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Esteury Ruiz Will Make Athletics’ Opening Day Roster

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Fleet-footed outfielder Esteury Ruiz has been informed that he’ll be on the Athletics’ Opening Day roster, manager Mark Kotsay announced to the team’s beat on Friday (Twitter link via Matt Kawahara of the San Francisco Chronicle). It hasn’t yet been decided whether that’ll be as the team’s primary center fielder, however. Kotsay indicated the team still has decisions to make in the outfield.

Ruiz, 24, has had a whirlwind nine months, going from the Padres to the Brewers as part of the Josh Hader trade only to be flipped to the A’s just months later in the three-team Sean Murphy swap. Atlanta sent catcher William Contreras and righty Justin Yeager to Milwaukee in that deal, and the Brewers also picked up righty Joel Payamps from Oakland as part of the arrangement.

After all that shuffling, Ruiz looks as though he’ll finally have a clear path to a potential everyday role. He’s done practically everything he could to win this spot on the roster, recording an impressive .325/.404/.475 batting line with a homer, three doubles, six steals (in seven tries) and five walks against four strikeouts in 48 trips to the plate.

Ruiz is among the fastest players in the sport, evidenced by a ridiculous 86 stolen bases in 102 tries between Double-A, Triple-A and a brief big league debut last year. He also turned in a sensational .332/.447/.526 batting line between Double-A and Triple-A. The raw numbers are clearly off the charts, but scouts are also wary of Ruiz’s frequent weak contact and ability to handle top-tier pitching at the MLB level.

It bears mentioning that he upped his walk rate in the minors by a considerable margin last year and did so while simultaneously paring back his strikeout rate. If he can come anywhere close to replicating last year’s 12.2% minor league walk rate and 17.4% minor league strikeout rate at the big league level, Ruiz’s speed could be a carrying tool that allows him to carve out a role as a big league regular. Speed alone won’t make him a surefire big leaguer, of course, but it’s hard not to be intrigued by his baserunning prowess, gaudy minor league numbers and strong spring showing.

Ruiz’s exact role in the outfield remains uncertain, perhaps in part because the out-of-options Cristian Pache has largely kept pace with him this spring, Pache, acquired from the Braves in the Matt Olson trade, is a former top prospect who has looked completely overmatched by Major League pitching but is one of the game’s top defensive talents. He hit just .166/.218/.241 with the A’s a year ago but has turned in a .317/.349/.439 batting line this spring. After striking out in 27% of his plate appearances last year, he’s fanned in just 14% of his plate appearances this spring.

[Related: The Athletics’ Outfield Dilemma]

It’s a small sample, as is all spring data, but it’s a welcome sign of encouragement with regard to Pache’s future. There’s room in the outfield for both Pache and Ruiz alongside Ramon Laureano, but waiver claim Conner Capel is also enjoying a strong spring: .278/.447/.500 in 47 plate appearances. Capel has minor league options remaining but is making a case for an outfield spot himself.

Given the lack of established talent on Oakland’s roster, it’s feasible that the A’s could rotate all of Laureano, Ruiz, Pache, Capel through the lineup, perhaps also giving occasional outfield reps to Seth Brown. JJ Bleday, acquired from the Marlins for A.J. Puk but optioned to Triple-A earlier this spring, figures to eventually get a look in the Majors this season as well. However it all shakes out, it seems quite likely that the A’s will want Ruiz in the lineup more often than not. The fact that they made him one of the centerpieces of their return for Murphy is indicative of how they view his long-term potential, and carrying him on the roster in anything less than a regular role would be surprising.

Big Hype Prospects: Brennan, Cavalli, Malloy, O’Hoppe, Capel

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This week on Big Hype Prospects, I play it fast and loose with “big hype” in order to focus on some Spring Training battles.

Five BHPs In The News

Will Brennan, 25, OF, CLE (MLB)
(AAA) 433 PA, 9 HR, 15 SB, .316/.367/.471

A favorite of mine and my main contact with Baseball America, Brennan is in a roster battle with Oscar Gonzalez and Myles Straw this spring. Between average discipline and a strong feel for contact, he’s the Guardians latest candidate to walk more than he strikes out. The left-handed hitter looks like a future doubles machine even if his home run output is a tad underwhelming. His defense is solid in the corners and passable in center. With Straw on the roster and a fly ball-oriented pitching staff, he’s not ideal for center field. The lack of home run potential is an odd look in an outfield corner, yet his feel for hard contact implies a three- or four-win player in a similar mold to teammate Steven Kwan. After Gonzalez shatter expectations last season, it will be interesting to see how the Guardians distribute playing time.

Cade Cavalli, 24, SP, WSH (MLB)
(AAA) 97 IP, 9.65 K/9, 3.62 BB/9, 3.71 ERA

Cavalli made his debut last fall and struggled in his only appearance. He flashed his impressive repertoire of four above average offerings, but his below average command was also on display. This is a profile that tends to experience success in the Majors after a sometimes lengthy adjustment period. The Nationals will be looking to build him up after throwing only 101.1 total innings last season. He’s expected to break camp with the club. Don’t be surprised if they take opportunities to give him extra rest or restrict his innings per start. The plan should look similar to the usage of Josiah Gray last season. He threw 148.2 innings across 28 starts. As a stuff-over-command starter, he has some of the same markers as Dylan Cease.

Justyn-Henry Malloy, 23, 3B, DET (AAA)
(A+/AA/AAA) 591 PA, 17 HR, 5 SB, .289/.408/.454

After lighting up three levels in 2022, the Braves included Malloy in the Joe Jimenez trade. Atlanta’s recent track record with prospect trades is rather incredible. For the most part, they’ve kept the winners and dealt away the laggards. Malloy’s inclusion in a trade for a reliever with a checkered past could be viewed as a negative mark. I polled two scouting contacts and received different takes. One doesn’t believe Malloy impacts the ball enough to be a high-probability regular. The other is more optimistic about the plate discipline carrying the profile. Malloy walked in 16.4 percent of plate appearances last season while keeping his swinging strike rate below 10 percent. He has an extreme pulled contact approach with a roughly balanced 20/40/40 blend of liners/grounders/flies. Malloy resembles a Max Muncy starter kit – just keep in mind Muncy finally broke out in his age 27 season. There’s no guarantee Malloy finds the barreled and hard contact rates that drive Muncy’s success. On the other hand, he has a decent shot to play his way onto the roster later this season.

Logan O’Hoppe, 23, C, LAA (MLB)
(AA) 447 PA, 26 HR, 7 SB, .283/.416/.544

Acquired in the Brandon Marsh trade, O’Hoppe is competing with Max Stassi and out-of-options Matt Thaiss for the Angels catching job. Aside from a brief 16 plate appearance debut, O’Hoppe spent all of last season in Double-A. This spring, he has neither thrived nor embarrassed himself to this point. His 2022 breakout seemed predicated on a surge of plate discipline. That he further improved upon joining the Angels affiliate, including a .306/.473/.673 line in 131 plate appearances, is a positive sign. Assuming the club avoids injury, it could be tempting to give O’Hoppe further seasoning in Triple-A. There seemingly isn’t room for all three of Stassi, Thaiss, and O’Hoppe on the roster. While he’s their catcher of the future, clinging to Thaiss in the short-term makes some sense.

Conner Capel, 25, OF, OAK (MLB)
(AAA) 409 PA, 20 HR, 21 SB, .264/.364/.422

A favorite of mine to earn an extended look at some point this season, Capel has already outlasted JJ Bleday this spring. Capel is performing well following a successful 2022 split between St. Louis and Oakland. There’s every chance Capel is the best outfielder in camp at this moment. He’s been inconsistent throughout his minor league assent, at times showing discipline or over-aggression, a feel for contact or a hefty whiff rate, and a power- or speed-based profile. Given his long and winding journey, it’s hard to pin down exactly who he’ll become in the future. That he’s experimented with so many modes of play suggests he’s highly adaptable, a trait which does well to predict Major League success. While other franchises would view Capel as a capable backup, the Athletics should have starting opportunities available throughout the season.

Three More

Ji-Hwan Bae, PIT (23): In the mix for the Pirates starting second base job, Bae is off to a slow start this spring. So too is his competition. When Bae is on, he shows an above average eye with feel for contact. While he doesn’t produce much power, he should reach base enough to disrupt pitchers with his speed.

Jo Adell, LAA (23): Adell is expected to begin the season in Triple-A in deference to the Angels outfield veterans. That will trigger his final minor league option. It’s his last chance for regular playing time before playing waiver roulette. Adell can still put a charge in the ball, but it does seem like he would benefit from joining a non-contender willing to set him loose without restriction. His spring stats to date don’t suggest he’ll upset Taylor Ward or Hunter Renfroe for playing time.

Yainer Diaz, HOU (24): An aggressive free-swinger with thump, Diaz draws half-hearted comps to Salvador Perez. In the minors, he’s shown a capacity for making high-quality contact despite an expansive approach. He appears to be susceptible to breaking balls. Diaz is making a bid to join the Astros as their backup catcher – one who could offer more thump than defense-first Martin Maldonado.

The Athletics’ Outfield Dilemma

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In late January, I took a look at some of the Athletics’ options in what’s a generally crowded mix of rotation possibilities. Calling it a true logjam or crunch might overstate things a bit, as those monikers are typically more appropriate when there are more established players than there are spots to go around. For the A’s, it was more a matter how they can divide up the innings among a wide variety of unproven names.

Similar questions persist in the outfield, where Oakland has one lock for playing time and otherwise a carousel of names who could rotate through the remaining spots. Ramon Laureano is a fixture in the outfield and will continue to be through much of the season’s first half, at least (health-permitting). Laureano can play all three spots but has been better in right field than in center recently. He’s coming off a disappointing .211/.287/.376 batting line in 2022, but from 2018-21 he slashed .263/.335/.465 while playing quality defense.

Were it not for injuries and an 80-game PED suspension derailing Laureano’s trajectory, he might already have been traded by now. The A’s have gutted the rest of the roster while embarking on their latest rebuild, but Laureano is one of the few remaining veterans. Trading him this offseason would’ve been selling low, but it’d only take a couple months of productive ball to restore some of the 2018-21 shine. With a good showing in April, May and June, expect Laureano to be among the more talked-about trade candidates on the summer market.

Because of that, he should be penciled in for full-time at-bats in the outfield. It seems likely that’ll come more in the corners than in center, but whatever form it takes, Laureano’s going to be out there every day.

As far as the rest of the outfield is concerned, things are far murkier. Let’s take a look at who’ll be vying for playing time…

On the 40-man roster

Cristian Pache, 24, RHH, no minor league options remaining

Pache’s lack of minor league options and lack of production in either Triple-A or the Majors make him the most confounding player of this group. He’s still just 24 years old, is considered to be an elite defender, and as recently as the 2020-21 offseason was considered to be among the 20 best prospects in all of baseball. Pache’s bat simply hasn’t developed, however, evidenced by a disastrous .156/.205/.254 batting line in 332 MLB plate appearances and an ugly .248/.298/.389 showing in Triple-A last season. Pache posted five Defensive Runs Saved and eight Outs Above Average in only 646 innings last year. He’s one of the best defensive players in the game but currently one of its worst hitters. The A’s can’t send him down without exposing him to waivers, and the glove alone would probably get Pache claimed. At the same time, it’s hard to keep trotting him out there with such an anemic batting line. Giving up on Pache as an everyday player and relegating him to a bench role is also unpalatable, though, given his youth and the fact that he was one of the key pieces in the trade that sent Matt Olson to the Braves. The A’s have to hope Pache can somehow develop his offensive approach at the big league level, and if he can’t, he could eventually force them into a tough decision. A big spring could also position him as a trade candidate; manager Mark Kotsay candidly admitted last month that Pache could be “showcasing himself for 29  other teams.”

Esteury Ruiz, 24, RHH, two minor league options remaining

The Pache dilemma is exacerbated by the fact that the A’s acquired another potential center fielder in this offseason’s Sean Murphy trade. The 24-year-old Ruiz stole a whopping 86 bases in 2022 and is considered among the fastest players in the sport. Like Pache, he has the potential for plus range in center, though scouting reports are far more bullish on Pache’s instincts and overall defensive prowess. There are some similar red flags with Ruiz’s game, though his minor league numbers are a sight to behold. He hit .332/.447/.526 in 541 plate appearances between Double-A and Triple-A last season, but Ruiz also posted bottom-of-the-scale exit velocity and hard contact numbers. His lack of hard contact can be somewhat erased by what’ll surely be plenty of infield hits, but there are questions about how impactful his bat and glove can be at the game’s top level. He’s ready for a look right now, but playing time will depend on how the A’s view Pache and, quite likely, their other offseason outfield acquisition. Speaking of which…

JJ Bleday, 25, LHH, three minor league options remaining

Acquired in a straight-up swap for reliever A.J. Puk, Bleday is a former No. 4 overall draft pick whose prospect star has dimmed in recent years as he’s struggled throughout the minors. The Marlins have spent several years in search of an everyday center fielder and still don’t have one, yet they were content to trade Bleday for a controllable bullpen piece. Scouting reports on Bleday peg him as more of a left fielder, and clearly the Marlins agree, or else they wouldn’t have moved on. Bleday has above-average raw power, but he strikes out and pops up too often in trying to get to it in a game setting. He’s a career .225/.337/.409 hitter in the minors, and his strikeout rate has risen at every level, topping out at 27% in Triple-A last year and 28.2% in his 238-plate appearance MLB debut. Bleday took 605 PAs between Triple-A and the Majors last season and, in addition to 166 strikeouts, he popped up a staggering 33 times. That’s an automatic out in nearly one-third of his plate appearances. The A’s can offer some new coaching perspective, so perhaps they can unlock something in Bleday that the Marlins couldn’t, but so far the results on Bleday haven’t come close to aligning with his draft status.

Seth Brown, 30, LHH, two minor league options remaining

Because Brown has spent so much time at first base and in right field (688 innings apiece), it may be a surprise to many that he’s also logged 141 innings in center. He’s not a great option there, but Brown can handle the spot in a pinch and can cycle through all three outfield spots, first base and designated hitter. He’ll have free-agent signee Jesus Aguilar and Oakland’s Rule 5 pick Ryan Noda (more on him in a bit) competing for time at those positions, however, so Brown could see a fair bit of outfield work. The 30-year-old Brown smashed 25 home runs last year and stands as one of the team’s primary power threats. Virtually all of his MLB production has come against righties, which leads to some easy platoon maneuverings. Brown will be arbitration-eligible next winter, and if he continues bashing righties in the first half, he’ll join Laureano on the trade market.

Tony Kemp, 31, LHH, cannot be optioned without his consent (five-plus years of service time)

One of the team’s elder statesmen at just 31 years of age, Kemp is another likely summer trade candidate. He’s spent more time at second base than in left field over the past few seasons, but he’s played both with a fair degree of regularity. Oakland’s signing of Aledmys Diaz could cut into his time at second base, though. Kemp, like Brown, is a better hitter against righties, though the split isn’t as glaring in his case. He should be out there regularly to begin the season, but the presence of Diaz and looming prospect Zack Gelof feels like it’ll eventually lead to a trade, so long as Kemp is playing reasonably well.

Aledmys Diaz, 32, RHH, cannot be optioned

The A’s needed to spend some money this offseason, and luring free-agent bats to a last-place club in a cavernous home park can’t be easy. They paid up on a pair of multi-year deals for versatile infield/outfield veterans Diaz and Jace Peterson (the former of whom seems ticketed for regular work at third base). Diaz can act as a left-handed complement to Kemp at second base, mix in at all four infield slots and will probably also see occasional time in left field and at designated hitter. He’s making more than $7MM this season, which is a sizable sum by Oakland’s standards, so expect him to play fairly regularly.

Ryan Noda, 26, LHH, cannot be optioned (Rule 5 Draft pick)

Noda will need to earn his way onto the roster, but he’s a first base/corner outfield slugger who was blocked in Los Angeles by names like Freddie Freeman, Mookie Betts and J.D. Martinez. With the A’s, there are no such roadblocks to playing time, and he’ll get the chance to prove his career .894 OPS in the minors, including a .259/.396/.474 showing in Triple-A Oklahoma City last year can carry over to the big league level, to some extent. Noda, 27 later this month, has nearly twice as much first base time as he does corner outfield time in his pro career, but the A’s grabbed him for his bat, and he’ll get chances against righties so long as he earns a spot this spring.

Conner Capel, 25, LHH, two minor league options remaining

Capel posted a respectable .264/.364/.422 slash in Triple-A between the Cardinals and the A’s (who claimed him off waivers from St. Louis) in 2022. A 40-plate appearance cup of coffee in Oakland resulted in an eye-popping .371/.425/.600 slash late in the season, though a .423 average on balls in play in that tiny sample had plenty to do with it. Capel’s minor league track record is more solid than standout, but he’s on the 40-man roster and will try to hit his way into an Opening Day roster spot, even if he doesn’t share the recent production and/or prospect pedigree of some of his competitors.

Cal Stevenson, 26, LHH, two minor league options remaining

A thrice-traded former 10th-round pick, Stevenson turned heads with a .322/.413/.529 output in Triple-A last year — his first season in the A’s organization. That came on the heels of his inclusion in the trade sending Christian Bethancourt from Oakland to Tampa Bay, and Stevenson’s overall Triple-A output clocked in at .284/.389/.413 in 307 plate appearances. Stevenson walks at a high clip and has strong bat-to-ball skills, but he’s not a premium defender and has never topped nine home runs in a full season.

Brent Rooker, 28, RHH, one minor league option remaining

The former No. 35 overall pick (Minnesota, 2017), Rooker came to the A’s by way of a waiver claim. Oakland is his fourth team in the past calendar year, as clubs continue to be intrigued by his raw power and minor league production even as injuries and MLB struggles have undercut his appeal. Rooker is a first baseman/left fielder who has a career .274/.387/.590 slash and 62 dingers in 906 Triple-A plate appearances, but he’s mustered tepid .200/.289/.379 line in 270 big league plate appearances. It’s big-time right-handed pop, but Rooker needs to cut back on the 31.9% strikeout rate he’s shown in the Majors.

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Given the slate of options already on the 40-man roster, it’s not a huge surprise that the A’s didn’t add a ton of minor league outfield depth over the winter. Cody Thomas was retained after they passed him through waivers following a DFA, and he’s in camp as a non-roster invitee. Thomas carved up Triple-A pitching in 2021 but missed nearly all of 2022 on the injured list. If he can get back to that ’21 form (.289/.363/.665), he could get another look in 2023. Meanwhile, old friend Greg Deichmann is back in the organization on his own minor league deal after scuffling in his lone full season with the Cubs (who acquired him in the 2021 trade that sent Andrew Chafin from Chicago to Oakland).

Looking just at the names on the 40-man roster, there are clearly far more bodies than at-bats to go around. The A’s are somewhat handcuffed by Pache’s lack of options, so he seems likely to make the roster and occupy at least a part-time role. Both Ruiz and Bleday are clearly viewed as potential outfield regulars by the Athletics’ front office, though neither is a necessary lock to break camp on the active roster (even if they’ll surely be given every opportunity to do so). The A’s are the perfect club to carry someone like Noda — a polished upper-minors hitter who can’t be optioned given his Rule 5 status — but they’ll need to also get Kemp and Brown sufficient at-bats (particularly if the goal is ultimately to trade one or both this summer).

Each of Capel, Stevenson and Rooker could factor into plans as well, though that trio ostensibly feels more like upper-minors depth or perhaps part-time options off the bench. On many clubs, playing time with this type of saturated outfield mix would boil down to a meritocracy, but the rebuilding A’s can and likely will be more patient with out-of-options players, Rule 5 selections and hopeful summer trade chips.

It’s a fluid situation, one without clear answers. An ideal situation would see Laureano, Brown and Kemp play well enough to be traded for decent returns, while Pache takes enough of a step forward to hold down center field as Ruiz and Bleday emerge as viable options on either side of him (all while Noda hits enough to seize the first base job). Things rarely work out so smoothly for any club, however. The A’s badly need some of their newly acquired outfield talent to pan out, though, as last offseason’s slate of trades did little to improve the long-term outlook. How they allot playing time on the path to reaching that end goal will be one of the key stories to monitor for A’s fans this year.

A’s Claim Conner Capel, Designate Luis Barrera

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The A’s announced they’ve claimed corner outfielder Conner Capel off waivers from the Cardinals, designating fellow outfielder Luis Barrera for assignment. Oakland also recalled reliever Domingo Tapia from Triple-A Las Vegas, optioning Zach Logue in a corresponding move.

Capel is joining the third organization of his career. Originally an Indians draftee, he was dealt to the Cardinals as a prospect in the deal that sent Oscar Mercado to Cleveland. The left-handed hitter has spent most of the past two seasons at Triple-A Memphis, generally performing at an above-average level. He’s hit .267/.355/.452 through a bit more than 800 plate appearances there, walking at a robust 11.5% clip while only striking out in 18% of his trips. Capel has also connected on 26 home runs, 40 doubles and seven triples, demonstrating a well-rounded offensive skillset.

That earned the 25-year-old his first MLB call in late June, but Capel didn’t receive much of a look at Busch Stadium. He got into nine games and only hit 19 times, collecting three hits (including his first round-tripper). The Cards designated Capel for assignment earlier this week upon calling up top prospect Alec Burleson.

As the team with the second-worst record in the majors, the A’s had the league’s #2 waiver priority. They’ll leverage that to add an outfielder with a solid upper minors track record. Capel is only in his first of three minor league option years, so the A’s can bounce him between Oakland and Las Vegas for the next couple seasons if he holds his spot on the 40-man roster.

Barrera, himself a left-handed outfielder, has gotten brief big league looks in each of the past two years. He’s gotten into 38 games, hitting .235/.290/.329 over 93 trips to the plate. Barrera has played most of the season with the Aviators, compiling a .271/.331/.451 line through 294 plate appearances. That’s actually below-average production in one of the sport’s most hitter-friendly environments, but Barrera is an elite runner who’s capable manning all three outfield positions.

The A’s have already taken Barrera off the 40-man roster once this year, outrighting him in April before re-selecting his contract the next month. They’ll place him on waivers again in the next few days. If he clears outright waivers again, he’ll have the right to refuse the assignment in favor of minor league free agency this time.

Cardinals Place Dylan Carlson On IL, Select Alec Burleson

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The Cardinals announced a series of roster moves today, placing outfielder Dylan Carlson on the 10-day injured with a left thumb sprain. His spot on the roster has gone to fellow outfielder Alec Burleson. Since Burleson wasn’t previously on the 40-man roster, outfielder Conner Capel has been designated for assignment to open a spot.

Burleson, 23, was selected by the Cardinals 70th overall in the 2020 draft. There were no minor leagues for him to play in that year due to the pandemic, but he took off in 2021. He started in High-A and mashed his way up to Double-A after just 11 games. In 63 games with the Springfield Cardinals, he hit .288/.333/.488, producing a wRC+ of 116. That was enough to get him up to Triple-A for the end of the season, his third level of the year.

While Burleson struggled in his first taste of Triple-A, he’s dominated here in 2022. In 109 games with the Memphis Redbirds, he’s hit 20 home runs while striking out in only 14.3% of his plate appearances. His slash line on the year is .331/.372/.532, leading to a wRC+ of 138.

Thanks to his strong performance in the minors, Burleson has been creeping up prospect lists since his draft. Last year, Baseball America ranked him the #26 prospect in the Cards’ system, before bumping him up to #10 at the start of this year and #4 at the midseason update. BA also considers him the #66 prospect in the entire league.

As for Carlson, it’s unclear when or how he sustained his injury, as he entered last night’s game in the eighth inning as a pinch hitter. The club has not yet provided any information on how long they expect him to be out. He’s hitting .240/.316/.386 for the year, producing a wRC+ of 102. He’s played mostly center field this season but has seen Tyler O’Neill take over the bulk of the playing time up the middle lately. Burleson has mostly played left field in the minors, with a bit of time in right as well. He’ll try to replace Carlson’s bat and take some corner outfield time but likely won’t be an option in center, leaving that spot for O’Neill and Ben DeLuzio.

As for Capel, 25, he was drafted by Cleveland but came to the Cardinals in the 2018 trade that sent Oscar Mercado the other way. He was selected to the big league roster for the first time this June, producing a tepid batting line in a tiny sample of just 19 plate appearances. In 87 Triple-A games, he’s hit .258/.361/.425 for a 112 wRC+. He’s shown strong work at the plate in that stretch, striking out in just 16.4% of his plate appearances while walking in 13.3% of them. He’s also popped 1o homers and stolen 19 bases.

Despite some signs of optimism there, it seems Capel has been nudged out of the plans in St. Louis. Since the trade deadline has passed, the Cards will place him on outright waivers or release waivers in the coming days. Given his full slate of options and limited service time, he could prove to be an intriguing option for the 29 other clubs.

Cardinals To Place Goldschmidt, Arenado, Romine On Restricted List; Matz Placed On 15-Day Injured List

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3:56PM: Matz has a torn MCL in his left knee, MLB.com’s John Denton reports (via Twitter).  Based similar injuries to other players, this will likely mean at least a 4-6 week absence for Matz, though it isn’t yet known if he’ll require surgery.

3:38PM: The Cardinals announced some roster moves today, one in regards to today’s game and three others in advance of their upcoming two-game series in Toronto.  Most immediately, left-hander Steven Matz was placed on the 15-day injured list due to a left knee sprain, and righty James Naile was called up from Triple-A Memphis.

Before Tuesday’s game against the Blue Jays, the Cards will place Paul Goldschmidt, Nolan Arenado, and Austin Romine on the restricted list.  The trio aren’t vaccinated, and thus become the latest players ineligible to cross the border due to Canadian federal vaccine mandates.  Goldschmidt, Arenado, and Romine will forfeit two games’ worth of salary for the missed time.  Catcher Ivan Herrera, utilityman Cory Spangenberg, and outfielder Conner Capel are expected to be added to the roster as replacements.

Most teams traveling to Toronto this season have had to work around at least a couple of vaccine-related absences, with the Royals (who had 10 players on their restricted list) representing the extreme end of the scale.  While St. Louis is missing “only” three players, however, losing superstars like Goldschmidt and Arenado for even two games certainly isn’t an ideal situation.  Losing Romine also thins out a catching depth chart that is still missing the injured Yadier Molina.

Johan Oviedo’s status for the Blue Jays series is also in question, as the Cards reliever and Cuba native has an expired passport.  Manager Oliver Marmol told reporters (including MLB.com’s John Denton) that Oviedo might still be able to make it if he is able to obtain a special temporary waiver from the Canadian consulate in Miami.

While Matz wouldn’t have pitched in the series since he just started yesterday, he’ll also miss a chance to return to Toronto after pitching for the Jays in 2021.  Matz was only activated from the 15-day IL earlier this week, after missing two months due to a shoulder impingement.  Unfortunately, the southpaw then hurt his knee in his very first start back, as Matz took an awkward step while trying to field a grounder in the sixth inning of Saturday’s 6-3 victory over the Reds.  Matz still earned the win, allowing two runs on three hits and a walk in his 5 1/3 innings of work while striking out seven.

It was a solid outing in what has been an otherwise tough season for Matz, between his earlier injury and his inconsistent work over his first nine outings.  Even with Saturday’s game factored in, Matz still has a 5.70 ERA over 42 2/3 innings in his first season in a Cardinals uniform.  However, a 3.13 SIERA and strong strikeout and walk rates indicate that Matz has also been pretty unlucky, as he isn’t getting much good fortune on the BABIP (.336) and strand rate (66.2%) fronts.

Saturday’s start was a step in the right direction, and yet it will now be some time before Matz can follow up on that performance.  The lefty will undergo more tests and imaging, and a clearer timeline could soon be known about when Matz might be able to get back on a mound.

The Cardinals were already rumored to be looking into rotation help at the deadline, so Matz’s IL status will likely only deepen the team’s needs.  In the short term, however, St. Louis only has five games over the next eight days, so all of these off-days can allow the Cards to get by with less than five starters.  Dakota Hudson is tentatively slated to be activated from his own 15-day IL stint next weekend, after hitting the IL on July 15 due to a neck strain.

Cardinals Activate Corey Dickerson, Option Conner Capel

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The Cardinals have activated Corey Dickerson from the injured list and optioned Conner Capel to Triple-A to open a roster spot, per MLB.com’s John Denton (via Twitter).

Dickerson has been out for a little more than a month with a calf strain. Prior to the injury, Dickerson was off to a slow start. The outfielder was hitting just .194/.245/.286 through 106 plate appearances. Despite his current 50 wRC+, the veteran has a long track record of success in the bigs, with a 112 wRC+ over the span of his career.

Capel, 25, was up long enough to appear in nine games. He went just 3-for-17 at the plate with one walk and two strikeouts. In Triple-A, Capel is slashing .271/.361/.466 in 252 plate appearances. This is Capel’s third consecutive season appearing in the level of the minors.

Cardinals Place Jack Flaherty, Harrison Bader On Injured List

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The Cardinals announced this afternoon that both Jack Flaherty and Harrison Bader are headed to the injured list. Flaherty, as a pitcher, lands on the 15-day IL with what the team is calling a right shoulder strain. The position player Bader heads to the 10-day IL as he battles plantar fasciitis in his right foot.

To replace the duo on the active roster, the Cards selected outfielder Conner Capel and reliever James Naile onto the big league club. St. Louis had a pair of vacancies on the 40-man roster after placing southpaws Génesis Cabrera and T.J. McFarland on the COVID-19 list in recent days. Each of Capel and Naile would be making their major league debuts if they get into a game.

Flaherty’s injury is the most notable development. The star right-hander has spent a good chunk of the last two years on the IL, most recently as he’s battled continued shoulder problems. He lost a month last season due to a shoulder strain (in addition to a longer stint with an oblique injury), then spent the first two-plus months of this year on the shelf with what the pitcher identified as bursitis in Spring Training. Flaherty was only just activated for his season debut a couple weeks ago, and he made three appearances before leaving yesterday’s start after the second inning.

It’s an alarming recent injury history, and it seems the 26-year-old is going to miss a notable chunk of time yet again. President of baseball operations John Mozeliak told reporters (including Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat and Ben Frederickson of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch) that Flaherty’s again dealing with bursitis. Mozeliak said the club was “pretty optimistic” Flaherty will be able to return at some point this season, but he didn’t provide more specifics on a timeline.

Flaherty joins Steven Matz on the injured list, leaving the club with a starting four of Adam Wainwright, Miles Mikolas, Dakota Hudson and Andre Pallante at the moment. Top prospect Matthew Liberatore would seem the logical candidate for the fifth spot, but he has just four MLB appearances under his belt. The Cards sit a game back of the Brewers in the NL Central and seem likely to at least dabble in the trade market for starting pitching before the August 2 deadline, particularly if Flaherty’s indeed looking at another months-long recovery process.

In addition to losing arguably their best pitcher, St. Louis will be down their primary center fielder for at least a week and a half. Bader has started 65 of the team’s 75 games this season, hitting .256/.303/.370 with five home runs through 264 plate appearances. That’s a step back from his offensive production of 2020-21, but he’s swiped 15 bases and consistently rates as one of the game’s top defensive outfielders.

Bader’s absence leaves the club without a true center fielder, as right fielder Dylan Carlson looks likely to slide up the middle for now. That figures to be a notable defensive downgrade, although the Cards do have players like Lars Nootbaar and designated hitter/corner outfielder Juan Yepez capable of subbing in for Carlson in right.

Capel joins that mix, having spent much of his minor league career in right field. Originally selected by Cleveland in the fifth round of the 2016 draft, the Texas high school product was dealt to St. Louis in the Oscar Mercado trade in 2018. He’s spent the past few seasons slowly moving through the ranks in the upper minors, and he earns a big league call with a career-best 2022 showing for Triple-A Memphis.

Over 252 plate appearances this year, Capel is hitting .271/.361/.466. He’s popped nine homers, stolen 16 bags and drawn walks at an excellent 11.9% clip. The 25-year-old hasn’t appeared on an organizational prospects list at FanGraphs or Baseball America since 2019, and the Cards decided against adding him to the 40-man roster last winter — leaving him eligible for selection in a Rule 5 draft which never wound up transpiring. He’s elevated his stock enough in the past couple months to join the big league corner outfield rotation.

Naile, 29, is a seven-year minor league veteran. Originally a 20th-round selection of the A’s in 2015 out of UAB, he remained in the Oakland system through 2021. The right-hander never reached Oakland’s 40-man roster and hit minor league free agency at the end of last year. He signed a non-roster pact with St. Louis over the winter.

After working as a starter for much of his time in the A’s system, Naile has come out of the bullpen for 24 of his 27 outings with Memphis. He’s tossed 46 2/3 innings of 3.28 ERA ball in that new role, often working two innings at a time. Naile has a modest 21.1% strikeout rate, but he’s only walked 5.5% of batters faced. He’s also induced grounders on over 55% of batted balls, a trait the front office has prioritized given the club’s excellent infield defense. He’ll add a multi-inning arm to Marmol’s bullpen.

Jones first reported Naile’s and Capel’s promotions before the team announcement.

Indians Acquire Oscar Mercado From Cardinals

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In a rare prospects-only swap, the Indians announced Tuesday that they have acquired minor league outfielder Oscar Mercado from the Cardinals in exchange for another pair of minor league outfielders: Conner Capel and Jhon Torres.

Oscar Mercado | Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

The acquisition of Mercado is an interesting one for the Indians, who spent much of the week leading up to the deadline seeking outfield upgrades but ultimately swung only a minor deal to acquire veteran Leonys Martin from the division-rival Tigers, While Martin can serve as a useful platoon partner for fellow veteran Rajai Davis, the addition of Mercado gives the Indians an advanced prospect capable of playing all three outfield spots who isn’t that far from MLB readiness.

Mercado, 23, has spent the season performing well with the Cardinals’ Triple-A affiliate in Memphis. Through 427 trips to the plate, he’s batted .285/.351/.408 with eight homers, 21 doubles, a triple and a hefty 31 stolen bases (in 39 attempts). He was the No. 10 prospect in the Cardinals’ system on MLB.com’s midseason update, slotting in behind newly acquired Justin Williams (acquired earlier today in the Cardinals’ Tommy Pham trade with Tampa Bay). MLB.com’s Jim Callis and Jonathan Mayo note that the converted infielder is a plus runner with a plus arm who profiles as a plus defender and “looks like he was meant to roam the outfield.”

It’s a somewhat puzzling move for the Cardinals, who will receive a pair of lesser-regarded outfielders in return — albeit two that won’t have to be added to the 40-man roster this winter, thus giving the Redbirds a bit of flexibility in that regard. Capel is the higher-profile of the two, at least per prospect rankings (link to MLB.com, Fangraphs), though he’s not as well regarded as Mercado.

The 21-year-old Capel has spent the season in Class-A Advanced, where he’s posted a .261/.355/.388 slash with strong plate discipline despite facing older competition (12.8 percent walk rate vs. 18.8 percent strikeout rate). Reports on him praise his above-average power and speed, with MLB.com suggesting he has the potential to stick in center while Fangraphs pegs him as a corner bat with the ability to hit.

Torres is 18 years of age and has yet to progress beyond the Indians’ Rookie-level affiliate. He’s hitting .273/.351/.424 with four homers in 111 plate appearances thus far in short-season ball but generally hasn’t been regarded among Cleveland’s best prospects.

Robert Murray of The Athletic first reported the deal (on Twitter).

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