Cubs Place Jordan Wicks On 15-Day IL, Select Richard Lovelady
The Cubs announced a quartet of roster moves today, including the placement (retroactive to April 25) of left-hander Jordan Wicks on the 15-day injured list due to a left forearm strain. Chicago also optioned southpaw Luke Little to Triple-A Iowa, while calling up righty Daniel Palencia from Iowa and selecting the contract of left-hander Richard Lovelady.
News of Wicks’ injury broke yesterday, as the left-hander was an early scratch from what was supposed to be a start in tonight’s game against the Red Sox. It isn’t surprising that Wicks was placed on the IL for at least precautionary reasons, though the severity of the strain isn’t yet known. Speaking to Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune and other reporters today, Wicks didn’t feel too concerned about the strain, though the forearm soreness first arose prior to his previous start and resurfaced afterwards.
The 24-year-old Wicks was selected 21st overall in the 2021 draft, and made his MLB debut in the form of seven starts and 34 innings for the Cubs last season. A respectable (if not totally inspiring) 4.41 ERA over that first taste of the majors put Wicks in the running for a rotation job heading into Spring Training, though Jameson Taillon‘s injury helped clear Wicks’ path to a starting role. Justin Steele was then lost to the IL on Opening Day and both Kyle Hendricks and Drew Smyly were also injured within the last week, so Wicks’ forearm strain only continues the string of health woes hitting the Cubs early in the season.
Wicks had performed pretty well over five starts and 23 innings in 2024, or at least better than his 4.70 ERA would indicate. A .358 BABIP and a 64.3% strand rate helped inflate that ERA almost a full run beyond Wicks’ much more palatable 3.62 SIERA, and his 25.9% strikeout rate is well above the league average. Batters have been making solid contact against Wicks’ offerings, though he has also fooled his share of hitters with a chase rate that sits in the 88th percentile of all pitchers.
With Wicks out for at least the 15-day minimum, the Cubs will have to again dig into their starting depth. Shota Imanaga has emerged as the ace of the staff in his outstanding rookie season, youngster Javier Assad has looked very sharp over five starts, and Taillon is now back from the IL. Beyond this trio, rookie Ben Brown might now be sticking in the rotation, and Hayden Wesneski could be stretched out into starter’s duty. Veteran Julio Teheran is available at Triple-A, and Steele might not be too far away, as he is expected to begin a minor league rehab assignment this week as he recovers from his hamstring strain.
Palencia has some starting experience in the minors but has worked exclusively as a reliever during his two Major League seasons. He could get some multi-inning work if Wesneski is indeed bumped back into the rotation, while Lovelady should take on a strict (and possibly short-term) bullpen role.
Lovelady signed a minor league deal with Chicago during the offseason, and his 5.84 ERA over 12 1/3 innings (10 appearances) for Triple-A Iowa is one of the more misleading stat lines in recent memory. Despite a 33.3% strikeout rate, 1.7% walk rate, a 53.8% grounder rate and zero homers allowed, Lovelady still has a 5.84 ERA, due mostly to an extreme .564 BABIP.
The 28-year-old southpaw will now get another look in the majors after posting a 5.26 ERA over 65 previous big league frames with the Royals and A’s since the start of the 2019 season. Lovelady missed all of 2022 recovering from Tommy John surgery, and resurfaced last year to deliver a 4.63 ERA across 23 1/3 innings for Oakland.
Cubs, Richard Lovelady Agree To Deal
Free agent reliever Richard Lovelady is signing with the Cubs, as announced by Driveline Baseball (on X). Lovelady confirmed the news on his own X account. It’s presumably a minor league contract with a Spring Training invitation. Chicago also agreed to a minor league deal with right-hander Sam McWilliams this afternoon, reports Ken Rosenthal of the Athletic (X link).
Lovelady, a 28-year-old southpaw, has pitched in parts of four MLB campaigns. A former 10th-round pick of the Royals, he debuted with Kansas City in 2019. Lovelady struggled in 26 appearances between 2019-20 before an impressive small-sample showing in ’21. He worked to a 3.48 ERA over 20 2/3 innings that year. Lovelady punched out an above-average 27.2% of opponents while running an excellent 56.6% grounder percentage.
Unfortunately, his time in K.C. was cut short by injury. A UCL sprain in his throwing elbow was a precursor to Tommy John surgery. He spent the following season rehabbing and was traded to the Braves in Spring Training last year. Lovelady never made an MLB appearance with Atlanta, who tried to sneak him through waivers in mid-April. The A’s stepped in to make a claim.
Oakland manager Mark Kotsay called on Lovelady 27 times. The Kennesaw State product allowed 4.63 earned runs per nine. He punched out a quarter of opponents with a 47.5% ground-ball rate. Those are reasonable peripherals but down from the numbers he showed in 2021. His average fastball speed was down to roughly 91 MPH after sitting in the 93 MPH range before the surgery. There wasn’t as dramatic a dip in his slider velocity, which was only marginally down from 86.6 to 85.9 MPH.
Injuries again ended Lovelady’s season and, ultimately, his tenure with the organization. He was shut down around the All-Star Break after being diagnosed with a pronator strain in his forearm. Lovelady finished the year on the injured list. Oakland waived him at season’s end and he became a minor league free agent.
Driveline included video of Lovelady throwing a recent bullpen session at their training facility. That’s a positive indicator for his arm health and seems to suggest he’ll be ready for game action this spring. Chicago is very light on left-handed bullpen options. Drew Smyly is likely pushed into relief after struggling as a starter. Luke Little and Bailey Horn, neither of whom have much MLB experience, are the only other lefty relievers on the 40-man roster.
McWilliams, 28, has spent time on the 40-man rosters of the Mets and Padres in his career. He has yet to make his major league debut. Sky-high walk rates in the upper minors kept him from getting a look in the majors. The 6’7″ hurler sat out last season before a return in the Mexican winter league this year. Over 25 1/3 frames there, he owns a 3.55 ERA with a 28.4% strikeout rate but a 13.7% walk percentage.
Athletics Outright Four Players To Triple-A
TODAY: Neal and Rios each elected free agency rather than accept the outright assignment, as per MILB.com’s official transactions page.
OCTOBER 4: The A’s cleared some space off their 40-man roster, announcing today that right-handers Austin Pruitt, Zach Neal, and Yacksel Rios, and left-hander Richard Lovelady were all outrighted to Triple-A after clearing waivers. There hadn’t been any public knowledge that the quartet had been designated for assignment, yet all four passed through the waiver wire and (for now) will remain in Oakland’s organization.
Pruitt, Neal, Rios have each have the option of electing free agency rather than accepting the assignment to Triple-A, since they’ve previously been outrighted during their careers. Pruitt and Rios are both eligible for salary arbitration this winter and will probably be non-tendered, so they’re likely to just hit the open market now rather than wait for an official release.
Neal signed a minor league contract with the A’s in April, and posted a 6.67 ERA over 27 innings at the big league level. This marked Neal’s first MLB action since he pitched with the Dodgers in 2018, as Neal had in the interim pitched three seasons in Japan and then with the Rockies’ Triple-A club in 2022 without receiving a call up to Colorado’s active roster.
Pruitt, Rios, and Lovelady all finished the season on the injured list. Pruitt had seen the most action (48 1/3 innings in 38 appearances) before a right forearm strain ultimately ended his season on August 17. It doesn’t appear as though Pruitt’s injury is a long-term issue, as he had started a throwing program and had advanced to throwing live batting practices in September.
That’s some good news for a pitcher who has already had one major injury setback in his career, as Pruitt missed all of the 2020 season and half of the 2021 season recovering from a hairline fracture in his right elbow. Pruitt posted a 4.83 ERA over 207 MLB innings with the Rays, Astros, and Marlins from 2017-21 before catching on with the A’s on minor league deals in each of the last two seasons. Pruitt had a 4.23 ERA in 55 1/3 frames for Oakland in 2022 and then a 2.98 ERA this past season, giving him some solid bottom-line results even if his advanced metrics (4.32 SIERA in 2022-23) indicated that he benefited from some good fortune.
The Athletics acquired Rios in a June trade with the Braves, and after the righty’s contract was selected from Triple-A, he made only three appearances before heading to the 15-day (and then shortly thereafter the 60-day) injured list. Rios has Raynaud’s Syndrome, and was feeling numbness in two fingers caused by a reduction in blood flow to his hands. A surgery in July removed an axillary branch aneurysm from Rios’ shoulder, which should help him ultimately heal up even if it meant the end of his 2023 season.
Rios is a veteran of six Major League seasons, with a 6.32 ERA over 98 1/3 career innings with five different teams. He didn’t pitch in the majors in 2022 while playing in the White Sox organization, and inked a minors deal with Atlanta last winter.
Lovelady also came to the A’s from the Braves, as Oakland selected him off waivers in April. Lovelady had a 4.63 ERA in 23 1/3 relief innings for the Athletics before being shut down after suffering a pronator strain in his throwing forearm in July. This new injury comes in the wake of a 2021 Tommy John surgery that caused Lovelady to miss the entire 2022 season while rehabbing. The southpaw had a 5.62 ERA in 41 2/3 innings over parts of the 2019-21 seasons with the Royals, and Kansas City traded him to the Braves a couple of weeks before Oakland’s waiver claim.
Athletics Select Sean Newcomb
The A’s have selected the contract of left-hander Sean Newcomb, the team announced. Fellow lefty Hogan Harris was optioned to Triple-A Las Vegas in his place, while left-hander Richard Lovelady was moved from the 15-day IL to the 60-day IL to open a spot on the 40-man roster. Oakland just acquired Newcomb from the Giants yesterday in a trade sending minor league outfielder Trenton Brooks back to San Francisco.
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As noted at the time of the trade yesterday, it seemed quite likely Newcomb would be in line for a look at the big league level with the A’s sooner than later. He’d be a free agent at season’s end if not added to the 40-man roster, so there was little sense in making a trade to acquire him if the plan wasn’t to see if he could contribute for them. He has 4.073 years of big league service, so he won’t have enough time remaining this season to get to five years. As such, if Newcomb can pitch well enough to hold a 40-man spot, the A’s would control him for an additional two seasons beyond the current year.
The 30-year-old Newcomb has pitched to a 3.16 ERA and fanned 30.5% of his opponents through 31 1/3 Triple-A frames this season, though his longstanding command issues have persisted as well (15.3% walk rate). Traditionally more of a fly-ball pitcher, Newcomb is sporting a huge 59.4% ground-ball rate in Triple-A this season.
In 406 big league innings, Newcomb has a 4.52 ERA, though he’s now nearly five years removed from the majority of his MLB success. The headline prospect acquired by the Braves in the trade that sent Andrelton Simmons to Anaheim, Newcomb posted a combined 3.87 ERA and 23% strikeout rate in his first 332 1/3 Major League innings. He looked to have cemented his status on the Braves’ pitching staff at that point, but Newcomb was blasted for 17 runs in 13 2/3 innings over four starts in the shortened 2020 season and has yet to recover. Dating back to 2020, he has a 7.45 ERA in 73 2/3 frames at the big league level.
The A’s, on the lookout for pitching help they can control beyond the current season, will see whether Newcomb’s new ground-ball approach can lead to better results in the big leagues. He’ll still need to improve his command, but Newcomb’s blend of missed bats and grounders is at least somewhat intriguing.
A’s Shut Richard Lovelady Down For Season
The A’s will play out the remainder of the 2023 campaign without left-hander Richard Lovelady. MLB.com relays manager Mark Kotsay‘s comments to reporters yesterday, which indicated that Lovelady would not return in 2023. MLB.com’s Martin Gallegos adds that while Kotsay did not have the full details of Lovelady’s visit with orthopedic surgeon Dr. Neal ElAttrache, though the club’s medical staff noted that Lovelady is dealing with a strain of the pronator muscle in his left forearm. Lovelady had previously been placed on the 15-day injured list earlier this month with a left forearm strain. No timetable for Lovelady’s return was provided, leaving it unclear as to whether the lefty will be ready for Spring Training next year.
Lovelady made his debut with the Royals back in 2019 and spent parts of three seasons in the club’s bullpen. He struggled badly to a 7.71 ERA in 21 innings of work between 2019 and 2020, though in 2021 he began to look like a valuable relief option with a 3.48 ERA, 3.85 FIP, and a 27.4% strikeout rate against a walk rate of just 7.1%. Unfortunately for the lefty, he would require Tommy John surgery near the end of the 2021 campaign and missed the entire 2022 season while rehabbing.
The Royals moved on from Lovelady prior to the 2023 season by shipping him to Atlanta in a cash deal on Opening Day. Lovelady struggled at the start of the season with the Braves, giving up four runs in five innings of work while striking out just 18.2% of batters faced. The Braves then attempted to pass Lovelady through waivers in mid-April, prompting Oakland to swoop in and claim the southpaw. In 23 1/3 innings of work with the A’s this year, Lovelady posted a slightly below average 4.63 ERA with a 4.58 FIP, though he struck out 25% of batters faced. Those undesirable run prevention numbers were primarily due to an elevated 10.4% walk rate and an unusually low 63% strand rate.
Going forward, the A’s seem poised to rely on Sam Moll and Sam Long as their primary left-handed options out of the bullpen. Kirby Snead is also on the 40-man roster, while Garrett Williams and the newly-acquired Easton Lucas are both additional lefty options available to the Oakland relief corps as they look to finish out the remainder of the 2023 campaign without Lovelady, who the A’s control through the end of the 2027 campaign.
Athletics Outright Tyler Wade
The Athletics announced a number of roster moves today, including the previously reported promotions of prospects Tyler Soderstrom and Zack Gelof, as well as the recall of right-hander Freddy Tarnok. In corresponding moves, they placed left-hander Richard Lovelady on the 15-day injured list and catcher Manny Piña on the 10-day injured list, as well as outrighting infielder/outfielder Tyler Wade. The club already had one vacancy on its 40-man roster and the outright of Wade creates a second, making room for both Soderstrom and Gelof.
Wade, 28, signed a minor league deal with the A’s in the offseason and has twice now been selected for brief stints with the big league club before being outrighted. He was with the A’s for about two weeks in April, in addition to joining the club for the past four weeks or so. He’s managed to get into 26 games this year and take 55 trips to the plate, hitting .255/.309/.314 in those for a wRC+ of 81.
He’s never been able to hit much at the big league level, as shown by his career batting line of .217/.293/.300 in 709 plate appearances. His best attribute is his versatility, as he’s lined up at all three outfield spots in his career and the three infield positions to the left of first base. He also brings a speed element, having stolen 42 bases in his career, including succeeding in all four of his attempts this year.
Wade was once an intriguing prospect while with the Yankees but his lack of offensive output has limited him to bench/utility roles thus far. This is the second time this year he’s passed through waivers unclaimed. Players with previous career outrights or more than three years of major league service time have the right to reject an outright assignment in favor of electing free agency. Wade qualifies on both counts though he accepted an outright assignment to Las Vegas earlier this year.
Athletics Claim Richard Lovelady From Braves
The Athletics announced that they have claimed left-hander Richard Lovelady off waivers from the Braves and assigned him to Triple-A Las Vegas. To open a spot on the 40-man roster, right-hander Freddy Tarnok was transferred to the 60-day injured list.
There had been no public indication that Atlanta had made any kind of roster move with Lovelady, but they evidently tried to pass him through waivers at some point in recent days. Since the A’s swooped in to grab him, Atlanta’s 40-man count will drop to 39 as they also lose a bit of optionable bullpen depth. They liked the lefty enough to acquire him just a couple weeks ago by sending cash considerations to Kansas City but will now see him move out west.
For the A’s, they are adding an intriguing southpaw arm to the roster. Lovelady, 27, struggled in his first major league action but seemed to take a step forward in 2021. He posted a 3.48 ERA in 20 appearances for the Royals, striking out 27.4% of batters faced with a 7.1% walk rate and 56.6% ground ball rate. Unfortunately, he required Tommy John surgery in September of that year. The Royals then non-tendered him but re-signed him on a minor league deal.
He returned to health and made a couple of minor league appearances late last year, which encouraged the Royals enough to add him back to their roster in November to prevent him from reaching minor league free agency. But when faced with a roster crunch around Opening Day, they flipped Lovelady to Atlanta for cash. He’s made four appearances for Triple-A Gwinnett this year with a 7.20 ERA in that small sample.
Lovelady is in his final option year, which will mean the A’s can potentially keep him stashed in the minors for the rest of the year, though it’s possible he gets back to the majors by performing well or simply due to the club needing a fresh arm. The rebuilding club has a bullpen that’s light on experience and also light on lefties, with Sam Moll the only southpaw currently in the big league bullpen.
As for Tarnok, he was acquired from Atlanta in the Sean Murphy trade this winter but began the season on the injured list due to a strained right shoulder. It’s unclear how long he’ll be out of action but he’ll now be ineligible to return until 60 days from his initial IL placement, which would be late May.
Braves Select Four Players, Place Three Others On 60-Day IL
The Braves announced today that they have selected infielder Ehire Adrianza, outfielder Kevin Pillar, right-hander Jesse Chavez and left-hander Jared Shuster to their 40-man roster. In corresponding moves, right-hander Huascar Ynoa and left-handers Kolby Allard and Tyler Matzek were placed on the 60-day injured list. The Braves already had a couple of vacancies on their 40-man roster, so these IL placements open up three more spots for the four selections and their acquisition of Richard Lovelady from the Royals.
Shuster, 24, will be making his major league debut once he gets into a game. The club came into spring with four rotation spots taken by Max Fried, Spencer Strider, Kyle Wright and Charlie Morton. It was believed by many that the final spot was going to be a battle between Michael Soroka, Ian Anderson and Bryce Elder. However, Soroka got delayed by an injury and the latter two were simply out-pitched by Shuster and Dylan Dodd. Anderson and Elder were optioned to the minors, then Wright was also delayed by injury. That will seemingly allow for both Shuster and Dodd to crack the rotation early in the season, though Dodd still hasn’t been added. Shuster posted a 3.29 ERA between Double-A and Triple-A last year then a 1.45 ERA here in the spring.
Pillar, 34, has been a glove-first outfielder for most of his career, most of it with the Blue Jays. He was drafted and developed by that club while Alex Anthopoulos, now Atlanta’s president of baseball operations, was with Toronto. Last year, he only got into four games with the Dodgers before a shoulder fracture ended his season. He and Sam Hilliard should serve as reserve outfielders on the bench in Atlanta.
Chavez, 39, is a veteran who will be appearing in his 16th season once he gets into a game. He was twice acquired by the Braves last year and ended up posting a 3.76 ERA over 60 total appearances for three different clubs. He’ll give the club a veteran arm for its relief mix.
Adrianza, 33, is a veteran utility infielder who has played for Atlanta in each of the past two seasons. He’s a career .239/.309/.354 hitter in the big leagues. The club recently decided to option its young shortstops Vaughn Grissom and Braden Shewmake for more seasoning in the minors. That left Orlando Arcia as the starting shortstop and bumped Adrianza up to a bench role.
As for the IL placements, none of those comes as a shock. Ynoa and Matzek both had Tommy John surgery late last year and will be out for most of this season. Allard, meanwhile, suffered an oblique strain a few weeks ago.
Royals Trade Richard Lovelady To Braves
The Royals have traded left-hander Richard Lovelady to the Braves in exchange for cash, per announcements from both teams. Lovelady, who is on the 40-man roster, has been optioned to Triple-A Gwinnett.
Lovelady, 27, hasn’t pitched in the Majors since 2021 due to Tommy John surgery. He made it back to the mound for four minor league innings in 2022 and posted a 9-to-1 K/BB ratio during that time. He was terrific this spring, tossing eight shutout innings with only five hits allowed, no walks and 10 punchouts during Cactus League play.
Prior to undergoing surgery in 2021, he’d given Kansas City 20 2/3 innings of 3.48 ERA ball with a 27.4% strikeout rate, 7.1% walk rate and excellent 56.6% ground-ball rate. In 110 2/3 career innings at the Triple-A level, Lovelady has a 2.44 ERA, 26.1% strikeout rate and 7.4% walk rate. He’s in his final minor league option year and can be controlled through at least the 2027 season, as he currently has one year and 26 days of Major League service time.
Royals Select Richard Lovelady, Samad Taylor; Designate Sebastian Rivero
The Royals announced several roster moves, reinstating infielder Adalberto Mondesi, as well as lefties Jake Brentz and Angel Zerpa from the 60-day injured list. They also selected southpaw Richard Lovelady and infielder/outfielder Samad Taylor to the 40-man roster. Catcher Sebastian Rivero was designated for assignment.
Lovelady, 27, seemed to be having a nice breakout in 2021, posting a 3.48 ERA over 20 2/3 innings that year. Unfortunately, he required Tommy John surgery in September of that year and was non-tendered by Kansas City. The club re-signed him on a minor league deal, with Lovelady returning to the mound late in the year, making four appearances in the minor leagues in September. He would have qualified for minor league free agency today but the club has instead adding him back onto the 40-man roster.
Taylor, 24, was drafted by Cleveland but went to the Blue Jays as part of the Joe Smith trade. The Jays then flipped him to the Royals this summer as part of the Whit Merrifield deal. He got into 70 games for Triple-A Buffalo before the deal but didn’t play after it. In those 70 contests, he hit .258/.337/.426 for a wRC+ of 101 along with 23 steals. He’ll provide some versatility, spending most of 2022 at second base and left field, with a brief showing at shortstop as well. Like Lovelady, he would have qualified for minor league free agency if not selected to the roster today.
Rivero, 24 next week, has been on the 40-man roster for two years now, serving as an optionable depth catcher in that time. He got into 34 MLB games over the past two years but 84 games in the minors. Though he hasn’t hit much, this still creates a bit of a hole on the club’s depth chart. Salvador Perez and MJ Melendez are now the only two backstops on the roster. Since they are both likely to get regular playing time, either by the designated hitter spot or Melendez spending time in the outfield, the club will likely look to add a backup catcher at some point this offseason.
The moves for Mondesi, Brentz and Zerpa are formalities since the injured list ends today and doesn’t return until Spring Training. That means all players currently on the IL will need to be reinstated or else cut from the roster in some way.