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AL East Notes: Price, Biagini, Yankees

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Here’s the latest from around the American League East…

  • David Price is tentatively scheduled to make his 2017 debut for the Red Sox on May 29 or 30, as per a rough timeline that manager John Farrell gave WEEI.com’s Rob Bradford and other reporters today.  Price (who has been sidelined since early March with elbow problems) will throw a second simulated game on Tuesday, and then minor league rehab games on May 14, 19 and 24 according to the club’s current plans.
  • The Blue Jays will start right-hander Joe Biagini against the Rays on Sunday, Sportsnet’s Ben Nicholson-Smith and others reported.  Biagini will be making his first MLB start as the Jays continue to look for rotation help with J.A. Happ and Aaron Sanchez on the DL.  Biagini has been excellent in 74 career relief outings for Toronto, and his importance to the bullpen was why the Jays ultimately decided against stretching him out as a starter in Spring Training.
  • With the Yankees rolling, there are naturally several trade acquisition questions from fans in the latest reader mailbag piece from NJ Advance Media’s Brendan Kuty.  It may still be a bit early to cement the Yankees as contenders, Kuty notes, or to guess whether GM Brian Cashman would be more comfortable giving up multiple top prospects for a front-of-the-rotation starter (i.e. Gerrit Cole or Jose Quintana).  New York could explore being both buyers and sellers at the deadline, such as giving up prospects for pitching and then dealing a starting position player like Brett Gardner to recoup some minor leaguers, as long as the Yankees feel Aaron Hicks or another youngster is ready to fully step into an everyday role.

Rays Designate Justin Marks For Assignment

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The Rays have designated southpaw Justin Marks for assignment, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports (Twitter links).  In a corresponding move, right-hander Erasmo Ramirez has been reinstated from the paternity list.

Tampa just selected Marks’ contract on Friday, and he allowed a run in 1 1/3 innings of work during the Rays’ 8-4 loss to the Blue Jays last night.  It was only the lefty’s sixth career MLB game, as Marks previously received cups of coffee with the Rays last season and with the Royals in 2014.  Originally a third-round pick for the Athletics in the 2009 draft, Marks has bounced around to several different organizations and posted a 4.56 ERA over 815 2/3 IP at the minor league level.

Marks is one of four players currently in “DFA limbo,” as per the MLB Trade Rumors DFA Tracker, joining the Brewers’ Tommy Milone, the Blue Jays’ Mat Latos and the Twins’ Danny Santana.

5 Key Stories: 4/29/17 – 5/5/17

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Here are five key stories from the past week on MLBTR…

Adam EatonAdam Eaton to miss rest of the season.  The Nationals will be without their biggest offseason acquisition in the wake of the news that Eaton suffered a torn left ACL, torn meniscus and high ankle sprain taking an awkward step on first base while beating out an infield single.  Eaton was off to a fantastic start in his first season in D.C., hitting .297/.393/.462 with 24 runs scored in 107 plate appearances.  Michael Taylor will take Eaton’s place in center field, though don’t be surprised to see the Nats mentioned in outfielder trade rumors as we approach the deadline.

Noah Syndergaard to the DL with partially torn lat muscle.  The unusual case of Syndergaard refusing an MRI last week reached its breaking point after the Mets ace struggled through an abbreviated start on Sunday and then hit the disabled list on Monday.  Early estimates have “Thor” out of action for at least three months, though Syndergaard is receiving a second opinion.  This is the largest blow yet to an injury-riddled Mets rotation that is already without Steven Matz and Seth Lugo, not to mention the multiple currently-healthy starters who nonetheless have checkered injury histories.

Cole Hamels to miss eight weeks due to oblique strain.  Already dealing with a rotation that seems primed for some regression, the Rangers will now be without one of their two aces for much of the first half.  Hamels was off to something of a slow start by his high standards, with a 3.03 ERA in 32 2/3 innings but some ominous peripheral numbers.

Steven Wright to undergo season-ending knee surgery.  The Red Sox knuckleballer struggled through just 24 innings of 8.25 ERA ball before going under the knife for a cartilage restoration procedure.  Wright had already been dealing with shoulder problems dating back to the latter part of the 2016 season, an overall strong campaign that saw Wright break out with a 3.33 ERA over 156 2/3 innings for the Sox.

Injuries, injuries and more injuries.  These are just four of the most notable DL situations among many in baseball, as teams continue to be plagued by significant roster losses.  Adrian Gonzalez, Brandon Crawford, Tyler Skaggs, Wei-Yin Chen, Sean Doolittle, and C.J. Cron all hit the disabled list during the past week.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Injury Updates: Hill, Forsythe, Doolittle, Nola, Capps

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Here’s the latest on some of the many DL situations from around baseball…

  • Rich Hill will make another rehab start in Class A ball on Tuesday and then rejoin the Dodgers rotation, manager Dave Roberts told the L.A. Times’ Bill Shaikin (Twitter link) and other reporters.  Hill has twice been placed on the DL this season due to recurring blister problems, and while a potential move to the bullpen had been considered, the southpaw will instead resume his duties as a starting pitcher.  Hill’s first rehab outing (60 pitches split between a bullpen session and an in-game performance) last Thursday seemed to go well, as Hill told MLB.com’s George Alfano that his blister wasn’t an issue.
  • In other Dodgers injury news, Roberts also told the media (including Shaikin) that second baseman Logan Forsythe will resume his rehab assignment after the weekend.  Forsythe, who suffered a fractured big right toe two weeks ago, was tentatively slated to be activated from the DL this weekend before he felt some hamstring tightness during a rehab game earlier this week.
  • Sean Doolittle told reporters (including MLB.com’s Jane Lee) that an MRI revealed no structural problems in his ailing left shoulder.  Doolittle, who is no stranger to more serious shoulder issues, described his current injury as “more like tightness or soreness that’s just a little more intense than painful,” and “it feels more muscular than anything I’ve ever felt before.”  While this diagnosis is certainly positive news, there isn’t yet any timeline for Doolittle’s return, as Athletics manager Bob Melvin said yesterday that the team would likely “be conservative with” Doolittle given his prior injury history.
  • Phillies right-hander Aaron Nola also received good MRI news, as GM Matt Klentak told PhillyVoice.com’s Ryan Lawrence and other reporters that nothing seems to be amiss after Nola felt discomfort in his lower back while throwing a side session earlier this week.  Nola, who has been on the DL since April 24 with a lower back strain, will throw another bullpen this weekend and is on track to begin a rehab assignment next week if all goes well.
  • The Padres will likely ask for an extension of Carter Capps’ rehab stint from Tommy John surgery, MLB.com’s AJ Cassavell writes.  The usual 30-day limit to rehab assignments can be extended three times for players recovering from TJ surgery, given the extensive nature of that particular recovery.  Capps, who underwent the surgery in March 2016, struggled at Triple-A and will now be moved to the Padres’ Spring Training complex.

Marlins Place Wei-Yin Chen On 10-Day DL With Tired Arm

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The Marlins have placed left-hander Wei-Yin Chen on the 10-day DL with what the club is describing as a tired arm, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel’s Tim Healey and others reported.  Chen is expected to miss just one start (his scheduled outing today), as an MRI didn’t reveal anything serious.  Righty Odrisamer Despaigne has been called up from Triple-A in a corresponding move in order to start today’s game.

[Updated Marlins depth chart at Roster Resource]

As Healey reported two weeks ago, Chen has been pitching through a slight UCL tear, so the uneventful MRI is certainly a good sign for both the pitcher and the team.  The downside, of course, is that the Marlins are suddenly facing an even larger short-term rotation deficit, as Edinson Volquez was placed on the DL earlier this week due to a blister issue.  Both Chen and Volquez aren’t expected to miss much time, though manager Don Mattingly said that rehabbing southpaw Jeff Locke will be stretched out to give Miami more rotation depth.

Chen has a 4.33 ERA, 6.7 K/9 and 2.22 K/BB rate over 27 innings for the Fish this season.  The lefty is looking to rebound from an injury-shortened first season in Miami (his first year of a five-year, $80MM contract) that saw him post a 4.96 ERA over 123 1/3 innings.  Chen can opt out of his contract this winter, though he’d be leaving $52MM of his guaranteed on the table, which could be a risky proposition for a pitcher already dealing with some UCL damage.

Minor MLB Transactions: 5/6/17

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Here are the minor moves of the day:

  • Rays outfielder Shane Peterson has cleared waivers, but will still have an opportunity to decide whether to accept an outright assignment, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports on Twitter. He had been designated for assignment recently. The 29-year-old has hit quite well in the upper minors, and was off to a solid-enough start with Tampa Bay (.263/.317/.395), but will need to await another opportunity at Triple-A or strike out on the open market.
  • The Rockies have outrighted infielder Cristhian Adames after he cleared waivers, the team announced. Also a DFA casualty, Adames will take up residence at Albuquerque. The 25-year-old saw 121 games of action last year for Colorado, but was used minimally in the early going of the current season, failing to record a hit in 14 plate appearances.
  • The Blue Jays have acquired catcher Pat Cantwell from the Rangers, per announcements from both teams. A player to be named or cash will head to Texas in return. The 27-year-old, a third-round pick in the 2012 draft, was off to a rough start this year at Triple-A. He has managed only a .226/.296/.265 batting line in 286 plate appearances at the highest level of the minors.
  • After his recent release from the Orioles, outfielder Michael Choice has signed on with the Brewers on a minors deal, per SB Nation’s Chris Cotillo (Twitter link). Once the tenth overall pick of the draft, Choice has bounced around in recent years. Choice was struggling badly at Triple-A with the O’s, with just a single hit in 32 plate appearances. He’ll report to Double-A with his new organization.

Eric Gagne Signs With Long Island Ducks

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Former All-Star closer Eric Gagne, who has been on the comeback trail since participating in the WBC over the offseason, has signed on with the indy ball Long Island Ducks, the team announced. Gagne reportedly drew some interest from MLB organizations, but ultimately wasn’t able to find a minors deal.

Gagne, 41, will look to use his stint with the Ducks as a platform to returning to affiliated ball. He has seen brief Canadian indy ball action in the past two seasons, though this seems to represent a more concerted effort at making it back to the majors.

It would obviously represent a surprise if the former closer is able to accomplish his apparent goal, though certainly plenty of players have engineered similarly unexpected comeback tales. Gagne last pitched in the bigs in 2008, and you have to go back to 2004 to find a fully healthy and effective season. His career ultimately unraveled as he struggled to stay healthy after Tommy John surgery in 2005, all while embroiled in PED-related controversy. (He later admitted using HGH, alleging that he was far from alone among his peers.)

At his peak, though, Gagne was a rare force from the back of the Dodgers’ pen. After moving out of the rotation for good in 2002, he engineered a three-year run in which he compiled 247 innings of 1.79 ERA ball with 13.3 K/9 against 2.1 BB/9. He racked up 152 saves in that span and took home the National League Cy Young Award in 2003 — his best-ever campaign.

Mariners Option Mike Zunino, Recall Tuffy Gosewisch

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The Mariners have sent catcher Mike Zunino down to Triple-A on optional assignment, the club announced (h/t Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times, on Twitter). He’ll be replaced on the active roster by Tuffy Gosewisch, who’ll pair with veteran Carlos Ruiz behind the dish.

It’s no doubt disappointing for both player and team that he’s heading back down. There was plenty of renewed optimism for him after a resurgent late-2016 run in which he slashed .207/.318/.470 and hit a dozen home runs in 192 plate appearances.

Of course, at that point the former third-overall draft pick was already returning from a demotion. His power numbers and abilities behind the dish haven’t been enough to make up for a big problem with strikeouts. Through 80 plate appearances in 2017, the power has also dissipated. Zunino has gone down on strikes in 37.5% of his plate appearances and is hitting just .167/.250/.236 on the year.

The 33-year-old Gosewisch was acquired over the winter in order to provide depth. His track record in the majors — .199/.237/.286 through 416 plate appearances — doesn’t give much reason to think he’ll provide a major offensive boost. But perhaps he’ll be able to put up somewhat more palatable numbers while Zunino again looks to iron things out at Triple-A.

Nationals Place Shawn Kelley On 10-Day DL

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The Nationals have placed righty Shawn Kelley on the 10-day DL with a lower back strain. Kelley has been out with illness, but his “back flared up” while he was warming up to see if he felt well enough to pitch tonight, Mark Zuckerman of MASNsports.com explains. He’ll be replaced on the active roster by southpaw Matt Grace.

While it seems reasonable to hope that Kelley wont be out for too long, the news means the team will be without its de facto closer for at least another week. The DL placement was backdated to May 2. Of course, now that the move has been made, the Nats will no doubt make sure he’s not activated until fully healed.

The Nats’ closing situation is as questionable as ever. While Kelley has been unusually homer prone through his ten innings, he has looked himself in the K/BB department (13:3) and is probably the team’s best option. But it has never been the organization’s preference to utilize him in that capacity.

Youngster Koda Glover is nearing his own return from the DL, and may be the favorite to take over the ninth when he’s back. Until he’s activated, the club could be forced to turn over their ninth-inning leads to Enny Romero, Matt Albers, or one of the team’s two struggling relievers (Blake Treinen and Joe Blanton) who had been expected to handle high-leverage work.

It’s arguable that the injury could increase the pressure on the Nats front office to strike an earlier-than-usual deal for a replacement. With the team playing well anyway, though, paying a major premium to get a closer now still seems unlikely. At some point, though, Washington figures to boost its late-inning mix via trade.

Dodgers Place Adrian Gonzalez On DL, Activate Joc Pederson

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Dodgers first baseman Adrian Gonzalez is headed to the 10-day DL with ongoing forearm tendinitis, the club has announced, with center fielder Joc Pederson being activated from his own stint. Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times reported earlier that the move was very likely forthcoming.

Remarkably, this represents the first time he has required a DL stint in his 14 MLB seasons. Gonzalez, who’ll turn 35 in a few days, has played in no fewer than 156 games annually ever since he established himself as a regular back in 2006.

While it’s sad to see that outstanding run of durability come to something of an end, Gonzalez was not looking himself in the early stages of the season. The forearm problem, which limited him this spring, has very likely played a role in his .255/.327/.309 batting line through 105 plate appearances. Gonzalez is also suffering through some lower-back problems, Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times adds on Twitter.

Manager Dave Roberts had hinted the DL stint was likely in an appearance on MLB Network Radio on Sirius XM (audio link). He had stated previously that the team would need to sit down with the highly respected veteran before making a move. But now that it has been made, the path is cleared for exciting prospect Cody Bellinger to stay on the active roster after his impressive start.

“I had a conversation with Adrian yesterday on our off day,” Roberts said earlier today, “and I think that right now where we’re at, we’re leaning toward putting him on the disabled list.  We haven’t made that decision officially but I think that’s where we’re going to go and give Cody a little runway to play some first base.”

While there’s still quite a bit of uncertainty in how things will play out the rest of the way, there is now clearly a path for Bellinger to stake a permanent claim to a roster position — if not the first base job. (He is also capable of playing all over the outfield.) Through 36 plate appearances, the hyped youngster has slashed .303/.361/.576 with two home runs. While his proclivity to go down on strikes was the biggest question about him as a player, Bellinger has only been retired by strikeout six times thus far — though certainly it’s a minuscule sample at this point.

If Bellinger can stick on the active roster the rest of the way, he’d set himself up to qualify for arbitration as a Super Two player, meaning he could reach eligibility in advance of the 2020 season. Though he’d add an extra year of arb earnings, with boosted salaries the rest of the way, Los Angeles would still control him through at least 2023.

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