AL East Notes: Donaldson, Betances, Orioles
Blue Jays third baseman Josh Donaldson exited Thursday’s contest with what appears to be an aggravation of the calf injury that has plagued him on and off since early in Spring Training, as MLB.com’s Gregor Chisholm writes. Donaldson doubled into the right field corner but came up lame after rounding first base and ultimately hobbled into second base. There’s no word on the extent of the injury just yet, but Donaldson began to walk off the field almost immediately after play had halted, and Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi tweets that a trip to the disabled list is a possibility. The 2015 American League MVP missed a significant portion of Spring Training and had a brief flare-up of the injury this past weekend.
Elsewhere in the AL East…
- Prior to the arbitration hearing that led to a controversial string of comments from Yankees president Randy Levine, right-hander Dellin Betances was offered a two-year deal that would have guaranteed him between $8MM and $8.5MM, reports Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports in his latest AL Notes column. However, with Betances’ camp seeking as much as $5MM in arbitration, they elected to go on with the trial. Rejecting the deal seems reasonable, from my vantage point, as even after losing the trial Betances took home a $3MM figure for the 2017 season. Betances figures to earn more than $4MM next year in arbitration, so the downside in aiming high with the arbitration hearing was relatively minimal.
- Baseball America’s Ben Badler penned a harsh critique of the Orioles‘ paltry investments in international free agency, noting that the O’s spent just $260K on international talent this period and signed only five players. As Badler notes, it’s nothing new, as Baltimore has routinely eschewed significant investments on the international market — much to the detriment of the farm system. Badler points out that even the cash-strapped division-rival Rays spent more than $3MM on 36 international amateurs in 2016 despite being in the metaphorical penalty box for shattering their pool in a previous signing period (thus preventing them from spending more than $300K on a single player). “[O]wnership’s antiquated approach toward Latin America prevents the Orioles’ international scouts from having the resources they need to do their jobs,” Badler writes. Indeed, Baltimore’s total spending is a pittance relative to the rest of the league; on the opposite end of the spectrum, the Padres spent nearly $80MM on international amateurs during the current signing period alone. Notably, the O’s traded their top international bonus slot to the Brewers tonight to acquire recently designated reliever Damien Magnifico.
- The Orioles will turn to Alec Asher to start versus Toronto on Saturday, writes Eduardo A. Encina of the Baltimore Sun. His selection to face a heavily right-handed lineup suggests that Baltimore plans to utilize its upper-level pitching depth on a case-by-case basis to fill Chris Tillman‘s spot in the rotation while Tillman is out, Encina adds. Manager Buck Showalter elaborated on that concept a bit, telling Encina: “We know that has potential to be a moving piece until Chris gets back. We can play a little matchup there until we know for sure when we’re going to get Chris back. … The good news is we have some guys to pick from, not only there, but potentially in Bowie, too.” The Orioles added Asher in a minor Spring Training trade and also picked up several other potential options, including Gabriel Ynoa (in a trade with the Mets) and Richard Bleier (in a trade with the Yankees). Lefty Jayson Aquino was also a consideration for this weekend’s start, Encina notes, but the glut of righties he’d have faced led the team to turn to Asher instead. Tillman figures to be out until early May, so there should be quite a few more spot starts up for grabs among this group.
Injury Notes: Bradley, Posey, Segura, Osuna, Desmond, Gray/Bassitt, Weaver
The Red Sox have placed center fielder Jackie Bradley Jr. on the 10-day DL, as Ian Browne of MLB.com was among those to report. Bradley was diagnosed with a knee sprain caused by a misstep while running the bases. An MRI did not reveal more significant damage, so the hope is he won’t miss much more than the minimum.
Let’s check in on a few health situations of note from around the game …
- Giants star Buster Posey departed the club’s game today after being struck in the head by an errant pitch, but thankfully indications are he escaped any significant injury. As Andrew Baggarly of the Mercury News writes, Posey passed a concussion test and told teammates he was fine. That’s not conclusive, of course, but for now the team does not plan to make a roster move to fill in for the stellar backstop, as Baggarly further notes on Twitter.
- Mariners shortstop Jean Segura was also pulled today with an injury, though it doesn’t appear to be a major concern. Manager Scott Servais told reporters, including MLB.com’s Greg Johns (Twitter link), that it’s a “very mild” hamstring issue. For now, at least, the key offseason addition won’t be headed for the DL, with Servais calling him day to day.
- The Blue Jays anticipate that closer Roberto Osuna will be able to return to action tomorrow, as Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca reports. The excellent young reliever opened the year on the 10-day DL owing to a cervical spasm, though that placement was backdated. He made it through a sim game and now seems ready to return to the majors — where he’ll try to pick up where he left off in a strong 2016 season.
- There are several important Rockies players still working back from injury, and Nick Groke of the Denver Post has the latest. Ian Desmond, Tom Murphy, and David Dahl all seem to be progressing, with the trio possibly slated to return by the end of the month. Desmond, who’ll suit up at first base for the first time when he’s ready, seems to have the clearest progression at this point. Per Groke, Desmond will start to throw and field at some point this week.
- Athletics righties Sonny Gray and Chris Bassitt are making strides in their rehabs, as Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports. Grey’s lat strain is healing well enough that he was able to work up to 35 pitches from the bullpen today. That could leave him on track to return tot he majors before April is out, per the report. Bassitt, meanwhile, is on the cusp of a rehab stint, though Slusser notes that he’s likely to take a full month in the minors since he’s working back from a year-long layoff owing to Tommy John surgery.
- Though he’s currently stashed at Triple-A, Cardinals righty Luke Weaver is a key piece of the organization’s depth (and future rotation plans). He is headed for a DL stint with lower back stiffness, as MLB.com’s Jenifer Langosch reports on Twitter. At present, it’s not clear what kind of an absence is anticipated.
Blue Jays Claim Ty Kelly From Mets
The Blue Jays announced that they’ve claimed infielder Ty Kelly off waivers from the Mets. To clear a spot on the 40-man roster, the Jays transferred injured Rule 5 pick Glenn Sparkman from the 10-day DL to the 60-day DL.
Kelly, 28, made his MLB debut with New York last year and batted .241/.352/.345 in 71 plate appearances. A former 13th-round pick by the Orioles (2009), Kelly has spent most of his minor league career playing second base and third base, though he does have more than 1000 innings of experience in left field as well. The switch-hitter has a lifetime .275/.382/.383 batting line in 397 games and 1586 plate appearances at the Triple-A level.
The minor league veteran will serve as a depth option for the Blue Jays, who needn’t carry him on the Major League roster immediately, as he does have a minor league option remaining. Toronto second baseman Devon Travis has a history of injuries, and third baseman Josh Donaldson left Sunday’s game with a minor hamstring issue, though he’s already expressed confidence that he’ll be able to play in tomorrow’s game. Kelly nonetheless gives the Jays a bit of insurance against any significant injury around the infield and potentially in the corner outfield as well.
As for Sparkman, the 24-year-old suffered a broken thumb back in Spring Training during pitchers’ fielding practice and seemingly won’t be ready to get back on the mound before the onset of summer.
Injury Notes: Mets, Jays, Red Sox, Nats, Padres
Mets left-hander Steven Matz announced Monday that he has a flexor strain, but members of the organization are skeptical of the diagnosis, reports Bob Klapisch of NorthJersey.com. The Mets’ two orthopedists “found nothing wrong” with Matz, a source told Klapisch, who writes that the team doesn’t believe the 25-year-old is faking the injury. They are under the impression, though, that Matz received another opinion from outside the organization – which he’s allowed to do – thus leading to the flexor strain diagnosis. Regardless, New York’s hope is that Matz will be healthy enough to make his season debut in May.
More injury updates:
- The right calf tightness that forced Blue Jays third baseman Josh Donaldson to exit Sunday’s loss to the Rays early doesn’t appear to be a serious issue. After the game, Donaldson told reporters, including Shi Davidi of Sportsnet, that it’s “realistic” to think he’ll play in the Jays’ home opener Tuesday (Twitter link). That’s certainly a relief for Toronto, which went without Donaldson because of a calf strain for most of spring training and has started the regular season 1-5.
- An MRI on Red Sox center fielder Jackie Bradley Jr. revealed a sprained right knee, according to manager John Farrell (Twitter link via Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal). The team will send Bradley back to Boston for further evaluation, meaning he’ll sit out Monday’s game in Detroit after missing Sunday’s contest. Bradley noted, however, that he’s able to move his knee without experiencing any pain, tweets Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe.
- Nationals shortstop Trea Turner left Saturday’s loss to the Phillies with hamstring trouble, but manager Dusty Baker indicated afterward that the speedster wouldn’t miss much time. Baker wasn’t as confident when discussing Turner’s status Sunday, describing his hamstring as “so-so,” per Mark Zuckerman of MASNsports.com (Twitter link). The Nats will reevaluate Turner on Monday.
- The Padres have placed right-hander Trevor Cahill on the disabled list, retroactive to April 6, with a lower back strain and recalled Zach Lee from Triple-A El Paso. Either Lee or Jarred Cosart could start in place of Cahill against the Rockies on Monday, as Jason Martinez of MLBTR and Roster Resource points out (Twitter link). In his first start of the year, a 3-1 loss to the Dodgers on Wednesday, Cahill allowed two earned runs on five hits and three walks in 5 2/3 innings, also notching seven strikeouts.
AL Notes: Donaldson, Y. Ventura, Royals, Tigers, Athletics
Third baseman Josh Donaldson left the Blue Jays’ game against the Rays on Sunday with right calf tightness, per an announcement from Toronto. Donaldson previously sat out most of spring training with a calf strain, so it’s possible this ailment will force him to the disabled list. The 2015 AL MVP and three-time All-Star has been eminently durable since his first full season, 2013, having played at least 155 games in each of the past four years. Donaldson’s once again performing at an elite level early this year (.348/.444/.652 in 27 plate appearances), but the 1-4 Jays have scuffled in spite of that.
Here’s more from the AL…
- Yordano Ventura‘s life and untimely death will always be on the minds of his teammates, and the Royals’ mourning process has, in a way, begun anew as the team starts the season without Ventura around every day, Rustin Dodd of the Kansas City Star writes. Infielder Cheslor Cuthbert had made a routine of goofing around with Ventura during rides on the team plane, though when the Royals flew out of Spring Training last week, “when I looked, I didn’t see him,” Cuthbert said. “That’s when I realized: ‘He’s not here anymore. It’s hard to accept that.’ ” Dodd’s piece contains many memories and stories about Ventura from his many friends on the team and is well worth a full read.
- The Tigers put a big focus on pitching in the 2013 amateur draft, taking college pitchers with their first seven picks and selecting arms with 27 of 41 overall picks. Almost four years later, however, MLive.com’s Evan Woodbery notes that Detroit has gotten little return from the hurlers in that draft class. Of those initial seven pitchers, only Buck Farmer and righty Jeff Thompson are still in the organization, as the other five have been traded, released, or have retired (second-rounder Kevin Ziomek). Farmer, Brewers reliever Corey Knebel, and current Yankees Joe Mantiply and Chad Green are the only Tigers picks from that entire 41-person class who have seen any big league playing time.
- One week into the season, the Athletics have already made a change in their rotation. Right-hander Jesse Hahn will replace righty Raul Alcantara, who will head to the bullpen, reports Joe Stiglich of CSN Bay Area (video link). Alcantara started for the A’s on Friday and, in two innings, allowed eight earned runs on four hits and two walks in a loss to the Rangers. Hahn relieved Alcantara in that game and fired six innings of seven-hit, two-run ball. His placement in the rotation might not last long, with Sonny Gray potentially in line to return from from a lat strain by the end of the month.
AL East Notes: Bradley, Upton, Osuna, Yankees
Jackie Bradley Jr. underwent an MRI on his right knee this morning and he isn’t in today’s Red Sox lineup, Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe reports (Twitter link). Bradley took an awkward step while rounding first base during a flyout in the ninth inning of yesterday’s 4-1 loss to the Tigers, though he told Abraham and other reporters after the game that he was “all good…everything is intact” and joked that he was “built like Secretariat.” Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski told Abraham that the MRI didn’t reveal anything that would require a DL stint for Bradley, so it seems like Boston is simply being careful with its center fielder. Given how the Red Sox roster has already been decimated by a flu bug, it’s hard to blame the team for guarding against Bradley potentially aggravating a minor injury. Here’s more from around the AL East…
- The Rays didn’t seek out a reunion with Melvin Upton for multiple reasons, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times writes, one of which was the club’s desire to give Peter Bourjos a chance. Bourjos was only just acquired in a late-March trade with the White Sox, and like Upton, is a right-handed hitting outfielder capable of playing all three outfield spots. Upton has been the much better hitter than Bourjos over the course of his career, though Upton’s own run-creating numbers have been well below the league average in three of the last four seasons. Upton signed a minor league deal with the Giants after being released by the Blue Jays at the end of Spring Training.
- Roberto Osuna reported no pain during a 24-pitch simulated game yesterday, the Blue Jays closer told Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi and other media. Osuna began the season on the DL due to a cervical spasm, though the injury was thought to be fairly minor and Osuna is on pace to be activated for Toronto’s home opener on April 11.
- With so much uncertainty within the Yankees lineup, ESPN.com’s Andrew Marchand opines that an extended DL stint for Gary Sanchez could ruin the team’s chances of contending. The Yankees are off to a rough start both on the field and with the injury bug, as Sanchez and Didi Gregorius are on the DL and Greg Bird has been bothered by a sore ankle. (Not to mention the concerning reports on the elbow of top pitching prospect James Kaprielian.) Speaking of Bird, the first baseman tells MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch (Twitter link) and other reporters that his ankle is feeling better, though he is currently bothered by the flu.
DL Notes: Howell, Beltre, Rickard, Johnson, Otani
Here’s the latest injury news from around the baseball world…
- The Blue Jays placed southpaw J.P. Howell on the 10-day DL with a sore shoulder, with righty Dominic Leone recalled from Triple-A to take Howell’s place on the roster. (Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi was among those to report the news.) Signed to a one-year, $3MM deal in the offseason, Howell has a 54.00 ERA over one-third of an inning in his brief Jays tenure, thanks to an ugly outing on Friday that saw him allow two runs without recording an out. Howell underwent labrum surgery in 2010 but his shoulder hasn’t had any issues since; the durable reliever has averaged 64 games per season from 2012-16. With Howell sidelined, Aaron Loup is the only left-hander in the Toronto bullpen. [Updated Blue Jays roster at Roster Resource]
- Adrian Beltre is eligible to return from the 10-day DL today but the Rangers have decided against activating the star third baseman, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News reports. Beltre has been out of action due to a right calf strain and isn’t quite ready to play, though he has participated in batting practice and some running drills. Joey Gallo has been filling in at third in Beltre’s absence.
- Orioles outfielder Joey Rickard is headed to the 10-day DL due to a sprained left middle finger, manager Buck Showalter told MASNsports.com’s Roch Kubatko and other reporters. Rickard suffered the injury sliding into second base yesterday. The O’s had a ready-made replacement for Rickard on the 25-man roster, as Wade Miley was activated from the 10-day DL for his scheduled start this afternoon against the Yankees. There was some question over how Baltimore would find a 25-man roster spot for Miley upon his return, and according to Showalter, Rickard wouldn’t have been optioned had he been healthy. With Rickard out, Trey Mancini and Craig Gentry will be the right-handed hitting sides of Baltimore’s corner outfield platoons, with Hyun Soo Kim and Seth Smith providing the lefty bats. [Updated Orioles roster at Roster Resource]
- Showalter also told media that Chris Johnson suffered a broken bone in his forearm after being hit by a pitch during a Triple-A game yesterday. Johnson is expected to miss six to eight weeks. The Orioles signed Johnson to a minor league deal this winter, and then released and re-signed the veteran to a fresh contract at the end of Spring Training. The opt-out dates within Johnson’s contract (if any) aren’t known, though this lengthy absence could likely impact his decision about staying in Baltimore’s organization.
- In notable international injury news, Shohei Otani will miss approximately six weeks due to a strain in his left thigh muscle, The Associated Press reports. Otani suffered the injury trying to beat out an infield single, and as the AP piece notes, “the injury will add further debate to Otani’s insistence on batting as well as pitching.” The two-way star is both Japan’s best pitcher and a very promising hitter, posting a 1.004 OPS with 22 homers over 382 PA last season for the Nippon Ham Fighters and is off to a blistering start in his first eight games this season. (Otani has yet to pitch in 2017.) Otani’s professional future is the subject of wide interest on both sides of the Pacific, as the 22-year-old is reportedly planning to come to the Major League Baseball in 2018.
Minor MLB Transactions: 4/8/17
Saturday’s minor moves:
- The Blue Jays have selected the contract of right-hander Casey Lawrence and moved right-hander Bo Schultz from the 10-day disabled list to the 60-day DL, per a team announcement. Lawrence, who has been with the Jays organization since signing as an undrafted free agent in 2010, could now be in position to log his first major league action. The 29-year-old saw significant time at the Triple-A level last season, when he posted a 3.83 ERA, 6.0 K/9 and 2.48 BB/9 in 87 innings and 15 appearances (all starts). Most of Lawrence’s work has come at Double-A, where he has pitched to a 4.23 ERA with 5.4 K/9 and 1.8 BB/9 in 410 1/3 frames (70 appearances, 65 starts).
AL East Notes: Boxberger, Tanaka, Alvarez, Jays
Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports that Rays right-hander Brad Boxberger has actually been dealing with a flexor strain — not the lat strain that sidelined him in Spring Training. Boxberger tells Topkin that he felt “a little off” when throwing in a March 22 live batting practice session that was intended to gauge his recovery from the lat strain. Boxberger went two weeks without throwing and but has been cleared to begin a throwing program. The Rays are hopeful that he’ll be able to return sometime in the month of May, though Boxberger says there’s no hard timetable on his recovery. Boxberger, the former Rays closer, opened the 2016 season on the shelf coming off hernia surgery and quickly suffered an oblique injury upon returning from the disabled list last May. Those injuries combined to limit him to just 24 1/3 innings last year, and while he was on the shelf, Alex Colome broke out and laid claim to the closer’s role in St. Petersburg.
More from the AL East…
- Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner and GM Brian Cashman both tell George A. King III of the New York Post that there’s been no discussion about Masahiro Tanaka‘s potential opt-out at season’s end, despite other reports suggesting the team is frustrated with his camp over the matter. “There is nothing to hold over our heads because we haven’t negotiated it,” says Cashman regarding the potential opt out at season’s end. “I have the utmost respect for [Tanaka’s agent] Casey Close and his office. I don’t know where this came from. We haven’t had any discussions of an opt-out.” Steinbrenner offers a similar sentiment to King, telling him that the team’s focus is squarely on the 2017 season. “Secondly, anyone that knows me knows that I don’t get emotional or personal about business,” says Steinbrenner. “Any decision then will be made on a solid analysis of all the relevant data, per usual.”
- The Orioles released minor league outfielder-turned-pitcher Dariel Alvarez yesterday after it was learned that he’d require surgery (likely Tommy John), thus opening a spot on the 40-man roster for newly acquired left-hander Andrew Faulkner. However, Jon Meoli of the Baltimore Sun reports that the Orioles are hopeful of re-signing Alvarez to a minor league contract and keeping him in the organization to rehab. That would allow the O’s to further pursue the pitching experiment with Alvarez — a transition that had only just begun when he incurred his elbow injury.
- Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins tells Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi that the team is pleasantly surprised with the depth that has been stockpiled at Triple-A Buffalo. Getting Mike Bolsinger through waivers yesterday allows the Jays to pair him with Mat Latos in the Triple-A rotation, and Atkins sounded particularly pleased with the fact that they were able to win a claim on catcher Luke Maile. Atkins tells Davidi that the team didn’t expect to be able to stockpile this kind of depth after already adding Juan Graterol (also via waivers) and Mike Ohlman (minor league deal). “But the opportunity to add a piece that we feel is an already now major-league defender was something we didn’t want to pass on,” says Atkins of Maile.
Minor MLB Transactions: 4/6/17
Here are the latest minor moves from around the game, all via Matt Eddy of Baseball America unless otherwise noted:
- The Blue Jays announced on Thursday that right-hander Mike Bolsinger has cleared waivers and been sent outright to Triple-A Buffalo. The 29-year-old was designated for assignment on Sunday after a shaky Spring Training and a down year in 2016. Last year, Bolsinger logged a 6.83 ERA in 27 2/3 big league innings due largely to a troubles with the long ball. He did have solid K/BB numbers in both the Majors and the minors last year, but control issues contributed to a 6.23 ERA this spring. Bolsinger had a strong season in the Majors as recently as 2015, when he logged a 3.62 ERA with 8.1 K/9, 3.7 BB/9 and a 53.1 percent ground-ball rate in 109 1/3 innings for the Dodgers. He’ll stay on hand as a depth piece in Toronto and could very well resurface in the Majors later this season.
Earlier Moves
- Lefties Nick Maronde and Caleb Thielbar have been released by the Marlins, who are going with an all-righty pen to open the year. Maronde hasn’t seen the majors since 2014, but did work to a 3.19 ERA over 48 Triple-A innings last year. The 30-year-old Thielbar, once a mainstay in the Twins’ bullpen, got good results last year in an indy ball stint.
- The Phillies have released infielder Taylor Featherston. The 27-year-old, who had already been outrighted off of the 40-man, slashed .254/.311/.428 with 13 home runs in his 439 Triple-A plate appearances last year. But he didn’t have much of an avenue to contributing at the major league level in Philadelphia.
- Outfielder Jake Goebbert has been released by the Diamondbacks. The 29-year-old saw action in the majors back in 2014 with the Padres, but hasn’t been back since. He slashed just .217/.301/.356 in 399 Triple-A plate appearances last year with the Rays organization, well shy of his usual productivity in the upper minors.
- The White Sox have cut ties with righty Mayckol Guaipe. He has spent time in the majors in each of the past two years with the Mariners, but wasn’t able to earn more than temporary time.
- The Red Sox evidently didn’t see enough to keep veteran slugger Carlos Quentin around in the minors for the upcoming season, though it could be he wasn’t interested in taking an assignment. Either way, as Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe reports on Twitter, Quentin was released from the minor-league deal he signed over the offseason. The 34-year-old hasn’t played in the majors since 2014 and received only minimal Grapefruit League action during camp.
- Righty Chris Anderson is heading to the Twins on a minors deal, Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN tweets (confirming what reader Jerry Anderson had heard). He was released recently by the Dodgers after struggling in recent campaigns, including a messy effort in the Arizona Fall League. Anderson hails from Minnesota.