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Injury Notes: Strasburg, Adrianza, Cobb, Mills

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The Nationals will welcome back Stephen Strasburg for his season debut on Thursday, manager Dave Martinez told reporters (including Jessica Camerato of MLB.com). The three-time All-Star is back after making a trio of minor league rehab starts, and Thursday’s outing will be his first MLB appearance in a bit more than a calendar year. Strasburg last took a big league mound at Atlanta’s Truist Park on June 1, 2021, an appearance he left with neck irritation. A little less than two months later, he underwent thoracic outlet syndrome surgery, and he missed the first couple months of this season continuing his rehab from that procedure.

The 2019 World Series MVP has made just seven MLB starts since signing a seven-year, $245MM contract the offseason after the Nationals’ World Series title. Strasburg is making $35MM annually through 2026, an investment that looks regrettable in light of his recent health woes. The Nats are desperate for rotation help, though, and they’d welcome anything close to Strasburg’s pre-2020 form. Each of Patrick Corbin, Joan Adon, Josiah Gray and Erick Fedde has an ERA of 4.71 or higher thus far.

Strasburg makes his season debut a couple days after infielder Ehire Adrianza, who was reinstated from the 60-day injured list before today’s game. The Nats already had a vacancy on the 40-man roster, and Lucius Fox was optioned out in a corresponding move. Adrianza signed a $1.5MM deal over the winter but suffered a Spring Training quad strain that cost him the first couple months of the season. The switch-hitting utiltiyman had a .247/.327/.401 showing as a part-time player for the Braves last year.

The latest on some other injury situations around the game:

  • The Giants placed starter Alex Cobb on the 15-day injured list, retroactive to June 4, with a neck strain. San Francisco recalled Sam Long to take the veteran righty’s spot on the active roster. It doesn’t seem the organization’s particularly concerned about Cobb’s status, as manager Gabe Kapler told reporters the team is hopeful he can return when first eligible for next weekend’s series in Pittsburgh (via Andrew Baggarly of the Athletic). Signed to a two-year, $20MM guarantee over the offseason, Cobb has had a strange first season in the Bay Area. He owns career-best marks in both strikeout percentage (28.7%) and ground-ball rate (65.4%), but he’s nevertheless posted a 5.73 ERA through his first eight starts.
  • Alec Mills made his season debut this evening, as the Cubs reinstated him from the 60-day injured list before tonight’s matchup against the Orioles. Chicago had a temporary extra 40-man roster spot after placing reliever Chris Martin on the restricted list over the weekend. Martin has been on bereavement leave for more than the allotted seven days, and he won’t count against the 40-man roster for any additional time he needs to spend away from the team. Mills tossed 119 innings for the Cubs last season, working to a 5.07 ERA while starting 20 of his 32 appearances. The 30-year-old doesn’t throw hard or miss many bats, but he fills up the strike zone and induced grounders on a bit more than half of batted balls last year. He missed the first two months of the season with a lower back strain.

Cubs Place Brad Wieck On 60-Day Injured List

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The Cubs announced that left-hander Brad Wieck has been placed on the 60-day injured list due to a left elbow strain.  The placement creates a 40-man roster spot for Chris Martin, whose one-year deal with the Cubs is now official.

While Martin’s signing is one of several pitching additions made by the Cubs within the last week, the loss of Wieck for 60 days is a significant blow to the relief corps.  According to multiple reporters (including The Chicago Tribune’s Meghan Montemurro), Wieck’s elbow problem surfaced while he was throwing a bullpen session earlier this week.

After missing time due to testicular cancer and two separate heart issues over the last three seasons, Wieck has already dealt with more than his share of health concerns during his brief big league career.  Wieck has tossed 59 2/3 innings in The Show since his debut with the Padres in 2018, and he came to Chicago in the July 2019 deadline day trade that sent Carl Edwards Jr. to San Diego.

Wieck has racked up plenty of strikeouts (35.9% K-rate) during his career, even if his 9.7% walk rate and 15.4% homer rate are both on the high side.  Though Wieck walked 10 batters during his 17 innings of work last year, he avoided damage en route to a perfect 0.00 ERA for the 2021 season.

It provided a nice platform heading into the coming campaign, but Wieck will now be sidelined until at least the back half of May.  Wieck was penciled in as Chicago’s top left-handed relief option, and the recently-signed Daniel Norris may now take the lead as the first-choice southpaw until Wieck is healthy.

Cubs To Sign Chris Martin

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The Cubs are in agreement with right-hander Chris Martin on a one-year deal, per Jon Morosi of MLB Network. The deal comes with a $2.5MM guarantee, along with $500K in performance bonuses and a $250K roster bonus. (Twitter links)

Martin, 36 in June, certainly didn’t have a textbook path to the big leagues. For the incredible full story, check out this 2019 piece from Tim Tucker of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. In short, Martin thought his baseball career was ended by a 2006 shoulder surgery. Years later, while working at Lowe’s and UPS, a game of catch with a friend made him realize that his shoulder no longer caused him pain, putting Martin back on his baseball trajectory.

After getting back on the mound in indy ball, he signed a minor league deal with the Red Sox in 2013. After being traded to the Rockies, Martin made his MLB debut in 2014, just a few weeks before his 28th birthday. He didn’t especially impress with the Rockies that year or with the Yankees in 2015, but went over to Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball league and excelled over the 2016 and 2017 seasons.

He came back to North America in 2018, signing a two-year deal with the Rangers. After a decent first year in Texas, 2019 was a tremendous breakout for him, as he threw 55 2/3 innings with an ERA of 3.40, strikeout rate of 30.1% and walk rate of just 2.3%.

The Braves, who had acquired Martin from the Rangers midway through that season, signed Martin to a two-year, $14MM contract prior to the 2020 season. He largely maintained his strikeout and walk rates that year, at 30.3% and 4.5%, but had his ERA plummet to an even 1.00 in the small sample of 18 innings.

Things didn’t go so smooth for Martin in 2021, however, as some injuries seemed to limit his effectiveness. In 43 1/3 innings, he still kept his walk rate incredibly low at 3.3%, but his strikeout rate plummeted all the way down to 18.2%. Despite that, he still managed to keep his ERA at a reasonable 3.95 level for the year.

He didn’t crack the club’s roster for the NLDS but was added for the NLCS and ended up throwing 4 1/3 innings in the postseason, continuing to find success without racking up strikeouts. His ERA was 2.08 in that small sample, with a strikeout rate of 17.6%, and not a single walk, helping the club win the World Series.

For the Cubs, their big fire sale at last year’s deadline involved Craig Kimbrel, Ryan Tepera and Andrew Chafin heading out of town. The bullpen took another hit recently when Codi Heuer underwent Tommy John surgery. That left Rowan Wick and Brad Wieck as the only projected members of the bullpen with more than one year of MLB service time. With the recent additions of Jesse Chavez and now Martin, they’ve bolstered their young relief corps with some veteran presence.

Braves Add Chris Martin, Johan Camargo To NLCS Roster

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The Braves enter tonight’s NLCS a little more well-rested than their counterparts from LA. Having finished the Brewers off in four games, the Braves are able to set their rotation as desired with ace Max Fried taking the ball in game one. After that, Charlie Morton and Ian Anderson will be ready for games two and three, though not in that order, as the Braves are giving Morton an additional day of rest to start game three. That also allows Anderson the more favorable home crowd in game two.

On the offensive end, Jorge Soler remains on the COVID-19 list. He could return sometime during this series if he’s cleared, but they’d have to remove Cristian Pache, who took his roster spot in the NLDS, notes The Athletic’s David O’Brien (via Twitter). The rest of their NLCS roster lays out thusly…

Right-Handed Pitchers

Left-Handed Pitchers

Catchers

Infielders

Outfielders

Essentially, the Braves have chosen to swap out Dylan Lee and Terrance Gore in favor of Chris Martin and Johan Camargo. Pache also remains on the roster for the time being, with Soler expected to miss the entire series. The Braves are rolling with just a 12-man pitching staff while keeping six bats on the bench.

In Soler’s spot, Pache will likely be used as a defensive replacement. He could also be used as a pinch-runner now that Gore has been left off. Gore made his first appearance of the season for the Braves in the NLDS, though keeping the speedster on the roster is a bit of a luxury.

In his place, Camargo provides greater flexibility with the glove. Camargo saw his role diminish more than ever this season, stepping to the plate just 18 times without recording a hit during the regular season. The baseball gods surely have primed Camargo for a significant plate appearance at some point during the NLCS.

Lee was a surprising addition to the NLDS roster, and he did not appear against the Brewers. Martin brings much more experience in what’s sure to be a high-pressure series against the Dodgers. Without Lee, the Braves still have the M&Ms Matzek and Minter as southpaws ahead of their lefty closer Smith, as well as Smyly, though the latter is the most likely option to start game four in Los Angeles. Should Smyly come in handy out of the pen early in the series, Ynoa is certainly capable of starting game four in his place.

Richard Rodriguez, Chris Martin Not On Braves’ NLDS Roster

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The Braves announced their 26-man roster for a National League Division Series faceoff with the Brewers, notably omitting right-handers Richard Rodriguez and Chris Martin from the group. They’ll carry some extra speed in the form of Terrance Gore, and rookie left-hander Dylan Lee is a somewhat surprising choice for an southpaw in the bullpen. Here’s how the roster breaks down…

Right-Handed Pitchers

Left-Handed Pitchers

Catchers

Infielders

Outfielders

Rodriguez was one of the Braves’ most notable acquisitions prior to the trade deadline, and he posted a strong 3.12 ERA in 26 innings with Atlanta. However, he’s also surrendered five home runs in his past 10 appearances and, more concerning, has seen his strikeout rate absolutely crater with the Braves. Rodriguez had a 22.8 percent strikeout rate and 10.7 percent swinging-strike rate in Pittsburgh, but he’s fanned just 8.5 percent of his opponents and posted a diminished 8.2 percent swinging-strike rate since the trade. He’s still managed a solid ERA due to a .200 average on balls in play and a 97.1 percent strand rate, but neither of those is sustainable in the long run and the Braves apparently didn’t want to chance it in a short postseason series.

Martin, 35, is in the second season of a two-year, $14MM contract, making his omission something of a surprise as well. He’s pitched to a 3.95 ERA in 43 1/3 innings, but the right-hander has also seen his strikeout rate fall from 30.1 percent in 2019-20 to 18.2 percent this season. Martin has done well to keep runs off the board despite becoming more hittable, but he’s yielded a .312/.347/.447 batting line since June 1.

The 27-year-old Lee only made his Major League debut a week ago, but he’ll now be penciled in as a part of manager Brian Snitker’s relief corps for at least this round of play. Lee allowed a pair of runs in two innings at the end of the regular season, but he dominated in 46 2/3 innings at the Triple-A level in 2021: 1.54 ERA, 30.9 percent strikeout rate, 3.4 percent walk rate. The Braves signed Lee to a minor league contract after he was released by the Marlins late in Spring Training, and his rapid ascension to the Majors with a division-rival undoubtedly stings for Miami. Fellow rookie Spencer Strider was surely considered for a spot as well, but the Braves ultimately opted for an additional lefty.

Gore finds himself in a familiar role as a postseason pinch-running/defensive specialist. He won’t find himself in the starting lineup for any of the upcoming games, but he’ll give Snitker and the Braves one of the game’s fastest baserunners if they need some speed later in a game. Some fans may have preferred to see longtime top prospect Cristian Pache in this role, but Gore was more prolific and more efficient in terms of stolen bases this season.

Both Arcia and Johan Camargo had big seasons in Triple-A this year, but it’ll be Arcia who gets the nod for the Division Series as a versatile infield option off the bench. That seemed like the more probable outcome after Arcia received a September call-up, while Camargo remained in Gwinnett. Arcia, acquired from the Brewers early in the season, only received three starts in September but will provide some insurance at shortstop, second base and third base. The Braves also gave him a look in left field down the stretch.

Injured List Placements: Flores, Anderson, Martin

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The latest on some notable players heading to the 10-day injured list…

  • The Giants have placed Wilmer Flores on the 10-day injured list due to a left hamstring strain, as Mauricio Dubon was called up from Triple-A in the corresponding move.  Flores had a 10-day minimum absence due to a strain in his other hamstring in May, and Giants manager Gabe Kapler told reporters (including Susan Slusser of The San Francisco Chronicle) that the infielder “has been wrestling with hamstring issues for most of the season,” and he will now miss “a couple of weeks” with his latest injury.  Flores has hit .249/.319/.438 with 17 home runs over 389 plate appearances this season, and the known lefty-masher has had uncharacteristically even splits against both left-handed and right-handed pitching.  San Francisco’s infield depth will be tested yet again, as Flores joins Donovan Solano and Evan Longoria on the IL, and Tommy La Stella is day-to-day with tightness in his side.
  • The Brewers placed Brett Anderson on the 10-day IL due to a left shoulder contusion.  Anderson departed last night’s start after two innings after being hit in the shoulder by a Brandon Crawford line drive, though it appears as though the left-hander didn’t suffer any structural damage.  This is Anderson’s third IL visit of the season, after two relatively brief absences due to a right knee contusion and a right hamstring strain.  Through 88 1/3 innings this season, Anderson has a 4.18 ERA on the strength of a 59.5% grounder rate and an above-average 6.9% walk rate, despite a lot of blue ink on his Statcast numbers.  Milwaukee at least has a ready-made replacement for Anderson, as Freddy Peralta is expected to be activated from the injured list to start tomorrow’s game against the Cardinals
  • The Braves placed right-hander Chris Martin on the 10-day IL due to inflammation in his throwing elbow.  Southpaw Sean Newcomb was recalled from Triple-A to take Martin’s spot on the active roster.  In a season already shortened by a month-long injured list trip due to right shoulder inflammation, Martin has a 4.17 ERA over 36 2/3 innings out of Atlanta’s bullpen.  That ERA has been inflated by four runs allowed over his last four appearances, which could be due to this elbow issue.  For the season as a whole, however, Martin’s strikeout and hard-hit ball rates are each considerably down from his 2020 statistics.

East Notes: Braves, Smyly, Sale, Orioles, Kjerstad

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The Braves are planning to activate Drew Smyly from the injured list to start Saturday’s game against the Diamondbacks, David O’Brien of the Athletic was among those to relay (Twitter link). The left-hander was placed on the IL last week with forearm inflammation, but he’ll return after missing just one start. Smyly has allowed nine runs (seven earned) over his first eleven innings for Atlanta, but he’s struck out eleven with just a single walk to this point.

Elsewhere in Atlanta and the game’s East divisions:

  • In other Braves’ pitching news (also via O’Brien), reliever Chris Martin has started throwing as he begins his ramp-up. The right-hander hit the injured list in early April with shoulder inflammation but O’Brien says he could return by the end of Atlanta’s upcoming homestand, which runs through the 29th. Max Fried, who went on the shelf last week after straining his hamstring, seems to be further behind. He has not yet begun throwing and there’s no timetable for his return, per O’Brien. Like Martin, Mike Soroka is dealing with shoulder inflammation; the 23-year-old is expected to begin a throwing program sometime soon, but manager Brian Snitker suggested he’s still far away from any potential return to game action (via Gabe Burns of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution).
  • Red Sox ace Chris Sale is progressing in his recovery from March 2020 Tommy John surgery, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com relays. Sale isn’t throwing off a mound yet, but manager Alex Cora said he’s “getting closer.” The left-hander will report to the team’s complex in Florida on Sunday to continue his rehab. Sale “feels great,” according to Cora, though the Red Sox still aren’t ready to offer a timetable on a potential 2021 return. Even without Sale, the Red Sox have surprisingly begun the season with an American League-best 12-6 record. Nathan Eovaldi and Eduardo Rodríguez have been the top performers in Boston’s rotation this year in Sale’s absence.
  • Orioles outfield prospect Heston Kjerstad has been medically cleared to report to the team’s alternate training site, per Jim Callis of MLB.com. Kjerstad, the No. 2 pick in last year’s draft, has been away from the club while recovering from myocarditis. The 22-year-old will need “a months-long buildup” before he’s ready for game action, Callis tweets.

NL Injury Notes: Braves, Myers, Betances, Cain

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The Braves don’t have a timetable yet for injured right-handers Mike Soroka and Chris Martin to return, per David O’Brien of The Athletic. Soroka missed almost all of last season with a torn right Achilles, and as he was working his way back, the Braves had to shut him down because of shoulder inflammation. Martin went on the IL with the same issue on April 10 (retroactive to April 7). Between their injuries and Max Fried’s placement on the IL because of a hamstring strain, the Braves are without three of their most important pitchers.

  • Padres right fielder Wil Myers left their game Tuesday with right knee inflammation and was not in their starting lineup Wednesday. Myers has been dealing with patellar tenonitis, but it’s not believed he’ll miss much time or require surgery, according to Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune. Even though Myers has had to play through discomfort, it hasn’t had an obvious effect on his production. On the heels of a massive rebound in 2020, he has begun this year with a torrid .341/.438/.659 line and three home runs in 48 plate appearances.
  • Mets reliever Dellin Betances, on the 10-day IL since April 8 with a right shoulder impingement, is still a ways from returning. Betances hasn’t begun throwing, and he won’t travel with the Mets for their April 16-22 road trip, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports. Injuries have been a constant problem over the past few years for Betances, a four-time All-Star who has thrown only 13 1/3 innings dating back to his final season with the Yankees in 2019. The Mets had high hopes for a Betances bounce-back effort when they signed him to a $10.5MM guarantee during the ensuing winter, but he yielded 10 earned runs in 11 2/3 innings in 2020. So far this year, Betances has made one appearance and thrown one inning, in which he allowed an earned run and a walk.
  • The Brewers have placed center fielder Lorenzo Cain on the 10-day IL with a strained left quad and recalled outfielder Tyrone Taylor, the team announced. There’s no word on how much time Cain will miss, but he strained his other quad during the spring and was limited to seven exhibition games as a result. The 35-year-old has gotten off to a slow start this season with a .154/.214/.423 line in 28 plate appearances.

Quick Hits: Twins, Braves, Dodgers

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Josh Donaldson ran the bases well enough progress to the next portion of his rehab, suggesting a return to the Twins as early as Monday or Tuesday, per Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com (via Twitter). When Donaldson does return, he’ll put his perfect season on the line. He doubled in his only plate appearance of the season before straining his hamstring. Luis Arraez, however, has maintained the potency of the hot corner while Donaldson’s been away. Arraez has slashed .381/.462/.571 while starting six of the seven games since the injury. Willians Astudillo started on Arraez’s day off, going 0-2 while driving in a run with a sac fly. Elsewhere…

  • Braves setup man Chris Martin will be eligible to come off the injured list on April 17th, but manager Brian Snitker doesn’t think it will be that simple, per Mark Bowman of MLB.com (via Twitter). Martin’s shoulder only recently became an area of concern. Still, Martin is looking at a longer-than-minimal stay on the injured list. In the meantime, Sean Newcomb and Jacob Webb will have the opportunity to raise their stock in the Atlanta pen, per the Athletic’s David O’Brien (via Twitter). Webb from the right side and Newcomb from the left will try to soak up some of Martin’s setup duties.
  • Brusdar Graterol is readying to make his season debut. Per Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times (via Twitter), Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said, “Everything looked good, so we’re trying to figure out the next step. We’re hoping to get him back soon. Just hesitant to put a day on it.” Graterol got a late start in preparing for the season, leaving Blake Treinen, Corey Knebel, and Kenley Jansen as the late-game righties available to Roberts. The Dodgers have high hopes that the 22-year-old Graterol can be weaponized either as a traditional setup man or as a multi-inning option out of the pen.

Braves Place Chris Martin On 10-Day Injured List

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The Braves announced that right-hander Chris Martin has been placed on the 10-day injured list (retroactive to April 7) due to inflammation in his throwing shoulder.  Righty Jacob Webb was called up from the alternate site to take Martin’s 26-man roster spot.

Martin hasn’t pitched since April 4, when he was removed from a game after feeling some numbness in his right fingers.  The issue wasn’t deemed serious enough for an MRI and Braves manager Brian Snitker said just yesterday that he hoped Martin would be available as early as today’s game against the Phillies, so the shoulder inflammation could be a relatively new issue.  With the backdated placement in mind, Atlanta could simply be taking the cautious route and giving Martin another week to get fully ready before getting him back on the mound.

Acquired in a deadline trade in July 2019, Martin has a 2.65 ERA, 29.65% strikeout rate, and a superb 3.5% walk rate over 37 1/3 innings in an Atlanta uniform.  The 34-year-old is filling a key role in the bullpen as a set-up man, and it’s possible Martin might receive the occasional save chance himself depending on how fluid the Braves want to be with their relief alignment.

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