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Tigers Claim Anthony Misiewicz, Designate Seth Elledge

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The Tigers announced that left-hander Anthony Misiewicz has been claimed off waivers from the Diamondbacks, and optioned to Triple-A.  In the corresponding move, Detroit designated right-hander Seth Elledge for assignment.

Misiewicz spent a few weeks on the injured list with a calf strain and was also shuttled up and down from Triple-A Reno several times, so it perhaps isn’t surprising that the southpaw struggled to a 5.63 ERA over eight innings and seven appearances with the D’Backs.  With the waiver claim, Misiewicz might now get some stability close to home — he was born in Detroit and played his college ball at Michigan State.

Pitching with the Diamondbacks, Royals, and Mariners over his four MLB seasons, Misiewicz has a 4.51 ERA over 111 2/3 career innings.  He isn’t a big strikeout pitcher (23.3 K%), and this difficult in missing bats has translated to some issues for the lefty, particularly since Misiewicz has a .332 career BABIP.

Elledge was claimed off waivers from the Mets last month, but his time in the Tigers organization has been spent entirely at Triple-A Toledo.  He posted a respectable 3.86 ERA over 14 innings in Toledo but it looks like the Tigers saw him as an expendable 40-man piece.  Another team might make a claim on Elledge, but if not, he’d have the right to reject an outright assignment off Detroit’s 40-man since he has already been outrighted in his career.

KBO’s Hanwha Eagles Sign Nick Williams

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The Hanwha Eagles of the KBO League have signed outfielder Nick Williams (hat tip to Dan Kurtz of MyKBO.net).  Williams will receive $250K in guaranteed salary and a $150K signing bonus, plus another $50K is available in incentives.

Williams is no stranger to international baseball, having played with Toros de Tijuana of the Mexican League in each of the last two seasons.  His last stint in affiliated ball came in 2021 with Triple-A Charlotte before the White Sox released him.  A regular on top-100 prospect lists during his time in the Rangers and Phillies farm systems, Williams was one of six players dealt from Texas to Philadelphia as part of the Cole Hamels trade in July 2015.

All but four of Williams’ 294 career MLB games came in a Phillies uniform, and while his career got off to a quality start (.288/.338/.473 in 343 plate appearances) in 2017, Williams was a little less productive in 2018 and then his numbers badly tailed off in 2019 and he spent much of the season at Triple-A.  The Reds claimed Williams off waivers in 2020 but designated him for assignment before the season was over, and Williams then caught on with the White Sox on a minor league deal that offseason.

Still only 29 years old, Williams will look to South Korea as the next stop in his career.  He has posted big numbers in the Mexican League, hitting .346/.431/.646 over 583 PA with Tijuana.  That could bode well for Williams’ chances in the hitter-friendly KBO League, and another big performance could earn him continued contracts overseas or perhaps another look from a Major League club.

Pirates Place Jose Hernandez On 15-Day IL, Select Ryan Borucki

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The Pirates placed left-hander Jose Hernandez on the 15-day injured list due to a right calf strain.  Taking Hernandez’s place in the bullpen is veteran Ryan Borucki, whose contract was selected from Triple-A Indianapolis.  No further transaction was necessary to create room for Borucki, since the Pirates already had only 39 players on their 40-man roster.

Hernandez was the third pick in last December’s Rule 5 draft, with Pittsburgh selecting the southpaw out of the Dodgers’ farm system.  The 25-year-old hadn’t yet pitched in Triple-A before jumping right to the Pirates’ Opening Day roster, but Hernandez has looked very sharp in his rookie season.  Over 27 1/3 innings out of the Bucs’ bullpen, Hernandez has a 2.63 ERA, an above-average 25.7% strikeout rate, and a borderline elite 5.5% walk rate.  Batters haven’t made much hard contact against Hernandez, and his slider has quickly become a devastating weapon.

R5 draft picks must remain on a team’s big league roster for the entire season or else be offered back to their original club, and while a Rule 5 player can be on the IL, they have to clock at least 90 days on the active roster.  Hernandez isn’t quite at 90 days yet, but he’ll easily clear that threshold assuming his calf injury isn’t serious.  Beyond Hernandez’s R5 status is the bigger issue of how his absence will further impact an injury-riddled Pirates bullpen — Hernandez, Colin Holderman, and Rob Zastryzny on the 15-day IL, while Jarlin Garcia (who has yet to pitch at all this season) and Wil Crowe are on the 60-day IL.

Borucki signed a minor league deal with the Pirates in May, after he elected free agency rather than accept an outright assignment to the Cubs’ Triple-A affiliate.  Chicago inked the lefty to a minor league deal during the offseason, and designated him for assignment just a few days after selecting his contract to the 26-man roster (without Borucki ever appearing in a game).

Borucki now looks primed to make his first official appearance of the 2023 campaign, which will make it six MLB seasons for the left-hander.  Borucki has a 4.45 ERA over 170 career innings with the Blue Jays and Mariners, working exclusively as a reliever since 2020.  There has been a lot of inconsistency in Borucki’s work over the years, as he has very prone to allowing home runs and has occasionally struggled with control.

Royals Select Matt Beaty, Place Michael Massey On 10-Day IL

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The Royals announced that they have selected the contract of utiltyman Matt Beaty from Triple-A, and placed second baseman Michael Massey on the 10-day injured list due to a left hand laceration.  MLB.com’s Anne Rogers reported earlier today that Beaty had a locker in the team’s clubhouse, and that Massey was likely headed to the IL with “a deep cut right on his knuckle, so he’s unable to move it much right now.”  Vinnie Pasquantino (whose season has been ended by shoulder surgery) was moved to the 60-day IL to create a 40-man roster spot for Beaty.

After signing a minor league deal with Kansas City in January, Beaty was traded to the Giants on Opening Day, and he ended up appearing in four games for San Francisco while being optioned to the minors on multiple occasions and eventually designated for assignment.  Beaty elected to become a free agent rather than accept an outright assignment to the Giants’ Triple-A affiliate, and then returned to the Royals on a new minor league deal earlier this week.

Now, Beaty finally looks set to make his official debut in a K.C. uniform.  The 30-year-old made his big league debut with the Dodgers in 2019, and hit .262/.333/.425 over 556 plate appearances in part-time action over the next three seasons, earning a World Series ring in 2020.  Los Angeles traded Beaty to the Padres in March 2022 but the SoCal move went poorly, as Beaty played in only 20 games for San Diego last season while missing the bulk of the year due to a shoulder injury.

Beaty has experience at both corner infield and outfield positions, with first base and left field being his primary positions.  He could help out at all four spots plus the DH role in Kansas City, though first base might be a less-frequent role since Beaty and Nick Pratto are both left-handed hitters.  In what is already looking like a lost season for the Royals, the team will surely prioritize giving Pratto everyday at-bats as a small silver lining to the blow that was Pasquantino’s shoulder injury.

Massey has seen most of the playing time at second base this season, though Matt Duffy, Nicky Lopez, and Maikel Garcia have also gotten some work at the keystone for platoon reasons and because Massey hasn’t hit much.  The 25-year-old has batted .217/.279/.315 over 204 PA, with four home runs.  Beaty’s availability for third base could open the door for Garcia or Lopez to play second base in Massey’s absence.

Mets Activate Pete Alonso From 10-Day Injured List

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Pete Alonso has made a quick return from the injured list, as the Mets announced that the first baseman has been activated from the 10-day IL after just the minimum 10 days.  In the corresponding move, New York optioned Mark Vientos to Triple-A.

Alonso was hit on the left wrist by a Charlie Morton fastball back on June 7, leaving the slugger with a sprain and a bone bruise.  While Alonso at least escaped a more serious injury like a fracture, he was still expected to miss at least 3-4 weeks recovering.  Instead, the Polar Bear easily beat that timeline and is already on his way back to the Mets lineup.

Getting Alonso back so soon is a nice outcome for a Mets team in dire need of a break.  After losing 10 of their last 13 games, the Mets are 33-37 and sit in fourth place in NL East — a wholly disapppointing result for a team that won 101 games in 2022, and is spending at record levels this season.  While there’s still plenty of time for the Mets to get on track, the Amazins have already dug themselves a big hole, and a wild card may be their only path to the playoffs since the Braves lead them by 11.5 games.

An inconsistent offense has been one of the factors in New York’s slide, so Alonso’s power bat will be welcome.  Even after missing time on the IL, Alonso still leads the National League with 22 home runs, and only Shohei Ohtani (23) has more homers league-wide.  The first baseman is hitting .231/.326/.546 over 261 plate appearances, and Alonso’s batting average and OBP are both down from career norms.  Still, Alonso is making tons of hard contact, and his incredibly low .199 BABIP indicates that Alonso could be hitting a lot better than his already-productive slash line.

Vientos was called up to the majors about a month ago, and he hit .178/.224/.244 over 49 PA.  It was an underwhelming performance for a hitter considered one of the Mets’ top prospects, though Vientos also didn’t receive much in the way of consistent playing time.  Working mostly as a DH with a few appearances at both corner infield positions, Vientos only played a full game in seven of his 16 appearances.  He’ll now head back to Triple-A to await his next opportunity, though Vientos may not have anything left to prove in the minors, given his 1.104 OPS over 166 PA at Syracuse this season.

Orioles Make Three Roster Moves

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The Orioles placed catcher James McCann on the 10-day injured list due to a left ankle sprain.  This was one of a trio of moves announced by the club, as the O’s also selected the contract of catcher Jose Godoy and designated right-hander Reed Garrett for assignment to create a 40-man roster spot for Godoy’s arrival.

McCann suffered the injury in yesterday’s game while sliding into first base for an infield hit.  The sprain forced McCann to make an early exit, and while it isn’t considered to be a serious injury, the Orioles have opted to place McCann on the IL just to provide him with enough time to fully heal.  Teams only have so much flexibility with catchers with day-to-day types of injuries, especially in Baltimore’s case when Adley Rutschman is already playing basically every day as either a catcher or designated hitter.

Reflecting Rutschman’s workload, Godoy now looks to be the fifth different catcher to get some time behind the plate for the O’s this season.  McCann has seen the bulk of the backup duty, though this is his second IL stint of the season, after he began the year with a brief absence due to a minor oblique strain.  McCann has hit only .194/.232/.344 over an even 100 plate appearances, but as long as he continues his solid defense (including throwing out nine of 16 baserunners attempting to steal) as Rutschman’s understudy, the veteran will retain his backup spot.

Godoy was acquired in a trade with the Yankees earlier this month, and the 28-year-old figures to get his first MLB action of the season while McCann is sidelined.  Godoy has appeared in 26 big league games with the Mariners, Pirates, and Twins since the start of the 2021 season, and he has also bounced around to several other clubs on waiver claims and minor league deals over the last three years.

The Orioles just selected Garrett’s contract earlier this week, and his tenure in Baltimore has thus far consisted of three runs allowed over 2 2/3 innings of relief work.  Garrett signed a minors deal with the O’s in the offseason, and he has posted a 1.59 ERA and a 28.4% strikeout rate in 22 2/3 innings with Triple-A Norfolk.  Garrett has been outrighted before, so if he clears DFA waivers and Baltimore wants to outright him off the 40-man roster, Garrett can opt to decline that assignment and become a free agent.

Royals Designate Mike Mayers, Select Brooks Kriske

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The Royals announced that right-hander Mike Mayers has been designated for assignment.  Mayers’ roster spot will be filled by fellow righty Brooks Kriske, whose contract was selected from Triple-A.

Mayers signed a minor league contract with Kansas City during the offseason, and when that contract was selected last month, Mayers added an eighth MLB season to his resume by appearing in six games for the Royals.  Working as a bulk pitcher in four outings and as a proper starter in his other two games, Mayers had a 1.35 ERA over his first 13 1/3 innings before things soured, as he has given up 16 earned runs over his last 13 innings of work.

All in all, Mayers has a 6.15 ERA over 26 1/3 frames, with a tiny 14.3% strikeout rate.  Mayers has generally not been a big strikeout pitcher over his career, apart from his two best seasons.  He broke out with a 30.5 K% over 105 innings with the Angels in 2020-21, posting a 3.34 ERA while working mostly out of Anaheim’s bullpen.  However, Mayers struggled in 2022, leading the Angels to outright him to Triple-A before waiving him after the season.

With teams always in need of pitchers who can eat innings, there’s a chance another club could put in a claim on Mayers.  If he clears waivers, Mayers can elect to become a free agent again rather than an accept an outright assignment to Triple-A, since he has been outrighted before in his career.

Kriske was another minor league signing during the Royals’ offseason, as he made a return to North American baseball after spending the 2022 season in Japan.  Pitching for the Yokohama BayStars, Kriske had a 2.57 ERA over 21 innings in Nippon Professional Baseball, while also making 14 appearances for the BayStars’ top minor league team.  Kriske’s MLB experience consists of 15 innings with the Yankees and Orioles in 2020-21, with Kriske posting a 14.40 ERA in that small sample size.

Braves Designate Charlie Culberson For Assignment

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The Braves announced that Charlie Culberson has been designated for assignment.  The veteran utilityman will hit the DFA wire to make room for Chadwick Tromp, as Atlanta has called the catcher up from Triple-A Gwinnett.

Already a member of the Braves from 2018-20, Culberson spent the last two seasons with the Rangers before catching on with the Rays on a minor league deal this past offseason.  He opted out of that deal towards the end of Spring Training and then signed a new minors contract with Atlanta, and the Braves selected Culberson’s contract to the active roster almost a month ago.  Curiously, Culberson hasn’t played in even one game since being called up, so his latest stint with the Braves could end without an official appearance.

If Culberson clears waivers, he has enough MLB service time to reject an outright assignment to Triple-A and elect free agency.  It’s possible the Georgia native might pass on the open market and instead remain in his hometown organization, or he could again seek a new job elsewhere given that the Braves don’t appear to have much of a role for him on their 26-man roster.

Culberson is a Major League game away from making it 11 seasons in the Show, as he has appeared in 585 games for five different teams at the big league level over parts of his previous 10 seasons.  The 34-year-old has a career .248/.293/.386 slash line over 1311 career plate appearances, but is known more for his defensive versatility than hit bat.  Culberson has played all over the infield and spent a lot of time as a left fielder, with a few appearances as a right fielder and even as a mop-up pitcher.

Sean Murphy is the other key player in today’s transaction, as the catcher left yesterday’s game with a right hamstring injury suffered while running the bases.  Murphy underwent an MRI that showed some inflammation (Justin Toscano of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution was among those to report the news) but not any severe damage, so the Braves called up Tromp to provide catching depth while Murphy takes some time to recover.

Since Atlanta doesn’t play on Monday, we should know by Tuesday whether or not Murphy has healed well enough to return to action, or if a 10-day IL stint is ultimately required.  Assuming that Culberson isn’t claimed on waivers, it’s possible his DFA is something of a handshake move that would see him accept an outright assignment with the promise of being called back to the Braves’ roster in a few days if Murphy does go on the IL.

Giants Place Wilmer Flores, John Brebbia On IL

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The Giants announced a series of roster moves ahead of tonight’s game against the Dodgers, placing 10-day injured list Wilmer Flores on the 10-day IL and right-hander John Brebbia on the 15-day IL while activating left-hander Alex Wood and recalling right-hander Tristan Beck. Flores is suffering from a foot contusion, while Brebbia was diagnosed with a grade 2 lat strain that Susan Sussler of the San Francisco Chronicle notes could keep him on the shelf for 4-8 weeks.

Flores, 31, has been a steady veteran presence in San Francisco’s infield over the past four seasons, slashing an above average .249/.322/.437 in 398 games with the club since the start of the 2020 campaign. During that time, Flores has logged time at each of first, second, and third base in addition to the DH slot. Aside from his versatility, the highlight of Flores’s toolkit is his plate discipline, as the veteran has struck out in just 15.7% of plate appearances as a member of the Giants while walking at a 9.1% clip. Fortunately for the Giants, the club seems well-equipped to weather the loss of Flores, as Thairo Estrada, J.D. Davis, and Lamonte Wade Jr. are all having excellent seasons around the infield while veteran Brandon Crawford mans shortstop, backed up by youngster Casey Schmitt.

Brebbia’s role on the roster, on the other hand, figures to be more difficult to replace. The 33-year-old righty sports a 3.14 ERA, 38% better than league average by measure of ERA+, and a 2.72 FIP in 28 2/3 innings this season. While Camilo Doval, Tyler Rogers, and Taylor Rogers have all been similarly excellent, none of them have shown the valuable versatility of Brebbia, who works effectively both in the late innings and as an opener, recording appearances that last both a single out and multiple innings throughout the season so far.

Filling in for Brebbia in the bullpen is Beck, a 27-year-old right-hander who made his major league debut with the Giants earlier this season. In 31 1/3 innings of work, Beck has posted a respectable 3.73 ERA (116 ERA+) with a 4.23 FIP with a 21.7% strikeout rate and a minuscule walk rate of 3.9%. During his time in the big leagues this season, Beck has been used for multi-inning relief in the majority of his appearances, including an 81-pitch outing that lasted 5 1/3 innings against the Mets.

Also rejoining the Giants roster is Wood, who went on the injured list earlier this month with a low back strain. It’s been a difficult road for Wood since he signed a two-year, $25MM deal with the Giants ahead of the 2022 campaign, as he posted a well below average 5.10 ERA last season despite solid peripherals. He’s struggled similarly this season, with a 4.80 ERA and 4.58 FIP across 30 innings of work.

While those run prevention numbers are largely held down by six-run, 4 1/3 inning start immediately preceding his trip to the injured list, Wood has also struggled to pitch deep into games this season. He’s finished the fifth inning just once all season while throwing more than 75 pitches just twice. In his return to the rotation, Wood figures to attempt to stabilize San Francisco’s rotation alongside Logan Webb, Anthony DeSclafani, and Alex Cobb.

Guardians Place Triston McKenzie On IL With Elbow Sprain

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8:44pm: As noted by Paul Hoynes of Cleveland.com, manager Terry Francona told reporters that an MRI revealed that McKenzie was suffering from inflammation in his right elbow, with Francona noting that the inflammation “means the UCL is involved.” It’s obviously less than ideal news for McKenzie, as UCL issues can often require Tommy John surgery, though it’s certainly possible that this issue won’t rise to that level. Per Francona, McKenzie will head back to Cleveland to be examined by team staff before the club determines next steps.

6:30pm: The Guardians are making a series of roster moves ahead of tonight’s game against the Diamondbacks, as noted by Zack Meisel of The Athletic. The club is placing right-hander Triston McKenzie on the injured list with a right elbow sprain, designating right-hander Touki Toussaint for assignment, selecting the contract of left-hander Daniel Norris, and recalling left-hander Tim Herrin from Triple-A. Meisel also notes that the club is recalling catcher Bo Naylor, as previously expected.

McKenzie, who was scratched from yesterday’s start with elbow discomfort, now heads to the IL with a sprain in his right elbow. While further details have not yet been made available, it’s certainly an ominous diagnosis for the 25-year-old hurler, particularly after missing the first two months of the season with a teres major strain. McKenzie made just two starts before returning to the IL, striking out ten over five scoreless innings against the Twins before getting lit up for five runs in five innings against the Astros at home last week.

Of course, McKenzie was a key factor in Cleveland’s success last season as he threw 191 1/3 innings with a 2.96 ERA and 3.59 FIP. McKenzie posted an excellent 25.6% strikeout rate against a walk rate of just 5.9% as he helped to lead the Guardians to a surprising AL Central crown before the club fell to the Yankees in the ALDS. The club has struggled to replicate its 2022 campaign this year, with a record of just 32-37 that leaves them three games back of the Twins in a weak AL Central division.

Some of those struggles can be attributed to the uncertainty facing the club’s starting rotation, as only Shane Bieber has managed to stay healthy and effective as a starter throughout the entire season to this point, though youngsters Logan Allen and Tanner Bibee have done well following in-season promotions. Unfortunately, that uncertainty appears poised to continue with McKenzie headed back to the injured list with what could be another lengthy absence, though his timetable for return will remain uncertain until the club provides additional clarity on the situation.

Joining the club’s pitching staff as McKenzie exits is a pair of left-handers. Herrin, a 26-year-old who made his MLB debut for the Guardians earlier this season, struggled to a 6.39 ERA and 4.54 FIP in ten major league appearances but has posted more palatable numbers at the Triple-A level with a 3.93 ERA in 18 1/3 innings of work. Norris, meanwhile, signed with the Guardians on a minor league deal back in March. He’s struggled to a 6.93 ERA in 14 appearances (nine starts) at the Triple-A level this season, though the veteran has pitched in parts of nine major league seasons and has been roughly league average by measure of ERA+, with figure of 99 in 569 2/3 career innings of work.

Making room for Norris on the active roster is Toussaint, who departs the Guardians after making a spot start last night in McKenzie’s stead. The 27-year-old former first round pick allowed two runs on three hits and five walks over 3 2/3 innings of work while striking out two against the Diamondbacks yesterday. The Guardians now figure to either attempt to swing a trade involving the right-hander or attempt to pass him through waivers. If successful in doing so, Cleveland could outright Toussaint to Triple-A, where he would continue to serve as pitching depth for the club going forward.

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