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Domingo Tapia

Padres Outright Domingo Tapia

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The Padres have sent reliever Domingo Tapia outright to Triple-A El Paso, according to the transactions log at MLB.com. He cleared waivers after being designated for assignment last weekend.

San Diego signed Tapia to a minor league contract last winter. He had an excellent Spring Training and secured a spot on the 40-man roster out of camp. The Friars bounced him between the majors and El Paso for a few months. He’s gotten into 15 big league games, allowing eight runs in 17 2/3 innings. Tapia has walked 12 while striking out 14.

He has missed more bats in Triple-A, striking out 16 over 14 2/3 frames. He’s dished out 10 free passes at the top minor league level, though, continuing the control issues that have plagued him throughout his career. Tapia has walked upwards of 13% of opponents in parts of four big league campaigns. He has huge arm strength, averaging around 98 MPH on his fastball, but has a below-average 17.6% strikeout rate at the MLB level.

Tapia was outrighted off the A’s roster last September. Players who have been outrighted multiple times in their careers have the right to free agency. It’s unclear whether Tapia will accept the assignment or head back to the open market in search of a minor league opportunity elsewhere.

Padres Designate Domingo Tapia For Assignment

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The Padres announced several roster moves this afternoon ahead of tonight’s game against the Tigers. The club placed right-hander Alek Jacob on the 15-day injured list (retroactive to July 21) with right elbow inflammation. To replace Jacob on the active roster, the club selected the contract of left-hander Jackson Wolf, as previously expected. Right-hander Domingo Tapia was designated for assignment to make room for Wolf on the club’s 40-man roster.

Jacob made his big league debut just last week, and his move to the shelf puts a promising start to his major league career on hold. In three big league appearances, the 25 year old has racked up five strikeouts against just one walk in three scoreless innings of work. Jacob’s early success in the big league’s comes on the heels of a dominant performance at the Double-A level prior to his call-up to the majors where he posted a 1.32 ERA in 27 1/3 innings with a 29.4% strikeout rate.

Taking Jacob’s place on the active roster is Wolf, a 24-year-old lefty for whom his first appearance with the Padres will be his major league debut. That opportunity seems likely to come tonight, with Wolf poised to take the ball to start tonight’s game in Detroit. To this point in the 2023 campaign, Wolf has pitched out of the rotation for San Diego’s Double-A affiliate in San Antonio. In 85 innings of work across 17 starts, Wolf has posted a solid 3.39 ERA with a 31.3% strikeout rate.

Wolf’s selection likely brings to an end Tapia’s time with the Padres, for whom he posted a solid 3.57 ERA in 17 2/3 innings of work (albeit with a less impressive 5.38 FIP). In addition to San Diego, Tapia has also played in Oakland, Kansas City, and Seattle since making his major league debut for the Red Sox back in 2020. Overall, Tapia sports a 4.21 ERA and 4.40 FIP in 72 2/3 innings of work at the big league level. Going forward, the Padres will have seven days to waive, trade, or release the 31-year-old journeyman. Should the club pass him through waivers and attempt to assign him outright to the minors, Tapia will have the opportunity to reject that assignment and test free agency as a player who has been previously outrighted in his career.

Padres Designate Nelson Cruz For Assignment

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The Padres announced a series of roster moves today, recalled left-hander José Castillo, right-hander Matt Waldron and infielder Matthew Batten. In corresponding moves, right-hander Domingo Tapia was optioned to Triple-A El Paso, righty Michael Wacha was placed on the 15-day injured list (retroactive to July 2) with right shoulder inflammation and designated hitter Nelson Cruz was designated for assignment.

Cruz, 43, has long been one of the most feared sluggers in the league but has struggled over the past couple of years. In 2021, he was hitting .294/.370/.537 for the Twins with a 142 wRC+ when they flipped him to the Rays. That deal worked out very well for the Twins but Cruz slumped after switching jerseys, hitting just .226/.283/.442, 95 wRC+. He then signed with the Nats for 2022 but hit just .234/.313/.337 for a wRC+ of 85.

As last season was winding down, he underwent surgery to address some inflammation in his eye, which he said was impacting his ability to pick up spin on the ball. The Padres took a gamble on a bounceback from Cruz, giving him a $1MM guarantee on a one-year deal. Unfortunately, that hasn’t come to pass, with Cruz hitting just .245/.283/.399 thus far for a wRC+ of 85. He’s striking out at a 30.3% rate and walking just 3.9% of the time, both of those marks easily the worst of his career.

He’s essentially just a designated hitter at this point in his career, having not played the outfield since 2018 and logging just one inning at first base this year. That makes it especially important that he produce at the plate, something he hasn’t been able to do for a couple of years now.

The Padres will now have one week to trade Cruz or pass him through waivers. It’s possible that some club is intrigued based on his past production and modest salary, though that remains to be seen. As a veteran with more than five years of service time, he would have the right to reject an outright assignment in the event he clears waivers while retaining his salary. That means he’s likely to end up released if the Friars can’t find a trade partner in the coming days.

As for Wacha, his shoulder has been an ongoing minor issue. His start on June 24 was skipped due to fatigue in that shoulder, though he did later take the ball on July 1 and toss five innings. Manager Bob Melvin tells AJ Cassavell of MLB.com that the club is trying to use next week’s All-Star break to give him a chance to fully heal up. He has a 2.84 ERA through 15 starts this year, so the team will surely be hoping that a little breather is all he needs to get back on track.

NL West Notes: Garcia, Padres, Feltner, Dodgers, May

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The Padres placed Luis Garcia on the 15-day injured list today, as the left-hander is suffering from a left oblique strain.  Righty Domingo Tapia was called up from Triple-A to take Garcia’s spot on the active roster.  Garcia has a somewhat misleading 4.66 ERA this season, as nine of his 10 earned runs allowed came in two disastrous appearances (totaling two-thirds of an inning) against the Diamondbacks.  Against every other team in baseball, Garcia has allowed just one earned run in 18 2/3 frames.

Despite a few shaky moments, the Padres’ bullpen has largely gotten on track, as San Diego’s relievers have combined for the sixth-best (3.31) bullpen ERA in baseball heading into Saturday’s action.  Losing a generally reliable veteran like Garcia won’t help matters, and the team has yet to comment on the severity of the left-hander’s oblique strain, or how long Garcia might be sidelined.

More from around the NL West…

  • Ryan Feltner suffered a small skull fracture and a concussion after being hit with a Nick Castellanos line drive on May 14, but the Rockies right-hander hasn’t given up hope of returning to the field this season.  For now, Feltner is focused only on his recovery, and he gave a positive update to Patrick Saunders and other reporters.  Feltner said he has “a headache from the concussion, dizziness, but today there’s no pain.  I’m sleeping well, and the day-to-day stuff has become a lot easier.  So the feeling is that I’m in a really good spot compared to where I could be.”
  • With injuries hampering the Dodgers’ rotation, president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said the team could “potentially” target pitching at the trade deadline, but it will still be a while before the Dodgers know a firmer recovery timeline for Julio Urias or Dustin May.  “Right now with where we are, it’s gonna be a little more shell game-ish if we have more injuries.  But we’re thinking through that and trying to be as prepared as we can be if that happens,” Friedman told Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times and other reporters.  May won’t be able to return until at least mid-July due to his placement on the 60-day IL, and Harris writes that May received a PRP injection as part of his treatment for a flexor pronator strain.  Beyond the injuries, Noah Syndergaard’s rotation spot might also be a question mark as the righty continues to struggle.

Padres Announce Several Roster Moves

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The Padres announced a series of roster moves ahead of this afternoon’s game against the Brewers, optioning right-hander Domingo Tapia and utiltyman Brandon Dixon to Triple-A while recalling catcher Brett Sullivan and right-hander Reiss Knehr. The moves come on the heels of a recent injury to catcher Luis Campusano, who jammed his thumb catching a bullpen session. According to MLB.com’s AJ Cassavell, x-rays on Campusano’s thumb came back negative, but he will still be sidelined due to considerable swelling. It appears that, at least for now, Campusano will avoid a stint on the injured list, with the Padres instead opting for a three catcher roster while the 24 year-old is sidelined.

Tapia, 31, made his debut in 2020 with Boston and posted strong numbers from 2020-2021, sporting a 2.61 ERA and 3.62 FIP across 38 innings split between the Red Sox, Mariners, and Royals. He struggled badly in 17 innings with Oakland last year, however, posting a 8.47 ERA and 5.11 FIP. While those numbers are somewhat inflated by his .387 BABIP and unfortunate 62.2% strand rate, Tapia’s struggles were somewhat deserved, as well, as he actually walked more batters (14) than he struck out (12) with the A’s. Control problems have been an issue for Tapia even outside of Oakland, however, has he sports a career 13.1% walk rate and has never posted a walk rate lower than 10% in a season.

With Tapia headed to Triple-A, Knehr is set to join the Padres bullpen for the first time this season. The 26 year-old righty has pitched for the Padres in the big leagues in each of the past two seasons, with a 4.64 ERA in 42 2/3 innings over that time. Knehr struggles with control as well, with walk rates consistently over 10% in both the major leagues and Triple-A. Still, he’ll provide a fresh arm for the Padres bullpen, which has recently been taxed thanks to short starts from the club’s six-man rotation.

Dixon, meanwhile, heads to Triple-A to make room for a third catcher on the roster. The 31-year old struggled in his limited playing time with the club this season, recording just one hit and no walks while striking out eight times in his ten plate appearances with the club. Still, he figures to provide depth in the minors for the Padres, particularly given his versatility. Dixon has played all three outfield spots as well as first, second, and third base in the majors throughout his career.

Sullivan, 29, has yet to make his major league debut to this point in his career. A 17th round draft pick by the Rays in the 2015 draft, Sullivan signed with the Brewers on a major league deal during the 2021-22 offseason but was traded to the Padres in the deal that sent Victor Caratini to Milwaukee before appearing in a game for the organization. Sullivan has served as catching depth in the upper minors for the Padres ever since, and now figures to get his shot in the big leagues while Campusano is on the mend. A career .273/.321/.430 hitter in the minor leagues, Sullivan has experience in the outfield corners and at third base in addition to behind the plate.

Padres Select Rougned Odor, Domingo Tapia

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The Padres announced a few transactions as they set their Opening Day roster. Rougned Odor and reliever Domingo Tapia both made the team, with San Diego formally selecting their contracts. The Friars also confirmed the previously reported addition of outfielder David Dahl to the 40-man. San Diego needed to create two 40-man vacancies. They’ve done so by designating righty Michel Báez for assignment and placing southpaw Adrián Morejón on the 60-day injured list with an elbow sprain.

Additionally, San Diego placed a handful of pitchers on the 15-day IL. Joe Musgrove, Robert Suarez, Drew Pomeranz and José Castillo will all start the season on the shelf.

Odor is entering his tenth season at the big league level. The longtime Ranger second baseman has bounced around the league over the past few seasons. He’s been a below-average hitter overall due to dismal on-base numbers but continued to draw interest thanks to some left-handed power. Odor appeared in 135 games for the Orioles last season, hitting 13 homers but posting just a .207/.275/.357 line in 472 plate appearances.

Signed to a minor league deal over the offseason, Odor impressed in Spring Training. He put together a .316/.422/.474 slash with a pair of homers in 38 at-bats.  The career second baseman also saw some corner outfield action in exhibition play to broaden his defensive flexibility off the bench. He could join Dahl and Matt Carpenter in taking some right field work until Fernando Tatis Jr. returns from suspension.

Tapia, 31, inked a minor league deal over the winter. He threw 17 innings for the A’s last year, allowing 16 runs with more walks than strikeouts. While it wasn’t a particularly encouraging season, Tapia averaged around 98 MPH on his fastball and posted a 1.76 ERA in 30 2/3 innings with Triple-A Las Vegas. He nabs an Opening Day bullpen job in San Diego after tossing eight innings of two-run ball with 11 strikeouts and no walks this spring. Tapia still has a minor league option year remaining, so the Friars could bounce him between San Diego and Triple-A El Paso throughout the season.

Báez has pitched at the MLB level in three of the last four seasons. The bulk of that came in 2019, when he made 24 appearances. Báez pitched only twice in the majors last year. He threw 21 1/3 innings for El Paso, allowing an 8.44 ERA while walking a huge 16.7% of opposing hitters. The Padres will now have a week to deal him or put him on waivers.

Morejón is now officially out until the end of May. He returned from Tommy John surgery to make 26 appearances out of the bullpen last season. Elbow soreness cropped back up this spring, an alarming development considering that history. Initial imaging didn’t reveal any structural damage, with the club first calling the issue inflammation. Terming it a sprain — which inherently involves some stretching of the ligament — is a little more concerning and will keep him out of action for a while.

Padres Sign Domingo Tapia To Minor League Deal

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The Padres have signed right-hander Domingo Tapia to a minor league deal, according to his transactions tracker at MLB.com. He will presumably be invited to major league Spring Training.

Tapia, 31, had some major league success in 2021, split between the Mariners and Royals. Between those two clubs, he tossed 33 2/3 innings over 34 appearances, registering a 2.67 ERA. His 19.3% strikeout rate and 11.1% walk rate were both a bit worse than league average, but he got grounders at a solid 46.8% rate.

In 2022, he was claimed off waivers by the A’s and spent the season being shuttled between the majors and minors. His Triple-A and MLB results could hardly have been more different, as he had a 1.76 ERA with Las Vegas and a mark of 8.47 for Oakland. This was likely a symptom of his low-strikeout approach, as he allowed a .387 batting average on balls in the play in the majors but a .276 rate with the Aviators. He also stranded 72.2% of baserunners with Vegas but just 62.2% with the A’s.

The Padres will take a chance that Tapia’s fortunes will change in 2023 or perhaps he can simply take his fate into his own hands by finding a few more strikeouts. His fastball averaged 97.9 mph last year, which cracked the 95th percentile among qualified hurlers, despite just a 13.3% strikeout rate. If Tapia can earn his way onto San Diego’s roster, he still has one option year remaining, allowing him to provide the club with some roster flexibility. He could also be cheaply retained into the future given that he has yet to crack one year of MLB service time.

Athletics Outright Skye Bolt

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The Athletics announced that outfielder Skye Bolt has been reinstated from the injured list and outrighted to Triple-A Las Vegas.

The A’s also announced the outrights of outfielder Luis Barrera and right-hander Domingo Tapia, who were known to have been designated for assignment. In the case of Bolt, however, there had not been any previous indication he had lost his roster spot, though Oakland apparently quietly passed him through waivers in recent days.

The 28-year-old outfielder has had a challenging season, dealing with multiple injuries. He was first placed on the IL just a few days into the season due to an oblique strain. He began a rehab assignment in May but then suffered a strained hamstring and got transferred to the 60-day IL. He was activated in late June and lasted about a month before his next IL stint, this time for a right knee patella subluxation.

In between all of that time on the shelf, he got into 42 MLB games and hit .198/.259/.330 for a wRC+ of 73. He’s out of options, meaning the club wasn’t able to send him down to the minors without first exposing him to the waiver wire, though he’s apparently cleared and will head to Vegas. Since this is his first career outright and he has less than three years of MLB service time, he will have to accept the assignment. He will stick in the A’s organization without occupying a roster spot.

A’s Designate Domingo Tapia, Select Collin Wiles

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The Athletics announced that they have selected the contract of right-hander Collin Wiles. Fellow right-hander Domingo Tapia was designated for assignment in a corresponding move.

Tapia, 31, came to the A’s on a waiver claim in April and has been shuttled back and forth between Triple-A and the big leagues all year. In 27 2/3 innings for the Las Vegas Aviators, he has a 1.95 ERA, 21.8% strikeout rate, 8.4% walk rate and 51.9% ground ball rate. However, he hasn’t been able to bring that kind of performance up to the show with him, registering an ERA of 8.47 in 17 MLB innings, along with a 13.3% strikeout rate and ghastly 15.6% walk rate.

He’ll be placed on outright waivers or release waivers in the coming days, since the trade deadline has passed. He’s never previously been outrighted and has less than three years of MLB service time, meaning he wouldn’t have the ability to reject an outright assignment in favor of free agency.

Wiles, 28, was originally drafted by the Rangers, getting selected 53rd overall in 2012. He worked his way up the minor league ladder but never got the call to the big leagues, reaching free agency after 2021. He signed a minor league deal with the A’s and has spent his entire season in Triple-A so far. In 143 1/3 innings over 26 starts for Las Vegas, he has a 5.40 ERA. His 17% strikeout rate isn’t great but he’s only walking 4.3% of batters faced. Since he’s been working as a starter in the minors, he’ll give the A’s a bullpen option who should be capable or working multiple innings. He’ll be making his MLB debut as soon as he gets into a game.

A’s Release Gabe Klobosits

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June 14: The A’s have released Klobosits, per their transactions log at MLB.com.

June  8: The Athletics announced Wednesday that they’ve designated right-hander Gabe Klobosits for assignment and optioned righty Domingo Tapia to Triple-A Las Vegas. That pair of moves creates space for lefty Jared Koenig, whose contract has been formally selected. A’s skipper Mark Kotsay announced earlier this week that Koenig would be selected from Triple-A to start today’s game.

Acquired on a waiver claim from the Nationals back on April 11, Klobosits has spent the entire season with Las Vegas, where he’s posted an unsightly 7.59 ERA in 10 2/3 frames. The towering 6’8″ righty fanned nearly a quarter of his opponents but also issued a walk to 11.8% of the batters he faced.

Klobosits made his MLB debut with the Nats in 2021, pitching to a 5.56 ERA in a small sample of 11 1/3 innings. He averaged 94.8 mph on his heater during that time and induced chases on pitches outside the strike zone at a gaudy 35.6% clip. The former 36th-round pick also posted a 1.64 ERA with a 28.9% strikeout rate against a respectable 8.8% walk rate in a combined 38 1/3 innings between Double-A and Triple-A last year, so despite his struggles in a brief stint with the A’s, he’s had some success in the upper minors.

Notably, Klobosits does not appear on the minor league injured list but also hasn’t pitched in a game for the Aviators since mid-May. The reason for that layoff isn’t clear. Regardless, the A’s will have a week to trade Klobosits, attempt to pass him through outright waivers (assuming he is in good health; injured players cannot be outrighted) or release him.

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