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Alec Bohm Tests Positive For COVID-19

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10:48 am: Bohm has tested positive for COVID-19, Girardi told reporters (including Matt Gelb of the Athletic). He’ll remain in isolation for at least ten days.

10:17 am: The Phillies announced they’ve placed starting pitcher Aaron Nola, third baseman Alec Bohm and relievers Connor Brogdon and Bailey Falter on the COVID-19 injured list. Infielder Nick Maton and pitchers Mauricio Llovera, Damon Jones and Cristopher Sánchez have been recalled to replace them on the active roster.

Bohm was pulled from last night’s game as part of health and safety protocols. There’s no confirmation he or any of the other players involved have tested positive for COVID-19. Players can be placed on the COVID-19 IL for exposure to the virus or for experiencing virus-like symptoms. There is no minimum stint on the COVID IL.

Nola had been scheduled to start this afternoon’s game against the Red Sox. It’s not clear who will get the ball, although it seems likely manager Joe Girardi will conduct some sort of impromptu bullpen game. With the All-Star Break beginning tomorrow, the Phils can leverage a handful of arms to get through today’s contest and reevaluate the pitching staff before their doubleheader with the Marlins next Friday.

COVID Notes: 7/10/21

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The latest on coronavirus situations from around baseball…

  • Phillies third baseman Alec Bohm was removed from today’s game in the eighth inning for what manager Joe Girardi described only as reasons related to “COVID protocols.”  Officials aren’t required to provide detailed information about COVID-19 situations, and Girardi just told reporters (including NBC Sports Philadelphia’s Corey Seidman) that “we’ll know more as time goes on.  That’s all I can give you right now.”  It isn’t yet known if Bohm will be placed on the actual COVID-related injury list, and such a placement isn’t necessarily a sure thing — in the event of a close contact situation or perhaps an inconclusive test result, Bohm could be cleared in time for Sunday’s game with the Red Sox.  Following a very impressive 2020 rookie season, Bohm has hit a sophomore slump, hitting only .243/.298/.343 with six home runs in 329 PA this year.
  • The Yankees placed right-hander Jonathan Loaisiga on the COVID-related injury list prior to today’s game with the Astros.  Along with the placement of Miguel Andujar on the regular 10-day IL due to a left wrist strain, New York called up right-handers Albert Abreu and Brooks Kriske from Triple-A to fill the spots on the 26-man roster.  Yankees manager Aaron Boone also didn’t give specifics on Loaisiga’s status to MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch and other reporters, except to say that Loaisiga “feels good.”  The righty has been a force out of the Yankees’ bullpen this season, posting a 2.11 ERA, 63.9% grounder rate, an outstanding 5.5% walk rate and an above-average 25.1% strikeout rate over 47 innings.

Roster Notes: Phillies, Red Sox, Pirates

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The Phillies have placed Odubel Herrera on the 10-day injured list with left ankle tendonitis, per the team. They have selected the contract of right-hander J.D. Hammer from Triple-A to take his roster spot. Herrera’s IL placement is retroactive to yesterday, July 9th. Herrera has somewhat surprisingly emerged as the Phillies’ everyday centerfielder, slashing .241/.292/.390 in 139 plate appearances. Though that amounts to just an 85 wRC+, Herrera’s glovework has earned solid marks, making him an overall positive contibutor in center to the tune of 1.4 rWAR/0.7 fWAR.

Hammer, 26, has posted as solid 1.74 ERA in 20 2/3 innings for the Triple-A IronPigs of Lehigh Valley. He has not appeared in the Majors since 2019, when he logged 19 innings of 3.79 ERA baseball, though his peripheral numbers from that stretch suggest the baseball bounced his way more often than not. In other roster moves…

  • The Red Sox have placed Matt Andriese on the 10-day injured list with right hamstring tendinitis, selecting the contract of Austin Brice in his stead. Andriese has a 6.03 ERA as a long man this year, logging 37 1/3 innings in 26 appearances. The injury does not appear serious, but the Red Sox are taking the opportunity to make sure he’s at full strength for the second half. Brice, 29, has a 6.94 ERA in 12 appearances for the Red Sox this year.
  • The Pirates, meanwhile, have recalled Max Kranick to be the 27th man for today’s doubleheader against the Mets, the team announced. He will start the second game of the twin bill. The Scranton native will put his perfect record on the line. Kranick threw five perfect innings in his Major League debut against the Cardinals on June 27th. Kranick needed just 50 pitches to retire all 15 batters he faces, striking out three and getting the win.

Phillies Sign Cam Bedrosian

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The Phillies have signed reliever Cam Bedrosian to a minor league contract, Matt Breen of the Philadelphia Inquirer was among those to relay. He’ll be assigned to Triple-A Lehigh Valley.

Bedrosian will be joining his third organization of the year. After spending 2014-20 with the Angels, he signed with the Reds over the winter. His six appearances with Cincinnati were disastrous, though, and the Reds cut him loose. Bedrosian hooked on with the A’s and performed better over nine games in the Bay Area, but Oakland nevertheless designated him for assignment last week. After clearing waivers for the second time this season, the veteran righty elected free agency.

Philadelphia seems to be a good landing spot for Bedrosian to work his way back to the majors relatively quickly. For the second consecutive season, the Phils have had a nightmarish time late in games. Phillies relievers rank 25th in ERA (4.92) and have blow a league-worst 22 leads, despite a 3.89 SIERA that’s hovering right around league average. The Phils have had particular issues in the ninth inning, leading to a recent shakeup in the closer role.

Because of his disastrous start with Cincinnati, Bedrosian’s sitting on a 5.52 ERA/4.93 SIERA across 14 2/3 innings this year. His more recent work with Oakland was adequate, though, and Bedrosian brings a rather strong track record to the Philadelphia system. He was one of the top relievers in baseball back in 2016, when he tossed 40 1/3 frames of 1.12 ERA ball. His work over the past few seasons has been closer to average; he posted a 3.41 ERA with a slightly below-average 22.5% strikeout rate and a typical 9.2% walk percentage between 2018-20.

Even a return to his competent but not overwhelming form of the past couple years would be a boon to a Phillies bullpen looking for answers to their recurring struggles. In an interesting coincidence, Bedrosian’s father Steve played for the Phillies from 1986-89, winning the 1987 NL Cy Young award.

Phillies Sign Tyler Heineman

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The Phillies have signed catcher Tyler Heineman to a minor league contract, according to his transactions log at MLB.com. He has been assigned to Triple-A Lehigh Valley.

Heineman was released from a minors pact with the Cardinals last week. The switch-hitting backstop managed just a .254/.325/.313 line over 77 plate appearances with their top affiliate in Memphis. Heineman has generally been quite productive at the minors’ top level, compiling a .284/.351/.422 mark over six seasons in Triple-A.

While Heineman hasn’t seen any big league action this season, he did get to the majors in both 2019 and 2020. The 30-year-old has suited up for the Marlins and Giants, garnering 62 MLB plate appearances. The Phils have three catchers — J.T. Realmuto, Andrew Knapp and Rafael Marchan — on the 40-man roster.

Neftali Feliz Elects Free Agency

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JULY 3: Feliz has cleared waivers and elected free agency, the Phils announced.

JULY 1: The Phillies announced that they’ve designated right-hander Neftali Feliz for assignment and reinstated righty Brandon Kintzler from the injured list. It marks an abrupt end to Feliz’s tenure with the Phils after a four-year absence from the Majors.

Feliz looked razor-sharp in Triple-A this season, posting a 1.26 ERA and a 23-to-6 K/BB ratio in just 14 2/3 innings of work, but the bullpen-desperate Phils gave him a quick hook after his first two outings produced dismal results. Feliz faced just nine batters between his two outings, allowing six of them to reach on four hits (one homer), a walk and a hit batsmen.

Manager Joe Girardi called on Feliz with a man abord to protect a two-run lead in his Phillies debut, but he responded with a walk, a strikeout, a hit batter and a go-ahead grand slam off the bat of Nick Castellanos. Feliz again came in with a pair on and a one-run lead in his second appearance, but he surrendered a game-tying single and go-ahead double before picking up a strikeout to escape the jam.

It’s up for debate whether Feliz should’ve been immediately dropped into high-leverage spots after such a long absence from the spotlight of a Major League mound, but it’s certainly understandable that Girardi would want to try a different approach after such pronounced struggles from the Philadelphia relief corps of late. Turning to Feliz on a pair of occasions didn’t pan out, but that’s been largely true of the remainder of the bullpen as well.

The Phillies will now have a week to trade Feliz, attempt to pass him through outright waivers or release him. There’s a chance, based on his pedigree and strong output with Triple-A Lehigh Valley, that another club might take a look. Feliz, after all, was the 2010 American Rookie of the Year and spent a few seasons as one of the game’s premier relievers before injuries derailed his career. Even if he goes unclaimed, he has the service time to reject an outright assignment and could land with another club as a free agent on a new minor league deal.

Feliz struggled mightily in his short time with Philadelphia, but the same has been true of Kintzler thus far in his first year with the Phils as well. The former Twins and Marlins closer has pitched 18 innings but been clobbered for 17 runs on a stunning 31 hits (five homers) and four walks. Kintzler’s 59.4 percent grounder rate is excellent, as is typical for him, but he’s been plagued by a .406 average on balls in play and been uncharacteristically susceptible to the long ball so far. In the offseason, the Phillies signed him to a minor league deal that came with a $3MM base salary, which he locked in upon winning a roster spot in Spring Training.

Injured List Returns: Gregorius, Reyes, Gray

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While top players continue to hit the injured list on a near-daily basis, several notable names also made their return to the field today.  The latest…

  • The Phillies activated shortstop Didi Gregorius off the 10-day injured list prior to today’s 4-3 victory over the Padres, with infielder Nick Maton heading to Triple-A in the corresponding move.  Gregorius hadn’t played since May 12, as his initial right elbow injury was slow to heal, and led to a setback in his minor league rehab assignment.  The veteran shortstop had hit only .229/.266/.364 in his first 128 plate appearances of the season, but Gregorius celebrated his return to the lineup with a solo home run and a walk in four PA tonight.
  • Franmil Reyes was activated off the Indians’ 10-day IL, and infielder Yu Chang was optioned to Triple-A.  Reyes suffered an internal oblique strain on May 23, and he’ll return about halfway between his projected recovery timeline of 5-to-7 weeks.  The struggling Cleveland lineup is in need of Reyes’ offensive production, and he picked up where he left off by collecting three hits in tonight’s 6-3 Tribe loss to the Astros.  Reyes is now hitting .268/.325/.577 with 11 home runs over 163 PA.
  • Sonny Gray tossed five innings of one-run ball (on five hits and one walk, with eight strikeouts) in the Reds’ 2-1 victory over the Cubs.  A right groin strain sidelined Gray on June 9, and his return will boost a Cincinnati team that is trying to stay close in the NL Central and NL wild card races.  With tonight’s outing in the books, Gray has a 3.27 ERA and an impressive 30.8% strikeout rate over 55 innings this season.  Right-hander Ashton Goudeau was optioned to Triple-A to create roster room for Gray’s activation off the 10-day IL.

Injury Notes: Harper, Higgins, Hoerner, Topa

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Phillies star right fielder Bryce Harper was hit in the left leg by a Jacob deGrom change-up during a bunt attempt today. He ran the bases, but Travis Jankowski replaced him in the field for the bottom half of the inning. The ball skipped off the ground before hitting Harper’s leg, so it’s likely to be a short layoff for Harper. That said, nothing is certain at this point, including Harper’s availability for Sunday, writes Jim Salisbury of NBC Sports Philadelphia.

While we await an update on Harper, let’s circle up and check-in elsewhere around the Senior Circuit…

  • Cubs backup catcher P.J. Higgins has been diagnosed with a partially torn UCL that will require Tommy John surgery, per Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune (via Twitter). Luckily for the Cubs, starter Willson Contreras was back in the lineup today after getting hit by a pitch on the hand yesterday, Montemurro adds. Higgins collected his first Major League hit this season but went just 1-for-23 at the plate in nine games. [UPDATE: Higgins is actually getting right forearm flexor tendon surgery, Montemurro was among those to report, not a Tommy John procedure.]
  • Nico Hoerner will begin a rehab assignment at Triple-A tomorrow, writes Tim Stebbins of NBC Sports Chicago. He strained his hamstring on May 25th after beginning to establish himself as a galvanizing presence on both sides of the ball. With slick glovework at the keystone, Hoerner is one of the Cubs’ better defenders, and he brought his hot bat from spring training into the regular season, batting .338/.405/.432 in 84 trips. Hoerner projects to return to the big-league club sometime in early July.
  • The Brewers don’t have an exact timeline for the return of reliever Justin Topa, but manager Craig Counsell sounds optimistic in saying, “He’s not crazy far from game action,” per Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (via Twitter). Topa injured his elbow during spring training and has yet to make his season debut. He made six quality appearances as a 29-year-old rookie for the Brewers in 2020, pitching to a 2.35 ERA in 7 2/3 innings.

Phillies Designate David Hale, Select Neftali Feliz

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JUNE 26: David Hale has cleared waivers and elected free agency, per the Phillies. Hale is now free to explore an opportunity with any organization.

JUNE 25: The Phillies announced Friday that they’ve designated right-hander David Hale for assignment in order to open a spot on the roster for fellow righty Neftali Feliz, whose contract has been selected from Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Philadelphia also placed righty Sam Coonrod on the 10-day injured list due to tendinitis in his right forearm, recalled infielder Nick Maton to fill that roster spot and tabbed righty Enyel De Los Santos as the 27th man for today’s doubleheader.

It’s the first big league action for the now-33-year-old Feliz since 2017. The 2010 American League Rookie of the Year’s career was derailed by arm troubles that began with Tommy John surgery in 2012. That surgery wiped out nearly all of his 2013 campaign, and although Feliz returned with a 1.99 ERA in 2014, his velocity was diminished and his strikeout rate plummeted. Feliz struggled through a dismal 2015 season split between the Rangers and Tigers before enjoying a nice rebound effort with the Pirates in 2016. That bounceback effort, however, was truncated by an arm issue that ended his season in early September.

Feliz latched on with the Brewers on a one-year deal for the 2017 campaign but was hit hard in 27 frames with Milwaukee before being cut loose. The Royals signed him for the remainder of the year and got slightly better results. Feliz signed with the D-backs on a minor league deal that winter, but he was unable to make the team in Spring Training and cut loose at the end of camp. He followed a similar path with the Mariners in 2019.

From 2018-20, Feliz’s only work on the mound came in the Dominican Winter League. His showing there in the 2020-21 season — 3.07 ERA, 22-to-6 K/BB ratio in 14 2/3 innings — was enough for the Phillies to take notice and bring him in on a minor league pact. And his work thus far in Triple-A has certainly been impressive enough to merit a return to the Majors for the first time in nearly four years. Through 14 1/3 frames with Lehigh Valley, Feliz has yielded just a pair of earned runs on eight hits and six walks. He’s punched out 23 of the 58 batters he’s faced so far in Triple-A (39.6 percent).

Turning to the 33-year-old Hale, he never quite found his footing this season. He game the Phils 11 solid frames down the stretch last year, but Hale has surrendered at least one earned run in 10 of his 17 appearances this year and pitched to a 6.41 ERA through 26 2/3 innings of work.

Hale was a viable long relief/spot start option from 2018-20 — mostly with the Yankees, who signed him to a staggering five minor league deals in that time — as he tallied 68 1/3 innings with a 3.56 ERA. Hale has never missed many bats, but he’s generally shown good command and kept the ball on the ground at an above-average clip.

Coonrod, 28, got out to a brilliant start this season but hit a rough patch beginning in mid-May. He’s been tagged for 11 runs over his past nine innings, so it’s perhaps not entirely surprising to see that there’s some degree of an arm issue. Even with that slump, he’s still sporting a respectable 4.18 ERA with a 24.8 percent strikeout rate and an 8.3 percent walk rate.

The 24-year-old Maton returns after a brief stretch in Triple-A. He began his rookie season on an absolute tear in the big leagues, slashing .313/.337/.458 through his first 86 trips to the plate. However, Maton fell into a woeful 0-for-21 slump and lost playing time over the next few weeks, ultimately leading the Phils to send him down for some additional work. He’d never played above the Double-A level prior to the 2021 season.

Phillies Remove Hector Neris From Closer Role

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The Phillies are shuffling up their bullpen, as manager Joe Girardi announced to reporters today that lefty Jose Alvarado will be first in line for save opportunities for now (Twitter link via Scott Lauber of the Philadelphia Inquirer). Hector Neris has been the team’s primary option in save opportunities this season, but he’s been tagged for six runs over his past five outings — a span of 4 1/3 frames. Neris blew a one-run lead in the ninth inning of Wednesday’s absolute rollercoaster of a game between the Phillies and Nationals.

Alvarado had his first opportunity in the seventh inning of today’s twin bill against the division-leading Mets, but Francisco Lindor lined an RBI single up the middle to tie the game at one apiece. The Mets would go on to win in the bottom of the eighth — Ranger Suarez yielded an RBI single to Dominic Smith.

It was a particularly disheartening loss for the Phillies, who got a historic performance from starter Aaron Nola. Their ace struck out ten consecutive Mets, tying a 51-year-old Tom Seaver record, notes the Athletic’s Matt Gelb (via Twitter). The blame doesn’t all fall on the bullpen, however, as the defense made a pair of errors, and Nola himself contributed two of their three overall hits in the game.

The closer shakeup isn’t the only change the Phils have brought about in the relief corps. Earlier today, the team announced that righty David Hale was being designated for assignment in order to make room on the roster for former AL Rookie of the Year Neftali Feliz, who’ll be returning to the Majors for the first time since 2017. The Phils also put Sam Coonrod on the injured list due to forearm tendinitis.

Philly relievers have been worth -0.2 fWAR this season while posting the third-worst save percentage in the Majors at 46.8 percent (15 for 32), notes Jim Salisbury of NBCSPhilly (via Twitter). That said, were it not for Philadelphia’s particular case of deja vu, the concern might not be quite on red alert. The Phillies bullpen, however, has sung this song before, posting -0.8 fWAR and a 7.06 ERA in 2020. Their 12 blown saves were the third-highest number in the Majors.

It’s not all doom-and-gloom, however: with a 50 percent groundball rate, Girardi’s bullpen is burning worms at a better rate than any other team in the Majors, and their 69.9 percent left on-base percentage ranks in the middle of the pack. And yet, despite their league-leading groundball percentage, when the ball does get elevated, it’s leaving the yard at a league-worst 17.2 percent home-run-to-fly-ball rate.

It should be noted that, like most bullpens, the Phillies have dealt with their fair share of injuries.  Seranthony Dominguez has been out for the year as he recovers from Tommy John surgery. JoJo Romero looked like a potential breakout contributor before he, too, succumbed to Tommy John.

Furthermore, free agent acquisition and veteran high-leverage bullpen arm Archie Bradley missed 37 games, and he has yet to find his game: 4.20 ERA/5.69 FIP with an uncharacteristically-low 17.4 percent strikeout rate and uncharacteristically-high 15.9 percent walk rate. Brandon Kintzler, another would-be closing option and could-be stabilizing veteran presence, has been on the injured list for 17 days (and counting) with a neck strain.

Zooming out, the Phillies have lost four in a row, dropped seven of their past 10 and fallen behind the Nationals in the division (six games behind the Mets). Though the Phillies have entered every year of the Bryce Harper era with hopes of contention – and played like contenders for parts of those 2+ seasons – they are in danger of failing to post a winning record for the tenth consecutive season. The organization hasn’t finished above .500 since its highly-successfully five-year run as division champs from 2007 to 2011.

As for this season, Girardi’s bullpen is likely to remain fluid. Case and point, Neris found himself back in a closing situation in the second game of today’s doubleheader after Bradley served up a game-tying run in the bottom of the seventh. Neris successfully picked up the save.

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