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Dakota Hudson To Undergo Tommy John Surgery On Monday

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Dakota Hudson of the St. Louis Cardinals will undergo Tommy John surgery on Monday, per Anne Rogers of MLB.com (via Twitter).

Hudson initially went to the injured list with a forearm strain, and while the Cardinals were not overly concerned from the start, further testing heightened the possibility of surgery. Given the traditional timetable for recovery from Tommy John, Hudson figures to miss all of 2021 and possibly a portion of 2022 as well. The timing is particularly unfortunate for the 26-year-old hurler, who will now target a return as early in 2022 as possible.

Hudson has established himself as a significant part of the Cardinals rotation over the past two seasons. He finished 5th in rookie of the year voting in 2019 after going 16-7 with a 3.35 ERA/4.93 FIP across 174 2/3 innings. Wandering command held him back at times (4.4 BB/9). but he’d made strides in that regard this season (3.5 BB/9). Hudson was the game 4 starter in each of the NLDS and NLCS last season, struggling in both outings. To be fair, the defense didn’t do him any favors in either outing, as he allowed 3 unearned runs each time out.

The 6’5″ right-hander made 8 starts this season, going 3-2 with a 2.77 ERA/4.50 FIP, worth 0.6 rWAR. If the Cardinals are able to secure their spot in the postseason, they still present as a scary match-up for the 3-game set in the first round. Jack Flaherty and Adam Wainwright will rival any top two in the National League, full stop. Beyond those two stalwarts, lefties Austin Gomber and Kwang Hyun Kim would be options for a potential game 3. Carlos Martinez has struggled after fighting COVID-19 early in the season, and it’s looking less and less likely that he’ll be able to contribute much this season.

If the Cardinals can beat the Brewers on Sunday, they’ll be in the playoffs as the #5 seed. If they lose, however, they could be in for a long week. With only 58 games played, they would potentially have to fly to Detroit to play a doubleheader to solidify their playoff seeding. They would have to lose on Sunday, get swept in the doubleheader on Monday, and see the Giants win their Sunday game in order to finish out of the postseason entirely.

Beyond this season, the loss of Hudson might hurt even more, especially if Adam Wainwright does not return for another season. Martinez, Miles Mikolas, and John Gant will all be returning from injury-shortened 2020 seasons with a chance to make the 2021 rotation behind Flaherty and Kim. If Wainwright wants to continue playing, another season in St. Louis would certainly benefit both parties.

A’s Reinstate Chad Pinder From Injured List, Option James Kaprielian

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The Oakland A’s reinstated utility man Chad Pinder from the injured list today, the team announced. Right-hander James Kaprielian has been optioned.

Pinder returns to give manager Bob Melvin flexibility in terms of his in-game substitutions. Pinder can play all over the field, including third base where the A’s are without star Matt Chapman. Jake Lamb figures to continue to get the majority of playing time at the hot corner, but Pinder should serve an important role on the roster. He could be used as a defensive replacement at third, but he could also see some starting time, specifically against southpaws. Vimael Machín and Tommy La Stella have also seen some time at third since Chapman went down. La Stella starts most days at designated hitter or second base, however. Machín doesn’t bring much power to the table, but he puts the ball in play, with a tendency to go the other way and hit the ball on the ground. The 26-year-old rookie is the least likely of the collective to see significant playing time in the postseason.

Pinder should see an at-bat in today’s season finale, but he won’t play the field. Still, Melvin expects Pinder to be able to start in the postseason against left-handers, per Martín Gallegos of MLB.com (via Twitter). Oakland will enter the playoffs as either the #2 or #3 seed after winning the AL West. They’ll need to win today and see the Twins lose in order to jump into the #2 spot. A loss or a Twins win will result in the #3 seed for the A’s. If they finish as the #3 seed, they’ll get the Astros in the first round. In that scenario, Pinder could start a potential game two or three if the Astros go to Framber Valdez to start one of those games.

As the #2 seed, their most-likely opponent would be the Cleveland Indians, who don’t have a left-handed starter set to go in the first round. The Chicago White Sox could also fall to the #7 seed if they lose and the Indians win. Both the White Sox and Indians have some big-time lefties working out of the bullpen, so even if Pinder doesn’t get his name in the starting lineup, he still will have the potential to make an impact, regardless of their first-round opponent.

Kaprielian made just two appearances for the A’s this season. The 26-year-old allowed 3 earned runs in 3 2/3 innings, his first taste of big-league action. The former Yankee farmhand came to Oakland as part of the Sonny Gray deal at the deadline in 2017.

Cubs Promote Brailyn Marquez, Designate Patrick Wisdom

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The Cubs have selected the contract of left-handed pitching prospect Brailyn Marquez, the team announced.  Infielder/outfielder Patrick Wisdom has been designated for assignment to create roster room.

Marquez is expected to make his Major League debut in today’s game, Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein told reporters (including MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian).  The plan is for Marquez to toss an inning of work that could serve as an audition for the postseason roster.

With a fastball that hits the 100mph threshold, Marquez represents a very intriguing x-factor for the Cubs’ playoff run if he can adjust quickly to big league hitters.  The 21-year-old has never even pitched in Double-A ball, posting a 3.19 ERA, 2.84 K/BB rate, and 10.1 K/9 over 257 innings in Chicago’s farm system.

An international signing out of the Dominican Republic in 2015, Marquez emerged on top-100 prospect lists prior to the 2020 season.  Baseball America ranked him 37th on their list, with MLB.com (68th), Keith Law (80th), and Baseball Prospectus (84th) all being a bit more reserved in their praise.  BA’s scouting report cited Marquez’s potential front-of-the-rotation arsenal, including his big fastball, a “spike slider,” and also a changeup that was lacking in polish as a legitimate third pitch.

If everything is working, Marquez could be an ace of the future, though the issue is that his delivery doesn’t lend itself to repetition.  Law thinks Marquez will eventually end up as “a very high-end closer” who can pitch multiple innings, and the Cubs certainly wouldn’t mind a preview of that potential future in this year’s playoffs, though obviously the long-term goal is that Marquez will develop into a quality starter.

Braves To Add Pablo Sandoval To Active Roster

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The Braves will select Pablo Sandoval’s contract to the active roster today, manager Brian Snitker told MLB.com’s Mark Bowman and other reporters.  Sandoval is slated to play third base in Atlanta’s starting lineup today.

Sandoval inked a minor league deal with the Braves a little under two weeks ago, just four days after the Giants released him.  The Panda hit only .220/.278/.268 over 90 plate appearances with San Francisco this season, though as The Athletic’s David O’Brien noted, today’s transaction would seem to imply that Atlanta will put Sandoval on its postseason roster.

Austin Riley has been slowed by a quad injury in recent days, so the Braves could be turning to Sandoval for some additional third base depth beyond Adeiny Hechavarria.  Johan Camargo and Charlie Culberson were both available at Atlanta’s alternate training site, though the fact that Sandoval got the nod might be indicative of how far Camargo and Culberson have fallen down the depth chart.

Or, maybe the Braves are simply hoping for some vintage Sandoval postseason magic.  Sandoval has a .344/.389/.545 slash line over 167 career playoff PA, all with San Francisco from 2010-14.  The Giants’ three postseason appearances in that span resulted in three World Series titles, with Sandoval collecting Series MVP honors in 2012 after hitting three homers in Game One of the 2012 Fall Classic.

It has been a while since Sandoval was that productive, though he did hit .259/.311/.466 in 548 PA for the Giants from 2018-19.  The Braves would happily take similar offense in their lineup or coming off the bench in the playoffs as the team looks to capture its first championship since 1995.

Rangers Activate Shin-Soo Choo From Injured List

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The Rangers have activated outfielder/DH Shin-Soo Choo from the 10-day injured list, and the veteran slugger will be in the lineup for what might be his last game in a Texas uniform.  To create roster space for Choo, infielder Sherten Apostel was placed on the 10-day IL with lower back tightness.

A right hand has kept Choo out of action since September 7, and the 38-year-old has a .229/.317/.394 slash line over 126 PA for Texas this season.  While Choo has said that he wants to keep playing in 2021, today’s game could serve as something of a final bow on his seven seasons with the Rangers.  Choo signed a seven-year, $130MM free agent contract during the 2013-14 offseason that ultimately didn’t provide the return Texas was looking for in such a big investment.

Choo has hit a decent but unspectacular .260/.363/.428 over 3479 PA for the Rangers, good for an 109 OPS+ and 111 wRC+.  This production was rather offset, however, by subpar defense in the corner outfield, and Choo spent quite a bit of time as a designated hitter.  All told, Choo has generated 8.8 fWAR as a Ranger.

It remains to be seen if a player of Choo’s age and somewhat limited skillset will be able to catch on with another team in 2021, but his left-handed bat is still quite potent against right-handed pitching.  Choo has consistently mashed righties over his career, and even in this down year still has a .766 OPS in 88 PA against right-handers.

Tigers Place Willi Castro On Injured List

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9:52AM: Castro has been officially placed on the IL, the Tigers announced, and infielder Sergio Alcantara has been added to the active roster.

8:26AM: Tigers shortstop Willi Castro left Saturday’s game in the second inning due to right shoulder soreness, and manager Lloyd McClendon told The Athletic’s Cody Stavenhagen and other reporters that Castro will be placed on the 10-day injured list.  The placement will allow the Tigers to add a healthy player to the roster for today’s final game of the regular season schedule (barring more potential action on Monday, depending on what happens with the Cardinals’ playoff situation).

Castro seemed to tweak his shoulder during a swing, though he finished his plate appearance and even delivered an RBI single for what ended up being the winning run in a 4-3 Tigers victory over the Royals.  Castro was replaced by a pinch-runner after his hit, bringing a premature end to an outstanding rookie season.  After posting only a .624 OPS over 110 PA in 2019, Castro exploded to hit .349/.381/.550 with six homers over 140 plate appearances this season.

A .448 BABIP is undoubtedly a big contributor to Castro’s production, and his Statcast numbers reveal some mediocre hard-hit ball and exit velocity totals.  That said, Castro’s 9.6% barrel rate is above-average (64th percentile) and his .365 xwOBA is respectably close to his .387 wOBA.  There’s plenty here for the Tigers to like about the 23-year-old, who came to the Motor City in the trade deadline swap with the Indians in 2018 that saw Leonys Martin head to Cleveland.

Castro seems to have earned himself a place in Detroit’s infield mix going forward, though it remains to be seen if he’ll stick at shortstop given a lackluster (-3.3 UZR/150, -7 Defensive Runs Saved) defensive showing over 212 1/3 innings at the position this season.  Niko Goodrum delivered much better glovework when playing shortstop, so the Tigers could opt to try Castro out at second or third base in 2021.  Conversely, Castro could get a longer look at shortstop to see if his defense can improve with more seasoning, and the Tigers could move Goodrum back into his old superutility role.

Angels Place Luis Rengifo On 10-Day Injured List

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Prior to tonight’s game, the Angels announced that infielder Luis Rengifo had been placed on the 10-day injured list due to a right hamstring strain.  Righty Jaime Barria was also optioned to the team’s alternate training site, while the two open roster spots were filled by infielder Jahmai Jones and right-hander Luke Bard, both called up from the alternate site.

It’s been an altogether tough year for Rengifo, who hit only .156/.269/.200 over 106 PA and also had another IL stint due to hamstring problems at the start of the season.  Rengifo didn’t do much with quite a bit of regular playing time this year, as he was needed at second base since Tommy La Stella often played at first base and Andrelton Simmons’ injury meant David Fletcher moved over to shortstop.

This performance came after Rengifo was on the verge of being traded back in February, as the Angels walked away at the last moment from a deal that would have sent Rengifo to the Dodgers as part of a trade package for Joc Pederson and Ross Stripling to Anaheim.  While Rengifo is only 23 and has less than two years of MLB service time to his name, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see his name again surface in trade talks this winter.

Jones is back in the big leagues after a one-game cup of coffee earlier this season that saw him make his MLB debut as a pinch-runner but not actually take the field or receive an at-bat.  (Jones was in the Angels’ starting lineup and doubled in his first plate appearance tonight, however.)  A second-round pick for the Angels in the 2015 draft, Jones was a consensus top-100 prospect as recently as the 2017-18 offseason, though a pair of unimpressive years at Double-A lowered his stock.  The 23-year-old Jones has a career .258/.338/.386 slash line over 2159 PA in the minors, and has mostly played second base over the last two years but has plenty of experience in the outfield.

Mets Place Andres Gimenez On 10-Day IL, Select Ryan Cordell

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Andres Gimenez’s 2020 season is over, as the Mets placed the shortstop on the 10-day injured list due to right oblique tightness.  Outfielder Ryan Cordell’s contract has been selected and he will take Gimenez’s spot on the active roster, with right-hander Robert Gsellman being moved to the 60-day IL to free up a 40-man roster spot for Cordell.

The Mets raised some eyebrows by adding Gimenez to their Opening Day roster, as the top prospect had hit only .257/.317/.380 over 632 plate appearances at the Double-A level and has never appeared in Triple-A, let alone the majors.  That said, Gimenez made a solid accounting for himself in his first big league season, batting .265/.336/.402 (104 OPS+, 106 wRC+) over 131 PA for New York with three home runs.  Gimenez also displayed some skill on the basepaths in going 8-for-9 on stolen base attempts, and wielded a steady glove at shortstop while also getting some action in at second and third base.

The left-handed hitting Gimenez ended up more or less platooning with the right-handed hitting Amed Rosario at shortstop, though in the wake of a tough season for Rosario, it’s possible Gimenez may have the inside track to a regular starting job in 2021.  This isn’t to say that the Mets would move on from Rosario, who is still only 24 years old and was an even higher-touted prospect than Gimenez, plus Rosario himself posted solid numbers over the full 2019 season.  Gimenez’s earlier-than-expected emergence gives (likely) incoming Mets front office boss Sandy Alderson some quality depth to work with as he figures out the team’s infield plans for next season.

Cordell signed a minor league deal with the Mets in June and was previously selected to the roster early in the season, though was designated for assignment and then outrighted after four games.  Cordell’s 2020 resume consists of just four plate appearances, this coming after a 2019 season with the White Sox that saw the outfielder hit .221/.290/.355 over 247 PA.

Giants Place Jeff Samardzija On Release Waivers

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The Giants have designated Jeff Samardzija for assignment and placed him on release waivers, per Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle (Twitter link). This officially ends the righty’s 2020 season, as we’ve long since passed the September 15 deadline for players to be eligible for an acquiring team’s postseason roster.

Of course, if Shark has his way, this won’t mark an end to his MLB tenure. The 35-year-old (36 in January) made clear last night he fully intends on continuing his career. He’ll hit the open market on the heels of disastrous 2020 season, though. Samardzija missed a month with a shoulder impingement and was limited to four starts overall. Those didn’t go well, as he was tagged for 19 runs on 21 hits (including seven homers) with only six strikeouts in 16.2 innings. The 29-29 Giants are up one game on the Brewers and Phillies for the National League’s final postseason spot. They’d evidently concluded that, even if they sew up a berth, Samardzija’s lackluster performance foreclosed him as an option for their playoff roster.

The move brings to an end Samardzija’s five-year tenure in San Francisco. The Giants inked him to a five-year, $90MM contract entering the 2016 season. At the time, the former Cubs, Athletics and White Sox hurler was coming off three consecutive 200-inning seasons. Then-executive vice president Brian Sabean and then-GM Bobby Evans surely envisioned Samardzija soaking up innings in the middle of the club’s rotation.

Over the first two seasons of the deal, that’s what he did. Samardzija combined for 411 innings of 4.12 ERA/3.73 FIP ball between 2016-17. He scuffled in 2018 before rebounding with a decent effort last year, running up 181.1 innings of 3.52 ERA ball (albeit with uninspiring peripherals). Unfortunately, the wheels fell off in the final season of the deal.

All told, Samardzija threw 653.2 innings over 110 starts as a Giant. He logged a 4.24 ERA/4.22 FIP with strikeout (20.3%) and walk (6.1%) rates a bit lower than league average. Samardzija was worth around seven wins above replacement over the course of the deal, in the estimate of both FanGraphs and Baseball Reference. That’s a bit of an underwhelming return on investment for the organization, but the deal was far from disastrous. Samardzija’s production in San Francisco was worth around $54.6MM in the estimate of FanGraphs’ dollars per WAR metric, to say nothing of any intangible value the well-traveled veteran brought in the clubhouse.

Minor MLB Transactions: 9/26/20

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Rounding up the latest minor moves:

  • The Yankees announced last night that left-hander Tyler Lyons has been outrighted to the alternate training site. Rookie right-hander Miguel Yajure was recalled in his place. New York just selected Lyons to its roster earlier this week. The veteran got into one game, allowing four runs (all earned) on three hits and a walk in 1.2 innings against the Blue Jays on Wednesday. That marked an eighth straight season of MLB action for Lyons, who has a career 4.30 ERA/4.06 FIP in 162 appearances. Because Lyons was sent to the alternate site, he is eligible to return to the Yankees this season.
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