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Nabil Crismatt

Padres Designate Tayler Scott For Assignment, Activate Craig Stammen

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The Padres have announced a series of roster moves, with right-hander Craig Stammen reinstated from the 60-day injured list.  To create room on the active roster, righty Nabil Crismatt was optioned to Triple-A El Paso.  Right-hander Tayler Scott was designated for assignment to open a spot on the 40-man roster.

With Pierce Johnson and now Stammen coming off the 60-day IL in consecutive days, the Padres have bolstered their relief corps with a pair of solid right-handers.  For Stammen, he last pitched on July 4 before right shoulder inflammation led to an extended stint on the sidelines.

Now in his sixth season with the Padres, Stammen was delivering his usual solid work at the time of his injury.  The righty has a 3.34 ERA/3.27 SIERA over 32 1/3 innings, with a 51.5% grounder rate and an elite 3.6% walk rate.

Scott posted a 6.75 ERA over 12 innings for San Diego after his minor league deal was initially selected to the active roster in July.  This marked Scott’s first MLB action since 2019, as he has spent the last two seasons pitching in Japan for the Hiroshima Carp.  The righty has been on the 15-day IL since mid-August due to a finger laceration, so the Padres first had to activate Scott from the injured list before designating him for assignment.

Blake Snell Scratched From Start

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8:50 PM: Snell is likely headed to the injured list, per Cassavell (via Twitter). Crismatt tossed three scoreless innings in Snell’s place today. The Padres play the next ten games without a day off, so they will certainly move some roster pieces around if Snell is going to be out for that time.

3:38 PM: San Diego Padres starter Blake Snell was a last-minute scratch from his first scheduled start of the season today. The issue is left adductor tightness, the same injury that troubled Snell at the end of last season, per MLB.com’s AJ Cassavell (via Twitter).

Nabil Crismatt took the ball to start the ballgame in Snell’s stead. The 27-year-old swingman should be fresh, as he has yet to appear in a game so far this season. Today marks the first start of his Major League career, though he was mostly a starter coming up through the Mets’ minor league system. Crismatt owns a 3.71 ERA in 51 career appearances out of the pen.

Crismatt would be a candidate to stay in the rotation for a turn or two if Snell ends up needing a stint on the injured list. Reiss Knehr would be a prospective call-up if the Padres decide to go that route. They just dealt away Chris Paddack, but of course, they wouldn’t have done so with the expectation of needing just five starters to get through the season. They no doubt have a hierarchy in place for just this sort of contingency.

Snell’s first season in San Diego didn’t exactly go as planned for either party, and this marks an inauspicious start to year two. The 2018 AL Cy Young winner put up a 4.20 ERA/3.82 FIP over 128 2/3 innings over 27 starts.

Padres Place Fernando Tatis Jr, Chris Paddack On 10-Day IL

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11:24PM: Season-ending shoulder surgery “would be on the table” for Tatis if he doesn’t show improvement during his 10-day IL stint, Tinger told The Athletic’s Dennis Lin and other reporters.  However, Tatis is intent on playing again this year.

6:01PM: The Padres have placed shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. and right-hander Chris Paddack on the 10-day injured list.  Tatis is on the IL with left shoulder inflammation, after leaving last night’s game with a shoulder problem following a slide into third base.  Paddack has been sidelined with a left oblique strain, and his placement is retroactive to July 28.

In corresponding moves, the Padres also optioned righty Nabil Crismatt to Triple-A while calling up right-handers Miguel Diaz and Reiss Knehr, and newly-acquired outfielder Jake Marisnick was added to the active roster.

This is the second time Tatis’ bothersome left shoulder has sent him to the injured list this season, as he suffered a slight labrum tear back in early April but ended up missing only a minimal amount of time.  Tatis has since missed a couple of games with mild shoulder soreness, but Padres manager Jayce Tingler told Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune (Twitter links) and other reporters that Tatis’ shoulder was “more sore” in the aftermath of this injury than in his past shoulder aggravations.

According to Acee, there isn’t yet any indication that the Padres are considering shutting Tatis down in the wake of these recurring injuries.  If surgery is the only way to fully correct the problem, that would obviously sideline Tatis for the rest of this season and potentially into 2022, depending on the extent of the procedure and the severity of the shoulder damage.  The fact that Tatis has been able to bounce back multiple times this year and still produce at a superstar level provides some hope that he’ll also be able to recover from this latest setback, though it would seem to appear that Tatis will require more than just the minimum 10 days of recovery time.

There is no way to actually replace Tatis, of course, though San Diego’s acquisition of Adam Frazier last week now looks all the more important.  Jake Cronenworth can slide over to shortstop while Frazier takes over as planned at second base, but that scenario also interrupts the Padres’ initial plan — using Cronenworth at first base and Frazier as a super-utilityman around the diamond, providing cover for and depth behind Eric Hosmer and Wil Myers.  Ha-Seong Kim and Jurickson Profar are also on hand as utility options.

Losing Paddack is also no small matter for the Padres, who have been consistently hampered by rotation injuries all season.  San Diego was rumored to be looking at multiple starters prior to the trade deadline, but reliever Daniel Hudson ended up being their only new arm.  Paddack was scheduled to start on Sunday, but the Padres might now turn to Knehr or another option for tomorrow’s game.

Paddack has pitched better (3.92 SIERA) than his 5.13 ERA would indicate, though he has allowed a lot of hard contact.  Perhaps the key stat is 93 innings pitched, as Paddack has been a reliably durable member of the starting staff apart from a 10-day COVID absence early in the season.  The right-hander has a below-average strikeout rate but he has been one of the best at limiting free passes; Paddack’s walk rate is only five percent.

Padres Place Yu Darvish On 10-Day Injured List

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The Padres announced that right-hander Yu Darvish has been placed on the 10-day injured list (retroactive to July 9) due to left hip inflammation.  Righty Nabil Crismatt was called up from Triple-A El Paso to take Darvish’s spot on the active roster.

It was already known that Darvish wouldn’t be pitching in the All-Star Game, after he was named to the team for the fifth time in his MLB career.  Assuming his IL stint is a minimum 10 days, Darvish won’t miss a start, factoring in both the two days of retroactive placement already banked and the four-day All-Star break.  The righty is currently lined up to start San Diego’s fourth game of the second half, a road game against the Braves on July 19.

Of course, it shouldn’t be assumed that Darvish will be immediately ready for that start, considering that he left his last outing on Thursday due to back and hip tightness.  Darvish was touched for six runs in three innings in that start against the Nationals, easily the worst start of what has been an impressive debut season in San Diego for the veteran hurler.  Darvish has a 3.09 ERA/3.36 SIERA over 105 innings for the Padres, with a strong 29.8% strikeout rate and 5.7% walk rate.  There is a lot of red ink in general on Darvish’s Statcast card, but his elite 99th-percentile fastball spin rate stands out as particularly noteworthy.

Darvish isn’t a pitcher the Padres can afford to be without for too long, especially considering that Blake Snell and Dinelson Lamet are also still on the 10-day IL (though tentatively expected to return after the All-Star break).  Starting pitching was already thought to be a priority for the Padres heading into the trade deadline, and that need will only increase if there is any uncertainty about Darvish’s readiness.

The Best Minor League Deals Of 2021 (So Far): Pitchers

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We took a look last week at some of the minor league pacts that have paid the most dividends, focusing in on position players in both leagues. Unsurprisingly, given the lack of offense throughout baseball as a whole at the moment, there are even more success stories on the pitching side of the coin. Some of these are products of small sample size, particularly for the many relievers on the list, but at least for our initial check-in on this subject, the early returns have been strong.

  1. Ian Kennedy, RHP, Rangers: We’re nearing Memorial Day weekend, and Kennedy is tied for the American League lead in saves — just as everyone expected! The 36-year-old righty isn’t just scraping by and narrowly escaping in a bunch of three-run leads, though. He’s tallied 19 1/3 innings and allowed just four runs, all while recording a terrific 31.1 percent strikeout rate and a tiny 5.4 percent walk rate. If Texas remains near the bottom of the AL West standings, he’ll be an appealing trade target for bullpen-needy clubs.
  2. Drew Steckenrider, RHP, Mariners: A quality setup man with the 2017-18 Marlins, Steckenrider’s time in Miami was derailed by injuries — most notably a 2019 flexor strain. He looks to be back on track in his new surroundings, however, having tossed 18 1/3 innings of 2.45 ERA ball with a 29.2 percent strikeout rate and an 11.1 percent walk rate. The walks are a bit elevated, but he’s helped to combat that with a career-best 54 percent ground-ball mark. The Mariners (or another club) could control Steckenrider through 2023 via arbitration as well, which only adds to the value.
  3. Jimmy Nelson, RHP, Dodgers:  The Dodgers just placed Nelson on the injured list due to a forearm issue, so there are (once again) some obvious health question marks with Nelson. There’s no ignoring how effective he’s been thus far, however. Nelson’s 39.1 percent strikeout rate is the ninth-best among all MLB relievers, and he’s paired that with a pristine 2.41 ERA. Like Shaw, he’s walked too many batters (13 percent), but the former Brewers ace has shown high-leverage, late-inning potential with L.A.
  4. Bryan Shaw, RHP, Indians: Shaw was an iron man in the Cleveland ’pen but flopped in Colorado after signing a three-year, $27MM contract going into 2018. Back in his old stomping grounds, he’s tallied 19 innings with a pristine 1.42 ERA. The 33-year-old has issued 13 walks, so he’ll need to cut back on the free passes if he hopes to continue this success, but Shaw’s strikeout and ground-ball percentages are among the best of his career (29.3 percent, 57.5 percent, respectively).
  5. Lucas Luetge, LHP, Yankees: Luetge’s last MLB appearance prior to his Yankees debut came with the 2015 Mariners. The now-34-year-old southpaw signed minor league deals with five organizations before making it back to the show, which is remarkable in and of itself. That he’s been one of the Yankees’ best relievers, however, makes his story all the more incredible. Luetge, who entered 2021 with all of 89 MLB frames under his belt, has a 2.95 ERA and a 19-to-3 K/BB ratio in 21 1/3 innings for the Yankees thus far. Considering the injuries to Zack Britton and Darren O’Day, Luetge’s unexpected contributions have been a godsend. If he can keep this up, he’ll be arbitration-eligible this winter and controllable through the 2024 season.
  6. Hyeon-jong Yang, LHP, Rangers: Yang, a former KBO MVP, could’ve returned to that league on a guaranteed deal but refused to give up on his aspirations of playing in the Majors, even if it meant taking a non-guaranteed pact. He’s 21 1/3 innings into the realization of that lifelong goal, and the Rangers are no doubt pleased with their decision. Yang, 33, opened the season with the Rangers’ alternate site group but had his contract selected in late April. He now owns a 3.38 ERA, and while his pedestrian strikeout and walk rates might point to some possible regression, he’s induced plenty of weak contact (average 87.4 mph exit velocity, just a 13.1 percent line-drive rate). An 11.2 percent swinging-strike rate suggests there could be more K’s to come, as well.
  7. Chi Chi Gonzalez, RHP, Rockies: Gonzalez’s numbers don’t stand out that much, but he’s eating innings and delivering roughly league-average run-prevention numbers when adjusting for his home park (102 ERA+, 99 ERA-). Through nine appearances, seven of them starts, Gonzalez is carrying a 4.54 ERA. He’s totaled 41 2/3 innings for a Rockies club that has gone the whole season without lefty Kyle Freeland. Gonzalez has rattled off consecutive quality starts and helped the Rox get through the first two months of the season. The secondary marks aren’t great, but average innings have value — especially in 2021 when teams are so conscientious about their pitchers’ workloads.
  8. Nabil Crismatt, RHP, Padres: Crismatt had just 8 1/3 innings of MLB experience (all with the 2020 Cardinals) when he arrived in Padres camp this spring. He’s more than doubled that total in 2021 already, pitching 17 2/3 innings of 2.55 ERA ball with a hefty 52.2 percent grounder rate. Crismatt is an oddity in today’s game, sitting under 89 mph with a fastball that is only seldom used due to the fact that he throws his changeup at a whopping 46.5 percent clip. It’s weird, but so far — it’s worked.
  9. Anthony Bender, RHP, Marlins: A 26-year-old rookie who never pitched above Double-A with the Royals or Brewers before joining the Marlins on a minor league deal this winter, Bender is sitting 97.4 mph with his heater and has tossed 8 2/3 shutout innings to open his career. He’s whiffed 36.7 percent of his opponents against a 3.3 percent walk rate. Small sample? Sure, but Bender also rattled off 8 1/3 shutout frames during Spring Training, too. Not bad for a guy who posted a 5.48 ERA with the independent American Association’s Milwaukee Milkmen in 2020.
  10. Heath Hembree, RHP, Reds:  After a rough 2020 season, Hembree has bounced back early in 2021. His 4.15 ERA through 13 frames is nothing special, but his strikeout rate is sitting at a career-high 33.3 percent after plummeting in 2020. His 6.3 percent walk rate is a career-best, and his 13.1 percent swinging-strike rate isn’t far off from his peak years in Boston. Hembree’s velocity is also up to 95.2 mph after dipping to 93.9 mph in 2019-20. It’s early, but those are some encouraging indicators.
  11. Zack Littell, RHP, Giants: Littell hasn’t spent much time with the Giants yet, but he’s chucked 10 2/3 innings and held opponents to just one run on eight hits and three walks with nine punchouts. His 94.8 mph average fastball velocity is a career-high, as is his 48.3 percent grounder rate. The former Twins righty only has a year of big league service and could be controllable for several years if he figures it out in San Francisco.
  12. Deolis Guerra, RHP, Athletics: It’s hard to believe Guerra just turned 32, given that he was one of the pieces traded from the Mets to the Twins way back in 2008’s Johan Santana trade. He’s bounced around the league in journeyman style but is enjoying a nice run with the A’s to kick off the ’21 season. In 20 2/3 frames, Guerra has a 3.92 ERA with a pedestrian K-BB% but intriguing levels of weak contact induced.
  13. JT Chargois, RHP, Mariners: Like Littell, Chargois hasn’t seen much time in the bigs yet, but he’s sporting a 9-to-1 K/BB ratio in 8 2/3 innings for Seattle. He’s had multiple chances with the Twins and Dodgers in recent years but never found much consistency. Chargois also mustered only a 5.81 ERA pitching for Japan’s Rakuten Golden Eagles in 2020. Still, it’s a nice start to his 2021 season.
  14. Brad Boxberger, RHP, Brewers: The right-hander, who’ll turn 33 this week, has hurled 17 1/3 innings so far in Milwaukee and pitched to a 4.15 ERA but with a more impressive 17-to-3 K/BB mark. As with many relievers early in a given season, the bulk of the damage against Boxberger came in one appearance (against the Cardinals). He’s been unscored upon in 16 of his 19 outings so far in 2021.
  15. Ervin Santana, RHP, Royals: The Royals love their reunions more than any team in baseball, and Santana is somewhat improbably back to “smelling baseball,” as he likes to say, for a second stint in Kansas City. He’s only allowed four runs in 15 1/3 innings (2.35 ERA), but he’s also only picked up eight strikeouts against four walks. His fastball is sitting 93 mph again after living at 89-90 in 2018-19, but the red flags are plentiful: 13.1 percent strikeout rate, 91 percent strand rate, .213 BABIP, 45 percent opponents’ hard-hit rate.
  16. Paolo Espino, RHP, Nationals: The Nats quietly re-signed the now 34-year-old Espino before the calendar even flipped to November last year. So far, it’s been a worthwhile reunion, as he’s held opponents to four runs on nine hits and a walk with eight strikeouts in 14 innings (2.57 ERA). Espino won’t keep this up if he can’t miss some more bats and/or induce far more grounders, however. He’s currently benefiting from a .175 BABIP and an 83.3 percent strand rate, while his 26.6 percent grounder rate will make it to limit home runs. Still, the Nats have 14 innings of decent results to show for the deal.

As with the position players, some of these strong starts will fade. There are a few at the back of the list that look particularly difficult to sustain, but there also look to be some genuine bargains unearthed among this group. Some will likely result in trades (Kennedy), but it’d make for a fun story to follow should any of the controllable arms (e.g. Bender, Crismatt) ultimately emerge as long-term pieces for the clubs who gave them their best career opportunities to date.

Padres Activate Pierce Johnson, Dan Altavilla From Injured List

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The Padres carousel of relievers continues to turn, this time via the activations of Pierce Johnson and Dan Altavilla from the injured list. Both right-handers came into the season as key, if underrated pieces of the Friars’ bullpen makeup. Both will make their season debuts when they next get in a game.

In terms of corresponding moves, Nabil Crismatt has been optioned for the second time this season. Taylor Williams has also been placed on the injured list with right knee inflammation, per Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune (via Twitter). Crismatt impressed this spring while on a minor league contract, earning himself a place in the organization. The Padres are likely to see Crismatt a number of times this season, though since his option has been used, he’ll also remain a candidate for demotion.

Conversely, Williams does not have any options remaining. The 29-year-old has been solid in five appearances so far this season, giving up just one run over 5 1/3 innings. Williams played for the Brewers and Mariners before coming to the Padres in an under-the-radar trade at last season’s August trade deadline.

Altavilla also came to San Diego from Seattle at the trade deadline last year, but as part of the higher-profile trade the sent Ty France, Andres Munoz, Luis Torrens, and Taylor Trammell to the Mariners for Altavilla, Austin Adams, and Austin Nola. All three pieces of that deal started the season on the injured list for the Pads, though Adams just recently made his return.

Johnson returned to the States from Japan last season, quickly becoming a vital piece of manager Jayce Tingler’s relief corps. The Colorado native appeared in 24 games, pitching to a 2.70 ERA/3.14 FIP over 20 innings. Johnson and Altavilla now join a deep group of veteran right-handers in the Padres’ bullpen. Beyond Johnson, Altavilla, and Adams, Tingler can also call on Craig Stammen, Keone Kela or Emilio Pagan ahead of nominal closer Mark Melancon.

 

Padres’ Adrian Morejon Placed On IL Due To Left Forearm Strain

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TODAY: Morejón has been placed on the 10-day injured list with a left forearm strain.  The Padres recalled righty Nabil Crismatt from the alternate training site to take Morejon’s spot on the active roster.

APRIL 11: Adrián Morejón left his start against the Rangers this afternoon in the first inning. The young left-hander has a forearm/elbow strain in his throwing arm, the Padres later told reporters (including Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune).

That’s an ominous sounding diagnosis, as forearm strains are often a precursor to Tommy John surgery. There’s no indication at this point Morejón will need to undergo that (or any other) procedure, but it seems he’ll require an injured list stint at the very least. Morejón, who broke into the majors as a swingman over the past two years, began this season as San Diego’s fifth starter.

While Morejón has only managed a 6.03 ERA over his first 31.1 MLB innings, a deeper look shows plenty more promise. The former high-profile international signee has been one of the game’s top prospects over the last four years, entering the season as Baseball America’s #75 overall farmhand. While Morejón has given up far too many home runs in his brief big league time, he’s also demonstrated an ability to miss bats and command the strike zone. His 26.1% strikeout rate, 12% swinging strike rate and 5.8% walk percentage are all better than league average, no small feat for a player who just turned 22 years old.

Should Morejón miss time, the Friars could turn to a handful of other young arms in his rotation spot until Dinelson Lamet is ready to return from injury. Top prospect MacKenzie Gore is widely expected to debut at some point in 2021, while former top ten pick Ryan Weathers already made his MLB debut and has been working out of the bullpen this year. Jordan Humphreys, whom the Padres claimed off waivers last month, is among the other starting pitcher options on the 40-man roster.

Injured List Activations: Ahmed, Stewart, Adams

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After a flurry of injury news and updates around baseball today, here are some players who are getting back to action…

  • The Diamondbacks activated shortstop Nick Ahmed from the 10-day injured list.  Ahmed suffered some right knee inflammation near the end of Spring Training and received a PRP injection as part of his treatment.  The two-time Gold Glove winner is now ready to begin his 2021 season and take his usual place as the defensive anchor of the Diamondbacks infield.  Infielder Geraldo Perdomo was optioned to the alternate training site after last night’s game in preparation for Ahmed’s return.
  • The Orioles reinstated DJ Stewart from the 10-day IL, and Stewart is set for his season debut tonight, scheduled to hit fifth in Baltimore’s lineup.  Due to a left hamstring strain, the outfielder hasn’t seen any game action since a Spring Training outing on March 5.  While strikeouts continue to be a troublingly large part of Stewart’s offensive game, he has hit .224/.334/433 with 14 homers at the MLB level, good for an above-average 107 OPS+/108 wRC+ over 301 career plate appearances.
  • Right-hander Austin Adams has been reinstated from the Padres’ 10-day IL, and righty Nabil Crismatt has been optioned to the alternate training site to make room on the active roster.  Adams had been suffering from a minor elbow strain during Spring Training.  San Diego acquired Adams as part of their seven-player deal with the Mariners last August, and he stands out as a potentially nasty bullpen weapon if he can get his free passes in check.  Adams has an eye-popping 70 strikeouts over 42 career innings in the majors, but control has also been a major issue (a 15.8% walk rate).

Padres To Select Nabil Crismatt

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The Padres informed right-hander Nabil Crismatt that he will make their Opening Day roster, Dennis Lin of The Athletic tweets. Because Crismatt isn’t on the Padres’ 40-man roster, which is full, they will need to make a corresponding move to clear space for him.

The Padres made a series of high-profile acquisitions during the offseason, but Crismatt flew under the radar as a minor league signing. Now 26 years old, Crismatt divided 2012-20 among the Mets, Mariners and Cardinals organizations, combining for a 3.82 ERA with better than a strikeout per inning and fewer than three walks per nine over 641 2/3 innings in the minors.

Crismatt made his big league debut last year in St. Louis, and though he only averaged 89.5 mph on his fastball, he gave up just three earned runs on six hits, walked one batter and struck out eight in 8 1/3 innings. He then pitched to a near-spotless 0.87 ERA in 10 1/3 innings this spring, and will try to carry the success he has enjoyed since 2020 into this regular season.

Padres Sign Nabil Crismatt

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The Padres have signed Nabil Crismatt, as announced by the right-hander himself on his Instagram page.  Crismatt elected to become a free agent after being outrighted off the Cardinals’ 40-man roster following the season.

2020 saw the 25-year-old Crismatt made his MLB debut, as he tossed 8 1/3 innings over six relief appearances for St. Louis and posted a 3.24 ERA and eight strikeouts against just one walk.  He has also impressed in recent Dominican Winter League outings, with a 2.00 ERA, 8.50 K/BB rate, and 8.5 K/9 over 18 innings.

Crismatt began his pro career as a Mets international signing out of Colombia back in 2011, and he has a career 3.82 ERA, 3.90 K/BB rate, and 9.5 K/9 over 641 2/3 innings in the minors with the Mets (from 2012-18) and Mariners (in 2019).  Crismatt has started 88 of his 167 appearances at the minor league level, with the majority of those starts coming since the start of the 2017 campaign.

While Crismatt’s overall numbers on the farm are pretty solid, he has struggled mightily at Triple-A, with an 8.96 ERA over 85 1/3 innings that seems largely due to an ungainly 2.4 HR/9.  Home runs have (to a much lesser extent) been something of an issue throughout his career, and all three of the runs Crismatt surrendered in the majors last season were via the long ball.  If the Padres can correct or even lessen Crismatt’s problems at keeping the ball in the park, he could be an interesting depth piece for the bullpen, rotation, or perhaps even both in a swingman capacity.

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