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AL Injury Notes: Astros, Red Sox, Jays, Tigers

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Let’s check in on a few notable injury situations from the American League…

  • Astros reliever Ryan Pressly is closing in on a return, manager A.J. Hinch revealed Tuesday (Twitter links via Brian McTaggart of MLB.com). The first-place club has been without Pressly, likely its premier reliever, since he underwent arthroscopic knee surgery Aug. 22. Expectations then were that Pressly would miss four to six weeks, so it looks as if he’ll come back at the low end of that timeline (if not sooner). In further welcome news for the Astros, shortstop Carlos Correa could join Triple-A Round Rock for a rehab game Friday. The star went down at roughly the same time as Pressly because of a back ailment, though it now appears the two will get back with time to spare before the playoffs as Houston goes for its second championship since 2017.
  • Red Sox left-hander David Price is “feeling better, little by little,” as he works back from a wrist injury, manager Alex Cora said Tuesday (via Steve Hewitt of the Boston Herald). Although the Red Sox’s playoff hopes are dashed, Price still plans to pitch again this season. After that, though, he may need to undergo a minor surgery to repair the issue, Hewitt reports. Price’s wrist has been a problem since last month, having limited him to two appearances and a combined 4 2/3 innings since the end of July.
  • The Blue Jays are likely to activate reliever Elvis Luciano from the injured list Wednesday or Thursday, Scott Mitchell of TSN suggests. Luciano, whom the Jays took in last winter’s Rule 5 Draft, would then have enough time to meet the required 90 days on their active roster. If that happens, it’s likely he’ll begin next season at the Double-A level, Mitchell notes. This has been a trying season in the bigs for Luciano, who has been out since the first half of June with a sprained right elbow. Before that, he posted an unappealing 7.16 ERA with more walks (23) than strikeouts (22) in 27 2/3 innings. Of course, considering the 19-year-old Luciano is the youngest player in the majors and hadn’t even pitched above rookie ball before this season, it’s no surprise he has experienced adversity in his first MLB go-around.
  • Tigers utilityman Niko Goodrum is reportedly unlikely to return this season, though he hasn’t given up on a potential late-season comeback, Chris McCosky of the Detroit News tweets. Goodrum hasn’t played in nearly three weeks thanks to an adductor strain, which has taken away a much-needed bright spot for the struggling Tigers. The uber-versatile 27-year-old has slashed .248/.322/.421 with 12 home runs, a dozen steals and 1.9 fWAR across 472 plate appearances.

Athletics Claim Beau Taylor, Designate Chris Herrmann

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The Athletics announced today that they have claimed Beau Taylor off waivers from the Blue Jays. To clear 40-man space, the club designated fellow backstop Chris Herrmann for assignment.

Taylor, 29, lands back with the A’s after previously going from Oakland to Toronto through an August waiver claim. He had appeared in just one MLB contest with his new team and struggled at the plate in brief Triple-A action before being designated recently.

Before that recent stint, Taylor had spent his entire career with the Athletics — much of it at the Double-A level (307 games in parts of six seasons) — so he’s obviously a familiar face. He had put up career-best offensive numbers this year at Triple-A, slashing .257/.408/.461 in 240 PCL plate appearances before the mid-season move.

As for Herrmann, 31, he just hasn’t delivered the kind of offensive numbers the A’s anticipated when they inked him to a $1MM deal. Since returning from knee surgery, he has hit a meager .202/.280/.274 with a single long ball and 29 strikeouts in 94 trips to the plate.

Zack Godley Elects Free Agency

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Right-hander Zack Godley has chosen to become a free agent rather than accept an outright assignment to the Blue Jays’ Triple-A affiliate, MLB Trade Rumors’ Steve Adams reports (Twitter link).  Godley cleared waivers after being designated for assignment by the Jays earlier this week.

It’s been a tumultuous season for Godley, who began the year in the Diamondbacks’ rotation but fell out of favor after a rough start.  A move to the bullpen also didn’t help, as Godley was designated for assignment after posting a 6.39 ERA over 76 innings.  Toronto claimed Godley in August, and while his bottom-line results (a 3.94 ERA) were improved, the righty’s 6.8 K/9 and 1.71 K/BB rate over his 16 innings as a Blue Jay didn’t catch the eye of team brass.

Godley is eligible for arbitration for the first time this season, and it remains to be seen if he’ll catch on with another team and prove that tendering a contract to him this winter is a worthy investment, or if clubs could just wait until after the tender deadline has passed before offering him a contract.  It’s possible Godley elected free agency because he and his representatives already have a line on an interested team, as the 29-year-old does have two seasons of solid work under his belt in 2017-18.  Even a first-year arbitration salary wouldn’t be too pricey given Godley’s struggles in 2019, so a team in need of rotation depth could opt to sign him now rather than risk losing him elsewhere in December.

Blue Jays Select Anthony Kay, Designate Beau Taylor

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The Blue Jays have selected the contract of southpaw Anthony Kay, as per a team announcement.  Kay will make his Major League debut tonight, starting Toronto’s game against the Rays.  To create room on the 40-man roster, the Jays have designated catcher Beau Taylor for assignment.

It was less than six weeks ago that Kay came to the Jays from the Mets, joining fellow pitching prospect Simeon Woods-Richardson as the return in the trade that sent Marcus Stroman to New York.  Kay had struggled to a 6.61 ERA over seven appearances for the Mets’ Triple-A affiliate in Syracuse at the time of the deal, though the change of scenery to the Jays’ Triple-A team in Buffalo proved fruitful, as he had a 2.50 ERA over seven starts (36 innings) with a 9.8 K/9 and 1.77 K/BB rate.  Kay’s control suffered a bit on his new team, as he posted a 5.5 BB/9, though he did cut back on the home runs that plagued him at Syracuse.

Kay will reach the big leagues less than two years after making his professional debut.  Drafted 31st overall by the Mets in 2016, the UConn product missed all of 2017 recovering from Tommy John surgery, and then threw 122 2/3 frames in 2018 pitching at two different A-ball levels.  All in all, Kay has a 3.58 ERA, 9.1 K/9, and 2.46 K/BB rate over 256 1/3 innings in the minors.

Between his short track record and his issues at Triple-A, it wasn’t a resume that lent itself to a blue-chip (or even a top 100) prospect ranking, as Kay was only the fourth-ranked prospect in a middling Mets farm system.  Some Toronto fans and pundits were critical of what seemed like a light return for Stroman prior to the trade deadline, though as events unfolded on July 31, it was clear that few teams around baseball were willing to surrender any sort of premium minor league talent.

Kay’s early returns in Buffalo have been promising, however, and what was already thought to be a near big-league ready arm will make his MLB debut perhaps even earlier than expected.  MLB Pipeline’s scouting report gives Kay a pretty steady grade across the board (55 on the 20-80 scale for his fastball, changeup, and curve, plus a 50 for control) and cites the high spin rate on his fastball, which usually sits in the 92-94mph range.  A good showing in September would surely put Kay in good position for a rotation job for the pitching-needy Blue Jays next spring.

Taylor was claimed off waivers from the Athletics in mid-August and appeared in just one Major League game for the Jays, bringing his career total to 17 big league contests over the last two seasons.  Taylor has hit .258/.355/.372 over 2843 career plate appearances in the minors, all but 39 of them in Oakland’s system after being a fifth-round pick for the A’s in the 2011 draft.

Neil Ramirez Elects Free Agency

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Righty Neil Ramirez has elected free agency from the Blue Jays, according to the International League transactions page. He had been outrighted by the Toronto organization but had the right to decline the assignment.

It remains to be seen whether Ramirez will draw any interest on the open market. With less than a month left in the regular season and the minor leagues already engaged in playoff battles, there isn’t a ton of room for opportunity.

Still, it’s possible that some team will find a need for an experienced reliever and decide to give a run to the 30-year-old. He certainly wasn’t in top form this year, working to a 5.40 ERA with 8.6 K/9 and 5.4 BB/9 — along with an unhealthy 2.5 homers per nine — in 25 total MLB innings. But Ramirez did punch out 51 batters on strikes in 41 2/3 frames last year and has sported a hefty 13.8 K/9 strikeout rate in minor-league action in 2019.

Outrighted: Ramirez, Wilkerson

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The tidal wave of September call-ups earlier this week resulted in nearly two dozen players being designated for assignment to create space on 40-man rosters throughout the league. While some of those players will be claimed by new organizations, we’ll track Wednesday’s collection of players who went unclaimed in this post:

  • Right-hander Neil Ramirez cleared waivers and was assigned outright to the Blue Jays’ Triple-A affiliate, per the International League transactions log. Ramirez averaged 11 strikeouts per nine innings pitched with the Indians in 2018 (51 strikeouts in 41 2/3 innings) but has bounced all over the league dating back to 2016. His ability to miss bats has continually intrigued clubs, but Ramirez has also been far too prone to both walks and home runs. In 25 innings between Cleveland and Toronto this season, he posted a 5.40 ERA with a 24-to-15 K/BB ratio and seven home runs allowed.
  • The Brewers assigned right-hander Aaron Wilkerson to Triple-A San Antonio after he went unclaimed on waivers, per a team announcement. The 30-year-old was very good in 76 1/3 innings spanning 17 starts in San Antonio in 2019, logging a 3.42 ERA with 9.6 K/9, 3.4 BB/9, 1.18 HR/9 and a 37.5 percent grounder rate. However, Wilkerson also allowed 13 runs in 16 big league innings this year and was tagged for 10 runs in nine MLB frames a season ago. He’s enjoyed plenty of success in the upper minors dating back to 2017 but owns just a 6.88 ERA with 28 strikeouts, 13 walks and nine home runs allowed in 35 1/3 innings as a Major Leaguer.

Blue Jays Designate Zack Godley, Select T.J. Zeuch

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5:00pm: Toronto announced that Godley has indeed been designated for assignment. His roster spot goes to right-hander T.J. Zeuch, whose contract has been formally selected from Triple-A Buffalo (whose likely promotion had been previously reported). Zeuch is in line to make his MLB debut tonight, following opener Wilmer Font.

Zeuch is generally considered to be among the Jays’ top 20 or so prospects. The 2016 first-rounder has had a solid season spent mostly at the Triple-A level, where he’s logged a 3.69 ERA in 78 innings of work. However, Zeuch also managed just 4.5 K/9 against 3.7 BB/9 in that time. His hefty 57.1 percent grounder rate can help offset the lack of missed bats to an extent, but he’ll need to up his strikeout totals in order to find sustained success in the big leagues.

Toronto also recalled infielder Richard Urena along with outfielders Anthony Alford and Jonathan Davis.

2:59pm: The Blue Jays have designated righty Zack Godley for assignment, per MLBTR’s Steve Adams (Twitter link). Corresponding roster moves aren’t yet known, but the club has a need for space for forthcoming promotions.

Godley, 29, struggled quite a bit with the Diamondbacks before they cut him loose. He’ll have enough service time to qualify for arbitration after the season, though that won’t matter unless he’s claimed by a team with designs on tendering him a contract.

Clearly, the Jays decided against that course of action after watching Godley up close. He was able to provide 16 innings of 3.94 ERA ball in Toronto, but produced only 6.8 K/9 against 3.9 BB/9 with a 43.0% groundball rate. Those numbers are well shy of the quality peripherals Godley produced in each of the past two campaigns.

Report: Yankees Nearly Acquired Ken Giles At Deadline

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The Yankees and Blue Jays almost pulled off a significant, intra-division deal involving closer Ken Giles at this year’s trade deadline, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic (subscription link). Three prospects would’ve headed to Toronto had the deal gone through, though their particular identities aren’t known.

This note is largely of historical import, though it’s interesting nevertheless. The Yankees were linked to Giles on deadline day, with Joel Sherman of the New York Post tweeting that “deep” talks had taken place. Still, it wasn’t clear at the time just how far down the line the teams went. Rosenthal says the Jays actually informed other teams they expected a deal to go through, which made it impossible to pivot back and craft another agreement.

It’s still not entirely clear why talks collapsed at the last minute. No doubt health questions were a major factor, as he was dealing with elbow problems heading into the deadline. But the health records had already been exchanged and accounted for, Rosenthal notes.

Giles has continued to experience some trouble in the joint, but that hasn’t stopped him from continuing to rack up strikeouts. He’ll assuredly be discussed again in trade talks this coming winter, when he’ll be angling for a raise on his $6.3MM arbitration salary. The Toronto organization will hope it can generate more interest than it did at the deadline despite having only one season of control to market.

There’ll certainly be no shortage of ongoing interest — provided, at least, that teams get comfortable with the health situation. Giles has been excellent when available this year, throwing 44 innings of 2.05 ERA ball with 15.0 K/9 and 3.1 BB/9.

Whether the Yanks will continue to push for Giles remains to be seen, and will no doubt involve quite a few other factors as well. The New York org will have to see how things proceed with closer Aroldis Chapman, who can opt out of his deal at season’s end, and also consider other priorities.

Anthony Kay, T.J. Zeuch Expected For Toronto Call-Ups

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Left-hander Anthony Kay, a critical component in this summer’s Marcus Stroman trade, is expected to join the Blue Jays big club shortly, per a report from Shi Davidi of Sportsnet (link). Righty T.J. Zeuch is expected to join Kay as a new addition to the Blue Jays 40-man roster.

Kay, 24, was a first-round pick of the Mets in 2016 out of the University of Connecticut. After rehabbing from Tommy John surgery, Kay finally made his pro debut in 2018 and, true to his pre-draft profile as a potentially quick-moving collegiate lefty, has risen from Single-A to the bigs in less than two turns of the calendar. The lefty cruised through 66.1 Double-A innings in the New York organization (1.49 ERA and 2.72 FIP) before a rougher showing in 31.1 Triple-A innings (6.61 ERA and 6.21 FIP). Kay has, however, performed much better with Toronto’s Triple-A outfit since the Stroman trade, with a 2.50 ERA and 9.75 K/9 rate that are admittedly undercut by his walk numbers (5.50 BB/9) and fielding-independent estimators (4.54 FIP). The lefty is said to feature a fastball-curveball-changeup mix.

Zeuch, for his part, is also a former first-rounder, although he can claim that Toronto is the only professional organization he has ever known. Selected 21st overall by the Jays in 2016, the right-handed 24-year-old owns a 3.52 ERA through 342.2 minor league innings. At 6’7, Zeuch is said to employ a steep downward plane that aids in his deployment of a heavily used sinker. He doesn’t miss many bats, with just a 4.50 K/9 rate in 78.0 Triple-A innings this year, but he certainly hasn’t had any difficulty in inducing groundballs in his career, as evidenced in part by his GB% of 57.1% in 2019.

Rays, Blue Jays Complete Eric Sogard Trade

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The Rays and Blue Jays have completed the July 28 trade that sent infielder Eric Sogard to Tampa Bay. Juan Toribio of MLB.com reports that the two players to be named later are minor-league pitchers Curtis Taylor and Edisson Gonzalez, who will both join the Toronto organization and finalize the deal.

Taylor, 24, is a former fourth-round pick by the Diamondbacks in the 2016 draft. He was sent to the Rays in the trade that brought Brad Boxberger to Arizona. In 15 games with the Rays’ Double-A affiliate, he has posted a 3.06 ERA over 17 2/3 innings of work. Across two seasons at Double-A, he has struck out 90 batters in 78 1/3 innings, good for a 2.53 ERA. However, Taylor has not pitched since May after he was shut down with elbow pain. As Scott Mitchell of TSN notes, there’s a possibility that Taylor could undergo Tommy John surgery if he suffers a setback, though there is no indication that’s the case. Otherwise, the right-hander should be available to pitch for the Blue Jays in the spring.

Notably, Taylor is eligible to be selected in the Rule 5 draft this winter, meaning that he will need to be added to Toronto’s 40-man roster if he is to remain in the organization. It’s likely part of the motivation for the Rays, who have considerable depth and little room to add to the roster, parting ways with Taylor.

Gonzalez, meanwhile, was signed as an international amateur from Panama in 2016. Now 19 years old, Gonzalez has spent his first three professional seasons between rookie ball and Low-A ball toggling between starting and relieving. In 158 2/3 innings as a professional, he’s struck out 187 batters to go with a posted a 2.72 ERA.

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