Injury Notes: Rodon, Blue Jays, Slater, Gsellman, Cardinals
The White Sox are skipping Carlos Rodon‘s next turn in the rotation due to shoulder soreness, and manager Tony La Russa told reporters (including NBC Chicago’s Maddie Lee) that the team is hopeful Rodon can pitch during the upcoming September 10-12 series with the Red Sox. That said, “when he doesn’t feel right, it’s impossible to push it,” La Russa said, noting that in the wake of Rodon’s recent injured-list stint due to shoulder fatigue, “that’s what’s concerning, that all this should add up to where right now he would be in peak form.”
Rodon missed a little over two weeks on the IL and has pitched well in two starts since returning, posting a 2.70 ERA over 10 innings. However, the Sox were easing Rodon back into action, limiting him to 144 total pitches over the two outings. La Russa said Jimmy Lambert would likely be called up to take Rodon’s spot in what has become an increasingly injury-riddled pitching staff — Lucas Giolito and Lance Lynn are also on the 10-day injured list.
The latest on other injury situations around baseball…
- Cavan Biggio and Ross Stripling are slated to begin rehab assignments at the Blue Jays‘ Triple-A affiliate, Sportsnet.ca’s Shi Davidi writes (Twitter link). Stripling was placed on the 10-day IL on August 11 with a left oblique strain and could be closer than Biggio to a return, as Stripling might be back when the Jays begin a series against the Orioles on Friday. Biggio was already on a rehab assignment for a back problem when he suffered an elbow injury two weeks ago, thus setting back his progress.
- The Giants placed outfielder Austin Slater on the seven-day concussion IL prior to tonight’s game. Left-hander Sammy Long was also sent down to Triple-A, while righty Camilo Doval and outfielder Steven Duggar were recalled in corresponding moves. Slater suffered his concussion while crashing into the outfield wall in Saturday’s game in an attempt to catch a Trea Turner home run. Now in his fifth season with San Francisco, Slater is hitting .227/.313/.395 with 10 home runs over 288 plate appearances while seeing time at all three outfield positions.
- Robert Gsellman began a rehab assignment at the Mets‘ low-A affiliate today, Newsday’s Tim Healey tweets. Gsellman has been sidelined since June 21 due to a torn lat muscle, and though he’ll need multiple rehab outings due to the long layoff, he is on pace to return to the Mets bullpen before the season is out.
- Cardinals manager Mike Shildt told The Athletic’s Katie Woo and other reporters that Jack Flaherty will take the “huge step” of beginning to play catch within the next day or two. Flaherty’s season seemed to be in jeopardy when he was placed on the IL on August 25 due to a shoulder strain, though there is some optimism that the right-hander may be able to return as either a reliever or as a piggyback starter. In other Cardinals pitching news, Shildt said that Dakota Hudson will throw at least three more rehab starts as the righty continues to work his way back from Tommy John surgery. The timing will be somewhat tight, but there is some hope that Hudson can return to a big league mound this season, which would mark a tremendous recovery considering that Hudson underwent his surgery in late September 2020.
Giants Place Alex Dickerson On 10-Day Injured List
Alex Dickerson has been placed on the 10-day injured list, as the Giants announced that the outfielder is suffering from a right hamstring strain. Mauricio Dubon has been called up from Triple-A in the corresponding move.
This is the third time Dickerson has visited the IL this year, with slightly more than the minimum amount of time missed due to an upper back strain and a right shoulder impingement. The Giants are surely hopeful of another brief absence since the team will want all hands on deck in the battle with the Dodgers for the NL West crown. Considering the timing, however, anything more than a minor strain could threaten to sideline Dickerson for the remainder of the season.
These cumulative injuries could explain Dickerson’s struggles this year, after batting .286/.350/.529 with 16 homers over 360 plate appearances in 2019-20. This year, Dickerson is hitting only .235/.303/.426 with 13 homers in 304 PA, with much less hard contact and dropoffs in both his strikeout and walk rates. After tearing up right-handed pitching in the previous two seasons, the left-handed hitting Dickerson has managed just a .719 OPS in 278 PA against righties in 2021.
The Giants do have outfield depth to make up for Dickerson’s loss, as Kris Bryant could see more time as a corner outfielder now that Evan Longoria is back from the injured list and ready to assume third base duties. With LaMonte Wade Jr. and Mike Yastrzemski toggling back and forth between center and right field, the Giants could also shift Wade to left field duty, or use Austin Slater or Darin Ruf. The versatile Dubon’s return also adds a bit more infield help considering that Donovan Solano and Wilmer Flores are both still on the IL.
Injury Notes: Giolito, Longoria, Torres, Moreland, McGowin
The White Sox placed Lucas Giolito on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to September 1, due to a left hamstring strain this afternoon. It seems the move is mostly precautionary, as manager Tony La Russa told reporters (including Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times) that Giolito is scheduled to throw a bullpen session next Wednesday. The White Sox can afford to be especially cautious with even minor injuries for their top players, as they’re coasting to a division title and hoping to get everybody right for the postseason. Giolito has a 3.69 ERA/3.68 SIERA over 158 1/3 innings this season.
Some more health situations around the league:
- The Giants announced they’ve activated third baseman Evan Longoria from the 10-day injured list. The 35-year-old returns in time for perhaps the club’s biggest series of the year, as San Francisco is set to kick off a three-game set against the Dodgers, with whom they’re tied atop the NL West. Injuries have limited Longoria to 199 plate appearances this season, but he’s looked rejuvenated when healthy. Longoria owns a .289/.382/.526 line with ten home runs. Mauricio Dubón was optioned to clear active roster space.
- The Yankees activated shortstop Gleyber Torres from the 10-day injured list before this evening’s game with the Orioles. The 24-year-old returns after a three-week absence due to a thumb sprain. Torres got off to a slow start but looked like he’d begun to turn a corner offensively before going down. He has a .253/.328/.351 mark across 407 plate appearances altogether. New York optioned outfielder Estevan Florial in a corresponding move.
- Athletics designated hitter/first baseman Mitch Moreland landed on the 10-day injured list with left wrist tendinitis earlier this week. Manager Bob Melvin told reporters (including Matt Kawahara of the San Francisco Chronicle) that Moreland’s wrist will be in a splint “for at least a few weeks.” With a month remaining in the regular season, that would seemingly put Moreland’s season in jeopardy — at least barring an A’s postseason run. Moreland has struggled to a .227/.286/.415 line across 252 plate appearances this season, a disappointing follow-up to a strong 2020 campaign split between the Red Sox and Padres.
- The Nationals placed reliever Kyle McGowin on the 10-day injured list this afternoon. The right-hander has a UCL sprain in his throwing elbow and will see a specialist to determine his course of treatment, relays Mark Zuckerman of MASNsports.com. Any injury to a pitcher’s UCL raises the specter of a potential Tommy John surgery, although there’s no indication McGowin is facing any sort of procedure just yet. The 29-year-old has made 30 relief appearances for the Nats this season, working to a 4.20 ERA/3.85 SIERA.
Injured List Placements: Flores, Anderson, Martin
The latest on some notable players heading to the 10-day injured list…
- The Giants have placed Wilmer Flores on the 10-day injured list due to a left hamstring strain, as Mauricio Dubon was called up from Triple-A in the corresponding move. Flores had a 10-day minimum absence due to a strain in his other hamstring in May, and Giants manager Gabe Kapler told reporters (including Susan Slusser of The San Francisco Chronicle) that the infielder “has been wrestling with hamstring issues for most of the season,” and he will now miss “a couple of weeks” with his latest injury. Flores has hit .249/.319/.438 with 17 home runs over 389 plate appearances this season, and the known lefty-masher has had uncharacteristically even splits against both left-handed and right-handed pitching. San Francisco’s infield depth will be tested yet again, as Flores joins Donovan Solano and Evan Longoria on the IL, and Tommy La Stella is day-to-day with tightness in his side.
- The Brewers placed Brett Anderson on the 10-day IL due to a left shoulder contusion. Anderson departed last night’s start after two innings after being hit in the shoulder by a Brandon Crawford line drive, though it appears as though the left-hander didn’t suffer any structural damage. This is Anderson’s third IL visit of the season, after two relatively brief absences due to a right knee contusion and a right hamstring strain. Through 88 1/3 innings this season, Anderson has a 4.18 ERA on the strength of a 59.5% grounder rate and an above-average 6.9% walk rate, despite a lot of blue ink on his Statcast numbers. Milwaukee at least has a ready-made replacement for Anderson, as Freddy Peralta is expected to be activated from the injured list to start tomorrow’s game against the Cardinals
- The Braves placed right-hander Chris Martin on the 10-day IL due to inflammation in his throwing elbow. Southpaw Sean Newcomb was recalled from Triple-A to take Martin’s spot on the active roster. In a season already shortened by a month-long injured list trip due to right shoulder inflammation, Martin has a 4.17 ERA over 36 2/3 innings out of Atlanta’s bullpen. That ERA has been inflated by four runs allowed over his last four appearances, which could be due to this elbow issue. For the season as a whole, however, Martin’s strikeout and hard-hit ball rates are each considerably down from his 2020 statistics.
Every Team’s Initial September Callups
The limit on active roster players expanded from 26 to 28 today, as the calendar flipped to September. Every team announced at least two additions to the big league club (some teams made three or more due to injured list placements). Here’s a recap of today’s spate of transactions:
- Angels: RHP Oliver Ortega (full post), INF Luis Rengifo. LHP Patrick Sandoval transferred to 60-day IL
- Astros: RHP Jose Urquidy (activated from 10-day IL), RHP Enoli Paredes
- Athletics: DH Khris Davis, C Austin Allen (full post)
- Blue Jays: RHP Nate Pearson, RHP Bryan Baker (full post)
- Braves: IF Orlando Arcia, RHP Jacob Webb
- Brewers: C Luke Maile, RHP Justin Topa, 1B Daniel Vogelbach (activated from 60-day IL). C Manny Pina placed on 10-day IL, LHP Angel Perdomo transferred to 60-day IL
- Cardinals: RHP Brandon Dickson (full post), C Ali Sanchez. RHP Ryan Helsley transferred to 60-day IL
- Cubs: RHP Adbert Alzolay (activated from 10-day IL), Dillon Maples (activated from 10-day IL)
- Diamondbacks: RHP Luke Weaver (activated from 60-day IL), OF Stuart Fairchild
- Dodgers: UTIL Zach McKinstry, RHP Ryan Meisinger. IF Sheldon Neuse, OF Luke Raley transferred to 60-day IL
- Giants: LHP Caleb Baragar, IF Thairo Estrada, RHP John Brebbia. RHP Johnny Cueto placed on 10-day IL
- Indians: RHP Triston McKenzie (activated from 10-day IL), OF Harold Ramirez (activated from 10-day IL)
- Mariners: LHP Justus Sheffield (activated from 10-day IL), IF Kevin Padlo
- Marlins: LHP Trevor Rogers (activated from restricted list), IF Joe Panik (activated from COVID-19)
- Mets: OF Albert Almora Jr., OF Khalil Lee
- Nationals: LHP Alberto Baldonado (full post), C Alex Avila (activated from 10-day IL)
- Orioles: RHP Dusten Knight, LHP Alexander Wells
- Padres: RHP Dinelson Lamet (activated from 10-day IL), RHP Taylor Williams (activated from 60-day IL). LHP Matt Strahm transferred to 60-day IL
- Phillies: RHP Cam Bedrosian, RHP Ramon Rosso (full post). 1B Rhys Hoskins transferred to 60-day IL, shortstop Didi Gregorius placed on restricted list
- Pirates: RHP Shelby Miller (full post), RHP Max Kranick
- Rangers: LHP Hyeon-jong Yang, IF Charlie Culberson (activated from COVID-19 IL), RHP Kohei Arihara (activated from 60-day IL). INF Ryan Dorow — originally selected as a COVID replacement — removed from 40-man roster and returned to Triple-A
- Rays: RHP David Robertson (full post), SS Taylor Walls
- Red Sox: RHP John Schreiber (full post), INF Jack Lopez, UTIL Danny Santana (activated from 10-day IL), RHP Ryan Brasier (activated from 60-day IL). SS Xander Bogaerts, IF Yairo Munoz placed on COVID-19 IL
- Reds: OF Delino DeShields Jr. (full post), INF Alejo Lopez
- Rockies: RHPs Antonio Santos, Justin Lawrence, Julian Fernandez (full post). Jon Gray placed on injured list
- Royals: RHP Jackson Kowar, SS Adalberto Mondesi (activated from 10-day IL), LHP Jake Brentz (activated from 10-day IL). RHP Jakob Junis placed on 10-day IL
- Tigers: RHP Wily Peralta (activated from 10-day IL), INF Niko Goodrum (activated from 10-day IL)
- Twins: RHP Randy Dobnak (activated from 60-day IL), RHP Joe Ryan (full post). RHP Kenta Maeda transferred to 60-day injured list
- White Sox: RHP Matt Foster, 1B/OF Gavin Sheets, INF/OF Romy Gonzalez (full post). Jake Lamb designated for assignment (full post), Tim Anderson placed on injured list
- Yankees: OF Estevan Florial, RHP Brooks Kriske
Giants Place Alex Wood On COVID-19 Injured List
AUGUST 31: Cueto has been activated from the IL to start this evening’s game against Milwaukee, the team announced. Quintana has also been activated after reporting to the club, with Vosler and Brebbia optioned in corresponding moves.
AUGUST 30: The Giants announced they’ve placed starting pitchers Alex Wood and Johnny Cueto on the COVID-19 injured list. Infielder Jason Vosler and reliever John Brebbia have been recalled from Triple-A Sacramento to take their places on the active roster.
Wood has tested positive for COVID-19, manager Gabe Kapler told reporters (including Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area). Cueto has not tested positive, but he’s feeling virus-like symptoms. The Giants will conduct an impromptu bullpen game tonight against the Brewers in place of Cueto, who had been scheduled to take the ball. The team remains hopeful Cueto could be back as soon as tomorrow.
Regardless of Cueto’s status, the Giants will be without Wood for the near future. San Francisco’s rotation depth is one of the team’s few question marks, particularly after Tyler Beede recently suffered a serious back injury in Triple-A. The Giants’ top five starters of Wood, Cueto, Kevin Gausman, Anthony DeSclafani and Logan Webb has remained remarkably healthy for much of the season. Sammy Long and the since-released Aaron Sanchez are the only other pitchers to log at least ten innings out of the San Francisco rotation.
Long could be an option to shoulder a heavier workload over the coming days, and San Francisco did just add José Quintana off waivers from the Angels. Matt Shoemaker is on hand as a potential option in Sacramento, but he’s struggled since signing a minor league deal earlier this month. San Francisco can ill-afford any sort of letup over the final few weeks of the season. While the league-best Giants are a lock to make the playoffs, they hold just a two and a half game lead over the Dodgers in the National League West.
Giants’ Ron Wotus Retiring From Coaching After 2021 Season
Longtime Giants coach Ron Wotus is stepping down as a full-time coach after the season is over, as per a team announcement. Wotus first joined the team’s coaching staff in 1998 as a third base coach, and served as bench coach for the next 19 seasons before returning to third base duties prior to the 2018 season. Wotus could remain with the organization, as he and the Giants are currently talking about a role in the baseball operations department going forward.
In a statement, Wotus said, “It’s been the privilege of my life to work 34 years for the greatest organization in baseball. I never imagined I’d have the career I’ve had — coaching in four World Series, coaching homegrown players like Buster Posey, Brandon Crawford, Brandon Belt and so many others, and watching them develop into the best players they can be. They are why you coach.
“It’s time for a bit more balance in my life. My wife, Laurie, and my family have been there for me through all the ups and downs, all the travel and long hours, and now I want to be there for them.”
Wotus’ tenure in the San Francisco organization dates back to 1988, when he spent his last two seasons as a player suiting up with the Giants’ Triple-A affiliate. (Wotus’ career as a big league player consisted of 32 games with the Pirates in 1983-84.) From there, Wotus moved on to become a manager in the Giants farm system, working his way up the ladder from 1991-97 and managing at the Single-A, Double-A, and Triple-A levels.
From there, Wotus was promoted to the staff of then-manager Dusty Baker, starting what became the longest run of any coach in Giants franchise history. Wotus worked under four different managers during his time on San Francisco’s coaching staff, best known as Bruce Bochy’s chief advisor on the Giants’ World Series championship teams in 2010, 2012, and 2014.
As one might expect, Wotus received some managerial consideration himself over the years. A mystery team (rumored to be the Rockies) checked in on Wotus following the 2016 season, and the Giants interviewed him for their own managerial vacancy before Gabe Kapler was hired during the 2019-20 offseason. That same winter also saw Wotus become a candidate for the Mets’ bench coach job.
Though this outstanding coaching stint may yet have some more memorable postseason moments remaining, we at MLB Trade Rumors congratulate Wotus on his tremendous career, and wish him the best on his next endeavors.
Giants Sign Wyatt Mathisen To Minor League Contract
The Giants signed infielder Wyatt Mathisen to a minor league deal, according to MLB.com’s official transactions page. Mathisen was in the lineup last night for Triple-A Sacramento, going 2-for-4 with a double in his organizational debut.
The Mariners released Mathisen on Friday, so it wasn’t a long stint in free agency. The Giants represent Mathisen’s fourth team within the last four months, as he began the season with the Diamondbacks and was subsequently moved to the Rays and Mariners in trades. The 27-year-old’s only big league playing time this year came in Arizona, as he had only a .445 OPS over 51 plate appearances. Originally a second-round pick for the Pirates in the 2012 draft, Mathisen made his MLB debut last season, hitting .222/.364/.444 over 33 PA with the D’backs.
Mathisen has strong numbers (.251/.359/.474 with 37 homers in 824 PA) at the Triple-A level over his career, and given the Giants’ penchant for unlocking potential in less-heralded players, it can’t be ruled out that some of this production could translate over to the majors. Mathisen also adds to San Francisco’s multi-positional depth, as he has played mostly third base but also has some experience at first and second base in recent years.
Giants Claim Jose Quintana
The Giants have claimed veteran left-hander Jose Quintana off waivers from the Angels, per a team announcement from the Halos. The Giants themselves yet to announce the claim or a corresponding move, although they have an open 40-man roster spot after designating Tyler Chatwood for assignment this weekend.
Quintana, 32, signed a one-year, $8MM contract with the Angels over the winter in hopes of bouncing back from 2020’s injury-ruined season. However, the left-hander labored through just 10 starts before being ousted from the rotation and dropped to the bullpen. Fourteen of his past 15 games have come in relief, and the one spot start he made since that initial demotion went quite poorly. He’s still owed about $1.5MM between now and season’s end, and by claiming him on waivers, the Giants are assuming the remainder of that commitment.
In a total of 53 1/3 innings this season, Quintana has pitched to a 6.75 ERA with a career-worst 11.4 percent walk rate, but his secondary numbers paint a brighter picture. He’s sporting a 3.90 SIERA and career-best marks in strikeout percentage (28.7), swinging-strike rate (11.9 percent) and opponents’ chase rate (32.6 percent). His 45.6 percent ground-ball mark, meanwhile, is his best since back in 2015 with the White Sox.
Quintana has been rocked in the majority of his starts this season, but he holds a 3.93 ERA, a 28.6 percent strikeout rate and a tiny 3.9 percent walk rate in 18 1/3 frames as a reliever. It’s obviously a very small sample, but the vastly improved control he’s shown when working in relief perhaps encouraged the Giants to take a flier on a veteran arm who was at one point one of the most consistently solid starters in Major League Baseball.
From 2013-18, Quintana pitched at least 174 innings and made at least 32 starts per season. His ERA along the way was a rock-solid 3.58 — a number that was largely supported by metrics such as FIP (3.56) and SIERA (3.85). Quintana was a consummate source of reliable, above-average innings throughout that span and an often-overlooked name in All-Star and awards voting. Despite his consistency, he made just one All-Star appearance and only garnered Cy Young votes on one occasion: a 10th-place finish in 2016.
A return to his peak form probably shouldn’t be expected, but Quintana will give the Giants another lefty who is stretched out enough to at least throw a couple of innings per relief stint. And if he can maintain the output that he’s posted as a reliever to this point in the season — or perhaps improve upon it — he’ll be a fine addition to the team’s relief corps down the stretch. By claiming Quintana prior to Sept. 1, the Giants have ensured that he’ll be eligible for their postseason roster. He’s not a lock to be included, of course, but we’ve seen the Giants help turn around the careers of many pitchers to date and Quintana could surface as yet another data point on that growing list.
Giants Reinstate Anthony DeSclafani, Designate Tyler Chatwood For Assignment
The Giants announced several roster moves today, reinstating right-hander Anthony DeSclafani from the injured list and first baseman Brandon Belt from the paternity list. To make room for those two, infielder Thairo Estrada was optioned to Triple-A and right-hander Tyler Chatwood was designated for assignment.
It’s a quick turnaround for DeSclafani, who went on the IL on August 19th. That’s great news for the Giants, as the righty has been tremendous for them this season. Over 132 2/3 innings, he has an ERA of 3.26, producing 2.1 fWAR already on the year. With Johnny Cueto also having recently returned from the IL, the Giants rotation is in great shape for the stretch run, as they try to hold off the Dodgers in the NL West. The Giants are currently atop the pennant race by 2 1/2 games.
It’s potentially the end of a very short tenure in San Francisco for Chatwood. He was designated for assignment by the Blue Jays in July after struggling with command issues. In 28 innings out of Toronto’s bullpen, he had an ERA of 5.46, thanks in large part to a bloated walk rate of 16%. (League average for all pitchers is 8.7%.) The Giants then signed him to a minors deal April 7th and added him to the big league roster 10 days later. In two games for the Giants, Chatwood racked up four innings with six strikeouts but also allowed five runs (three earned) with one walk and one hit-by-pitch. The 31-year-old will now go on waivers and, if unclaimed, will be able to elect free agency. If he joins a new organization before the end of the month, even if it’s a minors deal, he will be eligible to play in the postseason for that club.