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Wander Suero

Dodgers Designate Wander Suero, Select Tayler Scott

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The Dodgers are making a series of roster moves prior to tonight’s game, with Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times among those to relay the info from manager Dave Roberts. Right-hander Gavin Stone has been recalled while fellow righty Tayler Scott has had his contract selected. In corresponding moves, lefty Clayton Kershaw has been placed on the bereavement list while righty Wander Suero has been designated for assignment.

Suero, 31, was signed to a minor league deal this winter and selected to the club’s roster earlier this month. He’s thrown 6 2/3 innings over four appearances so far but with an ERA of 8.10 in that small sample. He struck out a healthy 25% of batters faced in that time but issued walks at an untenable 14.3% clip. Kershaw only lasted 3 2/3 innings in yesterday’s game, which led to the club using four relievers to finish out the game, including two innings from Suero. He’ll now be a roster casualty as the club looks to bring in a fresh arm.

That fresh arm belongs to Scott, 31 next week, who signed a minor league deal with the Dodgers in January. He’s made 16 relief appearances in Triple-A so far this year with a miniscule 1.08 ERA in that time. He’s surely getting some help from a .278 batting average on balls in play and 90.9% strand rate, but he’s striking out 29.4% of batters faced. He’ll need to temper his 14.7% walk rate if he’s to have any long-term success, but he’s clearly been getting some results in the minors so far this year. He has a career ERA of 11.12 in the majors so far but in a small sample of just 21 outings dating back to 2019.

The Dodgers will now have one week to trade Suero or pass him through waivers. In the event he clears waivers, he would be eligible to elect free agency by virtue of having more than three years of major league service time. It’s possible he garners interest since he still has a minor league option and some encouraging work in the past, such as posting a 3.80 ERA with the Nationals in 2020.

The Dodgers will need to open up another roster spot tomorrow since Bobby Miller will be promoted to make his major league debut. Miller isn’t yet on the 40-man and will need a corresponding move.

Dodgers Place Julio Urias On 15-Day Injured List

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7:02PM: Urias’ strain isn’t considered to be too serious, Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times writes, so he might face only a 15-day absence.

6:16PM: The Dodgers have placed left-hander Julio Urias on the 15-day injured list (retroactive to May 19) due to a left hamstring strain.  Righty Wander Suero has been called up from Triple-A in the corresponding move.

Losing Urias is another major blow to a Dodgers rotation that will also be without Dustin May for the next 4-6 weeks, as May is dealing with a flexor pronator strain.  It seemed like the L.A. rotation was finally back at full strength once Tony Gonsolin returned from the sprained ankle that cost him time at the start of the season, but the Dodgers are now suddenly down two starters in short order, again stretching the club’s depth.

Young arms like Ryan Pepiot and Michael Grove were supposed to provide some depth, yet Pepiot has missed the entire season with an oblique strain, while Grove himself hit the IL a month ago due to a groin strain.  On the plus side, manager Dave Roberts told reporters (including Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register) that Grove was beginning a Triple-A rehab assignment, so Grove could on the way back sooner rather than later.

Gavin Stone made his MLB debut with a four-inning start on May 3, which represents the top prospect’s only big league game to date.  It seems likely that Stone will be the Dodgers’ first choice in replacing Urias, unless Andre Jackson is called up from Triple-A.  Outside the 40-man roster, Los Angeles could turn to Robbie Erlin, Matt Andriese, or yet another notable prospect in Bobby Miller.

Of course, there’s no easy way to truly replace an ace like Urias, even if the southpaw has been a little shakier than usual.  Though seven of Urias’ 10 starts have ranged from good to excellent, he was hit hard in his other three outings, including a three-inning, six-run performance against the Cardinals in his last start on Thursday when Urias allowed four home runs.  It is fair to wonder if Urias’ hamstring problems surfaced during that outing, accounting for Urias’ struggles.

Urias has a 4.39 ERA over 55 1/3 innings, with a borderline elite 4.8% walk rate and an above-average 35.4% hard-hit ball rate.  However, Urias has a middling 23.3% strikeout rate, and opposing batters have been capitalizing on their contact when they have been squaring up, as Urias’ 10.6% barrel rate is far above his career norms and he has allowed a league-high 14 home runs.  Urias’ signature four-seam fastball has dominated hitters for years, but the pitch has been basically average for the left-hander in 2023.

The severity of Urias’ hamstring strain isn’t yet known, and in the best-case scenario of a Grade 1 strain, Urias is still probably looking at missing a few days beyond the 15-day minimum.  A longer-term absence would be an even bigger problem for Urias and the Dodgers in regards to 2023, and it could impact Urias’ chance of fully maxing out on a free agent contract this winter.  Projected behind only Shohei Ohtani as the top free agent of the 2023-24 class, Urias is in line for a big payday of some sort this winter, unless an injury looms as a possible x-factor.

Since there’s plenty of time before the trade deadline and because the Dodgers already have a bit of a cushion atop the NL West, L.A. can monitor Urias, May, Grove, and any other pitchers before deciding what their next step might be with the rotation.  If the injured hurlers are able to return in relatively short order or if the youngsters can provide quality innings, the Dodgers might not make starting pitching a chief priority at the deadline, which would allow the team to focus on other needs.  That said, injuries in the bullpen have thinned out the club’s pitching depth as a whole, so it would be a little surprising if Los Angeles didn’t add pitching in some regard.

Dodgers Select Wander Suero, Option Gavin Stone

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The Dodgers announced they’ve selected reliever Wander Suero onto the major league roster. Rookie righty Gavin Stone was optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma City in a corresponding move. Los Angeles already had a vacancy on the 40-man roster, so no move was required in that regard.

Suero returns to the majors for the first time in two years. The Dominican-born righty was a middle innings option for the Nationals between 2018-21. He combined for a 4.61 ERA over 185 1/3 innings during that four-year stretch. Suero twice posted a sub-4.00 ERA with above-average strikeout and walk numbers, with his overall results inflated by an uncharacteristic 6.33 mark in 42 2/3 innings during his final season in Washington.

Los Angeles added the 31-year-old on a non-roster deal over the winter. He’s spent the season in Oklahoma City, working 10 2/3 innings over 10 outings. Suero has kept opponents to two runs in that time, although he’s done so with a modest 8:5 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Nevertheless, he’s impressed Dodger brass enough to earn a look in the major league bullpen. Suero still has a minor league option remaining, so the Dodgers can bounce him between L.A. and OKC throughout the season if they keep him on the 40-man roster.

Stone, 24, is one of the sport’s top pitching prospects. He was called up for his major league debut on Wednesday. That didn’t go particularly well, as the Phillies tagged him for five runs (four earned) on eight hits and two walks in four innings. One subpar outing surely doesn’t change how the Dodgers feel about the highly-touted righty, but it appears the club was always viewing that debut as a spot start. Stone will head back to Triple-A, where he has a 4.74 ERA over six starts, and await his next MLB opportunity.

Pitchers have to spend at least 15 days in the minors upon being optioned unless they’re recalled to replace a player landing on the injured list. The Dodgers will stick with a starting five of Clayton Kershaw, Julio Urías, Tony Gonsolin, Dustin May and Noah Syndergaard for the time being.

Dodgers Sign Wander Suero To Minor League Deal

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The Dodgers have signed reliever Wander Suero to a minor league deal, as relayed by Chris Hilburn-Trenkle of Baseball America. Pitcher Kevin Gowdy and catcher Hamlet Marte have also signed non-roster pacts with L.A.

Suero, 31, is the only member of that group with big league experience. The righty was a durable middle innings option for the Nationals between 2018-21. He pitched in 185 games over that stretch, tallying 185 1/3 innings of 4.61 ERA ball. While a bloated 6.33 mark during his final season inflated his overall numbers, Suero was a roughly league average reliever for his first three years.

Between 2018-20, the Dominican-born hurler put together a 4.10 ERA in 140 appearances. He struck out 26.1% of batters faced against a manageable 8.5% walk percentage, holding opposing hitters to a .239/.315/.365 line. Suero contributed 71 1/3 regular season innings to Washington’s World Series team in 2019, logging four postseason appearances that year.

Things went off the rails in 2021. Suero’s strikeout rate dipped from the 27-28% range to 23.2%. His whiff rate also dropped a couple percentage points. Most alarming was a massive spike in home runs, as he allowed 11 longballs in 42 2/3 frames. That rate of 2.32 homers per nine innings was well north of his previous career-high mark of 0.76 HR/9. That led Washington to non-tender him at the end of the season.

Suero latched on with the Angels on a minor league contract for 2022. He made 20 appearances for their top affiliate in Salt Lake, struggling to a 6.08 ERA with just a 13.4% strikeout percentage. The Halos released him in July. Suero made seven appearances in the Mexican League to finish the season, and he’s pitched seven more times in Dominican Winter League action over the offseason. He allowed two runs in 6 2/3 innings in winter ball but only struck out two of 28 opponents.

Gowdy is a 25-year-old righty who went 42nd overall to the Phillies in the 2016 draft. The Phils paid an overslot $3.5MM bonus to buy him out of a UCLA commitment out of high school. That didn’t pan out, as Gowdy missed two seasons recovering from Tommy John surgery and didn’t advance past High-A in the Philadelphia system. The Rangers acquired him as part of the Kyle Gibson/Ian Kennedy deadline deal in 2021. Gowdy spent last season working out of the bullpen at Double-A Frisco, where he was tattooed for a 9.90 ERA with nearly as many walks as strikeouts in 40 innings. He hit minor league free agency at year’s end and will try to earn an MLB look in the third organization of his professional career.

Marte, 29 next month, is a minor league journeyman. He’s played parts of 11 pro seasons for three organizations, hitting .259/.327/.409. He’s spent the past two seasons in the upper levels of the Dodgers’ system but has only played in 52 combined games. He’ll likely head to Triple-A Oklahoma City as a depth catcher.

Angels Sign Wander Suero To Minor League Deal

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The Angels have signed former Nationals righty Wander Suero to a minor league deal, per Baseball America’s Chris Hilburn-Trenkle. The REP1 Baseball client will provide the Halos with an experienced option to carry in Triple-A.

Suero, 30, is a veteran of four big league seasons, all with the Nats. He at times looked like a potential key piece in Washington but has yet to find the consistency needed to solidify himself at the big league level. Suero has twice posted sub-4.00 ERAs (2018, 2020), and he’s generally racked up strikeouts and limited walks at better-than-average levels.

Home runs, however, became a glaring issue for Suero in 2021, when he served up a whopping 11 round-trippers in just 42 2/3 innings (2.38 HR/9). That only exacerbated a longstanding issue in stranding baserunners, which he did at just a 59.7% clip in 2021. Suero ultimately yielded a 6.33 ERA last year, and the Nationals opted to non-tender him at the end of November rather than pay him a raise in arbitration.

Even with last year’s rough showing, however, Suero has a career 4.61 ERA with even better marks in FIP (3.80) and SIERA (3.78). He’s whiffed 25.4% of the opponents he’s faced in the big leagues against a solid 8.4% walk rate. He’s not a flamethrower, averaging just over 92 mph on his go-to cutter, but Suero possesses strong spin rates on both his fastball and curveball. And, prior to the 2021 season, he consistently limited hard contact at rates well better than the league average.

Suero has three years and 110 days of big league service time, so if he does make it to the big leagues with the Angels this season, he can be controlled for multiple years via arbitration.

National League Non-Tenders: 11/30/21

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We’ve now passed the deadline for teams to tender contracts to pre-arb and arbitration-eligible players. We’ll keep track of the more minor players non-tendered in the National League here. The American League non-tenders are available at this link.

As a reminder, you can view MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz’s projected salaries for arbitration-eligible players here:

  • The Cardinals announced they’ve non-tendered utilityman José Rondon. The right-handed hitting infielder tallied 90 plate appearances this past season while suiting up at a handful of position.
  • The Giants announced they’ve non-tendered outfielder Luis González, right-hander Sam Delaplane and southpaw Joe Palumbo. None of that trio was arbitration-eligible, and all three were recently acquired via minor transactions. It wouldn’t be a surprise if San Francisco attempts to work out minor league pacts with one or more of that group now that they’ve been removed from the 40-man roster.
  • The Phillies have non-tendered southpaw Kyle Dohy and re-signed him to a minor league contract, per a team announcement. He’ll remain in the organization but no longer occupies a spot on the 40-man roster. Dohy made on major league appearance in 2021.
  • The Padres announced they’ve non-tendered relievers José Castillo, Trey Wingenter, and Matt Strahm. Castillo and Wingenter haven’t pitched since 2019 because of arm injuries that necessitated Tommy John surgeries. Strahm was limited to just 6 2/3 frames in 2021 by health issues himself.
  • The Cubs are non-tendering reliever Jason Adam, reports Robert Murray of FanSided. The southpaw missed much of the season after suffering a gruesome ankle fracture in Triple-A in May, but he made a triumphant late-season return to the big leagues. Adam ultimately tossed 10 2/3 innings over 12 outings. Chicago also announced they’ve non-tendered outfielder Michael Hermosillo, who made a late-season appearance on the big league roster.
  • The Mets have non-tendered outfielder Mark Payton, per a club announcement. The left-handed hitter was acquired from the Reds midseason but never suited up for New York at the major league level.
  • The Reds have non-tendered righty Brandon Bailey, per a team announcement. The 27-year-old made five appearances with the Astros in 2020. He missed all of 2021 recovering from Tommy John surgery, the second such procedure of his career. Bailey is re-signing on a minor league deal with a Spring Training invitation but will no longer occupy a spot on the 40-man roster, reports C. Trent Rosecrans of the Athletic.
  • The Nationals announced three non-tenders: relievers Wander Suero and Ryne Harper and first baseman Mike Ford. Suero is the most notable of the group, having been an effective set-up option at times during his four-season run in D.C. He struggled to a 6.33 ERA across 42 2/3 innings in 2021, though.
  • The Mets have non-tendered reliever Stephen Nogosek, reports Robert Murray of FanSided (on Twitter). The right-hander made just one three-inning appearance at the big league level in 2021. He worked 35 innings of 5.14 ERA ball with Triple-A Syracuse.
  • The Diamondbacks are non-tendering reliever Taylor Clarke, reports Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic (on Twitter). The 28-year-old has pitched with the D-Backs in each of the past three seasons. The left-hander worked to a 4.98 ERA over 43 1/3 innings this past season, showing solid control but posting a 20.1% strikeout rate that was about four percentage points below the league average mark for bullpen arms.
  • The Dodgers have non-tendered southpaw Andrew Vasquez, tweets Fabian Ardaya of the Athletic. Vasquez wasn’t eligible for arbitration, but Los Angeles decided to bump him off the 40-man roster without placing him on waivers. Acquired in a minor trade with the Twins, Vasquez made two appearances for the Dodgers in early September. The 28-year-old struck out a massive 37.4% of batters faced in Triple-A in 2021.
  • The Pirates have non-tendered right-hander Chad Kuhl, reports Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Twitter link). A productive back-of-the-rotation arm at times, Kuhl has developed escalating control problems over the past couple seasons. The 29-year-old throws in the mid-90s and has posted decent strikeout numbers, but he’s coming off a 4.82 ERA/4.89 SIERA over 28 appearances (including 14 starts)
  • The Mets have non-tendered reliever Robert Gsellman, reports Tim Healey of Newsday (on Twitter). The right-hander has appeared with New York in each of the past six seasons, moving to the bullpen full-time in 2018. While Gsellman showed quite a bit of promise over seven starts as a rookie, he’s yet to find much consistent success in the years since. The 28-year-old did manage a solid 3.77 ERA with a 49.5% ground-ball rate over 28 2/3 innings in 2021, but he also missed a couple months because of a lat strain and only punched out 14.3% of batters faced.

NL Notes: Rockies, Cubs, Marlins, Nationals

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The Rockies announced a pair of corresponding roster moves today. They selected the contract of Connor Joe from Triple-A, while right-handed pitcher Jose Mujica was optioned to Triple-A. It’s good to see Joe back in the Majors. The 28-year-old opted out of 2020 after being diagnosed with testicular cancer, writes MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand. The Rockies like Joe as a possibility at first base or left off the bench. Joe was a first round draft pick of the Pirates back in 2014. Mujica will be a long-term rotation possibility for the Rockies, though he came out of the bullpen for both of his appearances this season. Elsewhere in the NL…

  • Cubs southpaw Brailyn Marquez has been about six weeks behind in his conditioning after testing positive for COVID-19. The Cubs’ top pitching prospect doesn’t have an official assignment yet, but it’s believed that he’ll soon head to Double-A, per Bruce Levine of 670thescore.com (via Twitter). Marquez doesn’t turn 22 years old until September.
  • Both Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Jorge Alfaro hope to begin their rehab assignments next week and return from the injured list by next weekend, per Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald (via Twitter). Marlins fans eagerly await Chisholm’s return after the infielder posted a 154 wRC+ in 80 plate appearances this season.
  • Wander Suero will begin his own rehab assignment with Triple-A Rochester, per Mark Zuckerman of MASNsports.com. The Nationals’ reliever has been out since April 18th with an oblique strain. Stephen Strasburg, meanwhile, will soon pitch his second simulated game since landing on the injured list. Presumably, that means the Nats are still in an evaluation stage, and it might take some time yet before Strasburg can return to the diamond.

Nationals Place Stephen Strasburg On Injured List, Select Paolo Espino

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10:56 am: Strasburg felt shoulder discomfort after a recent bullpen session, manager Dave Martinez tells reporters (including Dan Kolko of MASNsports.com). A subsequent MRI revealed the inflammation. The Nationals hope his absence won’t be particularly long, although there’s no current defined timetable for his return.

9:44 am: The Nationals announced they’ve placed right-hander Stephen Strasburg on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to April 15, with right shoulder inflammation. Righty Paolo Espino was selected from the alternate training site to start this afternoon’s game in Strasburg’s stead. Additionally, Washington placed reliever Wander Suero on the 10-day IL with a left oblique strain and recalled righty Ryne Harper.

Washington did not give a timetable for Strasburg’s return. Today’s IL placement is the latest injury setback for the star right-hander, who was limited to just two starts during the shortened 2020 season by carpal tunnel syndrome. The 32-year-old was also hampered by a leg injury during Spring Training, but it didn’t prevent him from beginning this season on the active roster. Unfortunately, he’ll now deal with a shoulder issue after a pair of regular season starts.

Espino, 34, made a pair of appearances for the Nats last season. That was his first big league time since 2017, the only other year in which he’s appeared in the majors. While Espino was outrighted off the 40-man roster last fall, he returned to the organization on a minor-league deal. He’ll make a spot start today against the Diamondbacks.

Suero left yesterday’s appearance after facing just one batter and was reported to be headed for an MRI, so it’s no surprise he’s headed to the injured list. Harper will return to take Suero’s place in the bullpen for now.

East Injury Notes: Kiermaier, Harper, Suero, Biggio

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The Rays activated Kevin Kiermaier off the 10-day injured list today, and he played two innings as defensive sub in Tampa Bay’s 6-3 victory over the Yankees.  It was Kiermaier’s first appearance since April 5, as a left quad strain sent the three-time Gold Glover to the IL only four games into the new season.  While still one of the sport’s best defenders when he is able to play, Kiermaier has been a frequent IL visitor over the years due to a wide variety of injuries, which is why the Rays have fortified their center field depth in the form of Manuel Margot and Brett Phillips.

More injury-related notes from around the AL East and NL East…

  • Bryce Harper is day-to-day with lower back soreness, the Phillies announced.  Harper isn’t in today’s lineup against the Cardinals, and manager Joe Girardi suggested to reporters (including MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki) that the problem may have occurred when Harper slid into second base after hitting a double in Friday’s game.  It’s something of a precautionary measure for the Phillies since Harper was bothered by back issues last season, though Zolecki noted that Harper still hit .230/.392/.467 over 158 plate appearances after August 21, when Harper’s back problems developed.  This year, of course, the Phils don’t have the luxury of periodically using Harper as a designated hitter to give him a partial rest day.
  • Wander Suero will undergo an MRI after leaving today’s game after one batter, Nationals manager Davey Martinez told The Washington Post’s Jesse Dougherty and other reporters.  Suero was removed from the game while facing his second batter, after initially walking Eduardo Escobar.  Now in his fourth season, Suero has been a solid member of the Nats’ bullpen, with a career 3.99 ERA and 25.9% strikeout rate over 149 career innings heading into today’s action.  The D.C. relief corps has already been thinned by injuries to Luis Avilan and Will Harris.
  • Cavan Biggio could potentially return to the Blue Jays’ lineup on Sunday, manager Charlie Montoyo told MLB.com’s Keegan Matheson and other reporters.  Biggio left Thursday’s game after being hit in the right hand by a line drive, though x-rays were negative and Biggio was slated to participate in batting practice and a game of catch today.

Nationals Activate Juan Soto

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The Nationals have activated outfielder Juan Soto and right-hander Wander Suero from the injured list, the team announced. Outfielder Andrew Stevenson was optioned to the alternate training site to open one roster spot, while the team’s recent placement of Will Harris on the IL left them with an existing vacancy.

Soto isn’t in tonight’s lineup, manager Dave Martinez told reporters (Twitter thread via Mark Zuckerman of MASNsports.com), but he’s available to pinch-hit. Soto himself told the club that he felt he needed at least another day to get up to speed for a full nine-inning game. The 21-year-old has yet to play this season since testing positive for Covid-19 on Opening Day and also missed much of the team’s Summer Camp, so he’s a bit behind. Recently signed utilityman Josh Harrison is getting the nod in left field in Soto’s place tonight.

The Nats have gone 3-4 in Soto’s absence. Their schedule has been partly interrupted by the Marlins’ Covid-19 outbreak, as the Nats were scheduled to face the Fish over the weekend but saw that series postponed due to ongoing health concerns with the Miami organization. In a way, the Nationals will benefit from that postponement, as they’ll now likely have Soto back in the fold for three games he’d have otherwise missed. For the time being, they’ll host the Mets for the first of a two-game set. Washington’s next dozen games will come against the Mets and the Orioles. Soto won’t be back in the everyday lineup right out of the gate, but he’ll be back in the heart of the order before long.

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