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Astros Acquire Joel Kuhnel

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The Reds have traded right-hander Joel Kuhnel to the Astros in exchange for cash considerations, per an announcement by both teams. The move comes days after Kuhnel was designated for assignment by Cincinnati. To make room for Kuhnel on the 40-man roster, the Astros have transferred right-hander Lance McCullers Jr. to the 60-day injured list. The club also announced that they have optioned Kuhnel to Triple-A.

The move marks the end of the Kuhnel’s tenure with the Reds, for whom he has played his entire professional career after the club selected him in the 11th round of the 2016 draft. Kuhnel pitched for Cincinnati in parts of four seasons, with the majority of his appearances coming during the 2022 campaign.

In 58 innings of work last season, Kuhnel posted an abysmal 6.36 ERA. That being said, those terrible run prevention numbers are belie what advanced metrics say was a perfectly solid performance in 2022. Hitters posted an unsustainable .343 BABIP against Kuhnel in 2022 while the right-hander posted an unusually low strand rate of just 60.2% over the course of the season. Kuhnel’s performance is further bolstered by his 22% strikeout rate and 5.5% walk rate. Taken together, it’s easy to see why advanced metrics thought relatively highly of Kuhnel in 2022, as evidenced by a 3.78 xERA and a 3.52 xFIP.

In all, Kuhnel heads to Houston with a career 6.20 ERA and 4.28 FIP in 74 innings of work across 69 appearances. Going forward, Kuhnel figures to act as depth for an Astros bullpen that ranks top three in the majors with a 3.21 ERA, behind only the Guardians and Yankees. He joins the likes of Matt Gage and Blake Taylor as bullpen depth at the Triple-A level that’s already on the 40-man roster. Kuhnel takes the 40-man roster spot of McCullers, whose placement on the 60-day IL comes as little surprise following his season-ending surgery earlier this week.

Dodgers Select Bryan Hudson

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Ahead of tonight’s game against the Giants, the Dodgers have selected the contract of left-hander Bryan Hudson. In a corresponding move, right-hander Tayler Scott was designated for assignment, per a team announcement.

Hudson, 26, was a third round pick by the Cubs in the 2015 draft. Used as a starter early in his professional career, Hudson struggled badly, posting a 4.51 ERA in 325 1/3 innings of work spread across the Low-A, Single-A, and High-A levels from 2016-19. After not pitching in 2020 due to the cancelled minor league season, Hudson returned in 2021 having converted to the bullpen, and saw his results improve. The lefty posted a 3.13 ERA in 54 2/3 innings of work at the Double-A level in 2021 with a 23.3% strikeout rate and a phenomenal 65% groundball rate, though his 10% walk rate left something to be desired. In 2022, Hudson posted similar numbers, with a 3.66 ERA in 59 innings split between the Double-A and Triple-A levels.

After the 2022 campaign, Hudson departed the Cubs organization through minor league free agency before signing a minor league deal with the Dodgers in December. Since signing on in LA, Hudson has pitched to a sterling 2.17 ERA in 29 innings at Triple-A. While his groundball rate has plummeted to just 27.8%, Hudson is striking out batters at an absurd 41.1% clip, leaving plenty of reason for optimism that the southpaw could help bolster a Dodgers bullpen that sports an NL-worst 4.90 ERA.

Making room for Hudson is Scott, who allowed six runs on six hits, a hit batsman, six walks, and eight strikeouts over six appearances during his time in Dodger blue. Prior to Scott’s call-up, the righty had posted impressive marks of his own at Triple-A, including a 1.37 ERA in 19 2/3 innings of work. The Dodgers now figure to attempt to trade Scott or pass him through waivers. If he goes unclaimed on waivers, LA can assign him outright to the minors, though Scott has been outrighted previously in his career, meaning he could reject that assignment and elect free agency if he so chose.

Marlins Place Edward Cabrera On 15-Day Injured List

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2:53PM: Cabrera’s IL placement is somewhat precautionary in nature, manager Skip Schumaker told McPherson and other reporters.  “We’re hoping it’s just only two starts [missed].  I don’t think he’s going to miss a bullpen.  He might even throw through that,” Schumaker said.

2:19PM: After already placing Jean Segura on the 10-day injured list earlier today, the Marlins have sent another notable player to the IL.  The Miami Herald’s Jordan McPherson (Twitter link) reports that the Fish have placed Edward Cabrera on the 15-day IL due to a right shoulder impingement, with the placement retroactive to June 14.  Right-hander Huascar Brazoban has been called up from Triple-A in the corresponding move.

Tapped by many as a possible breakout candidate for the 2023 season, it has been an up-and-down year for Cabrera, with his inflated 14.1% walk rate and 17.3% home run rate contributing to much of this inconsistency.  While Cabrera generally does a good job of keeping the ball on the ground (53.7% groundball rate), his big flies have yielded a lot of damage, as his homer rate is the sixth-highest of any hurler in the league with at least 60 innings pitched.  The result is a 4.70 ERA, despite Cabrera’s impressive 28.9% strikeout rate.

Cabrera joins Trevor Rogers and Johnny Cueto as projected rotation stalwarts currently on the injured list, with Rogers and Cueto each on the 60-day version of the IL.  The nature of Cabrera’s shoulder problem isn’t yet known, as an “impingement” could describe a more serious concern or just a minor issue that would allow Cabrera to return in the minimum 15 days.  The right-hander already missed around seven weeks of the 2022 season due to elbow tendinitis, as well as a minor ankle sprain that sent him to the IL at the very end of the season.

The Marlins had slated Cabrera to start Monday’s game against the Blue Jays, so the club doesn’t have long to decide on a replacement.  A bullpen game is one option, or the Fish On First blog (Twitter links) notes that Jeff Lindgren or Chi Chi Gonzalez could be called up for a spot start, as both pitchers are on a normal amount of rest between outings for Triple-A Jacksonville.  Neither Lindgren or Gonzalez are on the 40-man roster, but Avisail Garcia could be moved to the 60-day IL to create space.

Phillies Place Seranthony Dominguez On 15-Day IL

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The Phillies announced that left-hander Cristopher Sanchez and right-hander Yunior Marte have been called up from Triple-A.  In corresponding moves, right-hander Luis Ortiz was optioned to Triple-A, while reliever Seranthony Dominguez was placed on the 15-day injured list due to a left oblique strain.  Dominguez’s placement is retroactive to June 16.

The severity of Dominguez’s strain isn’t yet known, and both the Phillies and the right-hander can only hope that it isn’t the type of lingering oblique problem that can sideline a player for months.  Dominguez is unfortunately no stranger to long-term injuries, though an oblique strain is at least far less of a concern than the Tommy John surgery that cost him almost all of the 2020-21 seasons.

After posting a 3.00 ERA over 51 regular-season innings and then an outstanding 1.69 ERA over 10 2/3 postseason frames in 2022, Dominguez hasn’t been quite as effective this year.  The righty has a 4.33 ERA in 27 innings out of the Philly bullpen, with a 22.2% strikeout rate that is well below his 29.9% average from his first four MLB seasons.  On the plus side, Dominguez’s 8.7% walk rate is a career low (albeit still under the league average) and he does have a .350 BABIP.  It is also worth noting that Dominguez’s numbers look a lot better when you subtract his first appearance of the season, a disastrous outing against the Rangers that saw Dominguez allow four earned runs without recording a single out.

Sanchez will start today’s game against the A’s, marking the left-hander’s second start and appearance of the 2023 season.  A triceps injury during Spring Training sent Sanchez to the injured list at the start of the season, and might have cost him an opportunity to win a job in Philadelphia’s rotation.  That door is still open for Sanchez, as the Phillies are still looking for any kind of stability with their fifth starter role.

Brewers Outright Cam Robinson To Double-A

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TODAY: Robinson cleared waivers and was outrighted to Double-A.

JUNE 14: The Brewers have designated right-hander Cam Robinson for assignment, tweets Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. His spot on the 40-man roster will go to outfielder Raimel Tapia, whose previously reported Major League deal with Milwaukee is now official. Infielder Abraham Toro was optioned to Triple-A Nashville to open a spot on the active roster.

Robinson, 23, was selected to the Brewers’ 40-man roster over the winter after pitching to a 2.49 ERA with a strong 31.6% strikeout rate in 65 innings across High-A, Double-A and Triple-A in 2022. Command has been an issue for the former 23-round pick throughout his pro career, however, evidenced by last year’s 11.2% walk rate and this year’s alarming 18.5% walk rate between Double-A and Triple-A.

As one would expect for a pitcher issuing free passes at such a high clip, the 2023 season has been a struggle for Robinson. In 20 total innings (12 in Double-A, eight in Triple-A), he’s been rocked for an 8.55 ERA. He’s still missing bats and has had some degree of misfortune on balls in play with a BABIP north of .470, but the command issues are tough to overlook — particularly since they’re not unique to the 2023 season. In parts of six professional seasons, Robinson has walked 13.7% of the opponents he’s faced.

Baseball America recently ranked Robinson as the No. 19 prospect in a thin Brewers system, noting that he sits 92-95 mph with a fastball that can touch 97 mph and calling him a potential middle reliever. Robinson will now be available to all 29 other clubs, either via a minor trade or waiver claim. The Brewers will have a week to trade him or attempt to pass him through outright waivers.

A’s Select Tyler Wade, Place Kevin Smith On 10-Day IL

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The Athletics placed infielder Kevin Smith on the 10-day injured list due to a back strain, with the placement retroactive to June 16.  The club also announced that it has selected the contract of utilityman Tyler Wade from Triple-A, so Wade will be taking Smith’s spot on the active roster.

This is the second time that the A’s have selected Wade’s contract, as the 28-year-old was previously brought up for a 10-game stretch in April that saw Wade deliver only one hit over 16 plate appearances.  Wade was designated for assignment and could’ve rejected his outright assignment to Triple-A given that it wasn’t the first time he’d been outrighted, but he instead opted to remain with the A’s rather than test free agency.

A veteran of seven MLB seasons, Wade’s versatility has been his calling card, and he’ll provide the A’s with some depth at multiple positions.  Smith has mostly played shortstop this season with a good chunk of time at third base, and the left-handed hitting Wade is perhaps a bit more of a natural platoon complement at both positions since Jonah Bride and Aledmys Diaz are right-handed hitters.

Like many hitters on Oakland’s team, it has been a tough year for Smith, who is batting .191/.216/.330 over 102 PA.  Smith has been optioned back and forth from Triple-A twice already this season, and he’ll now be sidelined altogether while he recovers from his bad back.

Rockies Designate Dinelson Lamet For Assignment

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The Rockies designated right-hander Dinelson Lamet for assignment, MLB.com’s Thomas Harding reports (via Twitter).  Righty Gavin Hollowell was called up from Triple-A to take Lamet’s spot on Colorado’s roster.

Yesterday’s 8-1 loss to the Braves saw Lamet charged with all eight runs over four innings of work, and it was just the latest in a series of rough outings for the 30-year-old this season.  Lamet has an 11.57 ERA over 25 2/3 frames, which breaks down as a 10.80 ERA over 15 innings as a starter and a 12.66 ERA in 10 2/3 innings out of the bullpen.  He worked as a reliever before spending most of May on the 15-day IL with lower back tightness, and despite the lack of results, Lamet got a look as a starter due to Colorado’s dire need for rotation help.

The experiment didn’t work out, leaving Lamet possibly on his way out of the organization altogether.  It’s another rough turn in the career of a player who seemed like one of baseball’s breakout arms when he finished fourth in NL Cy Young voting as a member of the Padres in 2020.  Injuries kept Lamet off the mound entirely for big chunks of both the 2021 and 2022 campaigns, however, to the point that San Diego moved Lamet into a full-time relief role as an attempt to help keep him healthy.

The Padres dealt Lamet to the Brewers as part of the Josh Hader trade last summer, and after Milwaukee quickly DFA’ed Lamet, the Rockies claimed the righty off waivers.  Because he has more than five years of MLB service time, Lamet has the right to refuse an outright assignment to the Rockies’ Triple-A affiliate if he clears waivers this time around, and Lamet would still get to keep the remainder of the $5MM salary he is owed for the 2023 season.  Another team would be on the hook for that money if it claimed Lamet, and given his struggles, it is more likely that he’ll go unclaimed.

Marlins Promote Jacob Amaya, Place Jean Segura On 10-Day IL

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12:12PM: Segura has been placed on the 10-day injured list due to a left hamstring strain, as per McPherson.  This opens up the roster spot for Amaya’s promotion.

11:49AM: The Marlins have called up infielder Jacob Amaya from Triple-A, The Miami Herald’s Jordan McPherson reports (Twitter link).  The 24-year-old Amaya will be making his Major League debut whenever he first takes the field, which could be as early as today’s game against the Nationals.

Amaya was acquired from the Dodgers in January in the straight-up trade that saw Miguel Rojas sent to Los Angeles.  In essence, the Marlins dealt Rojas for a younger player with a similar glove-first profile.  Scouts have been mixed at best on Amaya’s hitting ability during his six minor league seasons, but his numbers have been solid (.278/.346/.472 with nine homers) over 240 plate appearances with Triple-A Jacksonville in 2023.

MLB Pipeline ranks Amaya as the ninth-best prospect in Miami’s farm system, with Baseball America ranking him 13th.  Both outlets give him a 60 grade for his defense, and Amaya’s floor seems to be a steady career as a utility player who can provide strong glovework at any infield position.  His ability to hit will determine whether or not Amaya can become a true starter, and both Pipeline and BA note that Amaya is more productive at the plate when he is aiming for contact rather than power.  Amaya also has a 9.2% walk rate at Triple-A this season, which is well below the 14.28% combined walk rate he posted at Double-A and Triple-A in 2022.

Despite these bat-related question marks, the Marlins might view any offense Amaya provides as a bonus, given how badly the team could use some defensive help.  Fangraphs’ DEF (Defensive Runs Above Average) metric ranks Miami 30th of 30 clubs this season, with a collective -13.2 figure.

Joey Wendle and Jon Berti are good defenders in their own right, though with Amaya taking up at least semi-regular duty at shortstop, Wendle and Berti could return to their usual utilityman duties around the diamond.  The Marlins may not want to interrupt Luis Arraez’s routine given his incredible run at the plate, but Arraez could see more time at first base rather than his usual spot at second base, considering his middling defensive numbers at the keystone.

Jean Segura could be the player to watch in this positional shuffling, in no small part because Segura could possibly be the corresponding move for Amaya’s promotion.  Segura missed Friday’s game due to a hamstring issue, and while the injury isn’t though to be serious, the Marlins could put Segura on the 10-day IL both for precautionary reasons, and perhaps as a bigger-picture reset for Segura’s 2023 season.

Signed to a two-year, $17MM free agent deal last winter, Segura’s first season in Miami has been nothing short of a disaster.  The veteran has the worst fWAR (-1.1) of any player in baseball, as Segura has hit only .190/.259/.234 over 225 PA while providing subpar defense at third base.  MLBTR’s Anthony Franco recently wrote about how the Marlins should be targeting infield help if they want to remain in the race for a playoff berth, and it could be that the Fish will first give Amaya a look before considering if a bigger upgrade is needed at the trade deadline.

Brewers Reinstate Wade Miley, Jesse Winker From Injured List; Designate Jon Singleton

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The Brewers announced four roster moves, including the activation of both Wade Miley and Jesse Winker from the injured list.  Miley was placed on the 15-day IL due to a lat strain on May 17, while Winker has been on the 10-day IL since May 28 due to a cervical strain.  To create space on the active roster, the Brewers optioned right-hander Tyson Miller to Triple-A and designated first baseman Jon Singleton for assignment.

Miley inked a one-year deal worth $4.5MM in guaranteed money to come to Milwaukee during the offseason, and the veteran southpaw has delivered a 3.67 ERA over 41 2/3 innings.  Miley’s 40.4% grounder rate and 10.3% barrel rate are both significantly worse than in recent seasons, though it’s hard to yet make any big projections given the small sample size of innings.  The lefty has made up for those numbers with a borderline elite 5.3% walk rate, as well as his customary good work at limiting hard contact.

Miley will start today’s game against the Pirates, and his return brings some more relief to a Milwaukee rotation that has been hit hard with injuries.  Brandon Woodruff will still be out until at least the All-Star break and Aaron Ashby will miss all of the 2023 season due to shoulder surgery, but with Miley now back on the mound, the Brew Crew are at least a step closer to their initial first-choice rotation.  Adrian Houser will be shifted to the bullpen, leaving Miley, Corbin Burnes, Freddy Peralta, Colin Rea, and Julio Teheran as Milwaukee’s current rotation.

Winker was another offseason acquisition, picked up from the Mariners along with Abraham Toro in exchange for Kolten Wong.  The trade hasn’t worked out for either team to date, as Wong and Winker have each badly struggled with their new clubs.  Winker has looking to bounce back from a relatively disappointing 2022 campaign in Seattle, yet the 108 wRC+ he posted with the Mariners is far above the 60 wRC+ (off a .204/.315/.231 slash line) that Winker has delivered over his first 127 plate appearances in a Brewers uniform.  There’s still plenty of time for Winker to turn things around, as perhaps the three weeks on the IL both healed his neck problem and might serve as a fresh start to his 2023 season.

The Brewers selected Singleton’s contract from Triple-A earlier this month, and he hit only .103/.188/.138 over 32 PA.  While an underwhelming slash line, just making it back to the big leagues for the first time since 2015 marked a personal victory for Singleton, whose battle with marijuana addiction took him out of baseball entirely for three seasons until he launched a comeback in the Mexican League in 2021.  If Singleton clears DFA waivers and the Brewers outright him to Triple-A, Singleton can choose to become a free agent, since he has been outrighted off a 40-man roster in the past.

Cubs Activate Justin Steele, Place Patrick Wisdom On 10-Day IL

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As expected, the Cubs activated Justin Steele from the 15-day injured list, as the left-hander is scheduled to start today’s game against the Orioles.  Steele will take the place of Patrick Wisdom, as Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune (Twitter link) reports that Wisdom is being placed on the 10-day IL due to a right wrist sprain.

Wisdom was replaced by pinch-hitter Ian Happ in the sixth inning of yesterday’s 10-3 Cubs win over Baltimore, a move that seemed like in-game strategy at the time but could have been related to Wisdom’s wrist problem.  The 31-year-old infielder also has only two hits in his last 36 plate appearances, so it is possible this wrist sprain might have occurred a while ago, and Wisdom was trying to play through the discomfort.

The recent slump has dropped Wisdom’s slash line to .196/.285/.467 for the season, with 14 homers over 208 plate appearances.  While that production still translates to a slightly above-average 102 wRC+, it continues Wisdom’s trend of being a power-centric bat who offers little beyond the long ball.  Wisdom has hit .213/.298/.465 with 67 homers over 1117 PA with Chicago since the start of the 2021 season.

Wisdom has played mostly third base this season, with a handful of appearances as first base and in both corner outfield spots.  Nick Madrigal has been seeing regular work at third base since being recalled from Triple-A a little over a week ago, and the Cubs might prefer to see what the 26-year-old Madrigal can do with more frequent playing time, which might make it tough for Wisdom to work his way back into the lineup once he returns from the IL.

Steele returns after missing only slightly more than the minimum 15 days, which is a great outcome given the ominous nature of forearm strains.  However, Steele’s strain didn’t involve any structural damage, so the southpaw was able to make a quick recovery.  Steele has been excellent in 2023, posting a 2.65 ERA over 68 innings while relying on outstanding control and one of the league’s best soft-contact rates.

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