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Phillies Acquire Vinny Nittoli From Blue Jays

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10:38AM: The Phillies have announced the trade, with minor league catcher Karl Ellison heading to the Blue Jays in exchange for Nittoli.  Ellison was an undrafted player who played in independent leagues in 2019 and 2021 before signing with the Phils organization this year for his first season of affiliated baseball.  The 27-year-old Ellison has hit .123/.235/.192 over 150 combined plate appearances at the high-A and Triple-A levels this season.

10:13AM: The Phillies have acquired right-hander Vinny Nittoli from the Blue Jays, ESPN’s Jeff Passan reports (Twitter link).  Nittoli hasn’t been on a big league roster or injured list all season, and is thus eligible to be dealt after the August 2 trade deadline.  Adding Nittoli now makes him eligible for possible inclusion on Philadelphia’s postseason roster, and Passan writes that the Phils will promote the righty to the majors tomorrow when rosters expand.

Reports surfaced a few days ago that Nittoli was planning to exercise an opt-out clause in his minor league deal with the Jays, though today was his opt-out date, and Toronto dealt Nittoli before he could exercise the clause.  The 31-year-old Nittoli was only in the Jays organization for a little over a month, as he inked a minor league deal with Toronto after opting out of another minors contract with the Yankees.

While the trade means that Nittoli won’t get to choose his next destination as a free agent, he’ll still achieve his end goal of making it back to a Major League roster.  He’ll also return to Pennsylvania, after playing his high school ball in Gibsonia before heading to Xavier University and being a 25th-round pick for the Mariners in the 2014 draft.

Though Nittoli’s career first took him through the Blue Jays and Diamondbacks farm system, and a stint in independent baseball, his MLB debut took place back in a Mariners uniform, as he tossed one inning for Seattle last season.  The M’s released him in August 2021, leading to Nittoli bouncing around to the Twins, Yankees, and back to the Jays in search of another opportunity in the Show.

Nittoli has had a good season at Triple-A, with a 3.30 ERA, 7.61% walk rate, and 32.06% strikeout rate over 46 1/3 combined innings with the Blue Jays and Yankees’ top affiliates.  A lack of consistent Triple-A success might have been what prevented Nittoli from getting a longer look in the majors in the past, but he’ll now get at least some kind of stint with a Phillies team in the midst of a playoff race.

Seranthony Dominguez is still going to miss at least another week or two on the injured list, thus putting the Phillies on a search for bullpen help.  Chris Devenski was signed to a minor league deal yesterday, and it is possible that the Phils might still acquire someone else besides just Nittoli before the day is over.  Also, Zach Eflin threw a bullpen session yesterday as he tries to work his way back from a knee injury that has sidelined him for over two months, and if Eflin is able to return, he would pitch as a reliever rather than as a starter.

Phillies, Chris Devenski Agree To Minor League Deal

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The Phillies have agreed to a minor league contract with reliever Chris Devenski, tweets Matt Gelb of the Athletic. It was a short stay on the open market for the right-hander, who was just released by the Diamondbacks yesterday.

Devenski made ten appearances with Arizona after being selected onto the big league roster in late July. He worked 10 2/3 innings, but allowed nine runs on 14 hits (including a pair of longballs). The plenty of hard contact Devenski surrendered offset his 9:1 strikeout-to-walk ratio, and the Snakes designated him for assignment over the weekend. He passed unclaimed through waivers but quickly finds another landing spot and an opportunity to pitch his way back to the majors.

While Devenski has spent his last two seasons in the desert, he’s better known for his prior run in Houston. Between 2016-19, he was a multi-inning reliever for the Astros. During the first two of those campaigns, Devenski was among the most valuable bullpen arms in the game. He worked to a 2.38 ERA over 189 innings from 2016-17, striking out an above-average 28.2% of batters faced against a modest 6.4% walk rate. Devenski remained a workhorse later in his Houston tenure, but he had mounting difficulty keeping the ball in the park.

By 2020, he was also battling health issues. He pitched just four times in the shortened season and underwent arthroscopic surgery to remove a bone chip from his elbow that September. The following June, he underwent a more significant Tommy John procedure that kept him out through this season’s first half. Devenski’s struggles on the heels of a UCL replacement are alarming, but his average fastball velocity bounced back to the 94 MPH range of his peak after dipping to just above 91 MPH in 2021.

Because he signed prior to September 1, Devenski would be eligible for the Phils postseason roster should they qualify. That’s true even though he won’t immediately step onto the 40-man roster. Players within an organization but not on the 40-man at the start of September can be added to the playoff roster to replace a player on the injured list via petition to the commissioner’s office.

Blue Jays Claim Bradley Zimmer Off Waivers From Phillies

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5:40 pm: Kaitlyn McGrath of The Athletic relays that the plan is for Zimmer to not report to the team until rosters expand on September 1. That means no corresponding move will be necessary.

2:05 pm: The Phillies announced that outfielder Bradley Zimmer has been claimed off waivers by the Blue Jays. The Phils had designated him for assignment on the weekend. This is a reverse of a couple of weeks ago, when Zimmer was claimed from the Jays by the Phillies.

The Jays originally acquired Zimmer from the Guardians in April, largely using him as a defensive replacement and pinch runner. He got into 77 games for Toronto but made only 87 plate appearances, producing a .105/.209/.237 batting line in that time. At the deadline, the club traded for Whit Merrifield and later signed Jackie Bradley Jr., who had been released by the Red Sox.

Those acquisitions nudged Zimmer out of the outfield picture and onto the waiver wire, where he was grabbed by the Phillies. At the time, the Phils had placed Brandon Marsh on the IL and needed some help in center. When Marsh returned on the weekend, Zimmer was sent back to the waiver wire again after just nine games with the Phils.

The Blue Jays had an opening on their 40-man roster, meaning they don’t need to make an immediate corresponding move. However, Zimmer is out of options and will have to join the active roster. Once he reports to the team, the Jays will need to find a spot for him on the big league club.

NL Notes: Gilbreath, Eflin, Greene, Flaherty, Miley

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The Rockies announced that left-hander Lucas Gilbreath has been placed on the 15-day injured list due to a left elbow flexor strain. In a corresponding move, right-hander Alex Colome went the other direction, getting reinstated from the IL. Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post tweets that Gilbreath will undergo an MRI.

While the severity of the issue still isn’t known, it’s at least enough for Gilbreath to miss the next couple of weeks. An issue to a pitcher’s throwing elbow is always somewhat worrisome, though the club will surely get more information before deciding how to proceed. The Rox are in the basement of the National League West and won’t be in contention down the stretch, meaning there will be little incentive to rush him back to the mound.

Gilbreath has been an effective southpaw for Colorado over the past couple of seasons, registering a 3.78 ERA, not too shabby for someone who plays their home games at Coors Field. In 85 2/3 career innings, he has a 25% strikeout rate and 45.7% groundball rate, though an elevated 13.2% walk rate.

Some other injury notes from the Senior Circuit…

  • Phillies right-hander Zach Eflin is still trying to get back on the mound this season, having been on the injured list since late June due to a right knee bruise. Scott Lauber of the Philadelphia Inquirer tweets that Eflin might be able to throw a bullpen this week, with the aim of eventually returning as a reliever. Given that there’s just over a month remaining in the regular season, it would be difficult for him to build back up to a starter’s workload in time to make a significant contribution. The righty has quietly been an effective member of the rotation, having registered a 4.21 ERA over 98 games, 93 of them starts, going back to the beginning of the 2018 season. He is highly likely to reach free agency this year, as he and the Phils have a mutual option for 2023, with those provisions almost never being triggered by both parties. The club currently holds the second of three Wild Card spots in the National League and a postseason run could give Eflin more time to showcase his health before reaching the open market.
  • Reds righty Hunter Greene is set to head out on a rehab assignment, reports Bobby Nightengale of the Cincinnati Enquirer. He’s been out of action for over three weeks now due to a strain in his throwing shoulder, though appears to be slated to return after a couple of rehab outings. The highly-touted rookie is known for his tremendous velocity, though he’s yet to put it to great use at the big league level. He currently owns a 5.26 ERA after 102 2/3 innings in the majors, despite a strong 28.8% strikeout rate. When batters don’t strike out, they appear to be making good contact, as Greene’s barrel percentage is only in the league’s 10th percentile while his hard hit rate is in the 30th percentile. He’ll look to finish the season on a positive note before the winter begins. Greene, Nick Lodolo and Graham Ashcraft are all under 25 years old and showed intriguing skills in their debuts this year. The Reds will surely be hoping to maximize the talents of that trio in order to have a strong foundation of starting pitching to build around in the future.
  • Righty Jack Flaherty is going to throw another rehab start on Wednesday before rejoining the Cardinals on Labor Day, tweets Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat. After an elite season in 2019 wherein he threw 196 1/3 innings with a 2.75 ERA, Flaherty is now in his third straight injury-limited campaign. He’s made just three starts this year in between IL stints due to shoulder injuries. If he’s able to return and flash his 2019 form, he’d be a tremendous difference maker for the Cards down the stretch and into the postseason. The club is currently 5 1/2 games ahead of the Brewers in the race for the division crown. Flaherty hasn’t allowed more than one earned run in each of his last three rehab outings.
  • Cubs lefty Wade Miley is still looking to make his way back to a mound before the season is out, speaking to Maddie Lee of the Chicago Sun-Times about his year. “I can’t shut it down,” Miley said. “If I want to keep playing baseball beyond this year, I have to prove to people that I’m not broke. And I don’t feel like I’m broke by any means.” After throwing 163 innings with a 3.37 ERA with the Reds last year, he was claimed on waivers by the Cubs but has been limited to just four starts and 19 innings here in 2022, due to various ailments, primarily in his throwing shoulder. He will be hoping to return to action and show some effectiveness before the end of the season, when he will become a free agent and turn 36 years old in November.

Phillies Activate Brandon Marsh, Designate Bradley Zimmer For Assignment

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The Phillies have activated outfielder Brandon Marsh from the 10-day IL, the team announced today. Outfielder Bradley Zimmer was designated for assignment, opening a spot for Marsh on the active roster.

The 24-year-old second-year outfielder, who arrived in Philadelphia in a deadline deal that sent catching prospect Logan O’Hoppe to the Angels, had hardly had a chanced to get his feet wet in Philly before a sprained left ankle sent him to the IL. The injury was evidently fairly minor, however, as Marsh’s activation comes on his first day of eligibility.

Marsh will likely take over center field duties for the Phils, though he may also share time with the versatile Matt Vierling, who had split time in center with Zimmer in Marsh’s absence. Given yesterday’s return of Bryce Harper to the DH slot, which forces both Kyle Schwarber and Nick Castellanos to play the field to keep their bats in the lineup, center field takes on added importance in Philadelphia.

Fortunately for the Philly faithful, Marsh has rated out as a bit above-average defensively by most metrics, though his offensive production has lagged a bit. For his short career, he owns a .239/.299/.352 batting line (good for an 81 wRC+), including a .228/.285/.349 mark (78 wRC+) in 2022, though playing his home games in Philadelphia’s hitter-friendly Citizen’s Bank Park should help those numbers.

The 29-year-old Zimmer, who also rates out as above-average with the glove but owns a .215/.300/.337 career triple-slash, may opt to stick it out with the Phillies if he goes unclaimed, though he could be picked up by a contender in need of a glove-first reserve outfielder. Still, he’ll likely be looking for his fourth (or fifth) major league team in the offseason. After appearing in parts of five season with Cleveland, he began 2022 with the Blue Jays before he was claimed by the Phillies the same day Marsh hit the IL.

Phillies Activate Bryce Harper

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The Phillies have reinstated reigning National League MVP Bryce Harper from the 60-day injured list, tweets Matt Gelb of The Athletic. Infielder/outfielder Yairo Munoz was optioned to Triple-A Lehigh Valley to open a spot on the active roster, while fellow outfielder Simon Muzziotti was recalled from Triple-A and placed directly on the 60-day injured list in order to clear a spot on the 40-man roster. Philadelphia also recalled southpaw Bailey Falter from Lehigh Valley to start tonight’s game.

Harper is hitting cleanup in today’s Phillies lineup and serving as their designated hitter — a role he figures to occupy down the stretch as he continues to nurse a ligament tear in his throwing elbow. That, of course, is not the injury that’s held Harper out for the past two months. Harper was playing through the elbow issue and serving as a highly productive DH before suffering a fractured thumb upon being hit by a pitch. He required surgery to address the issue and has been out of action since June.

The Phils weathered that absence extremely well, and they find themselves in strong playoff position as a result. Philadelphia heads into tonight’s game with a 70-55 record that places them firmly in possession of the National League’s second Wild Card spot. They’ll now welcome back Harper, owner of a massive .318/.385/.599 showing through 275 plate appearances, to the lineup for the season’s final five weeks. The aforementioned elbow ligament tear will keep Harper at DH, at least for the time being, but Philadelphia is no doubt thrilled to get his bat back in the lineup.

As for Muziotti, his 2022 season is over due to a torn patellar tendon in his right knee. The 23-year-old, one of the better outfield prospects in the organization, made his MLB debut this April and appeared in nine games. He spent the majority of the year with Double-A Reading, hitting .259/.339/.455 through 38 games. He’ll be paid at the prorated $700K MLB minimum rate for the rest of this season and collect around five weeks of big league service time while looking ahead to 2023.

Phillies Place Zack Wheeler On Injured List

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The Phillies placed starter Zack Wheeler on the 15-day injured list, retroactive to August 22, with tendinitis in his right forearm. Bailey Falter is expected to start tomorrow in his place.

Aside from a brief stay on the COVID list in May, Wheeler has remained on the active roster since signing with Philadelphia heading into the 2020 season. While any mention of forearm discomfort for a pitcher is eyebrow-raising, the Phils don’t seem particularly concerned. President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski told reporters that Wheeler was willing to pitch through the issue, but the club is hopeful that by skipping two starts, he can put it in the rearview mirror (via Alex Coffey of the Philadelphia Inquirer and Todd Zolecki of MLB.com).

Last year’s NL Cy Young runner-up, Wheeler has remained a pivotal part of the starting five this season. Through 23 starts, he owns a 3.07 ERA with a 26.7% strikeout rate. The right-hander’s production isn’t quite at the level it was last year, but he ranks among the top 30 hurlers (minimum 100 innings) in ERA and strikeout percentage. Any downturn in performance is essentially attributable to this month, as Wheeler has a 4.44 ERA over his past four starts after carrying a 2.77 mark into August.

Falter seems likely to plug the rotation gap for a couple turns through the rotation, with the hope that Wheeler returns at full strength for the season’s final month. The Phillies have been one of baseball’s hottest teams, and they carry a 69-55 record into play tonight. Philadelphia is in possession of the second Wild Card spot in the National League, holding a 3 1/2 game cushion over the Brewers (with the Padres in between the two clubs).

Phillies To Activate Bryce Harper From Injured List On Friday

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Reigning NL MVP Bryce Harper will return to the Phillies’ active roster prior to their game with the Pirates on Friday, Philadelphia manager Rob Thomson told reporters (including MLB.com’s Todd Zelecki).  The initial plan for Harper’s minor league rehab assignment planned for activation from the 60-day injured list on Monday, but Harper will instead return a bit earlier, as suggested by MLB Network’s Jon Morosi earlier today.

The Phillies first placed Harper on the 10-day IL due to his fractured left thumb back on June 26, so he’ll end up missing only slightly beyond the 60-day minimum.  Harper has been making steady progress with his recovery ever since undergoing thumb surgery, and he will now again get to contribute to a Phillies team that has become one of baseball’s hottest teams.

The firing of Joe Girardi and Thomson’s installation as interim manager was the obvious turning point in Philadelphia’s season, as the Phils went 22-29 under Girardi and are currently 47-26 under Thomson.  Not even losing one of the sport’s best hitters slowed down the Phillies, since they have a 31-20 record since Harper was sidelined.

Harper’s thumb was broken by a Blake Snell pitch on June 25, interrupting an unusual but still highly successful season for the 29-year-old.  Due to a small UCL tear in his right elbow, Harper hasn’t played a game in the field since April 16, but his bat hasn’t been impacted by his new role as a full-time DH.  Harper has 21 home runs and a .318/.385/.599 slash line over his first 275 plate appearances, with that .985 OPS standing as the fourth-highest of Harper’s career.

2022 will go down as another Harper season cut short by injury, but that will be a footnote if he is able to help the Phillies reach their first postseason since 2011.  Philadelphia holds the second NL wild card slot, well back of the Braves for the first wild card but with a 3.5-game cushion over the Brewers (the top team outside the playoff picture).

Athletics Claim Tyler Cyr

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The A’s claimed right-hander Tyler Cyr off waivers from the Phillies on Wednesday, per announcements from both teams. Cyr was designated for assignment on Monday when Philadelphia selected lefty Michael Plassmeyer’s contract from Triple-A.

Cyr, 29, made his big league debut with the Phils earlier in the year, though it spanned just one appearance and three hitters. He yielded a pair of hits, including a home run to Brandon Nimmo, and retired the other batter he faced. It was the tiniest of samples, but Cyr flashed a heater that averaged 94.9 mph that day, while also featuring a cutter and changeup.

It’s been an otherwise solid year for Cyr in Triple-A, where he’s logged a 2.50 ERA with a 24.8% strikeout rate, a 12.1% walk rate and a 51.1% grounder rate in 36 frames of relief work. This is his first season in an organization other than the Giants, who selected him in the tenth round of the 2015 draft and oversaw his development for parts of six seasons.

Cyr has now appeared in parts of three Triple-A seasons, pitching to a 3.62 ERA with a 28.3% strikeout rate and 12.9% walk rate in that time. He’s in the first of three minor league option seasons, as this marked the first time his contract has been selected to an MLB roster.

Phillies Select Michael Plassmeyer, Designate Tyler Cyr

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The Phillies announced that they have selected the contract of left-hander Michael Plassmeyer. In a corresponding move, right-hander Tyler Cyr was designated for assignment.

Plassmeyer, 25, was selected by the Mariners in the fourth round of the 2018 draft but has been involved in multiple trades since then. In November of that year, he was one of five players involved in the trade that sent Mike Zunino to Tampa and Mallex Smith to Seattle. In 2021, he went to the Giants in exchange for Matt Wisler. In June of this year, he went to the Phillies as part of the Austin Wynns deal.

The southpaw has been starting games in Triple-A this year, faring much better after the trade. With the Sacramento River Cats, he had a 7.38 ERA, with a 22.2% strikeout rate, 11.3% walk rate, 36.9% ground ball rate and 28.3% HR/FB rate. After joining the Lehigh Valley IronPigs, he has a 2.83 ERA, 24.5% strikeout rate, 6.9% walk rate and 16.2% HR/FB rate. He will make his major league debut as soon as he gets into a game.

As for Cyr, 29, he was selected to the roster just yesterday and made his MLB debut. He came on with two out in the top of the ninth, with the Phillies already losing. He allowed a home run, a double and then got a fly out to finish the frame. In 36 Triple-A innings this year, he has a 2.50 ERA with a 24.8% strikeout rate, 12.1% walk rate and 51.1% ground ball rate. With the trade deadline now passed, the Phillies will have to place him either on outright waivers or release waivers in the coming days.

When Cyr was added yesterday, he took the active roster spot of Seranthony Dominguez, who went to the IL with triceps soreness. Further testing didn’t find any structural damage, per Matt Gelb of The Athletic. He won’t throw for a few days but could potentially return after a minimum 15-day stay on the IL. That’s surely great news for the Phillies, as Dominguez has been excellent this season, posting a 1.64 ERA through 44 innings with a 32% strikeout rate and 8.3% walk rate.

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