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Luis Perdomo

Nationals Release Luis Perdomo

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The Nationals released right-hander Luis Perdomo earlier this week, as indicated on the team’s official MLB.com transactions page.  Perdomo was in Washington’s camp on a minor league contract.

Things seemed to be going swimmingly for Perdomo in his first four spring outings, as he allowed only two hits over four scoreless innings of work.  Unfortunately, Perdomo’s fortunes then turned for the worse, as he was charged with six earned runs over his next three appearances and innings pitched, resulting in an overall 7.71 ERA in seven innings.  Since the Nationals are in full cut-down mode as they decide their Opening Day roster, Perdomo didn’t make much of a case for himself to crack the 26-man.

Perdomo has a 5.12 ERA over 468 career innings, with all but 23 2/3 of those frames coming with the Padres from 2016-20 when he worked as a starter, reliever, and a mix of both roles as a swingman on the San Diego pitching staff.  The groundball specialist missed all of 2021 recovering from Tommy John surgery, and Perdomo then had a 3.80 ERA over 23 2/3 innings with the Brewers in 2022.  Milwaukee opted to non-tender Perdomo after the season, and he left MLB entirely to pitch in Japan with the Chiba Lotte Marines in 2023.

Perdomo had an impressive 2.13 ERA over 50 2/3 innings in NPB, which helped pave the way for his return to North American baseball even if he had to settle for a minors deal.  He could continue to look for minor league contracts with another team (or even a reunion with the Nats), or Perdomo might again consider a move to an international league.

Nationals, Luis Perdomo Agree To Minor League Contract

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The Nationals are in agreement with Luis Perdomo on a minor league deal with a Spring Training invite, reports Robert Murray of FanSided (X link). The right-hander returns to the affiliated ranks after spending the 2023 season in Japan.

Perdomo, 30, has appeared in parts of six big league campaigns. The bulk of that experience came with the Padres, who carried him as a Rule 5 pick in 2016. Perdomo got a decent amount of run as a starter with San Diego early in his career. He moved to the bullpen by 2019 and turned in the best year of his career, working to an even 4.00 ERA through 72 innings.

An elbow injury necessitated Tommy John surgery late in 2020. That marked the end of his time in San Diego, as the Friars released him that offseason. He spent the following year rehabbing before returning to the majors with the Brewers. Perdomo pitched in 14 contests with Milwaukee in 2022, allowing 3.80 earned runs per nine, before signing with NPB’s Chiba Lotte Marines last winter.

While Perdomo’s time in Japan was relatively brief, he had a strong season. He made 53 appearances with the Marines and worked to an excellent 2.13 ERA. That was in spite of a modest 19.6% strikeout rate. Perdomo never missed many bats at the MLB level, instead relying on a mid-90s sinker to keep the ball on the ground at a lofty 57.6% clip.

Washington has taken a few fliers on non-roster relievers lately. Luke Farrell, Adonis Medina, Stephen Nogosek, Richard Bleier and Robert Gsellman have also inked minor league pacts within the last 10 days.

Luis Perdomo Signs With NPB’s Chiba Lotte Marines

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Righty reliever Luis Perdomo has signed with the Chiba Lotte Marines to play the 2023 season in Japan, per ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel. The deal reportedly comes with a $1.3MM guarantee and incentives that could boost the total to $1.8MM. Perdomo is a client of CAA Sports.

Perdomo pitched for the Brewers in 2022, posting a 3.80 ERA (105 ERA+) and 4.80 FIP across 23 2/3 innings in 14 appearances. While his top-level results were slightly above average, he posted a career-low strikeout rate in 2022, which implies there may have been some good luck baked into his ERA when combined with his significantly higher FIP. The Brewers non-tendered him earlier this offseason.

Prior to joining the Brewers during the 2020-21 offseason on a minor league contract, Perdomo had been on the Padres for parts of five seasons. He struggled mightily in a swing role from 2016-2018, posting a 5.40 ERA (75 ERA+) and 4.56 FIP in 355 innings across those three seasons. The most successful season of his big league career came in 2019, when he posted an ERA of 4.00 (105 ERA+) and a FIP of 3.60 across 72 innings of mostly relief work. He struggled again in the shortened 2020 season, however, with ERA and FIP marks both well above 5.00.

At just 29 years old, Perdomo now is set to follow in the footsteps of many other fringe major leaguers and attempt to establish himself in Japan before attempting to secure another state-side contract.

Which Remaining Free Agent Relievers Are Coming Off The Best Seasons?

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The offseason floodgates opened this month, with an avalanche of free agent activity once the Winter Meetings got underway. Things have quieted down in recent days thanks to the holidays, but clubs are likely to again get back to attacking the free agent market in earnest this week.

Most of the winter’s top names are off the board, leaving teams to mostly look through lower-cost options as they search for upgrades on the margins of the roster. There are still a number of experienced options available, particularly for teams seeking to round out the bullpen. Using MLBTR’s free agent list, we find 47 pitchers who tossed at least 20 innings out of a team’s bullpen in 2022 and remain unsigned.

We’ll sort the remaining free agent relievers by various metrics of 2022 performance to identify some of the top arms. There are obviously other factors for teams to consider — quality of raw stuff, pre-2022 track record, the player’s injury history, etc. — but a brief snapshot on the top bullpen arms by last year’s performance should provide a decent starting point for players teams might target moving forward. (All figures cited, including league averages, are looking solely at pitchers’ outings as relievers).

ERA (league average — 3.86)

  1. Matt Moore (LHP), 1.95
  2. Alex Young (LHP), 2.08
  3. Matt Wisler (RHP), 2.23
  4. Wily Peralta (RHP), 2.72
  5. Brad Hand (LHP), 2.80
  6. Andrew Chafin (LHP), 2.83
  7. David Phelps (RHP), 2.87
  8. Ralph Garza Jr. (RHP), 3.34
  9. Jackson Stephens (RHP), 3.38
  10. Michael Fulmer (RHP), 3.39

Strikeout rate (league average — 23.6%)

  1. Daniel Norris (LHP), 30%
  2. Darren O’Day (RHP), 27.7%
  3. Andrew Chafin, 27.6%
  4. Matt Moore, 27.3%
  5. Aroldis Chapman (LHP), 26.9%
  6. Steve Cishek (RHP), 25.8%
  7. Chasen Shreve (LHP), 25.4%
  8. Will Smith (LHP), 24.9%
  9. David Phelps, 23.9%
  10. Noé Ramirez, 23.7%

Strikeout/walk rate differential (league average — 14.5 percentage points)

  1. Andrew Chafin, 19.8 points
  2. Daniel Norris, 19 points
  3. Darren O’Day, 17 points
  4. Chasen Shreve, 16.7 points
  5. Steve Cishek, 16.4 points
  6. Craig Stammen (RHP), 15.7 points
  7. Will Smith, 15.3 points
  8. Matt Moore, 14.8 points
  9. Ross Detwiler (LHP), 14.8 points
  10. Luke Weaver (RHP), 13.8 points

Ground-ball rate (league average — 43.5%)

  1. Luis Perdomo (RHP), 62.5%
  2. Joe Smith (RHP), 57.5%
  3. Alex Young, 55.7%
  4. Alex Colomé (RHP), 55.6%
  5. T.J. McFarland (LHP), 53%
  6. Craig Stammen, 52.6%
  7. Garrett Richards (RHP), 52.4%
  8. Bryan Shaw (RHP), 51.8%
  9. Andrew Chafin, 51.3%
  10. Jacob Barnes (RHP), 50.7%

FIP (league average — 3.86)

  1. Luke Weaver, 2.46
  2. Alex Young, 2.65
  3. Matt Moore, 2.98
  4. Andrew Chafin, 3.06
  5. David Phelps, 3.11
  6. Garrett Richards, 3.16
  7. Jackson Stephens, 3.45
  8. Michael Fulmer, 3.57
  9. Brad Hand, 3.93
  10. Darren O’Day, 4.04

Innings Pitched

  1. Matt Moore, 74
  2. Caleb Smith (LHP), 69
  3. Steve Cishek, 66 1/3
  4. Michael Fulmer, 63 2/3
  5. David Phelps, 62 2/3
  6. Hunter Strickland (RHP), 62 1/3
  7. Will Smith, 59
  8. Andrew Chafin, 57 1/3
  9. Bryan Shaw, 54
  10. Jackson Stephens/Hirokazu Sawamura (RHP), 50 2/3 each

National League Non-Tenders: 11/18/22

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The deadline to tender contract to arbitration-eligible players is tonight at 7:00pm Central. Here’s a rundown of the players on National League teams that have been non-tendered today. This post will be updated as more decisions are revealed. All players non-tendered go directly to free agency

MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projected salaries for all arb-eligible players last month.

Later Updates

  • The Reds have non-tendered righty Daniel Duarte and minor league outfielder Allan Cerda, taking both off the 40-man roster. Neither had been eligible for arbitration, but Cincinnati will send both into free agency without having to place either on waivers. Duarte made three relief appearances this year, his first as a big leaguer. Cerda, 23 next month, has yet to reach the majors. He hit .198/.350/.401 in 257 plate appearances in Double-A. Cincinnati also announced that six players designated for assignment earlier this week — Aristides Aquino, Jared Solomon, Kyle Dowdy, Derek Law, Art Warren and Jeff Hoffman — were all let go. Both Duarte and Cerda have already agreed to re-sign with Cincinnati on minor league deals, reports Mark Sheldon of MLB.com (Twitter link).

Earlier Moves

  • The Braves freed a pair of 40-man roster spots by non-tendering minor league pitchers Brooks Wilson and Alan Rangel. Rangel spent most of this past season in Double-A, while Wilson didn’t pitch in 2022. Atlanta also announced that three players non-tendered earlier this week — Guillermo Heredia, Jackson Stephens and Silvino Bracho — have been let go.
  • The Giants have non-tendered relievers Mauricio Llovera and Alex Young and infielder Donovan Walton, clearing three spots on the 40-man roster. Walton was acquired from the Mariners midseason and hit .158/.179/.303 in 24 games with San Francisco. Young made 24 appearances after his contract was purchased from the Guardians. Llovera pitched 17 times after signing a minor league deal last offseason. Additionally San Francisco non-tendered seven players who’d been designated for assignment earlier this week: Drew Strotman, Meibrys Viloria, Colton Welker, Jarlin Garcia, Dom Nunez, Sam Delaplane and Jason Vosler.
  • The Pirates non-tendered lefty Manny Banuelos and catcher Tyler Heineman. Both had been designated for assignment earlier this week.
  • The Diamondbacks non-tendered righty Reyes Moronta, the team announced. The reliever posted a 4.50 ERA in 17 outings with the Snakes after being claimed off waivers from the Dodgers.
  • The Padres announced they’ve cut loose catcher Jorge Alfaro and righty Efrain Contreras. Alfaro had been projected at a $3.6MM salary this season, a hefty amount after a .246/.285/.383 season. Contreras hasn’t pitched in the majors; he had a tough year in High-A and loses his 40-man spot spot as a result.
  • The Cubs have non-tendered center fielder Rafael Ortega, as well as minor league pitchers Brailyn Marquez and Alexander Vizcaino. Ortega has seen a decent amount of action the last two years and had a respectable .241/.331/.358 line through 371 plate appearances this past season. Nevertheless, the Cubs opted against a salary in the $1.7MM range for next year. Marquez has been a top pitching prospect but has battled injury issues for the past few years. Vizcaino was part of the Anthony Rizzo trade with the Yankees but didn’t pitch in the minors this year.
  • The Nationals non-tendered righty Tommy Romero. He’d been designated for assignment earlier this week. Washington confirmed the previously-reported decisions to part with Luke Voit and Erick Fedde.
  • The Brewers cut loose right-handers Trevor Gott, Jandel Gustave and Luis Perdomo. All three were part of Milwaukee’s middle innings mix, with Gustave’s 45 appearances the most among that group. Gott had a 4.15 ERA over 45 2/3 innings after signing a free agent deal last offseason.
  • The Rockies non-tendered infielder/outfielder Garrett Hampson, the club announced. The 28-year-old had been projected for a $2.1MM salary. A speedster with the ability to play anywhere up the middle, Hampson just hasn’t hit at the big league level. He’s coming off a .211/.287/.307 showing through 226 plate appearances.
  • The Mets announced they’ve non-tendered Sean Reid-Foley and confirmed they’re letting go of Dominic Smith, who’s non-tender was previously reported. This year, Reid-Foley made seven MLB appearances, tossing 10 innings of relief.
  • The Dodgers have non-tendered infielder Edwin Rios and utilityman Luke Williams, per a club announcement. Los Angeles also confirmed the previously reported non-tender of former MVP Cody Bellinger. Rios has shown some offensive promise in the past and owns a .212/.299/.492 line through 112 big league games. He missed a good chunk of this past season with a hamstring strain. Williams was claimed off waivers from the Marlins recently; the Dodgers could look to bring him back on a minor league deal.

Brewers Reinstate Freddy Peralta

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The Milwaukee Brewers announced this morning that they reinstated right-hander Freddy Peralta from the 15-day injured list. In a corresponding move, the team has also placed righty Luis Perdomo on the 15-day injured list with a right calf strain. In addition, it was announced that Peralta would start today’s game against the Reds.

Peralta’s return is excellent news for Milwaukee. The Brewers are just 1.5 games behind Philadelphia for the final wild card spot in the NL and are sure to receive a boost from Peralta, who has pitched effectively this year despite being limited to just 15 starts by injuries. In 70 1/3 innings pitched this year, Peralta has posted a 3.45 ERA and a 3.07 FIP.

In addition to their push to make the playoffs, the Brewers will have to figure out how best to round out their rotation ahead of a possible 3 game Wild Card series. Should the Brewers manage to make the postseason, Peralta’s return adds another potential option for a playoff rotation facing a great deal of uncertainty. The Brewers are sure to front their playoff rotation with reigning NL Cy Young winner Corbin Burnes and fellow righty Brandon Woodruff, but it’s an open question as to who may follow them. Peralta joins Aaron Ashby and Eric Lauer as starters who have recently come off the injured list but are not fully stretched out yet; Ashby threw just 41 pitches in his most recent start, with Lauer throwing 66. Even Adrian Houser, who returned from the injured list in late August, has pitched into the sixth inning only once since his reinstatement. With all the uncertainty surrounding who could start a potential Game 3 of a playoff series for Milwaukee, an effective return start from Peralta would provide a significant boost.

This marks the end of the season for Perdomo, who has pitched 23 2/3 innings in 14 games for the Brewers. While he posted a slightly above average 3.80 ERA this year, his 4.80 FIP and significantly reduced strikeout rate from his years with the Padres indicate his success may have some luck baked into it. The Brewers will have a decision to make with Perdomo this offseason, as they can retain him for 2023 through arbitration.

Every Team’s Initial September Call-Ups

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Each season as the calendar flips to September, we see a flurry of transactions around Major League Baseball. Active roster sizes jump from 26 to 28 for the season’s final month, with teams permitted to bring up no more than one additional pitcher. We’ve already covered a host of transactions with 40-man roster implications throughout the day at MLBTR. Here’s a full round-up of teams’ initial September roster moves.

American League West

Houston Astros:

Los Angeles Angels:

Oakland Athletics

Seattle Mariners

  • Reinstated LHP Matthew Boyd from 60-day injured list
  • Recalled OF Taylor Trammell from Triple-A Tacoma
  • Corresponding moves: None required

Texas Rangers

  • Selected contract of RHP Jesus Tinoco from Triple-A Round Rock
  • Recalled OF Nick Solak from Triple-A Round Rock
  • Corresponding move: Transferred RHP Josh Sborz to 60-day injured list

American League Central

Chicago White Sox

  • Recalled OF Adam Haseley from Triple-A Charlotte
  • Recalled RHP Matt Foster from Triple-A Charlotte
  • Corresponding move: None required

Cleveland Guardians

Detroit Tigers

Kansas City Royals

  • Selected contract of RHP Daniel Mengden from Triple-A Omaha
  • Recalled OF Nate Eaton from Triple-A Omaha
  • Corresponding move: None required

Minnesota Twins

  • Added LHP Austin Davis (previously claimed off waivers from Red Sox) to active roster
  • Selected contract of OF Billy Hamilton from Triple-A St. Paul
  • Corresponding move: Transferred OF Trevor Larnach to 60-day injured list

American League East

Baltimore Orioles

  • Selected contract of 1B Jesus Aguilar from Triple-A Norfolk
  • Recalled LHP DL Hall from Triple-A Norfolk
  • Corresponding move: Designated INF Richie Martin for assignment

Boston Red Sox

New York Yankees

  • Recalled SS Oswald Peraza from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre
  • Activated INF Marwin Gonzalez from paternity list
  • Corresponding moves: None required

Tampa Bay Rays

  • Reinstated RHP Matt Wisler from the 15-day injured list
  • Recalled INF Jonathan Aranda from Triple-A Durham
  • Corresponding moves: None required

Toronto Blue Jays

  • Recalled RHP Casey Lawrence from Triple-A Buffalo
  • Added OF Bradley Zimmer (claimed off waivers from Phillies this week) to active roster
  • Corresponding moves: None required

National League West

Arizona Diamondbacks

Colorado Rockies

  • Recalled INF Alan Trejo from Triple-A Albuquerque
  • Recalled RHP Chad Smith from Triple-A Albuquerque
  • Corresponding moves: None required

Los Angeles Dodgers

  • Reinstated LHP Clayton Kershaw from 15-day injured list
  • Recalled 3B Miguel Vargas from Triple-A Oklahoma City
  • Corresponding moves: None required

San Diego Padres

  • Recalled INF Matt Beaty from Triple-A El Paso
  • Recalled RHP Reiss Knehr from Triple-A El Paso
  • Corresponding moves: None required

San Francisco Giants

National League Central

Chicago Cubs

  • Selected contract of RHP Jeremiah Estrada from Triple-A Iowa
  • Recalled INF David Bote from Triple-A Iowa
  • Corresponding move: Transferred Wade Miley from 15-day injured list to 60-day injured list

Cincinnati Reds

Milwaukee Brewers

  • Recalled RHP Luis Perdomo from Triple-A Nashville
  • Recalled OF Esteury Ruiz from Triple-A Nashville
  • Corresponding moves: None required

Pittsburgh Pirates

  • Recalled RHP Johan Oviedo from Triple-A Indianapolis
  • Recalled OF Calvin Mitchell from Triple-A Indianapolis
  • Corresponding moves: None required

St. Louis Cardinals

  • Selected contract of OF Ben DeLuzio from Triple-A Memphis
  • Recalled RHP James Naile from Triple-A Memphis
  • Corresponding moves: None required

National League East

Atlanta Braves

  • Reinstated IF Orlando Arcia from 10-day injured list
  • Added recently-claimed RHP Jesse Chavez to active roster
  • Corresponding moves: None required

Miami Marlins*

New York Mets

Philadelphia Phillies

  • Selected contract of RHP Vinny Nittoli from Triple-A Lehigh Valley
  • Recalled C Donny Sands from Triple-A Lehigh Valley
  • Corresponding moves: None required

Washington Nationals

  • Recalled C Tres Barrera from Triple-A Rochester
  • Recalled RHP Mason Thompson from Triple-A Rochester
  • Corresponding moves: None required

*Marlins moves reported by Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald (Twitter link)

Brewers Activate Aaron Ashby From 15-Day IL

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The Brewers reinstated left-hander Aaron Ashby from the 15-day injured list today, as Ashby is slated to start today’s game against the Pirates.  Righty Trevor Kelley was optioned to Triple-A to open up a 26-man roster spot.

Following his (retroactive) IL placement on June 17, Ashby ended up missing only a minimal amount of time — a sigh of relief, given that Ashby had been sidelined by forearm inflammation. The injury wasn’t considered to be too serious at the time, and Ashby will indeed make a pretty quick return to help a Milwaukee rotation that has been shorthanded for much of the season. Even with Ashby and (earlier this week) Brandon Woodruff returning, Freddy Peralta is still on the 60-day IL until late July, and Adrian Houser was just placed on the 15-day IL yesterday due to a flexor strain.

Ashby will try to pick up the slack by continuing what has been a pretty solid sophomore year in the big leagues.  Beginning the season as a swingman, Ashby’s last five outings were all as a starting pitcher.  The left-hander has a 4.25 ERA over 55 total innings, posting a 62.6% grounder rate and an impressive array of Statcast numbers, apart from a 10.7% walk rate that is well below the league average. Control has been something of an issue for Ashby at both the MLB and minor league levels, but his ability to miss bats and generate grounders makes him yet another intriguing product of the Brewers’ pitching development system.

In other Brewers injury news, manager Craig Counsell told reporters (including Todd Rosiak of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel) that Luis Perdomo is “struggling to get going” from an elbow injury that sent him to the IL back in late May. Perdomo underwent a Tommy John surgery that cost him the entire 2021 season, though Counsell didn’t give any indication that Perdomo’s current issue was also season-threatening, or something that could require another surgical procedure.

Hunter Renfroe will also still miss a bit more time, as MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy writes that Renfroe has yet to start running on the field following a calf strain that sent him to the injured list over a week ago. Renfroe’s 10-day minimum IL time expires on Sunday, but the Brewers will continue to be cautious in bringing Renfroe back, for fear of exacerbating the injury.  Renfroe had 13 home runs and a .247/.300/.490 slash line over his first 217 plate appearances this season.

Injured List Transactions: Perez, Perdomo, McGee, Casali

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The Royals reinstated catcher Salvador Perez from the 10-day injured list, and optioned catcher Sebastian Rivero to Triple-A in the corresponding move.  Perez missed only 11 days while recovering from a sprained left thumb suffered in the first game of a doubleheader on May 17, and the short turnaround time led the Royals to place Perez on the IL in between the two games.  Speaking with The Kansas City Star’s Lynn Worthy and other reporters, Perez said that he could be ready to resume catching duties tomorrow, as Perez will be in the DH role for today’s game with the Twins.

Following his huge 48-homer season in 2021, Perez has six homers and an underwhelming .206/.239/.397 slash line over 142 plate appearances to begin the 2022 campaign.  Perez has been making some hard contact but with little to show for it, and the longtime Royals backstop hasn’t been helping his cause with one of the lowest walk rates of any hitter in the league.

More on other players coming and going from the injured list…

  • The Brewers placed right-hander Luis Perdomo on the 15-day injured list with a right elbow effusion.  Righty Miguel Sanchez was recalled from Triple-A to take Perdomo’s spot on the active roster.  Milwaukee selected Perdomo’s contract earlier this month and he delivered a 1.74 ERA over 10 1/3 relief innings, but now faces another IL stint.  Since Perdomo missed the entire 2021 season recovering from Tommy John surgery, another elbow problem seems ominous, but Brewers manager Craig Counsell told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Todd Rosiak and other reporters that the injury doesn’t appear to be too serious.
  • The Giants reinstated left-hander Jake McGee from the 15-day injured list on Friday, though his actual return to the field was delayed by a clerical error.  McGee was called into yesterday’s game during the eighth inning, except he couldn’t pitch after the Reds told the umpiring crew that McGee wasn’t listed on the Giants’ official pregame lineup card.  As a result, Jose Alvarez was instead brought in to pitch, and Alvarez allowed two runs (one earned) to put the Giants into a deeper hole in an eventual 5-1 loss.  While not the wildest thing to happen to the Reds and Giants on Friday, it was the latest odd twist in what has been a rough season for McGee, who posted a 9.58 ERA in 10 1/3 innings out of San Francisco’s bullpen before back tightness sidelined him on May 11.
  • In another Giants move from today, the club reinstated catcher Curt Casali from the seven-day concussion IL and optioned Michael Papierski to Triple-A.  Casali was thankfully able to return in a minimal amount of time after taking a foul tip off his mask during a May 20 game.  This opened the door for Papierski to make his MLB debut, as the catcher appeared in five games while filling in for Casali.

Brewers Option Keston Hiura, Select Luis Perdomo

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The Brewers announced they’ve optioned infielder Keston Hiura to Triple-A Nashville. Right-hander Luis Perdomo was selected onto the major league roster in a corresponding move. Milwaukee already had a pair of vacancies on the 40-man roster, which sits at 39 after Perdomo’s addition.

It’s another setback for Hiura, who has run into a series of struggles over the past couple years. Selected ninth overall in the 2017 draft, Hiura was regarded as a bat-first second baseman who could move quickly through the minor leagues. That proved to be the case, as he’d reached the majors by the middle of the 2019 season. The UC-Irvine product was excellent as a rookie, posting a .303/.368/.570 line with 19 home runs over his first 84 MLB games.

That was stellar production that seemed to cement Hiura’s status as the second baseman of the future, but it came with a surprisingly high 30.7% strikeout rate. Swing-and-miss hadn’t really been a concern for the right-handed hitter either in college or during his first season and a half in the minors, but the punchouts began to mount when he first reached Triple-A in 2019. Hiura showed as a rookie he could still be productive while fanning in three of every ten trips to the dish, but those concerns have become even more pronounced since that season.

Hiura played in 59 of the Brew Crew’s 60 games in 2020, but he hit only .212/.297/.410 with a 34.6% strikeout rate. Milwaukee signed Kolten Wong to take the primary second base job in 2021, leaving Hiura to split time between the keystone and first base. He bounced up and down from Nashville a few times while posting a .168/.256/.301 line and going down on strikes in just under 40% of his plate appearances.

In an effort to curb the swing-and-miss issues, Hiura set out to simplify his swing mechanics this past offseason. That hasn’t yet paid off; he has struck out in 20 of his first 42 trips on the season, and his 58.8% rate of contact on swings isn’t too dissimilar from his 2020-21 marks. Hiura hasn’t had a ton of playing time behind Wong and first baseman Rowdy Tellez, who is off to a scorching start to the season. The Brewers will send him back to Nashville — where he had strong results despite a lot of strikeouts last year — for more regular playing time.

Still yet to turn 26, Hiura has a bit of time to figure things out. His service clock could begin to force the issue after this season, though. Hiura entered the year with two years and 30 days of MLB service. Players are credited with a full year for spending 172 days on an MLB roster or injured list, meaning he needs 142 days in the bigs this year to keep his trajectory towards free agency after the 2025 season. There’s also a possibility of Hiura reaching arbitration eligibility as a Super Two qualifier but falling short of the three-year mark depending on how much time he spends in the minors.

Of course, the service time component is only relevant for Milwaukee if Hiura proves worthy of a long-term roster spot. He has one minor league option year remaining. If he spends 20+ days in the minors this season, he’ll exhaust that final option in 2022. That’d mean Milwaukee has to carry Hiura on the active roster out of camp next year if they don’t want to make him available to other teams. Much of how the Brewers proceed will no doubt be determined by whether he gets the strikeouts under control over the next few months.

As for Perdomo, he makes his return to the majors after missing all of last year recovering from Tommy John surgery. A former Rule 5 pick of the Padres, the righty intermittently flashed upside revolving around a mid-90s sinker that regularly induced huge ground-ball totals. Perdomo never missed many bats and occasionally battled control issues, though, and he posted an ERA of 4.00 or higher in all five of his seasons in San Diego.

After Perdomo went under the knife in October 2020, the Friars released him. Milwaukee signed him to a two-year minor-league contract with an eye towards 2022, and he’s earned his way back with a very nice start in Nashville. The 28-year-old (29 next week) has allowed just three runs in 12 innings with the Sounds. He’s fanned 13 and only walked a pair, and he has racked up grounders at a massive 71% clip early in the year. He’ll add a grounder-oriented, multi-inning relief option for manager Craig Counsell — a role that was filled by José Ureña until the latter was designated for assignment on Monday.

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