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Rays Place Diego Castillo On IL

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The Rays have placed right-handed reliever Diego Castillo on the 10-day injured list with shoulder inflammation, Juan Toribio of MLB.com tweets. Righty Hunter Wood is coming up from Triple-A Durham to take Castillo’s spot.

This is another notable blow to the Rays’ bullpen. The unit has already been without one of Castillo’s fellow late-game hurlers, Jose Alvarado, for almost all of June as he deals with a family matter.

The 25-year-old Castillo owned a 2.05 ERA as recently as June 11, but a couple recent blowups have sullied his output. He allowed six earned runs over a combined 1 2/3 innings in his previous two appearances, raising his ERA to 3.93 over 34 1/3 frames. Castillo has also put up a 4.51 FIP with 9.96 K/9, 4.19 BB/9 and a 52.9 percent groundball rate.

Anthony Banda Begins Rehab Assignment

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Rays left-hander Anthony Banda, on the mend from June 2018 Tommy John surgery, will begin a rehab assignment at the High-A level Sunday, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times tweets.

Now 25, Banda isn’t far removed from a run as a well-regarded prospect. When Banda’s previous team, the Diamondbacks, promoted him to the majors for the first time in July 2017, he was seen as one of the game’s top 100 farmhands. Banda threw 25 2/3 innings with the Diamondbacks that year before they sent him to the Rays in a three-team trade centering on outfielder Steven Souza in February 2018.

In his first year with the Rays, Banda turned in effective results before going under the knife. He logged a 3.64 ERA/3.29 FIP with 10.50 K/9 and 3.86 BB/9 across 42 innings and eight appearances (all starts) at Triple-A Durham. Banda also picked up a bit more major league experience, notching a 3.68 ERA/3.30 FIP with 6.14 K/9 and 1.84 BB/9 over 14 2/3 frames (three appearances, one start).

Should he return this season, Banda could be a reinforcement for the playoff-contending Rays’ pitching staff – whether as a starter, opener or reliever. The club has a 2 1/2-game lead on the American League’s top wild-card spot, and also figures to welcome breakout righty Tyler Glasnow back from the injured list in the coming weeks.

Rays Select Mike Brosseau

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The Rays have selected INF Mike Brosseau from Triple-A Durham among a flurry of roster moves, the team announced. INF/OF Daniel Robertson was placed on the 10-Day IL with a left knee sprain, and durable reliever Austin Pruitt was sent down to make room for lefty Adam Kolarek. Catcher Anthony Bemboom was transferred to the 60-day IL to make room for Brosseau.

Though the 25-year-old Brosseau didn’t crack the club’s top 54 prospects per FanGraphs, the 5’10 righty has done little but mash in his four years on the Rays farm thus far. In 283 plate appearances for Durham this season, Brosseau’d slashed .313/.406/.579 with an outstanding 11.7% BB/17.7%K plate-discipline profile.

He’ll look to work his way into the weak-side infield platoon mix for Tampa, as each of Brandon Lowe, Joey Wendle, Willy Adames, Christian Arroyo and Ji-Man Choi have been manhandled by lefties so far this season.

MLB Authorizes Rays To Explore Montreal Season Split

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3:04pm: St. Petersburg mayor Rick Kriseman does not sound quite as enthused by the idea as Sternberg. He says he previously informed the club that the city would not authorize talks with Montreal, John Romano of the Tampa Bay Times tweets.

12:46pm: In an eyebrow-raising development, Major League Baseball has granted authorization to the Tampa Bay Rays to explore the possibility of becoming a two-city franchise. The approval will allow the organization to pursue concepts in which the team would split its home games between Florida and Montreal. Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times first tweeted the news and has more in a story.

Notably, this does not mean that the Rays necessarily will move to Montreal. Even a part-time move would likely not occur for several seasons. Rather, commissioner Rob Manfred says there’s a “broad grant” for Rays owner Stu Sternberg to build out options, as Evan Drellich of The Athletic tweets.

In a statement, Sternberg says he remains “committed to keeping baseball in Tampa Bay for generations to come.” But he says he also believes “this concept” — referring to some kind of Montreal split — “is worthy of serious exploration.”

It’s hard to fathom a situation where a Florida/Montreal split represents a long-term solution. Presumably, that’d mean building (or rehabbing) and operating facilities in both cities, creating untold logistical hurdles on top of those that already exist.

As things stand, the Rays are contractually obliged to play at the Trop through the 2027 campaign. Getting local authorities to release even a portion of home games seems like a challenge. League owners and the MLBPA will surely want to see details and have quite a few questions answered. And with conceivable two-market opportunities come vast potential inefficiencies.

Montreal has a storied history with the game of baseball. But the club lost the Expos to D.C. after the 2004 season and hasn’t hosted a big-league club since. The city has hosted some late-spring contests at Olympic Stadium, but that venue poses many of the same issues presented by the Rays’ current home at Tropicana Field.

While this development does more to create possibilities than answer questions about the club’s future, it comes with immediate consequences. The Rays have struggled to gain traction in stadium talks in the St. Petersburg/Tampa area. Recent plans for an Ybor City complex fell flat, leaving Sternberg and company looking for new options — and, no doubt, also some leverage.

Rays Place Yandy Diaz On 10-Day IL

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The Rays have placed third baseman Yandy Diaz on the 10-day injured list, Juan Toribio of MLB.com tweets. Infielder Daniel Robertson will come up to take the roster opening.

Diaz has been dealing with hamstring tightness that hasn’t resolved quite as rapidly as had been hoped. The club obviously felt it could no longer afford to carry an unavailable players.

There’s little reason at present to think that Diaz will be sidelined for more than the minimum, though it’ll all depend upon how the muscle heals up. The Rays will hope for a swift return for the 27-year-old, who has been everything they hoped for and more since arriving via trade.

Diaz has racked up 248 plate appearances of .286/.363/.502 hitting and 11 home runs on the season. That’s just the sort of output the Tampa Bay organization got last year from Robertson, but he scuffled to open the current campaign and ended up on optional assignment. There’s now a bit of a window for him to reclaim a MLB role, though there isn’t as much opportunity with Joey Wendle back in action.

Rays Select Contract Of Andrew Kittredge

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The Rays have selected the contract of righty Andrew Kittredge, Juan Toribio of MLB.com was among those to tweet. He’ll take the active roster spot of fellow reliever Jake Faria, who was optioned down to Triple-A.

Kittredge, 29, had posted strong results in the upper minors and in a 2017 MLB debut. But he ended up being outrighted off of the 40-man roster at the end of the 2018 campaign after a rough extended showcase in the majors. All told, he carries a 6.04 ERA in 53 2/3 frames at the game’s highest level.

Thus far in 2019, Kittredge owns a sparkling 1.93 ERA with 13.3 K/9 and 1.4 BB/9 in his 37 1/3 innings at Triple-A. That’s enough to earn him another shot in the bigs, though he’ll have to perform better this time around to hold down a spot.

For the Rays, the move won’t require a 40-man roster spot because lefty Jose Alvarado remains on the restricted list. He is back in the United States after taking time away to deal with an undisclosed family matter in his native Venezuela. (Also via Toribio, on Twitter.) Alvarado will spend at least some time throwing at the Rays’ spring facility before he’s considered again for the MLB roster.

Rays Notes: Edwin, Trades, Alvarado

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2:57pm: Alvarado is back in the United States, Toribio reports (via Twitter).  The left-hander will get some work in at the Rays’ Single-A affiliate to ramp up in preparation for his return to the majors.

2:01pm: Before Edwin Encarnacion was dealt to the Yankees last night, the Rays were also in talks with the Mariners about the slugger, ESPN.com’s Buster Olney reports (Twitter link).  As is so often the case for Tampa Bay, however, payroll was a factor, as the “Yankees were in better position to absorb” a larger portion of Encarnacion’s contract.  Ironically, the Rays are already paying a chunk of Encarnacion’s $20MM salary for the 2019 season — as per the terms of the Rays/Mariners/Indians three-team deal in December, Tampa is covering $5MM of the money owed to Encarnacion.

Taking on more salary apparently wasn’t feasible for the Rays, especially given that Seattle is trying to cut as much payroll as possible.  While checking in on a player of Encarnacion’s caliber, or checking with a rebuilding team like the Mariners, is just good due diligence for any team, the Rays’ interest could hint at the team’s intentions heading towards the trade deadline.  Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times hears from a club official that the Rays will be “in on everybody” leading up to July 31, leading to a wealth of interesting options given how much minor league talent Tampa has on offer, or how much the team is willing to even modestly expend its salary commitments.

For instance, Topkin cites former Ray and current Padres closer Kirby Yates as “a potential bullpen trade target.”  We’ve already heard that San Diego would basically need to be blown away to move Yates, and that’s assuming they become deadline sellers at all given that the team is still alive in the NL wild card race.  A pitcher like Yates fits the Rays’ model, however, as he is only owed around $1.4MM for the remainder of this season and is also arbitration-controlled through 2020.

The bullpen seems to be Tampa Bay’s “top need,” Topkin writes, though he also (more hypothetically) suggests that the Rays could even explore a blockbuster position player addition like Indians shortstop Francisco Lindor.  Needless to say, that type of a trade would be a longer shot, though it suggests just how open the Rays are to all options as they push to win the AL East.

In regards to the pen, the Rays should theoretically be in line for some internal help once Jose Alvarado returns from the restricted list.  However, MLB.com’s Juan Toribio (Twitter link) reports that “there is still no timetable for” when Alvarado would potentially rejoin the club.  The left-hander originally went on the family medical emergency list back on June 2, though since that leave period has a maximum of seven days, the Rays moved Alvarado to the restricted list a week later.

Details are scarce, which isn’t unusual given the personal nature of the situation, though the longer Alvarado is out, the more it could enhance Tampa’s need for relief help, particularly from the left side.  Alvarado has a troubling 6.2 BB/9 this season, yet despite that shaky control, still has a 3.09 ERA and 12.3 K/9 over 23 1/3 innings this season.

Minor MLB Transactions: 6/15/19

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Below we’ll track some of today’s signings from around the league…

  • The Twins have signed Cuban right-hander Yennier Cano with a signing bonus of $750K, per Francys Romero of Las Mayores (via Twitter). MLB.com’s Dan Hayes adds that the Twins do not figure Cano into their immediate plans, despite being slightly older for a development project at 25-years-old. Solid numbers in Cuba make him a worthwhile flyer, but low K-rates may give pause to his viability as a major league contributor. Cano slotted in at #2 on MLB.com’s 2018 list of top international prospects, which mark his top pitch as a 70-grade heater. “The right-hander has shown a fastball that hovers in the 94-96 mph range with some sink. He also features an above average slider, split fastball and changeup, a pitch he did not throw often in Cuba. He also throws an average curve.” Cano has been a reliever in Cuba and figures to target a similar role with the Twins.
  • The Rays signed Cuban outfielder Patrick Merino, per Romero (via Twitter). He receives $375K as a signing bonus. Romero played some catcher in Cuba, but he has a thick frame that suggests a future elsewhere. He has more than enough speed to cover ground in the outfield, and his arm should play in right if that’s where he eventually lands. Merino had been tied to a number of clubs, both Chicago clubs among them, though it’s hard to know the level of interest any of those clubs had in signing Merino.

Rays Notes: Faria, Robertson, Glasnow

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The Rays have recalled right-hander Jake Faria from Triple-A Durham while demoting infielder Daniel Robertson, the team announced. 

Faria makes his second appearance with the club this season, the first resulting in a scoreless two-inning outing against the Red Sox on April 20th. He has otherwise notched better-than-usual strikeout rates in Triple-A this season (11.6 K/9) along with a 4-1 record and 5.41 ERA across 15 games (6 starts).

Faria gave the Rays 86 2/3 strong innings of 3.43 ERA baseball across 14 starts in 2017, but an abdominal strain cost him some time and limited him to just three appearances apiece in August and September. He started ten games with a less rousing 5.48 ERA to start 2018, but a left oblique strain landed him on the 60-day injured list. He has since fallen down the pecking order amidst a loaded Rays pitching contingent, but he’ll have an opportunity here to serve as one of manager Kevin Cash’s many long men out of the pen.

For Robertson, the demotion is a disappointing turn for the one-time Oakland farmhand. After accruing 2.4 fWAR and a well-above-average 127 wRC+ in 2018, Robertson slumped in 2019 while concentrating more of his defensive time at third base. Robertson’s .205/.310/.284 is a far cry from his 2018 output. His approach has remained relatively stable (10.8 BB%, 24.6 K%), but his power has all but evaporated (.080 ISO). While power hardly figures to be a prominent part of his game, a sub-.300 slugging percentage makes him borderline unplayable for the Rays in a tightly-contested AL East.

In recovery news, Tyler Glasnow’s comeback trail kicks off today as the Rays plan to have him throwing off a mound to a catcher closer than the traditional 60 feet 6 inches, tweets MLB.com’s Juan Toribio. Glasnow could throw a bullpen session as early as Wednesday, but nothing has changed as of yet regarding his recovery timetable. Given his placement on the 60-day injured list, Glasnow’s earliest date of reinstatement is July 12th.

Rays Place Christian Arroyo On 10-Day IL; Will Activate Joey Wendle

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10:29pm: The Rays will activate Wendle on Friday and option Wood, Juan Toribio of MLB.com tweets.

2:56pm: Arroyo is actually headed to the 10-day injured list with tendinitis in his right forearm, the team announced.  Hunter Wood is coming up from Triple-A to take Arroyo’s roster spot, so Wendle won’t yet be activated.

12:21pm: The Rays have optioned infielder Christian Arroyo to Triple-A Durham, and Eduardo A. Encina of the Tampa Bay Times writes that the move likely clears a path for the return of Joey Wendle, who has been out since late April due to a fractured wrist.

The broken wrist was Wendle’s second notable injury of the 2019 campaign, as he missed three weeks early in the year due to a hamstring strain. In all, the fourth-place finisher in last season’s American League Rookie of the Year voting has appeared in just eight games in 2019.

Wendle isn’t a household name, but his absence has been a significant one for Tampa Bay. He’s fresh off a strong .300/.354/.435 slash through 139 games a season ago, and Wendle’s versatile defensive skill set allows him to move around the diamond quite a bit. While he was the team’s primary second baseman in 2018, Wendle also saw time at third base, in the outfield corners and at shortstop. Wendle’s return will give skipper Kevin Cash a left-handed bat off what had been an all-right-handed bench; Arroyo had been joined there by Daniel Robertson, Guillermo Heredia and Travis d’Arnaud.

There may not be everyday at-bats for Wendle upon his return, given Brandon Lowe’s strong production at second base and the excellent play from corner outfielders Austin Meadows and Tommy Pham. But Wendle is hardly alone in his ability to move around the diamond, so Cash should be able to creatively deploy matchup-based combinations to get Wendle into the lineup.

As for Arroyo, he’ll head back to Durham — a setting where he has raked this season despite lackluster numbers in the minors. A key player acquired by the Rays in the trade that sent Evan Longoria to San Francisco, Arroyo has hit .314/.381/.603 with eight homers in 134 Triple-A plate appearances, but he’s managed just a .220/.204/.380 line in 57 big league trips to the plate. That’s been somewhat of a trend for Arroyo, who has consistently hit Triple-A pitching but has yet to find prolonged MLB success. Of course, he also hasn’t gotten much in the way of a long-term look since his debut with the Giants in 2017. This is Arroyo’s final option year, so the Rays will need to make a decision on him at some point in the not-too-distant future.

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