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Mariners Outright Casey Fien, Recall Evan Marshall

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The Mariners announced that they’ve outrighted reliever Casey Fien to Triple-A Tacoma, thus removing him from the 40-man roster. Fien’s spot on the 25-man roster will go to fellow right-handed reliever Evan Marshall, who has been recalled from Tacoma.

While the move also opens a 40-man spot, that’ll be accounted for, too. Minor league outfielder Boog Powell has been reinstate from the restricted list after serving an 80-game suspension for a failed PED test.

The 33-year-old Fien had a fairly solid bounceback run last year with the Dodgers, leading to a MLB deal with Seattle over the winter. It’s not immediately clear whether that contract includes language allowing the team to escape the full $1.1MM salary that it carried; per the reporting at the time, it came with a minor-league split salary.

Things didn’t go quite as hoped for Fien in the early going. In five outings, he was tagged for seven earned runs on seven hits (two of them long balls) and three walks, while logging five strikeouts. He was still showing a 93 mph average fastball, though, and was missing bats (16.9% swinging-strike rate) in his brief stint, so it wouldn’t be too surprising to see him back up — whether or not it’s with the M’s — at some point this year.

Marshall, who’l soon turn 27, was claimed recently off waivers. GM Jerry Dipoto is a long-time fan of the sinkerballer, who’s looking to return to the success he showed as a rookie back in 2014. Marshall hasn’t yet regained traction in the majors since suffering a scary skull fracture, but it seems he’ll get a shot at locking down a role in Seattle.

AL West Notes: Bush, Cashner, Mariners, A’s

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Rangers setup man Matt Bush is headed back to Texas to have the sore AC joint in his shoulder examined and to receive an injection for the pain, per Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News. While that sounds ominous for an already banged-up Rangers club, Grant notes that the team currently believes that Bush will avoid a trip to the disabled list. Bush dealt with a similar issue at times in 2016, per the report, so it’s not entirely new issue. That said, even a brief absence for Bush thins out a Rangers relief corps that has struggled greatly in the season’s early stages. Closer Sam Dyson has had a nightmarish start to the year, yielding a staggering 11 runs on 11 hits (two homers) and three walks in just three innings of work. Dyson coughed up a five-run lead to the Angels in the ninth inning last night while Bush was deemed “unavailable” by manager Jeff Banister. Given Dyson’s catastrophic meltdown and Bush’s ailing shoulder, it wouldn’t be a surprise to Jeremy Jeffress and/or Tony Barnette get some save opportunities in the near future.

More notes out of Arlington and the rest of the AL West…

  • Rangers right-hander Andrew Cashner feels that he’s ready to join the rotation after throwing five shutout innings in an extended Spring Training game, writes Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. The Rangers, though, have yet to make a decision on whether to activate the oft-injured righty. Texas may elect to give Cashner another rehab outing in an effort to further build up some arm strength, which would make sense given the current state of the bullpen. As Wilson notes, being able to exceed 100 pitches would be preferable in an ideal scenario, as that’d spare the Rangers’ relief corps some extra work. Righties Dillon Gee, Nick Martinez and Eddie Gamboa could make a spot start in the interim, Wilson adds.
  • The Mariners will have a few roster moves to make today, Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times notes (Twitter links). Outfielder Boog Powell is set to be reinstated after receiving an 80-game suspension for a failed PED test late last June, and Seattle will need to open a 40-man spot to accommodate him. Additionally, Divish reports that the Mariners are slated to promote right-hander Evan Marshall from Triple-A Tacoma to get a fresh arm into their ’pen.
  • Though the Athletics opened the season with a closer-by-committee approach, that committee has narrowed to include just two pitchers, manager Bob Melvin said yesterday on MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM (Twitter link). Per Melvin, left-hander Sean Doolittle and right-hander Santiago Casilla will share ninth inning duties and be called upon based on the matchups the A’s are facing heading into the final inning. That means that righties Ryan Madson (last year’s primary closer) and Ryan Dull will each function primarily as setup men.

Yankees Designate Johnny Barbato, Select Jordan Montgomery’s Contract

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The Yankees announced that they’ve designated right-hander Johnny Barbato for assignment in order to clear a spot on the 40-man roster for left-hander Jordan Montgomery, whose contract has now been officially selected from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Montgomery will make his Major League debut against the Rays today after winning the fifth spot in the Yankees’ rotation.

The 24-year-old Barbato, originally acquired in the trade that sent right-hander Shawn Kelley to San Diego, struggled in his Major League debut with the Yanks last season, as he surrendered 11 runs in 13 innings of work. On the plus side, Barbato did post an impressive 15-to-5 K/BB ratio in that short time while averaging 94.6 mph on his fastball. Barbato’s numbers in Triple-A last season were solid as well: a 2.61 ERA with 9.1 K/9, 4.3 BB/9 and a 46.3 percent ground-ball rate in 48 1/3 frames.

Montgomery, also 24, was barely on the radar for a rotation spot heading into Spring Training despite a strong performance between Double-A and Triple-A last season. But, a 3.20 ERA and a 17-to-3 K/BB ratio in 19 2/3 innings paired nicely with last year’s combined 2.13 ERA, 8.7 K/9 and 2.9 BB/9 in the minor leagues to give Montgomery the edge for the final rotation slot in the Bronx. He’ll join Masahiro Tanaka, Michael Pineda, CC Sabathia and Luis Severino in manager Joe Girardi’s starting five for the time being, although the overall rotation mix could still be fluid to some extent. Severino struggled in his first outing of the season, while the top three arms all come with fairly notable injury risk.

Montgomery will make his first MLB start on the same day as battery-mate Kyle Hiashioka, who was recalled from Triple-A after Gary Sanchez hit the disabled list this past weekend. The 26-year-old Higashioka has struggled to get on base in the Triple-A level to this point in his career but demonstrated some pop, as evidenced by his .237/.287/.473 batting line in 45 games at that level.

Nationals Place Stephen Drew On DL, Select Contract Of Grant Green

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The Nationals announced on Wednesday that they’ve placed infielder Stephen Drew on the 10-day disabled list due to a right hamstring strain and selected the contract of infielder Grant Green from Triple-A Syracuse to take his spot on the Major League roster. The Nationals’ 40-man roster was only at 39 players before today’s transaction, so there’s no need for the team to make a corresponding 40-man move to accommodate Green.

The loss of Drew to the disabled list comes shortly after the Nationals placed starting shortstop Trea Turner on the 10-day DL with a hamstring strain of his own. With both Turner and Drew on the shelf, the Nats will turn to the inexperienced Wilmer Difo as their primary shortstop, while Green serves as a versatile utility infield piece.

The 29-year-old Green was once a well-regarded prospect, but the former first-round pick has never solidified himself as a big league regular or bench piece. In 350 plate appearances with the A’s, Angels and Giants, Green is a .251/.286/.339 hitter, though his lifetime .312/.350/.468 batting line in Triple-A is far more respectable. Green began his career playing mostly shortstop and second base, but he’s begun to bounce around the diamond more in recent seasons and now comes with experience at all four infield positions and in the corner outfield.

Tigers Sign James Loney To Minor League Deal

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The Tigers announced today that they’ve signed veteran first baseman James Loney to a minor league contract. Loney will report to extended Spring Training for the time being as he gets back up to speed after sitting out since late March, when he was released from Rangers camp.

Loney was released by the Rays early last year in the final season of a three-year, $21MM contract, though he latched on with the Mets and spent the bulk of the 2016 campaign with New York, filling in for the injured Lucas Duda. In 366 plate appearances with the Mets, Loney slashed .265/.307/.397 with nine homers, 16 doubles and a triple. Defensively, he rated out as slightly above average at first base, per Defensive Runs Saved (+2) and slightly below average, per Ultimate Zone Rating (-0.8).

The Tigers don’t have much of a need for Loney at the Major League level presently, with Miguel Cabrera locking down first base and Victor Martinez lined up as the primary designated hitter, but the 32-year-old Loney (33 next month) will add some depth to cover the team in the event of an injury. Detroit currently has Efren Navarro manning first base for its Triple-A affiliate in Toledo, though Navarro can play some corner outfield as well, and Loney comes with considerably more Major League experience. In parts of 11 Major League seasons, Loney is a career .284/.336/.410 hitter that has averaged a dozen homers and 30 doubles per 162 games played.

Giants Receiving Trade Interest In Clayton Blackburn

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Giants general manager Bobby Evans expects to be able to trade minor league right-hander Clayton Blackburn after designating him for assignment yesterday, writes Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News. Baggarly tweeted after the DFA that trade interest in Blackburn has been constant over the life of the winter, and he speculates within his column that the Giants may already have the framework of a deal in place.

As I noted at the time Blackburn was designated, it seems quite likely that another club would have interest in striking up a deal to land the 24-year-old. Long touted as one of the Giants’ top 10 prospects, Blackburn took a step back in 2016 with a 4.36 ERA, 6.7 K/9, 2.3 BB/9 and a 46.8 percent ground-ball rate in Triple-A, but he posted a league-leading 2.85 ERA in 123 1/3 Triple-A innings back in 2015.

Overall, Blackburn has a strong minor league track record, having logged a 3.30 ERA, 8.0 K/9 and 2.3 BB/9 in parts of seven professional seasons. The righty still has two minor league options remaining, so any club that acquires Blackburn can option him to the minors without first having to expose him to waivers.

While Blackburn’s stock may have slipped with last year’s lackluster results, it’s not surprising that an optionable 24-year-old with 262 1/3 reasonably successful innings in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League would generate interest. Blackburn won’t return an elite prospect or much help to the Giants’ Major League roster, one wouldn’t think, but this is the type of MLB-ready depth piece that the Mariners, Cubs and Orioles have stocked up on in recent months. The Mets, of course, have sustained multiple injuries on their pitching staff already, though there’s little sense in speculating too heavily as to where Blackburn could land, as it’s easy to make the argument that any club could use some additional upper-level rotation depth.

Adrian Beltre Diagnosed With New Calf Strain

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April 12: Beltre’s MRI revealed a new calf strain (Grade 1), writes Wilson. The Rangers plan to proceed with caution, and it’s possible that Beltre could be out of action into the month of May, Wilson adds. Evan Grant notes that Beltre is likely to be sidelined at least another two weeks, adding that this is the third separate calf injury that Beltre has incurred since mid-February.

Beltre tells reporters that the new strain in his calf is in a different location than the first one by which he was plagued. Manager Jeff Banister tells reporters that the team isn’t putting any timetable on Beltre’s recovery for now. Notably, Banister also added that there won’t be a platoon at third base in his absence; Gallo will get the opportunity to play regularly (via Wilson): “He has earned the opportunity to play. The qualifier to that is there are going to be days, like everybody else, that’s he’s going to need a day.”

April 11: Rangers third baseman Adrian Beltre has suffered a setback in his rehab from a calf injury, Beltre himself told reporters (Twitter links via Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram and Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News). Beltre felt something while running this past Saturday and has already undergone a new MRI to evaluate the issue. “Something isn’t right,” Beltre said (via Grant). “It’s not just tightness.”

[Related: Texas Rangers Depth Chart]

Obviously, that’s an ominous quote from Beltre, who suffered the calf issue late in Spring Training and opened the season on the disabled list. While the team was originally hopeful that the injury wouldn’t last much longer than the 10-day minimum on the new disabled list, today’s news indicates that’s no longer a likely outcome.

Any significant absence for Beltre would be a substantial blow to the Rangers, who already have Andrew Cashner, Jake Diekman, Tyson Ross and Chi Chi Gonzalez on the disabled list. Though Beltre turned 38 a few days ago, he continued to play at an elite level through the 2016 campaign, hitting .300/.358/.521 with 32 homers and excellent glovework at third base last year.

Thus far in 2017, the Rangers have entrusted third base to Joey Gallo in Beltre’s absence. Long one of the top-rated prospects in the game, Gallo’s prodigious power makes him an intriguing and potentially excellent replacement for Beltre, though his struggles in making contact still loom large. The 23-year-old has struck out in 48 percent of his 176 Major League plate appearances, and he whiffed at nearly a 35 percent clip in Triple-A last year. Though Gallo has homered twice through his first 23 plate appearances of the season, he’s also punched out nine times. To this point, he’s hitting .200/.304/.500 in that tiny sample of work.

East Notes: Buchholz, Harvey, Marlins, Price, Montgomery

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It’s been an interesting game between the Mets and the Phillies, as both starting pitchers have exited the game due to injury. Phillies right-hander Clay Buchholz departed in the third inning with what the team has called a strained right forearm (via Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer), whereas Matt Harvey just exited the field with the Mets’ trainer due to an apparent leg injury. Wayne Randazzo of WOR News Talk Radio tweets that Harvey’s injury is a tight left hamstring.

Buchholz had been rocked for six runs on eight hits in just 2 1/3 frames, and the forearm strain is obviously the more serious-sounding of the two injuries. There’s no word on the extent of Buchholz’s injury, as one would expect with the game still in progress, though forearm strains frequently require DL trips and have, at times, been precursors to significant injuries for pitchers. Gelb notes that the injury will likely send Buchholz to the disabled list, however, and it stands to reason that both the Mets and Phillies will offer further context on the injuries once the game has wrapped up.

More from the game’s Eastern divisions…

  • Marlins president David Samson told reporters today that there are still several parties interested in purchasing the team, writes Andre C. Fernandez of the Miami Herald. Samson was somewhat vague in detailing how far sale talks have progressed, rhetorically asking the media: “Is the fourth inning advanced? A lot can happen after the fourth inning, right? Then I’d say we’re in the fourth inning right now. We’ve never gotten past the second inning before, so it’s further than we’ve been, but a lot can still happen.” Samson went on to add that it “wouldn’t shock” him if owner Jeffrey Loria had an agreement to sell the club by season’s end, though he declined to venture into specifics on any of the potential buyers. Loria has reportedly been seeking $1.6 billion in return for the franchise, and future Hall of Famer Derek Jeter and former Florida governor Jeb Bush are among the most notable names to have been linked to potential new ownership groups.
  • David Price is set to throw a 35-pitch bullpen session on Wednesday after tossing a 20-pitch session yesterday, Red Sox manager John Farrell said today in an appearance on MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM (audio link via Soundcloud). Farrell says that there’s yet to be any further rehab schedule laid out, as the current week is a critical one in determining exactly how long Price will be sidelined and the team “doesn’t want to get too far ahead” of itself. Farrell does note, however, that Price is feeling strong, which is certainly a positive sign for Sox fans after yesterday’s bullpen session.
  • Left-hander Jordan Montgomery will make his Major League debut for the Yankees tomorrow in a start against the Rays, as George A. King III of the New York Post writes. The Yankees weren’t planning on using a fifth starter until this weekend, King writes, but an arduous start for Masahiro Tanaka this past weekend prompted the team to shuffle its staff and give the rest of the rotation a bit of a breather. Montgomery wasn’t even being discussed as an option heading into Spring Training — the candidates for the final two slots were widely considered to be Luis Severino, Chad Green, Luis Cessa and Bryan Mitchell — but an excellent performance thrust him into the mix. Montgomery, 24, pitched to a 3.20 ERA with a 17-to-3 K/BB ratio in 19 2/3 innings — a fine followup to last season’s 2.13 ERA, 8.7 K/9 and 2.9 BB/9 in 139 1/3 innings between Double-A and Triple-A.

Orioles Re-Sign Dariel Alvarez To Minor League Deal

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The Orioles announced that they’ve re-signed outfielder-turned-pitcher Dariel Alvarez to a minor league contract. Baltimore had only just begun to convert Alvarez from the outfield to the mound when he suffered an elbow injury that will likely lead to Tommy John surgery. In need of a 40-man spot, the O’s released Alvarez last week, though reports shortly thereafter indicated that they hoped to work out a new minor league pact.

Alvarez, 28, defected from Cuba and signed with the Orioles back in 2013. However, while he’s performed decently in parts of three Triple-A seasons, he’s never dominated the level or shown the proficiency needed for the O’s to consider him for a regular spot in their outfield. In 304 games with Norfolk, Alvarez has batted .285/.317/.409 — numbers that closely resemble the .250/.314/.406 line he’s managed in 35 Major League plate appearances.

Alvarez’s excellent arm has reportedly been a consistent point of interest for the Orioles, though, which served as the impetus for his transition to the mound. Though he figures to miss the entire 2017 season, he’ll rehab with the only Major League organization he’s ever known and could conceivably return to the Orioles for the 2018 campaign as well, when he can resume his work on the mound.

Mariners Designate Paul Fry, Select Mike Freeman, Place Jean Segura On DL

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5:28pm: Mariners manager Scott Servais tells reporters that Segura’s hamstring strain is mild, and the team expects him to return in the minimum 10 days (Twitter link via MLB.com’s Greg Johns).

4:47pm: The Mariners announced that they’ve placed Jean Segura on the 10-day disabled list due to a strained hamstring. Infielder Mike Freeman’s contract has been selected from Triple-A Tacoma, while left-hander Paul Fry has been designated for assignment to clear a spot on the 40-man roster.

[Related: Updated Seattle Mariners Depth Chart]

Segura sustained his injury yesterday against Houston, per the Mariners’ release. The 27-year-old was acquired alongside right fielder Mitch Haniger in the trade that sent Taijuan Walker to the Diamondbacks this offseason and had gotten off to a strong start in his new environs. In eight games (35 plate appearances) as a Mariner, Segura has batted .313/.353/.406 with a homer and three stolen bases. With Segura sidelined for the near future, it seems likely that utilityman Taylor Motter will step up and play shortstop.

Freeman, 29, made his Major League debut in 2016 but received just 24 plate appearances between the D-backs and the Mariners, who claimed him off waivers from Arizona last summer. In 503 Triple-A plate appearances last year, the former 11th-round draft pick hit .314/.285/.419 with four homers, 23 doubles and six triples. Those numbers, tallied across 104 games, bear a striking resemblance to the second baseman/outfielder’s career marks in 298 contests: .314/.376/.424. He was off to a 4-for-12 start to the 2017 season in Triple-A.

The 24-year-old Fry had made just one appearance with Triple-A Tacoma this season but is coming off a fine year with Seattle’s top minor league affiliate. Last season, the former 17th-rounder logged 55 innings with a 2.78 ERA, 10.6 K/9 and 5.1 BB/9. Lofty strikeout numbers are nothing new for Fry, who has a career 11.0 K/9 rate in his minor league career. However, Fry has also struggled to some extent with control throughout his career (3.7 BB/9), especially against upper-level competition.

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