Rangers Activate Jose Leclerc From Injured List
The Rangers announced they’ve reinstated reliever José Leclerc from the 60-day injured list. He’ll be active for tonight’s contest in Detroit, potentially setting him up for his first big league appearance in two years. Texas also activated reliever Brett Martin and outfielder Steele Walker from the COVID-19 IL. Walker and left-hander Kolby Allard have been optioned to Triple-A Round Rock to free active roster space. Tyson Miller, who’d been brought up as a designated COVID substitute, was taken off the 40-man roster and returned to the minors after two appearances.
Leclerc’s return is the biggest development for the Rangers, as it marks the end of a 15-month rehab process. The right-hander underwent Tommy John surgery just before Opening Day last year, costing him a season and a half worth of action. That came on the heels of a 2020 campaign in which he was limited to two appearances because of a shoulder strain, meaning he hasn’t seen extended action since 2019.
Before the health concerns threw his career off track, Leclerc looked as if he might emerge as one of the sport’s better late-inning arms. He’s shown swing-and-miss stuff throughout his career, but he was particularly effective in 2018. Leclerc posted a 1.56 ERA in 57 2/3 innings that season, striking out an elite 38.1% of opponents with a personal-low 11.2% walk rate. The following offseason, Texas signed him to a $14.75MM guarantee to buy out a pair of potential free agent seasons.
Leclerc’s control regressed in the first year of the deal, and he pitched to an underwhelming 4.33 ERA through 68 2/3 innings. Injuries have cost him the next two and a half seasons, but he’ll finally step back into the bullpen for skipper Chris Woodward. He tossed nine innings over as many appearances on a minor league rehab stint before returning to the MLB roster.
The 2022 season is the final guaranteed year of the aforementioned extension. Leclerc is making $5.25MM, and the club holds successive options for the next two seasons. They’ll have to decide on a $6MM option or a $750K buyout at the end of this year, making the next few months particularly critical for Leclerc’s long-term earning potential.
Mariners Claim Drew Ellis From D-Backs
The Mariners announced they’ve claimed third baseman Drew Ellis off waivers from the Diamondbacks and optioned him to Triple-A Tacoma. Outfielder Mitch Haniger has moved from the 10-day to the 60-day injured list to clear a spot on the 40-man roster.
A former second-round pick, Ellis is a career .248/.352/.455 hitter in parts of five minor league seasons. He’s had brief looks at the big league level in each of the past two years but struggled mightily, mustering a .134/.268/.207 line in 34 games. Ellis has spent the bulk of this season with the D-Backs top affiliate in Reno, where he’d posted a .217/.369/.399 mark in 179 trips to the plate. He walked in a massive 18.4% of his plate appearances with the Aces, but he’s run slightly elevated strikeout totals for much of his career.
The D-Backs designated Ellis for assignment over the weekend, eventually ending his tenure in the organization. The M’s will take the opportunity add a right-handed bat to the upper minors. Ellis is in his second minor league option year, so the team can bounce him between Seattle and Tacoma through the end of next season if they keep him on the 40-man roster.
Haniger’s IL transfer is a formality. He’s been out since April 30 due to a right high ankle sprain. The 60-day window is backdated to his original placement, meaning he’ll first be eligible to return at the end of this month. Haniger isn’t likely to be ready by then anyhow, as his recovery was always expected to linger into July.
Rockies Select Sean Bouchard
The Rockies announced they’ve selected first baseman/corner outfielder Sean Bouchard onto the big league roster. Infielder Garrett Hampson is going on the COVID-19 injured list in a corresponding move. Colorado also announced that reliever Julian Fernández, who’d been designated for assignment over the weekend, has cleared waivers and been sent outright to Triple-A Albuquerque.
Bouchard, 26, heads to the big leagues for the first time after spending five-plus seasons in the minors. A ninth-round pick out of UCLA in the 2017 draft, he’s a career .279/.352/.490 hitter as a professional. That includes a massive .338/.430/.683 line with 11 home runs across 165 trips to the dish in Albuquerque this season, his first at the minors’ top level. Playing in one of the most hitter-friendly environments in pro ball no doubt aided those numbers, but they’re still eye-opening enough the Colorado front office will give him a look against big league arms.
Fernández has never previously been outrighted and doesn’t have three-plus years of MLB service time. He’ll thus remain in the system and try to pitch his way back onto the 40-man roster. The 26-year-old has spent this entire season on optional assignment with the Isotopes, where he’s struggled to a 9.47 ERA across 19 innings. Home runs have been particularly problematic, as he’s already given up eight longballs on the year.
The 26-year-old righty appeared in his first six major league games with the Rox last year. He averaged a blistering 99 MPH on his fastball, but he gave up a pair of homers in 6 2/3 innings with four strikeouts and walks apiece. A former Rule 5 draftee of the Giants, Fernández didn’t pitch in a game between 2018-20 due to elbow injuries that eventually necessitated Tommy John surgery and the pandemic cancelation of the 2020 minor league season.
Braves Designate Jacob Webb For Assignment, Reinstate Collin McHugh
The Braves have reinstated Collin McHugh from the COVID injured list and designated reliever Jacob Webb for assignment, per The Athletic’s David O’Brien (via Twitter).
Webb spent the past three seasons in Atlanta’s bullpen, making two postseason appearances en route to winning a ring last season. He was selected off waivers by the Diamondbacks in April before Atlanta purchased his contract back last week. Webb made six appearances in Triple-A with Arizona, posting a 10.12 ERA in a small-sample 5 1/3 innings. He has not appeared in the Majors this season.
McHugh should be a key cog for the Braves as they try to make up ground in the NL East. The 34-year-old has appeared in 21 games this season with a 3.42 ERA/2.21 FIP across 23 2/3 innings. He’s in the first year of a two-year guaranteed deal with a team option for 2024.
Cubs Select Adrian Sampson, Designate Eric Stout For Assignment
The Cubs have selected the contract for Adrian Sampson, bringing the right-hander back to the active roster. To create roster space, the Cubs designated Eric Stout for assignment, per Gordon Wittenmyer of NBC Sports Chicago (via Twitter).
Sampson knows what it’s like to be DFA’ed, having been designated himself already by the Cubs this year after tossing just one inning and yielding two unearned runs. The Cubs lost him on waivers to the Mariners, who designated and released him before he appeared in a game. The Cubs then re-signed Sampson and put him in Triple-A. He now returns to the Cubs active roster, where a slew of injuries to their starting rotation has left them short-handed.
The Cubs are amid a nine-game losing streak and looking for anyone who might be able to record more innings pitched than runs allowed, which they have been unable to find during this unfortunate slide. Sampson made five starts and five relief appearances for the Cubs just last season, posting a 2.80 ERA/3.14 FIP over 35 1/3 innings.
Stout, 29, was only just added to the active roster two days ago when Sean Newcomb was designated for assignment. Stout made two appearances, tossing 3 2/3 innings, giving up two earned runs on three hits and one walk while striking out six.
Injury Notes: Rays, Cubs, Angels
The Rays placed starter Drew Rasmussen on the 15-day injured list yesterday (retroactive to June 12) with a left hamstring strain. Ralph Garza Jr. was recalled to take his roster spot. The 26-year-old Rasmussen has been solid for Tampa over 12 starts, posting a 3.41 ERA/3.90 FIP across 58 innings. Garza has been a frequent call-up for Kevin Cash‘s club, making 11 appearances with a 3.27 ERA/4.64 FIP over 22 innings. He’ll return to his spot in the bullpen for now. Elsewhere around the game…
- The Cubs placed second baseman Nick Madrigal on the 10-day injured list yesterday with a left groin strain. The move was retroactive to June 12th. The Cubbies were lauded for their acquisition of the 25-year-old, but he has yet to find his stride in Wrigleyville, hitting just .222/.263/.250 through 115 plate appearances. He’s been solid defensively, however, posting 3 DRS without making an error thus far. Veteran Jonathan Villar has taken over at the keystone in Madrigal’s absence, with Andrelton Simmons and rookie Christopher Morel also seeing some run there.
- The Angels are nearing a decision point about Anthony Rendon, per Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register. Rendon has missed four games because of the same wrist that caused him to miss 12 games earlier this month. If he can’t get back in the lineup soon, the Angels won’t have much choice but to put him back on the shelf. A litany of setbacks has kept Rendon from achieving his Nationals form over his three-year tenure with the Angels. So far this season, he was slashing .228/.324/.383, not a bad mark overall (106 wRC+), though still lacking in the power department.
Yankees Release Ender Inciarte
The Yankees are releasing outfielder Ender Inciarte from his minor league contract, reports Conor Foley of the Scranton Times-Tribune (on Twitter). He’ll hit the open market and seek out additional opportunities elsewhere.
Inciarte signed with New York over the offseason, hoping to crack the big league roster after a rough 2021 season. He didn’t break camp with the team and was sent to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, where he ultimately appeared in 34 games. Inciarte hit .252/.336/.408 across 116 plate appearances, collecting four home runs and stolen bases apiece. The 31-year-old walked a strong 11.2% clip while only punching out in 14.7% of his plate appearances.
It was a respectable showing, but the Yankees nevertheless determined there wasn’t room on the active roster at this point. Aaron Judge is hitting at an MVP-level and has taken over as the primary center fielder, while both Joey Gallo and Aaron Hicks have started to heat up after slow starts to the year. With Giancarlo Stanton and Marwin González also capable of rotating into the outfield as needed, the 45-16 Yankees weren’t in a rush to shake up their position player group.
Since being released by the Braves last July, Inciarte hasn’t cracked the majors on successive minor league pacts with the Reds and Yankees. Nevertheless, he’s likely to attract interest from teams looking for non-roster depth. Inciarte is no longer the elite defender he was at his Gold Glove peak, but he’s still a solid gloveman at all three spots on the grass. He’s hit .200/.267/.277 in 220 plate appearances at the major league level since the start of 2020.
Cardinals Activate Jack Flaherty, Designate Ali Sanchez
The Cardinals announced they’ve reinstated Jack Flaherty from the 60-day injured list. He’s set to make his season debut tonight against the Pirates. In corresponding moves, the Cards optioned lefty Packy Naughton to Triple-A Memphis and designated catcher Ali Sánchez for assignment. Additionally, left-hander Matthew Liberatore has been sent back to Memphis after being added as the 27th man for yesterday’s doubleheader.
Flaherty went down in Spring Training with shoulder bursitis, an issue that required platelet-rich plasma treatment. He was shut down from throwing for a few weeks and the club gradually built him back into game shape once he was healthy enough to pick up a ball. That’s hardly a surprise considering the righty missed a month last season due to a shoulder strain (in addition to an extended absence because of an oblique issue). Flaherty told reporters in March he’s pitched through a small labrum tear for a while.
The 26-year-old has gotten through a brief rehab stint without incident, however, making a start apiece with Double-A Springfield and Memphis. He tossed 59 pitches last Friday, and manager Oli Marmol figures to play things cautiously with his pitch count in the early going. It’s unlikely Flaherty will toss 100+ pitches out of the gate, but he’ll offer an immediate boon nonetheless to a rotation without Steven Matz. The left-hander has been on the injured list since May 23 due to a shoulder impingement, and president of baseball operations John Mozeliak told reporters yesterday he recently underwent a second cortisone injection to manage continued discomfort (via John Denton of MLB.com).
Flaherty is one of the game’s top starters, owner of a 3.34 ERA in just under 500 career innings. He has punched out a strong 28.7% of opposing batters on the back of an excellent 13.3% swinging strike rate. It was more of the same last season when Flaherty was on the mound, as he pitched to a 3.22 ERA with a 26.4% strikeout percentage across 17 outings. He’ll join Adam Wainwright, Miles Mikolas and Dakota Hudson among the top four in the starting staff.
Sánchez loses his spot on the 40-man roster to accommodate Flaherty’s return. The 25-year-old backstop has been on the 40-man since being acquired from the Mets in February 2021, but he’s only appeared in two games with the big league club. Sánchez has spent the majority of his time in the organization on optional assignment to Memphis, where he’s hitting .255/.333/.409 through 123 plate appearances this season.
The Cardinals will have a week to trade Sánchez or look to run him through waivers. He’s never been an impact offensive player, but scouting reports praised his defense during his time climbing the New York farm system. He’s in his final option year, so another club could stash him in the upper minors for the rest of the season if they were to devote him a spot on the 40-man roster.
Astros Claim Dillon Thomas From Angels
The Astros have claimed corner outfielder Dillon Thomas off waivers from the Angels, according to announcements from both teams. Fellow outfielder Jake Meyers has been transferred from the 10-day to the 60-day injured list to open a spot on the 40-man roster. Los Angeles also announced that reliever Ty Buttrey has passed through waivers unclaimed and been sent outright to Triple-A Salt Lake.
Thomas remains in the AL West, where he’ll look to reach the majors with a third separate team. The 29-year-old has gotten cups of coffee with the Mariners and Angels over the past couple seasons, but he’s appeared in just five total games. His stint in Anaheim was particularly brief. Thomas was selected to the majors last Wednesday while the club dealt with a brief absence for Mike Trout. He was on the active roster for three days, suiting up once, before being designated for assignment.
Signed by the Halos to a minor league contract over the winter, Thomas earned a 40-man spot with quality work in the upper levels of the system. The left-handed hitter posted a .295/.398/.489 mark with eight home runs across 211 plate appearances in Salt Lake. Thomas walked at a strong 10.9% clip against a roughly average 23.7% strikeout rate, apparently catching the attention of the Astros front office in the process.
While Thomas will start his organizational tenure in Sugar Land, the opportunity to earn a big league call with the Astros figures to be particularly sweet. Thomas is a Houston native who’d been committed to Texas A&M before signing with the Rockies out of Westbury Christian School a decade ago. He still has a pair of minor league option years, so he can bounce between Houston and Sugar Land for the next couple seasons if he holds a 40-man roster spot.
Meyers’ transfer makes room for Thomas, but it’s strictly a procedural move. The 25-year-old has been on the injured list all season while recovering from shoulder surgery. He’s already spent more than 60 days on the IL, so he’s still eligible to return whenever he’s ready from a health perspective. That figures to be in the coming days, as he’s spent the past couple weeks on a rehab assignment with the Space Cowboys.
Buttrey, meanwhile, sticks in the Angels organization but will no longer hold a spot on the 40-man roster. Initially designated for assignment when Thomas was called up, the righty will try to work his way back to the majors as a member of the Bees. Buttrey sat out the 2021 season after stepping away from the game, and he’s shown some signs of rust upon returning. Through 12 1/3 innings, he’s allowed nine runs while striking out just five.
Orioles Claim Jonathan Arauz, Designate Zac Lowther
The Orioles announced they’ve claimed infielder Jonathan Araúz off waivers from the Red Sox and optioned him to Triple-A Norfolk. Left-hander Zac Lowther has been designated for assignment to create a 40-man roster spot.
Boston designated Araúz for assignment last week, a move that eventually ended his tenure in the organization after two-plus seasons. Selected out of the Astros organization in the 2019 Rule 5 draft, Araúz stuck on the active roster for the shortened 2020 campaign. Boston secured his long-term contractual rights and he’s bounced on and off the active roster for the past two seasons as a depth infielder. The switch-hitter owns a .204/.280/.320 line with four home runs through 167 big league plate appearances.
The Panama native has posted a .228/.303/.329 mark in just under 400 trips to the dish with the Red Sox’s top affiliate in Worcester. That’s obviously not great production, but he’s only punched out in 15.8% of his Triple-A plate appearances. Araúz is capable of playing both middle infield positions as well as third base, and while he’s never likely to be much of a power threat, he at least brings solid bat-to-ball skills to the table. The 23-year-old is in his second minor league option year, so the O’s can stash him in Norfolk for the next year and a half if he holds onto a 40-man spot.
Lowther’s designation comes as a bit of a surprise, as the Xavier product had recently been rated as one of the better pitching prospects in the organization. He’s appeared among Baseball America’s rankings of the O’s top 30 prospects heading into each of the past five years. Lowther doesn’t throw hard or draw particularly strong grades for his breaking pitches, but evaluators have pointed to the deception in his delivery and his generally strong control as reasons he could be a useful depth starter.
The 26-year-old is amidst an absolutely dreadful season with Norfolk, though, as he’s been tagged for a 10.03 ERA across 35 innings. He’s served up eight homers in his ten outings while posting worse than average strikeout and walk numbers (21.7% and 10%, respectively). Lowther has also been hit hard at the big league level, allowing just under seven earned runs per nine innings over 11 appearances. That’s a far cry from his stellar performances up through Double-A, and the O’s have been discouraged enough by the recent results to risk losing him entirely.
Baltimore will have a week to trade Lowther or try to run him through outright waivers. His low minors dominance and pair of remaining options could lead another team to see whether they can get him back on track. If Lowther goes unclaimed, he’d remain in the upper minors of the Orioles’ system without occupying a spot on the 40-man roster.