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Cubs Place Mark Leiter Jr. On 15-Day Injured List

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The Cubs announced that right-hander Mark Leiter Jr. has been placed on the 15-day injured list due to a right forearm strain.  Left-hander Luke Little has been called up from Triple-A Iowa to take Leiter’s spot on the 26-man roster.

After posting a sterling 0.90 ERA over his first 20 innings of the season, Leiter’s performance has dipped sharply, with a ghastly 15.58 ERA over 8 2/3 innings in his last 12 appearances.  Leiter’s last four outings specifically saw him touched up for eight earned runs over 3 1/3 innings of work, so it seems possible that these games might’ve been impacted by the forearm strain if Leiter had been trying to pitch through some discomfort.

All in all, Leiter has a 5.34 ERA over 28 2/3 innings this season, yet with a much more respectable set of secondary metrics.  Leiter’s SIERA is only 2.96, as a .338 BABIP and a 55% strand rate have been working against him.  On the plus side, Leiter has a strong 48.7% grounder rate, quality hard-contract numbers, and a 30.2% strikeout rate that sits in the 91st percentile of all pitchers.

Leiter’s walk rate is below average, but that was also true during the 2022-23 seasons, when he emerged as a very effective weapon out of Chicago’s bullpen.  Leiter posted a 5.53 ERA in 114 innings with the Phillies and Blue Jays in 2017-18, but then didn’t pitch another big league inning for three full seasons, due to a Tommy John surgery, the pandemic-shortened nature of the 2020 season, and a stint in the Tigers’ farm system in 2021 that didn’t result in a call-up to the Show.

The Cubs signed Leiter to a minor league deal prior to the 2022 season, and then another minors contract in the 2022-23 offseason.  The moves have become nice hidden-gem discoveries for the team, as Leiter had a 3.75 ERA and 27.2% strikeout rate over 132 innings in 2022-23, albeit with an 8.9% walk rate.  Working first as a swingman, Leiter became a key set-up man behind closer Adbert Alzolay last season.

Unfortunately, Leiter now joins Alzolay and Julian Merryweather on the injured list, as the Cubs are without their three top bullpen arms.  Merrywether is expected to return from a stress fracture in his ribs by around the All-Star break, while Alzolay’s return from a right flexor strain is still up the air.  Details on Leiter’s forearm strain haven’t yet been revealed, but naturally any kind of a forearm issue is a big concern, particularly for a pitcher who already has one Tommy John procedure on his record.

These injuries and a lack of performance overall has made the Cubs’ bullpen into a weak link on the roster, though not much has gone right for the team over what has been a disastrous six weeks of baseball.  Beginning the season strong with a 24-17 record, Chicago has stumbled to a 13-23 mark over its last 39 games.  The NL’s parity has meant that the Cubs are still just two games out of a wild card slot despite a 37-40 record, yet Chicago will need to regain momentum quickly before the team is perhaps forced into some hard decisions at the trade deadline.

Vinny Nittoli Elects Free Agency

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TODAY: Nittoli cleared waivers, the A’s announced, and Nittoli has chosen to become a free agent rather than accept the outright assignment to Triple-A.

JUNE 21: The A’s designated reliever Vinny Nittoli for assignment before tonight’s matchup with the Twins. Oakland recalled righty Osvaldo Bido from Triple-A Las Vegas to replace him on the active roster. Nittoli is out of options, so the A’s couldn’t take him off the big league club without removing from the 40-man roster. Their 40-man tally is down to 38.

Nittoli cracked the big league bullpen a couple weeks ago when Michael Kelly was suspended. Mark Kotsay has called upon him seven times, generally in low-leverage situations. Nittoli has allowed two runs over eight innings, punching out five against two walks. It was a generally solid showing, but the 33-year-old pitched two innings and tossed 28 pitches in yesterday’s loss to Kansas City. That’d likely have ruled him out for today and prompted the A’s to bring up a fresh arm. Bido, who hasn’t pitched in a week, should be able to work multiple innings out of the bullpen.

It’s a tough break for Nittoli, who has had MLB cups of coffee in each of the last four seasons. This year’s eight innings already topped his previous combined workload between the Mariners, Phillies and Mets. Nittoli has pitched in five seasons at the Triple-A level. He owns a 4.73 ERA there for his career, though he turned in an impressive 2.70 mark through 23 1/3 innings with Las Vegas before being called up. Nittoli punched out 36% of batters faced for the Aviators against an 11% walk rate.

The A’s have five days to trade him or place him on waivers. Nittoli has cleared outright waivers a few times in his career and would have the right to elect free agency if he goes unclaimed. Since he’s out of options, another team would need to plug him directly into the MLB bullpen if they claim him.

A’s Select Aaron Brooks

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4:02PM: Jimenez has a Grade 2 oblique strain and is expected to miss 6-8 weeks, MLB.com’s Martin Gallegos writes (X link).

11:51AM: The A’s announced this morning that they’ve selected the contract of right-hander Aaron Brooks. Brooks will take the place of righty Dany Jimenez on the active roster, who the club placed on the 15-day injured list with a left oblique strain.

Brooks, 34, signed with the A’s on a minor league deal over the winter and was called up last month to help fill out the club’s rotation mix amid a number of injuries to key veterans such as Alex Wood, Ross Stripling, and Paul Blackburn. That first stint in the majors saw the righty post a 5.82 ERA with a 5.59 FIP in 21 2/3 innings of work across four starts with a strikeout rate of just 10% against a 6% walk rate. Brooks found himself DFA’d earlier this month when right-hander Luis Medina was activated from the 60-day IL, but remained with the club after being assigned outright to Triple-A and will now get another opportunity in the majors, albeit this time in a long relief role.

Despite his lackluster results earlier this year, it’s at least feasible to imagine the righty showing off a stronger performance in his second stint in the big leagues this season. After all, he’s a veteran of six major league seasons who has compiled 56 appearances and 32 starts in the majors during that time as a back-end starter and long reliever who enjoyed some success overseas while pitching in the Korea Baseball Organization from 2020-21. He’s also posted a solid 4.30 ERA in 52 1/3 innings of work at the Triple-A level this year despite the inflated offensive environment of the Pacific Coast League.

Brooks will take the roster spot of Jimenez, who has been a decent middle reliever this season for the club this season. In 23 2/3 innings of work, Jimenez has pitched to a solid 3.04 ERA with a decent 20% strikeout rate. Those solid results have come in spite of extreme wildness, however. The right-hander has walked an eye-popping 17.1% of batters faced this year, a trend consistent with the righty’s career numbers. Since making his A’s debut back in 2022, Jimenez has posted a solid 3.32 ERA (118 ERA+) but has never posted a walk rate below 12.4% in a season, while walking 14.5% of batters faced overall while in an Oakland uniform.

Now sidelined for the foreseeable future with an oblique strain, Jimenez figures to work his way back into the big league relief mix once healthy. With pieces like Lucas Erceg, T.J. McFarland, and Austin Adams likely to attract interest from clubs in need of bullpen help this summer, it’s possible that the A’s will have plenty of room for Jimenez if he returns following the trade deadline even in the likely event that the club holds onto superstar closer Mason Miller.

Pirates Place David Bednar On 15-Day Injured List

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Prior to today’s 3-1 loss to the Rays, the Pirates placed closer David Bednar on the 15-day injured list due to a left oblique strain.  The placement is retroactive to June 20.  Left-hander Justin Bruihl was called up from Triple-A in the corresponding move.

Bednar last pitched on Wednesday, and Pirates GM Ben Cherington said in his weekly radio show (hat tip to Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette) said that the right-hander “felt a little something in his left side” following that outing.  Bednar and the team took a few days to rest and evaluate the situation, but after Bednar still felt some tightness after a throwing session, an IL trip was deemed necessary.

Cherington described the placement as somewhat preventative, as Bednar’s strain is considered relatively mild and there is hope he might be able to return once his minimum 15 days are up.  As Cherington noted, “We need him for the biggest part of the season, as possible….Hopefully, that means it’s a short stay on the IL, rather than it turning into something bigger and it being a longer absence.”

The Bucs dropped to 37-40 after today’s loss, but remain just a couple of games out of a wild card berth in the very crowded NL postseason race.  A hot week could easily get Pittsburgh into a playoff position, though the team’s struggling lineup will have to start producing, and naturally losing their closer for at least 15 days won’t help the Pirates’ chances.

Owner Bob Nutting believes his team can stay in contention, and recently said that the Pirates could make some additions at the July 30 trade deadline (and possibly receive some extra payroll space to make those adds).  However, given the Bucs’ lack of offense and now this hit to their bullpen, it wouldn’t be a surprise if Pittsburgh explored being deadline sellers if the team can’t get on track, or if other NL clubs start to catch fire and create some real space in the wild card race.

Bednar’s injury could make his trade candidacy a moot point, but even if he did return in 15 days and the Pirates looked to deal some players at the deadline, it isn’t likely that he’d be on the move by July 30.  While Bednar’s name has long been linked to trade speculation, the Bucs have shown that they’re eager to properly end their rebuilding period, so it isn’t likely that they would move such an effective closer in short order.  It isn’t out of the question that the Pirates could still trade Bednar as his price tag continues to rise during his arbitration years, but that concept will likely be explored more in the offseason than within the next month.

An All-Star the last two seasons, Bednar has a 5.17 ERA over 31 1/3 innings this year due to a very rough start.  After posting an 11.45 ERA over his first 13 appearances and 11 innings, Bednar has righted the ship and delivered a 1.77 ERA across his last 21 games and 20 1/3 innings.

With Bednar sidelined, Cherington said it’ll be “all hands on deck” for closing duties.  Aroldis Chapman and Colin Holderman are the likeliest candidates to earn saves — Holderman has been the more effective of the two pitchers this season, though Chapman has a long history of past closing experience.

The Pirates could also get some bullpen reinforcements coming in the form of Ryan Borucki, as the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review’s Kevin Gorman writes that Borucki is set to begin a minor league rehab assignment on Tuesday.  Borucki hasn’t pitched since April 5 since a case of left triceps inflammation sent him to the 15-day and then the 60-day injured list.

Yankees Place Giancarlo Stanton On 10-Day Injured List

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3:26PM: Stanton confirmed to Hoch and other reporters that he did get a PRP shot today, and estimated that he’ll spend about four weeks on the IL.

3:10PM: Stanton might receive a PRP injection but the strain is considered “mild,” Boone told MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch and other reporters.  The Yankees don’t yet have a timeline on when Stanton might return to action.

9:42AM: The Yankees announced this morning that they’ve placed slugger Giancarlo Stanton on the 10-day injured list. Infielder Oswald Peraza was recalled to the big league roster in the corresponding move, as first reported by El Extrabase’s Daniel Alvarez-Montes last night.

Stanton, 34, departed yesterday’s game against the Braves in the top of the sixth inning after feeling tightness in his left hamstring while running the bases earlier in the game. Manager Aaron Boone indicated to reporters (including The Athletic’s Brandon Kuty) after the game that Stanton was scheduled to undergo tests today to determine the severity of the issue but noted that Stanton was in “good spirits” and that the club was hopeful the issue wasn’t too serious. The results of Stanton’s testing today are not yet known, although the club evidently believes that he’ll need to miss at least the next ten days before he can return to action. Being cautious with Stanton, who has a long history of lower half injuries throughout his career, is understandable given the risk of aggravating the hamstring further if he were to attempt to play through the injury.

Even so, it’s a frustrating turn of events for both Stanton and the Yankees given the veteran’s resurgence at the plate to this point in the season. Long one of the game’s most feared sluggers, Stanton posted relatively pedestrian numbers over the past two seasons, slashing just .202/.286/.442. That production was only good for a 103 wRC+ that’s essentially league average, and not particularly close to the value the Yankees were surely hoping to get from a full-time DH who they pay an average of $25MM to annually. The veteran’s production in 69 games this season has been far closer to what the Yankees are surely hoping for from him, as he’s impressed with a .246/.302/.492 slash line (126 wRC+) while crushing 18 home runs in just 281 trips to the plate.

New York will have to go without that strong production in the middle of their lineup for at least the foreseeable future, delivering another blow to an offense that has generally struggled to produce outside of star sluggers Juan Soto and Aaron Judge. Stanton shelved, it’s possible the Yankees could look to improve their outfield defense by placing Trent Grisham in center field, kicking Judge back over to his native right field while allowing Soto to move into a DH role. Grisham has struggled to a wRC+ of just 71 at the plate this year, though his quality work with the glove could still make him a more attractive option than more frequently relying on Oswaldo Cabrera (78 wRC+) or DJ LeMahieu (51 wRC+) outside of their current role splitting time at third base.

Taking Stanton’s place on the roster is Peraza, who has been sidelined for almost the entire season to this point due to a shoulder strain. In 28 games at the Triple-A level since returning from injury, Peraza has struggled to a .178/.313/.215 slash line that suggests he’s unlikely to be the solution for replacing Stanton’s production offensively, although the former consensus top-50 prospect would likely be the club’s best defensive option at third base and could free LeMahieu and Cabrera up for more frequent appearances at DH or first base, where youngster Ben Rice has been getting his first taste of big league action while Anthony Rizzo recovers from a fractured forearm.

Blue Jays Claim Jose Cuas Off Waivers From Cubs

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The Cubs announced this afternoon that right-hander Jose Cuas has been claimed off waivers by the Blue Jays. Cuas was designated for assignment earlier this week in order to make room for righty Ethan Roberts on the club’s 40-man roster. The move puts Toronto’s 40-man roster at capacity.

Cuas, who will celebrate his 30th birthday later this week, made his big league debut with the Royals back in 2022 but was traded to the Cubs in exchange for outfielder Nelson Velazquez at the trade deadline last summer. He was a decent middle reliever for the Royals during his time in Kansas City, pitching to a 4.08 ERA (106 ERA+) with a 4.41 FIP in 79 1/3 innings of work for the club between the 2022 and ’23 campaigns. Unfortunately for both Cuas and the Cubs, the wheels began to come off for the sidearming righty upon his arrival in Chicago last year.

While his 3.04 ERA in 27 appearances for the Cubs down the stretch last summer was actually fairly strong, it came with concerning peripherals. His strikeout rate dipped from a strong 27.1% during his time with the Royals last year to a worrisome 19% in Chicago, while his walk rate simultaneously ballooned from a manageable 10% figure in Kansas City all the way up to 14% for the north siders. While a strong 55.6% groundball rate allowed Cuas to keep the damage to a minimum, he was no longer looking the part of a quality middle relief option.

Things took an even worse turn for Cuas in 2024 when his groundball rate plummeted to just 31%. While his walk rate dropped down to a career-best 9.2% figure, that came at least in part as a result of opposing hitters teeing off Cuas pitches with a 14.3% barrel rate and a 45.2% Hard Hit rate. While Cuas’s strikeout rate crept back up to a more acceptable 21.5% this year, that still wasn’t enough to stop the right-hander from surrendering 12 runs (11 earned) in 13 1/3 innings of work for the Cubs this year, leaving him with a 7.43 ERA and a 5.99 FIP.

Despite those deep struggles during his time in Chicago, it’s not hard to see why the Blue Jays would want to take a chance on the righty. After all, when Cuas’s arsenal is working well, his sinker/slider combo allows him to strike out around a quarter of the batters he faces while keeping walks to a clip of around 10% and eliciting grounders on around half of his batted balls. That’s certainly the profile of a valuable pitcher, even though Cuas has not been able to put it all together at the big league level yet during his career.

Even if he isn’t able to reach that potential, the right-hander still provides the Blue Jays with an optionable relief arm on a minimum salary who can be shuttled from Triple-A to the majors as necessary. That’s a valuable commodity for any bullpen, but especially for a Blue Jays bullpen that has posted a league-worst 4.83 FIP to this point in the 2024 campaign. Should the club turn to Cuas at some point, he’d likely factor into the middle relief mix alongside the likes of Zach Pop and Genesis Cabrera.

Rockies Reinstate Kyle Freeland From 60-Day Injured List

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TODAY: The Rockies announced that they’ve activated Freeland from the 60-day IL. To make room for Freeland on the 40-man roster, lefty Austin Kitchen was designated for assignment. Kitchen was selected to the roster just yesterday and did not make an appearance in the majors during his brief stint with the big league club. The Rockies will now have one week to either trade Kitchen or attempt to pass him through waivers.

June 20: The Rockies will welcome Kyle Freeland back to the rotation for Sunday’s game against the Nationals. Colorado’s Opening Day starter has been out since April 19 because of an elbow strain.

Freeland avoided surgery despite that alarming diagnosis. He has made a trio of rehab appearances — one at the complex before a pair of games for Triple-A Albuquerque. Freeland made his most recent outing on Tuesday, tossing four innings while running his pitch count to 67. The veteran southpaw allowed only three runs over eight Triple-A frames.

The Rox will hope that kickstarts a turnaround for Freeland, who was battered over his first four starts of the season. He averaged fewer than four innings per appearance and was tagged for 25 runs across 15 2/3 frames. Freeland issued eight walks with nine strikeouts and allowed a trio of home runs.

Freeland is on the 60-day injured list, so the Rox will need to reinstate him onto the 40-man roster. They opened a 40-man spot earlier in the week by placing reliever Gavin Hollowell on waivers. Unless they make another 40-man transaction in the intervening three days, they’ll only need to option out a pitcher to clear space for Freeland on the active roster.

In other Colorado injury news, manager Bud Black told reporters that rookie infielder Adael Amador suffered a mild oblique strain in today’s loss to the Dodgers (relayed on X by Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post). While it doesn’t seem to be a long-term concern, Amador will probably land on the 10-day injured list. Colorado promoted Amador directly from Double-A Hartford earlier this month when Brendan Rodgers went on the IL.

It was a surprisingly aggressive promotion for one of the organization’s top prospects. The 21-year-old was hitting only .194/.337/.329 in Double-A. That made it quite unlikely that he’d produce in his first look at big league arms. Amador has struggled as expected, hitting .171 with one walk in his first 36 plate appearances.

Black suggested earlier in the week that the Rox planned to option Amador back to Double-A once Rodgers was ready to return (X link via Luke Zahlmann of the Denver Gazette). An injured list stint would delay that, but he’ll probably head back to Hartford once he’s healthy. Rodgers started a rehab assignment in Albuquerque tonight and could be back in the next few days.

Rangers Activate Max Scherzer

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TODAY: The Rangers officially activated Scherzer from the 60-day injured list this morning. Right-hander Yerry Rodriguez was optioned to Triple-A in the corresponding move.

June 22: Max Scherzer’s 2024 debut date has now been set, as the future Hall-of-Famer told reporters (including MLB.com’s Kennedi Landry) that he will be activated from the 60-day injured list tomorrow to start the Rangers’ game against the Royals.  It will mark Scherzer’s first action in a big league contest since he pitched three scoreless innings in Game 3 of last year’s World Series.

Last December, the 39-year-old underwent surgery to fix a herniated disc in his back, and the initial timeline indicated Scherzer would be out of action until June or July.  As it happened, Scherzer looked to be on pace to handily beat that projection and was seemingly close to returning by mid-May before a nerve problem in his thumb extended his time on the IL.  Texas had optimistically put Scherzer on only the 15-day IL to begin the season, but eventually shifted him to the 60-day once it became clear he wouldn’t be back by the end of May.

However, all systems are now go for the veteran righty to make his return.  Scherzer has made two Triple-A starts during his most recent rehab assignment, including a 79-pitch, 4 2/3 inning effort last Saturday.  Texas manager Bruce Bochy told Landry and other reporters that Scherzer wouldn’t be on a specific pitch count in Sunday’s game, though it stands to reason that the club might somewhat try to ease Scherzer back into action.

With Scherzer nearing reinstatement from the 60-day IL, the Rangers are a step closer to finally having their first-choice rotation.  Jacob deGrom and Tyler Mahle could both make their own returns from Tommy John surgery rehab around the start of August, while Cody Bradford continues to recover from a stress fracture in his rib.  On paper the Rangers might have too many rotation options if absolutely everyone is healthy, yet that scenario is probably unlikely given how many health issues Texas has had to navigate over the last year.

Bochy said that Scherzer will take Dane Dunning’s spot in the rotation, moving Dunning back to relief work.  Dunning began 2023 in the bullpen but soon resumed his usual starting role while filling in for various injured starters, primarily deGrom.  Working solely as a starter in 2024, Dunning has a 4.73 ERA over 59 innings.

Marlins Place Braxton Garrett On 15-Day Injured List With Forearm Flexor Strain

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The Marlins announced several roster moves this morning, headlined by the club placing left-hander Braxton Garrett on the 15-Day injured list with a left forearm flexor strain. The club also optioned right-hander Shaun Anderson to Triple-A. Taking Garrett and Anderson’s spots on the club’s active roster will be right-hander Kyle Tyler and left-hander Kent Emanuel, both of whom had their contracts selected. Left-hander Jesus Luzardo and right-hander Edward Cabrera were both transferred to the 60-day injured list to clear space for the duo on the 40-man roster.

Garrett’s placement on the injured list isn’t necessarily a surprise, as the club had already scratched him from today’s start due to elbow soreness yesterday. With that being said, the diagnosis of a forearm flexor strain is a concerning one that suggests Garrett could be in for a lengthy absence, though details about his exact timeline are not yet available. For Marlins fans, it surely brings to mind September of last year, when the Marlins provided the same diagnosis for right-hander Sandy Alcantara before the ace ultimately required Tommy John surgery.

Fortunately, not all forearm strains require such drastic treatment. Nationals right-hander Josiah Gray suffered a similarly-termed strain back in April that ultimately proved to be purely muscular without damage to the UCL. Gray is currently on a rehab assignment and could factor into the Nationals’ pitching plans prior to the All Star break, roughly three months after the initial injury. A similar timeline could see Cabrera return sometime in September, prior to the end of the 2024 campaign.

Regardless of when Cabrera winds up being able to return to the club, however, the Marlins figure to be in a bit of a pickle as they look to piece together their rotation mix. Miami currently has seven starters on the injured list, leaving them with lefty Trevor Rogers, righty Roddery Munoz, and righty Yonny Chirinos as their only three established starting pitchers. That trio will be joined by Tyler, who is slated to start today’s game against the Mariners. A 20th-round pick by the Angels in the 2018 draft, the righty has made eight multi-inning relief appearances in the big leagues since he first made his MLB debut back in 2021, though he’s never started a game at the big league level.

He’s pitched fairly well in his limited opportunities in the majors with a 2.45 ERA and 4.36 FIP in 18 1/3 innings of work. That includes a single appearance with the Marlins earlier this year where he allowed one run in two frames where he allowed one hit and no walks with one strikeout. It’s unclear if Tyler will continue to pitch as part of the club’s rotation after today or if this is a spot start for the 27-year-old. Also joining Tyler on the active roster is the lefty Emanuel, who has been shuttling between the 40-man roster and the minor leagues all throughout the 2024 campaign for the Marlins. In 8 1/3 innings of work for the club this year across four appearances, Emanuel has struggled to a 7.56 ERA with an 8.19 FIP. Nonetheless, the southpaw will provide the club with a multi-inning option out of the bullpen who could piggyback with the right-handed Tyler if necessary this afternoon.

As for Luzardo and Cabrerea, the 60-day IL placements come as a mild surprise for both players. In Luzardo’s case, the lefty was placed on the IL just yesterday with a lumbar stress reaction, and manager Skip Schumaker suggested that injury typically has a 4-6 week timeline. Now that Luzardo is out for at least the next two months, it’s safe to say the Marlins believe he’ll be out for longer than that general timeline. He’ll first be eligible to return from the shelf in late August. Cabrera’s placement also somewhat surprising given the fact that he’s already built up to the 50-pitch range on a rehab assignment, though given the fact that the righty would be eligible to be activated from the shelf in just two weeks it could be a purely procedural transaction.

Orelvis Martinez Receives 80-Game Suspension Following Positive PED Test

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The MLB commissioner’s office announced this morning that Blue Jays infielder Orelvis Martinez has received an 80-game suspension without pay after testing positive for Clomiphene, a banned performance enhancing substance. The suspension is effective immediately. Martinez has since been placed on the restricted list, and the Blue Jays have selected the contract of outfielder Steward Berroa to replace the infielder on the active and 40-man rosters.

“The Blue Jays fully support Major League Baseball’s Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program, and strongly believe in keeping the game on a level playing field,” Blue Jays GM Ross Atkins said in a statement this morning. “We were both surprised and disappointed to hear of Orelvis Martinez’s suspension. We will do everything in our power to ensure Orelvis has learned from this mistake. Orelvis has our support, and we know he will get through this.”

Martinez released a statement of his own via the MLB Players Association:

“For the past two years, I have been trying to start a family with my girlfriend. During the offseason, we visited a fertility clinic in the Dominican Republic and after getting lab work done, we were prescribed a treatment, which included a medication called Rejun 50. Unfortunately, Rejun 50 contains a banned substance called Clomiphene.

We wanted to keep this matter private, even within our family, and trusted the doctor who assured us this treatment did not include performance enhancing drugs. Therefore, I made the mistake of not disclosing this to my team or the MLBPA. With that said, I took full responsibility for my actions and accepted my suspension.

I want to apologize to my teammates in both Buffalo and Toronto, the Blue Jays organization, and most importantly, the fans who have supported me during my career. I will learn from this experience and come back to the field in September.”

The news is a major blow to the Blue Jays, who recalled Martinez for his big league debut just this past week to join the club’s infield mix after shortstop Bo Bichette hit the injured list with a calf strain. Martinez has just one game under his belt in the majors so far, having gone 1-for-3 with a strikeout while playing second base in his big league debut on Friday. While Martinez’s big league career had only just begun, he’s long been considered a consensus top-100 prospect in the sport and was in the midst of an excellent showing at Triple-A this year when he received the call to the majors. In 63 games for the club’s Buffalo affiliate this year, Martinez slashed .260/.343/.523 while playing both second and third base.

Now, Martinez’s big league career is on hold just days after it first began. The earliest he’ll be able to return to play in the big leagues is September 23 against the Red Sox, although given the fact that Martinez would be ineligible to participate in the postseason due to his suspension and that date landing just six games before the end of the regular season, it wouldn’t be a surprise if Martinez did not end up returning to the majors until the 2025 campaign.

Fortunately for the Blue Jays, the club has plenty of options at its disposal to fill out the club’s infield mix while Bichette is injured, even without Martinez. Isiah Kiner-Falefa has stepped into the everyday role at shortstop since Bichette hit the shelf last week, and the club figures to mix and match between Davis Schneider, Ernie Clement, Addison Barger, and Spencer Horwitz at second and third base while Bichette is away. The addition of Berroa to the roster mix should allow Schneider to mix into the infield more frequently than he has in recent weeks, as he’s split time between the keystone and left field to this point in the season.

As for Berroa, the 25-year-old made his pro debut with the Jays back in 2017 and has worked his way through the club’s minor league system since then, ultimately reaching Triple-A late last year. He struggled in that initial cup of coffee but has hit fairly well in 62 games at the highest level of the minors this season with a .295/.380/.451 slash line across 222 trips to the plate. Berroa figures to factor into the club’s outfield mix behind regulars Daulton Varsho, Kevin Kiermaier, and George Springer alongside Schneider.

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