Tigers Place Jonathan Schoop On 10-Day IL, Activate Niko Goodrum
The Tigers have placed second baseman Jonathan Schoop on the 10-day injured list due to a right wrist sprain, the team announced. Schoop’s placement is retroactive to September 13. Niko Goodrum will take Schoop’s spot on the MLB roster, as Goodrum has been activated from his own IL stint due to a right oblique strain.
Schoop sprained his wrist swinging, manager Ron Gardenhire told MLB.com’s Jason Beck (Twitter links) and other reporters. This comes after Schoop was hit by a pitch on that same wrist on September 8, and Schoop has also been dealing with some hamstring issues. The backdated IL placement means that Schoop could technically still return before the season is over, though with the Tigers fading from playoff contention, it’s possible the infielder could be shut down.
If this is the case, it could mark the end of Schoop’s time in Detroit. Schoop signed a one-year, $6.1MM deal with the Tigers in the offseason, and hit a solid .278/.324/.475 with eight homers over 177 plate appearances. While the Statcast metrics weren’t fans of Schoop’s work this year, the veteran positioned himself for another Major League contract as a free agent this winter, and a return to the Tigers might not be out of the question.
Schoop’s chances of suiting up as a Tiger in 2021 could depend on the team’s plans for Goodrum and Willi Castro, as Gardenhire said Goodrum will take over for Schoop at second base so Castro can get some time at shortstop. The versatile Goodrum can play all over the diamond, so Detroit could explore moving him back into a super-utility role next year if they wanted to go with Castro as an everyday shortstop and perhaps bring Schoop back as the regular second baseman.
On the flip side, Castro hasn’t shown much defensively at shortstop, whereas Goodrum has displayed some strong glovework (+8.7 UZR/150 and +2 Defensive Runs Saved) over 248 innings at the position this season. Goodrum’s main focus over the season’s final days will likely be getting his bat on track, as Goodrum has hit only .186/.264/.381 in 129 PA in 2020.
Mariners Designate Jimmy Yacabonis, Active Brandon Brennan
The Mariners have activated right-hander Brandon Brennan from the 45-day injured list, the team announced. In corresponding moves, righty Jimmy Yacabonis was designated for assignment and right-hander Seth Frankoff was optioned to the team’s alternate training site.
Brennan only pitched in one game before a left oblique strain sent him to the IL on August 2. The righty will get a bit of time left to try and build on a 2019 rookie season that saw Brennan post a 4.56 ERA, 1.96 K/BB, and 8.9 K/9 over 47 1/3 innings for Seattle. The results were solid enough to make Brennan look like a nice pickup for the M’s after he was selected out of the Rockies organization in the 2018 Rule 5 Draft.
Seattle acquired Yacabonis from the Padres in August, and the right-hander appeared in two games for the Mariners (allowing one run in 2 1/3 innings). After spending his entire pro career in the Orioles organization, Yacabonis inked a minor league deal with the Padres in the offseason and now could potentially be joining his third different team of 2020 if he is claimed on DFA waivers. Yacabonis offers some innings-eating length as a swingman, though he has only a 5.71 ERA over 104 career frames in the majors.
Marlins Place Isan Diaz On 60-Day IL, Reinstate Sean Rodriguez
The Marlins have placed infielder Isan Diaz on the 60-day injured list due to a left groin strain, according to multiple reporters (including MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro). Infielder Sean Rodriguez has been activated from the injured list to take Diaz’s spot on the active roster.
The IL placement will officially end a very unusual season for Diaz, who ended up appearing in seven games and hitting .182/.182/.182 over 22 plate appearances. Diaz played in two games before deciding to opt out of the 2020 season, and then opted to rejoin the Marlins in September after getting permission from both the league and the MLBPA. All things considered, 2020 is essentially a lost year for the top prospect, though one would think he still projects as a big part of Miami’s future plans.
Diaz had been starting regularly at second base since his return, but the keystone may now be handled by a combination of rookie Jazz Chisholm and Rodriguez, who now seems set to officially begin his Marlins tenure. Rodriguez signed a minor league deal with the Fish prior to the season and made the Opening Day roster, but was placed on the IL along with a dozen teammates in early August. While no official reason was given for Rodriguez’s absence, it is probably safe to assume that it was COVID-related, given the outbreak that hit Miami’s roster around that time.
The 35-year-old Rodriguez is a veteran of 12 MLB seasons, with a .226/.302/.380 slash line over an even 2900 plate appearances. Rodriguez has played all over the field during his career, giving the Marlins a pair of versatile utility pieces in Rodriguez and Jon Berti, once Berti (finger laceration) returns from what is expected to be a minimal injured list stint.
Yankees Reinstate Giancarlo Stanton, Gio Urshela, Jonathan Loaisiga From Injured List
The Yankees announced that outfielder Giancarlo Stanton, infielder Gio Urshela and right-hander Jonathan Loaisiga have all been reinstated from the 10-day injured list. Miguel Andujar and Mike Ford were optioned to the alternate training site in corresponding moves, and the Yankees already had an open roster space since right-hander Clarke Schmidt was optioned after Sunday’s game.
Stanton hit the IL with a left hamstring strain back on August 9, and the Yankees and their fans are hoping that the slugger can finally enjoy a sustained run of healthy play after almost two full seasons of inactivity due to various leg injuries. Stanton played in only 18 games in 2019 and appeared in 14 games this season before going on the injured list, with this year’s absence being particularly disappointing since Stanton was off to a huge start (hitting .293/.453/.585 with three homers in 54 PA).
However, Stanton’s return gives him time to get ramped up prior to the postseason, as the Yankees are starting to get healthy at perhaps just the right time. Urshela will back to action after a minimal 10-day placement due to a bone spur in his right elbow, and the third baseman has followed up his breakout 2019 campaign with a strong .272/.358/.515 slash line and six homers in 120 PA this season. Aaron Judge is also expected to soon return from a calf injury.
Loaisiga’s return is also welcome news for the Yankees, especially considering the rather unusual nature of his IL placement. On September 4, the Yankees said Loaisiga was suffering from “a medical condition that prevents him from playing and necessitates placement on the injured list,” with manager Aaron Boone later specifying that the right-hander’s absence was not due to COVID-19. Regardless, it is good to see Loaisiga back in relatively quick fashion. The 25-year-old has a 3.18 ERA, 5.00 K/BB rate, and 10.6 K/9 over 17 innings this season.
Reds Select R.J. Alaniz, Designate Nick Williams
The Reds have selected the contract of right-hander R.J. Alaniz, the team announced. Outfielder Nick Williams was designated for assignment to create a 40-man roster spot for Alaniz, while an active roster spot was opened when righty Jose De Leon was placed on the 10-day injured list due to a right groin strain.
Alaniz was claimed off the Mariners’ roster in May 2019 and hasn’t yet appeared in the big leagues this season. Alaniz made his MLB debut last year, posting a 9.19 ERA over 15 2/3 combined innings for Seattle and Cincinnati. An undrafted free agent who signed with the Astros back in 2009, Alaniz has a 4.26 ERA, 2.19 K/BB rate, and 7.3 K/9 over 712 career innings in the minors, pitching in the farm systems of five different organizations.
De Leon’s IL placement will likely end his season after six innings with the Reds and an 18.00 ERA. De Leon was frequently shuttled between the Reds’ active roster and the taxi squad this year, and while this could explain why the righty never found his rhythm, De Leon exhibited some ungainly control problems, with 11 walks over his six innings of work. Formerly a top prospect during his time in the Dodgers’ and Rays’ organizations, De Leon is still clearly trying to get himself sorted after the Tommy John surgery that sidelined him for all of the 2018 season.
Williams is also a former top prospect, and his appearance on the DFA wire could quite possibly lead to a change of scenery. Cincinnati claimed Williams from the Phillies exactly one month ago, though the outfielder hasn’t yet seen any Major League action in a Reds uniform. Despite a solid .269/.330/.446 slash line over 791 PA with the Phillies in 2017-18, Williams didn’t see much playing time last year and eventually became an expendable part in Philadelphia. It wouldn’t be surprising if a playoff contender tried to claim Williams in order to add outfield depth, or even a team looking ahead to 2021 could put in a claim to give Williams a look on their roster.
Tigers Call Up Eric Haase, Option Grayson Greiner
The Tigers have made a change to their catching ranks, optioning Grayson Greiner to their alternate training site and calling up Eric Haase. Acquired from the Indians back in January, Haase is line to see his first action of the 2020 season.
Greiner has hit .118/.182/.333 over 55 plate appearances this season, continuing the offensive struggles that also plagued him over his first two MLB seasons (.577 OPS in 340 PA in 2018-19). With starter Austin Romine also scuffling, the Tigers opted to bring Haase into the picture as the backup, though Haase also isn’t known for his work at the plate.
Haase has only 34 career MLB plate appearances to his name, and a .094/.147/.188 slash line to show for his brief time in the Show. In the minors, however, Haase has shown more pop, batting .243/.316/.477 with 130 home runs over 2833 career PA in Cleveland’s farm system.
The other notable aspect of the transaction is that Haase is getting the call rather than Jake Rogers, who has long been tabbed as Detroit’s catcher of the future. Rogers hasn’t seen any time at the Major League level this season after making his debut in 2019 and hitting only .125/.222/.259 over 128 PA. Tigers GM Al Avila recently implied that Rogers was unlikely to be called up again this season, so while Haase’s promotion isn’t necessarily a surprise, it does continue to raise questions about whether or not the Tigers still view Rogers as a long-term answer.
Braves Sign Pablo Sandoval
The Braves have signed third baseman/first baseman Pablo Sandoval to a minor league contract, Jon Heyman of MLB Network tweets. Sandoval will head to their alternate site.
It didn’t take long for Sandoval to find a new team, as the Giants placed him on release waivers Sept. 10. To say the least, the two-time All-Star has gone through an up-and-down career. He was hugely important to the Giants from 2008-14, a span in which they won three World Series titles, but floundered after signing a five-year, $95MM contract with the Red Sox before 2015.
Sandoval didn’t get through his whole contract with Boston, which released him in 2017. He returned to San Francisco thereafter and turned back into a useful bench piece last season, but his year was cut short because of Tommy John surgery. The Giants re-signed Sandoval in January, but the 34-year-old switch-hitter could only muster a .220/.278/.268 line with one home run in 90 plate appearances this season before they cut the cord on him.
Sandoval will now join an organization whose third basemen rank dead last in the majors in fWAR (minus-0.4). Austin Riley and Johan Camargo, the NL East-leading Braves’ only third base choices so far, have combined for a .220/.272/.396 line through 294 plate appearances. The Braves optioned Camargo to their alternate training site on Sept. 9.
Braves Release Robbie Erlin
The Braves announced this afternoon that they’ve released left-hander Robbie Erlin, who’d been designated for assignment over the weekend. The veteran southpaw is now free to sign with any club.
Erlin, 29, opened the season with the Pirates but was designated for assignment and picked up off waivers by the Braves shortly thereafter. The longtime Padres hurler made a pair of solid starts for the Braves early in his tenure, tossing eight innings and holding opponents to a combined two runs, but he’s been hammered over his five most recent outings. Overall, he’s put together an ugly 8.49 ERA with Atlanta and an 8.10 mark on the season as a whole.
Rough 2020 results aside, Erlin isn’t far removed from a solid 2018 campaign in San Diego. He tossed 109 frames that year between a dozen starts and 27 relief outings, working to an overall 4.21 ERA and 3.31 FIP with averages of 7.27 strikeouts, 0.99 walks and 0.99 homers per nine innings pitched. Prior to his poor results from 2019-20, Erlin had compiled a lifetime 4.40 ERA and 3.58 FIP in 257 2/3 MLB frames.
It’s impossible to simply ignore his recent results, but perhaps a club with some other ideas for his pitch selection might have ideas about how to help him return to form. Erlin did scrap his once-effective sinker entirely in 2020, gravitating more toward four-seamers and curveballs than ever before.
Neil Walker Elects Free Agency
The Phillies announced that veteran infielder Neil Walker, whom they designated for assignment last Friday, has elected free agency after clearing waivers. Philadelphia also reinstated Scott Kingery from the injured list and optioned lefty Ranger Suarez to the alternate training site.
Walker, 35, struggled to a .231/.244/.308 slash through 18 games and 41 plate appearances prior to being designated on Friday. The Phils opted to swap him out for fellow infielder Ronald Torreyes, who gives them an option at shortstop — a position not in Walker’s repertoire — and to provide better overall glovework at other spots around the infield.
Although Walker wasn’t particularly sharp with the Phillies, he notched a solid .261/.344/.395 batting line with the Marlins just last year. He was also a consistently productive hitter from 2010-17, slashing a combined .273/.342/.439 in 4294 plate appearances between the Pirates, Mets and Brewers. He’ll be eligible to sign with any club for the duration of the season should he choose. If he does latch on with a new club by tomorrow, he’d still be eligible for his new club’s postseason roster.
Brewers Claim Billy McKinney; Trey Supak, Ronny Rodriguez Designated For Assignment
The Brewers announced Monday that they’ve claimed outfielder Billy McKinney off waivers from the Blue Jays, who had designated him for assignment on Friday. He’s been optioned to the Brewers’ alternate training site. Milwaukee also added righty Justin Topa as the 29th man for their doubleheader today and reinstated right-hander Ray Black from the 45-day injured list.
In order to make room on the 40-man roster for McKinney and Black, the Brewers designated right-hander Trey Supak and infielder Ronny Rodriguez for assignment.
The 26-year-old McKinney was a first-round pick (No. 24 overall) by the Athletics back in 2013 and has since bounced around the league in a series of high-profile swaps. Oakland initially sent him to the Cubs as part of the Jeff Samardzija/Jason Hammel trade, but McKinney never made it to the big leagues in Chicago. Instead, the Cubs shipped him to the Yankees alongside Gleyber Torres in 2016’s Aroldis Chapman deadline swap. Nearly two years to the day later, the Yankees flipped McKinney to Toronto as part of their return for lefty J.A. Happ.
McKinney appeared in only two games for the Yankees and has spent the other 122 games of his big league career with the Toronto organization. He’s shown some pop, evidenced by a .209 ISO, 18 homers, 21 doubles and a triple in 407 plate appearances with the Jays, but McKinney has also been prone to strikeouts and infield flies without drawing much in the walk department.
Overall, McKinney is a .231/.291/.437 hitter with a 25.8 percent strikeout rate and a 7.3 percent walk rate in the Majors. He’s drawn average reviews for his glovework in right field and below-average marks in left. McKinney has never played center in the Majors but does have a handful of innings at first base. He’s out of minor league options after this season, so there will be increased pressure for him to make the club in 2021 — if he survives on the 40-man roster until next year’s Spring Training, that is.
The decision to designate Supak is somewhat of a surprise, given that he’s long been regarded among the organization’s better pitching prospects and put together a nice season in Double-A last year. True, the Milwaukee farm has been regarded as one of the lower-ranking systems in the game for several seasons, but Supak looked to have an opportunity to make it to the Majors this year.
Supak spent most of last year in Double-A, where he pitched 122 2/3 frames of 2.20 ERA ball with 6.9 K/9, 1.7 BB/9, 0.44 HR/9 and a 44.8 percent grounder rate. It’s a very pitcher-friendly setting, and the right-hander’s fielding-independent metrics weren’t as bullish as that rudimentary ERA — 3.14 FIP, 3.59 xFIP — but it was still a promising season all around. Supak was hit hard in a brief seven-game Triple-A stint, but that was true of most pitchers, given the offensive eruption throughout Triple-A that coincided with changes to the composition of the ball itself.
Milwaukee can’t trade Supak at this point, so he’ll now surely be run through outright waivers. He has a minor league option remaining beyond this season and a relatively strong minor league track record, so it wouldn’t all be a surprise to see another club place a claim. Perhaps of note, the club that originally drafted Supak, the Pirates, has the top waiver priority at present. (They’ve since turned over the top of their front office, however.) If Supak goes unclaimed, Milwaukee will be able to outright him to its alternate site and keep him both in the organization and in the 60-man player pool.
As for the 28-year-old Rodriguez, he never got into a game with the Brewers after coming over from the Tigers in a December waiver claim. He’s a versatile utility piece with a bit of pop but overwhelming on-base issues, as can be seen in his career .221/.254/.396 batting line. Rodriguez did swat 14 big flies in 294 MLB plate appearances last year, but he also carries a career 24.8 percent strikeout rate and has seen a dismal 18.2 percent of his fly-balls register as infield pop-ups. Thirty percent of Rodriguez’s plate appearances have resulted in either a punchout or a pop-up, and he’s walked at just a 4.6 percent pace in the Majors.