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KBO’s Samsung Lions Re-Sign Three Players

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The Samsung Lions of the Korea Baseball Organization announced last night they’ve re-signed all three of their foreign-born players (h/t to Dan Kurtz of MyKBO.net). Right-handers David Buchanan and Albert Suarez and outfielder José Pirela all inked new deals for the 2023 campaign.

All three players have prior MLB experience. Buchanan made 35 starts for the Phillies from 2014-15, posting a 5.01 ERA. He spent three seasons in Japan and has now played three years in South Korea, working to a 3.45 ERA or lower each year. Buchanan provided the Lions 160 frames of 3.04 ERA ball this past season. Joel Sherman of the New York Post tweeted last night the 33-year-old righty was drawing some attention from MLB teams but decided to return to Daegu for a fourth season. He’ll make $1.6MM, according to the team announcement.

Suarez played for the Giants in 2016-17. He posted a 4.51 ERA in 115 2/3 innings for San Francisco. By 2019, he’d made the jump to Asia. Like Buchanan, he first went to Japan. After three seasons in Nippon Professional Baseball, he signed with the Lions in 2022. His first season in the KBO was a resounding success, as he posted a 2.49 ERA over 173 2/3 innings while starting 29 of 30 outings. The Venezuelan-born righty will return for a second season on a $1.3MM salary.

Pirela, who’ll make $1.7MM, is the highest-paid of the trio. He also started in NPB before making the move to South Korea for the 2021 campaign. The right-handed hitter has played two seasons for the Lions, combining for an excellent .314/.384/.528 line in over 1200 plate appearances. That includes a massive .342/.411/.565 showing in 141 games this past season. A Venezuela native, the 33-year-old Pirela played in 302 MLB games between 2014-19. He suited up with the Yankees, Padres and Phillies and hit .257/.308/.392 in the majors.

Top Ex-MLB Performers In The 2022 KBO Season

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The KBO playoffs are at their final stages, with the Kiwoom Heroes meeting the LG Twins and the winner going on to face the SSG Landers in the Korean Series. A few familiar names from MLB in recent years had strong seasons in Korea, so let’s take a look at three of the top ex-MLB pitchers and three hitters that excelled there in 2022.

Pitchers

Adam Plutko (LG Twins): 162 IP (28 starts), 2.39 ERA, 0.7 HR/9, 2.1 BB/9, 8.3 K/9.

Plutko headed to Korea after struggling mightily in 2021 in Baltimore, pitching to a 6.71 ERA across 38 appearances. That came after four years in Cleveland where he put up a 5.05 ERA across 217 1/3 innings. Plutko had solid walk rates in the majors, but had difficulties with the long ball and posted poor strikeout rates. That’s perhaps not surprising, given scouts often viewed him as a pitcher lacking in elite stuff but with the command and deployment to make up for it. He’s enjoyed tremendous success in his first season in the KBO, however. Plutko is now a free agent, having played the 2022 season on a one-year deal with a $500K base salary and $300K in incentinves.

Drew Rucinski (NC Dinos): 193 2/3 IP (31 starts), 2.97 ERA, 0.7 HR/9, 1.6 BB/9, 9.0 K/9.

Rucinski, 33, enjoyed his fourth, and most successful, season in the KBO in 2022. The former Angels, Twins and Marlins pitcher has long been one of the best foreign pitchers in the league, and was the second highest foreign earner this year, taking home a $1.9MM base. He’s shown exceptional durability while in Korea, reaching 30 starts in each of his four seasons. This year, he posted his highest innings total, lowest ERA, and dropped his walk rate by around one batter per nine innings. Rucinski has also seen his ground ball percentage soar while in Korea, and his mark of 66.7% in 2022 is well north of his MLB rate of 48%.

Wilmer Font (SSG Landers): 184 IP (28 starts), 2.69 ERA, 0.9 HR/9, 1.7 BB/9, 8.3 K/9.

2022 was Font’s second season in the KBO, and comfortably his best. The 32-year-old improved his walk rate from a year prior, issuing one fewer free pass per nine innings. That helped his ERA drop from 3.46 to 2.69, but Font also worked deeper into ballgames and threw almost forty more innings in 2022 than a year earlier, all the while maintaining a strong 23.3% strikeout rate. Font bounced around the majors between 2012-20, appearing for six teams but struggling to post consistent results. One of the biggest shifts since his move to Korea is a huge uptick in ground ball percentage, as Font posted 55% and then 51.6% marks across the past two seasons, far above his MLB rates.

Hitters

Jose Pirela (Samsung Lions): (141 games) .342/.411/.565, 28 HR, 55 BB, 81 K, 15 SB.

Pirela suited up for the Yankees, Padres and Phillies in the majors between 2014-19, before making the switch to Japan. After one year with the Hiroshima Carp, he moved to Korea to join the Lions. While Pirela posted strong numbers in his first year, he’s become one of the KBO’s most feared hitters in 2022. The 32-year-old finished second in home runs, hits, average and OBP all while striking out just 12.9% of the time. It was a sizable jump from 2021, when he hit .284/.357/.490 with 28 home runs. While a small dip in strikeouts would’ve helped, he was certainly boosted by a .361 BABIP in 2022, almost 70 points higher than the previous season. Nonetheless, it’ll be interesting to see if Pirela garners any MLB attention this winter on the back of an MVP-level year in Korea.

Anthony Alford (KT Wiz): (80 games) .286/.362/.509, 14 HR, 33 BB, 90 K, 5 SB.

Alford, 28, was released from a minor league deal with the Guardians in May to pursue an opportunity in Korea, where he’s impressed greatly, showcasing some of the exciting talent that made him one of baseball’s top young prospects between 2016-18. Alford tallied 240 plate appearances for the Blue Jays and Pirates with a whopping 37.9% strikeout rate. Those strikeouts were still a problem in Korea, but he cut that back to 27.9%. As a prospect, Alford was always touted as having the power and athleticism to be a star, and while he hasn’t been able to tap into that at the top level, he’s still young enough that a second season overseas with improvements shown could make him an intriguing candidate for a second crack at the majors.

Socrates Brito (Kia Tigers): (127 games) .311/.354/.494, 17 HR, 34 BB, 81 K, 12 SB. 

Released by the Yankees at the end of the 2021 campaign after bouncing around major league teams providing minor league outfield depth, Brito inked his first KBO deal for 2022. While he’d hit just .179/.216/.309 across 218 MLB plate appearances, the 30-year-old found his groove in Korea. Through the minors and into the majors, Brito’s strikeout rate had generally hovered a bit above 20%, but he cut that back to 14.6% in Korea. Brito often put up stellar Triple-A numbers, but struggled in his last season at the level in the Yankees organization, so it’s possible that a strong season in Korea will give him the chance to return to the US and seek another crack as solid outfield depth on an MLB team.

Recapping The KBO League’s International Player Signings

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With the lockout slowing MLB-related transactions to a crawl of minor league deals, transactions involving Korean Baseball Organization teams have taken more of a spotlight on MLBTR’s pages since the start of December.  These moves have included the signings of several names familiar to North American baseball fans, as the KBO League’s clubs have looked to address their allocated three roster spots for non-Korean players.  International-born players can only sign contracts worth a maximum of $1MM in total salary, and players new to the KBO League can sign only one-year pacts.

Though the Doosan Bears have one signing that still isn’t yet official, the other 29 slots have been filled.  It is still possible this list could be adjusted in the coming weeks due to a number of factors — injuries, players returning to North America (for personal reasons or a deal with an MLB team), issues related to the pandemic, or teams just changing their minds after seeing the players in training camp.  Here is the rundown of this winter’s international signings for the 10 KBO League franchises….

Doosan Bears
Jose Miguel Fernandez (deal not yet finalized), Ariel Miranda, Robert Stock

NC Dinos
Nick Martini, Wes Parsons, Drew Rucinski

Hanwha Eagles
Ryan Carpenter, Nick Kingham, Mike Tauchman

Lotte Giants
Charlie Barnes, DJ Peters, Glenn Sparkman

Kiwoom Heroes
Tyler Eppler, Eric Jokisch, Yasiel Puig

SSG Landers
Kevin Cron, Wilmer Font, Ivan Nova

Samsung Lions
David Buchanan, Jose Pirela, Albert Suarez

Kia Tigers
Socrates Brito, Sean Nolin, Ronnie Williams

LG Twins
Casey Kelly, Adam Plutko, Rio Ruiz

KT Wiz
William Cuevas, Odrisamer Despaigne, Henry Ramos

KBO’s Samsung Lions Re-Sign Jose Pirela, David Buchanan

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The Samsung Lions of the Korea Baseball Organization announced yesterday that they’ve re-signed former big leaguers José Pirela and David Buchanan. Pirela will be guaranteed $800K, with an additional $400K in available incentives; Buchanan is guaranteed $1.2MM, with $500K possible in incentives (via Dan Kurtz of MyKBO.net).

Pirela, 32, suited up in the majors each season from 2014-19. The right-handed hitter spent his first two seasons with the Yankees, then logged three-plus years with the Padres and had a brief stop with the Phillies. He posted a .257/.308/.392 line in just more than 300 MLB games before making the jump to Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball over the 2019-20 offseason.

After a year with the Hiroshima Carp, Pirela moved to South Korea last winter. He hooked on with the Lions and hit a strong .284/.357/.490 with 28 home runs over 616 plate appearances. That showing impressed the Daegu-based club enough they’ll bring him back for a second season.

Buchanan spent two seasons in the big leagues, serving as a member of the Phillies’ rotation from 2014-15. The righty tossed 192 1/3 innings of 5.01 ERA ball in Philadelphia before heading to Japan in advance of the 2017 campaign. After three seasons with the Yakult Swallows, the Georgia native signed with the Lions for 2020.

He’s spent the past two seasons in the Samsung rotation, tossing 348 innings in Korea’s top league. Buchanan has an impressive 3.21 ERA in that time, striking out 19.1% of opponents while walking only 7.2% of batters faced.

International Transactions: 12/16/20

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The latest on some familiar names signing outside of North America….

  • Right-hander Odrisamer Despaigne has signed on for another year with the KT Wiz of the KBO League, the team announced.  Despaigne will receive $800K in guaranteed money ($500K salary, $300K signing bonus) for the one-year contract, with another $300K available in incentives.  After pitching 363 innings for five MLB teams between 2014-19, Despaigne signed with the Wiz last offseason and posted a 4.33 ERA, 2.24 K/BB rate, and 6.6 K/9 over 207 2/3 innings in his first year of KBO action.
  • Jose Pirela is also headed to South Korea, as the Samsung Lions announced that Pirela has signed a one-year deal.  Pirela will receive a $100K signing bonus and $500K in salary, plus up to $200K in incentives.  Pirela spent 2020 with the Hiroshima Carp of Nippon Professional Baseball, hitting .266/.312/.411 with 11 home runs over 337 plate appearances.  Pirela was deployed almost exclusively as an outfielder with the Carp, though the bulk of his Major League experience came as a second baseman over parts of six seasons from 2014-19.  The bulk of Pirela’s MLB career came as a Padre, as he hit .265/.320/.405 over 817 PA and 229 games in San Diego over the 2017-18 campaigns.  (Hat tip to MyKBO’s Dan Kurtz for both the Pirela and Despaigne items).

Former MLB Players In NPB: Japan Central League

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Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball is targeting a June 19 Opening Day. As is the case with the Korea Baseball Organization, the league has plenty of recognizable names for MLB fans to follow as we await the return of baseball in North America. NPB is larger than the KBO (12 teams vs. 10) and has slightly lesser restrictions on foreign players. As such, I split the “names to watch” rundown into two posts — this one covering the Japan Central League and a prior post on the Japan Pacific League.

Yomiuri Giants (77-64-2 record in 2019):

  • Hisashi Iwakuma, RHP: Perhaps the most well-known player on this list, Iwakuma was a rock in the Mariners’ rotation from 2012-16 before shoulder injuries interrupted a very strong MLB run. He signed with NPB’s Giants in the 2018-19 offseason but was only able to throw two minor league innings last year. Now 39, he’ll take another shot at a return in 2020.
  • Gerardo Parra, OF: The man who brought “Baby Shark” to Nationals Park and celebrated a World Series win last October took an early free-agent deal with the Giants back on Nov. 20. The 33-year-old batted .250/.300/.447 with the Nats last year.
  • Rubby De La Rosa, RHP: Once considered to be among the game’s top pitching prospects, the now 31-year-old De La Rosa had a decent run with the Red Sox and D-backs from 2014-17 before injuries derailed his career. He made his NPB debut with the Giants last year, pitching to a 2.25 ERA with a 32-to-5 K/BB ratio in 24 innings.
  • Angel Sanchez, RHP: Pirates fans are excused if they don’t remember Sanchez’s brief 12-inning cup of coffee from the 2017 season. Sanchez, now 30, had a very promising 2015 between Double-A and Triple-A before his 2016 season was lost to Tommy John surgery. He’s spent the past two years with the KBO’s SK Wyverns, including an impressive 2.62 ERA with 8.1 K/9 against 2.3 BB/9 in 165 innings in 2019.
  • Thyago Vieira, RHP: The 26-year-old Vieira was an intriguing prospect with the Mariners and White Sox due to his huge fastball velocity, but he was hit hard in 25 2/3 MLB frames and in the upper minors. This will be his first season in Japan.

Yokohama DeNA BayStars (71-69-3):

  • Jose Lopez, 1B: Yes — it’s that Jose Lopez. An All-Star second baseman with the Mariners way back in 2006, Lopez is now 36 years old and a seven-year veteran in NPB. In two seasons with the Giants and five with the BayStars, he’s a .276/.317/.500 hitter with 186 home runs.
  • Spencer Patton, RHP: The 32-year-old hasn’t pitched in the big leagues since 2016 and has just a 6.26 ERA in 54 frames between the Rangers and Cubs. But Patton has made a name for himself with the BayStars, for whom he pitched to a combined 2.64 ERA in 116 innings from 2017-18. He had a down year in ’19 and will be looking for better health and better results in 2020.
  • Edwin Escobar, LHP: Still just 28, Escobar hasn’t pitched in the Majors since a 2016 cameo with the D-backs. That’s due largely to the success he’s found in Japan, where he’s logged a 3.36 ERA with 9.5 K/9 and 3.4 BB/9 in three seasons out of the BayStars’ bullpen.
  • Tyler Austin, OF: Austin has shown plenty of power in parts of four MLB seasons, but his strikeouts have limited him to a .219/.292/.451 overall batting line. The former Yankees prospect will be suiting up for the first time in NPB this season.
  • Neftali Soto, INF/OF: The 31-year-old Soto saw all of 44 MLB plate appearances with the Reds in 2013-14, but he’s hit like a star in Japan. In two seasons with the Yokohama club, he’s batted .288/.355/.594 with 84 home runs inn 1043 plate appearances. He’ll be a free agent next year and could potentially draw some MLB interest.

Hanshin Tigers (69-68-6):

  • Kyuji Fujikawa, RHP: The now 39-year-old Fujikawa never took off after signing with the Cubs for the 2013 season. He returned to NPB in 2016 and has regained his status as a high-end reliever with his original club, the Tigers. Fujikawa whiffed 83 hitters and posted a 1.77 ERA in 56 innings last year.
  • Kosuke Fukudome, OF: Another former Cub, Fukudome is still chugging along at 43 years old. He hit .256/.347/.394 in 403 plate appearances with the Tigers last season — his 16th in NPB.
  • Justin Bour, 1B/DH: Bour blasted 92 home runs in a six-year run with the Marlins, Phillies and Angels, but he never hit much upon leaving Miami. His power should play well in his NPB debut this year, and hopefully his “Bourtobello Crushroom” nickname catches on there (even though Bour told Sports Illustrated he’s never actually been called by that nickname, it still appears on his Baseball-Reference page).
  • Jon Edwards, RHP: Edwards, 32, has seen MLB time with the Rangers, Indians and Padres but never cemented himself as a steady contributor. He boasts a 3.08 ERA and 12.4 K/9 in parts of four Triple-A seasons, however. This will be his NPB debut.
  • Onelki Garcia, RHP: Garcia, 30, has just 7 1/3 MLB innings to his name and will return to the Tigers for a second season after struggling to a 4.69 ERA in 103 2/3 frames last year. He did post a strong 2.99 mark with the Chunichi Dragons in 2018.
  • Jefry Marte, 1B/3B: Marte never found his stride in parts of four seasons with the Tigers or Angels from 2015-18, but he posted a .284/.381/.444 slash in his debut effort with Hanshin last season.
  • Jerry Sands, OF: The 32-year-old Sands had a journeyman career in the U.S. but hit at star levels in the Korea Baseball Organization over the past two seasons: .306/.391/.574. He signed with Hanshin this winter and will be making his NPB debut.

Hiroshima Toyo Carp (70-70-3):

  • Kris Johnson, LHP: Johnson, 35, barely got a look with the Pirates or Twins, but he’s been one of Japan’s best pitchers over the past half decade. In five seasons, all with the Carp, he has a combined 2.54 ERA with averages of seven strikeouts and three walks per nine innings.
  • DJ Johnson, RHP: This will be the first NPB season for Johnson, who posted a 4.88 ERA in 31 2/3 innings with the Rockies over the past couple of seasons. As an undrafted player who has also spent time on the indie circuit, the 30-year-old Johnson is cultivating quite the unique baseball career.
  • Tayler Scott, RHP: The second South African-born player to make it to the big leagues — Gift Ngoepe was the first — Scott was hit hard in 16 1/3 frames between the Mariners and Orioles last year. However, the 28-year-old also tossed 16 frames with just one run allowed and a 21-to-3 K/BB ratio with the Orioles’ Triple-A club in ’19.
  • Jose Pirela, OF: Pirela hit well in a half season with the Padres back in 2017, but he’s struggled in the Majors outside that run. He was never able to win the second base gig in San Diego and was lost in the shuffle of their crowded outfield mix. Pirela brings a career .257/.308/.392 MLB slash to his debut season in Japan, but he’s a .311/.362/.493 hitter in Triple-A.

Chunichi Dragons (68-73-2):

  • Dayan Viciedo, 1B: White Sox fans surely remember “The Tank” from his 2010-14 stretch with the South Siders, but he never blossomed into the star they hoped he could. Vicideo hit .254/.298/.424 in just shy of 1800 MLB plate appearances, but he’s a .303/.372/.502 hitter in four seasons as a Dragon.
  • Moises Sierra, OF: Speaking of former White Sox outfielders, Sierra’s run with the ChiSox was much more brief than that of Viciedo. He played 83 games there and 207 total in the big leagues from 2012-18, hitting .235/.287/.362 in the process. Sierra posted outrageous numbers in the Mexican League last year (.355/.464/.572) and will make his NPB debut in 2020.
  • Enny Romero, LHP: Romero pitched quite well for the 2017 Nats but has otherwise struggled in the Majors. He spent most of last season in the Dragons’ rotation, pitching to a 4.26 ERA through 116 1/3 frames.
  • Zoilo Almonte, OF: The 30-year-old Almonte never caught on with the Yankees despite a long look in their farm system, but he’s broken out with the Chunichi club in NPB. In two prior seasons, Almonte is a .323/.372/.491 hitter.

Tokyo Yakult Swallows (59-82-2):

  • Nori Aoki, OF: Aoki may be 38 years old, but he’s still a productive hitter. In 565 plate appearances with the Swallows in 2019, he batted .297/.385/.442 with 16 long balls. That’s more power than he showed in MLB, but his six-year run in the Majors was still quite solid: .285/.350/.387, 10.5 WAR.
  • Alcides Escobar, SS: Aoki’s former Royals teammate will join him for his debut NPB campaign once play resumes in two weeks. The 33-year-old Escobar’s bat tailed off dramatically in his final big league seasons, but he’s a former All-Star, Gold Glove winner and World Series champion.
  • Gabriel Ynoa, RHP: A longtime Mets farmhand, the 27-year-old Ynoa never found much success in the Majors (5.39 ERA in 163 2/3 innings). Ynoa soaked up 110 innings for a disastrous Orioles pitching staff in 2019, but he’ll hope to make more of an impact in his NPB debut.
  • Matt Koch, RHP: Koch, 29, never found his footing in four years with the D-backs or even in Triple-A, but he threw well up through the Double-A level in his career.
  • Scott McGough, RHP: The 30-year-old McGough has just 6 2/3 innings in the Majors, all with the 2015 Marlins, but he was sharp for Yakult in 2019, pitching to a 3.15 ERA with nearly a strikeout per frame in 68 2/3 innings of relief.
  • Albert Suarez, RHP: Once a Rule 5 pick by the Giants, Suarez also saw some time with the Yakult club last season, logging a 1.54 ERA in 17 2/3 frames. He also spent time with their minor league club, but he’ll hope to establish himself further in 2020.
  • Ryota Igarashi, RHP: The 41-year-old Igarashi’s time with the Mets, Yankees and Blue Jays in 2010-12 was ugly, but he’s been a consistently strong bullpen presence in a whopping 17 NPB seasons. Last year’s 2.98 ERA in 42 1/3 frames was a near-match with his 2.93 career mark, although his 5.1 BB/9 mark was a bit of a red flag.

Phillies Release Jose Pirela To Play In Japan

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The Phillies have announced the release of utilityman Jose Pirela. He intends to pursue an opportunity in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball.

Pirela landed with the Phils in the middle of the 2019 campaign after being designated by the Padres. He appeared briefly down the stretch but obviously did not make enough of an impression to make himself a significant part of the team’s plans in 2020.

While he had quite a productive showing in the big leagues in 2017, Pirela fell flat in a longer look the following season. He did post big numbers at Triple-A this year, with a .327/.376/.596 batting line in 372 plate appearances.

Phillies Acquire Jose Pirela

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The Phillies have acquired Jose Pirela from the Padres for cash considerations, the team reports.

Pirela, 29, was designated for assignment Monday by the Friars. The one-time Yankee was a staple in the Padre lineup from 2017-18, a stretch bookended by an ugly .249/.300/.345 line in 473 plate appearances for the club. Pirela has experience at every position save catcher, shortstop, and center field, and has proven a capable defender at each. In 242 plate appearances for the mash unit that is the El Paso Chihuahuas this season, the 29-year-old did his best to stand out, slashing a hefty .353/.401/.674 with 18 homers for the club.

With the possible, small-sample exception of Brad Miller, Philadelphia’s secondary players haven’t offered much this season. Six of the Phils’ bench players have combined for -2.5 fWAR, a number that’ll surely need a boost if the club’s to nail down one of two hotly-contested NL Wild Card spots.

Righty Tommy Hunter was moved to the 60-Day IL to make room for Pirela on the 40-man.

Padres Designate Jose Pirela, Reinstate & Option Travis Jankowski

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The Padres have designated utilityman Jose Pirela for assignment, per a club announcement. His 40-man spot was needed for outfielder Travis Jankowski, who was activated from the 60-day injured list and optioned to Triple-A.

Pirela, 29, has not seen much MLB action this season despite the fact that he has posted loud offensive numbers. Through 242 plate appearances, he’s slashing a robust .353/.401/.674 with 18 long balls.

It seems the Friars had already seen enough to know how they felt about Pirela. He had received a long look in 2018 after a strong 2017 showing, but proved unable to capitalize on the opportunity. Through nearly a thousand total trips to the plate at the game’s highest level, Pirela is a .258/.307/.390 hitter (88 wRC+).

The story isn’t altogether different for Jankowski, who has run through 953 plate appearances in the majors with marginal results (.242/.319/.321; 79 wRC+). He is a year-and-a-half younger than Pirela and arguably offers a slightly higher floor with highly-graded glovework and baserunning. Jankowski hasn’t been overly impressive with the bat during his rehab assignment — his plate discipline hasn’t quite made up for a total power outage (.254/.371/.271) — but will get another chance to show he deserves a big-league job in San Diego.

Dinelson Lamet Begins Rehab Assignment

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The Padres announced today that righty Dinelson Lamet will begin a rehab assignment. He’ll open at the High-A level.

Lamet underwent Tommy John surgery last April, so this will represent his return to competitive pitching. His timeline will surely be determined by his progress on the mound, but this move will start a thirty-day clock for the completion of the rehab assignment. (As Dennis Lin of The Athletic notes on Twitter, the team can request up to three ten-day extensions if needed.)

Barring a setback, Lamet will presumably be activated before the end of June. It’s possible he’ll move back into the San Diego rotation at some point next month, though the club could also ultimately decide upon an optional assignment depending upon what he shows.

Lamet entered the year with 1.130 years of MLB service already accrued. He’s continuing to pick up service while on the injured list, so he’ll finish the season with 2.130 years on his ticker if he spends all (or virtually all) of the year in the majors once his rehab assignment wraps up. That could put him in line for Super Two status next year, though the precise cutoff is not yet known.

For the Friars, Lamet’s progress could have a significant bearing on the team’s postseason hopes. He showed plenty of promise in his debut campaign of 2017, working to a 4.57 ERA with 10.9 K/9 and 4.3 BB/9 over 114 1/3 innings, and could represent a notable addition to a rotation that has (not unexpectedly) gone through some ups and downs to this point of the season.

A pair of other San Diego players are also set to begin their own rehab assignments. Utilityman Jose Pirela and outfielder Franchy Cordero will report to Triple-A, the former today and the latter on Friday.

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