Headlines

Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Kole Calhoun

Diamondbacks Place Kelly, Bukauskas, Devenski On Injured List

By | at

MAY 16: “All options,” including surgery, are a possibility for Devenski, Lovullo said this afternoon (via Zach Buchanan of the Athletic).

MAY 15, 7:05PM: Right-hander Chris Devenski has also been sidelined, as the D’Backs announced that Devenski is headed to the 60-day injured list due to a sprained right UCL.  Left-hander Joe Mantiply’s contract has been selected from Triple-A to take Devenski’s place on both the active roster and 40-man roster.

MAY 15, 6:49PM: Both Kelly and manager Torey Lovullo told reporters (including MLB.com’s Jake Rill) that they’re hopeful Kelly will be able to return shortly after his 10-day minimum absence.

MAY 15, 5:48PM: The Diamondbacks announced that catcher Carson Kelly and righty J.B. Bukauskas have been placed on the 10-day injured list.  Kelly is suffering from a tuft fracture in his big left toe, while Bukauskas has a right elbow flexor strain.  In corresponding moves, right-hander Yoan Lopez was called up from Triple-A and infielder Domingo Leyba’s contract was selected from Triple-A.  To create a 40-man roster spot for Leyba, Kole Calhoun was moved to the 60-day IL.

It’s another damaging injury blow to an Arizona team that has placed Zac Gallen, Christian Walker, and Asdrubal Cabrera on the IL just in the last few days, and the D’Backs have already been without Calhoun and Ketel Marte for the majority of the season.

Kelly’s loss is particularly tough, as the catcher has hit a scorching .338/.491/.613 over his first 110 plate appearances of the season.  While Kelly has enjoyed some BABIP luck (.344) and isn’t posting memorable hard-hit ball numbers, he is also doing an outstanding job at getting on base and making contact.  Kelly’s .491 OBP leads the National League, and he has more walks (23) than strikeouts (16).

Depending on the severity of the fracture, Kelly’s absence could either be relatively short or rather lengthy.  Stephen Vogt could now assume starting catching duties with Kelly out, or the D’Backs could explore giving top prospect Daulton Varsho more of a look behind the plate.  Since making his MLB debut last season, Varsho has made 11 total appearances at catcher, but he has only played the position once in 2021.  Given Varsho’s ability to play the outfield, the Diamondbacks could more or less split his playing time between catcher and outfield whenever Vogt needs a break.

Bukauskas made his Major League debut this season, and has posted an 8.31 ERA out of Arizona’s bullpen over his first 8 2/3 innings in the Show.  While the righty has given up a lot of hard contact, his ERA isn’t quite indicative of how he has pitched — Bukauskas has a much more respectable 3.64 SIERA, as he has been hampered by an abnormally low 54.8% strand rate and an abnormally high .433 BABIP.  Bukauskas the 15th overall pick of the 2017 draft, and was sent to the D’Backs from the Astros as part of the Zack Grienke trade in 2019.

Leyba was also a trade pickup for Arizona, coming to the organization from the Tigers along with Robbie Ray as part of the three-team trade in 2014 that saw Shane Greene go to Detroit and Didi Gregorius to the Yankees.  Leyba made a solid accounting of him by hitting .280/.367/.440 in 30 PA during his 2019 rookie season, but missed all of 2020 due to an 80-game PED suspension.

Leyba has plenty of experience as a shortstop, second baseman, and third baseman, so he represents a versatile asset for the Diamondbacks as they figure out how to juggle their roster amidst all these injuries.  Speculatively, Leyba could provide infield depth if Josh Rojas sees more time in the outfield on account of Varsho getting more catching starts.

Kole Calhoun Undergoes Hamstring Surgery

By | at

APRIL 30: Calhoun underwent surgery on his hamstring, Zach Buchanan of The Athletic tweets. He could miss six to eight weeks, general manager Mike Hazen announced (via Steve Gilbert of MLB.com).

APRIL 28: The Diamondbacks announced that they have placed outfielder Kole Calhoun and right-hander Taylor Widener on the 10-day injured list. They recalled catcher/outfielder Daulton Varsho and righty Riley Smith to fill the empty roster spots.

Calhoun suffered a left hamstring strain during the Diamondbacks’ win over the Padres on Tuesday, forcing him to leave early. This will already be the second IL stint of 2021 for Calhoun, who was unavailable to start the season after undergoing surgery on a torn right meniscus. Calhoun, who’s in the last season of a two-year, $16MM guarantee, has been one of Arizona’s top hitters since he joined the team. The ex-Angel had an impressive 2020 and has continued to fare well this season with a .292/.333/.479 line and a pair of home runs in 51 plate appearances.

Calhoun’s injury creates another opportunity for the 24-year-old Varsho, whom Baseball America ranks as the sport’s 60th-best prospect. Varsho, the 68th pick in the 2017 draft, debuted in the majors last year and batted .188/.277/.368 with three homers over 115 trips to the plate. He was far more productive during his most recent minor league action in 2019, when he slashed .301/.378/.520 with 18 HRs and 21 steals across 452 PA.

Widener’s heading to the shelf with a right groin strain, retroactive to April 25. The 26-year-old is tied for second on the Diamondbacks in starts (four) this season and has pitched to a 2.82 ERA with a 6.5 percent walk rate through 22 1/3 innings. However, Widener’s fielding-independent numbers – including a 4.52 SIERA, 4.73 FIP and 4.75 xFIP – aren’t as encouraging. Smith will start in Widener’s place Wednesday against the Padres.

Health Notes: S. Gray, K. Calhoun, Jays, Tigers, Astros

By | at

Reds right-hander Sonny Gray doesn’t appear far from making his 2021 debut. Gray will throw a simulated game Saturday, and if that goes well, he’ll start for the Reds next week, C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic tweets. Gray has been behind schedule for about a month because of a back injury, thus robbing the Reds of one of their top starters. The 31-year-old has thrived with the Reds since they acquired him from the Yankees before 2019, having recorded a 3.07 ERA with a 29.4 percent strikeout rate and a groundball percentage of 50.9 over 231 1/3 innings.

  • The Diamondbacks activated outfielder Kole Calhoun from the 10-day injured list before their game against Cincinnati on Friday. Calhoun had been on the shelf for over a month after undergoing surgery on a torn right meniscus. He was a vital part of the Diamondbacks’ offense last season, when he batted .226/.338/.526 with 16 home runs in 228 trips to the plate.
  • Angels outfielder Dexter Fowler departed their game Friday with a left knee contusion, per the team. Fowler left on a cart after stepping awkwardly on second base, though manager Joe Maddon indicated afterward that he dodged a serious injury. Fowler has been the Angels’ primary choice in right field this year, and if he does need to sit out for an extended period of time, they have Jared Walsh, Juan Lagares and Jose Rojas on hand as potential subs on their MLB roster.
  • The Blue Jays sent Tyler Chatwood to the 10-day IL on Friday with right triceps inflammation, per Shi Davidi of Sportsnet. Chatwood,  a former Angel, Rockie and Cub whom the Blue Jays signed to a $3MM guarantee in the offseason, has thrown 2 2/3 scoreless innings this year with three strikeouts.
  • The Tigers scratched righty Julio Teheran from his start Friday because of tightness in his triceps. The team replaced Teheran with lefty Derek Holland, who surrendered three earned runs in 2 2/3 frames in a loss to Cleveland. It’s unclear whether Teheran will miss any more time. The Tigers signed Teheran to a non-guaranteed deal in the wake of a terrible 2020 with the Angels, and after earning a roster spot with Detroit during the spring, he debuted with a five-inning, one-run performance in a win over Cleveland last Saturday.
  • The Astros placed righty reliever Enoli Paredes on the 10-day IL and recalled fellow righty Nivaldo Rodriguez, the team announced. Paredes’ placement on the IL was expected after he left his appearance Thursday with discomfort in his side.

Injury Notes: K. Calhoun, Lugo, Wick, Pearson

By | at

The latest injury updates from around the majors…

  • Diamondbacks outfielder Kole Calhoun underwent surgery on a torn right meniscus Wednesday, but he expects to recover on the shorter end of the four- to six-week timetable, Steve Gilbert of MLB.com relays. Either way, it doesn’t appear the Diamondbacks will go too long in the regular season without Calhoun, who was one of their most productive players in 2020. The former Angel batted .226/.338/.526 in 228 plate appearances and led the team in home runs (16) and fWAR (1.8.).
  • Mets reliever Seth Lugo said Thursday that he is “on track” in his recovery from mid-February surgery on bone spurs in his right elbow, per Ken Davidoff of the New York Post. Lugo, however, did not offer a timetable for his return from the procedure; it was reported then that Lugo would need at least six weeks to begin throwing again, making it likely he’ll miss the beginning of the season. Lugo has been tremendous out of the Mets’ bullpen since 2018, though his numbers dipped when the club experimented with him in a starting role last year.
  • Cubs righty Rowan Wick, who’s recovering from an intercostal strain, is unlikely to be ready for Opening Day, Russell Dorsey of the Chicago Sun-Times tweets. Wick has been working back from the injury since last season, when he didn’t pitch past Sept. 16. That cut off a second consecutive solid year for Wick, who has managed a 2.66 ERA/4.02 SIERA with an above-average 25.7 percent strikeout rate in 50 2/3 innings out of the Cubs’ bullpen dating back to 2019.
  • Blue Jays hurler Nate Pearson has a Grade 1 right groin strain, but the team is hoping he’ll return “pretty quickly,” according to general manager Ross Atkins (via Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet). The touted right-hander, 24, figures to make a good amount of starts for the Blue Jays this year if he’s healthy. Pearson debuted in 2020, but elbow issues limited him to 18 innings and five appearances (four starts), in which he pitched to a 6.00 ERA/5.95 SIERA.
  • Padres righty Javy Guerra will miss “at least” two to four weeks because of a Grade 1 UCL sprain, AJ Cassavell of MLB.com writes. Guerra (not to be confused with the Nationals’ reliever of the same name) is a former infielder who moved to the mound and threw 22 innings out of the Padres’ bullpen from 2019-20, but he has struggled to an 8.18 ERA thus far in his major league career. The 25-year-old is out of minor league options, so it’s up in the air whether he’ll still be part of the San Diego organization when the season starts.

Kole Calhoun To Undergo Knee Surgery

By | at

5:20pm: Calhoun has a torn meniscus, Steve Gilbert of MLB.com tweets.

5:07pm: Diamondbacks outfielder Kole Calhoun will undergo right knee surgery Wednesday, manager Torey Lovullo told Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic and other reporters. Lovullo was unable to offer any details on the procedure.

While it’s unknown how much time he will miss, it at least seems likely that Calhoun will sit out the start of the regular season, which is less than. a month away. That’s unwelcome news for Arizona, as Calhoun was one of its few bright spots during a disappointing 2020. After signing a two-year, $16MM guarantee in free agency, the longtime Angel slashed .226/.338/.526 (125 wRC+) with 16 home runs and a career-high .300 isolated power number in 228 plate appearances. Calhoun also continued his good work in right field, where he recorded a 5.3 Ultimate Zone Rating.

Considering he isn’t signed beyond this season, Calhoun’s entering a pivotal year. If he’s able to rebound quickly and perform even close to as well as he did last year, Calhoun could convince the Diamondbacks to exercise his $9MM option for 2022 instead of buying him out for $2MM. Regardless, it appears the Diamondbacks are going to have to at least temporarily pencil in someone else in right, where Josh VanMeter, Daulton Varsho, Pavin Smith, Josh Rojas and Stuart Fairchild could be in-house possibilities who are on the team’s 40-man roster. Otherwise, Arizona may consider free agency, waivers or a trade.

Latest On Diamondbacks, COVID-19

By | at

The Diamondbacks have been among the teams who have been most impacted by COVID-19 cases, with multiple players testing positive over the last few weeks.  That list added another name today, as manager Torey Lovullo told reporters (including The Athletic’s Zach Buchanan) that another player on the D’Backs 40-man roster has tested positive.

It remains to be seen if that player’s identity will become public knowledge, given the league policies against revealing COVID-19 cases unless the player gives his consent.  We have already learned that Silvino Bracho, Seth Beer, Junior Guerra, and Kole Calhoun are among the D’Backs players who tested positive, and the good news is that the latter three players have since tested negative and are at Summer Camp.  (Bracho’s status is unknown, though he wasn’t expected to be in camp anyway after being placed on the 60-day injured list following a setback in his recovery from Tommy John surgery.)

Calhoun discussed his return with Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic and other reporters, saying he was mostly asymptomatic — perhaps due to some hypochondria, as Piecoro writes that Calhoun “believes that at one point he managed to trick himself into thinking there was something wrong with his sense of smell.”  The lack of symptoms underlined Calhoun’s confusion about his health, as he received alternating results on a number of different COVID-19 tests.

Before posting the two negative tests required by MLB protocols to return to camp, Calhoun said his previous tests went “positive, negative, positive, negative, positive, negative….[The doctor] said at the end of an infection they’re finding some people who still show up positive.  It’s a matter of the sample that they get and did the virus attach itself to those cells.”

While circumstances like Calhoun’s are rather rare, it still underlines the difficulty that Major League Baseball (and society at large) will have in properly determining whether or not individuals are completely free and clear of the virus, given all that is still unknown about COVID-19.  As it pertains to the 2020 season, the nightmare scenario would be for a player to deliver a multiple negative test results but still be an asymptomatic carrier, thus running the risk of unknowingly infecting numerous teammates, coaches, and opponents.

In terms of being ready for the start of the season, Calhoun said “I don’t feel like I’m too far behind,” so there’s a chance he could line up as Arizona’s right fielder on Opening Day.  Calhoun signed a two-year, $16MM free agent deal with the Diamondbacks over the winter, though he’ll only receive a prorated portion of the $6MM salary he was originally slated to receive in 2020.

Starling Marte was also at Arizona’s camp on Friday, after missing the previous four days for an undisclosed reason.  Amidst coronavirus speculation, Marte told Buchanan and other reporters that the absence was due to “waiting for results” from a test, and Marte was cleared to participate once those results finally arrived.

Kole Calhoun Tests Positive For COVID-19

By | at

Diamondbacks outfielder Kole Calhoun has tested positive for COVID-19, manager Torey Lovullo announced Monday (via Zach Buchanan of The Athletic). Fortunately, Calhoun’s asymptomatic and doing well, per Lovullo. Whether Calhoun will be ready for the start of the regular season is unclear, though, as he’ll have to quarantine for two weeks and test negative for the virus twice before returning to action.

A member of the Angels from 2012-19, Calhoun joined the Diamondbacks in free agency on a two-year, $16MM guarantee over the winter. The 32-year-old will bring a lifetime line of .249/.322/.424 and the strong right field defense he’s known for whenever he makes his Diamondbacks debut. The club has the likes of Ildemaro Vargas, Jon Jay, Tim Locastro and Josh Rojas among its potential outfield options in the event Calhoun does miss time.

Calhoun’s the third known member of the D-backs’ roster to test positive for the virus, joining pitchers Junior Guerra and Silvino Bracho. But they’re just a few of several individuals in the organization who have tested positive, while starter Mike Leake opted out of the season altogether because of health concerns.

Angels, Kole Calhoun Never Got Close On New Contract

By | at

Kole Calhoun had spent his entire pro career in the Angels’ organization until the club bought him out for $1MM in lieu of a $14MM team option last November. The two sides had some discussions about a reunion over the offseason, reports Fabian Ardaya of the Athletic, but talks didn’t get particularly far.

“(There was) never really a moment I thought I’d be back,” Calhoun told Ardaya. Instead, the corner outfielder inked a two-year, $16MM contract (with a 2022 club option) to join his hometown Diamondbacks in December.

As Calhoun himself points out, it’s not particularly surprising the Angels didn’t ardently pursue a reunion. That’s not a knock on Calhoun, who was solid again in 2019. He hit .232/.325/.467 (108 wRC+) with his typical strong right field defense. All told, he was worth upwards of two fWAR in five of his six full seasons in Anaheim.

Rather, the organization’s reluctance merely reflects its comfort with the current outfield mix. Justin Upton was always certain to get an opportunity for a bounce-back season in left field. Brian Goodwin, meanwhile, looks to have established himself as a solid placeholder in right until top prospect Jo Adell reaches the majors, which will almost certainly be at some point in 2020. David Fletcher, having been displaced as the everyday third baseman by Anthony Rendon, is in line for some work in the outfield as a utility option, as well, Ardaya notes.

With the Angels shelling out $245MM for Rendon and making multiple additions to the starting rotation this offseason, it never seemed likely they would top the market to bring back Calhoun. There’s no animosity, as Calhoun called his time in Anaheim “a heck of a ride,” before telling Ardaya he’s turning his attention to Arizona, where he figures to be the Snakes’ top option in right field.

West Notes: Diamondbacks, Marte, Marte, Mariners, Lewis, Kikuchi

By | at

The Arizona Diamondbacks have put together one of the more intriguing rosters as we approach spring camp, and they’ve done so while maintaining flexibility. The Starling Marte acquisition, for instance, secures center field as GM Mike Hazen had hoped – secondarily allowing star Ketel Marte to stay at second base –  but that doesn’t mean Ketel’s days in center are done. The Martes could very well play side-by-side in the outfield against tough lefties while David Peralta or Kole Calhoun gets a breather, writes MLB.com’s Steve Gilbert. Most of Arizona’s bench hits from the left side, though Ildemaro Vargas, Domingo Leyba, and Andy Young can all hit righty, making them candidates to spell Marte at second when he vacates. Let’s jump the the Junior Circuit to check in on the Mariners…

  • Opportunity abounds in the Mariners outfield now that Mitch Haniger is set to miss opening day. With plenty of internal candidates to choose from, there’s no need for a reactionary signing in Seattle, though Executive VP and GM Jerry Dipoto never rules anything out. For now, Kyle Lewis has the inside track on left field, writes MLB.com’s Greg Johns. Lewis put together a mighty 75 plate appearances at the end of 2019 to stake his claim to the grass in 2020. The Haniger injury may mean more consistent at-bats for Mallex Smith in the early going, but the real growth opportunity exists for youngsters like Braden Bishop and Jake Fraley. It’s unclear how much time they’ll have to put their stamp on 2020, but the Mariners are likely to temper their expectations for Haniger’s return and enjoy the opportunity to preview Bishop and/or Fraley in the outfield. The Mariners also recently brought Eric Filia into their spring mix, who could earn a spot, while infielders Shed Long, Dee Gordon, Tim Lopes and Aaron Nola can capably shag fly balls as well.
  • Yusei Kikuchi put together a less-than-stellar inaugural season in Seattle, but he’s not a lost cause, writes Johns. The 28-year-old southpaw went 6-11 with a 5.46 ERA/5.71 FIP across 32 starts (161 2/3 innings) in 2020. Despite Kikuchi’s struggles and a lack of established rotation arms, the Mariners have less interest in extending their use of the Opener in 2020. A focus on relievers who can throw multiple innings will allow the Mariners to protect Kikuchi somewhat. Mostly, the Mariners envision progress through regression. Writes Johns, “…there is a feeling that he tinkered far too much with his arm angles and throwing motion — both over the course of the year and even during games — and needs to get back to just being himself and letting it rip as he did when he first arrived.”

Diamondbacks Sign Kole Calhoun

By | at

The Diamondbacks officially have a new right fielder, as they formally announced Monday that they’ve signed Kole Calhoun to a two-year deal with a club option for a third season. The PSI Sports Management client will earn a reported $16MM in guaranteed money: $6MM in 2020, $8MM in 2021 and at least a $2MM buyout on a $9MM option for the 2022 season.

The 32-year-old Calhoun reached the open market Nov. 4 when the Angels declined his $14MM club option in favor of a $1MM buyout. However, for the Angels, that decision likely had more to do with a desire to spread that money around to other need areas (and star outfield prospect Jo Adell’s forthcoming arrival) than deficiencies on Calhoun’s part. After all, for the most part, Calhoun was a solid producer with the Angels. From his first full season in 2014 through last year, he posted at least 2.0 fWAR five times.

Last season was another quality showing for Calhoun, who logged 2.5 fWAR while mashing a career-high 33 home runs across 632 plate appearances. While Calhoun did strike out a personal-high 25.6 percent of the time, he also drew walks at an all-time clip of 11.1 percent. In all, his .232/.325/.467 batting line came in 8 percent above the league average, per FanGraphs’ wRC+ metric, and fell in line with his career mark of 105.

Calhoun has established himself as a useful hitter, though defense is likely his calling card. Defensive Runs Saved assigned the big-armed Calhoun a minus-1 mark in right field last season, but his career has been a different story (plus-12). Meanwhile, as has typically been the case, Ultimate Zone Rating was fond of his most recent performance in right (plus-5.1 in 2019, plus-30.0 overall).

Calhoun’s now heading to his home state, where he once thrived for the Arizona State Sun Devils, and figures to enter 2020 as the Diamondbacks’ No. 1 option at his customary position. He’s set to join Ketel Marte (center) and David Peralta (left), essentially replacing 2019 starter Adam Jones, who’s now playing in Japan. Considering the way their careers have gone of late, Calhoun should provide an upgrade over the replacement-level numbers Jones gave the Diamondbacks in 2019. Beyond that, the hope for Arizona is that he and the team’s highest-profile offseason pickup, left-hander Madison Bumgarner, will help push an 85-win roster from last season into the playoffs next year.

MLB.com’s Jon Morosi first reported the agreement (via Twitter). Joel Sherman of the New York Post and Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reported financial terms (Twitter links).

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Show all

MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

hide arrows scroll to top