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Orioles Option Travis Lakins, Recall Brandon Waddell

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The Orioles optioned right-hander Travis Lakins to Triple-A on Sunday, recalling Brandon Waddell to take his roster spot, per Rich Dubroff of Baltimorebaseball.com.

Lakins seemed to have made himself an indispensable piece of Baltimore’s bullpen in 2020 with a 2.81 ERA over 25 2/3 innings. The former Boston reliever has been less stellar this season through 16 appearances covering 14 2/3 innings. The 26-year-old owns a 7.36 ERA/6.42 FIP and 41.9 percent groundball rate. He’s neither striking out many hitters (17.9 percent strikeout rate) nor limiting free passes enough (16.4 percent walk rate).

Waddell was only recently claimed from the Minnesota Twins. A former starter in the minors, Waddell saw a jump in his strikeout rate as he began transitioning into a relief role during the 2019 season. The 26-year-old southpaw has just 7 1/3 innings of Major League experience split between the Twins this season and the Pirates in 2020.

Twins Place Kenta Maeda On 10-Day Injured List

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The Twins have placed right-hander Kenta Maeda on the 10-day injured list due to a groin strain, manager Rocco Baldelli told reporters today.  Infielder Nick Gordon will be called up from Triple-A to take Maeda’s place on the active roster.

Maeda’s groin problem has been a recurring issue for his last couple of starts, and his attempt to pitch through the injury wasn’t terribly successful, though he did manage to toss five innings on 73 pitches in a start against the Indians yesterday (Maeda allowed three runs on three hits and a walk).  However, groin tightness led Maeda to be removed from the game after those five innings, and an IL stint seems necessary for him to properly recover.

After finishing second in AL Cy Young Award voting in 2020, Maeda’s second season with the Twins hasn’t gone nearly as smoothly.  Maeda has a 5.27 ERA/4.13 SIERA in 42 2/3 innings, and his Statcast numbers are more or less down across the board from 2020.  Most notably, Maeda’s strikeout percentage is only 20.5%, a big dropoff from his career norms, let alone his career-best 32.3% strikeout rate in 2020.

Maeda’s struggles are one of the many reasons why Minnesota is off to a nightmare of a 16-29 start.  The Twins rotation was already thinned out with Michael Pineda on the injured list, so Lewis Thorpe or Bailey Ober are probably the likeliest candidates to step into Maeda’s spot.  Since Maeda only just pitched yesterday and the Twins have an off-day on Thursday, it’s possible a fill-in fifth starter might only be needed for one start should Maeda be able to return in the minimum 10 days or slightly beyond.

Tigers Option JaCoby Jones, Recall Victor Reyes

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The Tigers will option outfielder JaCoby Jones to Triple-A and recall Victor Reyes to take his roster spot, per Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press (via Twitter).

Both Jones and Reyes have struggled so far this season in their limited opportunities. Jones, the opening day starter in center, owns an uninspiring triple slash line of .175/.208/.258 through 101 plate appearances. The 29-year-old is struggling in all facets at the plate right now. He’s only walking in 4.0 percent of his plate appearances while striking out a too-often 39.6 percent of the time. He’s also not hitting for power with just a .082 ISO. All in all, the total package amounts to a 27 wRC+.

Reyes hasn’t fared much better in his 65 plate appearances so far, hitting just .143/.169/.238 before his demotion. The 26-year-old Reyes has posted just a 3.1 percent walk rate and .095 ISO while striking out 27.7 percent of the time. At the very least, Reyes has done a better job of putting the ball in play, and a .182 BABIP suggests there’s potential for improvement if he can continue to do so. Reyes should be feeling better about his at-bat skills after a stellar 11-game sample in Triple-A that saw him hit .419/.490/.581 over 51 plate appearances. As much as Jones has struggles, the Tigers may also feel that Reyes deserves another look given his strong play for Toledo.

Padres Activate Wil Myers, Option Brian O’Grady To Triple-A

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The Padres activated Wil Myers from the injured list today. He is in the lineup playing right field. Brian O’Grady, meanwhile, was optioned to Triple-A, while Keone Kela was moved to the 60-day injured list, per the team.

Myers has been out of action since May 11th. The multi-positional righty was off to a solid start at the plate, slashing .255/.342/.415 with four home runs in 120 plate appearances. Myers, the longest-tenured Padre, has taken a backseat to more prominent players in recent years, but he remains a key piece of the lineup. He has settled in as their everyday right fielder after years of shifting around the diamond. His 154 wRC+ in 2020 was easily the highest such mark of his career.

O’Grady has been part of the solution in right field during Myers’ absence, along with Jurickson Profar, Jorge Mateo, and Patrick Kivlehan. But O’Grady saw the most time, starting five games versus five starts for the other three players combined. The 29-year-old hit just .100/.268/.150, however, across 27 plate appearances. The most action he has seen in a Major League season is 48 plate appearances with the Reds back in 2019.

Dodgers Place Jimmy Nelson On 10-Day Injured List, Recall Phil Bickford

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The Dodgers have placed Jimmy Nelson on the injured list with right forearm inflammation, per the team. Phil Bickford has been recalled to take his roster spot. Bickford was only recently claimed off waivers from the Brewers.

A starter for most of his career, Nelson has transitioned to a new role this season, and a valuable one at that. He has tossed 18 2/3 inning in 16 appearances with a 2.41 ERA/1.86 FIP for the Dodgers. Though he has induced just a 37.1 percent groundball rate and walked more batters than they’d like with a 14.3 percent walk rate, Nelson has posted a career-best 39 percent strikeout rate.

Bickford was twice made a first round pick, first coming out of high school in 2013 and then again as the 18th overall pick of the Giants in 2015. The Brewers acquired him in 2016 along with Andrew Susac for lefty Will Smith. He made just one appearance with the Brewers in 2020 and one again in 2021. In his last full season of work, Bickford posted a 2.48 ERA across 32 2/3 innings during his second stint in High-A.

Mariners Place Kendall Graveman On 10-Day Injured List, Recall Wyatt Milles

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The Mariners announced a pair of corresponding roster moves today. Closer Kendall Graveman heads to the 10-day injured list while Wyatt Mills joins the active roster from Triple-A.

Graveman has been borderline magical for the Mariners thus far with 16 2/3 scoreless innings across 14 appearances. The 30-year-old former starter has been one of the better stories of the young season, if a tad under-the-radar. He has stepped into the closer role after a strong showing in high-leverage opportunities last season put him in competition for the role. He has five saves thus far, tied for the team lead with Rafael Montero. No specific injury has been listed for Graveman.

The 26-year-old Mills has made six appearances for the Mariners this season, the first of his big-league career. Mills has allowed eight earned runs on nine hits and four walks while striking out five. Despite his early struggles, the former Gonzaga stand-out profiles as a potential high-leverage arm out the bullpen.

Minor MLB Transactions: 5/23/21

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The latest minor moves from around baseball…

  • The Mariners outrighted first baseman/outfielder Jose Marmolejos to Triple-A, the club announced.  Marmolejos cleared waivers after being designated for assignment earlier this week.  The 28-year-old has hit .177/.263/.355 over 209 plate appearances with Seattle in the last two seasons, which marks all of Marmolejos’ career big league experience.  Marmolejos spent nine seasons in the Nationals’ minor league system (hitting .288/.354/.448 with 72 home runs in 3440 plate appearances) before signing a minors contract with Seattle after the 2019 campaign.

Phillies Claim Brady Lail, Designate Ramon Rosso

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The Phillies have claimed right-hander Brady Lail off waivers from the Mariners, both teams announced.  To create roster space for Lail, Philadelphia also designated right-hander Ramon Rosso for assignment.

Lail was designated himself earlier this week, and he also came to Seattle via waiver claim off the White Sox roster last August.  After tossing 15 innings for the Mariners last season, Lail had two innings pitched in two appearances this season, allowing three runs.

Lail has now appeared in each of the last three MLB seasons, with a 6.00 ERA over 21 career innings with the Yankees, White Sox, and Mariners.  Originally an 18th-round draft pick for the Yankees in 2012, Lail is likely a known commodity to Phillies manager (and former New York skipper) Joe Girardi, and the righty can provide the Phils with more bullpen depth.

Rosso made his Major League debut in 2020 and has posted a 5.73 ERA over 11 innings in the Show over the last two seasons.  After posting some solid numbers during his trip up Philadelphia’s minor league ladder, Rosso seemed to hit something of a wall at Triple-A, with only a 5.59 ERA over 77 1/3 innings at the top level of the minors.  He has a 26.74% strikeout rate over 330 2/3 career innings in the minors, but that number steadily declined as Rosso advanced to face tougher competition.

Rosso worked almost exclusively as a starter from 2017-19, though he has been deployed as a reliever over the last two years, so he wasn’t considered as a depth option even for a Phillies team that has been hurting for help in the back end of the rotation.  It’s possible another team might claim Rosso with an eye towards stretching him back out as a starter, or perhaps using him as a swingman.

Injury Notes: Wacha, Widener, Arroyo, Wood, Engel

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Michael Wacha will return from the 10-day injured list to start the Rays’ game against the Blue Jays today.  As noted by Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times, the plan is for Wacha and Josh Fleming to essentially work in a piggyback capacity today, with Wacha handling the first couple of innings before Fleming takes over for a longer stint.  Brent Honeywell Jr. was already optioned to Triple-A yesterday to create roster room for Wacha’s return.

Wacha has been out of action since May 4 due to right hamstring tightness.  After signing a one-year, $3MM free agent deal with Tampa this winter, Wacha’s first 28 1/3 innings with the Rays has resulted in a 4.76 ERA/4.06 SIERA.  An above-average 6.9% walk rate is just about the only good news for Wacha advanced metric-wise, as his Statcast numbers have been quite underwhelming.

More injury updates from around baseball…

  • Taylor Widener has been activated off the 10-day injured list, the Diamondbacks announced.  The right-hander will get the start today’s game against the Rockies, and he will take the roster spot left open when Josh VanMeter was optioned to Triple-A yesterday.  Widener hasn’t pitched since April 22 due to a right groin strain, after posting some solid bottom-line numbers (a 2.82 ERA in 22 1/3 innings) in four starts for the D’Backs, though Statcast indicates Widener had quite a bit of good fortune in managing that quality ERA.  Arizona’s rotation will get a bit closer to full health with Widener back, as Zac Gallen and Luke Weaver are still on the injured list.
  • Red Sox infielder Christian Arroyo will likely be activated from the injured list on Tuesday, manager Alex Cora told MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo and other reporters.  A left hand contusion sent Arroyo to the 10-day IL on May 9 (retroactive to May 7) after he was hit by a pitch.  Arroyo cooled down after a strong start to the season, but he still has a respectable .275/.333/.377 slash line in 76 PA, serving as Boston’s regular second baseman.
  • Hunter Wood was removed from last night’s game due to what the Rangers termed as right elbow tightness.  Wood recorded two outs and issued a walk after entering last night’s game in the seventh inning, but then departed in the midst of an Alex Bregman plate appearance.  Wood has a 3.60 ERA in five innings out of the Texas bullpen this season, after signing a minor league deal with the team during the offseason.
  • Adam Engel told The Athletic’s James Fegan (Twitter links) and other reporters that his minor league rehab assignment will begin tomorrow.  The White Sox outfielder has yet to play this season due to a hamstring strain, as Engel explained that his rehab was slowed by a further injury that tore the muscle off his tendon, increasing his strain from a Grade 2 to a Grade 3.

Indians Place Franmil Reyes On 10-Day IL, Promote Owen Miller

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12:05PM: Reyes has been diagnosed with an internal oblique strain, and will be sidelined for the next 5-7 weeks.  (MLB.com’s Mandy Bell was among those with the news.)

9:12AM: Reyes is indeed headed to the 10-day injured list, according to The Athletic’s Zack Meisel (Twitter link).  Owen Miller’s contract will be selected from Triple-A, and catcher Roberto Perez is being moved to the 60-day IL to accommodate Miller on the 40-man roster.

A third-round draft pick for the Padres in 2018, Miller came to Cleveland as part of the Mike Clevinger trade package last August.  The Illinois State product has been dominant in his first taste of Triple-A baseball this year, as Miller has hit .406/.457/.609 with two home runs in 70 PA.  MLB Pipeline rates Miller 16th on their list of Indians prospects, noting his “a hit-over-power approach” that still might result in something akin to 12-15 homers per season, but “Miller’s forte is making consistent line-drive contact to all fields with a compact right-handed stroke and control of the strike zone.”

Miller has mostly played shortstop over his minor league career, and that seems to be his likeliest position in Cleveland since Ramirez and Cesar Hernandez have third base and second base covered.  Miller does have experience playing all three infield positions, and even had a couple of games as a left fielder and first baseman this year.

8:56AM: Indians designated hitter Franmil Reyes left yesterday’s game in the middle of a plate appearance due to what the club described as a left abdominal strain.  Manager Terry Francona told reporters (including MLB.com’s Mandy Bell) that Reyes will get an MRI this morning to determine the extent of the injury, “but I mean I think common sense says he’s probably gonna miss some time.”

Reyes was in visible discomfort after taking a big swing in the sixth inning, fouling off a 2-0 pitch and then immediately walking away from the plate and holding his side.  Pinch-hitter Jordan Luplow replaced Reyes and completed the at-bat, drawing a walk.

A trip to the injured list would be an unfortunate setback for the 25-year-old Reyes, who is in the midst of a breakout season.  Reyes is hitting .257/.316/.576 with 11 home runs through 158 PA (139 wRC+, 141 OPS+), and only 12 players in baseball have more homers than Reyes so far this year.  Making consistent contact and getting on base is still an issue for Reyes, though he has crushed the ball when he has made contact, ranking fourth among all qualified batters in Statcast’s barrel rate metric.

Replacing Reyes in the event of an IL stint would be no easy task, as Reyes and Jose Ramirez are almost single-handedly trying to carry a Cleveland lineup that has struggled to generate offense.  Tribe fans have long been calling for any of Bobby Bradley, Daniel Johnson, or Owen Miller to be called up from Triple-A, but the thought of one of those unproven prospects replacing a scuffling hitter like Jake Bauers or Yu Chang, rather than a big slugger like Reyes.  Despite the lack of runs scored, Cleveland is still hanging tough in the standings, sitting in second place in the AL Central with a 24-19 record.

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