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Parker Mushinski

Guardians, Parker Mushinski Agree To Minor League Deal

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The Guardians are in agreement with lefty reliever Parker Mushinski on a minor league contract, reports Chandler Rome of the Athletic (on X). He’ll be in camp as a non-roster invitee.

Mushinski had been with the Astros since they drafted him in the seventh round in 2017. The Texas Tech product pitched in the big leagues in each of the past three seasons. Mushinski hasn’t found much success, turning in a 5.45 ERA across 33 career innings. He has a below-average 17.4% strikeout rate over that stretch. Mushinski only fanned three hitters in 11 innings this year, leading the Astros to outright him off the 40-man roster in September. He became a minor league free agent at season’s end.

Things have generally gone better at the Triple-A level. Mushinski carries a 3.68 ERA over parts of four seasons in the Pacific Coast League. The majority of that success came between 2022-23. He had a tough season in the minors this year, allowing 5.44 earned runs per nine through 44 2/3 innings.

The Guardians have arguably the best bullpen in the majors. The group skews a bit right-handed, which plays in Mushinski’s favor as he tries to secure an Opening Day job. Tim Herrin is a lock for a season-opening spot, while Erik Sabrowski pitched well in a small sample as a rookie. Sam Hentges, arguably the most talented of Cleveland’s southpaws, is likely to miss all of next season after undergoing shoulder surgery in September. Joey Cantillo and Logan Allen could factor into the ’pen mix but project as rotation depth for the time being.

Mushinski has exhausted his minor league options. If the Guardians call him up at any point, they’d need to keep him on the MLB roster or send him back into DFA limbo.

Astros Outright Parker Mushinski

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Left-hander Parker Mushinski went unclaimed on waivers after being designated for assignment last week, the Astros announced Monday. He’s been assigned outright to Triple-A Sugar Land and will remain with the organization but no longer occupy a spot on the 40-man roster. Mushinski’s DFA came as the corresponding move for Kyle Tucker’s return from the 60-day injured list.

The 28-year-old Mushinski has pitched in each of the past three seasons with Houston, logging a combined 33 innings of relief and pitching to a 5.45 ERA along the way. He’s fanned 17.4% of his opponents against an 8.1% walk rate and kept 45.2% of his batted balls on the ground. He’s had spotty command against lefties but generally prevented them from hitting for power, evidenced by a career .255/.354/.327 slash from opposing southpaw bats. However, righties have tattooed Mushinski at a brutal .280/.357/.587 clip in his career. He’s faced 84 righties in the big leagues and surrendered 13 extra-base hits (five homers, eight doubles).

While Mushinski hasn’t had much big league success, he does have a sharp track record in Triple-A. The 2017 seventh-rounder out of Texas Tech has pitched in parts of four seasons at the top minor league level and sports a collective 3.25 ERA, 27.3% strikeout rate and 10.1% walk rate there. That’s come over a sample of 127 1/3 innings, with all but one of his 118 appearances at the Triple-A level coming out of the bullpen. Mushinski isn’t a particularly hard thrower — his four-seamer has sat just over 92 mph this season — but he’s nevertheless missed bats at a high level in the upper minors, both in terms of swinging-strike rate and his raw strikeout rates.

This is Mushinski’s first career outright assignment, and he also lacks three full seasons of big league service. As such, he can’t reject the outright assignment in favor of free agency for the time being. He’ll be able to become a minor league free agent in the offseason, however.

Astros Reinstate Kyle Tucker From Injured List

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The Astros have reinstated outfielder Kyle Tucker from the 60-day injured list. Infielder Zach Dezenzo has been optioned to Triple-A in order to open an active roster spot. Left-hander Parker Mushinski has been designated for assignment to create room on the 40-man. Chandler Rome of The Athletic was among those to relay the moves on X.

Tucker got out to a brilliant start this season, hitting 19 home runs in 60 games while walking more than he struck out. He slashed .266/.395/.584 for a wRC+ of 175 despite a subpar .245 batting average on balls in play. On June 3, that wRC+ was third in the majors behind Aaron Judge and Juan Soto despite some poor treatment from the baseball gods.

But it was on that June 3 date that Tucker began a strange saga. He fouled a ball of his shin and landed on the 10-day injured list. The club continued to described his injury as a “deep bruise of the bone” or a “shin contusion,” all while seeming to expect him to make a quick return. His absence turned to weeks and then months as fans continued to wonder how a simple bruise could lead to such an extended absence.

Just a few days ago, Rome reported that Tucker had suffered a fracture, despite continued denials from general manager Dana Brown. After that report came out, Brown and Tucker both admitted that the player had indeed suffered a fracture.

Though the reasons for that obfuscation aren’t clear, the larger point is that Tucker is now back. He didn’t go on a rehab assignment and is in the designated hitter slot tonight, so perhaps the club is easing him back after a long layoff. Maybe he will experience some rust but he will obviously be a huge boon to the Astros if he can get anywhere near his pre-injury form.

Despite the lineup boost, he will give the club a bit less lineup flexibility if he stays in that DH slot. Yordan Alvarez has been the DH more than anyone else but he will perhaps have to play left field more regularly. It will also be harder to put Alex Bregman in there, as he has been battling a minor elbow issue of late. The club also likes to have Yainer Diaz as the DH sometimes when Victor Caratini is behind the plate, keeping Diaz’s bat in the lineup. Perhaps that will happen less often as a result as well.

The outfield group currently consists of Alvarez, Jake Meyers and Ben Gamel, with Chas McCormick and Jason Heyward also in the mix. Whenever Tucker is ready to take the field again, he will push into that group and take some of their playing time, but also free up the DH spot once again.

Mushinski, 28, could perhaps join a new club for the first time in his career. He was drafted by the Astros in 2017 and was added to their 40-man roster in 2022. He has served as a frequently-optioned depth arm for them since then. He has tossed 33 major league innings over those three campaigns with a 5.45 earned run average. His 8.1% walk rate and 45.2% ground ball rate are close to average but he’s only struck out 17.4% of batters faced.

His minor league work has been more impressive. In that same three-year span, he has tossed 114 2/3 innings for Triple-A Sugar Land, putting up a 3.30 ERA despite that club playing in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League. He has a 26.7% strikeout rate and 10.7% walk rate in that sample.

The Astros will have to put Mushinski on waivers in the coming days. He can still be optioned for what remains of this year but will be out of options next season. If he does get claimed, he has less than two years of service time and can therefore be controlled for five seasons beyond this one. If he were to pass through waivers unclaimed, he wouldn’t have the right to elect free agency since he has never been previously outrighted and has less than three years of service time.

Astros To Select Nick Hernandez

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The Astros announced they have selected right-hander Nick Hernandez to their roster, with left-hander Parker Mushinski optioned in a corresponding move. Righty José Urquidy, who is slated for season-ending surgery, was be transferred to the 60-day injured list to open a 40-man spot. Chandler Rome of The Athletic relayed the moves on X prior to the official announcement (link one and two).

Hernandez, 29, was just acquired from the Padres last night in a cash deal. He had signed a minor league deal with the Friars in January and has been pitching well this year. He tossed 23 2/3 innings for Triple-A El Paso with a 1.90 earned run average, despite the hitter-friendly nature of the Pacific Coast League. He may have benefitted from an 84.5% strand rate and 4% home run to flyball ratio, but he also struck out 34% of batters faced.

The Astros were intrigued enough to send some cash to San Diego and bring Hernandez back to his original organization. The Astros drafted Hernandez back in 2016 but he reached minor league free agency after the 2022 season, eventually pivoting to the Padres.

He’ll now have a chance to improve his small-sample major league stats. He tossed three innings for the Friars last year but allowed four earned runs, leaving him currently sitting on a career ERA of 12.00. He was outrighted off the roster before re-signing on a minor league deal coming into this year.

The Astros essentially had a free roster spot to use with Urquidy set to miss the rest of the year. The same is true of Cristian Javier, as he’s slated to undergo Tommy John surgery tomorrow. He’ll eventually be transferred to the 60-day IL as well, giving Houston another roster spot to work with, which could lead to another small deal or waiver claim in the near future.

Astros To Select Joel Kuhnel

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The Astros are going to add right-hander Joel Kuhnel to their roster, with Chandler Rome of The Athletic among those to relay the news. Left-hander Parker Mushinski will be optioned to open an active roster spot while Wander Suero has been designated for assignment to open a 40-man spot, per Rome.

The Astros haven’t had an off-day since last Thursday and their bullpen has been getting heavy use of late. On Monday, the injury of Framber Valdez led to the club sending out Blair Henley to make his major league debut, but he couldn’t make it out of the first inning. Cristian Javier had a fine start on Tuesday but then Spencer Arrighetti made his major league debut on Wednesday and was only able to log three innings. Then Hunter Brown was pummelled yesterday, allowing nine earned runs on 11 hits while only recording two outs.

Amid all of that, the relievers have had to grind through innings, which included Mushinski throwing 54 pitches over 2 2/3 on Wednesday. He was likely looking at being down for a few days after that so the club has optioned him out for a fresh arm.

Kuhnel, 29, has 83 2/3 innings of big league experience. Most of that was with the Reds, though he joined the Astros in a cash deal in June of last year. His 6.02 earned run average for his career is obviously not impressive, nor is his 19.3% strikeout rate, though there are some more encouraging numbers to look at. His fastball averages in the mid-90s, he’s limited walks to a 6.5% clip and he’s been able to keep 52.5% of balls in play on the ground.

The Astros designated him for assignment in January and the righty elected free agency but the Astros brought him back via a minor league deal. He’ll now get a chance to join the beleaguered bullpen and hopefully give them a boost. He has an option remaining and can perhaps be kept as a depth arm if the club needs yet another roster move in the days to come. He also has less than two years of service time and can be retained for future seasons if he continues to hang onto that 40-man roster spot.

Suero, 32, has been on a similar trajectory to Kuhnel in that he also signed a minor league pact with Houston in the winter and had his contract selected to help out the staff this week. He was added on Tuesday and put into that night’s game against the Royals. He came to the mound in the bottom of the 10th and allowed a single to Salvador Perez, scoring the free runner from second and ending the game without Suero recording an out.

He was optioned the next day to get Arrighetti onto the active roster and has now lost his spot on the 40-man as well. The Astros will have one week to trade him or pass him through waivers. If he were to pass through waivers unclaimed, he will have the right to elect free agency, both due to his three-plus years of service time and a previous career outright.

He has a 4.75 ERA in 193 1/3 major league innings in his career, striking out 25.4% of opponents with a walk rate of 8.6%. But he had a 4.10 ERA from 2018 to 2020 and a 6.57 ERA since then. Despite the shaky results of late, plenty of clubs need pitching right now and Suero’s option means that he won’t require an active roster spot.

Astros Place Framber Valdez On Injured List

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The Astros have placed left-hander Framber Valdez on the 15-day injured list due to elbow soreness, retroactive to April 6, per Ari Alexander of KPRC 2 (X links). They also optioned right-hander Blair Henley to Triple-A Sugar Land. In corresponding moves, they recalled left-hander Parker Mushinski and selected the contract of right-hander Wander Suero. Mushinski was just optioned on Friday and hasn’t yet spent the minimum of 15 days on optional assignment, but players are allowed to return early when someone else goes on the IL. To open a spot on the 40-man roster for Suero, right-hander Oliver Ortega was transferred to the 60-day injured list, per Alexander. Henley relayed the news of his option last night, with Chandler Rome of The Athletic among those to pass it on. Rome also noted that Suero was at the ballpark earlier today and also relayed that Mushinski was on his way to join the club.

It was reported yesterday that Valdez was scratched from his start due to elbow soreness and sent to Houston to visit with team doctors. Manager Joe Espada says the plan is for him to be shut down for a few days while his inflammation subsides, per Rome. Further updates will likely follow in the coming days as the club continues to monitor his progress.

With Valdez scratched, the Astros tagged in Henley as an emergency starter in yesterday’s game against the Rangers but he allowed five earned runs while recording just one out. The Astros managed to come back and win that game 10-5 but used four relievers, getting multiple innings from three of them. Today’s moves provide the club with a couple of fresh arms for their beleaguered bullpen.

Now that Valdez is officially on the IL, the Astros will have to find another starter to join their rotation alongside Cristian Javier, Hunter Brown, J.P. France and Ronel Blanco, though Justin Verlander has begun a rehab assignment and may not be too far away. If Verlander wants to make a second rehab starts as planned, perhaps long reliever Brandon Bielak can take the ball in a few days’ time for a spot start.

Suero, 32, signed a minor league deal with the Astros in the offseason. He has 193 1/3 innings of major league experience, having pitched for the Nationals and Dodgers. He has a 4.75 earned run average in that time, striking out 25.4% of batters faced while walking 8.6%.

However, he’s a few years removed from his best results, as he had a 4.10 ERA with the Nats from 2018 to 2020 but then a 6.33 ERA in 2021. He was stuck in the minors in 2022 and then had a 7.88 ERA in eight innings for the Dodgers last year. But his recent Triple-A numbers have been better, as he had a 3.26 ERA in the Dodgers’ system last year and a 4.50 ERA through four appearances so far this year. Suero still has an option and also has less than four years of service time, meaning he can be retained beyond this season via arbitration if he holds onto a 40-man spot all year.

As for Ortega, it was reported last month that he would miss three to four months after undergoing surgery to remove loose bodies in his elbow, making this transfer an inevitable formality.

Astros Place Jose Abreu, Phil Maton On Injured List

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The Astros announced that first baseman Jose Abreu has been placed on the 10-day injured list (retroactive to August 10), and that right-hander Phil Maton has been placed on the 15-day IL.  Abreu is dealing with lumbar spine inflammation while Maton has a right elbow contusion.  Infielder David Hensley and left-hander Parker Mushinski were called up from Triple-A in corresponding moves.

Abreu’s back has been an issue for both the last few days, and for much of the season, as he revealed to The Athletic’s Chandler Rome (Twitter links) and other reporters today.  The IL placement seemed to be sparked when an MRI revealed the inflammation, and Abreu received two cortisone shots to help ease the discomfort.

The back problem continues what has been a rough debut season for the veteran first baseman in Houston.  After signing a three-year, $58.5MM free agent contract with the Astros last winter, Abreu has stumbled to a .234/.291/.343 slash line and 10 homers over 464 plate appearances.  Abreu and the Rockies’ Jurickson Profar each have a 75 wRC+, tied for the lowest wRC+ of any player in baseball with at least 450 PA in the 2023 campaign.

It has been a surprising result for a player who was so consistently productive over his nine previous seasons with the White Sox, and yet Abreu made a point of not using his back problems as an excuse, telling Rome and company “this is not a justification for the hitter I’ve been for the past four months.”

The Astros selected Jon Singleton’s contract from Triple-A earlier this week, and the former top prospect will continue to get a good chunk of the first base playing time while Abreu is sidelined.  Hensley and Mauricio Dubon could also chip in, though Houston might also opt to use Yainer Diaz more often at the cold corner, when Diaz isn’t catching.  The rookie has hit very well in his first extended taste of MLB action, and the Astros have been using first base and the DH spot to keep Diaz in the lineup when Martin Maldonado is behind the plate.

Maton was hit in the elbow by a line drive in Friday’s game, which forced him to make an early exit from his relief outing.  Rome reports that initial x-rays didn’t show a fracture, but Maton will undergo more x-rays and an MRI in due course.

Injuries have plagued Houston’s rotation all season, but the bullpen has been relatively healthy, and a big reason why the Astros have been able to largely withstand their thinned-out starting staff.  Maton has enjoyed a very solid campaign, posting a 3.04 ERA and an above-average 26.2% strikeout rate.  Though Maton isn’t a hard thrower and his walk rate is below average, he has elite spin rates and his fastball and curveball, and his 23.1% hard-hit ball rate is the lowest in the majors.

The Astros can only hope that the further scans don’t reveal a more serious problem for Maton, as the club needs their bullpen to keep contributing during the playoff push.  Houston already added to their relief depth in acquiring Kendall Graveman at the trade deadline, a move that looks even shrewder now that Maton will miss at least the next 15 days.

Astros Activate Jose Urquidy From 60-Day IL

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The Astros have activated right-hander Jose Urquidy from the 60-day injured list, as noted by The Athletic’s Chandler Rome. To make room for Urquidy on the 40-man and active rosters, the Astros optioned left-hander Parker Mushinski to Triple-A and designated right-hander Spenser Watkins for assignment.

Urquidy, 28, made just six starts this season prior to going on the injured list with what was initially described as shoulder discomfort at the beginning of May. Urquidy was initially expected to be ready around the All-Star break, but fell behind that timetable as he has spent the past three weeks on a minor league rehab assignment, during which time he has posted a 4.50 ERA across four starts at the Double-A and Triple-A levels. Prior to going on the shelf, Urquidy had struggled to open the 2023 campaign, with a 5.20 ERA, 5.62 FIP, and a diminished 18.7% strikeout rate across 27 2/3 innings of work.

Despite his struggles and injuries this season, Urquidy’s return is nonetheless surely a relief for the Astros. With Urquidy, Luis Garcia and Lance McCullers Jr. all on the shelf throughout the 2023 campaign to this point, the Astros have been forced to rely on youngsters like JP France, Brandon Bielak, and Ronel Blanco to fill in alongside regulars Framber Valdez and Cristian Javier. With the return of Justin Verlander at the trade deadline and now Urquidy’s return from the injured list, the club’s rotation of Valdez, Verlander, Javier, Urquidy and rookie Hunter Brown is now firing on all cylinders. The Astros currently hold an AL Wild Card spot and figure to attempt to catch the AL West-leading Rangers over the next two months, with 2.5 games separating the division rivals.

Clearing the way for Urquidy’s return to the active roster is Mushinski, who sports a 2.79 ERA in 9 2/3 innings of work out of the Astros’ bullpen this season. Going forward he’ll return to the club’s Triple-A affiliate in Sugar Land, where he sports a 2.86 ERA in 22 innings of work this season, as he awaits his next big league opportunity. Meanwhile, Watkins appears poised to exit the Astros organization just six weeks after the club acquired him in a cash deal with the Orioles. Watkins never made an appearance with the big league club in Houston, but he has previous big league experience in the form of 39 appearances (30 starts) with the Orioles between 2021 and 2022, during which he posted a 5.85 ERA and 4.97 FIP in 160 innings of work.

The Astros will now have seven days to waive or release Watkins, who they will have the option of assigning outright to Triple-A in the event he is successfully passed through waivers. That being said, it’s certainly possible a rival club in need of rotation depth could see value in Watkins as an optionable starter who can be stashed in the minors as a potential fill-in option down the stretch.

Astros Notes: Gurriel, McCullers, Bullpen

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As Yuli Gurriel’s free agency lingered into the late stages of the offseason, many Astros fans wondered whether there might be potential for a reunion between the two parties. Houston GM Dana Brown candidly acknowledged last month that while the organization loved Gurriel as both a person and a player, it would be difficult to get him at-bats with the current construction of the roster, however. Gurriel, who signed a minor league deal with the Marlins last week, spoke further about his former team’s interest — or lack thereof — in an interview with Matt Young of the Houston Chronicle. The Astros, according to Gurriel, never made an offer for him to return for an eighth season.

The 38-year-old Gurriel told Young that “leaving my teammates behind after seven years is something that truly affects you” but added that he’s looking forward to starting a new chapter with a new club. The Astros, of course, signed Jose Abreu to a three-year contract early in the offseason, apparently deciding that it was simply time to move on from Gurriel after a down year in 2022.

More on the ’Stros…

  • Right-hander Lance McCullers Jr., who’ll open the season on the injured list due to a forearm strain, says he’s been cleared to resume lifting weights and throwing a baseball (link via Brian McTaggart of MLB.com). McCullers started a throwing program on Saturday and is playing catch every other day. He’ll sit down with the training staff at some point over the next week and map out a more concrete plan to ramp up for a return, assuming the light throwing and lifting he’s doing right now continue to proceed without issue. A forearm strain also limited McCullers to just eight regular-season starts in 2021, and he missed the entire 2019 season due to Tommy John surgery. When healthy, he has of course been a highly productive pitcher, evidenced by a 3.39 ERA over his past 393 1/3 MLB frames, dating back to 2018. McCullers is entering the second season of a five-year, $85MM contract extension that was signed two years ago (nearly to the day). Top prospect Hunter Brown is expected to open the season in Houston’s rotation in his place.
  • Manager Dusty Baker said this week that southpaw Parker Mushinski is “probably not” going to be ready in time for Opening Day, Young writes in a separate piece. The 27-year-old has been out with back spasms and has yet to pitch in a spring game. He allowed three runs in 7 1/3 frames during last year’s MLB debut after pitching to a 2.66 ERA in 40 2/3 innings of Triple-A ball. Fellow lefty Blake Taylor has also been sidelined due to elbow troubles, and while he’s on a throwing program, he’s not even a lock to get into a spring game. That pair of injuries could create an opportunity for February waiver claim Matt Gage to open the season in the Houston bullpen. The Astros don’t have another lefty on the roster, though Austin Davis is in camp as a non-roster invitee after agreeing to a minor league deal over the winter. Gage has thrown five shutout innings with a 5-to-1 K/BB ratio this spring. Davis has tossed five innings of one-run ball but walked six along the way.

Injured List Returns: Pressly, Mejia

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Catching up on some players returning to their teams’ active roster…

  • The Astros reinstated Ryan Pressly from the 10-day injured list, and left-hander Parker Mushinski has been optioned to Triple-A to create roster space.  Pressly hasn’t pitched since April 13 due to right knee inflammation, but he’ll now return to his usual role as Houston’s closer, though Rafael Montero did well in handling the ninth inning in Pressly’s absence.  Before hitting the IL, Pressly recorded three saves in his first four appearances, posting a 2.70 ERA over 3 1/3 innings.
  • Catcher Francisco Mejia was reinstated from the Rays’ COVID-related injured list.  Rene Pinto was optioned to Triple-A after yesterday’s game, so an open roster spot awaits Mejia’s return.  Mejia missed just under two weeks recovering from a positive COVID-19 test, which interrupted a blisteringly hot start (.986 OPS) in his first 24 plate appearances of the 2022 campaign.  Given how Mike Zunino has struggled, Mejia might earn a larger piece of the Rays’ catching timeshare if he continues to hit at anything close to that level.
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