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Tim Locastro

Yankees Activate DJ LeMahieu From Injured List

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The Yankees announced they’ve activated infielder DJ LeMahieu from the 10-day injured list earlier today. In a corresponding move, outfielder Tim Locastro was optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. LeMahieu spent most of September on the injured list with right second toe inflammation.

LeMahieu has posted a .262/.358/.381 slash line in 120 games this season, good for a wRC+ of 117. While a far cry from his peak during the 2019 and 2020 seasons, which saw him post a combined 8.2 fWAR in 195 games while placing in the top 4 of MVP voting in both years, LeMahieu’s production in his age 33 campaign can be seen as something of a bounce-back after a 2021 season that saw his defensive metrics slip while his bat hovered around league average (100 wRC+). With other infield options such as Josh Donaldson and Isiah Kiner-Falefa struggling at the plate this season, LeMahieu’s bat returning to the lineup should provide the Yankees with a boost to their infield headed into the postseason.

As for Locastro, while his hitting has left much to be desired (he’s slashed just .186/.239/.349 in 46 plate appearances with New York this season), he has served as a capable bench piece this season, effectively fielding all three outfield spots while swiping eight bags in just ten attempts. While Locastro will finish the regular season in Triple-A, he may be called upon by the Yankees for his baserunning skills during the postseason.

In other Yankees news, the team provided an update on injured utilityman Matt Carpenter. He took batting practice this afternoon and may take some live at-bats with Double-A Somerset in lieu of traveling with the big league club to Texas next week, per Bryan Hoch of MLB.com. Carpenter has hit exceptionally for the Yankees this year, slashing .305/.412/.727 in 154 plate appearances, but has been on the injured list with a fractured foot since early August.

Yankees Place Clay Holmes On 15-Day Injured List

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The Yankees have placed closer Clay Holmes on the 15-day injured list due to back spasms, as one of a series of transactions.  Miguel Andujar and Tim Locastro were optioned to Triple-A, while Ron Marinaccio, Estevan Florial, and Oswaldo Cabrera were all called up from Triple-A.  (Florial and Cabrera’s promotions were reported earlier today.)

Holmes’ placement is retroactive to August 14, and he hasn’t pitched since August 12.  There was increasing expectation that Holmes would need an IL trip to fully recuperate from his back problem, though New York manager Aaron Boone told MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand and other reporters that the team is hopeful Holmes only misses the 15-day minimum.

Since being acquired from the Pirates prior to the 2021 trade deadline, Holmes has been outstanding in the pinstripes, posting a 2.10 ERA over his 77 innings in New York.  This outstanding performance elevated Holmes to the closer’s job when Aroldis Chapman went on the IL himself earlier this season, and with Chapman struggling even before he got injured, the Yankees kept Holmes as the top ninth-inning choice even after Chapman’s return.

However, just as the Yankees have looked shaky over the last five weeks of play, Holmes has also come back to earth after his incredible start.  The righty has a 9.00 ERA over his last 12 games and 11 innings pitched, and he has blown four of his last five save chances.  As a result, it now appears quite possible that Chapman (who has pitched better since his return from the IL) will reclaim the closer’s job in Holmes’ absence, and perhaps for the remainder of the season.  The Yankees could also essentially use both pitchers as closers or set-up men depending on the situation, rather than have a strict order to their late-game plans.

Yankees Place Giancarlo Stanton On 10-Day Injured List

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The Yankees announced Tuesday that outfielder/designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton has been placed on the 10-day injured list due to tendonitis in his left Achilles. The move is retroactive to Sunday. Outfielder Tim Locastro is up from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to take Stanton’s spot on the active roster.

Stanton, 32, was named the All-Star Game’s MVP after swatting a game-tying home run off Tony Gonsolin. He’s hitting .228/.309/.498 with 24 long balls on the season but has been an all-or-nothing hitter for the bulk of the summer. Stanton is just 23-for-138 dating back to June 1 (.167), but 13 of those 23 hits on which he’s connected have been home runs. He’s also plated 26 runs in that time, delivering several key hits despite a generally porous overall output at the plate.

With Stanton sidelined for a yet-to-be-determined period of time — the Yankees have not provided a potential timetable for his recovery — the Yankees can turn to hot-hitting Matt Carpenter for an increased role. Locastro, Aaron Hicks and Aaron Judge should see considerable run in the outfield, while struggling Joey Gallo may also see some increased opportunities to get back on track at the plate. At the same time, Stanton’s absence could further hasten the Yanks to pursue another bat that would push Gallo — whom they’re reportedly trying to trade — out of the picture entirely.

The 30-year-old Locastro is one of MLB’s fastest players and has a .256/.336/.414 batting line through 150  Triple-A plate appearances this season. He hit .240/.321/.480 in a tiny sample of 28 trips to the plate with the Yankees earlier this season but is an overall .232/.333/.337 hitter in parts of six Major League seasons.

Yankees Select Shane Greene, Call Up Clarke Schmidt

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With Michael King’s season ended by an elbow fracture, the Yankees officially placed King on the 60-day injured list today.  Outfielder Tim Locastro was also optioned to Triple-A after yesterday’s game, creating two roster spots that will be filled by right-handers Clarke Schmidt and Shane Greene.  Schmidt has been called up from Triple-A, while Greene (previously on a minor league deal with the organization) has signed a Major League deal and had that contract selected.

Greene signed a minor league deal with the Dodgers over the offseason, and posted two scoreless innings at the big league level before Los Angeles designated him for assignment back in May.  Quickly catching on with the Yankees, Greene is now back with his first pro organization — New York selected Greene in the 15th round of the 2009 draft, and he debuted with 78 2/3 innings with the Bronx Bombers in 2014.

Dealt to the Tigers in the 2014-15 offseason, Greene has appeared in each of the last eight MLB campaigns, with a pretty wide variance in performance.  Overall, Greene has a 4.50 ERA over 469 2/3 career relief innings, but at his best, the righty has pitched at an All-Star level (with Detroit in 2019) and worked as a closer and in other high-leverage roles.

This inconsistency led to an extended stint in free agency in the 2020-21 offseason, as Greene didn’t land anywhere until signing with the Braves in May 2021, and he perhaps unsurprisingly struggled over 17 innings for Atlanta.  Over 21 innings with the Yankees’ Triple-A affiliate, Greene has a 3.86 ERA, 25.3% strikeout rate, and 9.2% walk rate.

While it will be very hard any pitcher to replicate King’s excellent performance this year, the Yankees are hoping to at least try and fill the gap with a combination of a veteran in Greene and a former top prospect in Schmidt, who is still in only his third Major League season.  It also stands to reason that New York will put more of a focus on adding relief help prior to the August 2 trade deadline.

Yankees Place Miguel Castro On 15-Day Injured List

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The Yankees placed right-hander Miguel Castro on the 15-day injured list due to a right shoulder strain.  The placement is retroactive to July 13.  To fill the open roster spot, New York called up outfielder Tim Locastro from Triple-A.

The injury will sideline Castro well beyond the 15-day minimum, as manager Aaron Boone told The Athletic’s Lindsey Adler and other reporters that Castro will likely be shut down from throwing for four weeks.  Counting the ramp-up and rehab time necessary after that shutdown period, it doesn’t look like Castro will be back in the Yankees’ bullpen until September, assuming his recovery goes smoothly.

It’s a tough break for both Castro and the Yankees, as the 27-year-old has posted some respectable numbers in his first season in the Bronx.  Acquired from the Mets for Joely Rodriguez just prior to Opening Day, Castro has a 4.00 ERA, 46.6% grounder rate, and an above-average 24.8% strikeout rate over 27 relief innings.  As has been the case for much of his career, walks have been an issue for Castro, but his 10.7% walk rate (while only the 18th percentile of all pitchers this season) is actually his best number since 2017.

Looking at other Yankee relievers on the IL, Zack Britton is expected to return from Tommy John surgery rehab in September, while righty Ron Marinaccio (shoulder inflammation) could be back for the start of the second half.  New York was already expected to explore pitching options prior to the trade deadline, with both starting and relief candidates likely on the radar.

Yankees Reinstate Giancarlo Stanton

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The Yankees have reinstated slugger Giancarlo Stanton from the 10-day injured list, per the team. He is back on the active roster batting cleanup as the designated hitter.

New York weathered the loss of Stanton just fine, having gone 7-2 in his absence. Stanton spent the minimum amount of time away, missing only nine games. Prior to his placement on the injured list, Stanton was hitting .285/.339/.523 in 168 plate appearances with 11 long balls.

The corresponding roster moves were made yesterday after last night’s ballgame. Miguel Andujar was optioned to Triple-A. Andujar appeared in 12 games, slashing .268/.279/.317 through 43 plate appearances while mostly playing left field.

Tim Locastro also completed his rehab assignment. He was reinstated and optioned to Triple-A as well. The speedy Locastro is largely a reserve option for the Yankees. His ability to play all three outfield positions provides some value as a pinch-runner and defensive replacement.

Yankees Place Tim Locastro On Injured List

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The Yankees announced a few roster moves prior to today’s doubleheader. Outfielder Tim Locastro is going on the injured list with a left latissimus dorsi (back) strain. Right-handed pitcher Ron Marinaccio has been recalled to take his place on the active roster. Outfielder Estevan Florial will be the team’s 27th man for today’s twin bill.

The outfield mix in the Bronx is a bit crowded, with Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, Aaron Hicks and Joey Gallo usually sharing the three spots on the grass as well as the designated hitter slot. As such, the speedy Locastro has been mostly coming off the bench for pinch running and defensive replacement duties. As such, he’s played 15 games this year but only made 15 plate appearances. He’s made the best of that time, hitting .231/.333/.462 for a wRC+ of 139, as well as swiping four bags.

Locastro was acquired from the Diamondbacks last year but then injured his ACL after just nine games with the Bombers. In the offseason, he was non-tendered but then re-signed after the lockout. Although the club hasn’t provided a timeline for his recovery, this injury will mark another frustrating step in his Yankees tenure.

Yankees Sign Tim Locastro

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The Yankees have announced that they signed Tim Locastro to a major league deal. The official terms of the deal were not disclosed, but it’s unlikely that Locastro will make much more than the veteran minimum. The Yankees 40-man roster is now full.

The Yankees acquired Locastro from the Diamondbacks in exchange for minor leaguer Keegan Curtis on July 1 of last season. The deal marked the fourth time in his career that Locastro had been traded. In fact, the Yankees themselves had traded Locastro to the Diamondbacks prior to the 2019 season. Locastro had been in the Yankees’ organization for just a couple of months during that offseason, never having appeared actively on the diamond for the Yankees.

This time around, the speedster injured his right ACL on July 17th, undergoing season-ending surgery just four days later. In the little more than two weeks that Locastro wore pinstripes, Locastro slashed .190/.217/.429 over 23 plate appearances. As has been the pattern for Locastro, he was mostly viewed as a speed option off the bench. Coming off a knee injury, there must at least be some concern that Locastro will lose a step.

Defensively, Locastro can play anywhere in the outfield. He’s not going to take a lot of playing time from Aaron Judge, Joey Gallo, and Aaron Hicks, but if he makes the roster, he could be the body that the Yankees use to keep those other three fresh. As a 29-year-old with a career 82 wRC+, there may not be tremendous upside to his game, but he’s not without skills. Locastro’s speed is unique, but he’s also very capable of putting the ball in play (19.1 percent career strikeout rate), which should help him put that speed to use. Power, on the other hand, has not traditionally been a part of Locastro’s game (.097 ISO). The Yankees may view Locastro as a complementary skillset to the power-first approach of the outfield starters.

American League Non-Tenders: 11/30/21

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The deadline to tender contracts to arbitration-eligible players has come and gone. The Tigers’ decision to non-tender Matthew Boyd — more on that here — represents the most prominent name cast into free agency tonight, but here’s a quick rundown of the rest of the non-tenders in the American League.

Note that MLBTR’s Anthony Franco also has a rundown of this year’s National League non-tenders, and MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz published his annual projected arbitration salaries earlier this offseason.

Onto the transactions…

  • Outfielder Tim Locastro was non-tendered by the Red Sox, the team announced. The speedy HBP-magnet was claimed off waivers from the Yankees earlier this month after an injury-marred season. He is likely to be an in-demand depth option for teams if his ACL tear recovery goes well.
  • The Rangers announced that outfielder Billy McKinney and catchers David Garcia and Yohel Pozo were non-tendered. Texas also assigned outfielder DJ Peters outright to Triple-A Salt Lake after he went unclaimed on waivers.
  • The Royals non-tendered lefty Richard Lovelady, per a club announcement. Lovelady underwent Tommy John surgery late in the 2021 season and is expected to be sidelined for the entirety of the 2022 season.
  • The Twins non-tendered right-hander Juan Minaya, left-hander Danny Coulombe and right-hander Trevor Megill, per a team announcement. Megill’s non-tender is particularly curious, as he was only just claimed off waivers a few hours ago and was not arbitration-eligible. Presumably, the team will try to quickly re-sign him to a minor league pact and bring him to Spring Training as a depth piece.
  • Infielder Phil Gosselin has been non-tendered by the Angels, per an announcement from the team. The journeyman saw a career-high 373 plate appearances in 2021, but is unlikely to challenge that number next year owing to below average offensive and defensive metrics.

Red Sox Claim Tim Locastro From Yankees

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The Red Sox have claimed outfielder Tim Locastro off waivers from the Yankees, both teams announced. Locastro is eligible for arbitration this winter, and MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projects him to receive a $700K salary if tendered a contract.

Locastro’s stint in New York proved brief. Acquired from the Diamondbacks last July, he unfortunately suffered an ACL tear in his ninth game in pinstripes. That ended his season and ultimately proved to conclude his tenure in the Bronx.

An ACL injury is particularly worrisome for Locastro, since his skillset is based around blazing speed. The 29-year-old is among the game’s fastest players, and he perennially rates as one of the better baserunners around. In 209 major league games, Locastro has swiped 31 bags on 34 attempts, a stellar 91.2% success rate. That athleticism also allows him to cover all three outfield positions.

Locastro doesn’t bring a ton of upside in the batter’s box, though. In 503 plate appearances over parts of five seasons, the right-handed hitter owns a .231/.333/.329 line with just five home runs. Locastro has very little power and rarely walks, but he’s shown a huge propensity for being hit by pitches. That willingness to absorb some body blows has enabled him to reach base at a decent clip in spite of a subpar batting average.

Robert Murray of FanSided first reported the move.

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