Giants Promote David Villar
3:35PM: The Giants have officially selected Villar’s contract. Right-hander Yunior Marte was optioned to Triple-A yesterday, creating an open 26-man roster spot.
12:31PM: As first reported by Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle, Giants prospect David Villar is in Phoenix and will be activated ahead of today’s game against the Diamondbacks. Villar, who’s primarily played third base in the minors but has some positional versatility, has logged a .284/.409/.633 triple-slash — and 21 home runs — in 281 trips to the plate for Triple-A Sacramento so far this year.
It isn’t yet clear what position Villar will play in his first taste of the majors, but with both Thairo Estrada and Brandon Crawford on the IL and Evan Longoria entrenched at third, he’ll most likely slot in at second for the time being. He’s played 98 innings at the position, all of them this year.
An unheralded 11th-round pick out of the University of South Florida in the 2018 amateur draft, Villar hasn’t drawn a lot of prospect fanfare but has hit his way onto the big-league radar. While his 2022 performance in Triple-A has taken him to new heights, he showed significant power last year as well, hitting 20 homers at Double-A Richmond en route to a .275/.374/.507 overall line.
White Sox Reinstate Liam Hendriks, Adam Engel From Injured List
The White Sox welcomed two regulars back from the injured list today, as closer Liam Hendriks was reinstated from the 15-day IL and outfielder Adam Engel was reinstated from the 10-day IL. Right-hander Jimmy Lambert and outfielder Adam Haseley were optioned to Triple-A to create space on the active roster.
Hendriks returns in relatively short order, having been placed on the 15-day IL only back on June 14. The right-hander was sidelined with an ominous-sounding flexor strain in his right forearm, though the initial indication was that the injury wasn’t overly serious. As it turned out, Hendriks even returned just a bit before the three-week estimate given by White Sox GM Rick Hahn at the time of the IL placement. Engel is also back after a pretty minimal IL stint, having been placed on the 10-day due to a right hamstring strain on June 23.
It has been another strong season for Hendriks, who has 16 saves and a 2.81 ERA over his first 25 2/3 innings of the 2022 campaign. Hendriks’ 34.6% strikeout rate is one of the best in the league, which has become the norm for the reliever for the last four seasons. However, there is a minor red flag in Hendriks’ walk rate, which is only slightly above the league average.
After an injury-plagued 2021 season, Engel has returned to hit .240/.297/.349 over 158 plate appearances this year, while also displaying his customary strong glovework in the outfield. Mostly playing as a right fielder in 2022, Engel will return to his usual fourth outfielder role when everyone is healthy, but the Sox could opt to use Engel and Gavin Sheets in a platoon with Eloy Jimenez still on the IL.
Astros Reinstate Jake Odorizzi From 15-Day IL
The Astros activated right-hander Jake Odorizzi from the 15-day injured list, and the veteran will take the hill tonight for a start against the Royals. In the corresponding roster move, righty Enoli Paredes has been optioned to Triple-A.
Odorizzi last pitched on May 16, when he suffered tendon and ligament damage (but no tears or strains) while running to cover first base on a fielding play. While missing over six weeks of action is no small matter, it seemed as if Odorizzi’s season could be in jeopardy when he was carted off the field.
Now, the righty will return to Houston’s rotation and try to continue what has been a successful season to date. Odorizzi has a 3.13 ERA over seven starts and 31 2/3 innings, despite some below-average strikeout and walk rates. Though Odorizzi hasn’t allowed much hard contact, a .320 xwOBA (well above his .269 wOBA) indicates that some regression could be in order.
Given the overall quality of the Astros rotation, Odorizzi will have to pitch well to make his case for a possible postseason start, though he likely isn’t in any danger of losing a rotation spot. With their number of arms on hand and the team’s desire to keep everyone fresh and healthy for October, the Astros could stick with a six-man rotation or perhaps just float starters in and out of the rotation in order to manage innings.
Cardinals Select Austin Romine, Option Ivan Herrera
The Cardinals purchased the contract of catcher Austin Romine from Triple-A Memphis, the team announced today. In a corresponding move, the club optioned catcher Ivan Herrera to Memphis. Romine is in the starting lineup for the Cardinals tonight in the opener of a four-game series against the Braves.
The Cardinals will be the fifth team in the last four years for the longtime-Yankee-turned-journeyman. Since leaving New York following the 2019 season, Romine suited up for the Tigers in 2020, the Cubs in 2021, and the Angels for a three-game stint earlier this season. He opted out of his minor-league pact with the Angels on June 1st and signed with the Cardinals a few weeks later. He’s a career .238/.276/.357 hitter but has generally graded out as an above-average backstop.
Herrera struggled in his first taste of the big leagues, notching a .111/.190/.111 batting line in limited action behind Andrew Knizner, but remains a consensus top-five prospect in the St. Louis system. He’ll return to Memphis, where he’d hit a robust .291/.388/.436 in 129 plate appearances before an injury to Yadier Molina forced him to the majors. The timeline on Molina’s return remains very much unclear, so he could be back in St. Louis in short order if Romine fails to produce or either he or Knizner suffer an injury.
Braves Activate Eddie Rosario, Tyler Matzek
The Braves have activated two of the key figures from last year’s World Series run, outfielder Eddie Rosario and left-hander Tyler Matzek, from the injured list, the team announced today. To make room on the active roster, the club optioned infielder Mike Ford to Triple-A Gwinnett and designated right-hander Silvino Bracho for assignment.
While the Braves have been one of the hottest teams in baseball of late, Rosario’s and Matzek’s performances to open the season seemed to be emblematic of a bit of a championship hangover for an Atlanta squad that limped out of the gate. Both players’ issues proved the result of injuries, however: Rosario’s swelling in his right retina that required laser surgery and Matzek’s left shoulder inflammation that led to a significant drop in velocity.
Indeed, each will be looking to improve on rather unsightly lines, particularly by their recently elevated standards. In 49 trips to the plate in April, Rosario slashed an anemic .068/.163/.091 — good for a -24 wRC+ — before hitting the IL, while Matzek had seen his ERA climb from 2.57 last year to 5.06 through his first 10 2/3 innings this year that included an alarming dip in his strikeout rate (from 29.2% in 2021 to 21.3% in 2022) and an alarming spike in his walk rate (from 14% to 19.2%).
Should each return in top form, the already red-hot Braves — 23-7 since June 1st — could reach another gear in what figures to be a stellar race in the NL East. Matzek should slide back into a bullpen that leads the majors with 4.7 fWAR with little issue, but Rosario’s return could lead to something of a logjam in the outfield. When healthy, Ronald Acuña Jr. is the first name on Brian Snitker’s lineup card, and Michael Harris II has been a revelation in center field since a late-May call-up. Adam Duvall, who left Saturday’s game in Cincinnati after taking a pitch off the hand, has seen the bulk of the at-bats in left since Harris’ arrival, and Marcell Ozuna has primarily slotted in at DH, playing in left only on an as-needed basis.
Neither Duvall nor Ozuna has gotten off to a particularly hot start, however. Ozuna, who’s slashing .227/.280/.420, has hit for power and little else, while Duvall, who’s slashing a meager .205/.272/.376, has provided much-needed defensive versatility but has yet to show the level of power that’s been his calling card in the past. Too much talent vying for too few at-bats is a good problem to have, of course, but Snitker may have to get creative to get everyone in the lineup on a regular basis.
Ford, who logged only a walk in five trips to the plate since the Braves claimed him from the Mariners a few weeks ago, will return to the minors as organizational depth. If he clears waivers, Bracho, who covered a single scoreless inning in his stint with Atlanta, will likely do the same. Ford has logged a .194/.306/.395 career batting line in parts of four minor league seasons with the Yankees, Giants, Mariners, and Braves. Bracho, who had pitched in five prior seasons with the Diamondbacks, owns a career 4.76 ERA in 90 2/3 innings across 93 appearances.
Cubs Activate Seiya Suzuki, Option Narciso Crook
The Cubs activated outfielder Seiya Suzuki from the 10-day IL this morning, the team announced. He had been out since late May with a finger injury. Outfielder Narciso Crook was optioned to Triple-A Iowa to make room on the active roster.
Suzuki’s return will come as a welcome relief to Cubs fans, who’ve watched their team slide well out of contention in his absence. The outfielder was the toast of the game in April, bursting onto the scene with a .279/.405/.529 triple-slash through his first 84 plate appearances before cooling off significantly in May. Heading into play today, his line sits at .245/.344/.432 for the season — hardly a poor debut but also nowhere near the heights of his first few weeks.
While it’s Crook’s roster spot that Suzuki is taking, it’s Nelson Velazquez whose playing time will likely be most affected. Manager David Ross had of late largely deployed an outfield rotation of Ian Happ, Rafael Ortega, Christopher Morel, and Velazquez, with Suzuki’s return likely pushing Velazquez into Crook’s bench role. Crook had logged a .250/.222/.375 batting line in nine trips to the plate.
While 2022 may be a lost cause for the Northsiders, the second half should at least provide the club with a chance to consider the longer-term outlook. As MLBTR’s TC Zencka noted yesterday, the Cubs have a number of players (Morel, Happ, Nick Madrigal) with some positional versatility but an unclear future. Suzuki’s future at Wrigley is relatively settled, but he’s hardly been the only Cub with injury issues. A comparatively healthy backside of the season could go a long way toward settling some questions for a team beginning to look ahead to 2023.
Red Sox Recall Kutter Crawford, Option Connor Seabold
The Red Sox swapped a pair of right-handers between Boston and Triple-A Worcester this morning, the team announced, optioning Connor Seabold and recalling Kutter Crawford. Seabold had made his third big-league start yesterday against the Cubs, tossing four innings of one-run ball.
The move gives manager Alex Cora an extra arm while his team deals with a spate of injuries in rotation: in addition to the long-term absences of Chris Sale and James Paxton, Rich Hill, Nathan Eovaldi, and Garrett Whitlock are all on the 15-day IL while Michael Wacha is, per Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic, dealing with a dead arm that may require an IL stint. Because optioned players are allowed to return at any time if replacing a player headed to the IL, Seabold could return to start late in the week should Wacha — who last pitched on June 28th — need more time.
While Cora might have to make some uncomfortable decisions in the short term, there could be help on the way. While neither Whitlock nor Eovaldi is yet close to returning, Sale, who’s yet to pitch this season due to a stress fracture in his ribcage (and who’s covered only 42 2/3 innings since 2019, all of them last year), has already made one rehab start and is scheduled for another on Wednesday, and consensus top 100 prospect Brayan Bello appears likely to make his big-league debut the same day after Cora told reporters (including McCaffrey) that he’s probably the best option currently pitching in Worcester.
After hitting a bit of a rough patch in his first taste of Double-A last year, the 23-year-old Bello has tossed 85 innings 2.33 ERA ball across 15 appearances (14 starts) between Double-A Portland and Triple-A Worcester. His excellent ERA is backed up by a stellar strikeout rate (33.7%), though his walk rate (9.8%) leaves a bit to be desired.
Crawford, who’s struggled while shuttling between both Boston and Worcester and bullpen and rotation this year, could also be an option to start, though he likely won’t be Cora’s first choice. In 21 2/3 career big-league innings, he’s logged an unsightly 7.89 ERA (5.66 FIP). He has consistently missed bats at every level in the minors, however, and given the tattered state of the Boston pitching staff, he may well get an extended opportunity to do so in the bigs.
Rays Reinstate Brooks Raley, Ryan Thompson, Transfer J.P. Feyereisen To 60-Day IL
The Rays made a flurry of moves this afternoon following a weekend series in Toronto, reinstating left-hander Brooks Raley and right-hander Ryan Thompson from the restricted list and returning righties Phoenix Sanders and Javy Guerra to Triple-A Durham. Raley and Thompson were not allowed to enter Canada due to their vaccination status but will rejoin the team for tonight’s opener of a three-game series in Boston.
The team also recalled left-hander Josh Fleming and optioned right-hander Cristofer Ogando to clear a spot on the active roster. To make room on the 40-man roster for the recently selected Ogando, the Rays transferred J.P. Feyereisen to the 60-day IL. The move pushes the return of the high-leverage righty — who’d logged 24 1/3 innings without allowing an earned run before hitting the IL in early June — to early August at soonest.
The return of Raley and Thompson will come as something of a relief to a bullpen that covered 17 innings over the course of winning three of four in Toronto, including three innings by Sanders, one by Guerra, and two by Ogando (per Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times, manager Kevin Cash even joked that Raley and Thompson might go a combined 9 innings in their return). While Thompson has struggled to a 5.33 ERA (4.62 FIP) across 25 1/3 innings so far this season, the 34-year-old Raley has been something of a revelation in 2022, posting a sparkling 2.22 ERA (2.09 FIP) behind an elevated strikeout rate (31.7% against 27.2% for his career) and improved walk rate (7.9% against 8.6%).
Nationals Place Jackson Tetreault On IL With Stress Fracture In Shoulder
Prior to today’s game, the Nationals announced that starter Jackson Tetreault has been placed on the 15-day injured list due to a stress fracture of the right scapula. His roster spot has been given to reliever Jordan Weems, who has been recalled.
The Nationals have seen their rotation options dwindled by injuries throughout this season, as Stephen Strasburg, Joe Ross, Anibal Sanchez and Seth Romero are all currently on the injured list. That’s created opportunities for younger players to get auditions at the big league level, with Tetreault being one of them.
Tetreault, 26, began his season with the Triple-A Rochester RedWings and made 12 starts. Over 58 innings, he registered a 4.19 ERA, along with a 20.9% strikeout rate, 9.6% walk rate and 42.3% ground ball rate. That was enough to get him up to the majors, making four starts for the Nats. He has a 5.14 ERA so far, but with a paltry 9.4% strikeout rate, elevated 10.4% walk rate and a 40.4% ground ball rate. His ERA is likely being suppressed by a .260 BABIP and 65.7% strand rate, leading all of the advanced metrics to place him about a run higher, give or take.
The club didn’t provide an estimate on how long they expect him to be sidelined. It’s perhaps worth nothing that a stress fracture of the scapula is the same ailment that’s kept Jacob deGrom out of action for the past three months. However, each injury is different and there’s no guarantee that Tetreault’s rehab will take the same amount of time as deGrom’s. Still, the scapula, or shoulder blade, is a significant part of a pitcher’s throwing motion. With the Nats well out of competition this year, there will be no real need to rush Tetreault back to the mound.
With Tetreault out of action, the club will need to patch a hole in their rotation in the coming days. The recall of Weems won’t help in that regard, as he’s strictly a reliever. Joan Adon and Cory Abbott are among two of the options, as they are on the 40-man roster and have been starting in the minors.
Braves Trade Touki Toussaint To Angels For Cash Considerations
The Braves have traded right-hander Touki Toussaint to the Angels for cash considerations, the Angels announced. To make room on the active roster, Jack Mayfield was designated for assignment.
The Braves had to make a move with Toussaint, whom they recently designated for assignment. Atlanta had high hopes for Toussaint, but things did not break his way and he’ll now have the opportunity for a fresh start with a perennially pitching-hungry Los Angeles organization.
Toussaint has not pitched in the Majors this season. He owns a career 5.46 ERA/5.37 FIP over 145 career innings spanning four seasons. He has pitched both out of the rotation and the bullpen for Atlanta since his debut in 2018. This season, Toussaint has a 6.26 ERA in 41 2/3 innings in Triple-A.
The Angels will see if they can get Toussaint on the right track. He made Baseball America’s Top 100 prospects list in 2015 (#71), 2016 (#90), and again in 2019 (#53). Despite the promise, Toussaint hasn’t been able to carve out a regular role on talented Braves’ teams.
As for Mayfield, the 31-year-old infielder is hitting a mere .186/.230/.271 over 74 plate appearances. He’s been a player that the Angels have turned to often this season. The right-hander has also played for the Mariners and Astros in his career. He’ll have to pass through waivers now before the Angels can outright him to Triple-A.