Quick Hits: Ziegler, Young, Buehler, Dodgers
Here’s the latest from around baseball…
- “It appears” as if Marlins closer Brad Ziegler has cleared August trade waivers, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe writes. This means that Miami would be free to deal Ziegler to any team. Ziegler is owed roughly $1.25MM remaining this season and $9MM in 2018, and prior to the trade deadline, the Marlins were reportedly willing to eat a large portion of that contract. Ziegler, however, has only allowed runs in two of his last 22 appearances and he has pitched especially well since taking over as Miami’s closer. Given that the Fish are now within striking distance of an NL wild card berth, it also isn’t clear if the team is still in selling mode.
- Also from Cafardo’s piece, Chris Young is hopeful of re-signing with the Red Sox this winter but he implies there hasn’t been much talk about an extension. “It’s been a good relationship but I’m not sure about their plans,” Young said. The veteran outfielder is in the final year of a two-year, $13MM deal with Boston signed in the 2015-16 offseason, and after a strong 2016 season, Young has actually delivered slightly below-replacement level production (-0.2. fWAR) thanks to an offensive and defensive dropoff. Young has long been known as a lefty-masher, though he has only a .614 OPS against southpaws this year (though, curiously, an .833 OPS against righties). Young turns 34 in September but will probably get consideration from the Red Sox and several other teams for a backup or platoon outfield role.
- Walker Buehler‘s last six appearances for Triple-A Oklahoma City have come as a relief pitcher, adding to the widely-held speculation that the top Dodgers prospect will make his big league debut in September to help the team’s bullpen down the stretch (and perhaps in the postseason). Manager Dave Roberts, however, tells Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times and other reporters that the team that Walker’s future has yet to be determined. “He’s transitioning to this new role. We’re very sensitive to having guys here who fit a certain role and have a purpose, and we haven’t made that decision with Walker,” Roberts said.
- From that same DiGiovanna piece, Cody Bellinger reported “no pain” in his sprained right ankle after going through workouts and batting practice. The star rookie’s injury was thought to be mild when he hit the DL on last Tuesday (with a back-dated placement to August 20), and Bellinger indeed looks on pace to return when first eligible on Wednesday. In other Dodgers injury news, Brandon McCarthy made his first rehab start on Friday as he looks to return from a month-long DL stint due to a blister problem. According to Roberts, McCarthy is still “multiple rehab starts” away from returning to the Dodgers rotation.
Minor MLB Transactions: 8/26/17
Here are the latest minor moves from around the game, with the newest transactions at the top of the post…
- The Reds outrighted right-hander Nefi Ogando to Triple-A, according to Zach Buchanan of the Cincinnati Enquirer (Twitter link). Ogando has been limited to just 5 1/3 minor league innings this season due to a hand injury, and then a shoulder injury suffered while rehabbing his hand. The hard-throwing Ogando has a 3.86 ERA, 7.4 K/9 and 1.69 K/BB rate over 373 1/3 career innings in the farm systems for four different teams (Reds, Marlins, Phillies, Red Sox) in his eight-year pro career. Ogando has also had a couple of brief stints at the big league level with Miami and Philadelphia over the last two seasons.
- The White Sox purchased the contract of catcher Rob Brantly from Triple-A, in a corresponding move to the 10-day DL placement of outfielder Nicky Delmonico. Brantly has spent the entire season with the Triple-A affiliates of the White Sox and Reds, coming to Chicago’s organization in late June after being released by Cincy. He’ll be looking for his first taste of MLB action since 2015, when he appeared in 14 games in a previous stint with the White Sox.
Earlier Today
- The Rays outrighted Trevor Plouffe to Triple-A after the third baseman cleared waivers, the team announced. Plouffe was designated for assignment earlier this week. Acquired by the Rays from the Athletics in June, Plouffe hasn’t produced much in either uniform in 2017, hitting a combined .204/.274/.325 over 281 PA. One would think Plouffe will be a candidate to rejoin the Rays when rosters expand in September, though a new space will have to be found on their 40-man roster.
- The Reds selected the contract of catcher Chad Wallach from Triple-A Louisville prior to yesterday’s game. The move was made to replace Stuart Turner, who went on the paternity list. Even if it may be a brief stint as Cincy’s backup catcher, it still represents the first big league callup for Wallach, a fifth-round pick for Miami in the 2013 draft and the owner of a .259/.350/.387 slash line over 1477 plate appearances in the minors. Wallach, the son of longtime Expos/Dodgers third baseman and current Marlins bench coach Tim Wallach, joined the Reds in December 2014 along with Anthony DeSclafani in the trade that sent Mat Latos to Miami.
5 Key Stories: 8/19/17 – 8/25/19
Here’s a recap of the top five stories from the last week here on MLB Trade Rumors…
Trevor Rosenthal to undergo Tommy John surgery. In devastating news to both the right-hander and to the Cardinals bullpen, Rosenthal will be out of action for the next 12-18 months, sidelining him for both the rest of this season and quite possibly all of the 2018 campaign. Rosenthal had one final year of arbitration eligibility before hitting free agency following the 2018 season, so his injury will result in a non-tender from the Cards this winter and quite a few questions about his next contract. For the short term, St. Louis has a big hole in its relief corps, and the Cardinals have turned to a closer-by-committee including Seung-hwan Oh, Tyler Lyons and Matt Bowman.
Red Sox acquire Rajaj Davis. With Jackie Bradley Jr. hitting the disabled list with a sprained thumb, Boston shored up its outfield by acquiring Davis from the A’s in exchange for minor league outfielder Rafael Rincones. Davis adds speed, defensive depth at all three outfield spots, a decent bat against left-handed pitching and veteran experience to the Red Sox roster as Boston looks to keep its lead in the AL East.
Indians lose three key players to the disabled list. The Tribe’s efforts to lock up the AL Central took a hit when Danny Salazar, Andrew Miller and Jason Kipnis all hit the DL within the span of two days. The good news is that the injuries suffered by Salazar (elbow inflammation) and Miller (patellofemoral syndrome) don’t appear to be too serious. Kipnis, however, was sidelined with a right hamstring strain for the second time in as many months; his previous DL stint cost him four weeks earlier this season.
More Mets injuries. The Mets’ snake-bitten season continued with two more major names hitting the disabled list. Yoenis Cespedes suffered another hamstring injury, which could keep him out of action for the remainder of the season. In potentially more serious long-term news, Michael Conforto suffered a posterior capsule tear and a dislocation of his left shoulder after taking a swing. If surgery is necessary, Conforto could potentially face a lengthy rehab process that could last into Spring Training or potentially even into the start of next season. More concrete details should be revealed after Conforto is re-examined on Monday.
Yankees/Tigers suspensions handed out. After the Yankees and Tigers engaged in multiple bench-clearing altercations on Thursday, two players from each team will miss time (though the current penalties could be reduced on appeal). Miguel Cabrera will be suspended for seven games, Alex Wilson and Gary Sanchez will miss four games each, and Austin Romine will miss two games. All four players were also fined, as were several other players involved in the various brawls. Tigers manager Brad Ausmus will also serve a one-game suspension. From a pennant race perspective, it certainly won’t help New York to lose its star catcher Sanchez, though it could be argued that the Yankees were lucky that Dellin Betances and Tommy Kahnle weren’t also issued suspensions.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Indians Select Craig Breslow’s Contract, Designate Diego Moreno
The Indians have selected the contract of veteran left-hander Craig Breslow from Triple-A Columbus, MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian reports (via Twitter). In corresponding moves, lefty Ryan Merritt was optioned to Triple-A and right-hander Diego Moreno was designated for assignment.
Breslow signed a minor league deal with the Tribe earlier this month after being released by the Twins at the end of July. Breslow posted a 5.23 ERA, 1.5 K/BB and 5.2 K/9 over 31 innings for Minnesota, though those unimpressive overall numbers mask some glaring splits. Right-handed hitters accounted for much of the damage against Breslow this season, while he held left-handed hitters to just a .200/.279/.257 slash line (over 44 PA).
With Andrew Miller on the DL, Breslow adds some veteran depth to a Cleveland bullpen that only has one other left-hander (Tyler Olson, who is yet to allow a run over 10 innings pitched this season). Miller isn’t expected to be out of action long, and when he returns after the September 1 roster expansion, so the Tribe will have their multi-inning threat as well as two southpaws in Breslow and Olson who can handle more specific situations against lefty bats late in games.
Moreno was claimed off waivers from Tampa Bay last month and he has since made six appearances for Cleveland’s Triple-A affiliate. Moreno has a 2.97 ERA, 9.3 K/9 and 3.7 K/BB rate over 424 2/3 career innings over ten years in the minors, as well as a 5.06 ERA over two brief stints in the big leagues (10 1/3 IP with the Yankees in 2015 and 5 2/3 IP with the Rays this season).
Padres Claim Tim Melville
The Padres have claimed right-hander Tim Melville off waivers from the Twins, Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports (Twitter link). Righty Miguel Diaz was moved to the 60-day DL in a corresponding move.
Melville signed a minor league deal with Minnesota in June and he made one single appearance on the big league roster, a spot start last Monday that saw him surrender five runs over 3 1/3 innings. The Twins designated Melville for assignment the next day.
Given Melville’s good numbers at both the Triple-A level and for the independent Long Island Ducks this season, he is worth a flier for a Padres team that is looking to find some hidden gems in their rebuilding process. Melville has improved his strikeout rate this season and cut down on the walks that plagued him earlier in his nine-year minor league career. As Berardino tweets, the Padres have had some good recent success on waiver wire pickups, adding both Brad Hand and Kirby Yates on claims.
Mets Place Yoenis Cespedes On 10-Day DL With Hamstring Strain
TODAY: Cespedes has been officially placed on the DL, the Mets announced. In corresponding moves, the Mets have also activated Jose Reyes from the disabled list, optioned righty Kevin McGowan to Triple-A, and selected the contract of outfielder Travis Taijeron from Triple-A.
FRIDAY, 9:27pm: Cespedes will head to the DL, Mets GM Sandy Alderson said after the game, as Mike Puma of the New York Post tweets. Per Alderson, the injury is about as serious as the one that sent Cespedes to the DL earlier this year. He missed about six weeks, though that period was also impacted by the later-arising quad problem. Regardless, it seems possible that Cespedes may not make it back by the end of the year.
8:00pm: Mets outfielder Yoenis Cespedes was pulled in the middle of tonight’s contest with what the team is calling a right hamstring strain, as was first announced on the SNY broadcast.
It is not immediately clear whether he’ll require a DL placement, but that seems reasonably likely — especially since the Mets have no need to force the issue with the postseason long out of reach. Betsy Helfand of the Las Vegas Review Journal notes on Twitter that outfielder Travis Taijeron was scratched from the lineup from the top Mets’ affiliate, quite likely to provide an option if needed to replace Cespedes.
The injury is the latest leg muscle problem for Cespedes, who missed time earlier this year with a strain in his left hammy that was followed by a right quad problem. And the track record stretches back before that, though Cespedes has never missed any truly lengthy stretches in his career.
Since re-joining the Mets on a four-year, $110MM contract over the winter, Cespedes has appeared in eighty games and produced a .292/.350/.540 batting line. That’s just what New York was hoping for on a rate basis, though the club will surely enter the offseason looking hard at ways to keep Cespedes — and a whole lot of other players — on the field more frequently for 2018 and beyond.
Injury Updates: Cano, Sano, Gomez, Street, Giavotella
Robinson Cano isn’t in today’s Mariners lineup, marking the second baseman’s second straight missed game since suffering a minor hamstring strain on Wednesday. Cano is able to pinch-hit today, however, and manager Scott Servais told reporters (including Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times) yesterday that Cano’s injury is “about as slight as you get on the Grade 1 side” of a hamstring strain. It certainly looks like Cano will able to avoid the disabled list, which is a boon for a Mariners team in the thick of the wild card race. Here are some more injury updates from around the league…
- Miguel Sano has yet to begin fielding or hitting drills and he is still unable to run on his injured left shin, Twins manager Paul Molitor told the Star Tribune’s Phil Miller and other reporters. Sano is eligible to come off the 10-day DL on Wednesday but it seems like he’ll miss more than the minimum amount of time.
- The Rangers activated Carlos Gomez from the 10-day DL. The outfielder missed only the minimum amount of time after a cyst was removed from behind his right shoulder. Gomez is enjoying a solid season in Texas, hitting .251/.339/.455 with 15 homers in 351 plate appearances.
- Huston Street has resumed throwing this week and the veteran reliever is hoping to make it back for the last two weeks of the season, Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register tweets. The Angels righty has pitched in just four games this season thanks to two lengthy DL stints, the first due to a strained lat muscle, and then his current absence, which began in early July due to a groin strain but Street was then shut down in early August due to a mild right rotator cuff strain.
- Johnny Giavotella underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right hip, the veteran infielder announced via his own Twitter feed. The procedure will, in Giavotella’s words, “relieve the chronic pain I’ve been playing with for a considerable time,” and he predicts that he’ll be recovered in time for Spring Training. Giavotella signed a minor league deal with the Orioles last winter that ended up paying him $1.1MM when his contract was selected by the team in July. Giavotella appeared in just seven games for the O’s before being outrighted off the 40-man roster and down to Triple-A.
NL East Notes: Zimmerman, Madson, Acuna, Conforto
The Marlins‘ victory over the Padres last night put them at 64-63 on the season, the first time Miami has been over the .500 mark since April 26. The Marlins have now won 22 of their last 34 games and have quietly moved to just 4.5 games back of the Rockies for the last NL wild card slot. Miami’s surge has been fueled by hot streaks from several hitters, though Giancarlo Stanton is setting the pace with an extraordinary .368/.455/.977 slash line and 16 homers over his last 101 PA. As surprising as it would be to see a team that has been in seller mode all summer suddenly become buyers, it wouldn’t be out of the question to see the Marlins make a low-level trade addition before August is over if the Fish feel they have a legitimate postseason shot. Here’s the latest from around the NL East…
- Ryan Zimmerman missed Friday’s game due to a shoulder injury, and Nationals manager Dusty Baker told MLB.com’s Jamal Collier and other reporters that Zimmerman also isn’t expected to be in today’s lineup. Baker did express hope that the first baseman would be back on Sunday, so it doesn’t yet appear that this could another significant DL absence for the injury-riddled Nats. Zimmerman hurt his shoulder on a slide into home plate during Thursday’s game.
- The right index finger injury that sent Ryan Madson to the DL last week could’ve been caused by his increased usage of the curveball this season, a source theorizes to Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post. Madson has received treatment to calm the inflammation of the tendon sheath that runs through his index finger’s knuckle, and he recently visited a hand specialist. The big-picture news is that while Madson’s DL stint will likely extend beyond the minimum 10 days, the Nationals expect him to be back in action before the postseason.
- Ronald Acuna‘s tear through the Braves‘ farm system probably won’t result in a September callup, Mark Bradley of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes. The 19-year-old outfielder began the season in high-A ball and been promoted up to Triple-A, raking all the while — Acuna has a combined .325/.376/.533 slash line, 20 homers and 41 steals over 558 combined plate appearances at three minor league levels. This performance had firmly placed Acuna near the top of several midseason prospects rankings (MLB.com rates him the eighth-best prospect in the game, Baseball America 10th and Baseball Prospectus 11th). While the Braves have been aggressive in promoting their top prospects, Bradley feels there isn’t any need to rush Acuna to the big leagues quite so soon, though Acuna may well be in line for regular duty for Atlanta as early as Opening Day 2018.
- Michael Conforto‘s posterior capsule tear in his left shoulder will be re-evaluated on Monday, though Newsday’s Marc Carig and Mike Puma of the New York Post hear from medical professionals that Conforto could be sidelined for several months if he undergoes surgery. It’s important to note that neither of the doctors cited by Carig and Puma have personally examined Conforto and are basing their opinions simply on prior knowledge of similar injuries. That said, both doctors commented on the unusual nature of Conforto’s injury, which came after swinging and missing a pitch. “The problem in this case is that this player dislocated his shoulder without any major trauma,” Dr. Armin Tehrany of Manhattan Orthopedic Care told Carig. “It was his non-dominant arm. He was just swinging a bat. And that alone led to the dislocation, which means that the likelihood that it happens again after he heals is very high.” Dr. Tehrany believes Conforto could face a four-to-six month rehab process if he opts for surgery, while Dr. Umer Dasti of the Ridgewood Orthopedic Group tells Puma that a six-to-12 month timeline could be necessary. The latter projection, as Puma notes, would have a significant impact on the Mets‘ offseason plans, as the team would likely have to check into acquiring another notable bat if Conforto is sidelined for a good chunk of 2018.
AL East Notes: Bird, Britton, Sedlock, Groome, Int’l
The Yankees have announced that they will bring first baseman Greg Bird back onto the MLB roster in time for tomorrow’s game, as Sweeny Murti of WFAN first reported on Twitter. Tyler Austin was optioned to create active roster space. Bird is finally back to health after struggling all year with ankle issues. As Murti notes, the 24-year-old turned in an 11-for-26 performance in his rehab stint. The Yankees will surely hope he can maintain that momentum upon his returning after posting an anemic .100/.250/.200 batting line in his first 72 plate appearances on the year.
Here’s more from the AL East:
- Orioles closer Zach Britton gave some details on the positive outlook surrounding his bothersome left knee, as Roch Kubato of MASNsports.com writes. In the near term, Britton says, he ought to be able to continue pitching as he has since the problem first arose back in 2014. Looking ahead, he doesn’t believe he’ll need even minor offseason surgery.
- The Orioles will be exercising added caution with another pitcher, prospect Cody Sedlock, Kubatko further explains. Sedlock, 22, is dealing with a forearm strain, though executive VP of baseball ops Dan Duquette says it “sounds like it’s a muscle strain.” Still, Sedlock has already missed time with an elbow issue and the organization is understandably taking care. The 2016 first-rounder owns a 5.90 ERA through ninety frames at the High-A level this year, with 6.9 K/9 and 3.6 BB/9.
- Likewise, 2016 Red Sox draftee Jay Groome will be shut down with a forearm strain, as Ian Browne of MLB.com tweets. The southpaw entered the season with quite a lot of hype but has encountered some troubles at the Class A level. He threw 44 1/3 innings over 11 starts there, with a 6.90 ERA and 11.8 K/9 against 5.1 BB/9 on his ledger. Of course, Groome only just turned 19, and clearly he’s still showing quite a bit of talent with that impressive strikeout rate. At this point, there’s no reason to think the injury will stunt his progress.
- The Red Sox and Yankees appear to be gearing up for a big international spending period, as Jon Heyman of Fan Rag writes. Both organizations have struck deals to acquire pool money, boosting their initial $4.75MM allocations up to $8MM apiece. Heyman wonders whether the two AL East giants might be lining up a pile of cash to tempt Japanese superstar Shohei Otani, if he decides to make a move to the majors this winter, though it’s certainly also possible that the clubs are simply planning to add as much young talent from Latin America as they can.
MLB Daily Roster Roundup: Castro, Conforto, Familia
IMPACT ROSTER MOVES
- BAL: SP Dylan Bundy placed on Bereavement List; RP Mike Wright recalled from minors. | Orioles Depth Chart
- Bundy isn’t scheduled to pitch again until Wednesday.
- CWS: 2B Yoan Moncada (bone bruise on shin) placed on 10-Day DL; 3B Matt Davidson activated from DL. | White Sox Depth Chart
- Yolmer Sanchez started at 2B and Tyler Saladino started at 3B in Friday’s game. Davidson had his rehab assignment ended early because of the Moncada injury.
- CLE: SP Ryan Merritt recalled from minors; RP Shawn Armstrong optioned to minors. | Indians Depth Chart
- Merritt is taking the rotation spot of Danny Salazar (10-Day DL).
- HOU: C Evan Gattis activated from 7-Day DL; C Max Stassi (hand inflammation) placed on 10-Day DL. | Astros Depth Chart
- NYM: OF Michael Conforto (dislocated shoulder) placed on 10-Day DL; RP Jeurys Familia activated from 60-Day DL. | Mets Depth Chart
- Juan Lagares played CF and Brandon Nimmo played RF in Friday’s game.
- Familia is expected to be eased into a high-leverage bullpen role.
- NYY: 2B Starlin Castro activated from 10-Day DL; INF/OF Tyler Wade optioned to minors. | Yankees Depth Chart
- Castro played 2B and batted 6th in Friday’s game.
- OAK: 1B/OF Mark Canha and RP Michael Brady recalled from minors; SP Paul Blackburn (hand contusion) placed on 10-Day DL. | Athletics Depth Chart
- Canha took Rajai Davis‘ roster spot.
- PIT: C Francisco Cervelli activated from 10-Day DL; C Elias Diaz optioned to minors. | Pirates Depth Chart
- Cervelli was the catcher and batted 7th in Friday’s game. He left the game due to quad discomfort.
- SFG: 2B Joe Panik activated from 7-Day DL; OF/INF Orlando Calixte optioned to minors. | Giants Depth Chart
- Panik played 2B and batted 8th in Friday’s game.
- TEX: SP Nick Martinez recalled from minors; RP Nick Gardenwine optioned to minors. | Rangers Depth Chart
- WSH: SP A.J. Cole recalled from minors; C Pedro Severino optioned to minors. | Nationals Depth Chart
[Related: MLB Lineup Tracker | MLB Disabled List Tracker | MLB Rotation Depth Tracker ]
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FUTURE EXPECTED MOVES
- CIN: SP Tyler Mahle will have contract purchased from minors, according to Mark Sheldon of MLB.com. | Reds Depth Chart
- DET: SP Buck Farmer will be recalled from minors, according to Evan Woodberry of MLive.com. | Tigers Depth Chart
- Farmer is taking the rotation spot of Anibal Sanchez, who is on the disabled list.
- HOU: RP Will Harris will likely be activated from 10-Day DL on Saturday August 26th, according to Brian McTaggart of MLB.com. | Astros Depth Chart
- LAD: SP Yu Darvish will be activated from 10-Day DL on Sunday August 27th, according to Ken Gurnick of MLB.com. | Dodgers Depth Chart
- NYM: OF Yoenis Cespedes (strained hamstring) will be placed on 10-Day DL; SP Seth Lugo will likely be activated from 10-Day DL on Sunday August 27th, according to Mike Puma of the New York Post . | Mets Depth Chart
- Triple-A outfielder Travis Taijeron is a leading candidate to replace Cespedes on the 25-man roster.
- NYY: 1B Greg Bird will be activated from 60-Day DL on Saturday August 26th; 1B/OF Tyler Austin will be optioned to minors. | Yankees Depth Chart
- TOR: SP Joe Biagini will likely be recalled from minors on Sunday August 27th, according to Ben Nicholson-Smith of SportsNet.ca. | Dodgers Depth Chart
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MINOR TRANSACTIONS
- CIN: C Stuart Turner placed on Paternity Leave List; OF Jesse Winker (strained hip flexor) placed on 10-Da yDL; C Chad Wallach had contract purchased from minors; OF Phillip Ervin recalled from minors. | Reds Depth Chart
- LAA: RP Blake Wood claimed off waivers from the Cincinnati Reds; RP Mike Morin recalled from minors; INF/OF Jefry Marte optioned to minors; SP Matt Shoemaker transferred to 60-Day DL. | Angels Depth Chart
- PHI: OF/1B Daniel Nava activated from 10-Day DL; SP Jake Thompson optioned to minors. | Phillies Depth Chart
- TBR: INF Danny Espinosa signed to MLB deal; INF Daniel Robertson optioned to minors. | Rays Depth Chart
- TOR: SP Nick Tepesch reinstated from Paternity Leave List and optioned to minors. | Blue Jays Depth Chart