatigue, Joe Trezza of MLB.com tweets. As a result, offseason minor league signing and fellow southpaw Tommy Milone will start the Orioles’ opener against Boston on Friday. It’s not known when Means will be able to debut in 2020, but the Orioles are surely hoping it will be sooner than later. The 27-year-old Means was one of the few bright spots on Baltimore’s talent-deprived roster last season, after all, as he logged a 3.60 ERA/4.41 FIP with 7.03 K/9 and 2.21 BB/9 across 155 innings.

Amateur Draft Signings: 7/21/20

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Here are the game’s latest draft signings, courtesy of Jim Callis of MLB.com (Twitter links):

  • The Cubs have signed third-round outfielder and No. 88 overall pick Jordan Nwogu for the full slot value of $678,600. Nwogu played college ball at Michigan, where he slashed .334/.430/.545 with 20 home runs in 525 plate appearances. Prior to the draft, Keith Law of The Athletic ranked Nwogu as the 68th-best prospect available, calling him “a plus runner with plus raw power” and declaring he could be a 20-20 type in the majors if everything comes together.
  • The Marlins have inked fifth-round right-hander Kyle Hurt for $300K, way down from the $418,200 slot value of the 134th overall selection. Hurt posted uninspiring results at USC, where he pitched to a 5.06 ERA with 8.9 K/9 and 5.6 BB/9 in 172 2/3 innings. But Law rated Hurt as the No. 96 prospect in the draft, thanks to a repertoire that includes a 96 mph fastball, an “above-average changeup” and a “12/6 curveball.”

Blue Jays Will Reportedly Play 2020 Home Games In Pittsburgh

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JULY 21: The Blue Jays will play “home” games at Pittsburgh’s PNC Park this year, Hazel Mae of Sportsnet reports.

JULY 20, 3:18pm: The Pirates issued a statement Monday confirming they’re in “active discussions” with MLB and the Blue Jays about Toronto playing in Pittsburgh.

1:00pm: The Orioles’ Camden Yards has emerged as a possible destination for the Blue Jays, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet reports. General manager Ross Atkins said Monday (via Dan Shulman of ESPN) that “our focus is on getting into a major league facility.”

8:24am: The Jays have sent operations people to Buffalo to assess Sahlen Field, Scott Mitchell of TSN tweets. They’d need “about a week” to repair lighting and clubhouse issues, according to Mitchell.

JULY 19: After the Canadian government denied approval for the Blue Jays to play games in Toronto this season, the Jays still don’t know where they still be playing just 10 days removed from their first scheduled “home” game, hosting the Nationals on July 29.

To this end, a number of different options are being explored, such as another Major League venue — Pittsburgh’s PNC Park.  Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports that the Jays have “looked into playing select home games at PNC Park in 2020.”  As noted by Mackey in a follow-up tweet, the Blue Jays and Pirates only share seven conflicting dates for home games, with six of those coming after September 7.

If nothing else, a temporary move to Pittsburgh would give the Jays some time to spend the next six weeks getting another stadium up to Major League standards.  For instance, there has been some hint that Buffalo’s Sahlen Field (home of the Jays’ Triple-A affiliate) could undergo the clubhouse, lighting and overall infrastructure upgrades necessary to host MLB games, though nothing has been finalized on that front.

Talking to reporters (including Sportsnet.ca’s Shi Davidi) yesterday, Blue Jays president/CEO Mark Shapiro was “confident that Buffalo is a viable alternative,” even while noting that a move to Sahlen Field is “not a done deal.”  By comparison, the Jays’ Spring Training facility in Dunedin, Florida is “100 per cent seamless right now and ready to go….but from a player-health standpoint has some challenges,” given Florida’s COVID-19 spike.

Looking at the most recent coronavirus data, Pennsylvania is doing relatively well in managing its COVID-19 cases, though its most severely-hit region is Allegheny County, where Pittsburgh is located.  Areas with large population centers will naturally have bigger COVID numbers than less densely-populated areas, of course, though it underscores the difficulty faced by the Jays since all adequate MLB-level facilities in major cities.

If the Jays are discussing a possible timeshare with the Pirates, it stands to reason they’re exploring arrangements with other teams as well.  Shapiro mentioned “other alternatives” besides Buffalo and Dunedin that were under consideration, and right-hander Anthony Bass told the Associated Press and other media that GM Ross Atkins prioritized finding a Major League stadium after discussions with players.

“I just said, ’Look, we want to play in a major league ballpark.  We feel that’s the best opportunity for us,’ and he agreed and said, ’I listened to you guys loud and clear and that’s what we’re going to do for you because that’s what the team wants,’ “ Bass said.

Junichi Tazawa Joins Independent League In Japan

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Veteran reliever Junichi Tazawa recently joined the Saitama Musashi Heat Bears of the independent Route Inn Baseball Challenge League in his native Japan, per the Mainichi. Tazawa’s latest major league team, the Reds, released him in April after signing the right-hander to a minor league contract last August.

There apparently weren’t any MLB opportunities for Tazawa once Cincinnati parted with him, and it surely didn’t help his cause that there’s no minor league baseball this year. Tazawa didn’t say whether he’d try to return to MLB in the future or attempt to join Japan’s top league, Nippon Professional Baseball, but the 34-year-old admitted, “I know the rest of my baseball life is short.”

After Tazawa skipped NPB’s draft in 2008 to sign with the Red Sox, the league introduced a rule saying a player must wait two seasons after playing overseas to become eligible for its draft. While Tazawa’s choice obviously did not go over well in NPB, leaving proved to be a good move for him. Tazawa, after all, enjoyed a few highly successful seasons with the Red Sox – including during their World Series-winning 2013 campaign.

An Angel and a Marlin during his most recent MLB action from 2017-18, Tazawa has declined of late and may never pitch in the majors again. If he doesn’t, he’ll end up with a respectable 4.12 ERA/3.74 FIP and 8.51 K/9 against 2.48 BB/9 in 395 1/3 innings at the game’s highest level.

Angels Outright Jacob Rhame

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The Angels announced Tuesday evening that right-handed reliever Jacob Rhame has cleared waivers and been assigned outright to the team’s alternate training site. He’ll remain with the organization and in the 60-man player pool, but he’ll no longer occupy a spot on the club’s 40-man roster.

The Halos claimed Rhame, 27, off waivers from the Mets earlier this month. The hard-throwing righty has struggled in parts of three seasons with the Mets but boasts a heater that averages 95.8 mph, elite spin rates on his heater and curveball, and impressive swinging-strike and opponents’ chase rates. The bottom-line results for Rhame have been poor — a 6.23 ERA in 47 2/3 MLB frames — but his raw abilities to spin the ball, generate velocity and miss bats appealed to Angels GM Billy Eppler and his staff. Rhame had ulnar nerve transposition surgery last August but he’d progressed to throwing off a mound by the time the Angels claimed him.

The Angels have had some luck in converting low-cost, low-risk bullpen pickups in recent years. Closer Hansel Robles came to the club via waiver claim (also out of the Mets organization), and they’ve had success with bargain pickups of veterans like Jim Johnson, Bud Norris, David Hernandez, Blake Parker and Yusmeiro Petit over the past few seasons. Because Rhame has been passed through waivers, he won’t be given an opportunity to join that line of successful reclamation projects, but with the depth that’ll be required to get through this year’s 60-game sprint, it’s conceivable that he’ll get another look in the big leagues before the end of September.

Josh Harrison Granted His Release By Phillies

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The Phillies announced Tuesday evening that veteran infielder/outfielder Josh Harrison requested and was granted his release. He’s now a free agent and can sign with any club.

Harrison, 32, was a fixture in the Pirates’ lineup from 2014-17, hitting a combined .290/.331/.428 with 37 homer and 59 steals in 2063 plate appearances. He bounced all over the diamond, lining up at third base, second base, shortstop and both outfield corners. The versatile Harrison twice made the All-Star team in that stretch and was even rewarded by the Bucs with a four-year, $27.3MM extension back in 2015.

Things began to go downhill for Harrison in 2018, when he sustained his second fractured hand in as many months of play. Harrison broke his left hand and missed the final month of the 2017 season, and he broke the same hand early in 2018 when he was hit by a Jose Urena fastball. Upon returning, Harrison slumped to a .250/.293/.363 line. His 2019 option was bought out by the Pirates, and he lingered in free agency for much of the winter before signing a one-year, $2MM deal with the Tigers. Hamstring issues limited him in Detroit, and his time with the Tigers resulted in a career-worst .175/.218/.263 slash in just 140 plate appearances.

With the Phillies, Harrison had been vying for a utility job, although he was part of a crowded competition. The Phillies also inked veterans Neil Walker, Logan Forsythe, Phil Gosselin, Ronald Torreyes and T.J. Rivera to minor league contracts with invitations to camp. Of that bunch, Walker has already been informed he’ll make the Opening Day roster. Forsythe was released earlier this week, and Rivera was cut loose in late May. Gosselin and Torreyes remain with the team in hopes of securing an Opening Day roster spot.

Tigers Release Hector Santiago

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The Tigers announced that they have given left-hander Hector Santiago his unconditional release. Meanwhile, southpaw Tarik Skubal has been cleared to rejoin the Tigers’ 60-man player pool and been reassigned to their alternate training site, and righty Zack Hess has been removed from their player pool.

Santiago, 32, joined the Tigers on a minor league deal last offseason after mostly working as a reliever in 2019 and combining for 33 2/3 innings of 6.68 ERA/5.89 FIP ball with the White Sox and Mets. That continued a multiyear run of subpar production in the majors for Santiago, who served primarily as a starter earlier in his career and generated solid results for for the White Sox and Angels. During his peak from 2011-15, Santiago notched a 3.55 ERA/4.54 FIP with 8.25 K/9 and 4.00 BB/9 over 532 2/3 innings.

The Tigers didn’t say why they placed Skubal on the injured list when they made the move July 10. Regardless, it’s encouraging to see one of baseball’s top pitching prospects on his way back. The 23-year-old Skubal, who ranks as MLB.com’s 46th-best farmhand, was dominant in his first taste of Double-A action in 2019 with a 2.13 ERA/1.26 FIP and 17.43 K/9 against 3.63 BB/9 across 42 1/3 frames.

Brewers Place Ray Black On IL Due To Strained Rotator Cuff

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The Brewers announced Tuesday that they’ve placed right-hander Ray Black on the 10-day injured list due to a strained right rotator cuff. Milwaukee also formally announced the previously reported additions of Logan Morrison and Justin Grimm to its 40-man roster. There’s no word from the club on Black’s timeline for recovery, although any shoulder issues are of extra concern in a shortened, 60-game season.

Black, 30, has long been an intriguing arm given his triple-digit fastball and gaudy minor league strikeout totals (career 16.7 K/9), but injuries have hobbled him throughout his career. Milwaukee acquired him alongside Drew Pomeranz in the trade that sent Mauricio Dubon to San Francisco last summer, and he went on to pitch 14 innings of relief out of the Brewers’ pen (eight runs on 10 hits and eight walks with 13 strikeouts).

Black has just 39 1/3 innings under his belt at the MLB level and hasn’t yet found consistent success. That said, he’s also out of minor league options, which made him quite likely to land on the club’s big league roster to open the season. A pitcher who averages better than 98 mph on his heater and has a 98th percentile spin rate on the pitch was never likely to make it through waivers, after all, even if he doesn’t have a track record of success in the Majors. Now, there’s no telling exactly when he’ll be a realistic option for manager Craig Counsell.

If he’s able to make it back this season, Black would likely join a relief corps that includes Josh Hader, Corey Knebel, David Phelps, Brent Suter, Alex Claudio and Grimm. Others who could factor in, particularly early in the year when rosters are expanded, include J.P. Feyereisen, Bobby Wahl and non-roster veteran Shelby Miller.

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