Reds Place Tyler Mahle On Injured List With Shoulder Strain
2:54pm: Mahle tells reporters that an MRI revealed only irritation but no structural damage (Twitter thread via Charlie Goldsmith of the Cincinnati Enquirer). Mahle said the issue is “not concerning at all” and that he plans to return shortly after the All-Star break.
1:28pm: The Reds announced Wednesday that right-hander Tyler Mahle has been placed on the 15-day injured list with a shoulder strain. The move is retroactive to Sunday. Righty Ian Gibaut, whom the Reds claimed off waivers this week, will take his spot on the active roster. Cincinnati also announced that catcher Chris Okey cleared waivers and will remain in the organization after being assigned outright to Triple-A Louisville.
Mahle, one of the more notable trade candidates in the National League, had been scheduled to start a game for the Reds tomorrow. The team has not yet provided a timetable on his potential return, but the earliest he’ll be able to return is just two weeks prior to the Aug. 2 trade deadline.
The timing of the injury is brutal for the Reds, who have watched as Mahle has shaken off a poor start and rounded into form as next month’s deadline looms. After pitching to a grisly 7.01 ERA through six starts and walking 14 of the first 120 hitters he faced (11.7%), Mahle has rebounded to the tune of a 3.51 ERA, 27.8% strikeout rate and 8.0% walk rate across his past 66 2/3 frames. Nearly one-third of the 26 runs he’s allowed dating back to May 8 came in one nightmare outing against the Cubs on May 24 (eight runs in four innings). Since that start, Mahle owns a 2.58 ERA, 28.3% strikeout rate and 7.1% walk rate in 45 1/3 frames.
For much of the season — and for much of the offseason — it’s looked as though Mahle, teammate Luis Castillo and A’s ace Frankie Montas would be the three most coveted names on the trade market. All three are affordably controlled through the 2023 season and have made substantial strides in recent years to establish themselves as (at least) quality mid-rotation hurlers. Now, with Mahle on the injured list for a yet-to-be-determined period and Montas dealing with shoulder inflammation of his own, Castillo suddenly stands as the lone, healthy member of that heavily speculated-upon trio.
It’s still possible, of course, that Mahle makes a quick return from the IL, pitches well and that his medical records look sufficiently clean for a trade to come together. There’s little denying that a shoulder strain just three-plus weeks from the deadline, however, is going to give any number of would-be trade partners a fair bit of trepidation regarding the righty’s short- and long-term outlook. If the Reds are ultimately unable to move Mahle, they’d be able to try again this winter or at the 2023 deadline, health permitting. His value won’t be nearly as high at either juncture, however.
With Mahle shelved for at least the next couple weeks, an even broader focus will be placed on Castillo, who has been excellent since missing the first month of the season recovering from a spring shoulder injury. Utilityman Brandon Drury has become an oft-suggested trade candidate, but the Reds also have a series of other possible candidates. Outfielders Tyler Naquin and Tommy Pham and southpaw Mike Minor are among the other veterans the Reds could peddle in the weeks to come.
Reds Claim Ian Gibaut, Designate Chris Okey For Assignment
2:32pm: The Reds announced Gibaut has indeed been claimed off waivers and Lodolo has been reinstated from the 60-day IL. In a series of corresponding moves, Cincinnati optioned infielder/outfielder Max Schrock to Triple-A Louisville, transferred righty Tony Santillan from the 15-day IL to the 60-day IL and designated catcher Chris Okey for assignment.
Santillan has been out since mid-June with a back strain, and his move to the 60-day injured list means he won’t be able to return until at least mid-August. It’s been a tough season overall for the righty, who has pitched to a 5.49 ERA with below-average strikeout (21.9%) and walk (12.5%) tendencies so far.
Okey, 27, made his big league debut last month and went 2-for-12 with five strikeouts in a total of 13 plate appearances. A 2016 second-round pick by the Reds, he’s never produced much at the plate in parts of six professional seasons, as evidenced by a career .209/.283/.331 slash in the minors. The Reds will have a week to trade him, pass him through outright waivers, or release him.
Notably, it seems as though Cincinnati may not yet be done making its slate of pregame roster moves. Both Mark Sheldon of MLB.com and Charlie Goldsmith of the Cincinnati Enquirer have noted, via Twitter, that Tyler Naquin is in the Reds’ clubhouse after completing a minor league rehab assignment. It seems likely that he’ll be activated for today’s game, but the team has not announced that move (or a corresponding transaction) just yet.
1:58pm: The Reds have claimed right-hander Ian Gibaut off waivers from the Dodgers, reports Juan Toribio of MLB.com (via Twitter). Los Angeles had designated Gibaut for assignment over the weekend. Between the Gibaut claim and left-hander Nick Lodolo‘s forthcoming reinstatement from the 60-day injured list, Cincinnati will need to make multiple 40-man roster moves today.
An 11th-round pick of the Rays back in 2015, the now-28-year-old Gibaut is set to join his third organization in just over a week’s time. He opened the year with the Guardians’ Triple-A affiliate and made one long relief appearance upon being selected to the big league roster before Cleveland designated him for assignment. The Dodgers scooped Gibaut up off waivers, but he didn’t pitch for L.A. before a second DFA. Gibaut is out of minor league options, so the Reds will need to carry him on the big league roster.
Gibaut has pitched in parts of four Major League seasons, compiling 34 2/3 innings with a 5.19 ERA between four teams (Rangers, Rays, Twins, Guardians). He posted better numbers with the Guardians’ Triple-A affiliate in Columbus to begin the 2022 season — 3.20 ERA in 19 2/3 innings — and has a career 4.15 ERA, 29% strikeout rate and 10.9% walk rate in 136 2/3 innings.
It’s a small sample of 2022 data so far, but Gibaut’s 95.3 mph average fastball (2019-21) has jumped up to 97.1 mph so far. He’s also shown well above-average ability to spin his curveball. Both traits, paired with a solid Triple-A track record, likely appealed to the Reds.
Dodgers Designate Ian Gibaut For Assignment
The Dodgers announced to reporters, including Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic, a few roster moves prior to today’s game. One of them is the previously reported return of outfielder Mookie Betts from the injured list. Left-hander David Price was reinstated from the family medical emergency list. In corresponding moves, Eddy Alvarez was optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma City, while righty Ian Gibaut was designated for assignment.
Gibaut’s name has been filling up transaction logs in recent days, as he had his contract selected by the Guardians on June 27, was designated for assignment on June 28, claimed off waivers by the Dodgers on June 30 and now designated for assignment again today. He was able to make one scoreless appearance for the Guardians during that brief time on the squad, but now departs the Dodgers’ roster without getting into a game.
Through 19 2/3 Triple-A innings this season, he has a 3.20 ERA, 24.1% strikeout rate, 10.1% walk rate and 51% ground ball rate. Those results were intriguing enough for the 28-year-old to get a brief look with the Guardians and a passing glance from the Dodgers, indicating it’s likely he’ll now garner interest from other clubs looking for fresh arms. The Dodgers will have one week to work out a trade or pass him through waivers. Gibaut has previously been outrighted in his career and would be eligible to reject an outright assignment in favor of free agency.
Dodgers Claim Ian Gibaut From Guardians
The Dodgers have claimed reliever Ian Gibaut off waivers from the Guardians, according to an announcement from GuardsInsider. Los Angeles has transferred reliever Daniel Hudson from the 15-day to the 60-day injured list to clear a spot on the 40-man roster.
Cleveland designated Gibaut for assignment on Tuesday, just one day after selecting him to the big league roster. The righty did make an appearance, tossing 1 1/3 scoreless innings during a blowout loss to the Twins. Gibaut averaged 96.9 MPH on his fastball during that lone stint, two ticks harder than his average heater from last season. Signed to a minor league deal over the winter, the 6’3″ righty had otherwise spent the season with Triple-A Columbus. He tossed 19 2/3 innings of 3.20 ERA ball, striking out a fine 24.1% of opponents against an elevated 10.1% walk rate.
Gibaut induced grounders on over the half the batted balls he allowed with the Clippers. Between his capable minor league showing and seeming 2022 velocity uptick, the Dodgers were intrigued enough to give him a look. Gibaut is out of minor league option years, so he’ll have to stick on Los Angeles’ active roster or be designated for assignment. Also a former Ray, Ranger and Twin, the 28-year-old owns a 5.19 ERA in 34 2/3 big league innings over the past four years.
Hudson’s IL transfer is a formality. The veteran righty suffered a season-ending ACL tear in his left knee last week.
Guardians Acquire Sandy Leon, Designate Ian Gibaut For Assignment
The Guardians announced this morning that they’ve acquired veteran catcher Sandy Leon from the Reds in exchange for cash. He’s being added directly to the Major League roster, and right-hander Ian Gibaut has been designated for assignment in order to open a spot on the 40-man roster. Leon’s acquisition comes in conjunction with catcher Austin Hedges being placed on the 7-day concussion list. Meanwhile, righty Anthony Castro has been recalled from Triple-A Columbus to join the bullpen, and lefty Konnor Pilkington has been tabbed as the 27th man for today’s doubleheader against the division-leading Twins. He’ll start the second game today for Cleveland.
Leon, 33, was with Cleveland for the 2020 season and also spent the bulk of Spring Training with the Guardians this season before being granted his release. He signed a minor league deal with the Reds in mid-April and has spent the bulk of the season in Triple-A Louisville, where he’s batted .222/.321/.306 in 84 plate appearances.
A career .212/.277/.319 hitter who’s never hit much outside of a magical 2016 campaign in Boston, when he slashed .310/.369/.476 in 283 plate appearances, Leon is a respected veteran who is generally lauded for his game-calling and defensive prowess. He’s thwarted one-third of the stolen-base attempts against him in his big league career and regularly drawn positive marks for his framing and pitch blocking. In 3621 innings behind the dish, Leon has totaled 36 Defensive Runs Saved.
Cleveland clearly places a premium on defense behind the plate, which is obvious when looking at the glove-first nature of their catching corps in recent years. Beyond Leon, they’ve relied primarily on Hedges, Roberto Perez and Yan Gomes for the better part of a decade — all of whom are considered premium defenders even though they’ve rarely contributed much with the bat. (Perez and Gomes each had a brief run of plus offense but graded out below-average over their Cleveland tenures as a whole.)
Given the nature of his acquisition, Leon could be in for a brief stay with the Guardians. Then again, Luke Maile has batted just .180/.268/.279 through 71 plate appearances this season, so even if Hedges returns in short order, it’s perhaps possible that Leon could supplant Maile as the backup to Hedges.
Leon’s return to the big leagues comes at the expense of Gibaut, who’d only just returned to the Majors himself yesterday. He pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings in last night’s blowout at the hands of his 2021 Twins teammates but will now be traded or placed on outright waivers within a week’s time.
Gibaut, 28, has pitched in parts of four Major League seasons, totaling 34 2/3 innings of 5.19 ERA ball between the Rangers, Rays, Twins and Guardians. He’s notched a 3.20 ERA in 19 2/3 innings with Triple-A Columbus this season and carries a career 4.15 ERA, 29% strikeout rate and 10.9% walk rate in 136 2/3 frames at that level.
Between that solid track record and the fact that Gibaut sat at 97.1 mph with his heater last night — a huge jump from the 95.3 mph he averaged from 2019-21 — it’s possible a bullpen-needy club will look to claim him or strike up a small trade with Cleveland. If not, he’ll be able to reject an outright assignment in favor of free agency, should he choose, by virtue of the fact that he’s previously been outrighted in his career.
Guardians, Ian Gibaut Agree To Minor League Deal
The Guardians have agreed to a minor league contract with reliever Ian Gibaut, as announced by his reps at Fusion Sports Agency. The righty has suited up with three teams in as many seasons, including three appearances for the Twins last year. Outrighted off the Minnesota roster at the end of the season, he elected minor league free agency.
Gibaut, 28, has tossed 33 1/3 career innings in 27 appearances at the big league level. He’s pitched to a 5.40 ERA with a 22.5% strikeout rate and an alarming 13.9% walk percentage. However, Gibaut has averaged north of 95 MPH on his fastball in all three of his big league stints, and his 11.2% swinging strike rate isn’t far off the big league average for relievers.
The Tulane product was also a fairly well-regarded relief prospect as he climbed the minor league ladder in the Rays’ system. He has posted an ERA of 2.65 or lower at every level up through Double-A and owns a 4.31 mark over 117 career Triple-A frames. Gibaut has punched out nearly 30% of opposing hitters at the minors’ top level and he induced grounders on almost half the balls in play against him with the Twins’ top affiliate last year.
Rays Option Brendan McKay, Recall Ian Gibaut
The Tampa Bay Rays have recalled Ian Gibaut to make his major league debut, the team announced (via Twitter). Much-lauded two-way player Brendan McKay has been optioned to Triple-A to make room.
McKay’s first taste of the majors did little to quell the excitement about his eventual arrival as a regular two-way player. He took two turns through the rotation, accumulating 0.3 rWAR in the process and earning his first major league win. After going six scoreless against the Rangers in his sterling debut, he got a no-decision in giving up three earned runs across five innings against the vaunted Yankees. He returns to Triple-A after 11 innings, three earned runs, seven hits, six strikeouts and a walk.
As a batter, McKay remains largely uninitiated, as he went 0-4 in his only start as a designated hitter. McKay is generally regarded as less advanced as a hitter than a pitcher. The Rays do not likely view him as a contributor on that side of the ball until next season at the earliest. On the hill, however, there’s a good chance he will see another opportunity at some point in 2019.
As for Gibaut, the 25-year-old Texan was an 11th round pick by the Rays in 2015. He missed two months of this season with injury, but since returning to Triple-A Durham, Gibaut has been on his game: 9 appearances, 1.93 ERA, 3.9 H/9, 15.4 K/9, 6.8 BB/9. Outside of some location issues, Gibaut has all the makings of a late-game reliever. He has recorded 35 saves in the minors, though the Rays will no doubt look to leverage his opportunities early on given the depth of their relief corps.