Nationals Option Victor Robles
The Nationals announced they’ve optioned center fielder Víctor Robles to Triple-A Rochester. Fellow outfielder Andrew Stevenson has been recalled in his place.
It’s the culmination of back-to-back poor seasons for Robles, who finds himself in the minors for the first time since 2018. Robles has more or less been Washington’s everyday center fielder over the past three seasons, a role he’s been expected to hold for years. A one-time top prospect, Robles seized the center field job during the Nats’ World Series winning 2019 campaign. While he was a slightly below-average hitter that year, Robles rated as one of the league’s best baserunners and defensive outfielders. Only 22 years old, he looked to be a core piece who could emerge as an All-Star caliber player with just a bit of an improvement at the plate over the coming seasons.
Not only has Robles not taken another step offensively, he’s completely fallen flat at the plate. Since the start of the 2020 campaign, the right-handed hitter has posted a .209/.304/.302 line over 558 plate appearances. That translates to a 67 wRC+ that suggests Robles has been 33 percentage points worse than the league average hitter. Of the 181 hitters with 500+ plate appearances over the past two years, only four (Kevin Newman, Elvis Andrus, Gregory Polanco and Garrett Hampson) have been less productive at the plate.
Those struggles have cost Robles playing time in recent days, as he hadn’t started a game since Friday. Lane Thomas, acquired from the Cardinals at the trade deadline, has started the past three games in center and is in the lineup there again tonight. With Robles relegated to fourth outfielder duty at the big league level, the Nationals have evidently determined it better to get him continued reps against minor league pitching.
The Nationals could bring Robles back up relatively shortly, as position players only need be on optional assignment for ten days before they’re eligible to be recalled. (They can be brought up within ten days if recalled to replace an injured player). However, the timing of the demotion could suggest they’re prepared to leave Robles in the minors for additional experience. Active rosters expand from 26 to 28 players starting tomorrow, so the Nats weren’t under immediate pressure to make a move from a roster limit perspective. Instead, it seems the team has decided an optional assignment to be the more prudent course of action for Robles’ long-term development.
Even if Robles doesn’t return to the majors this season, the demotion shouldn’t have an effect on his service time outlook. He entered the season with 2.052 years of big league time and has already accrued around 152 days of service this season. That’s more than enough to push him beyond the three-year threshold as had been anticipated. He’ll qualify for arbitration for the first time this offseason and is still ticketed to reach free agency over the 2024-25 offseason — assuming he begins next year on Washington’s active roster.
Nationals Reinstate Victor Robles From 10-Day IL
Victor Robles is returning to the Nationals lineup, as the team announced that the outfielder has been activated from the 10-day injured list. Infielder Luis Garcia was optioned to Triple-A yesterday to create room on the 26-man active roster.
Robles hasn’t played since May 19 (also his 24th birthday) due to a right ankle sprain. Looking to bounce back from a 2020 season that was disappointing both offensively and defensively, Robles got off to a very slow start but was hitting better in the few games immediately prior to his ankle injury — over 133 PA, Robles is hitting .246/.348/.325. His glovework has rebounded more strongly, as Robles has a +7.6 UZR/150 and +4 Defensive Runs Saved over 300 1/3 innings in center field.
With Robles back, Washington is more or less finally healthy on the position-player side for the first time all season, due to regular injuries and a COVID-19 outbreak at the beginning of the season. The Nationals will need all the help they can get as they look to recover from a 21-28 start that has sent them to the NL East basement.
Nationals Place Will Harris, Victor Robles On 10-Day Injured List
11:37AM: In a change of course, the Nationals have now placed Robles on the 10-day IL (retroactive to May 20) due to the right ankle sprain. No corresponding move has been announced with less than a half-hour before the Nats take the field against the Orioles, so the Nats will only have 25 active players today.
11:33AM: The Nationals placed right-hander Will Harris on the 10-day injured list today, as Harris is again bothered by right hand inflammation. The same injury sent Harris to the IL earlier this season and kept him from making his season debut until May 4. Righty Kyle McGowin has been called up from Triple-A to take Harris’ spot on the active roster.
Harris had a blood clot removed from his right arm back in March, and there was some thought that he might require thoracic outlet syndrome surgery, though that much more extensive procedure wasn’t necessary. That said, Harris was still dealing with inflammation almost a month after the blood clot’s removal, and it seems as though it has been a persistent problem for the veteran reliever that finally required another IL visit.
Needless to say, Harris’ pitching has been impacted by his injury, as he has a 9.00 ERA over six innings this season. Yesterday’s rough outing against the Orioles might have been the proverbial last straw, as Harris faced three Baltimore hitters and allowed two runs without recording an out in an eventual 12-9 Washington victory.
In other injury news for the District team, Victor Robles isn’t in today’s starting lineup, as the outfielder continues to nurse a sprained right ankle. Robles hasn’t played since suffering the injury on Wednesday, and X-rays on Robles’ ankle were negative and an MRI revealed the sprain.
Manager Davey Martinez told MASNsports.com’s Mark Zuckerman and other reporters that Robles did some hitting off a tee yesterday. Since the Nationals don’t have a game on Monday, Martinez said the hope is that two more days off will allow Robles to be ready by Tuesday, so a trip to the injured list can be avoided. Andrew Stevenson has been filling in as the Nats’ center fielder while Robles is sidelined, and Yadiel Hernandez is also on hand for further outfield depth.
Robles’ injury is particularly poorly timed, as he had a 1.206 OPS over his last 20 plate appearances and was showing signs of emerging from his season-long slump. Even with that hot streak, Robles was hitting only .246/.348/.325 over 133 PA, but was still helping the Nationals with his customary strong defense up the middle.
NL East Health Notes: Soroka, Phillies, Nats, D. Smith
Braves general manager Alex Anthopoulos told Fox Sports South that right-hander Mike Soroka could make his season debut in mid-April, David O’Brien of The Athletic relays. Soroka got through his third simulated game of the spring without any issues Friday. The 23-year-old remains on the comeback trail from a torn right Achilles that limited him to three starts last season. Before that, Soroka burst on the scene with 174 2/3 innings of 2.68 ERA pitching in 2019.
More from the National League East:
- Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto played a sim game Friday and could make his Grapefruit League debut next week, manager Joe Girardi announced (via Matt Breen of the Philadelphia Inquirer). The star has been on the mend from a fractured right thumb. Girardi added that outfielder Adam Haseley is “ahead of schedule” in his recovery from a groin strain. Haseley, who went down March 5, hasn’t officially been ruled out for Opening Day.
- Sticking with the Phillies, righty Vince Velasquez has an oblique injury, Girardi told Matt Gelb of The Athletic and other reporters. The severity is unknown, but oblique injuries often lead to absences that last for multiple weeks. It could be another shot to Philly’s staff, which has also seen Zach Eflin and Spencer Howard deal with injuries this spring. Velasquez could be their fifth starter to open 2021 if Eflin and Howar aren’t ready to go. In the event all three are shelved, though, it might open the door for veteran minor league addition Ivan Nova to claim a job.
- Nationals center fielder Victor Robles exited Friday’s game with back tightness, per Jesse Dougherty of the Washington Post. It doesn’t seem particularly serious, but the Nats will know more Saturday. Meanwhile, it was an encouraging day for righty Stephen Strasburg, who got through a 74-pitch sim game without any problems, Mark Zuckerman of MASNsports.com tweets. A calf injury has slowed Strasburg this spring, after the former World Series MVP missed almost all of 2020 – the first season of a seven-year, $245MM contract – with carpal tunnel syndrome.
- Mets slugger Dominic Smith informed Anthony DiComo of MLB.com and other reporters that he could return to Grapefruit League action as early as Sunday. Smith, the favorite to start in left field for the Mets, has been dealing with a right wrist issue that has sidelined him for the past couple of the days. He posted back-to-back excellent seasons at the plate from 2019-20, during which he combined for a .299/.366/.571 line with 21 home runs in 396 PA.
Outfielder Notes: Kirilloff, Kiermaier, Robles
Twins top outfield prospect Alex Kirilloff has a definite chance to make the opening day roster, per the Athletic’s Dan Hayes. Not unrelated, the Twins should face a fair amount of outside pressure to get Kirilloff on the roster from day one. Especially in the aftermath of Mariners’ CEO Kevin Mather openly copping to service time manipulation, it would be poor optics for the Twins to suggest Kirilloff needs more development time. After all, if he was ready to make his Major League debut in the playoffs last season – when service time is not accrued – one would think he is ready to make the lineup for games in April. That said, the 23-year-old former first round pick had not played about Double-A before going 1-for-4 against the Astros during the wild card series. Even so, all signs point to Kirilloff starting the season in the starting lineup. Minnesota let Eddie Rosario walk in free agency in part to make room, and with Royce Lewis being lost for the 2021 season due to injury, the Twins might feel some urgency to “carpe diem,” as it were, and make the most of Kirilloff’s window. Without him, Jorge Polanco probably plays second base while Luis Arraez could slide to the outfield. Elsewhere on the grass…
- The Rays are cautiously easing Kevin Kiermaier into action this spring, writes Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. Kiermaier is experiencing hip soreness, and the Rays don’t want the issue lingering into the season. Kiermaier has dealt with a number of “lingering” health issues over the years that’s limited his playing time. Kiermaier was largely healthy in 2020, appearing in 49 games and slashing .217/.321/.362 before notching some big hits in the postseason, including three home runs. Of course, Kiermaier’s value proposition has never been hit bat. The three-time gold glove centerfielder is the linchpin of the Rays’ defensive scheme. They’ve made sure to acquire rangy outfielders to flank him in recent years (Manuel Margot, Randy Arozarena, Austin Meadows, Brett Phillips), but Kiermaier remains the best defender of the bunch.
- It’s been well-documented now that Victor Robles‘ attempt to add muscle for the 2020 season might have played a part in his diminished defensive metrics. He still managed 2 outs above average by Statcast’s measure, while -4 DRS and -3.6 UZR painted a less rosy picture. Robles, of course, was an all-world defender in 2019 by any measure: 23 OAA, 23 DRS, 5.3 UZR. Robles has reversed course after adding 15 pounds last offseason, reporting to camp as the slimmer version of himself once more, per Pete Kerzel of MASNsports.com. The Nationals are assuming Robles will be back to his elite self in centerfield, as they’ll need him to cover lots of ground while sharing the grass with Kyle Schwarber and Juan Soto. Both Schwarber (-3 OAA) and Soto (-2 OAA) have worked hard to improve themselves in the field, but neither one rates particularly well.
Nationals Notes: Martinez, Turner, Robles
Dave Martinez already broke new ground in Nationals’ managerial history by winning the World Series in 2019, but in 2021, he will again traverse new territory previously untrod by Nats’ managers: a fourth season on the job. Davey Johnson won Manager of the Year in 2012, Matt Williams won the award in 2014, and Dusty Baker became the first Nats’ manager to win back-to-back NL East titles in 2016 and 2017, but each of Martinez’s predecessors were let go before a fourth campaign (or third in the case of Williams and Baker).
Martinez figures to blow well past the three-year record previously held by Johnson, Jim Riggleman and Manny Acta. Martinez was given a contract extension last year, freeing him to take the long view in the development of his young players, including superstar Juan Soto, writes Jesse Dougherty of the Washington Post. The Nationals – reactionary to disappointing playoff losses in the past – seem to have a new view under Martinez, weathering a difficult 2020 without missing a beat. They’ll enter 2021 expecting to contend, and Martinez will look to check another box off his list by winning an NL East title.
Part of his forward-thinking approach is mulling new ways to maximize production from his superstars Soto and Trea Turner. This season, the question is whether or not to move Turner from the leadoff spot, writes Mark Zuckerman of MASNsports.com. The Nationals don’t necessarily have another prime candidate to step into the top spot of the lineup, however. Martinez would like to try Victor Robles at the top of the order against southpaws, writes Zuckerman. Beyond a small sample size of success leading off, Robles has done little to prove himself a natural candidate as a table-setter. He owns a 5.3 percent career walk rate and a 36.7 percent first pitch swing percentage – a good deal more aggressive than the league average of 28.3 percent.
Viewing Turner as a middle-of-the-order bat is sound, however. Though he’s mostly known for being one of the fastest players in the game, Turner’s bat carries serious thunder: Turner boasts a .216 ISO and 130 wRC+ over the past two seasons. He’s performed 18 percent better than average with the bat for his career. Turner has largely been underrated in part because his most impressive performances have come in seasons cut short either because of a late promotion (2016), injury (2019) or the pandemic (2020). It was his return from injury that largely prompted the Nationals magical run in 2019, however, as Turner famously returned in May to hit .296/.352/.487 despite a broken finger. The Nationals are relying heavily on Turner to be the offensive superstar he was in 2020, when he was on pace for a 7+ fWAR season at a 162-game pace.
NL East Notes: Nats, Bryant, Cubs, Phillies, Matz
The Nationals‘ recent interest in Kris Bryant isn’t the first time Washington has explored trading for the former NL MVP, as the Nats and Cubs held some discussions just last offseason. Victor Robles was known to be of interest to Chicago in a potential Bryant trade, and Jesse Dougherty of the Washington Post adds that held firm in keeping not only Robles, but also Juan Soto, Trea Turner, and pitching prospect Jackson Rutledge during negotiations with the Cubs.
Needless to say, there was zero chance Soto, Turner, or probably even Robles were being moved for Bryant last offseason, and this quartet will continue to be off the table in any trade talks this winter. Rutledge (the 17th overall pick of the 2019 draft and ranked by MLB.com as Washington’s top prospect) could have made some sense as a trade chip when Bryant was coming off an impressive 2019 campaign and had two years of team control remaining. Now, however, Bryant is just a year away from free agency and is looking to rebound from an injury-plagued 2020 season. As Dougherty notes, the Nationals or any other team might not have to give up much or any major prospect capital to land Bryant, if the Cubs’ chief intent is just to get Bryant’s projected $18.6MM salary off their books.
More from the NL East…
- The Phillies lost $145MM during the 2020 season, a source tells The Associated Press. It’s safe to assume that every team took a sizeable hit, though the exact numbers for almost every team will likely never be fully known. (The Braves, as part of the publicly-traded Liberty Media Corporation, are an exception.) Phillies managing partner John Middleton has stated that the revenue losses will have some impact on the team’s offseason plans, but it remains to be seen if that means the Phillies simply won’t splurge as they have in recent offseasons, or if it could mean a much quieter winter. The latter option would make things very difficult for a Phillies roster that has a lot of needs to address.
- After a tough 2020 season, Mets left-hander Steven Matz has been mentioned as a possible non-tender candidate, as New York might prefer to seek out other rotation options rather than pay Matz a projected $5.1MM arbitration salary. However, Newsday’s Tim Healey (Twitter links) doesn’t think the team’s decision is that hard, as Healey would “be surprised if [Matz] doesn’t get tendered a contract.” Matz posted solid numbers as a starter in three of the previous four seasons heading into 2020, but he lost his rotation job during an injury-shortened season that saw him post an ugly 9.68 ERA and surrender 14 home runs over only 30 2/3 innings. Retaining Matz would give New York some added rotation depth while they wait for Noah Syndergaard to return from Tommy John surgery, though the Mets are expected to be active in seeking out free agents, including pitchers. The rotation already got a boost when Marcus Stroman accepted the Mets’ one-year, $18.9MM qualifying offer.
Gold Glove Nominees Announced
The 2020 Rawlings Glove Glove Award finalists have been released, with the Cubs netting the most nominations with seven. The Mets, Nationals, Phillies, Brewers, Rays, and Red Sox were shut out.
The awards for defensive prowess will be handed out based on defensive metrics alone this year, since managers and coaches weren’t able to see players outside their regional bubble. Moving to a metrics-based system, even for a year, certainly make for interesting television, especially since these awards can make an impact on arbitration cases. Considering the uncertainty of a 60-game season, awards could carry greater weight than usual in those proceedings, thought that’s just speculation. Without further ado, here are this year’s nominees:
AL Pitcher
- Griffin Canning (LAA)
- Kenta Maeda (MIN)
- Zach Plesac (CLE)
NL Pitcher
- Max Fried (ATL)
- Kyle Hendricks (CHC)
- Alec Mills (CHC)
AL Catcher
- Yasmani Grandal (CHW)
- James McCann (CHW)
- Roberto Perez (CLE)
NL Catcher
- Tucker Barnhart (CIN)
- Willson Contreras (CHC)
- Jacob Stallings (PIT)
AL First Base
- Yuli Gurriel (HOU)
- Matt Olson (OAK)
- Evan White (SEA)
NL First Base
- Brandon Belt (SF)
- Paul Goldschmidt (STL)
- Anthony Rizzo (CHC)
AL Second Base
- Cesar Hernandez (CLE)
- Danny Mendick (CHW)
- Jonathan Schoop (DET)
- Nicky Lopez (KC)
NL Second Base
- Adam Frazier (PIT)
- Nico Hoerner (CHC)
- Kolten Wong (STL)
AL Third Base
- Isiah Kiner-Falefa (TEX)
- Yoan Moncada (CHW)
- Gio Urshela (NYY)
NL Third Base
- Brian Anderson (MIA)
- Nolan Arenado (COL)
- Manny Machado (SD)
AL Shortstop
- Carlos Correa (HOU)
- J.P. Crawford (SEA)
- Niko Goodrum (DET)
NL Shortstop
- Javier Baez (CHC)
- Miguel Rojas (MIA)
- Dansby Swanson (ATL)
AL Left Field
- Alex Gordon (KC)
- Lourdes Gurriel Jr. (TOR)
- Kyle Tucker (HOU)
NL Left Field
- Shogo Akiyama (CIN)
- David Peralta (ARI)
- Tyler O’Neill (STL)
AL Centerfield
- Byron Buxton (MIN)
- Ramon Laureano (OAK)
- Luis Robert (CHW)
NL Centerfield
- Ronald Acuna Jr. (ATL)
- Cody Bellinger (LAD)
- Trent Grisham (SD)
AL Right Field
- Clint Frazier (NYY)
- Joey Gallo (TEX)
- Anthony Santander (BAL)
NL Right Field
- Mookie Betts (LAD)
- Charlie Blackmon (COL)
- Jason Heyward (CHC)
Nicky Lopez of the Royals was originally left off the list, but he is in fact a nominee at second base, one of four nominations at the keystone in the American League. It’s the only position with four nominations.
There are a few other interesting things of note. Perennial candidates like Andrelton Simmons and Matt Chapman did not make the list this year due to shortened seasons, nor did last season’s Outs Above Average leader Victor Robles. Both Gurriel brothers earned nominations this year, with the younger Lourdes (LF) joining perennial candidate Yuli (1B).
There are also a couple of largely part-time players that made the cut, like Hoerner of the Cubs and Mendick for the White Sox. Neither was the everyday second baseman, but they did reach the inning minimum of 265 total defensive innings. They qualified at second because that’s where they played the most innings. Mendick, for example, registered just 226 innings at second, but with 27 innings at third and 15 at shortstop, he ended the year with 268 total defensive innings played.
Catchers required a minimum of 29 games, which is how we got a pair of White Sox catchers making the top-3. Pitchers had to throw a minimum of 50 innings.
The winners will be selected using the SABR Defensive Index and announced on November 3rd, per sabr.org.
Victor Robles Joins Nationals’ Summer Camp
Nationals center fielder Víctor Robles was in camp on Saturday, per various reporters (including Todd Dybas of NBC Sports Washington and Mark Zuckerman of MASNsports.com). Robles worked out yesterday and will face live pitching for the first time this afternoon.
The 23-year-old had been isolating after coming into contact with a coronavirus-afflicted teammate a few weeks back. It isn’t clear if he ever contracted the virus himself, but he’s evidently now cleared all the necessary protocols for a return.
The former top prospect is a vital piece of the Nats’ attempted title defense. He made good on his first extended run of big league action in 2019. Robles was merely serviceable at the plate (.255/.326/.419 with 17 home runs in 617 plate appearances), but he was dynamic in all other aspects. He swiped 28 bases and rated as a clear plus overall on the basepaths. More importantly, Robles immediately stepped forward as one of the sport’s most dynamic defenders. His 23 defensive runs saved led all center fielders, while Statcast credited him with 14 outs above average. That more than lived up to scouts’ longtime lofty projections on his glove.
It remains to be seen if the delay will sideline Robles early in the regular season. As manager Dave Martinez acknowledged to Zuckerman, he’s certainly well behind on live reps. No doubt, the club will be cautious not to overexert the prized youngster physically. Nevertheless, Martinez left open the possibility Robles could be on the active roster right out of the gate. Michael A. Taylor would figure to see the biggest uptick in playing time if Robles’ work is limited early on.
Health Notes: Nationals, deGrom, Tanaka, Quintana, Pads
Outfielder Juan Soto, infielder Howie Kendrick and infield prospect Luis Garcia all returned to the Nationals on Thursday after quarantining for two weeks, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com was among those to report. It’s up in the air whether the Nationals will be able to pencil Soto or Kendrick into their lineup when their season opens next Thursday, but it’s encouraging to see those two and Garcia cleared. Meanwhile, there hasn’t been any change in center fielder Victor Robles‘ status, manager Dave Martinez said (via Zuckerman, on Twitter). Robles has been in isolation during Summer Camp.
- After an MRI on Mets ace Jacob deGrom‘s back returned good results Thursday, he had a throwing session and told Anthony DiComo of MLB.com and other reporters that he plans to start Opening Day. However, the Mets aren’t ready to say whether that will happen. Manager Luis Rojas stated the club’s taking “a day-to-day approach” with the back-to-back NL Cy Young winner, who probably won’t be able to go as long as expected if he does take the mound for their opener. He’d originally been slated for around 100 pitches, but 85 seems to be a more realistic ceiling now. In the meantime, deGrom will throw 65 pitches in an exhibition game against the Yankees on Sunday.
- Yankees righty Masahiro Tanaka returned to the mound Thursday for the first time since suffering a concussion on July 5. Tanaka threw a 30-pitch bullpen session that was “higher intensity” than the team expected and “very crisp,” pitching coach Matt Blake told reporters (including Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News). Tanaka will throw another bullpen session Sunday. The Yankees haven’t ruled out Tanaka from being part of the first turn through their rotation, but it seems likely he’ll miss at least one start, per Ackert. In the meantime, considering the team has an off-day in the first week of the season, it could start with a four-man rotation of Gerrit Cole, James Paxton, J.A. Happ, Jordan Montgomery and then plug in Tanaka.
- Cubs southpaw Jose Quintana, two weeks removed from left thumb surgery, played catch from 60 feet Thursday, Bruce Levine of 670 The Score relays. Quintana “felt fine,” according to manager David Ross. Still, Levine writes that Quintana will start the season on the injured list, which will be the first IL stint of his career. The Cubs aren’t putting a timetable on exactly how long they’ll go without Quintana, with Ross saying, “Today was a nice positive, but one thing I know from my time in baseball — a lot of twists and turns, so it’s wait and see for me.”
- Padres righty Trey Wingenter is seeking a second opinion on his ailing pitching elbow, manager Jayce Tingler said Thursday (via AJ Cassavell of MLB.com). The team previously shut down Wingenter last week because of inflammation. The 26-year-old was among the Padres’ most-utilized relievers last season, throwing 51 innings. Wingenter only managed a 5.65 ERA, and he walked 4.94 batters per nine, but he also put up a 12.71 K/9, posted a 3.61 FIP and averaged 96 mph on his fastball.