AL Notes: Mariners, Lewis, Castillo, Misiewicz, White Sox, Giolito
The Mariners were hopeful that reigning Rookie of the Year Kyle Lewis would begin a rehab assignment on Friday, but those plans were dashed by soreness in his surgically-repaired right knee, per The Athletic’s Corey Brock. Lewis went under the knife in June after just 147 plate appearances. His offense was down a little to a .246/.333/.392 triple slash line, but even ignoring the small sample caveat, that’s still good for a 107 wRC+.
Lewis’ delay is unfortunate, especially given the struggles of Jarred Kelenic in center. Jake Fraley and Taylor Trammell have helped out in center as well, but Fraley is on the injured list and Trammell is in Triple-A. Somewhat improbably in the playoff hunt, the Mariners could certainly use better than the 50 wRC+ that Kelenic is providing, but given this latest setback for Lewis, any improvement will likely have to come from Kelenic himself. In other news…
- The Mariners expect bullpen reinforcements soon. Diego Castillo and Anthony Misiewicz are on their way back from the injured list, per Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times (via Twitter). Misiewicz has been one of their more reliable relievers on the season, and Castillo was intended to take over the closer role when he was acquired at the deadline. Paul Sewald has claimed that job for now, so it will be worth watching where manager Scott Servais chooses to work Castillo back into the mix. [UPDATE: the Mariners have officially reinstated Castillo and Misiewicz from the IL.]
- Lucas Giolito’s hamstring strain may ultimately be a good thing for the White Sox righty. A short stint on the injured list will allow him to reset and adjust some of his mechanics, per Bruce Levine of 670 The Score. On finishing his delivery, Giolito said, “When my finish gets violent, I am recoiling on the pitch and my leg stiffens out. It’s almost like I am falling backwards. I don’t want to be there. It’s a bad habit. When I am strong on my front leg, even with a little bend, it allows me to get through the pitch, which leads to more extension going forward. I feel I am more consistent when I am more athletic and stronger through my finish.”
Mariners Place Jake Fraley, Anthony Misiewicz On 10-Day Injured List
The Mariners made a handful of roster moves today. They placed Jake Fraley on the 10-day injured list with right shoulder inflammation. Anthony Misiewicz was also placed on the injured list because of a left forearm strain.
Fraley has made headway this season in making himself a big league outfielder, slashing .213/.359/.388 in 220 plate appearances, making his season thus far worth 1.5 rWAR. Misiewicz, meanwhile, has made 54 appearances covering 46 1/3 innings. He has a 4.08 ERA/3.32 FIP, 24.1 percent strikeout rate, 5.6 percent walk rate, and 44.9 percent groundball rate.
To fill their roster spots, Wyatt Mills was recalled from Triple-A, and Jimmy Yacabonis had his contract selected. To make room on the 40-man roster, Shed Long was transferred to the 60-day injured list. Long went on the injured list on July 30, so he’s very likely done for the year. Keynan Middleton was also outrighted to Triple-A Tacoma.
Yacabonis will make his first appearance in the bigs since last year when he made two appearances with the Mariners. For his career, he owns a 5.71 ERA/6.05 FIP across 104 innings, mostly with the Orioles from 2017 to 2019. The 29-year-old right-hander has been sharp in Triple-A this season, tossing 31 1/3 innings with a 1.74 ERA. He will provide the Mariners with some length out of the bullpen should they need it.
Latest On Mariners COVID Situation
MAY 22: Dugger and Misiewicz were each reinstated from the IL before this evening’s game against the Padres, per a team announcement. Fletcher and Mills were optioned back to Tacoma.
MAY 21, 6:17pm: The Mariners announced a series of roster moves related to the positive test. Right-handers Robert Dugger, Drew Steckenrider and Will Vest were all placed on the IL, as was lefty Anthony Misiewicz. The Mariners did not indicate that a player tested positive but rather that the moves were made “out of an abundance of caution” due to a “potential” positive. Further testing and contact tracing is being conducted.
In a slate of corresponding moves, the Mariners reinstated right-hander Keynan Middleton from the injured list, selected the contract of journeyman infielder Eric Campbell and recalled three relievers from Triple-A Tacoma: lefty Aaron Fletcher and righties Wyatt Mills and Yohan Ramirez.
MAY 21, 2:08pm: The Mariners are dealing with a COVID-19 situation, as reported by both The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal and ESPN.com’s Jeff Passan. At least one player has tested positive for the virus, Passan reports, “and there is concern within the organization that the relatively low level of vaccination within the clubhouse could be problematic.” Not only are the Mariners under the league-mandated 85% vaccination threshold for the lessening of COVID protocols, but the M’s “are among the least-vaccinated teams in” the entire league.
The Mariners are in San Diego tonight to begin a three-game series with the Padres. Any of those games or perhaps even the three-game set with the Athletics from May 24-26 could perhaps face postponement in the event of a widespread outbreak amongst the team, though there isn’t yet any word that the M’s have anything beyond just the one positive test.
Mariners Select Jose Marmolejos, Joe Hudson, Anthony Misiewicz
The Mariners will have a few more new faces on their roster in 2020 in outfielder Jose Marmolejos, catcher Joe Hudson and left-hander Anthony Misiewicz when their season begins Friday. The team added all three to their 40-man roster on Thursday.
Marmolejos, whom the Mariners signed to a minor league contract during the offseason, had been with the Nationals since 2011. The 27-year-old regularly posted above-average production with Washington’s minor league affiliates, including during 2019 when he hit .315/.366/.545 with 16 home runs in 382 plate appearances in Triple-A. Marmolejos hasn’t played in the majors yet, but he might get a legitimate chance to prove himself with the Mariners, who are missing their best outfielder – the injured Mitch Haniger. Marmolejos, Kyle Lewis and Mallex Smith may comprise their season-opening outfield.
The Mariners will also see what they have in Hudson, a 29-year-old whom they signed to a minors deal last winter. Hudson totaled just 13 PA with the Angels and Cardinals in the majors from 2018-19, though he has posted a useful .734 OPS in 383 PA at the Triple-A level. Hudson will back up Austin Nola in Seattle, which will open 2020 without starting catcher Tom Murphy because of a fractured metatarsal in his left foot.
Misiewicz, 25, is in his second Mariners stint. The M’s chose Mislewicz in Round 18 of the 2015 draft, traded him to Tampa Bay in 2017 and then re-acquired him from the Rays later that year. He divided last season between Double-A and Triple-A and notched a 4.59 ERA with 8.6 K/9 and 2.4 BB/9 over 131 1/3 innings.