Rays Announce Multiple Roster Moves
The Rays announced several roster moves this morning (MLB.com’s Juan Toribio was among those to tweet the full list), including the news that Manuel Margot has been activated from the COVID-19 injury list. The club also selected the contract of right-hander John Curtiss from its alternate training camp, and also called righty Ryan Thompson back up to the MLB roster. To create room, Oliver Drake has been placed on the 10-day injured list with right biceps tendinitis, while left-hander Sean Gilmartin and catcher Kevan Smith have been designated for assignment.
Margot’s placement on the COVID list as a matter of procedure, as he was away from the club for personal reasons and had to undergo mandatory intake screening upon returning. Thompson is also “back” with the team in pretty short order, as he started yesterday’s game against the Yankees and was then optioned to the minor league training grounds. Continuing the trend of rapid-fire Rays transactions, Gilmartin’s contract was only selected two days ago, and he recorded one appearance of 3 1/3 innings (giving up three runs in an 8-4 loss to the Yankees in the first game of Saturday’s doubleheader) before being sent into DFA limbo.
Smith was also a pretty new entry to the roster, as the Rays selected his contract back on July 30. Manager Kevin Cash told reporters (including Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times) that the Rays would ideally like to retain both Gilmartin and Smith if they aren’t claimed on waivers by another team.
Drake pitched the final inning of the first game of yesterday’s doubleheader, and now has a 3.38 ERA in 5 1/3 innings this season. The well-traveled Drake has seemingly found some stability in Tampa Bay, with a 3.23 ERA, 3.36 K/BB rate, and 10.9 K/9 over 61 1/3 relief innings since the Rays acquired him prior to the 2019 season.
Curtiss signed a minor league deal with Tampa during the offseason and is now on pace to appear in his fourth big league season. The right-hander has a 6.75 ERA over 17 1/3 career innings scattered across the 2017-19 seasons, as a member of the Twins and Angels. Curtiss was also briefly in the Phillies organization last season but didn’t receive any MLB playing time.
Pirates Place Phillip Evans On 45-Day IL; Promote Jose Osuna, Brandon Waddell
10:09AM: The Pirates have officially placed Evans on the 45-day injured list. The Bucs also announced the Mears option, the Osuna call-up, and the selection of Waddell’s contract.
8:55AM: Evans will likely miss the rest of the season after suffering a broken jaw and a concussion, Mackey reports.
8:33AM: The Pirates will be calling up infielder/outfielder Jose Osuna and left-hander Brandon Waddell from their alternate training site, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports (Twitter links). Righty Nick Mears will be one of the players being sent to make room on the active roster, a day after Mears tossed an inning of relief to mark his Major League debut.
While no formal announcement has yet been made by the Pirates, Phillip Evans is surely headed to the injured list in the wake of yesterday’s brutal collision with teammate Gregory Polanco. Evans and Polanco were both chasing for a fly ball in foul ground during the sixth inning of Pittsburgh’s 11-5 loss to the Tigers, and ran into each other at full speed with Evans’ head taking the full brunt of Polanco’s elbow and forearm. Evans appeared to be conscious, though he was taken off the field in a stretcher and taken to hospital for evaluation.
Osuna is back on the Bucs’ roster for the second time this season, having already appeared in six games for the club before being optioned to the alternate camp on Thursday. Experienced at both corner infield and outfield positions, Osuna has shown flashes of promise over his 256 MLB games, and generated some roughly league-average offense (99 OPS+, 97 wRC+) with his .264/.310/.456 slash line and 10 home runs over 285 PA in 2019.
Waddell was only added to the Pirates’ 60-man player pool on Friday, and another transaction will be forthcoming in order for the Bucs to make room for him on their 40-man roster. The southpaw is set to make his Major League debut a little over five years after being selected out of the University of Virginia with a fifth-round pick in the 2015 draft. Waddell has a 4.12 ERA, 2.07 K/BB rate, and 8.0 K/9 over 478 innings in Pittsburgh’s farm system, starting 85 of his 115 games. It’s possible Waddell could just be getting a cup of coffee on the roster (like Mears) as the Pirates continue to cycle through pitchers, though the Bucs’ almost team-wide pitching struggles could provide opportunity for Waddell to gain a foothold in the big leagues.
Mets Place Michael Wacha On 10-Day IL
The Mets announced that right-hander Michael Wacha has been placed on the 10-day injured list due to inflammation in his throwing shoulder. Catcher Ali Sanchez has been called up from the club’s alternate training site to take Wacha’s spot on the active roster.
After a strong debut start for New York on July 27, Wacha has struggled over his last two outings, and has an overall 6.43 ERA over his first 14 innings in a Mets uniform. Despite a 3.60 K/BB rate, an 11.6 K/9, and some generally above-average Statcast numbers, Wacha has been hurt badly by the long ball, with three homers allowed over his 14 frames (1.9 HR/9). The early returns suggest a troubling continuation of the homer problem that plagued Wacha last season, as his HR/9 went from 0.9 over the first six years of his career to a sudden 1.8 number in 2019.
Wacha’s absence leaves the Mets further short-handed in a rotation that already lost Noah Syndergaard to Tommy John surgery last spring and Marcus Stroman to the injured list due to a tear in his calf muscle. Mets manager Luis Rojas told the New York Post’s Mike Puma and other reporters that Stroman was still at least another simulated game away from returning, so there isn’t enough time for Stroman to be activated prior to Wednesday, when Wacha was scheduled to start. Erasmo Ramirez, Corey Oswalt, Franklyn Kilome, and Ariel Jurado are all available at the Mets’ alternate training site as potential fill-ins, both for Wednesday or potentially longer if Stroman needs more time.
Royals Reinstate Hunter Dozier, Place Franchy Cordero On 10-Day IL
The Royals have reinstated Hunter Dozier from the injured list, the club announced via Twitter. Dozier will take the roster spot left open by outfielder Franchy Cordero, who is headed to the 10-day IL with a right wrist sprain.
Dozier is set to make his season debut after testing positive for COVID-19 just two days’ prior to the Royals’ first game. He was reportedly feeling some symptoms at the time, but it is obviously good news to see him recovered and now ready to take the field. The 28-year-old is looking to follow up a breakout 2019 season that saw him hit .279/.348/.522 with 26 homers and a league-best 10 triples over 586 plate appearances.
While the Royals’ offense has been pretty productive even with Dozier out, his return will likely represent a big upgrade on Cordero, who has hit only .154/.185/.231 over his first 27 plate appearances with the team. He suffered his wrist injury during batting practice on Wednesday, and will now make another unwelcome trip to the IL in a career that has thus far been marked by injuries.
Elbow and quad problems limited Cordero to only 49 total games over the 2018-19 seasons, though the 25-year-old has flashed some impressive power potential when he has been able to play. There is still lots of upside if Cordero can stay healthy, which is why Kansas City was willing to trade reliever Tim Hill to San Diego for Cordero and Ronald Bolanos back on July 16.
Yankees Place Giancarlo Stanton On 10-Day Injured List
The Yankees have placed Giancarlo Stanton on their 10-day injured list due to a left hamstring strain, the team announced. Thairo Estrada has been recalled to take Stanton’s place on the active roster.
Stanton was removed from last night’s 5-3 loss to the Rays, as manager Aaron Boone told reporters (including MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch) that the slugger suffered the injury while running the bases in the fourth inning. Stanton was was able to remain on the field and even advance to both third and home later in the inning to score a run, though Mike Ford replaced Stanton during the next DH at-bat in the sixth inning.
Yet another trip to the IL is ominous news for Stanton and Yankees fans in the wake of the slugger’s oft-injured status over the last two seasons, and several leg-related issues (knee, quad, calf) were among Stanton’s long list of maladies. Stanton was limited to only 18 games in 2019 and he would have missed time at the start of a normally-scheduled 2020 season had the league not been shut down.
Though the first 14 games of the season, Stanton seemed to be in prime form, hitting .293/.453/.585 with three homers over his first 54 plate appearances. Albeit in a small sample size, this performance continues to indicate that Stanton is one of the sport’s most impactful bats when healthy, though remaining on the field is becoming an ever-increasing difficulty.
The Yankees played Stanton exclusively as a designated hitter this season in order to keep him as fresh as possible, and with the position now open, the club could cycle several players through DH duty. Of those on the active roster, Ford and Mike Tauchman are the likeliest candidates for more playing time, plus Miguel Andujar and Clint Frazier loom as potential call-ups from the minor league camp.
Marlins’ Roster Moves: Bleier, Venditte, Mejia, Moran
The Miami Marlins placed recent acquisition Richard Bleier on the injured list with a “mild strain in his elbow in his elbow bicep”, per MLB Network contributor Craig Mish (via Twitter). In corresponding moves, the Marlins selected the contract of Pat Venditte, the switch-pitcher recently brought to camp. Humberto Mejia has been optioned to the alternate site. Lefty Brian Moran has been put back on the active roster, per Mish.
Bleier made three appearances with the Fish since coming over via trade from the Orioles. He allowed 1 run on 1 hit in 1 1/3 innings. The 33-year-old southpaw didn’t make his big league debut until 2016 as a 29-year-old. In the 4+ seasons since, he has mustered a respectable 3.02 ERA/3.73 FIP across 169 appearances (179 innings) for the Yankees, Orioles, and Marlins.
Venditte got into a game for the first time in 2020 tonight, but he previously appeared in parts of four seasons for the A’s, Blue Jays, Mariners, Dodgers, and Giants. Venditte’s gimmick is well-known throughout baseball as an ambidextrous pitcher, but he’s struggled on the whole as a major leaguer. In 58 appearances, Venditte owns a 5.03 ERA/5.04 FIP, though the 35-year-old continues to see opportunities. To his credit, he also continues to post solid numbers in Triple-A, including a 2.85 ERA across 47 1/3 innings with the Giants’ Triple-A affiliate in 2019.
Mejia, 23, will no doubt find his way back to the majors after a fine debut. The Panamanian right-hander started one game as an extended opener, going 2 1/3 innings and allowing just one earned run while striking out six. In a year of unprecedented roster moves, it’s a safe bet that Mejia will find his way back to the show at some point in 2020.
Last but not least, Moran, 31, made his major-league debut as a 30-year-old with the Marlins last season. He appeared in 10 games going 6 1/3 innings with a 4.26 ERA/4.00 FIP. The lefty hurler notably made MLB history by striking out his younger brother Colin Moran in the first-ever brother-brother showdown. He signed with the Blue Jays this offseason after the Marlins made him a free agent, only to be claimed off waivers last week.
Angels Recall Patrick Sandoval For Start, Option Luke Bard
The Los Angeles Angels optioned Luke Bard to their alternate site today, recalling Patrick Sandoval in his place, per Jason Martinez of Roster Resource over at Fangraphs.
Sandoval made his major-league debut last season going 0-4 across 10 appearances (9 starts). His first start of the season came last week in a 10-2 Angels win over the Mariners. Sandoval didn’t get the win as he lasted only 4 innings, though he more than did his part in contributing to the win. Sandoval threw 62 pitches – 40 for strikes – notching 4 strikeouts, walking one, and giving up 2 runs (though only 1 was earned). The 23-year-old southpaw entered the year as the Angels’ #7-ranked prospect per MLB.com, #6 by Fangraphs. The Angels certainly hope/expect the lefty and his 55-grade curveball will establish himself as a rotation mainstay – a role they’ve struggled to consistently fill over the years.
Sandoval made his second start of the season tonight, going six strong innings while allowing two runs. He’s quickly becoming a favorite of manager Joe Maddon. While the plan was for Sandoval to throw between 70-80 pitches, Maddon allowed him to hang around for 94. Sandoval continues to develop nicely after the Angels acquired him from Houston for Martin Maldonado just before the 2018 trade deadline.
Bard, 29, is looking to establish himself as a righty out of Maddon’s pen. Across 32 appearances last season, Bard logged 49 innings with a 4.78 ERA/4.81 FIP, showing off his ability to hold the line for multiple innings at a time if need be. He has just one inning so far this season – it was scoreless. In all likelihood, he’ll find himself back in the Angels’ pen before too long.
Blue Jays Option Billy McKinney, Activate Chase Anderson
Billy McKinney has been optioned to the Blue Jays’ taxi squad, clearing the way to for Chase Anderson to join the active roster, per Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.
Anderson starts today’s game against the Red Sox, who are struggling themselves to fill out the starting rotation. The Jays rotation ranks 25th in fWAR for the season with a total of just 0.2 fWAR. Their big offseason acquisition Hyun Jin Ryu has been mediocre early on, though he’s within the realm of acceptable outcomes for just a three-start sample (5.14 ERA, 4.14 FIP, 3.69 xFIP). Top prospect Nate Pearson has had an encouraging couple of starts. The back end of the rotation has struggled, however, where Tanner Roark (5.63 ERA/6.62 FIP) and Matt Shoemaker (5.91 ERA/6.93 FIP) have yet to hit their stride.
Anderson, 32, debuted in 2014 as a 26-year-old for the Diamondbacks. He spent two seasons in Arizona’s rotation before taking turns as part of the Brewers starting five for the last four. Though he’s never logged more than 158 innings in a given season, he’s been remarkably consistent, making between 25 and 30 starts per season for somewhere between 139 and 158 innings in each of the last five seasons. The right-hander carries a career 53-40 record with a 3.94 ERA/4.54 FIP. That’s steady production for Anderson, who has flown relatively under the radar as a back-end rotation piece.
The Blue Jays scooped him up from Milwaukee this past September for minor league first baseman Chad Spanberger. At the time of the deal, the Blue Jays had a completely uncertain rotation situation for 2020, though they continued to add all winter. The full amount for Anderson’s deal was set for $8.5MM this season before the shutdown, with a team option at $9.5MM for 2021, making him a relatively affordable arm if he can continue to put forth the consistent workload he has thus far in his career. The Jays hold a $500K buyout option for next season.
For McKinney, he’ll return to Toronto’s taxi squad for now, though this move represents just some of the roster management that’s becoming standard this season. McKinney has been a semi-regular fourth outfielder for the Blue Jays since being acquired from the Yankees with Brandon Drury for J.A. Happ. He’s appeared in just one game thus far this season as a pinch-runner.
Rangers Release Wei-Chieh Huang
The Rangers announced today that they have released right-handed pitcher Wei-Chieh Huang, who had been playing at the team’s alternate training facility.
Huang was a member of the Rangers’ 60-man player pool, though he was not on the 40-man roster. He was acquired in the 2018 trade that sent Jake Diekman to Arizona.
Huang appeared in four games for the Rangers last year, tossing 5 2/3 innings and working to a 3.18 ERA. He struck out just two batters while walking seven. That said, he has been a strikeout pitcher throughout his minor league career, averaging 12.6 K/9 across three levels of the minors last season.
He hit a bit of a wall at Triple-A in 2019, but the 26-year-old Huang is still relatively inexperienced in the upper minors: since debuting in affiliated ball in 2015, he’s played just 43 games at Double-A or above. With that in mind, the lack of a minor league season in 2020 might be especially costly to his development; this year would have been pivotal for Huang.
Nonetheless, Huang has two option years remaining and, as mentioned, is just 26 years old. He’ll likely get another shot as a depth option with another club who can offer him more exposure in the upper minors.
Red Sox Option Ryan Weber, Call Up Dylan Covey
The Red Sox have optioned right-hander Ryan Weber to their alternate training site, as per a team announcement. Recently-acquired righty Dylan Covey has been called up to take Weber’s spot on the MLB roster.
The 2020 season has been a struggle for Weber, who has a 9.90 ERA over three starts and only 10 innings pitched. Weber has allowed five home runs over that brief sample size, as well as nine walks and only three strikeouts. Clearly the Sox had been enough to continue with Weber as a starting pitcher, as strapped as Boston is for arms.
It was due to this pitching shortage that Weber found himself in the rotation in the first place, after working as a reliever for 31 of his 42 Major League appearances prior to this season. Weber had only a 5.04 ERA and 5.7 K/9 through 114 1/3 innings from 2015-19, though his strong ability to generate grounders and limit hard contact gave the Red Sox some hope that he could at least tread water as a regular starter. Weber’s grounder rate is down to only 40% this season, however, and opposing batters are teeing off to the tune of a 54.8% hard-hit ball rate.
Covey might step right into Weber’s rotation spot, though while the 28-year-old righty brings more experience as a starting pitcher, he also has a rather shaky track record. Covey posted a 6.54 ERA, 6.2 K/9, and 1.52 K/BB rate over 250 1/3 innings with the White Sox from 2017-2019, also posting some solid ground-ball rates and exhibiting some problems with the long ball (1.6 HR/9). Over 63 appearances for Chicago, Covey started 45 of those games.
The Red Sox acquired Covey from the Rays just a few days prior to their July opener, and he made one relief appearance for Boston before being sent to the alternate training site. That one outing didn’t go particularly well, as Covey gave up two earned runs over two innings in Boston’s 7-2 loss to the Orioles on July 25.