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Astros Place Justin Verlander On Injured List, Select Brandon Bielak

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The Astros have placed Justin Verlander on 10-day injured list due to a forearm strain and selected the contract of right-hander Brandon Bielak, MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart tweets. Houston has also optioned infielder Taylor Jones to alternate camp and recalled right-hander Nivaldo Rodriguez.

Verlander yesterday publicly denied a report that he’s expected to miss the rest of the 2020 season with the injury, tweeting that he is hopeful rest will heal the current issue and allow him to return. For now, Verlander won’t throw for at least two weeks and will be re-evaluated after that shutdown. In his absence, a once-formidable rotation now looks vulnerable. Lance McCullers Jr. was sharp in his return effort from Tommy John surgery, and veteran Zack Greinke is remains a high-end option. But the options beyond that pair include Framber Valdez, Josh James and several other largely unproven names (Bielak among them).

Bielak, 24, was the Astros’ 11th-round pick back in 2017 and currently ranks in the top half to top third of the team’s 30 best prospects. He split the 2019 season between Double-A and Triple-A, pitching to a combined 4.22 ERA with 8.8 K/9, 3.7 BB/9, 1.0 HR/9 and a 46 percent ground-ball rate. Both MLB.com and FanGraphs label him as a potential fourth/fifth starter in their reports on him, noting that he lacks a true plus pitch but has average across-the-board offerings, a durable frame and history of throwing strikes.

Rodriguez, 23, might not have gotten the call in a normal season, as he’s never pitched above A-ball. However, the Astros are more limited in their choices, so he’ll jump straight to the big leagues on the heels of last year’s 2.40 ERA, 9.8 K/9 and 3.0 BB/9 in 105 frames between Class-A and Class-A Advanced.

Nationals Sign Josh Harrison

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12:57pm: The Nationals have announced the signing. Harrison will be in uniform for tonight’s game. Catcher Raudy Read was optioned to alternate camp to make space on the 30-man roster.

July 27, 10:15am: Harrison has passed his physical and Covid-19 tests, Heyman tweets. A formal announcement should be made by the team today.

July 25, 8:54pm: The Nats and Harrison have agreed to a contract, MLB Network’s Jon Heyman tweets.  The deal will become official once Harrison passes a physical.

10:52am: The Washington Nationals are closing in on a deal with Josh Harrison, tweets Jesse Dougherty of the Washington Post. The Nats had looked into Harrison before signing Brian Dozier ahead of the 2019 season (Twitter links). Moments before Dougherty’s post, Jon Heyman of MLB Network reported that Harrison had multiple major-league offers in hand.

Harrison was only recently released from the Phillies after not making their Opening Day roster. The veteran infielder has primarily played second and third base in his career, but he’s a flexible defender who could see time in the outfield in a pinch as well.

Harrison has struggled to find his footing since his best years with the Pirates. After signing a $2MM deal with the Tigers last offseason, a partially torn hamstring ended his season in late May, leading to his release in August. Harrison appeared in only 36 games with the Tigers, slashing a tough-to-stomach .175/.218/.263. The 33-year-old still owns a career triple-slash of .273/.313/.401 over nine seasons.

The Nationals have their infield minutes fairly well accounted for between Starlin Castro, Asdrubal Cabrera, Trea Turner, Howie Kendrick, Eric Thames, and Carter Kieboom. The organization was shook by Juan Soto’s positive coronavirus test on Opening Day, per Dougherty, and this move could be as simple as the Nats wanting to protect themselves againast an uncertain playing environment. They’ve been bit by a lack of depth in the past, and while Harrison isn’t the type of ballplayer likely to invigorate a fanbase, he’s a veteran who might be more capable than a rookie of handling the dynamic playing conditions of 2020.

Marlins Claim Justin Shafer From Reds

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The Marlins have claimed right-handed reliever Justin Shafer off waivers from the Reds, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports (via Twitter). Cincinnati had designated him for assignment last week.

It’s surely an odd time for Shafer to learn that he’s on his way to the Marlins organization. Miami has had a reported 11 players and two coaches test positive for Covid-19 since Friday — the result of which has been the postponement of two games, an urgent wave of tests in the Phillies organization and undoubtedly some renewed concern among players throughout the league. The Marlins’ sudden shortage of players has likely left them in something of a scramble; MLB Network’s Jon Heyman tweeted earlier today that they’re working to acquire some MLB-caliber depth to fill the roster.

Shafer certainly qualifies as that. While the Reds were the second club to designate him for assignment in the past eight months, he has a solid track record in limited MLB action. In 48 Major League innings, Shafer has pitched to a 3.75 ERA  — albeit with an uglier 39-to-25 K/BB ratio. Still, Shafer has been sharp in the upper minors (both Double-A and Triple-A alike) and will give Miami a fresh arm to help soak up some innings in the wake of their team outbreak.

Rockies’ Tim Collins Opts Out Of 2020 Season

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The Rockies announced Monday that left-hander Tim Collins has informed the club that he will opt out of the remainder of the 2020 season. He’d been in the team’s 60-man player pool but did not make the Opening Day, 30-man roster.

Colorado has also formally added nine players to its 60-man pool, per the announcement. Joining the group are right-handers Tommy Doyle, Karl Kauffmann and Wes Parsons; infielders Aaron Schunk, Michael Toglia, Ryan Vilade and Colton Welker; lefty Helcris Olivarez; and catcher Willie MacIver.

The Rockies’ announcement comes after two game — the Marlins/Orioles tilt in Miami and the Phillies/Yankees contest in Philadelphia — were postponed due to Covid-19 concerns. However, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale tweets that Collins had already informed the team of his decision to opt out prior to today’s news. That said, with 11 players and a pair of coaches testing positive in the Marlins organization alone since Friday, it’s certainly possible that we’ll see another wave of players decide to step away from the season citing health and safety concerns.

Collins, 30, was a staple in the Royals’ bullpen from 2011-14, pitching to a 3.54 ERA with better than a strikeout per frames part of a relief corps that eventually served as the backbone for consecutive World Series appearances. Unfortunately for Collins, he was only a part of the 2014 World Series runner-up roster, as he underwent Tommy John surgery early in 2015. When Collins appeared on the cusp of returning in 2016, he suffered a second UCL tear that led to a second Tommy John surgery.

All told, Collins missed the 2015-17 seasons while recovering, but he returned to the mound in 2018 and made it back to the Majors with the Nationals. In two seasons since his return, he’s totaled 31 1/3 frames in the Majors and logged a 4.02 ERA with a 25-to-15 K/BB ratio. He’s handled righties better than lefties in his career to date, so Collins isn’t necessarily impacted by the three-batter minimum rule like some other southpaws might be.

The 2020 season could’ve been a proving grounds of sorts for Collins, who is still young enough to reestablish himself as a quality reliever. But he’ll instead opt to step aside amid the current health concerns and likely look for another minor league deal this winter.

Blue Jays Release Marc Rzepczynski

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The Blue Jays have released left-hander Marc Rzepczynski, per Baseball America’s Chris Hilburn-Trenkle. The veteran reliever had previously signed a minor league deal in hopes of earning a second stint with the Jays, but he wasn’t included in their 60-player pool for Summer Camp.

Last year marked the first time in a decade that the 34-year-old Rzepczynski didn’t throw at least 10 big league innings in a season. He spent the year with the Diamondbacks’ Triple-A affiliate, struggling to a 5.04 ERA in 44 2/3 frames. His last full big league season came back in 2017.

Rzepczynski has long been one of the league’s more recognizable lefty specialists, holding same-handed batters to a career .227/.295/.305 batting line in 837 plate appearances over a decade in the Majors. Right-handed opponents, however, have logged an .822 OPS against him in 1035 trips to the plate. The new three-batter minimum rule doesn’t exactly do any favors for pitchers of this ilk, although Rzepczynski has had a few seasons along the way where he’s held righties in check for the most part.

In his 10 MLB seasons, Rzepczynski has pitched to a 3.89 ERA (3.88 FIP) with 8.5 K/9, 4.2 BB/9, 0.74 HR/9 and a huge 59.7 percent ground-ball rate in 434 2/3 innings.

Nationals Place Roenis Elias On 60-Day Injured List

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The Nationals placed left-hander Roenis Elias on the 60-day injured list due to a flexor strain in his left elbow, manager Davey Martinez told MASNsports.com’s Byron Kerr and other reporters.  The placement is retroactive to July 13, when Elias was initially placed the 10-day IL for unspecified reasons, though Martinez said the current injury emerged when Elias was throwing a bullpen session at the Nationals’ minor league training camp.

“He threw yesterday and he didn’t feel right.  Got an MRI today and it was a flexor strain,” Martinez said.  Because of the backdated placement, Elias will be eligible to return in 45 days rather than 60, though Martinez noted that “we are going to be cautious” with bringing the southpaw along.

Injuries have plagued Elias since he came to Washington as part of a deadline day trade with Seattle, as a hamstring injury limited him to four appearances for the Nats and he then wasn’t included on their postseason roster.  It put a sour ending on what had been a pretty solid 2019 season for Elias, as he posted a 3.64 ERA, 2.65 K/BB rate, and an 8.6 K/9 over 47 innings with the Mariners.  Elias, who turns 32 later this week, is under team control via arbitration through the 2021 season.

Red Sox Claim Robert Stock

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The Red Sox have claimed right-hander Robert Stock off waivers from the Phillies, as per a team press release.  Philadelphia designed Stock for assignment earlier this week.

Stock represents the latest new arm in Boston’s organization, as the Sox have also added the likes of Zack Godley, Dylan Covey, and Stephen Gonsalves in recent days in an attempt to shore up a pitching staff thinned by injuries, COVID-related absences (i.e. Eduardo Rodriguez) and opt-outs (Collin McHugh).  The Red Sox have optioned Stock to their minor league training site, though it isn’t hard to imagine him getting a call to the MLB roster at some point, as the Sox continue to figure out their optimal bullpen mix.

The hard-throwing Stock has a 4.11 ERA over 50 1/3 career innings, all as a reliever, and all with the Padres from 2018-19.  After posting a 2.50 ERA in 39 2/3 frames in 2018, Stock struggled to a 10.13 ERA over 10 2/3 innings last season as his walk rate and homer rate both ballooned, and he also hit the injured list with a biceps strain in September.

Stock was a second-round pick for the Cardinals in the 2009 draft, though he pitched for a few different organizations (as well as stints in Mexico and independent baseball) before finally reaching the Show in 2018.  The 30-year-old has a 3.74 ERA, 1.54 K/BB rate, and 8.5 K/9 over 327 career minor league innings, working as a reliever in 210 of his 217 appearances.

Reds Claim Robel Garcia

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The Reds have claimed infielder Robel García off waivers from the Cubs, according to Mark Sheldon of MLB.com. García had been designated for assignment by the Cubs on Thursday. He has been optioned and assigned to the Reds’ alternate training site

The 27-year-old made a name for himself with his hot hitting in the upper levels of the Cubs’ minor-league system. In 98 games between Double- and Triple-A last year, García hit .284/.369/.586 and slugged 27 home runs. He forced his way into the Cubs’ Major League plans, appearing in 31 games and making 80 plate appearances.

His hitting slowed down some at the MLB level, and he struck out in a whopping 43.75% of plate appearances. Nonetheless, he managed a respectable .775 OPS, thanks to his 5 home runs and a passable 8.75% walk rate. Primarily a second baseman, García also played both corner outfield positions during his rookie season.

With an already crowded outfield mix in Cincinnati, he figures to see most of his playing time at second base, which is currently something of a toss-up with Mike Moustakas hitting the injured list; Josh VanMeter occupied that spot this afternoon. VanMeter, a left-handed hitter, could form a platoon with the switch-hitting García, though the latter fared considerably better as a lefty in his first taste of big-league action (to be fair, he got just 20 plate appearances against southpaws).

Reds Place Mike Moustakas On Injured List

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The Reds announced they have placed second baseman Mike Moustakas on the injured list. No reason was given for the placement, but Moustakas was scratched from the lineup this morning after waking up “not feeling well,” in the words of manager David Bell. MLB protocols permit a symptomatic player to be placed on the COVID-19 injured list even in the absence of a positive test. Notably, Reds’ DH Matt Davidson tested positive for the coronavirus earlier this week.

Catching prospect Tyler Stephenson has been called up to replace Moustakas on the active roster. Additionally, outfielder Nick Senzel was scratched from today’s starting lineup without further explanation. Senzel remains on the active roster.

This would be a worrisome development for Moustakas and the Reds no matter what, but it’s especially troubling in conjunction with today’s reports that multiple Marlins players had tested positive for COVID-19. The paramount concern, of course, remains the health of the players affected. It’s important to note there’s no confirmation at this point Senzel is dealing with an illness at all.

From an on-field perspective, a lengthy absence from Moustakas would be a difficult blow to the Reds’ hopes of contention. They promised him $64MM over four years to install his power bat into the lineup. Josh VanMeter is getting the start at second base this afternoon.

Stephenson, meanwhile, is one of the game’s top catching prospects. The 23-year-old is in line to make his MLB debut after an impressive .285/.372/.410 showing in a pitcher-friendly Double-A environment last season.

Brewers Designate Mike Morin For Assignment

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The Brewers have designated right-handed reliever Mike Morin for assignment, tweets Adam McCalvy of MLB.com. The move clears space for the activation of left-hander Eric Lauer from the COVID-19 injured list. Lauer will be available out of the Milwaukee bullpen immediately, McCalvy adds.

Morin, 29, logged his most extensive big league action since 2016 with the Twins and Phillies last season. As he’s done throughout his career, he limited walks and home runs but didn’t manage many swings and misses, recording just a 12.4% strikeout rate between the two clubs. Morin didn’t see action in either of Milwaukee’s two games this season. They’ll have a week to trade him, release him or place him on outright waivers.

Lauer was acquired from the Padres over the offseason. He’ll apparently begin the season in the bullpen, but he’ll presumably be built up into a multi-inning capacity for manager Craig Counsell. The 25-year-old started 52 of his 53 appearances in San Diego, working to a 4.40 ERA/4.35 FIP in 261.2 innings over the past two seasons.

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