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Pitcher Notes: Gray, Kikuchi, Peralta, Brasier

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Rockies right-hander Jon Gray went on the injured list yesterday with the ominous-sounding diagnosis of elbow soreness/forearm tightness in his throwing arm. Fortunately, an MRI revealed no structural damage, manager Bud Black told reporters (including Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post). That’s fantastic news for player and team alike. Gray is scheduled to reach free agency at the end of this season, so his finishing the year healthy is of upmost importance as he looks to market himself around the league. His contractual status, coupled with the Rockies 23-36 record, also makes him one of the game’s most obvious trade candidates in advance of the July 30 deadline.

A few more notes on pitchers around the league:

  • Mariners left-hander Yusei Kikuchi left last night’s start against the Angels in the fifth inning after being struck on the right knee by a David Fletcher line drive. The team announced he’s been diagnosed with a knee contusion/bone bruise. Kikuchi, who had to be helped off the field, was able to put some weight on his leg after the game manager Scott Servais told reporters (including Corey Brock of the Athletic). Servais suggested he didn’t believe there was any sort of fracture, and Kikuchi’s feeling “better than expected” today (via Brock), although it’s still possible he’ll need an IL stint. Kikuchi has been the Mariners best starter this year, tossing 66 2/3 innings of 3.92 ERA/3.64 SIERA ball.
  • Brewers righty Freddy Peralta has been one of the best pitchers in baseball. The 25-year-old is among the league’s top fifteen hurlers in ERA (2.25), SIERA (3.11), and strikeout/walk rate differential (26.1 percentage points). Will Sammon of the Athletic looks back at the December 2015 trade that sent Peralta, then a low minors pitching prospect, from the Mariners to the Brewers as part of the return for first baseman Adam Lind. Matt Kleine, now the Brewers vice president of baseball operations, initially spotted Peralta on the Mariners back fields in 2013. Intrigued by his fastball shape and athleticism, Kleine pushed the Milwaukee higher-ups to bring in Peralta via trade, and the opportunity presented itself when the Mariners expressed interest in Lind. Sammon breaks down Peralta’s continued progression and evolution (including the development of a slider and changeup to diversify his once fastball-heavy repertoire) in a piece that’ll be of interest to Brewers fans.
  • Red Sox reliever Ryan Brasier, who has been rehabbing from a left calf strain, was hospitalized after being struck in the head by a comebacker during a simulated game in Fort Myers this week. He has since been released, although Brasier suffered a concussion and an ear laceration, notes Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe (Twitter link). That will halt his rehab process for the time being, although it’s certainly a relief he escaped more serious injury after the scary incident.

Mariners Latest Roster Moves

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The Mariners announced a number of roster moves today. Following yesterday’s trade for Yacksel Rios, the Mariners have selected his contract and added the right-hander to the active roster. The hard-throwing 28-year-old will have a chance to make an impression in the Mariners’ injury-depleted bullpen.

Drew Steckenrider will join Rios in the pen. Steckenrider has been reinstated from the injured list. The 30-year-old right-hander has been out since May 21st as part of the COVID-19 protocols. Prior to landing on the IL, the former Marlin had appeared 14 times and logged 18 1/3 innings with a 2.45 ERA/2.32 FIP.

To make room for Rios and Steckenrider, Robert Dugger and Daniel Zamora have been optioned to Triple-A. Dugger started yesterday’s game in an Opener capacity, tossing 2 1/3 innings and yielding a pair of earned runs. Zamora, 28, has made four appearances on the year, tossing 4 1/3 innings and giving up three earned runs.

Rays Trade Yacksel Rios To Mariners

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The Mariners announced Friday that they have acquired right-hander Yacksel Rios from the Rays in exchange for cash. He’s not currently on the 40-man roster, having inked a minor league pact with Tampa Bay over the winter.

Of course, that lack of a 40-man roster spot may change quickly. The Mariners have a pair of open spots on their roster, and Rios has been lights-out in Triple-A Durham thus far in 2021. Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times tweets that Rios had a June 1 opt-out date in his contract, so this trade quite likely boils down to a matter of the Rays not feeling there’s a spot for him in their current bullpen and helping him land in a situation with a quick and straightforward path to the big leagues.

Rios, who’ll turn 28 later this month, doesn’t have much of a track record in the Majors but has ripped through Triple-A lineups so far in 2021. He’s tossed 13 2/3 innings with Tampa Bay’s top affiliate and yielded just one run on eight hits and two walks with 17 strikeouts, complementing those numbers with a terrific 56.7 percent grounder rate.

Rios has just a 6.36 ERA in 69 1/3 big league innings, so those eye-popping numbers in Triple-A should be taken with a grain of salt. But the hard-throwing righty averages just shy of 96 mph on his heater and has generated a solid 11.9 percent swinging-strike rate during his 66 big league appearances, so it’s certainly possible he has more in the tank. The Mariners entered the season with a fluid bullpen mix in the first place and are currently without Kendall Graveman, Erik Swanson, Casey Sadler, Andres Munoz and Drew Steckenrider, so there should be opportunity for Rios in the near future.

Kyle Lewis Likely To Miss Significant Time With Knee Injury

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June 3: Seattle general manager Jerry Dipoto didn’t paint a particularly optimistic picture in an appearance on 710 ESPN in this morning (Twitter link via 710’s Maura Dooley). “I’m hopeful we’ll see him again this year, but I don’t think it’s going to be quick,” Dipoto said of Lewis’ outlook. The GM added (via 710’s Brandon Gustafson) that the team will be “hypersensitive” with Lewis’ injury, which isn’t surprising given his prior knee problems.

The Mariners have yet to issue a concrete timeline on Lewis’ recovery or provide much in the way of detail on next steps in his rehab process.

June 2: Mariners outfielder Kyle Lewis will go for a second opinion on his injured right knee, manager Scott Servais told reporters (including Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times and Corey Brock of the Athletic). It certainly seems he’s looking at a potential extended absence, as Servais noted Lewis is “really down” about the original prognosis. The Mariners placed Lewis on the 10-day injured list with a meniscus tear and sent him for an MRI yesterday, and Daniel Kramer of MLB.com noted at the time that surgery was a possible option.

If Lewis is indeed forced to go under the knife, it’d be a brutal development for the 25-year-old. Lewis has been plagued by issues with that knee for much of his professional career. He tore his ACL shortly after being drafted in 2016, and it continue to bother him intermittently over the next few seasons. Lewis finally returned to peak form in 2019, and he shined during his first extended big league run last season. The former first-round pick hit .262/.364/.437 last year en route to the AL Rookie of the Year award.

He began the 2021 season on the IL after suffering a bone bruise in the same knee during Spring Training. Following a three-week absence, Lewis returned and got off to a solid .246/.333/.392 start before suffering this latest injury. Taylor Trammell was recalled in his place yesterday and seems likely to get extended run alongside Mitch Haniger and Jarred Kelenic while Lewis is out.

Mariners Place Justin Dunn On Injured List, Outright Eric Campbell

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10:10 pm: Dunn doesn’t sound overly concerned about the injury, telling the Mariners television crew his shoulder “just didn’t bounce back” the way he’d expected after his start on May 29 (h/t to Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times). Dunn believes he’ll only need a few days of rest before he can ramp activities back up.

8:45 pm: The Mariners announced they’re placing right-hander Justin Dunn on the injured list, retroactive to June 1, with inflammation in his throwing shoulder. Fellow righty Robert Dugger has been recalled to take his active roster spot. The team did not provide a timetable for Dunn’s potential return.

Dunn has made nine starts for Seattle this year, tossing 45 1/3 innings of 3.18 ERA ball. That’s high-end bottom line production, although his underlying metrics indicate he’s been rather fortunate to keep runs off the board at that level. Dunn’s striking out batters at an average 23.4% clip, but he’s issuing walks at a very high 14.1% rate. Opposing hitters have only managed a .196 batting average on balls in play against Dunn, who has stranded an unsustainably high 82% of baserunners to this point.

To his credit, Dunn has missed a few more bats than ever this season. The aforementioned strikeout rate is his career-best mark, as is his 9.9% swinging strike rate. He’s also working with career-high velocity. Dunn’s average four-seam fastball speed sits at 93.7 MPH, up more than two ticks relative to last year’s mark. His development is welcome news for a Mariners club counting on the former Mets first-rounder to cement himself as a long-term rotation option.

Seattle has rolled with a six-man rotation throughout the season. Dugger, who has started a pair of his eight MLB appearances, seems likely to step into that mix. Alternatively, the M’s could allow each of Yusei Kikuchi, Chris Flexen, Logan Gilbert, Justus Sheffield and Marco Gonzales to take the ball every fifth day. The Mariners have remained committed to the six-man starting staff all year, but depth starters Nick Margevicius, Ljay Newsome and Erik Swanson are all now on the injured list.

Seattle also announced they’ve outrighted corner infielder Eric Campbell to Triple-A Tacoma. Campbell, who has already cleared waivers, has the right to reject the assignment in favor of free agency, having previously been outrighted in his career. He played in four games for Seattle this year, his first big league action since 2016. The Mariners now have two vacancies on their 40-man roster.

Mets Claim Travis Blankenhorn, Designate Wilfredo Tovar For Assignment

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The Mets have claimed infielder Travis Blankenhorn off waivers from the Mariners, per the Athletic’s Tim Britton (via Twitter). The Mets will be Blankenhorn’s fourth organization of the 2021 season. He has been added to the active roster.

Not unrelated, Wilfredo Tovar was designated for assignment. The 29-year-old infielder made just 12 appearances in his second stint with the Mets. He managed two hits and a walk while striking out four times. Tovar was originally signed as a amateur out of Venezuela by New York way back in 2007. He made 34 total plate appearances for the Mets across three seasons. If he passes through waivers, he’ll have the opportunity to stay with the organization.

Despite being so well-traveled, Blankenhorn does not have a Major League plate appearance this season. He did score a run in a pinch-running appearance for the Twins. He was 1-for-3 in four plate appearances with the Twins in 2020.

Blankenhorn’s stay in Queens may also prove a temporary one, as the Mets are continually dealing with an injury-ravaged roster. At present, infielders J.D. Davis, Luis Guillorme, and Jeff McNeil are all on the injured list along with outfielders Brandon Nimmo, Michael Conforto, Johneshwy Fargas, and Albert Almora Jr.

Mariners Activate Marco Gonzales, Recall Taylor Trammell, Place Kyle Lewis On 10-Day Injured List, Option Robert Dugger

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The Mariners announced a slew of impactful roster moves this afternoon, starting with the reigning Rookie of the Year in the American League Kyle Lewis going back on the injured list – this time with a right meniscus tear, per the team. Robert Dugger also departs; Seattle optioned the right-hander to Triple-A.

In good news, Marco Gonzales is re-joining the team from the injured list, as anticipated. He will start tonight’s ballgame for the Mariners. If the third-place M’s are going to make an unexpected run at relevancy this year, they’ll need Gonzales to be a force in the rotation. He has made five starts on the season with a 5.40 ERA/5.52 FIP.

As for Lewis, it’s not yet clear if the tear is significant, but he has had multiple procedures performed on that knee, notes Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times. That’s certainly not ideal for a player like Lewis, whose athleticism is a key asset. He has appeared in just 36 of the Mariners’ 55 games this season, posting 0.7 bWAR and a 112 wRC+ in that time.

While losing Lewis definitely smarts, Mariners’ fans will have another young outfielder to tune in for: Taylor Trammell has been recalled after a successful stint in Triple-A. Trammell posted some highlights at the start of the season, but ultimately slumped to a .157/.255/.337 line in 95 plate appearances.

It’s easy to forget because he’s been traded twice, but Trammell remains a top prospect, and he’s still just 23 years old. Prior to this season, he had not played about Double-A, but he found himself on the opening day roster nevertheless. When he was optioned on May 13th, then, it was his first thwack at Triple-A, and he took it: .384/.413/.726 with six home runs in 80 plate appearances for the Tacoma Rainiers.

Finally, Dugger returns to the minors with a 6.06 ERA in eight appearances (two starts). A 4.83 FIP suggests Dugger has dealt with a touch of small-sample bad luck. The former Marlin has induced a 39.6 percent groundball rate with a 22.1 percent strikeout rate and 8.3 percent walk rate in 16 1/3 innings for Seattle’s parent club.

Injured List Returns: Fraley, Lopes, Wahl

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As injury news continues to dominate baseball, here’s the latest on a few players who are returning to action…

  • The Mariners reinstated outfielder Jake Fraley from the 10-day injured list, with infielder Eric Campbell heading to Triple-A to make room for Fraley on the active roster.  Fraley has been on the IL since suffering a left hamstring strain while making a diving catch in Seattle’s 10-4 loss to the White Sox on April 6.  He has seen action at all three outfield positions during his 24-game MLB career, and he’ll provide the Mariners with some depth behind the regular outfield trio of Kyle Lewis, Mitch Haniger, and Jarred Kelenic.
  • The Brewers announced that utilityman Tim Lopes and right-hander Bobby Wahl were optioned to Triple-A after being reinstated from the 60-day IL.  Both players have been sidelined by oblique strains suffered during Spring Training.  Lopes is still looking to make his Brewers debut after being claimed off waivers from the Mariners back in December.  Wahl has appeared in parts of three MLB seasons with the A’s, Mets, and Brewers, tossing 2 1/3 innings for Milwaukee in 2020 after missing the entire 2019 campaign recovering from a torn ACL.

Giants Acquire Sam Delaplane

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The Giants have acquired right-hander Sam Delaplane from the Mariners in exchange for cash considerations.  Delaplane has been optioned to the Giants’ Triple-A affiliate.

Delaplane was designated for assignment earlier this week, and will be out of action for likely the first half of the 2022 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery in April.  However, the Giants took the opportunity to trade for a local product (Delaplane is from San Jose) who has a rather eye-opening minor league track record.

A 23-round pick for the Mariners in the 2017 draft, Delaplane has a 2.29 ERA over 161 1/3 relief innings in Seattle’s farm system.  He also has an overwhelming 40.91% strikeout rate, whiffing 270 of 660 batters faced over his career.  Between all those missed bats and some solid control (8.2% walk rate), it’s easy to see why San Francisco took a long-term flier on Delaplane to see if he can continue anything close to this form at the MLB level when healthy.

Mariners Place Erik Swanson On Injured List

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Before last night’s game against the Rangers, the Mariners announced they were placing right-hander Erik Swanson on the 10-day injured list due to a right groin strain. Reliever Will Vest was reinstated from the COVID-19 injured list to replace Swanson on the active roster. To create 40-man roster space for Vest’s return, righty Casey Sadler was transferred from the 10-day IL to the 60-day IL.

Swanson, who was acquired from the Yankees as part of the 2018 James Paxton deal, has gotten off to a nice start for Seattle this year. He’s pitched in nine games (including two brief starts) and combined for thirteen innings of one-run ball, striking out fourteen while issuing six walks. He won’t continue to strand every baserunner that reaches against him (the only run allowed came on a Joey Gallo homer) or benefit from a .115 opponents’ batting average on balls in play. However, Swanson has generated swings and misses on a strong 13% of his offerings and was once a decently-regarded prospect, so he looks like a solid middle innings option once he returns to health.

Vest went on the COVID IL alongside a few other Seattle relievers on May 21. He’s pitched 21 1/3 innings of 4.22 ERA/4.93 SIERA ball this season. As a Rule 5 draftee, Vest must remain on the Mariners active roster all year if Seattle wishes to keep his contractual rights long-term.

Sadler went on the IL on May 1 with an impingement in his throwing shoulder. Yesterday’s transfer means he can’t return for at least 60 days from the date of his initial IL placement, so he’ll be out through the end of June at a minimum.

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