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Rays Select Josh Fleming, Designate Sean Gilmartin

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AUGUST 23: The Rays have selected Fleming’s contract, putting him in line to start today’s game against the Blue Jays, per Juan Toribio of MLB.com (Twitter link). Tampa designated left-hander Sean Gilmartin for assignment to clear space on the 40-man roster.

AUGUST 21: The Rays will select the contract of lefty Josh Fleming from their alternate training site this weekend, manager Kevin Cash announced to reporters (Twitter link via Rays pregame/postgame host Neil Solondz). He’ll start Sunday’s game for Tampa Bay. A Saturday starter hasn’t been named, but Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times tweets that Charlie Morton won’t return this weekend.

Fleming will step into the void left by the injury to Yonny Chirinos, who’ll be out until the 2022 season due to a UCL tear that requires Tommy John surgery. The Rays will need to open a 40-man spot for Fleming, but that can be achieved by placing Chirinos on the 45-day injured list.

The 24-year-old Fleming was a rare draftee from a Division-III program — a fifth-round pick by the Rays out of Webster University in St. Louis back in 2017. He’s cruised through the minors, pitching to a combined 3.40 ERA with 6.6 K/9, 1.6 BB/9 and a ground-ball rate north of 50 percent. He’s not considered to be among the organization’s top prospects, although that’s in part a testament to the deep and excellent farm that has been put together by the Tampa Bay front office. MLB.com lists Fleming 29th among Rays farmhands, calling him a potential back-end starter with an above-average slider, plus command but some struggles against righties. FanGraphs’ Eric Longenhagen pegs Fleming as a future big league reliever.

Marlins To Place Francisco Cervelli On 7-Day Concussion IL

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The Marlins announced that catcher Francisco Cervelli will be placed on the seven-day concussion protocol injured list.  A corresponding move will be made prior to tomorrow’s game.  Cervelli started for Miami tonight in the second game of its doubleheader with the Nationals, though Cervelli was replaced by Jorge Alfaro prior to the start of the third inning.

While no concussion news is good, tonight’s news is particularly troubling due to Cervelli’s long history with such injuries.  This is at least the seventh concussion Cervelli has suffered during his career, and it was less than 14 months ago that Cervelli seemed to intimate that he was done with catching, though he rather emphatically walked back that statement a few days later.  Even if Cervelli’s symptoms (hopefully) subside quickly this time, one would imagine the Marlins might keep him out of action for longer than the seven-day minimum just to make absolutely sure Cervelli is ready, given all the past concussions on his record.

Cervelli inked a one-year, $2MM deal with Miami last offseason to provide some more experience at catcher, and since Alfaro was only activated from the IL on Friday, Cervelli has been a key player both behind the plate and at the plate.  Entering Saturday, Cervelli had a .250/.361/.462 slash line and three home runs over 61 plate appearances.

Should Cervelli miss an extended amount of time, the Marlins don’t have a ton of depth behind Alfardo.  Chad Wallach is also on the IL, while four other catchers in Miami’s player pool (Will Banfield, Santiago Chavez, Julian Leon, and Brian Navarreto) don’t have any Major League experience.

Minor MLB Transactions: 8/22/20

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The latest minor moves from around the baseball world…

  • The Tigers outrighted infielder Dawel Lugo to their alternate training site, the team announced.  Lugo cleared waivers after being designated for assignment earlier this week.  Lugo saw semi-regular action for Detroit in 2019 but hasn’t hit much over 400 total Major League plate appearances, batting .236/.270/.358 and seven home runs.  Acquired from the Diamondbacks as part of the J.D. Martinez trade in 2017, Lugo has a .280/.310/.399 slash line over 3340 career PA in the minors, though he did post an .859 OPS over 303 Triple-A plate appearances in 2019.

Astros Activate Michael Brantley; Place Josh James On 10-Day IL

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The Astros have activated outfielder Michael Brantley from the 10-day injured list, as per a team announcement.  Brantley will be available for tonight’s game against the Padres, as he will immediately take the roster spot opened after right-hander Josh James was placed on the 10-day IL.  James is battling left hip discomfort.

Brantley is back after spending a minimal ten-day stint on the IL due to a right quad injury, though his activation comes as something of a surprise.  Manager Dusty Baker said just yesterday that he was “not real optimistic” that Brantley would be activated as soon as he was eligible to return, though apparently the veteran slugger showed good enough progress during pregame drills today that the Astros felt comfortable putting him back on the 28-man roster.

Since stepping on the foot of Dodgers reliever Joe Kelly during a play at first base on July 29, Brantley has been bothered by foot and quad problems, though it wasn’t stopping him from continuing to produce at the plate.  Brantley had been limited to DH duty, however, and Houston ultimately deciding an IL stint was necessary to get Brantley back in good enough health for regular outfield duty.  That choice may have been spurred by the return of Yordan Alvarez, though with Alvarez now gone for the season due to knee surgery, the DH spot will again be available for Brantley or any other Astros players to get a partial rest day.

Brantley’s return brings some relief to an Astros lineup that is already without Alvarez, Alex Bregman, and Aledmys Diaz.  Brantley has hit .286/.375/.446 over 64 PA this season, continuing the strong hitting that has defined much of Brantley’s career, though he has also dealt with his share of injuries over his 12 Major League seasons.

James’ injury seemed to arise on Thursday, as the righty had to be helped off the field after fielding a grounder during Thursday’s 10-8 Houston victory over the Rockies.  The IL placement continues what has already been a rough season for James, who has struggled in both the rotation and bullpen to the tune of a 10.97 ERA over 10 2/3 innings.

Cubs Place Kris Bryant On 10-Day Injured List

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The Cubs announced that Kris Bryant has been placed on the 10-day injured list due to a sprained left ring finger.  The placement is retroactive to August 19.  There is no corresponding move for now, so the Cubs will play tonight’s game against the White Sox with only 27 players on their 28-man active roster.

Bryant has been battling finger and left wrist issues for over a week now, ever since an attempt at a diving catch during the Cubs’ 7-2 win over the Indians on August 12.  After a game off, Bryant attempted to play through the injury but still seemed bothered, as evidenced by his 2-for-16 performance over a four-game stretch.  Bryant hasn’t played since Monday, though as noted as ESPN.com’s Jesse Rogers, manager David Ross said just earlier today that putting Bryant on the IL was “not the plan right now.”  Clearly those plans changed, and Bryant will now get some more time off to fully heal up.

The time away might also serve as something of a restart for Bryant after a slow beginning to the 2020 season.  The slugger has hit only .177/.271/.323 over his first 70 plate appearances, though Bryant has been dealing with a number of minor health issues (a sore back, sore elbow, and some gastrointestinal illness) since Opening Day.

David Bote will likely continue to be the top choice at third base until Bryant returns, with Nico Hoerner and Hernan Perez also available as hot corner options.

Reds Select Mark Payton’s Contract

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The Reds announced that outfielder Mark Payton’s contract has been selected to the Major League roster.  Payton’s move was one of a few transactions made official by the club, as the Reds also optioned infielder Josh VanMeter to their alternate training site and made a change to their taxi squad — righty Jose De Leon joins the taxi squad, while outfielder Robel Garcia is out.

Payton now seems set to make his MLB debut, which he probably thought was in the cards back in December when the Reds plucked him out of the Athletics’ system via the Rule 5 draft.  In July, however, the Reds returned Payton back to Oakland seemingly as part of a roster crunch, yet then re-acquired the outfielder two weeks ago.  Since Payton is now officially a member of Cincinnati’s roster, he is free of any Rule 5 restrictions, so the Reds can freely option him between the majors and their alternate training site if they so choose.

A seventh-round pick for the Yankees in the 2014 draft, Payton has hit .286/.363/.455 with 62 home runs over 2248 career minor league plate appearances.  Those career numbers are heavily fueled by Payton’s 30 homers and .334/.400/.653 slash line over 447 PA for the Athletics’ Triple-A affiliate in 2019, though that performance carries some caveats.  2019 was the most hitter-friendly year in the history of Triple-A baseball, the Pacific Coast League was a notoriously hitter-friendly league even prior to 2019, and Payton (then in his age-27 season) was older than most Triple-A pitchers.

Still, obviously the Reds saw enough in Payton’s breakout year to make him a priority in the Rule 5 draft.  Payton does have some center field experience, though he has mostly played as a corner outfielder in recent years.  He will join Travis Jankowski as a left-handed hitting backup outfielder on a roster that also includes Shogo Akiyama and Jesse Winker as more regular lefty-swinging outfielders.

Orioles Designate Dwight Smith Jr., Select Mason Williams

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The Orioles have designated outfielder Dwight Smith Jr. for assignment and have selected the contract of outfielder Mason Williams, according to Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com.

With Smith Jr. removed from the 40-man roster, the team will have a week to either trade the 27-year-old or place him on outright waivers. Per Rich Dubroff of BaltimoreBaseball.com, O’s general manager Mike Elias is hopeful that Smith Jr. will remain in the organization following his DFA.

Although his 2020 season has not gone as hoped, Smith Jr. was a capable contributor for last year’s Orioles, batting .241/.297/.412 in his first shot at a regular role with an MLB team.

However, he’s fallen out of favor in Baltimore as he finds himself in an increasingly crowded outfield mix in need of a true center fielder after the injury to Austin Hays. Smith Jr. is limited to left field and has struggled defensively since coming to Baltimore.

Mason Williams will join the Orioles roster as an option to play center field occasionally, and is more suited for a role as a fourth outfielder than Smith Jr. due to his positional flexibility. He appeared with the Orioles briefly last year, though he spent the majority of the year with Baltimore’s Triple-A affiliate. There, he hit .308/.371/.477 with 18 home runs, his most in a season since debuting in 2010.

Brewers Designate Brock Holt For Assignment

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The Milwaukee Brewers designated Brock Holt for assignment and selected Jace Peterson from their alternate site, the team announced.

The move comes as a bit of a surprise, given that Holt signed this past offseason and the Brewers have a club option for a second year. That said, the long-time Red Sox utility man had gotten off to a horrendous start. Through 36 plate appearances, Holt was hitting just .100/.222/.100 with 9 strikeouts and without an extra-base hit. The career .269/.338/.370 hitter obviously can do better, but in a shortened season, the Brewers clearly decide they did not have time to wait for a turnaround.

Holt signed for a $3.25MM guarantee after spending the past seven seasons with the Red Sox. The expectation was that Holt would fill in around the infield, but the Brewers aren’t short on other options – Peterson included – and Holt simply wasn’t hitting.

Peterson, 30, stands to replace Holt both on the roster and in his role. Capable of playing just about anywhere on the diamond, Peterson has bounced around, but appeared in the majors every season since 2014. The Brewers will be his fifth team, after the Padres, Braves, Orioles, and Yankees.

White Sox Activate Reynaldo Lopez, Option Nicky Delmonico

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The White Sox activated Reynaldo Lopez to start tonight’s game against the rival Cubs, per MLB.com’s Scott Merkin (via Twitter). To make room on the roster, outfielder Nicky Delmonico has been optioned to the team’s alternate training site in Schaumberg, per Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune.

Lopez made one start this season before spending the next 25 days on the injured list with right shoulder soreness. He recorded just two outs while surrendering three hits and a pair of walks. Lopez, 26, has been a steady if unspectacular presence in the Chicago rotation the past two seasons. After a strong 2018, he took a step back last season, totalling a 17-25 record and 4.64 ERA/4.83 FIP over those two seasons.

Lopez throws hard (95.4 mph on his four-seamer last year), and despite a low spit rate, his heater has above-average side-to-side movement. He’s heavily reliant on the heater, throwing it close to 60% of the time, and his secondary pitches (a changeup and slider) haven’t reached the level of consistency the White Sox would probably prefer for a rotation arm. Still, Lopez should be able to reclaim his rotation spot for the foreseeable future if he can return to form.

Delmonico has been a regular roster presence over the past three seasons, but the emergence of Eloy Jimenez and Luis Robert have put a squeeze on outfield innings. The 27-year-old is off to a slow start this year with a triple slash of .150/.227/.150 across 22 plate appearances. Adam Engel and Luis Gonzalez remain on the active roster as spare outfielders.

Phillies Acquire Brandon Workman, Heath Hembree

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9:25pm: Philadelphia will also receive a player to be named later or more cash from Boston, Matt Gelb of The Athletic tweets.

8:14pm: The Phillies and Red Sox have announced a trade that will send two veteran relievers – Brandon Workman and Heath Hembree – as well as $815K to Philadelphia in exchange for right-handers Nick Pivetta and Connor Seabold. That sum should enable the Phillies to stay under the luxury tax, Jim Salisbury of NBC Sports Philadelphia observes.

This deal has seemed inevitable since reports emerged Friday afternoon that the Phillies and Red Sox were in serious discussions regarding Workman and Hembree, who should improve a bullpen that has been horrific in 2020. Phillies relievers entered Friday with easily the league’s worst ERA (8.07) and the game’s 27th-ranked FIP (5.61). Worsening matters, they placed their most effective reliever, Jose Alvarez, on the 10-day injured list Friday after he took a 105 mph line drive off his groin on Thursday.

In Workman, the Phillies are getting a 32-year-old who, since last season, has struggled mightily with his control (5.63 BB/9) but has still found a way to handle opposing offenses. Dating back to 2019, Workman has logged a stingy 2.07 ERA/2.47 FIP with 12.87 K/9 and a 50 percent groundball rate over 78 1/3 innings. However, as a soon-to-be free agent, Workman may only amount to a few-week rental for a Philadelphia club that’s just 9-12 but still hoping to contend.

Hembree, 31, is on a prorated $1.61MM salary this season and still has another year of arbitration eligibility remaining. At his best, Hembree combined for 113 innings of 3.19 ERA/3.68 FIP ball with 9.32 K/9 and 2.79 BB/9 from 2016-17. His numbers have dipped since then, though a four-run blowup in his final Boston appearance Tuesday against, of all teams, Philadelphia has played a big part in that. He was off to an effective start before then, but now owns a lackluster 5.59 ERA through 9 2/3 innings this year. Hembree has, however, notched 10 strikeouts against three walks.

With the Red Sox well out of contention this year, it made sense for the club to part with a pair of 30-something relievers for a couple pitchers who could have a greater long-term impact on their roster. For now, Pivetta and Seabold will report to their alternate training site.

The 27-year-old Pivetta was a swingman in Philadelphia from 2017-20, during which he stumbled to a 5.50 ERA across 396 1/3 frames. FIP (4.64), xFIP (4.03) and SIERA (4.10) suggest he has deserved better, but the Phillies clearly got tired of waiting on his run prevention to head in the right direction. And Pivetta sealed his fate with the club this year by opening with three relief appearances in which he yielded a whopping 10 earned runs on 10 hits (including three homers) in 5 2/3 innings. The good news for Boston is that Pivetta isn’t costly – he’s on a minimum salary this year and will go through the first of three potential arbitration trips during the offseason – so there’s not much risk on the club’s end in taking on Pivetta as a reclamation project.

Seabold, the lone player in this trade who hasn’t reached the majors, became a pro when the Phillies chose him in the third round of the 2017 draft. He reached Double-A for the first time in 2019, and though an oblique injury held him to 40 innings, Seabold turned in excellent numbers in that span. The 24-year-old posted a 2.25 ERA/2.77 FIP and recorded 8.1 K/9 and 2.25 BB/9 in his first try at the level. Before Philly shipped him out, Seabold ranked as the team’s 23rd-best prospect at MLB.com, which suggests he could turn into a back-end starter in the majors.

Alex Speier of the Boston Globe first reported the teams were finalizing the trade. Robert Murray reported the deal was done. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported the cash sum Philly received. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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