Rockies Place Austin Gomber, Connor Joe On 10-Day Injured List
Sep. 5: As expected, the Rockies have indeed moved Gomber to the 60-day IL in order to select Feltner, per a team announcement. Right-hander Antonio Santos was optioned to make room for Feltner on the active roster.
Sep. 4: The Rockies announced a series of roster moves today, including the placement of left-hander Austin Gomber and first baseman/outfielder Connor Joe on the 10-day injured list. According to MLB.com’s Thomas Harding, Gomber will be moved to the 60-day IL tomorrow when the Rockies select the contract of right-hander Ryan Feltner from Double-A, as Feltner will make his MLB debut by taking Gomber’s spot as the scheduled starter against the Braves.
Right-hander Jordan Sheffield has been activated off the 60-day IL, making his return after first hitting the IL on June 5 due to a right lat strain. In addition, infielder Joshua Fuentes has been called up from Triple-A.
Gomber is suffering from spondylolysis, or a stress fracture in his lower back (also known as pars defect). The 60-day IL placement will end Gomber’s first Colorado season on a painful note, though he did make a solid accounting of himself in his first full season as a starter.
Acquired from the Cardinals as part of the Nolan Arenado trade, Gomber provided some silver lining for disgruntled Rockies fans by posting a 4.53 ERA/4.28 ERA over 115 1/3 innings. Gomber missed a month due to forearm tightness, and it’s fair to speculate that Gomber’s back problems may have impacted his recent performance, as the southpaw has a 8.50 ERA over his last four starts and 18 innings. Looking at the Statcast numbers, Gomber’s strikeout and walk rate are roughly middle-of-the-road, though he has been good at limiting hard contact.
Joe left Friday’s game due to his injury, which has now been termed as a right hamstring strain. As manager Bud Black told reporters (including The Athletic’s Nick Groke), “it’s not a definite season-ending injury,” so Joe could potentially see some more action in 2021 if his hamstring cooperates. Signed to a minor league contract last winter, Joe has hit well over 211 plate appearances with the Rockies, batting .285/.379/.469 with eight home runs.
Feltner was Colorado’s fourth-round pick in the 2018 draft, and the Ohio State product will make the jump to the majors without the benefit of any Triple-A experience. In 110 combined innings at high-A and Double-A ball this season, Feltner has a 2.62 ERA and 27.53% strikeout rate over 20 starts. The big league promotion is a nice late birthday present for Feltner, who turned 25 last Thursday.
Red Sox Place Nick Pivetta, Danny Santana On COVID IL
11:30AM: Yet another Boston player has been impacted by the ongoing virus situation. The team has announced that utility player Danny Santana has been placed on the COVID IL, with outfielder Franchy Cordero being recalled to take his place on the roster.
8:17AM: The Red Sox have placed starter Nick Pivetta on the COVID IL, per a team announcement. Pivetta was scheduled to start this afternoon’s game against Cleveland. Instead, 25-year-old righty Kutter Crawford will have his contract selected and start in Pivetta’s place.
Pivetta is now the 10th Boston player to land on the COVID IL in the past week as part of an outbreak that has been spreading through the team. The loss of Pivetta could potentially be a significant one for the club, as he has been one of the more reliable members of the rotation this season. As fellow hurlers such as Martin Perez and Garrett Richards have struggled enough to get moved into bullpen duties, Pivetta has held a rotation spot all year with solid, in unspectacular, numbers. Across 135 innings this season, the righty has an ERA of 4.67, with a 25.9% strikeout rate and 10.7% walk rate, both of which are within range of league average.
In more positive news, Enrique Hernandez, the first Red Sox player to hit the IL as part of this outbreak, seems to be nearing a return. According to Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe, he could be activated as soon as Tuesday.
For the club, the outbreak doesn’t seem to be hurting their playoff push much. They’ve gone 7-3 over their past ten games and are sitting on a four-game win streak going into today’s action. They’re currently holding down the second Wild Card spot in the American League, four games ahead of the Athletics and Mariners.
As for Crawford, this will be his major league debut. He’s been in the Red Sox organization since being drafted in the 16th round of the 2017 draft. He climbed up the ranks of the minors, reaching Double-A in 2019. Unfortunately, he had to undergo Tommy John surgery and missed all of the 2020 season. Since returning to the mound this year, he’s thrown 75 2/3 innings between Double-A and Triple-A with an ERA of 4.16. However, his rate stats are excellent, a huge 34.4% strikeout rate and a measly 4.3% walk rate. As a COVID replacement, he can be removed from the 40-man roster at a later date without being exposed to waivers.
Twins Reinstate Luke Farrell, Designate Derek Law For Assignment
The Twins have reinstated right-handed pitcher Luke Farrell from the 60-day injured list, per a team announcement. To make room on the active roster, lefty Andrew Albers was optioned to Triple-A. Righty Derek Law was designated for assignment to make room on the 40-man roster.
Farrell has been out since late June with an oblique strain. Before that, the 30-year-old was having a nice season out of the Twins’ bullpen, though in a small sample size. In 13 big league games so far this year, the righty has logged 15 1/3 innings with an ERA of 1.76, along with a strong strikeout rate of 27.0% and a walk rate of 9.5%.
As for Law, he was placed on the injured list July 17th with a shoulder impingement and just began a rehab assignment on August 28th. In 15 innings with the big league club this year, he has an ERA of 4.20 but mediocre strikeout and walk rates of 20.9% and 11.9%. He’s already been designated for assignment by the Twins once this year, accepting an outright assignment back in May. If he clears waivers again, he could elect free agency or choose to stay with the organization by accepting another assignment to Triple-A.
Yankees Place Jonathan Loaisiga On IL With Strained Rotator Cuff
The Yankees are placing righty Jonathan Loaisiga on the IL with a right shoulder strain, per a team announcement. Yankees manager Aaron Boone told reporters, including Bryan Hoch of MLB.com, that the strain is in Loaisiga’s rotator cuff and he won’t throw for at least 10 days. (Twitter links) Fellow right-handed Albert Abreu has been recalled to take Loaisiga’s place on the roster.
This is very unfortunate news for both Loaisiga and the team, as the righty is having the best season of his career so far and has been one of the most valuable pitchers on the team. Through 68 innings out of the Yankees’ bullpen this year, he has an ERA of 2.25. His 24.2% strikeout rate is actually close to league average, but his 5.5% walk rate and 61.3% groundball rate are both excellent. On the season, he’s been worth 2.2 wins above replacement, according to FanGraphs, third-most among Yankees pitchers, behind Gerrit Cole and Jordan Montgomery, and tied with Josh Hader for the most among all relievers in baseball.
It’s unclear exactly how much time he will miss, but with less than a month left in the season, there’s not a lot of wiggle room remaining. If he is to miss “at least” 10 days, that means the best-case scenario would see him start throwing again September 15th. At that point, he would presumably have to throw a bullpen or two to assess his health and perhaps go on a rehab assignment before returning to the big-league club.
The Yankees are 7 1/2 games behind the Rays in the AL East but are currently holding the first AL Wild Card spot, half a game ahead of the Red Sox and 4 1/2 ahead of the Athletics and Mariners.
Mets Place Brandon Nimmo On 10-Day Injured List
8:34PM: “In my heart of hearts, I really do think I’m going to be back this season,” Nimmo told MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo and other reporters. Nimmo also noted that his hamstring injury impacted his muscle, rather than a tendon.
5:28PM: Prior to the second game of their doubleheader with the Nationals, the Mets have placed outfielder Brandon Nimmo on the 10-day injured list due to a right hamstring strain. Travis Blankenhorn has been called up to take Nimmo’s roster spot. Nimmo made an early exit from the first game, leaving in the second inning after going 2-for-2 with a stolen base during his brief time on the field.
Nimmo is now hitting .302/.420/.415 with five home runs over 320 plate appearances this season, continuing his outstanding work out of the leadoff spot in New York’s lineup. Nimmo has basically done nothing but hit over his six MLB seasons, though staying healthy has been a consistent problem. This season alone, Nimmo missed close to two months due to a finger ligament issue.
Kevin Pillar and Albert Almora figure to get most of the center field duty while Nimmo is out. Michael Conforto is the everyday right fielder and Dominic Smith and Jeff McNeil have been increasingly platooning in left field (Smith is currently on the bereavement list). While the Mets do have personnel in place to weather Nimmo’s absence, losing one of their best hitters for even the minimum 10 days is obviously a major blow for an offensively-challenged team in the thick of a pennant race. The severity of the strain isn’t yet known, so it is possible that Nimmo’s 2021 campaign could be in jeopardy with only a month remaining of regular-season action.
Giants Place Alex Dickerson On 10-Day Injured List
Alex Dickerson has been placed on the 10-day injured list, as the Giants announced that the outfielder is suffering from a right hamstring strain. Mauricio Dubon has been called up from Triple-A in the corresponding move.
This is the third time Dickerson has visited the IL this year, with slightly more than the minimum amount of time missed due to an upper back strain and a right shoulder impingement. The Giants are surely hopeful of another brief absence since the team will want all hands on deck in the battle with the Dodgers for the NL West crown. Considering the timing, however, anything more than a minor strain could threaten to sideline Dickerson for the remainder of the season.
These cumulative injuries could explain Dickerson’s struggles this year, after batting .286/.350/.529 with 16 homers over 360 plate appearances in 2019-20. This year, Dickerson is hitting only .235/.303/.426 with 13 homers in 304 PA, with much less hard contact and dropoffs in both his strikeout and walk rates. After tearing up right-handed pitching in the previous two seasons, the left-handed hitting Dickerson has managed just a .719 OPS in 278 PA against righties in 2021.
The Giants do have outfield depth to make up for Dickerson’s loss, as Kris Bryant could see more time as a corner outfielder now that Evan Longoria is back from the injured list and ready to assume third base duties. With LaMonte Wade Jr. and Mike Yastrzemski toggling back and forth between center and right field, the Giants could also shift Wade to left field duty, or use Austin Slater or Darin Ruf. The versatile Dubon’s return also adds a bit more infield help considering that Donovan Solano and Wilmer Flores are both still on the IL.
Red Sox Claim Geoff Hartlieb From Mets
The Red Sox announced that right-hander Geoff Hartlieb has been claimed off waivers from the Mets. Hartlieb has been assigned to Boston’s Triple-A affiliate in Worcester.
New York designated Hartlieb for assignment earlier this week, after the righty posted a 14.54 ERA over his 4 1/3 innings in a Mets uniform. This marks the second time Hartlieb has changed teams via waiver claim within the last two months, as the Mets acquired him from the Pirates in early July. For the season as a whole, Hartlieb has an 11.00 ERA over nine combined frames with New York and Pittsburgh.
A lack of control has been the main culprit for Hartlieb’s struggles this season, as he has walked 11 batters over those nine innings. The right-hander also had as many walks (19) as strikeouts (19) over 22 1/3 innings with Pittsburgh in 2020, though Hartlieb managed to evade damage and post a respectable 3.63 ERA.
Hartlieb becomes the latest player acquired by the Red Sox in recent days as the team has sought to rebuild its depth following a widespread COVID-19 outbreak. Beyond just being an extra arm on standby, Hartlieb also offers some interesting potential. Though he has yet to show much over his three MLB seasons, Hartlieb has a 3.18 ERA over 62 1/3 career innings at the Triple-A level, with a 28.73% strikeout rate and very high grounder rates.
Tigers Select Drew Carlton
The Tigers have selected the contract of Drew Carlton from Triple-A. When he appears in a game, it will be his Major League debut. The Tigers 40-man roster still has two spots open.
The 25-year-old was a 32nd round draft pick out of Florida State back in 2017. Since then, the unheralded righty has done nothing but shove. His 3.12 ERA in Triple-A this season is his highest such mark at any level of the minors.
In a piece last December from Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press, Carlton spoke about his arsenal, saying, “I really take pride in my command of all three of my pitches. They’re not good by themselves, but with the command, they are pretty good. I’ve had to really work my tail off to produce the numbers I have. That’s the only way I’m going to be able to get up there (to the majors).”
Carlton has made it now, and he’ll have the chance to prove himself again while pitching out of the Tigers’ bullpen. Hard to say how long his stay will be in the Majors, but hopefully Carlton at least gets in a game during this stint. Regardless, he’s on the 40-man roster now, which is in and of itself a positive sign that suggests Carlton will get a chance at the Major League level.
Blue Jays Activate Jake Lamb, Option Kirby Snead
The Blue Jays have activated recently acquired third baseman Jake Lamb in time for today’s ballgame. In a corresponding move, Kirby Snead was optioned to Triple-A, per Shi Davidi of Sportsnet (via Twitter).
Davidi also notes that Cavan Biggio took batting practice today. That could mean a short stay for Lamb, given that Biggio has been Toronto’s regular third baseman when healthy. Biggio can move around the diamond, of course, so there might be room for both on the roster. Kevin Smith and Breyvic Valera will also be candidates to lose their roster spot when Biggio returns.
Lamb showed some versatility himself during his stint with the White Sox. He appeared at a couple of games at first and third, but mostly, he was used in the outfield corners. He was a league-average hitter in that time, slashing .212/.321/.389 in 131 plate appearances.
Snead’s time in the Majors was short, but productive. He posted a 2.35 ERA across seven appearances totaling 7 2/3 innings. He gave up seven hits, but walked just two while striking out seven.
Pirates Activate JT Brubaker, Option Kyle Keller
The Pirates activated JT Brubaker to start today’s game against the Cubs. To make room on the roster, Kyle Keller was optioned to Triple-A, per Kevin Gorman of Tribune-ReviewSports (via Twitter).
The 27-year-old Brubaker has started a career-high 23 games for the Pirates, pitching to a 5.27 ERA/5.23 FIP in 121 1/3 innings. Brubaker may not be considered a long-term piece for Pittsburgh, but he has eaten valuable innings this year and will probably have the opportunity to do so again next season. He has a 23.7 percent strikeout rate, 6.9 percent walk rate, and 43.1 percent groundball rate, all of which are close to league average.
Keller has made 23 appearances out of the bullpen, pitching to a 7.13 ERA/7.62 FIP. The 28-year-old has suffered from wandering command, walking 16.1 percent of batters while only striking out 22.3 percent of opponents.