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Ken Giles

Blue Jays Announce Several Roster Moves

By Connor Byrne | September 11, 2020 at 4:19pm CDT

The Blue Jays announced several roster moves on Friday, including the activation of reliever Ken Giles from the 45-day injured list. They also promoted catcher Alejandro Kirk, designated outfielder Billy McKinney and backstop Caleb Joseph, recalled righty Jacob Waguespack and optioned righty Sean Reid-Foley.

Giles made just two appearances this year (on July 24 and 26) before landing on the IL with a right forearm strain. It’s the second consecutive season limited by arm injuries for Giles, but when he’s right, he’s dominant. The 29-year-old was among the league’s best relievers last season, when he threw 53 innings and registered a 1.87 ERA/2.27 FIP with 14.09 K/9, 2.89 BB/9 and 23 saves in 24 chances. Giles’ production didn’t help lead to contention for the Jays then, but they’re 24-19 this season and in possession of a playoff spot. Therefore, if Giles is able to revisit his 2019 form, he could be an enormous down-the-stretch addition for Toronto.

Kirk, 21, has done nothing but hit in the minors over the past couple years. Even though he only reached the High-A level before this promotion, Kirk should be in line to at least back up Danny Jansen right now. He ranks as one of the top Blue Jays prospects at Baseball America (No. 5), MLB.com (No. 6) and FanGraphs (No. 6), with BA writing that Kirk “has an innate ability to barrel baseballs consistently, along with a good sense of the strike zone.”

Kirk will take over for Joseph, a former Oriole whom the Blue Jays signed to a minors pact in the offseason. Toronto selected Joseph back on Sept. 5, but it’s now booting the light-hitting 34-year-old from its roster after less than a week.

McKinney, along with the recently outrighted Brandon Drury, was part of the Blue Jays’ return for left-hander J.A. Happ in a deal they made with the Yankees in 2018. McKinney was effective after the Jays picked him up, as he hit .252/.320/.470 with six home runs in 118 plate appearances, but he didn’t come close to that production last year and hasn’t been part of Toronto’s plans this season. The 26-year-old totaled just three PA in 2020 before the Jays designated him.

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Toronto Blue Jays Transactions Alejandro Kirk Billy McKinney Caleb Joseph Ken Giles

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AL Injury Notes: M. Chapman, Jays, Angels

By Connor Byrne | September 8, 2020 at 9:57pm CDT

A few notable injury notes from around the American League…

  • Athletics third baseman Matt Chapman will resume baseball activities Wednesday, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle tweets. It’s still unclear how much longer the AL West-leading A’s will go without Chapman, though. The 27-year-old has been out since he left their game Sunday with a right hip strain. Chapman batted a power-driven .232/.276/.535 with 10 home runs in 152 plate appearances before his injury.
  • Blue Jays first baseman Rowdy Tellez is dealing with right knee discomfort and will undergo an MRI on Wednesday, according to Hazel Mae of Sportsnet. Tellez has been one of the bright spots for the playoff-contending Blue Jays, who have benefited from his .291/.355/.555 line en route to a 24-18 record.
  • More on the Blue Jays, whose top reliever, Ken Giles, may be on track to return this weekend, Gregor Chisholm of the Toronto Star tweets. Giles has only pitched twice this year – on July 24 and 26 – because of a forearm strain. The long absence could affect the 29-year-old’s earning power entering free agency, though the Blue Jays have carried on well without him. Their bullpen entered Tuesday ranked fourth in the majors in ERA and sixth in FIP.
  • The Angels placed infielder Franklin Barreto on the injured list Tuesday, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com tweets. They recalled infielder Matt Thaiss in a corresponding move. Barreto, whom the Angels acquired from the division-rival Athletics for fellow infielder Tommy La Stella before the trade deadline, has struggled in his time in the majors and hasn’t provided any value to LA so far. Since joining the Angels, Barreto has collected two hits in 18 trips to the plate.
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Los Angeles Angels Oakland Athletics Toronto Blue Jays Franklin Barreto Ken Giles Matt Chapman Rowdy Tellez

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Blue Jays Select Caleb Joseph’s Contract, Move Ken Giles To 45-Day Injured List

By Mark Polishuk | September 5, 2020 at 7:28pm CDT

The Blue Jays announced some roster moves prior to tonight’s game against the Red Sox, including the news that catcher Caleb Joseph’s contract had been selected from the team’s alternate training site.  Joseph will replace catcher Reese McGuire, who was optioned to the alternate site.  To create 40-man roster space for Joseph, closer Ken Giles has been moved from the 10-day injured list to the 45-day IL.

Joseph has been on Toronto’s taxi squad for much of the season, and he’ll now be in line to get his first in-game action of the 2020 season.  Signed to a minor league deal last winter, Joseph saw regular action with the Orioles from 2014-18, hitting only .224/.271/.353 over 1317 plate appearances in Baltimore and then posting only a .513 OPS over a 41-PA stint with the Diamondbacks last season.  Joseph has, however, earned a solid reputation as a defensive catcher, adept at pitch-framing and throwing out would-be base-stealers.

Though Joseph isn’t known for his hitting, it won’t take much to top McGuire’s somewhat unfathomable -45 OPS+ during the 2020 season.  McGuire showed quite a bit of promise with his .882 OPS over 138 PA with the Jays in 2018-19, though this year has managed just a .073/.073/.146 slash line in 45 plate appearances.  With regular starter Danny Jansen also not hitting much, clearly the Blue Jays felt a change was needed to boost their production from the catcher’s spot.

Counting today, Giles has already spent 41 days on the injured list since his initial placement for a right forearm strain, so the move to the 45-day IL isn’t a big obstacle to his impending return.  Giles threw a live batting practice session today and is slated for another on Tuesday, so he could potentially be activated as soon as he hits the 45-day threshold.

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Toronto Blue Jays Transactions Caleb Joseph Ken Giles Reese McGuire

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AL Injury Notes: Twins, Jays, Kennedy, Hernandez, Odor

By Anthony Franco | August 31, 2020 at 7:50pm CDT

Some notes on prominent injury situations around the American League:

  • Twins’ manager Rocco Baldelli provided encouraging updates on a trio of injured players, via Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com (Twitter links). Star third baseman Josh Donaldson and center fielder Byron Buxton are seemingly nearing their returns, with each scheduled to play in an intrasquad game at the team’s alternate training site this afternoon. Right-hander Cody Stashak is evidently a bit further behind, but he’s lining up for a bullpen session soon, Park reports. If all goes well, he could be back on the active roster shortly thereafter.
  • Blue Jays’ closer Ken Giles will throw a live batting practice session tomorrow, reports Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet (Twitter link). An impending free agent, Giles has been limited to two appearances this season by a forearm strain. Fellow right-handed reliever Jordan Romano, who looked on his way to breaking through as one of the game’s top strikeout artists before going down with a strained finger, has not yet progressed to throwing, Nicholson-Smith adds. The Toronto organization hopes he’ll be able to return this year, though.
  • Royals’ reliever Ian Kennedy is headed to the 10-day injured list with a left calf strain, the club announced. He’ll have an MRI tomorrow, reports Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com (Twitter link). So continues a nightmarish season for the 35-year-old, who has allowed 17 runs (14 earned) in 14 innings. 2020 is the final year of Kennedy’s five-year, $70MM contract.
  • The Red Sox are sending reliever Darwinzon Hernández to the 10-day injured list with a sprained AC joint, via Alex Speier of the Boston Globe (Twitter link). The hard-throwing southpaw missed the first three weeks of the season after testing positive for COVID-19, limiting him to three appearances. They’ve been more of the same for Hernández, who continues to rack up otherworldly strikeout totals while issuing an alarming number of walks.
  • Rougned Odor is headed to the Rangers’ 10-day injured list with an eye infection, per Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News (Twitter link). In his stead, shortstop Elvis Andrus is returning from an IL stint of his own. The Rangers discussed an Odor deal with the Red Sox earlier today, but the underperforming second baseman will instead remain in Arlington.
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Boston Red Sox Kansas City Royals Minnesota Twins Notes Texas Rangers Toronto Blue Jays Byron Buxton Cody Stashak Darwinzon Hernandez Elvis Andrus Ian Kennedy Jordan Romano Josh Donaldson Ken Giles Rougned Odor

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Ken Giles May Soon Resume Throwing

By Jeff Todd | August 11, 2020 at 11:56am CDT

Blue Jays closer Ken Giles appears to be making progress in his effort to work back from a forearm strain. He’s “recovering well” and “could be throwing soon,” GM Ross Atkins informed reporters including Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca (via Twitter).

This sounds quite promising, though there are still some hurdles left to clear. Giles is due for an MRI and a checkup tomorrow. And he’ll still need to ramp back up without incident once he gets the green light.

The Toronto organization will surely hope for a fairly rapid return. If the team is to make a surprise run, which seems unlikely but can hardly be ruled out, it’d surely help to have the 2019 version of Giles at the back of the pen. Perhaps it’s still possible he could throw well enough to warrant a qualifying offer at season’s end, though that would represent a fairly spendy bet on a player who has had a few injury questions of late.

The more intriguing possibility, of course, is that Giles could get back in the saddle in time to be traded. It’d be a rather tight timeline, and would surely require some faith on behalf of a potential trade partner, but a swap is still possible.

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Toronto Blue Jays Ken Giles

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AL Notes: Anderson, Giles, Red Sox, Indians

By Connor Byrne | July 31, 2020 at 11:33pm CDT

White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson left the team’s win over the Royals on Friday with right hip soreness, the club announced. The reigning AL batting champion is day-to-day, and the White Sox will re-evaluate him Saturday, manager Rick Renteria told James Fegan of The Athletic and other reporters. Anderson had a multi-hit game Friday, continuing a terrific start in which he has slashed .333/.355/.567 over 31 plate appearances. Chicago replaced him with utilityman Leury Garcia.

  • Blue Jays reliever Ken Giles went on the injured list July 27 with a right forearm strain, but the team is “very optimistic” he’ll return this season, according to general manager Ross Atkins (via Kaitlyn McGrath of The Athletic). After getting a second opinion on the injury, Giles underwent a platelet-rich plasma injection. Not only would his return boost the Blue Jays’ of pushing for a playoff spot, but it would be a positive for Giles as he prepares for a trip to free agency in a few months. The 29-year-old was absolutely dominant when he was healthy enough to pitch in 2019, but arm problems have troubled him since last summer.
  • Pitching has been a problem for the Red Sox early this season, but a couple of their hurlers are on the way back from the COVID-19 injured list. Left-handers Darwinzon Hernandez and Josh Taylor could join the Red Sox sometime within the next week, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com writes. The 23-year-old Hernandez reached the majors for the first time last season and struck out a ridiculous 16.91 hitters per nine across 30 1/3 innings, though a horrid 7.71 BB/9 helped lead to a below-average 4.45 ERA. Taylor, 27, somewhat quietly notched a 3.04 ERA/3.11 FIP with 11.79 K/9 and 3.04 BB/9 in 47 1/3 frames as a rookie.
  • Ryan Lewis of Ohio.com relayed updates on a trio of injured Indians on Friday. Catcher Roberto Perez, whom the Indians placed on the IL this week with a right shoulder issue, has experienced improvement. The club will re-evaluate him Tuesday. Outfielder Tyler Naquin, on the IL since last weekend with a fractured toe, has started sprinting. And fellow outfielder Delino DeShields, an offseason acquisition who still hasn’t made his Cleveland debut on account of a positive COVID-19 test, played 4 1/2 rehab innings Friday. There’s no word on when any of them will be ready to rejoin the Indians, though.
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Boston Red Sox Chicago White Sox Cleveland Guardians Notes Toronto Blue Jays Darwinzon Hernandez Delino DeShields Josh Taylor Ken Giles Roberto Perez Tim Anderson Tyler Naquin

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Ken Giles Shut Down Due To Forearm Strain

By Jeff Todd | July 28, 2020 at 3:05pm CDT

July 28: Giles has been “shut down” for awhile after being diagnosed with a forearm strain, manager Charlie Montoyo told reporters Tuesday (Twitter link via Mitchell). He’s getting a second opinion on the injury.

July 27: The Blue Jays announced today that closer Ken Giles is heading to the injured list, Scott Mitchell of TSN was among those to cover on Twitter. He is still awaiting the results of an MRI on his injured right elbow.

Two new arms will head onto the Toronto roster: Ryan Borucki and Wilmer Font. The club had another opening because infielder Travis Shaw is temporarily away due to a family matter.

It remains to be seen just how significant an issue Giles is dealing with, but the team is obviously concerned enough not only to order an MRI but also to go ahead with an IL placement. The righty dealt with elbow problems last year as well, though he was ultimately able to work back to the mound.

Even a relatively minor injury could doom any thought of a mid-season trade of Giles. He has long seemed a candidate to be dealt, but the Jays evidently never received a good enough offer to make a move. It’s even rougher news for Giles, who’ll hit the open market at season’s end.

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Toronto Blue Jays Ken Giles

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Ken Giles Still Open To Extension Talks With Blue Jays

By Jeff Todd | July 16, 2020 at 10:41am CDT

Blue Jays reliever Ken Giles will be pitching for his fate as a free agent in 2020. But he says he’s open to staying off of the market entirely, as Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca reports.

That’s not to say that a new contract is a front-burner issue at this point. Giles says he’s “just focused on the season right now,” which is certainly sensible with the sport knee deep in a hurried run-up to competition.

That said, the Toronto closer reiterated his interest in staying with the organization. “If those talks do ever happen,” he said of potential extension chatter, “I’m all ears.”

It could be that this season will require too much of a sprint to allow for the measured development of extension talks. Ongoing economic uncertainty remains a major limiting factor as well. But mid-season chatter is certainly possible and Giles’s willingness to talk opens a potential path for the Jays.

As things stand, the club could have a tough mid-season choice. There’s enough talent on hand to imagine a competitive roster in a short-season format, but it’ll also be tempting to cash in Giles on the trade market. If he makes it through the year on the Toronto roster, the team could consider a qualifying offer and explore further contract talks.

There are still quite a few ways this could all shake out. Giles will have a big say, beginning with his performance on the mound. He acknowledged the importance of this campaign to his career, saying he’ll exercise ample precaution against COVID-19 infection but never considered sitting it out. The 29-year-old has had some ups and downs, but turned in a sparkling 1.87 ERA with 14.1 K/9 and 2.9 BB/9 over 53 frames in 2019.

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Toronto Blue Jays Ken Giles

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Blue Jays Avoid Arbitration With Ken Giles

By Jeff Todd | January 10, 2020 at 3:36pm CDT

The Blue Jays have struck a deal with closer Ken Giles for his 2020 arbitration salary, per Scott Mitchell of TSN (via Twitter). It’ll pay him $9.6MM, a $3.3MM on last year’s salary.

Giles is coming off of an excellent season in which he was one of the game’s most effective relief pitchers. While he missed a bit of action with elbow troubles — at an inopportune moment, in the run-up to the trade deadline — he bounced back to finish strong. All said, Giles finished with 53 innings of 1.87 ERA pitching and a healthy compilation of 83 strikeouts and 23 saves.

MLBTR had projected a $8.4MM salary for Giles, but the team obviously felt it had to pay more. The threat of a hearing may have helped move the needle. Uncertainty would be especially unwelcome if the Toronto organization views Giles as a trade candidate.

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Toronto Blue Jays Transactions Ken Giles

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Quiet Early Market For Ken Giles

By Jeff Todd | November 14, 2019 at 9:11am CDT

Blue Jays reliever Ken Giles seemingly factors as a big potential trade piece. But the market isn’t bouncing with early interest in the righty, per Scott Mitchell of TSN (Twitter link).

That’s somewhat surprising to hear, given that teams weighing the open-market options don’t have many premium relief arms to consider. With Aroldis Chapman re-upping before the onset of free agency, Will Smith stands as the top available arm. If he declines his qualifying offer, he’ll come with draft compensation.

Teams seeking a true shutdown closer with loud stuff wouldn’t seem to have many other places to turn. But Mitchell says the Jays don’t anticipate interest building until some dominoes fall in free agency.

Giles had a hiccup-laden 2018 season but rebounded with aplomb in the just-completed campaign, turning in 53 frames of 1.87 ERA pitching with an eye-popping combination of 14.1 K/9 and 2.9 BB/9. Giles throws hard and gets loads of swings and misses. And the 29-year-old is projected to earn a reasonable $8.4MM in his final season of arbitration eligibility.

It may be that teams already have a good sense of what the Toronto organization is seeking. Giles was talked about extensively heading into the trade deadline, even after a barking elbow diminished his standing. That health situation may still be of some concern as well, though Giles didn’t seem to have much rust after the trade deadline. Over the final two months of the season, he racked up a 25:6 K/BB ratio and allowed only five earned runs on ten hits in 18 innings of work.

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Toronto Blue Jays Ken Giles

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