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Mike Clevinger Likely Out More Than Two Months

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10:06am: It turns out the injury is much worse than had initially been expected. Clevinger is going to be sidelined for six to eight weeks before he’s able to resume a throwing progression, manager Terry Francona tells reporters including Ryan Lewis of the Akron Beacon Journal (Twitter link). Since he’ll still need to build back to full pitching strength from that point, it seems all but inevitable that Clevinger will miss more than two months.

9:32am: The Indians have placed starter Mike Clevinger on the 10-day injured list. He’s said to be dealing with a “right upper back/Teres major muscle strain.”

Reliever Nick Wittgren is coming up to the active roster to fill the opening and provide some innings, but obviously won’t fill Clevinger’s role. The Cleveland org will ultimately need another hurler to step into the rotation, at least for a couple of starts.

Glancing down the Indians’ 40-man roster, there are several pitchers with MLB experience that could ultimately be called upon. Cody Anderson has spent the most time in the big leagues but is still building back after missing virtually all of the prior two seasons. Adam Plutko might get the nod but is not at 100 percent. Jefry Rodriguez and Chih-Wei Hu have also pitched at the game’s highest level, as have non-roster hurlers A.J. Cole and Asher Wojciechowski.

Filling in shouldn’t be too much of a problem. The real question is: for how long? It did not seem that Clevinger had suffered a significant injury when he left his most recent start, and there’s still no indication that he’s expected to be sidelined for a lengthy stretch. The Indians will take a cautious approach while hoping that Clevinger is able to get back to action quickly. The 28-year-old righty has been nothing short of outstanding of late, with a ridiculous dozen innings (two hits, 22:4 K/BB) to begin the new campaign.

White Sox Select Contract Of Ervin Santana

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The White Sox announced today that they have selected the contract of veteran righty Ervin Santana. He’ll make his first start for the club today after inking a minor-league deal this spring.

The groundwork for Santana’s ascension to the MLB roster had already been laid by the Chicago front office. There was already a 40-man roster spot to work with and the team optioned righty Carson Fulmer back to Triple-A yesterday.

It’ll be interesting to see what the 36-year-old Santana has left in the tank. He was sidelined for much of 2018 with a lingering finger injury and wasn’t effective when he was able to pitch. But he was stellar in the prior two seasons, turning in a 3.32 ERA over 392 2/3 total innings. The peripherals didn’t support quite those results, and expectations ought to be tempered, but there’s reason to hope he can return to being a solid MLB starter.

As for Fulmer, he’ll need to earn his way back into the majors or await an opening. He has now seen action in parts of four MLB seasons but hasn’t come close to fully harnessing the talent that led the South Siders to pick him eighth overall in the 2015 draft. Through 70 1/3 innings at the game’s highest level, Fulmer owns a 6.53 ERA with 7.8 K/9 and 5.9 BB/9.

Red Sox Activate Dustin Pedroia

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The struggling Red Sox will get a boost as they finally play their 2019 home opener, as the club announced today that second baseman Dustin Pedroia has been activated from the injured list. Infielder Tzu-Wei Lin was optioned to Triple-A to create roster space.

The 35-year-old Pedroia played in just three games last year and saw only limited action in camp. His surgically repaired left knee remains a long-term concern, but it’s evidently in good enough form to enable him to get back onto the active roster — and into the lineup. He’ll line up at his customary second base and hit seventh.

When last we saw him in extended action, back in 2017, Pedroia was still capable of turning in a league-average performance at the plate. While he popped just seven home runs in 463 plate appearances and carried a marginal .099 isolated power mark that just barely topped his prior low point, Pedroia still displayed impeccable plate discipline and contact skills.

Pedroia ended the ’17 campaign with a .293/.369/.392 slash. He continued to draw stellar grades for his glovework from Ultimate Zone Rating, though Defensive Runs Saved took a dimmer view. Baserunning was an issue, according to Fangraphs’ BsR measure, which graded Pedroia as a clear negative.

He surely won’t ever be as spry as he once was, but Pedroia could still be quite a useful player for the Boston organization — if he can keep his knee in working order. The hard-nosed star remains under contract for $15MM this year and $25MM combined for the ensuing two seasons. Eduardo Nunez will surely spell him rather often to keep the joints fresh. Lin and Brock Holt (currently on the injured list) are among the options to fill in or supplement Pedroia as the season unfolds.

Nationals Interested In Bud Norris

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The Nationals are showing interest in free agent reliever Bud Norris, according to Jon Heyman of MLB Network (via Twitter). Per the report, the club would still like to stay beneath the luxury tax line with any new additions.

With bullpen issues jumping up right out of the gate this year, the Nationals are understandably looking to find reinforcements. While superstar closer Craig Kimbrel remains available, he’ll still cost quite a bit. Otherwise, the market is largely devoid of appealing options outside of old friend Ryan Madson, who never seemed to be pursuing a contract in earnest.

Norris dealt with some forearm fatigue this spring after signing late. He was cut loose recently by the Blue Jays when he and the team did not see eye to eye on his readiness for MLB action. He had signed a minor-league deal with the Toronto organization — quite a surprising result after he turned in a solid 2018 season.

Working as the Cardinals closer for much of the ’18 campaign, Norris pitched to a 3.59 ERA with 10.5 K/9 and 3.3 BB/9 over 57 2/3 innings. He sat at 95 with his four-seam fastball and carried a 12%+ swinging-strike rate for the second consecutive season.

2018 Rule 5 Draft Update

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Let’s check in on the players chosen in the 2018 Rule 5 draft …

Still On MLB Roster

Richie Martin, SS: The first overall selection, moving from the Athletics to the Orioles, Martin is about as intriguing a future asset as we see available in the Rule 5 these days. He has been overmatched early, with a rough showing in camp and 11 strikeouts in his first 26 MLB plate appearances. But the O’s seem all but certain to hang tight and achieve permanent rights over the 24-year-old shortstop.

Reed Garrett, RHP: The Tigers provided Garrett plenty of innings this spring and saw him cough up eight walks to go with 11 strikeouts in 11 1/3 innings. But they liked the upper nineties heat, which Garrett combines primarily with a cutter. He’s through two clean outings in the majors and seems likely at least to receive a long look — if he’s ever offered back to the Rangers at all.

Travis Bergen, LHP: The Giants were another club with eyes for the Rule 5 this year. They’ve cycled through a few players but only Bergen remains on the 40-man. He’ll be kept from the Blue Jays unless he stumbles. The results so far have been quite encouraging. Bergen was strong this spring and has been thrown right into the mix early, handling himself well in five appearances thus far.

Elvis Luciano, RHP: One of the more surprising Rule 5 decisions this spring involved Luciano, a high-powered but raw hurler who was snagged from the Royals by the Blue Jays. Luciano turned 19 at the outset of camp and looked every bit his age in spring action. But the talent proved too tantalizing to resist for the Toronto organization. That could still change, but this has all the makings of a situation where a non-contender is determined to keep a Rule 5 player it really likes.

Kyle Dowdy, RHP: A 26-year-old left unprotected by the pitching-rich Indians, Dowdy had a marginal spring performance that left the contending Mets unwilling to hang onto him. But the Rangers were there to scoop him up. The numbers have never really jumped off the page for Dowdy, but the Texas organization will see if his varied pitch mix can work in a pen role — with the idea that he could ultimately also represent a rotation depth piece.

Brandon Brennan, RHP: When the Mariners were snubbed by Brennan, who signed a minors deal with the Rockies early in the offseason, they just shrugged their shoulders and grabbed him in the Rule 5. The 27-year-old has already thrown 6 2/3 innings over five appearances, putting up blanks on the scoreboard while recording seven strikeouts against just one walk.

Injured List

Riley Ferrell, RHP: The Marlins were set to give the former Astros third-round pick a look in hopes that he’d finally tamp down on his walk issues and capitalize on his high-K arm. Biceps soreness drove Ferrell to the injured list, an injury that may ultimately make it somewhat easier for the Miami organization to hold onto his rights while limiting his immediate MLB exposure.

DFA Limbo

Connor Joe, INF/OF: Picked by the Reds, then acquired by the Giants, Joe got a look to begin the year in San Francisco. But he managed only one hit in 16 plate appearances and was cast off of the 40-man roster to make way for Tyler Austin. Joe will now be offered back to the Dodgers if he clears waivers.

Chris Ellis, RHP: Plucked from the Cardinals, Ellis moved from the Rangers to the Royals on Rule 5 draft day. He hung on through Opening Day and got his first taste of MLB action, but lost his roster spot thereafter. The Royals evidently liked what they saw from Ellis, so it’s possible they’ll try to work something out with the St. Louis organization if he clears waivers.

Drew Jackson, INF: Another draft-day mover, Jackson was selected by the Phillies from the Dodgers and was promptly shipped to the Orioles for international draft bonus capacity. A power burst last year at Double-A created enough intrigue for Jackson to hang on through Opening Day, but he was moved off the 40-man early on and will be offered back to Los Angeles unless he’s claimed by another club.

Returned

Sam McWilliams, RHP: The second overall selection didn’t last with the Royals, who sent him back to the Rays after an exceedingly rough showing in camp (eight earned runs, 2:6 K/BB ratio in 4 2/3 innings).

Jordan Romano, RHP: Another player that had a look with the Rangers, Romano was dealt to the Texas org by the White Sox after being selected from the Blue Jays. He had solid numbers last year at Double-A but obviously didn’t impress the Rangers’ brass in camp, when he worked to a 3.86 ERA with six strikeouts and five walks in 9 1/3 frames.

Nick Green, RHP: The Diamondbacks sent Green back to the Yankees after watching the 24-year-old struggle through 13 1/3 innings in camp (11 walks vs. 8 strikeouts).

Drew Ferguson, OF: One of many outfielders to get a look from the Giants this spring, Ferguson was sent back to the Astros organization after scuffling badly in Cactus League action (.111/.294/.111 in 34 plate appearances).

NL Notes: Lester, Kershaw, Urias, Dahl

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The Cubs’ offense clicked in today’s home opener, but there’s still some cause for concern. Left-hander Jon Lester exited the game in the third inning due to tightness in his left hamstring, per Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times. Lester had singled and scored in the prior frame, and Wittenmyer notes that the southpaw was slow to get up after sliding safely into home plate. More will be known after an MRI tomorrow, as Wittenmyer tweets. While Lester says he’s optimistic and isn’t even counting out making his next scheduled start, it seems safe to assume he’ll miss at least one outing. If that comes to pass, the Cubs would likely have to turn to righty Tyler Chatwood to make a start, given that Mike Montgomery is currently on the injured list due to a lat strain.

Here’s more from the NL …

  • Clayton Kershaw will make what is expected to be his final rehab start tomorrow for the Dodgers’ Double-A affiliate, tweets Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register. If Kershaw is indeed ready to be activated after that outing, he’ll step back into the rotation in place of fellow southpaw Julio Urias, Pedro Moura of The Athletic tweeted last night. Los Angeles hasn’t exactly felt Kershaw’s absence in the win-loss column, as they’re sitting at 8-2 on the season, but he’ll nevertheless be a boon to an already dangerous roster that sports baseball’s best run differential (+36). Urias has shown a velocity uptick to open the new season, but the Dodgers will be happy to take things slow given that he only returned from injury in time to record 15 2/3 total innings last year.
  • Rockies left fielder David Dahl exited last night’s game early due to an abdominal injury sustained on a swing, writes MLB.com’s Thomas Harding. While the outfielder himself doesn’t believe he’ll need to miss an extended period of time, manager Bud Black offered a more cautious outlook, simply stating that the Rox have their “fingers crossed” and are hoping for a slight tweak as opposed to something like an oblique strain that would require a trip to the injured list. Dahl has been brilliant to start the 2019 season for the otherwise offensively challenged ballclub, raking at a .343/.385/.629 clip and getting a look as the team’s cleanup hitter. Should he require an IL stint, Raimel Tapia would figure to fill in during his absence.

Trump Administration Overrides MLB Deal On Cuban Player Transfers

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The Trump Administration has rejected an agreement between Major League Baseball and the Cuban Baseball Federation regarding the movement of Cuban ballplayers, as Vivian Salama and Jared Diamond of the Wall Street Journal report. For the time being, the preexisting state of affairs will continue to govern any Cuban players that seek to join MLB organizations.

When the agreement was announced late last year, the hope was it would end the awkward, often-dangerous process by which Cuba’s best baseball talent made its way to the glory and riches of professional baseball. Generally prohibited from departing the island to sign with MLB clubs, Cubans wishing to play in the affiliated ranks must defect, establish residency in another country, and then seek clearance from the league. That set of circumstances — extra-legal in many aspects — leaves players exposed to human traffickers and other shadowy operators.

The new arrangement was designed with the same essential framework of MLB’s agreements with baseball leagues in Japan and Korea, with a percentage of the player’s contract to be paid as a release fee. In this case, though, the dollars were destined not for a foreign ballclub, but for Cuba’s government-run governing body, the aforementioned Cuban Baseball Federation. In negotiating an agreement involving a Cuban governmental entity, MLB had been relying upon an interpretation of the Cuban Assets Control Regulations — issued by the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control late in Barack Obama’s presidency — that it was permitted to make such payments despite the broad Cuban embargo.

All along, there was a risk that OFAC would reenter the picture with a reinterpretation that would preempt any agreement. That’s just what has taken place. The present administration determined that “a payment to the Cuban Baseball Federation is a payment to the Cuban government,” effectively shutting the avenue for making a deal within the existing legislative and regulatory systems.

From a hot stove perspective, the result is that a slate of international players who had been anticipating near-term signings will now remain in Cuban — unless and until they elect to roll the dice on defecting. It’s a notable change for MLB teams as they plot their international acquisitions. For the players, it’s a potentially life-changing turn of events with repercussions that can’t entirely be foreseen. There were many potential problems with the new rights transfer system that had been negotiated, but it did at least hold out the hope of all but halting the human trafficking that lies at the heart of the present state of affairs.

Luis Severino Headed For MRI

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Yankees starter Luis Severino is slated to undergo an MRI and further medical examination, manager Aaron Boone tells reporters including George A. King III of the New York Post (via Twitter). Severino has been on the injured list since the start of the season for inflammation in his rotator cuff.

Severino’s rehab was “stalled” over the past week, as Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News puts it (Twitter link), with Severino not yet feeling up to mound work. The lack of progress was evidently worrying enough that Dr. Christopher Ahmad — a noted surgeon and the Yankees’ head physician — will take a closer look.

Notably, there’s no indication that Severino has experienced new discomfort or a specific setback. That’s the silver lining. But this is obviously a suboptimal development for a club that has been racked by injuries and would prefer to have Severino leading the rotation.

The hope all along has been that Severino would rest up a bit, work through a progression, and make it back to the MLB hill by early May. The timeline hasn’t yet changed significantly, but it seems he’s now behind schedule. And it remains to be seen what the imaging will show.

Giants Acquire Tyler Austin

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The Giants announced Monday that they’ve acquired first baseman/outfielder Tyler Austin from the Twins in exchange for minor league outfielder Malique Ziegler. To open a spot on the roster, they’ve designated fellow first baseman/outfielder Connor Joe for assignment.

Austin, 27, will add a powerful but strikeout-prone bat to the Giants’ outfield mix while providing some insurance should Brandon Belt incur an injury. The former Yankees prospect was at one point looked at as a potential pairing with Greg Bird in the Bronx, but the Yankees flipped him to the Twins last July in the trade that sent Lance Lynn to New York. The Twins, cognizant of the potential retirement of Joe Mauer, viewed Austin as a possible option at first base until they managed to land C.J. Cron on waivers when the Rays dumped his salary. Both Cron and Austin are right-handed hitters, and Minnesota’s signing of Nelson Cruz to man the DH spot in the lineup made Austin, who is out of minor league options, somewhat redundant.

Last season in 268 plate appearances between the Twins and Yankees, Austin batted a combined .230/.287/.480 with 17 home runs and 10 doubles. Seventeen long balls in just 268 PAs and a .250 isolated power (slugging minus batting average) speak to Austin’s ability to make loud contact, but Austin also punched out in a whopping 35.4 percent of his trips to the plate.

Austin has been more of a first baseman than an outfielder throughout his career and, in fact, has only seen 36 frames of action on the outfield grass in the Majors. He’s logged over 2600 innings of time in right field across parts of seven minor league seasons, however, so despite a lack of recent experience, he’s no stranger to the position. That said, Austin does not run well, and his lack of range is a tough fit in the spacious Oracle Park.

Joe, 26, made his big league debut with the Giants this season but managed just one hit and a walk in 16 plate appearances before being jettisoned from the roster. The Reds selected Joe out of the Dodgers organization in December’s Rule 5 Draft but traded him to San Francisco late last month. He’s still carrying Rule 5 status, so any team that acquires Joe would need to carry him on the MLB roster. The Giants will have a week to trade him or pass him through waivers, and if he goes unclaimed, they’d be required to offer him back to the Dodgers for $50K. Considering Joe’s outstanding .299/.408/.527 batting line between Double-A and Triple-A last season, it’s possible that another organization will want to speculate on his potential.

The Twins, in return for Austin, will add another athletic outfielder to the lower levels of their minor league system. The 22-year-old Ziegler was a 22nd-round pick by the Giants in 2016 and split last year between the Rookie-level Arizona League and the Class-A South Atlantic League, batting a combined .237/.340/.370 with four homers, 12 doubles, a pair of triples and eight steals in 250 plate appearances. He’s not considered a top prospect in a thin Giants farm, though Fangraphs’ Eric Longenhagen did make mention of him in his pre-2018 overview of the Giants’ system: “Ziegler is a lithe, athletic outfielder who was a late pick out of an Iowa Juco in 2016. He makes explosive use of his lower half during his swing but his barrel control and raw strength are questionable.”

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