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Injury Notes: Lodolo, Cabrera, Garrett, Perez, Means, Bradish

By Mark Polishuk | March 31, 2024 at 2:38pm CDT

Nick Lodolo looked sharp today in the first of two planned Triple-A rehab starts.  The Reds southpaw allowed one run in five innings and 77 pitches of work, while striking out eight and allowing two hits and three walks.  After missing most of the 2023 season due to a stress reaction in his left tibia, Lodolo was still feeling some leg soreness this spring, so the Reds started him on the 15-day injured list in order to better ease Lodolo’s path back to action.  Assuming he is feeling healthy after today’s outing and his next rehab start, Lodolo is slated to make his season debut for the Reds on April 10.

More on other pitchers working towards getting healthy….

  • Edward Cabrera also began the season on the 15-day IL, as the Marlins righty was sidelined with an impingement in his throwing shoulder.  As noted by MLB.com, Cabrera threw 39 pitches in a intrasquad scrimmage game earlier this week and a 20-pitch bullpen session on Friday, so the next step is a minor league rehab assignment that begins with a Triple-A start today.  It isn’t yet known how many rehab outings Cabrera might need before he is activated, though of the Marlins’ multiple injured starters, he appears closest to a return.  Braxton Garrett is slated to throw a bullpen session today as he works his way back from his own shoulder impingement, and Garrett intends to be back in action before the end of April.  El Extra Base’s Daniel Alvarez-Montes (X link) notes that Eury Perez threw 20 pitches in a bullpen session today, with Perez on the road to recovery after being waylaid by elbow soreness in Spring Training.
  • While rehab starts are about getting comfortable and working out pitches rather than pure results, John Means had a shaky showing in first rehab start today with Triple-A Norfolk.  The Baltimore Sun’s Matt Weyrich was among those to relay the news that Means gave up seven runs on six hits and a walk over the 32-pitch outing.  Orioles manager Brandon Hyde told MASNsports.com’s Roch Kubatko and other reporters yesterday that Means’ is “going to be close to 30 days” in Norfolk, as in the maximum length for rehab assignments.  Means missed almost all of the 2022 and 2023 seasons recovering from Tommy John surgery, and the O’s didn’t include him on their playoff roster due to what was reported as elbow soreness at the time.  As Kubatko notes, the Orioles are now referring to the injury as a left forearm strain, which only adds to the extreme caution Means and the O’s are taking in slowly ramping up the southpaw’s workload.
  • A sprain in Kyle Bradish’s right UCL created concerns that Bradish might also miss an extended amount of time, but the Orioles right-hander seems to be making good progress as he is also taking a careful approach to his rehab.  As relayed to Kubatko and other media, Bradish threw all of his pitches over a 35-pitch bullpen session yesterday.  While he “feels really good” in the aftermath of this bullpen, Bradish and Hyde didn’t commit to any kind of timeline about when Bradish will start building towards a return to the active roster.
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Baltimore Orioles Cincinnati Reds Miami Marlins Notes Braxton Garrett Edward Cabrera Eury Perez John Means Kyle Bradish Nick Lodolo

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A’s Claim Tyler Nevin Off Waivers, Designate Adrian Martinez

By Mark Polishuk | March 31, 2024 at 1:22pm CDT

The Athletics have claimed Tyler Nevin off waivers, as per an announcement from both the A’s and Orioles.  Oakland has designated right-hander Adrian Martinez for assignment to create roster space.  Baltimore designated Nevin, Ryan McKenna and Nick Maton for assignment in the lead-up to Opening Day, and McKenna and Maton have both cleared waivers and have been outrighted to the Orioles’ Triple-A club.

Nevin will now head to a new organization after spending the last few seasons with the Orioles and Tigers.  Baltimore acquired Nevin from the Rockies in 2020, and he made his MLB debut in 2021 and appeared in 64 games for the Orioles in 2021-22.  Detroit picked up Nevin in a deal during the 2022-23 offseason, and the Orioles then brought him back in another trade last January.  Even with Baltimore’s wealth of young infielders and the presence of Ramon Urias and Jorge Mateo, the O’s still looked to add some more experienced utility depth, though Tony Kemp ended up taking that role rather than Nevin, Maton, or minor league signing Kolten Wong.

Nevin has a modest .203/.310/.301 slash line over 313 plate appearances in the majors, as his ability to handle both corner infield and corner outfield positions has been more valuable than his bat in garnering more time on big-league rosters.  He has hit quite well at the Triple-A level of the last two seasons, and as a former first-round pick (38th overall by the Rockies in 2015), there might still be some hope that Nevin can unlock more at the plate as he approaches his 27th birthday.

Seth Brown, Lawrence Butler, and Ryan Noda are all left-handed regulars in the Athletics lineup, so Nevin might fit as a right-handed hitting complement at first base or as a corner outfielder.  The rebuilding A’s figure to prioritize playing time for most of their younger players, but Nevin can provide some experienced depth if the Athletics want to give any of their youngsters (perhaps Darell Hernaiz) more regular playing time at Triple-A.

Martinez has a 5.51 ERA in 112 2/3 career MLB innings, all with Oakland in 2022-23.  Martinez worked as a starter in 2022 but was used primarily in relief last year, though the role change didn’t lead to any uptick in his uninspiring strikeout or walk rates.  Acquired from the Padres as part of the Sean Manaea trade almost exactly two years ago, Martinez’s big league numbers are actually better than his 6.19 ERA in 173 innings of Triple-A ball, as Pacific Coast League batters mashed 39 homers off Martinez in the hitter-friendly environment.

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Baltimore Orioles Oakland Athletics Transactions Adrian Martinez Nick Maton Ryan McKenna Tyler Nevin

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Cardinals Place Riley O’Brien On 15-Day IL Due To Flexor Strain

By Mark Polishuk | March 31, 2024 at 1:15pm CDT

The Cardinals placed right-hander Riley O’Brien on the 15-day injured list, as O’Brien is dealing with a flexor strain in his right forearm.  Left-hander John King was called up from Triple-A in the corresponding transaction.

The ominous-sounding nature of the injury suggests that O’Brien could be in danger of a season-threatening surgery.  Even if the strain can be managed with just rest and a normal rehab schedule rather than any kind of procedure, O’Brien is still likely looking at an absence of well beyond the 15-day minimum.  The righty has made one appearance this season, tossing an inning of relief in the Cardinals’ season-opening 7-1 loss to the Dodgers.

O’Brien has now made exactly one appearance in each of his three MLB seasons, counting his previous cups of coffee with the Reds in 2021 and Mariners in 2022.  An eighth-round pick for the Rays in the 2017 draft, O’Brien spent much of his minor league career as a starter before turning to full-time bullpen work in 2022.  With an ugly 7.03 ERA over 39 2/3 Triple-A innings in 2022, the transition wasn’t exactly smooth for O’Brien, yet he significantly turned things around with Seattle’s Triple-A affiliate last season.  The right-hander posted a 2.29 ERA, 57.1% grounder rate, and a 37.7% strikeout rate in 55 innings in Tacoma, and only a 13.6% walk rate marred that otherwise sterling performance.

The Mariners weren’t moved enough to give O’Brien any time on the active roster last year, and they ended up trading him to St. Louis in early November for just cash considerations.  A minuscule 0.90 ERA over 10 Spring Training innings helped O’Brien win a spot on the Cardinals’ Opening Day roster, but it will likely be some time before he is able to return to the mound.

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St. Louis Cardinals Transactions John King Riley O'Brien

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Giants Designate Joey Bart For Assignment

By Mark Polishuk | March 31, 2024 at 12:24pm CDT

The Giants have designated catcher Joey Bart for assignment, thus creating 26-man and 40-man roster space for Daulton Jefferies, whose contract selection was reported yesterday.

The move likely marks the end of Bart’s time in San Francisco, which began with great fanfare when the Giants selected the backstop with the second overall pick of the 2018 draft.  Widely considered a top-tier prospect coming out of Georgia Tech, getting drafted by the Giants added another layer of expectation onto Bart since he was now viewed as the heir apparent to franchise legend Buster Posey.

Bart continued to place in top-100 prospect rankings as recently as 2022, yet after posting solid numbers in his first two pro seasons, the catcher was promoted to the majors in 2020 without any Triple-A time.  The lack of a minor league season in 2020 obviously kept Bart from any more minor league seasoning, but even though the Giants clearly liked what they saw of Bart at their alternate training site, he didn’t look ready for the Show while hitting .233/.288/.320 over his first 111 MLB plate appearances.

Posey’s decision to opt out of the 2020 season left a hole for the Giants at the catching position, but he returned with spectacular numbers in 2021 in what ended up being the twelfth and final season of his Cooperstown-worthy career.  Bart played in only two games in the majors in 2021 but still couldn’t seize the job with Posey retired, as Bart hit .215/.296/.364 in 291 PA in 2022.  Injuries further hampered Bart in 2023 as he struggled to a .528 OPS over 95 PA in the majors, and Patrick Bailey’s ascension to the starting catcher role essentially served as the writing on the wall for Bart’s chances of sticking in San Francisco.

Trade speculation has followed Bart for well over a year, though since Bart is now out of minor league options, teams might have been waiting to force the Giants’ hand with a DFA rather than work out a trade.  It doesn’t seem likely that Bart will pass through waivers without a claim, and it’s possible he might not even end up far outside San Francisco — NBC Sports Bay Area’s Taylor Wirth reports that the Athletics are among the many teams who have scouted Bart.

Now 27 years old, Bart has a career .219/.288/.335 slash line over 503 PA in the Show, and a .274/.357/.434 slash over 554 Triple-A plate appearances.  Those minor league numbers are actually a little underwhelming, considering how Bart played in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League.  Bart has also struck out 28.34% of the time in Triple-A, as he has yet to figure out how to make either consistent contact or quality contact against even minor league pitching, let alone MLB hurlers.

With this in mind, it is far from certain that Bart might enjoy a post-hype breakout with a change of scenery.  Simply sticking as a big league regular would be a good outcome given how inconsistent Bart’s pro career has been, but given his prospect pedigree, he’ll certainly get some kind of opportunity from one of the many teams in need of catching depth.

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Newsstand Oakland Athletics San Francisco Giants Transactions Daulton Jefferies Joey Bart

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Orioles Place Cionel Perez On 15-Day IL Due To Oblique Strain

By Mark Polishuk | March 31, 2024 at 12:05pm CDT

The Orioles have placed southpaw Cionel Perez on the 15-day injured list due to a right oblique strain.  Right-hander Jonathan Heasley was called up from Triple-A to take Perez’s spot in the bullpen.

Perez faced only two batters during an appearance in yesterday’s 13-4 Orioles win over the Angels.  The lefty allowed a triple and a single before being removed with that was initially described as back discomfort, though the designation of an oblique strain creates more uncertainty about when Perez might be able to return.  Unless Perez has a very mild strain, oblique issues usually sideline players for at least 3-4 weeks, and often longer if the strains are of the Grade 2 category or higher.

Danny Coulombe and Keegan Akin are the other left-handed options in Baltimore’s pen, so the O’s should be able to manage the balance until Perez is able to return.  Coulombe is ticketed for more higher-leverage work in general, leaving Akin as the current top choice for perhaps more specialized work against left-handed batters.  Nick Vespi and Matt Krook are both on the 40-man roster and could be recalled if the Orioles feel more southpaw depth is required.

After posting a 6.04 ERA over his first 50 2/3 innings in the majors, Perez unexpected broke out after joining the O’s in 2022.  The lefty delivered a 1.40 ERA over 57 2/3 frames that season, even if his 3.48 SIERA was perhaps a better reflection of his overall performance.  Some regression hit in the form of a 3.54 ERA in 53 1/3 innings for Perez in 2023, and both his strikeout and walk rates were rather unimpressive.

Perez is a grounder specialist (54.7% career groundball rate) who has held left-handed batters to a .207/.305/.304 slash line during his time in the majors.  Perez has seemingly erased the home run problems that plagued him earlier in his career, as he has allowed just four homers over 111 innings with the Orioles.  He avoided arbitration with the club this winter by agreeing to a $1.2MM salary for 2024, and the O’s also hold a $2.2MM club option on his services for 2025.

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Baltimore Orioles Transactions Cionel Perez Jon Heasley

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Diamondbacks Sign Kevin Newman To New Minors Contract

By Steve Adams | March 31, 2024 at 11:27am CDT

TODAY: Newman re-signed with the Diamondbacks on a new minors deal, and was in the lineup for Triple-A Reno yesterday.

MARCH 27: Infielder Kevin Newman opted out of his minor league contract with the Diamondbacks, reports Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic. He’s now a free agent and free to sign with any club in need of some infield depth.

Newman, 30, spent the 2023 season with the Reds and posted a .253/.311/.364 batting line in 253 plate appearances while shortstop, second base and third base. He’s spent the other five seasons of his career with the Pirates, who selected him 19th overall back in 2015. He had  the look of a potential big league regular back in 2019 when he hit .308/.353/.446 in 130 games, but that’s the only productive season of the former top prospect’s big league career to date. On the whole, he’s a .259/.304/.358 hitter who’s drawn mixed reviews for his glovework at shortstop and moved more into a utility role in recent seasons.

Those may be unappealing numbers overall, but the right-handed-hitting Newman is a solid .279/.336/.395 hitter against lefties to this point in his career. Paired with above-average speed and some defensive versatility, that could be enough to garner interest for clubs seeking some right-handed infield depth to round out their bench (or to stash in the upper minors).

On paper, there was a potential path to a bench spot for Newman in Arizona. Eugenio Suarez, Geraldo Perdomo and Ketel Marte are lined up at third base, shortstop and second base, respectively, but the bench options are more suspect. Veteran Jace Peterson has an infield/outfield role locked down because of his on-base skills, defense at third base, and his contract. Newman could’ve been a right-handed complement to the lefty-swinging Peterson, but it seems the Snakes will stick with out-of-options Emmanuel Rivera and perhaps prospect Blaze Alexander instead.

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Arizona Diamondbacks Transactions Kevin Newman

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Phillies Place Luis Ortiz On 15-Day Injured List

By Mark Polishuk | March 31, 2024 at 11:19am CDT

The Phillies announced that right-hander Luis Ortiz has been placed on the 15-day injured list due to a left ankle sprain.  Righty Nick Nelson was called up to take Ortiz’s spot on the active roster.

The injury compounded a tough day on the mound for Ortiz Saturday, as he was charged with two earned runs over two-third of an inning in Philadelphia’s 12-4 loss to the Braves.  Ortiz appeared to hurt his ankle while attempting a fielding play in the fifth inning, and though he returned to the mound in the top of the sixth, he was pulled after allowing singles to the first two batters faced.

While the severity of the sprain isn’t yet known, it isn’t a great sign that Ortiz is immediately heading to the IL, rather than the common practice of taking a day or two to monitor swelling.  It could be that the Phillies recognized that Ortiz would be delaying the inevitable in waiting to go on the injured list, and sidelining him now also allows the team to get a fresh arm into the bullpen.  The Phils’ relief corps has already seen a lot of work over a pair of lopsided losses to Atlanta in Philadelphia’s first two games.

Ortiz is in his second season with the Phillies, and posted a 3.32 ERA over 19 relief innings for the club in 2023 despite a lot of roster shuffling in the form of numerous trips back and forth from Triple-A.  Prior to last season, Ortiz had thrown only 14 1/3 total big league frames sprinkled across three seasons with the Orioles and Giants from 2018-22, and he didn’t pitch in the majors at all in 2020 or 2021.  The Rangers selected Ortiz 30th overall in the 2014 draft, and he drew some top-100 prospect attention during his time in the minors.

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Philadelphia Phillies Transactions Luis Ortiz

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Marlins Select Vladimir Gutierrez

By Steve Adams | March 31, 2024 at 9:02am CDT

TODAY: The Marlins officially announced that Gutierrez’s contract has been selected, and that Cronin has been optioned to Triple-A.

MARCH 30: The Marlins will select the contract of right-hander Vladimir Gutierrez prior to Sunday’s game against the Pirates, reports Francys Romero. Miami has an open spot on the 40-man roster, so only a 26-man roster move will be necessary. Daniel Alvarez Montes of El Extra Base reports that the Fish will likely option righty Declan Cronin to Triple-A Jacksonville in Gutierrez’s place, noting that Cronin was packing up his locker following today’s game.

Now 28 years old, Gutierrez was a high-profile prospect back in 2016 after defecting from his native Cuba. The Reds signed him to a $4.75MM bonus and paid a 100% tax on that bonus under the old soft-capped international amateur free agency system.

That $9.5MM investment didn’t pan out as hoped. Gutierrez made it to the big leagues in 2021-22, pitching 150 2/3 innings with a 5.44 ERA, 17.3% strikeout rate and 10.4% walk rate. His heater sat 93.3 mph during that two-year stint, and he paired it with a slider, curveball and changeup. All of Gutierrez’s second pitches were touted as potential plus offerings on various scouting reports (FanGraphs, Baseball America, MLB.com), but he’s yet to find consistency with any of them. His curveball and changeup, in particular, have been hit hard by big league opponents.

Gutierrez underwent Tommy John surgery in the summer of 2022, all but ending his time on the mound with the Reds organization. He returned to throw 6 1/3 minor league frames late in the 2023 season and became a minor league free agent in the offseason.

Gutierrez drew a fair bit of interest on minor league deals as he showcased for MLB clubs to demonstrate his health post-surgery. Perhaps unsurprisingly, given Miami’s proximity to Cuba, he ultimately chose to sign with the Fish back in February. He had a decent showing in spring training, holding opponents to four runs on a dozen hits and four walks with nine punchouts in 10 innings of work.

The Marlins and Pirates went to 12 innings in their season opener, with the Marlins’ bullpen accounting for seven of those frames. AJ Puk last just two innings on Friday, leaving Miami relievers to pick up another seven innings of work. Ryan Weathers went four frames today, giving the relief corps another five innings to pick up. Given that huge slate of innings for Miami relievers, it’s only natural that they’re bringing up a fresh arm — particularly one that can provide some length, if needed.

Cronin’s demotion to Jacksonville is a tough pill for him to swallow. The journeyman righty made his first Opening Day roster this season and has pitched well, firing four innings (including the final three in that 12-inning contest) without allowing an earned run. But between that three-inning debut and another 22 pitches in today’s inning of work, he’d surely have been unavailable tomorrow, making him the most logical candidate to be sent down. He’ll have to be in Jacksonville for 10 days unless he’s recalled as an injury replacement. But considering the fact that he made the Opening Day roster and has thus far pitched well, Cronin stands a good chance of returning to the big leagues before too long.

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Miami Marlins Transactions Vladimir Gutierrez

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Pirates Outright Canaan Smith-Njigba; Ali Sanchez Elects Free Agency

By Mark Polishuk | March 31, 2024 at 8:54am CDT

8:54AM: Sanchez chose to reject the outright assignment and become a free agent, as per his personal MLB.com profile page.

8:28AM: The Pirates have outrighted outfielder Canaan Smith-Njigba and catcher Ali Sánchez to Triple-A Indianapolis, according to the team’s official transactions feed.  The two players were designated for assignment on Opening Day but have now cleared waivers.

Smith-Njigba has become quite familiar with the DFA wire, as he briefly left the Pirates organization via waiver claim when Pittsburgh initially designated him back in January.  The Mariners claimed Smith-Njigba but then designated him shortly thereafter, allowing the Pirates to claim him back less than three weeks after initially parting ways with the outfielder.  This latest transaction allows the Bucs to move Smith-Njigba off their 40-man roster, but he’ll remain as a depth option at Triple-A.

CSN turns 25 next month, and his big league resume consists of 18 games and 44 plate appearances (with a .493 OPS) with Pittsburgh over the last two seasons.  Apart from his brief sojourn as as Mariner, Smith-Njigba has also been a member of the Yankees organization, beginning his pro career as a fourth-round pick for New York in the 2017 draft.  He came to the Pirates as part of the four-player trade package for Jameson Taillon in January 2021.

Over 686 career plate appearances at the Triple-A level, Smith-Njigba has hit a solid .273/.366/.439 while hitting 16 homers and stealing 29 bases in 37 attempts.  He isn’t particularly fast despite those good base-stealing numbers, and Smith-Njigba has primarily played the two corner outfield positions apart from a handful of appearances in center field.  Smith-Njigba is also a left-handed hitter and the Pirates are currently loaded with right-handed bats, even though the outfield (left-handed hitting Jack Suwinski and switch-hitter Bryan Reynolds) has more balance.

This isn’t the first time Sanchez has been outrighted off a 40-man roster, so the catcher has the right to reject the Pirates’ assignment and re-enter free agency.  There hasn’t yet been any word on whether or not Sanchez will remain in the organization, though he is currently the only catcher in Indianapolis with any big league experience and would be the first call-up if either of Henry Davis or Jason Delay was injured.

Sanchez’s tenure in MLB isn’t exactly vast, as he debuted with five games with the Mets in 2020, two games with the Cardinals in 2021, and he hasn’t since returned to the Show.  The 27-year-old has spent much of his career in the Mets’ farm system, but has since bounced around to multiple teams in search of catching depth.  This is technically Sanchez’s second stint with the Pirates, as he was claimed off waivers from the Tigers in October 2022 only to be claimed away again a couple of months later by the Diamondbacks without ever actually suiting up for Pittsburgh in a pro game.

The Pirates signed Sanchez to a guaranteed Major League deal this past December, perhaps as an acknowledgement of his strong .311/.375/.492 slash line over 267 PA in 2023 with Arizona’s Triple-A affiliate in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League.  The catcher is out of minor league options, so the Bucs had to designate Sanchez for assignment in order to remove him from the 40-man.

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Pittsburgh Pirates Transactions Ali Sanchez Canaan Smith-Njigba

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Giants To Select Daulton Jefferies

By Steve Adams | March 30, 2024 at 10:17pm CDT

The Giants will select the contract of right-hander Daulton Jefferies prior to Sunday’s game against the Padres, manager Bob Melvin announced the team’s beat in tonight’s postgame session (X link via Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle). He’ll get the start. Since Jefferies isn’t on the 40-man roster and the Giants don’t have a vacancy, they’ll need to clear space.

It’ll be an emotional day for Jefferies, whose last MLB appearance came nearly two years ago as a member of the A’s — the only team for which he’s ever pitched. The 28-year-old righty has undergone both thoracic outlet surgery and Tommy John surgery (in that order) since walking off the mound that day. The two procedures were performed only months apart; Jefferies suffered a torn UCL while working back from that TOS operation. Considering that was the second Tommy John procedure of Jefferies’ career, his return to a big league mound is all the more remarkable.

The A’s selected Jefferies with the No. 37 overall pick back in 2016. He was long considered one of the system’s more promising arms, even after that first Tommy John procedure slowed his development. Between those two UCL surgeries, the TOS and the canceled 2020 minor league season, Jefferies has pitched only 231 2/3 professional innings — just 11 more than he pitched in his three-year college career at Cal.

Jefferies may not have a large volume of innings, but at least in the minors, the work he’s turned in has been strong. He sports a solid 3.93 ERA in his minor league career, with a strong 25.7% strikeout rate and a superlative 3.1% walk rate. He’s been roughed up for a 5.75 ERA in 56 1/3 big league innings, with far fewer missed bats in the majors but still very strong command (5.8% walk rate) and an above-average 45.5% ground-ball rate. Jefferies was excellent for the Giants this spring, pitching 14 innings and allowing just four runs (2.57 ERA) on 14 hits and three walks with 16 strikeouts.

Tomorrow’s appearance could go down as a spot start when all is said and done. The Giants currently have Logan Webb, Jordan Hicks, Kyle Harrison and Keaton Winn in the rotation. Reigning Cy Young winner Blake Snell, who signed late in spring training, tossed 74 pitches against Double-A hitters in an extended spring training game yesterday, tweets Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area. The quality of competition obviously wasn’t MLB-caliber, but Snell still punched out 11 batters in a four-inning appearance. The Giants are still determining his next step. It’s possible Snell will get a minor league start to finish off his tune-up, but it doesn’t sound like he’s too far from game readiness.

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Newsstand San Francisco Giants Transactions Daulton Jefferies

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