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Jake Marisnick

Tigers Place Riley Greene On Injured List Due To Stress Reaction In Fibula

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10:00am: The Tigers have formally announced Greene’s placement on the injured list and the selection of Marisnick’s contract. In order to open a spot on the 40-man roster for Marisnick, Detroit transferred righty Trey Wingenter from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day injured list. Wingenter has already missed five weeks due to tendinitis in his throwing shoulder. The move to the 60-day IL doesn’t reset his IL requirements, so he’ll be eligible for reinstatement late next month.

9:30am: The Tigers have placed center fielder Riley Greene on the 10-day injured list with a stress fracture in his left fibula, tweets Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic. Greene exited last night’s game with discomfort in his lower leg, and a subsequent MRI revealed the injury. There’s no firm timetable on his recovery just yet, as he’s headed for a second opinion, but the injury figures to sideline him well beyond that 10-day minimum.

Just hours before Greene suffered the injury, the Tigers had acquired veteran outfielder Jake Marisnick from the White Sox in exchange for cash. Manager AJ Hinch said after last night’s game that the plan had been to select Marisnick’s contract anyhow, but the injury to Greene makes Marisnick’s acquisition all the more important, as the slick-fielding and fleet-footed veteran can provide Detroit with an alternative in center field.

Greene’s injury comes just as the 22-year-old former top prospect looked to be breaking out and reaching his potential. Drafted with the fifth overall selection back in 2019, Greene entered the 2022 season ranked among the sport’s ten best prospects on most publications but delivered a fairly tepid .253/.321/.362 batting line in 93 games as a 21-year-old rookie. This season, he’s slashing .296/.362/.443 with five home runs, nine doubles, three triples and six steals (in six attempts).

The past month, in particular, has been a torrid one for Greene. He’s hitting .365/.435/.573 since the calendar flipped to May, and while he won’t sustain this month’s sky-high .485 average on balls in play, there are plenty of positives amid the hot streak. Greene fanned in 31.1% of his plate appearances in March/April but cut that to 25% in May. His walk rate jumped from 7.8% to 11.1% as he’s cut five percentage points off his chase rate on pitches off the plate.

After averaging a pedestrian 89.4 mph off the bat with an overall 38.6% hard-hit rate in the season’s first month, Greene erupted with a 94.1 mph average exit velocity and 55.1% hard-hit rate in May. Even assuming some regression of that BABIP, Greene has cut back on his chases, struck out less, walked more and radically improved the quality of his batted-ball profile during his recent hot streak.

All of that positive progress will grind to halt for the time being, however, as Greene will require an absence — likely of some note — while this injury mends. His placement on the injured list comes just one day after Detroit put top starter Eduardo Rodriguez and outfielder Matt Vierling on the injured list due to a pulley/tendon injury and a lower back injury, respectively. The injuries to Greene and Rodriguez, in particular, are major blows to the surprising Tigers, who have outplayed expectations and find themselves two games out of the AL Central lead and within arm’s reach (six games) of the final AL Wild Card spot.

Detroit’s outfield has been plagued by health issues all season. Greene will join Vierling, Kerry Carpenter (shoulder sprain) and Austin Meadows (anxiety) on the injured list. That likely leaves Marisnick, Akil Baddoo and utilityman Zach McKinstry as the primary outfield trio, with Tyler Nevin perhaps mixing in against some left-handed pitching in favor of the lefty-swinging McKinstry or Baddoo. The Tigers have some other outfield options on the 40-man roster — namely Parker Meadows (Austin’s younger brother). The 23-year-old has a .239/.327/.410 slash in Triple-A this year but has been rolling of late, batting .289/.353/.578 with three homers, a pair of doubles and a triple over the past two weeks.

For now, it seems Marisnick will be ticketed for a prominent role. He’s a career .228/.281/.384 hitter in 2166 plate appearances, which doesn’t inspire much optimism with regard to his potential offensive contributions, but the 32-year-old is also one of the sport’s premier outfield defenders. Dating back to his 2013 MLB debut, Marisnick ranks eight among 1044 big league outfielders with 76 Defensive Runs Saved — and all seven of the names ahead of him on the list have received greater playing time to accumulate those higher totals. His 48 Outs Above Average since Statcast debuted the statistic rank 12th among all outfielders.

Tigers To Select Jake Marisnick

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The Tigers are selecting newly-acquired outfielder Jake Marisnick onto the major league roster, manager A.J. Hinch informed reporters (including Evan Woodbery of MLive). Detroit will announce corresponding moves tomorrow. The 40-man roster is at capacity, so they’ll either have to designate someone for assignment or place someone on the 60-day injured list.

Detroit’s primary center fielder, Riley Greene, left tonight’s loss to the Rangers due to left leg discomfort. Hinch stressed that the decision to call-up Marisnick is independent of Greene’s situation — the team presumably planned to promote him from the moment they landed him from the White Sox this afternoon — but it could prove a fortuitously timed pickup if Greene requires an injured list stint.

Marisnick adds a glove-first veteran to the Detroit outfield mix. He’s appeared in parts of 11 big league campaigns, including a nine-game showing for the ChiSox earlier this season. Marisnick is a career .228/.281/.384 hitter. He’s thrice reached double digits in home runs but consistently posts worse than average strikeout and walk rates.

The biggest appeal is in his defensive acumen. Marisnick has drawn strong reviews from public metrics like Defensive Runs Saved and Statcast’s Outs Above Average for his center field work. His marks have predictably dipped from peak levels as he’s gotten into his 30s but he’ll still offer some stability with the glove off the bench.

Greene has started 49 of the 53 games in center field. The former fifth overall pick has been Detroit’s most productive position player, carrying a .296/.362/.443 line with five home runs. Matt Vierling landed on the injured list today, leaving Marisnick and Akil Baddoo as the top options for center field work if Greene requires some time off.

Tigers Acquire Jake Marisnick From White Sox

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The Tigers announced that they have acquired outfielder Jake Marisnick from the White Sox in exchange for cash considerations. Marisnick wasn’t on Chicago’s 40-man roster and won’t require a corresponding move.

Marisnick, 32, first appeared in the majors almost a decade ago, debuting in July of 2013. He’s spent most of that time as a glove-first outfielder, generally hitting at a below-average rate while providing good defense and some speed. In over 2,000 plate appearances in his career, he’s hit .228/.281/.384 for a wRC+ of 80 while walking at a 5.4% rate and striking out 30.1% of the time. But he’s stolen 79 bases while also tallying 76 Defensive Runs Saved, 48 Outs Above Average and a mark of 22.9 from Ultimate Zone Rating.

He signed a minor league deal with the White Sox this winter and was added to the big league squad about three weeks ago. He was primarily utilized as a defensive replacement, appearing in nine games but with just a pair of trips to the plate. He was designated for assignment last week when the club selected Clint Frazier, then cleared waivers and accepted an outright assignment.

The Tigers had their outfield depth thinned a bit today, as Matt Vierling was placed on the injured list, joining fellow outfielders Kerry Carpenter and Austin Meadows. Marisnick will presumably head to Triple-A Toledo and provide the club with a veteran option to turn to if they suffer another injury.

Jake Marisnick Accepts Outright Assignment With White Sox

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TODAY: As noted by Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun Times, Marisnick has accepted an outright assignment to Triple-A Charlotte, where he will serve as outfield depth for the White Sox going forward.

May 21: The White Sox have announced that they have designated outfielder Jake Marisnick for assignment. The move opens up spots on both the active and 40-man rosters for outfielder Clint Frazier, who’s contract has been selected as was previously reported.

Marisnick, 32, was used primarily as a defensive replacement as he appeared in nine games despite stepping up to the plate just twice during his tenure with the White Sox. Prior to his time on the south side, which began when he signed a minor league deal with the club back in January, Marisnick had already played in the majors for six organizations, with the White Sox standing as his seventh.

A third round pick by the Blue Jays in the 2009 draft, Marisnick made his MLB debut with the Marlins in 2013 before being dealt to the Astros at the 2014 trade deadline. That deal would kick off a five and a half season tenure in Houston during which Marisnick primarily played center field, slashing .232/.285/.396 with a wRC+ of 85 during 631 games with the club. Marisnick’s tenure in Houston came to an end during the 2019-20 offseason, when he was dealt to the Mets in early December.

Thanks to his superlative outfield defense, which earned him +39 Outs Above Average between the 2016 and 2019 seasons, Marisnick has found part time roles with the Mets, Cubs, Padres, and now the White Sox since departing Houston, with a .233/.288/.403 slash line that’s good for an 87 wRC+ in 316 plate appearances. Now Marisnick figures to look for his eighth club in four seasons. Assuming he goes unclaimed on waivers, Marisnick will have the opportunity to elect free agency and sign elsewhere, likely on a minor league deal with a club in need of upper-level outfield depth in the minors.

The move opens up a roster spot for Frazier, who returns to Chicago after signing with the Cubs last season. The fifth overall pick by Cleveland in the 2013 draft, Frazier slashed an impressive .267/.351/.485 (123 wRC+) in 447 plate appearances between 2018 and 2020 with the Yankees, but has otherwise struggled with injuries throughout his career. Still, the 28-year-old Frazier showed the ability to be a useful bench bat in 19 games with the Cubs last year, with a .216/.356/.297 slash line that was good for a wRC+ of 97. Going forward, he figures to compete for starts in right field alongside Gavin Sheets and Adam Haseley.

White Sox Designate Alex Colome For Assignment

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The White Sox designated right-hander Alex Colome for assignment and selected the contract of outfielder Jake Marisnick from Triple-A Charlotte on Wednesday, per a team announcement. Marisnick will join the active roster as fellow fleet-footed, veteran outfielder Billy Hamilton heads to the 10-day injured list due to a hamstring strain. Chicago has also recalled righty Nick Padilla from Charlotte.

Colome’s reunion with the ChiSox, for whom he closed games in 2019-20, proved to be short-lived. The 34-year-old’s contract was selected earlier this month, and he’s since tossed three innings with four runs allowed (two earned) on two hits and three walks. His 93.9 mph average fastball in that time ties a career-low from the 2021 season.

While Colome notched a pristine 2.27 ERA in 83 1/3 innings during his original run with the White Sox, there were longstanding indicators that he’d be hard-pressed to sustain that success. The right-hander had sub-par strikeout and walk rates during that two-year stretch and yielded plenty of hard contact, allowing an average of 90.2 mph off the bat. The market seemingly agreed, as despite his sharp bottom-line numbers in his run-up to free agency, Colome settled for an affordable one-year deal with the Twins late in the offseason.

The results in Minnesota were pedestrian, and Colome hasn’t found much success since. Dating back to 2021, he’s sitting on a 4.85 ERA with a 17.7% strikeout rate and 9.2% walk rate. His 55.1% ground-ball rate remains excellent, but the remainder of his profile hasn’t been encouraging. The White Sox will have a week to trade him or else pass him through outright or release waivers. Colome can reject an assignment to the minors even if he goes unclaimed.

Marisnick, 32, will bring a similar skill set to that of Hamilton to the White Sox. While he’s not quite as fast as Hamilton, he’s a premier defensive center fielder whose offensive shortcomings have largely outweighed his proficiency in the outfield and on the basepaths. He’s out to a nice .264/.407/.391 start in Charlotte so far this season, but over the past five big league seasons Marisnick is a .228/.285/.406 hitter.

Marisnick does have some power against lefties, and he also boasts career marks of 50 Defensive Runs Saved and 35 Outs Above Average in center field. His .224/.274/.366 career output against right-handed pitching leaves plenty to be desired, but he’s not a bad fourth outfielder if a team is comfortable limiting him to a rather strict platoon arrangement.

The White Sox’ Right Field Options

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The White Sox have shaken up their outfield picture from last year, a fairly sensible move given their weak results during the 2022 season. The club’s outfielders collectively hit .254/.301/.393 last year for a wRC+ of 97, placing them 18th in the majors. Defensively, the results were even worse, with the club posting -22 Defensive Runs Saved and -16 Outs Above Average on the grass, both of those numbers coming in 27th in the league, while their -28.6 Ultimate Zone Rating among outfielders was dead last. At least part of those results could attributed to both Luis Robert and Eloy Jiménez missing significant time due to injuries, but it was clear that some change was needed.

The club’s first move was letting José Abreu depart, thus allowing Andrew Vaughn to come in off the grass and take over at first base. Reports emerged in October that this was the course the club was considering, and Abreu signed with the Astros the following month. Vaughn was a huge part of those terrible defensive numbers, as he personally posted a -14 DRS, -16 OAA and -10.5 UZR last year. Now that he can return to his natural position, that could allow the club to deploy a more traditional outfielder in his place, depending how the situation plays out.

The other move the club made was signing Andrew Benintendi to a five-year, $75MM deal. Defensive metrics are somewhat split on his glovework, with OAA considering him subpar while both DRS and UZR are much kinder. Despite that disagreement, it still seems fair to expect the Sox to get better defensive results this year. Vaughn will be on the infield while Jiménez, who is also graded poorly on the grass, seems to be lined up to be the club’s primary designated hitter this year. With Benintendi in left and Robert in center, the club should at least have two competent everyday players in the mix. The question left to be resolved is who will be in right field. The club also lost AJ Pollock when he turned down a player option and signed with the Mariners, in addition to non-tendering Adam Engel, who then signed with the Padres. The right field job has been left open as a battle this spring, so let’s take a look at the candidates.

Oscar Colas

“Oscar Colas is going to be given every opportunity to see if he can become our right fielder on a daily basis,” manager Pedro Grifol said in an interview a few weeks ago. The prospect has a short track record in affiliated ball and is not yet on the 40-man roster, but it seems the team wants to leave a path open for him to seize a job once he proves himself ready for it.

Now 24 years old, Colas played in Cuba when he was younger, serving as both a hitter and a pitcher. Though some liked to call him the “Cuban Ohtani,” he only logged 3 1/3 innings in Cuba when he was 19 and the comparison never seemed truly appropriate. After spending some time in Japan, Colas was eventually declared a free agent and agreed to terms with the White Sox in 2021. That deal didn’t become official until January of 2022 when a new international signing period began, delaying his debut in affiliated ball until last year. Colas now has one season in the minors under his belt and there’s no denying that it was impressive. He began in High-A before jumping to Double-A and Triple-A, getting 526 plate appearances in 117 total games. He hit 23 home runs in that time and produced a batting line of .314/.371/.524 for a wRC+ of 137.

Those results certainly suggest Colas has earned a shot in the big leagues, but there are also concerns. His work at Triple-A was only a seven-game stint as the season was winding down, and though he hit .387 in that time, he also struck out at a 36.4% rate while walking just 6.1% of the time. It’s a small sample, but plate discipline is the primary red flag on his profile. His strikeout rate wasn’t quite as drastic at the lower levels but increased as he moved up the ranks. Scouting reports from both Baseball America and FanGraphs raise concerns about his propensity for chasing.

He’s not considered a strong enough defender for center field or a burner on the basepaths, with scouts agreeing he makes more sense in right field. He could still be an above-average fielder there, especially because his arm is considered an asset. But corner outfielders are generally expected to produce more offense than center fielders, putting a bit more pressure on his bat. Though the power seems to be legit, the strikeouts could potentially be an Achilles heel. It seems the Sox are open to letting him take a job with a hot spring but he could also warrant a bit more time on the farm after not playing in 2021 and a quick run through the minors last year.

Gavin Sheets

Sheets, 27 in April, has shown some solid work at the plate in his career so far. He debuted in 2021 and launched 11 home runs in 54 games, leading to a .250/.324/.506 slash line and a 124 wRC+. He got his first extended stretch of playing time last year but couldn’t quite maintain that torrid pace. He hit 15 home runs over 410 plate appearances and hit .241/.295/.411 overall for a wRC+ of 100, or exactly league average.

The defensive side of his game hasn’t been graded well, however, as Sheets has a -10 DRS, -7 OAA and -6.0 UZR in the outfield so far. He’s only been in the majors a short time but the profile appears limited, supplying power but not much else since he doesn’t run well or get on base at an especially high rate. He seems like the frontrunner to hold down the job until Colas is deemed ready.

Eloy Jiménez

Jiménez, 26, certainly provides value with his bat. Despite missing over two months with a hamstring strain last year, he still hit 16 home runs and finished the season with a .295/.358/.500 batting line for a wRC+ of 144. But his defense has been a liability in his career, leading to tallies of -15 DRS, -17 OAA and -8.2 UZR. It seems the club will try to utilize him as a DH for the most part, though not entirely.

“I’m really looking forward to seeing Eloy in right field,” Grifol said recently. “I’m not talking about seeing him there every day, but I’m talking about maybe seeing him there a day or two a week if possible and keeping him athletic and keeping him working on the defensive side, because I know that helps on the offensive side as well.”

Regardless of who’s getting the regular right field reps, it seems Jiménez will be rotated in there a bit. That’s a fine enough plan but situations could always arise where he has to jog out there more often. Last year, for example, Bryce Harper was diagnosed with a torn UCL that kept him from taking the field but allowed him to continue hitting. That forced the Phillies to put Kyle Schwarber and Nick Castellanos out on the grass more often than they initially planned. That’s an extreme example in the sense that Harper was such a good hitter that the Phils had little choice but to allow him to clog up their DH slot for most of the year. However, it still shows that an injury can sometimes throw off a club’s designs for its ideal alignment, and it’s possible such a scenario arises and leads to an extended stretch in the field for Jiménez.

Leury Garcia

Garcia, 32 in March, is a candidate to help out with Chicago’s unsettled second base position as well as here in right. In his many years with the club, he’s served a super utility role, playing everywhere except first base and catcher. His glovework in the outfield is considered to be around average, though he doesn’t provide much at the plate, with a career batting line of .253/.293/.350. That amounts to a wRC+ of 74, indicating he’s been 26% below league average for his career. He was well off that pace last year, getting into 97 games but hitting just .210/.233/.267 for a wRC+ of just 39. He’s likely to be bouncing around the diamond to fill in wherever he’s needed. That could include some time in right field, but if he’s getting an extended run here it likely means something has gone terribly wrong.

Victor Reyes/Jake Marisnick/Billy Hamilton/Adam Haseley

None of these outfielders are currently on the roster, but they will be in camp as non-roster invitees. In the case of Haseley, he was outrighted in November while the other three were brought aboard on minor league deals. Marisnick and Hamilton are both glove-first veterans who will be 32 years old this year. They could make their way onto the roster as a fourth outfielder at some point, but it will be difficult to earn an everyday role unless there’s a cascade of injuries to other players. Haseley, 27 in April, was once a top-100 prospect with the Phillies, but his bat seems to have stalled out once he got to the game’s upper levels. He has a .262/.323/.364 batting line in 380 MLB plate appearances for a wRC+ of 82. His Triple-A work isn’t impressive either, coming in at .241/.308/.389. His defense is well-regarded and he’s yet to reach arbitration, so he could theoretically carve out a meaningful role if he can take a step forward at the plate. Reyes, 28, is fairly similar, having hit .264/.294/.379 in his career for an 83 wRC+. He has over four years of service time but still has an option remaining.

External Addition

There are still some names available in free agency, such as Jurickson Profar, David Peralta, Tyler Naquin, Ben Gamel, Robbie Grossman and others. Convincing any of them to sign as a placeholder or a part-time player could be difficult, though an injury during Spring Training or the World Baseball Classic could quickly change the whole picture. The club isn’t close to the $233MM competitive balance tax threshold, with Roster Resource currently pegging their number at $205MM. They are, however, getting pretty close to their franchise spending record. Per Cot’s Baseball Contracts, the club ran a $193MM figure on Opening Day last year, smashing their previous record of $129MM. Roster Resource has them at $187MM right now, just shy of last year. They could seemingly afford to make an addition if they wanted, but it’s possible they simply don’t want to block Colas and the remaining free agents feel they could probably find better opportunities elsewhere.

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Though the Sox seem capable of having a better outfield this year, the overall depth does seem to be lacking at the moment. If Colas comes into spring and looks great, then things are probably in good shape. But if he looks a little shaky and goes back to the minors, then Sheets and Jiménez are likely handling things, with both of those guys being defensive liabilities. One injury would suddenly vault Garcia or one of the non-roster guys into an everyday role. More than one injury would really create a problem.

White Sox Agree To Minor League Deals With Jake Marisnick, Erik Gonzalez

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The White Sox have agreed to minor league contracts with outfielder Jake Marisnick (as first reported by Kenny Van Doren of Astros Future) and infielder Erik Gonzalez (as indicated on the transaction log at MiLB.com). Marisnick will be invited to Major League Spring Training and would earn a $1.3MM salary if he makes the team. Gonzalez, presumably, will also be in camp this spring.

Marisnick, 32 in March, spent the 2022 season with the Pirates, for whom he posted a tepid .234/.272/.390 slash in a tiny sample of 82 plate appearances. He’s appeared in the Majors every year since debuting with the Marlins back in 2013 but has never topped the 372 plate appearances he recorded with the Astros back in 2015. Overall, he’s a lifetime .228/.281/.384 batter in 2164 plate appearances, though his .235/.292/.412 slash against lefties is a slight improvement over those career rates.

The signing of Marisnick gives the South Siders a potential right-handed-hitting complement to lefty-swinging right fielder Gavin Sheets (and, to a lesser extent, a complement for fellow lefty Andrew Benintendi in left field, though Benintendi will likely play every day regardless of opponent). In that sense, he could potentially fill a role similar to the one Adam Engel has occupied for the Sox in recent seasons. Engel signed a one-year deal with the Padres recently after being non-tendered by Chicago back in November.

The fleet-footed Marisnick is capable of playing any of the three outfield slots and is generally regarded as a plus defender at each. Statcast ranked him in the 85th percentile of Major Leaguers in terms of average sprint speed this past season and in the 96th percentile in terms of arm strength. Of his 5125 career innings in the outfield, 4231 have come in center field. Marisnick, then, is also a viable defensive-minded backup in the event of a Luis Robert injury. He’s tallied impressive marks of 76 Defensive Runs Saved and 48 Outs Above Average in those 5125 innings of outfield work. That’s the eighth-best DRS mark of any outfielder since 2013 and 12th-best OAA mark, despite the fact that the majority of names ahead of him on the list have played far more innings.

Gonzalez, 31, is another former Pirate (2019-21) but spent the 2022 season with the Marlins organization. He posted just a .189/.268/.216 slash in the Majors, but that came in a sample of only 41 plate appearances. Gonzalez spent the bulk of the season in Triple-A, where he logged a much more palatable .284/.336/.373 slash while appearing at all four infield positions (albeit just one inning at first base).

Since debuting with Cleveland back in 2016, Gonzalez has appeared in parts of seven Major League seasons. He’s a combined .242/.276/.340 hitter but has drawn plus DRS marks at all four infield spots and plus OAA marks at both shortstop and third base. That ability to play anywhere on the infield will give him a chance to earn a bench spot in Spring Training and, if he begins the year in Triple-A, could make him one of the team’s first options in the event of an injury in the big league infield.

Braves Sign Jake Marisnick To Minor League Deal

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The Braves signed outfielder Jake Marisnick to a minor league deal, according to his transactions tracker at MLB.com. The deal is listed as taking place on August 30, which is significant as 11:59pm ET on August 31 was the postseason eligibility cutoff. Those within an organization but not on the 40-man at the start of September can still be added to the postseason roster to replace a player on the injured list via petition to the commissioner’s office.

Marisnick, 31, is in his 10th MLB season, having seen action with the Marlins, Astros, Mets, Cubs, Padres and Pirates. He’s never been a huge threat at the plate, as evidenced by his career slash line of .234/.272/.390. That amounts to a wRC+ of 81, or 19% below league average. However, he has always provided speed and defense, stealing 79 bases and 76 Defensive Runs Saved over his time in the big leagues.

This year, he signed a minor league deal with the Rangers in March but jumped ship to the Pirates as the season was beginning. About five weeks into the season, he required thumb surgery which kept him out of action for about two months. He was released in early August after appearing in just 31 total games for the Bucs on the year. He hit about at his career rate in that time but accrued six Outs Above Average.

The Braves have young superstar Ronald Acuna Jr. on the roster, though he’s been spending a lot of time at designated hitter due to lingering soreness in his return from tearing his ACL last year. That leaves the club with an outfield mix of Michael Harris II, Eddie Rosario, Robbie Grossman, Marcell Ozuna and Guillermo Heredia. Outside of Harris, none of that group is having a very good season. Should the club decide they want to bring up a glove-first option into the mix, they’ll have Marisnick on hand in the minors.

Pirates Claim Kevin Padlo, Release Jake Marisnick

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The Pirates announced that they claimed infielder Kevin Padlo off waivers from the Mariners and optioned him to Triple-A. In a corresponding move, outfielder Jake Marisnick has been released. The club also announced that catcher Taylor Davis has cleared waivers and been outrighted.

Padlo, 26, made his MLB debut last year with the Rays but went to the Mariners on a waiver claim. In April of this year, the Mariners designated him for assignment in April and traded him to the Giants. The Giants DFA’d him in June and the Mariners claimed him again, before he was sent into DFA limbo yet again a few days ago, now landing with the Pirates.

Amid all of that, Padlo has played 20 games at the MLB level between last year and this year, hitting a paltry .143/.211/.200. He has better numbers in the minors this season, hitting .245/.327/.455 for a wRC+ of 92. His best attribute is arguably his plate discipline, as he frequently ran up double-digit walk rates in his rise up the minor leagues. He’s only at 9.3% on the farm this year, but the Pirates will give him a shot based on that track record.

As for Marisnick, 31, the defensive specialist was signed by the Pirates in April but required thumb surgery in May, which ended up costing him about two months. He has since returned and increased his tally of games on the season to 31. His batting line for the campaign is .234/.272/.390, wRC+ of 80, roughly in line with his career numbers. The defensive metrics are still giving positive reviews for his work on the grass, meaning this move isn’t likely a reflection of his performance. Rather, the rebuilding club probably just wants to devote its playing time and roster spots for controllable players who they will audition for future roles on the team. It wouldn’t be surprising if Marisnick garnered interest from a contender who wanted his speed and defense on the bench. At last year’s trade deadline, for instance, he was traded from the Cubs to the Padres for such a role.

Pirates Place Bryan Reynolds On IL With Oblique Strain

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The Pirates announced a series of transactions prior to tonight’s game, with outfielder Bryan Reynolds being placed on the 10-day injured list due to a right oblique strain. To take his place on the active roster, outfielder Jake Marisnick was activated from the 60-day IL. To make room for Marisnick on the 40-man roster, left-hander Cam Vieaux was designated for assignment.

Reynolds was removed from yesterday’s game with some discomfort in his side, which has now been diagnosed as an oblique strain. The outfielder has been one of the bright spots of a rebuilding Pirates team in recent years, with his 2021 campaign standing out the highlight so far. Last year, he hit .302/.390/.522 for a 142 wRC+ and helping him produce 6.1 fWAR, the tenth-highest such mark across the majors. This year, Reynolds struggled for the first month or so but has looked like his old self recently. On the whole, his batting line for the season is .261/.343/.465 for a wRC+ of 126.

Given the fact that Reynolds plays at a high level on a rebuilding team, there’s naturally been much trade speculation hovering around him. However, given that he’s not slated to reach free agency until after the 2025 season, the Pirates have maintained sky-high asking prices in any trade talks, which is why no trade has come together thus far. That hasn’t stopped teams from trying, however, with reporting from earlier today indicating the club has rejected offers on Reynolds, as well as closer David Bednar. It’s always seemed like the Pirates would hang onto him, but this IL placement effectively closes the door on whatever chance there was. The club hasn’t provided an estimated timeline for his recovery, but the August 2 deadline is now just over three weeks away. Kevin Gorman of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review points out that oblique strains typically come with a recovery time of about a month. If that holds true in Reynolds’ case, he’d be out of action until after the deadline.

Marisnick, 31, signed a deal with the Pirates on the cusp of Opening Day but required thumb surgery in May. He got into 12 games before that but slumped to a .163/.196/.204. Marisnick is a glove-first outfielder anyway, with 78 Defensive Runs Saved on his career ledger. He should be able to help the Bucs cover center field in Reynolds’ absence. If he can get into a nice stretch of play before the deadline, he could be traded to a team seeking a strong defensive outfielder. One year ago, he went from the Cubs to the Padres in a deadline swap.

As for Vieaux, 28, he was selected to the big league roster just a few weeks ago. He was given five appearances, but his line is marred by one particular game wherein the club left him out to dry in order to save their other arms. After allowing one earned run over his first four appearances, the Bucs sent him in to pitch the top of the eighth in a game they were losing to the Brewers 9-1. Despite Vieaux getting hit around badly, there was no help forthcoming to get out of the inning. The lefty ended up tossing 56 pitches in that one frame, allowing six hits, three walks and eight runs, seven of them earned. As a result, he has a 14.40 ERA through five innings this year. In 29 2/3 Triple-A frames, however, he has a 2.12 ERA this year. Lefty relievers are always in demand and Vieaux has options remaining, making it possible some team looking to bolster its depth takes a chance on him.

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