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Orioles Option Grayson Rodriguez

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The Orioles announced this morning that the club had optioned right-hander Grayson Rodriguez to Triple-A and recalled left-hander Keegan Akin.

The move brings to an end Rodriguez’s first taste of big league action in his career. The club’s first-round pick in 2018 and a consensus top-10 prospect entering the season, Rodriguez has struggled badly to this point in the majors. The hard-throwing righty sports a ugly 7.35 ERA, 41% worse than league average by measure of ERA+, and a 5.94 FIP in ten starts this season. While a 26.5% strikeout rate is excellent, Rodriguez’s 10% walk rate is well below league average. Most concerning of all, however, is the frequency with which Rodriguez has given up hard contact. The youngster’s average exit velocity, HardHit%, and Barrel% are all in the tenth percentile or worse among qualified players this season.

Rodriguez’s struggles this season have been particularly pronounced since the calendar flipped to May. In five starts this month, Rodriguez has allowed 27 runs (26 earned) with nearly as many combined walks (10) and home runs (11) as strikeouts (22) while pitching into the sixth inning just once and failing to finish the fourth inning three times. All that adds up to a brutal 11.14 ERA with a 20.8% strikeout rate and a 9.43 FIP in 21 innings of work.

Given Rodriguez’s deep struggles, it’s impossible to know when his next big league opportunity will be. That said, Rodriguez obviously has incredible talent, and is far from the only starter struggling for the Orioles this season. Offseason acquisition Cole Irvin is currently in Triple-A himself after posting a 10.38 ERA in 13 innings of work, while Tyler Wells sports a FIP north of 5.00 despite his solid 3.47 ERA. Dean Kremer (94 ERA+) and Kyle Bradish (100 ERA+) have both been roughly league average to this point in the season, leaving offseason signing Kyle Gibson as the club’s only properly above average starter, with a 3.82 ERA and 4.18 FIP in 66 innings of work.

Replacing Rodriguez on the active roster is Akin, who turned in a quality season as a reliever last year, with a 3.20 ERA and 3.59 FIP in 81 2/3 innings of work. The 28-year-old lefty struggled somewhat with a 5.91 ERA in 10 2/3 innings of work at the big league level this season, but a 3.76 FIP indicates his underlying performance may have been better than the results would indicate. In seven innings of work at the Triple-A level, Akin has dominated to a 1.29 ERA with thirteen strikeouts.

Rays Activate Tyler Glasnow

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The Rays announced this morning that they’ve activated right-hander Tyler Glasnow from the injured list. In a corresponding move, right-hander Cooper Criswell was optioned to Triple-A. Glasnow will start this afternoon’s game against the Dodgers.

Today’s start will not only be Glasnow’s 2023 debut, but just his third regular season appearance since he underwent Tommy John surgery midway through the 2021 campaign. One of the most talented pitchers in the sport, the hulking 6’8” righty owns a phenomenal 2.75 ERA, 51% better than league average, with a 2.87 FIP since the start of the 2019 season with a phenomenal 36% strikeout rate and a 7.8% walk rate. Of course, that amazing production has come across just 212 2/3 innings of work in that four year span, as Glasnow has struggled to stay healthy throughout his career. The 29-year-old has eclipsed 100 innings pitched in a season just once to this point in his career, when he threw 111 2/3 innings in 2018.

Despite the volume issues, it’s hard to overstate what a boost to the Rays a healthy Glasnow figures to be. While the club’s collective 3.67 ERA ranks fourth in baseball- even after a 20-1 drubbing by the Blue Jays that saw the club’s position players give up half of the total runs- the losses of Drew Rasmussen and Jeffrey Springs have left the club’s rotation largely operating with just three regular starters in Shane McClanahan, Zach Eflin, and Taj Bradley. Glasnow’s return figures to not only solidify that group, but add bonafide ace-caliber production to the front of the rotation.

As for Criswell, the 26-year-old righty has pitched 15 1/3 innings for the Rays this season, though the results have left much to be desired as Criswell owns a 6.46 ERA and 5.37 FIP in that time. Though his 23.9% strikeout rate and 8.5% walk rate are both acceptable figures, and a .381 BABIP suggests there could be some flukiness to his results, three home runs allowed in his four appearances certainly leaves plenty of reason for concern. Criswell will attempt to get things back on track at Triple-A Durham, serving as depth for the club in the meantime.

Yankees Option Randy Vasquez, Recall Matt Krook

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The Yankees announced this morning that the club has recalled left-hander Matt Krook to the big league club following the decision last night to option right-hander Randy Vasquez to Triple-A.

Krook, 28, was converted to relief ahead of the 2023 campaign after being selected to the Yankees’ 40-man roster ahead of the Rule 5 Draft during the offseason. A fourth-round pick by the Giants in the 2016 draft, Krook spent time in the Giants and Rays organizations before joining the Yankees in 2021. Prior to 2023, the lefty prospect had primarily been used as a starter, with a 3.57 ERA in 244 2/3 innings at the Double-A and Triple-A levels during his time in the Yankees organization. Despite those solid numbers, Krook was moved to the bullpen thanks to command issues; the lefty has never had a walk rate below 10% in a full season throughout his entire professional career.

So far, the move to the pen has proved to be a revelation for Krook. He’s posted a microscopic 1.04 ERA with a 1.79 FIP in 17 1/3 innings at Triple-A across twelve appearances this season. While his walk rate is still a concerning 16.9%, he’s striking out a whopping 47.9% of batters faced, mitigating the issue to an extent. Krook has clearly shown enough that the Yankees believe him to be ready for a debut in the big leagues, where he will provide the club with a quality left-handed option alongside Wandy Peralta.

Headed back to Triple-A to make room for Krook on the roster is Vasquez, who started yesterday’s game for the Yankees in a major league debut of his own. The 24-year-old righty held his own against a tough Padres lineup, allowing two runs on four hits (one home run) and three walks while striking out six in 4 2/3 innings of work. Vasquez figures to act as a depth starter for the Yankees in Triple-A going forward, a valuable role given the numerous injury woes the Yankees has suffered in the rotation so far in 2023.

Yankees Release Aaron Hicks

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The Yankees announced that veteran outfielder Aaron Hicks, whom they designated for assignment earlier this week, has now been released.

Hicks is in the fifth season of a seven-year, $70MM contract that didn’t pan out nearly as well as the Yankees hoped. The former first-round pick and top prospect hit .255/.368/.470 (128 wRC+) with 42 home runs for the Yankees from 2017-18, and he gave them a respectable .231/.350/.431 output in the 2019-20 seasons. Since that time, however, his offensive production has cratered as injuries have mounted. Hicks hit just .188/.263/.261 in 76 plate appearances this season and is a .209/.315/.310 hitter in 655 plate appearances dating back to 2021.

For all his struggles, Hicks has generally graded as an average or better left fielder in recent years. His once-excellent defense in center field has faded, but he posted a hefty 8 Defensive Runs Saved through just 413 innings in left field as recently as 2022. The switch-hitter hasn’t had success regardless of opponent in 2022-23, but Hicks had a decent showing against lefties in 2021 and has a career .247/.327/.415 batting line as a right-handed hitter facing lefties. He’s also walked in 12.5% of his 3352 Major League plate appearances, including an above-average 9.2% walk rate even in the midst of this year’s freefall at the dish.

Hicks clearly isn’t the player he was at his peak, but now that he’s been released and the Yankees are going to be stuck picking up the tab, he’d make some sense for an outfield-needy club — particularly one seeking some help against left-handed pitching. Hicks is hardly a lock to rediscover any of his former production, but it won’t cost another team much to see if escaping the Yankee Stadium spotlight and the constant scrutiny surrounding his contract and diminished play can help him rebound to at least some extent. He certainly wouldn’t be the first player to rebuild some stock after leaving the Yankees for a lower-pressure environment.

The Yankees remain on the hook for the rest of this year’s $10.5MM salary and will also owe Hicks a $9.5MM salary in each of the next two seasons, plus a $1MM buyout on a 2026 club option. Any team that wants to sign Hicks will only owe him the prorated league minimum for any time spent on the big league roster. That sum will be subtracted from the Yankees’ obligation to Hicks, but even if Hicks catches on with a new club and sticks on the roster moving forward, the Yanks are stuck with the overwhelming majority of that contract.

Blue Jays Release Julian Fernández

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The Blue Jays have released right-hander Julian Fernández, according to his transactions tracker at MLB.com.

Fernández, 27, signed a minor league deal with the Jays in the winter. He has been pitching for Triple-A Buffalo so far this year, tossing 9 1/3 innings over seven relief appearances. Unfortunately, he registered a miserable 10.61 ERA in that time. Shockingly, he struck out just 9.8% of batters faced after posting a 24.9% strikeout rate in Triple-A last year.

The right-hander has a small amount of major league experience, throwing 6 2/3 innings for the Rockies in 2021. He didn’t get good results in that brief showing but did have a fastball that averaged 99 mph. He spent 2022 in Triple-A with the Rockies, tossing 57 innings with a 6.63 ERA in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League.

He had lost his 40-man roster spot in the middle of that 2022 campaign and qualified for free agency at season’s end. The Jays took a shot on him, undoubtedly hoping to help him get the most of his powerful arm, though they’ve now seemingly given up.

Fernandez will now be free to pursue opportunities with any club. His results weren’t there this year but he’s garnered plenty of interest in the past, having previously been nabbed by the Giants and Marlins in the Rule 5 draft.

Brewers To Place Willy Adames On Concussion IL

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Brewers shortstop Willy Adames was struck by a foul ball while in the dugout during tonight’s game. He was taken to a hospital for testing and will stay there overnight, manager Craig Counsell tells reporters, including Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

The incident occurred in the second inning of tonight’s game when Brian Anderson fouled a ball into the Milwaukee dugout (Twitter video courtesy of @thecomeback). Adames was removed from the game and taken to hospital for testing. While the incident initially led to much alarm, it seems that perhaps the worst has been avoided. Counsell says that Adames has no fractures and has remained responsive all night. They expect he will be released from hospital tomorrow but he will be placed on the seven-day concussion injured list.

While the good news is that Adames seems to have avoided any kind of catastrophic injury, the club will still have to figure out how to proceed without their everyday shortstop for a while. He had been out to a slow start this year, hitting .205/.292/.384 through his first 214 plate appearances this season. But he’s coming off an excellent 2022 campaign where he hit 31 home runs and slashed .238/.298/.458 for a wRC+ of 109. He also stole eight bases and provided quality defense, leading to a tally of 4.7 wins above replacement last year, according to FanGraphs.

In terms of shortstop options on the roster, there’s Owen Miller, who has played the position a bunch in the minors but has just eight innings of major league experience there. Brice Turang is in a similar boat, with plenty of minor league experience at short but just 16 innings in the big leagues. Mike Brosseau is also in a similar situation with 19 2/3 innings of major league time at that spot. Luis Urías has more than 1,000 innings at the position and is perhaps the best option. He’s on the injured list right now but began a rehab assignment on Wednesday. He is on the 60-day IL and isn’t eligible to come off until Tuesday, when he would require a corresponding move.

How the club proceeds with its on-field plans remains to be seen. But for now, the main priority is the health of Adames after such a scary incident. More information will come on that as well but it seems like it could have been much worse, all things considered.

Dodgers Outright Wander Suero

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Dodgers righty Wander Suero went unclaimed on waivers following his DFA and has been assigned outright to Triple-A Oklahoma City, per the team’s transaction log. The 31-year-old righty has enough service time to reject the assignment in favor of free agency. The team hasn’t made an announcement one way or another, but Suero is listed as active on the OKC Dodgers’ roster.

Suero appeared in four games with the Dodgers, pitching 6 2/3 innings but yielding six runs on four hits and four walks. Suero did fan exactly a quarter of his opponents (seven of 28), but he struggled not only to find the zone but to locate within it, as two of those hits left the yard.

Prior to this brief run the Dodgers, the entirety of Suero’s big league experience had come with the Nationals, for whom he pitched in 2018-21. The righty logged 185 1/3 frames with the Nats, at times serving as one of Davey Martinez’s setup men (33 holds). He posted a combined 4.61 ERA with Washington, striking out a solid 25.4% of opponents against a roughly average 8.4% walk rate. Suero wasn’t especially homer prone and didn’t give up many free passes, but he struggled with men on base, stranding a below-average 67.8% of runners he allowed. Still, fielding-independent metrics like FIP (3.80) and SIERA (3.78) thought his skills were better than his bottom-line results.

Suero has had a nice year in Oklahoma City so far, holding opponents to four runs on ten hits and eight walks with 17 strikeouts in 14 2/3 innings (2.45 ERA). It’s the fifth season in which he’s spent time at the Triple-A level, and he owns a career 3.59 ERA with a 22% strikeout rate and 8.1% walk rate through 110 1/3 innings there.

Blue Jays Place Danny Jansen On IL With Groin Strain

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The Blue Jays announced that catcher Danny Jansen has been placed on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to May 25, with a left groin strain. Fellow backstop Tyler Heineman has been recalled in a corresponding move.

Jansen, 28, has been splitting the catching duties with Alejandro Kirk fairly evenly so far this season, with Jansen getting 28 starts to Kirk’s 23. Jansen is capable of being a two-way contributor when healthy, as he hit .260/.339/.516 last year for a wRC+ of 140 while also putting up five Defensive Runs Saved. FanGraphs strangely ranked him as a negative pitch framer last season, though he’s been in the positive territory in every other season of his career.

He hasn’t quite matched that level of offense this year, currently hitting .207/.273/.413 for the season. Though that’s being dragged down by an ice-cold start to the year, as he’s hitting .250/.314/.510 from April 15 onwards for a wRC+ of 124. Unfortunately, he’ll now have to hit the shelf for a while, something that has become a common theme for him. With the shortened 2020 schedule and IL stints in each campaign since, he hasn’t topped 72 games played in an individual season since 2019. He departed Wednesday’s game with groin tightness and the club gave him a day to see how it progressed, but it’s evidently serious enough that they’ll give him at least another week to recuperate.

Presumably, that means the lion’s share of playing time will now fall to Kirk, who’s also not hitting up to last year’s standards. He hit .285/.372/.415 in 2022 for a wRC+ of 129 but is slashing just .248/.360/.333 this year for a wRC+ of 101. He and the Jays will hope that some extra reps will allow him to make up some of the difference between those two lines.

Backing him up will be Heineman, whom the Jays acquired from the Pirates at the end of April. He only played three games with the Pirates this year, having spent most of the season with the Triple-A clubs of the two organizations. He’s hit .260/.393/.400 between those two clubs for a wRC+ of 108. He has 246 major league plate appearances in his career, going back to 2019, with a batting line of .210/.276/.269 in those. He also accrued six Defensive Runs Saved and positive marks for his framing work.

Phillies Claim Cal Stevenson

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The Phillies announced Friday that they’ve claimed outfielder Cal Stevenson off waivers from the Giants. He’s been optioned to Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Philadelphia transferred Rule 5 right-hander Noah Song from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day injured list in order to open a spot on the 40-man roster.

Stevenson originally came to the Giants from the A’s, coming over in exchange for cash. He went hitless in 12 plate appearances as a Giant and has just a .145/.259/.188 slash in 83 trips to the plate at the big league level. That’s an unsightly look, of course, but it comes in a tiny sample.

Down in the minors, he’s been a much more productive hitter. Stevenson touts a .271/.382/.386 batting line with seven home runs and 21 steals in 26 attempts. He’s walked at a hefty 15% clip in Triple-A against a lower-than-average 18.2% strikeout rate. Stevenson can play all three outfield spots, though the bulk of his work has come in center field.

The Phils don’t necessarily have a dire outfield need, with Kyle Schwarber, breakout 25-year-old Brandon Marsh and Nick Castellanos lining up from left to right, respectively. However, with Cristian Pache on the mend from surgery to repair a meniscus tear, Philadelphia also doesn’t have a true fourth outfielder. Veteran utilityman Josh Harrison is no stranger to the outfield corners, and rookie infielder/outfielder Dalton Guthrie has spent time in center field. However, Guthrie has more experience on the infield than in the outfield. Stevenson will give the Phillies a pure fourth outfield option who carries nearly 1800 professional innings of experience in center, plus another 1300 in the corners.

Dodgers Claim Zack Burdi

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The Dodgers have claimed right-hander Zack Burdi off waivers from the Rays, per announcements from both clubs. Righty Tyler Cyr was transferred to the 60-day injured list in order to open a spot on the 40-man roster.

Burdi was twice designated for assignment by Tampa Bay this season, clearing waivers and accepting an outright the first time around. He’ll be claimed this time through, however, and be placed directly onto Los Angeles’ 40-man roster. The 28-year-old tossed three shutout innings during his first stint with the Rays but was rocked for five earned runs on five hits and a walk in just one inning when the Rays were blown out by the Blue Jays by a score of 20-1.

Burdi is a former first-rounder whose results have not yet aligned with his former top prospect status. That’s due largely to injury, as he underwent Tommy John surgery in 2018 and then suffered a torn patellar tendon in his knee the following year. There were no minor leagues to return to in 2020, so Burdi jumped straight to the big leagues with the White Sox after pitching just 33 combined innings in 2018-19. The results weren’t good (nine runs in 7 1/3 innings) and Burdi has yet to find his footing. In 21 1/3 big league innings, he has an 8.44 ERA.

Cyr, 30, was selected to the big league roster just a week ago. The journeyman right-hander tossed 1 2/3 shutout innings with a pair of strikeouts in his brief stint with the Dodgers, but his shoulder barked following his second appearance, sending him to the 15-day injured list with what was diagnosed as an impingement. It seems that the injury is serious enough that it’ll require at least a two-month absence.

It’s a tough blow for Cyr, whose only prior MLB experience came in 2022 with the A’s and Phillies — a total of just 12 1/3 innings. He’d hoped his call to the Dodgers and a pair of scoreless outings might give him an opportunity to prove he can hold down a spot in a big league bullpen. Those hopes will be delayed indefinitely now as he battles this shoulder issue.

Cyr, who entered the season with just 34 days of MLB service time, will accrue service time and be paid at the prorated league minimum rate while he’s on the injured list. That’s a decent financial consolation prize after grinding through eight minor league seasons with scant salaries each year, but the loss of the opportunity to carve out a larger role on a big league club surely stings.

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