Angels Activate Ben Joyce, Zach Neto
The Angels announced this afternoon that they had activated right-hander Ben Joyce from the 60-day injured list and shortstop Zach Neto from the 10-day injured list. In corresponding moves, first baseman Trey Cabbage and left-hander Kolton Ingram were optioned to Triple-A Salt Lake. Anaheim’s 40-man roster stands at 39 after activating Joyce.
The club’s first- and third-round picks in the 2022 draft, Neto and Joyce were the first members of the 2022 draft class to reach the majors, with both doing so by the end of May this season. Each player has held his own at the highest level despite being fast-tracked to the big leagues, with Neto posting a 97 wRC+ in 252 trips to the plate alongside solid defense at shortstop, while Joyce has shown a fastball that sits at over 101 mph while posting a 4.50 ERA that’s 9% better than league average by ERA+.
While the respective debuts of each youngster have been impressive considering their lack of development time in the minor leagues, the 2023 seasons have been marred by injuries for both players. Joyce managed just four innings of work in five appearances before going on the injured list with ulnar neuritis in early June and missing the next three months. Neto, on the other hand, spent a month on the shelf earlier in the season due to an oblique strain before returning after the All Star break for a two-week stretch during which he batted an abysmal .180/.226/.340. He ultimately was placed back on the injured list in early August with lower back inflammation.
With three weeks left in the regular season, both rookies will be afforded the opportunity to finish their first big league campaign on a high note. Neto figures to take over as the club’s everyday shortstop, pushing Kyren Paris to the bench. Joyce, meanwhile, could get some looks in high-leverage situations down the stretch with key leverage relievers Matt Moore and Reynaldo Lopez having been claimed off waivers by the Guardians at the end of August. That’s left the Anaheim bullpen with few clear high-leverage options beyond closer Carlos Estevez.
As for the players making room for the rookie duo, Cabbage is a left-handed power bat who first joined the big league club back in July, replacing Anthony Rendon as a member of the club’s infield mix. Cabbage has experience at first base, third base, and all three outfield spots, but ultimately struggled with the bat in 56 trips to the plate with the Angels, slashing just .208/.232/.321 with a massive 46.4% strikeout rate. Cabbage, 26, will need to cut down on the strikeouts significantly if he’s going to contribute in the majors as anything more than an injury replacement.
Ingram, meanwhile, posted phenomenal numbers in the minor leagues this season for the organization, including a 3.49 ERA in 28 1/3 Triple-A innings made all the more impressive thanks to the heightened offensive environment of the Pacific Coast League. Unfortunately for the 26-year-old southpaw, his first taste of big league action back in June did not go as he surely hoped it would, as he was lit up for three runs in his major league debut while recording only one out. In all, Ingram owns a brutal 10.38 ERA in 4 1/3 innings of work at the big league level, though as a southpaw with success in the upper minors, he still figures to be an intriguing potential bullpen piece for the Angels headed into 2024.
AL East Notes: Means, Adam, Margot, Baz, Bowman, Misiewicz
John Means‘ long recovery from Tommy John surgery is nearing an end, as the Orioles southpaw threw a bullpen session yesterday and is tentatively expected to start Tuesday’s game against the Cardinals, though the O’s haven’t yet announced most of their upcoming rotation alignment. “I’ve been waiting a while for this, so just looking forward to whenever that opportunity is, I take advantage of it,” Means told MASNsports.com’s Roch Kubatko and other reporters today.
The de facto ace of Baltimore’s pitching staff during the club’s rebuild, Means posted a 3.72 ERA over 353 1/3 innings for the O’s from 2019-2022, though TJ surgery ended his 2022 season after only two starts and eight innings. Between that procedure and then a back strain that delayed his rehab earlier this year, Means hasn’t much contributed to the Orioles resurgence that included a winning record in 2022 and now the American League’s best record in 2023. Naturally, Means is both “really excited to compete again” in general, and especially for a team that suddenly looks like a World Series contender. It remains to be seen how exactly he’ll fit into the Orioles’ pitching plans, and Means said that he hasn’t talked to the club yet about starting or relieving, though he is open to either.
More from around the AL East…
- Jason Adam has played two games of catch since going on the 15-day IL, and the Rays reliever isn’t reporting any soreness from the left oblique strain that has kept him from pitching since August 27. While there’s still plenty of fluidity to Adam’s status, manager Kevin Cash told reporters (including Kristie Ackert of the Tampa Bay Times) that the club is tentatively hoping Adam can return when the Rays open their next homestand on September 19.
- In other Rays health updates, Manuel Margot is slated for a minor league rehab game on Tuesday. The outfielder underwent elbow surgery in mid-August, and is roughly on track with his initial recovery timeline of 3-4 weeks. Ackert also spoke with Shane Baz, who is continuing to make progress from his September 2022 Tommy John surgery and is looking to start throwing live batting practice sessions in the instructional league by the end of September. “I will have a pretty normal offseason and then it’s full-go in spring,” Baz said.
- The Yankees called up right-hander Matt Bowman and left-hander Anthony Misiewicz from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, after optioning relievers Ron Marinaccio and Matt Krook to Triple-A after yesterday’s game. Misiewicz is set to make his debut in the pinstripes after New York claimed the southpaw off waivers from the Tigers back in July, as Misiewicz has thus far spent his Yankees tenure in the minors. For Bowman, the righty is now set to make his first MLB appearance since 2019, when he was a member of the Reds. Between the canceled 2020 minor league season and recovering from a Tommy John surgery, Bowman didn’t pitch at all from 2020-22 before returning to toss 56 Triple-A frames this season.
- Jasson Dominguez was a late scratch from the Yankees lineup today, as the rookie outfielder is dealing with right elbow inflammation. The severity of the injury isn’t yet known, but it’s an unfortunate setback for a player who has brought some spark to a disappointing season in the Bronx. In his first 33 Major League plate appearances, “the Martian” has already hit four homers en route to a .980 OPS.
Dodgers Select Wander Suero, Place Gus Varland On 15-Day IL
The Dodgers have placed right-hander Gus Varland on the 15-day injured list due to inflammation in his right knee. Taking Varland’s place is another righty, as Los Angeles has selected Wander Suero‘s contract from Triple-A.
Suero inked a minor league deal with L.A. during the offseason, and this is the second time the Dodgers have selected him to the active roster. His first stint saw him post an 8.10 ERA over four appearances and 6 2/3 innings, and Suero was then designated for assignment and outrighted back to Triple-A. Because Suero entered the season with more than three years of MLB service time, he could’ve rejected that outright assignment and returned to free agency, but he instead opted to remain in the Dodgers organization.
Given all of the Dodgers’ pitching injuries, Suero might be able to carve out a bullpen role if he pitches well, though his selection might just represent a short-term way to get a fresh arm onto the roster. It’s at least another look in the Show for Suero, who spent 2022 in the Angels’ farm system and in the Mexican League without seeing any big league action. Prior to 2022, Suero tossed 185 1/3 relief innings for the Nationals from 2018-21, including 71 1/3 frames during Washington’s 2019 championship season.
Varland just pitched yesterday, and picked up the loss in the Dodgers’ 7-6 loss to the Nationals in 11 innings. 2023 is Varland’s first Major League season, as he has posted a 6.64 ERA over 20 1/3 combined innings with the Brewers and Dodgers. Selected by Milwaukee from L.A. back in December during the Rule 5 Draft, the Brewers returned Varland to the Dodgers in May, and the righty has pitched a bit better in the Dodger Blue. Varland has a 3.09 ERA in 11 2/3 frames with the Dodgers as opposed to an outsized 11.42 ERA in 8 2/3 innings with the Brewers, though given the small sample sizes and some similarly uninspiring peripherals on both teams, Varland’s improvement with the Dodgers might be more due to good fortune.
Reds Activate Joey Votto, Jonathan India, Hunter Greene
The Reds announced six roster moves today, most prominently the returns of some of their biggest names. Joey Votto and Jonathan India were both activated from the 10-day injured list, while Hunter Greene was activated from the COVID-related injured list. Right-hander Lyon Richardson was optioned to Triple-A, while infielder Alejo Lopez and right-hander Carson Spiers (both on the roster as substitute players) were respectively returned to Triple-A and Double-A.
India last played on July 28, as a case of plantar fasciitis in his left foot resulted in a longer absence than expected on the IL, and there was at least some concern that the second baseman might have been sidelined for the rest of the 2023 season entirely. However, the Reds’ rough planned timeline for India in mid-August ended up basically going to plan, so he’ll now look to step back into his normal duty at second base. Votto has missed a little over two weeks due to left shoulder discomfort, and given Votto’s history of shoulder problems, it counts as very good news that the longtime first baseman is already back on the field.
Cincinnati’s waiver-wire additions of Hunter Renfroe and Harrison Bader have further added to what has become a bit of glut of position players for the Reds, though injuries have essentially kept the team’s list of options from becoming a true surplus. Star rookie Matt McLain will still be out for at least another week or two in recovering from an oblique injury, and Noelvi Marte just suffered a broken nose yesterday after being hit in the face by an errant throw during pregame warmups. Manager David Bell told reporters (including Gordon Wittenmyer of the Cincinnati Enquirer) that Marte isn’t yet being placed on the IL since the rookie infielder will attempt to play through the discomfort, possibly wearing a protective mask.
With Marte a question mark, the Reds’ infield figures to shake out as Votto and Christian Encarnacion-Strand sharing first base and DH duty, India at second base, Elly De La Cruz at shortstop, and Spencer Steer probably taking the bulk of third base work. If Marte is able to continue playing, Steer can split time at second base, third base, and in the corner outfield, which creates a bit of a logjam in the outfield but Steer’s playing time will certainly be prioritized given his strong numbers.
Greene is set to start today’s game against the Cardinals, with the right-hander set for his first action since August 30. Greene was hit hard in his first two outings back from a 60-day IL stint (due to hip pain) before looking much sharper in that August 30th outing against the Giants, but Greene was then sidelined again by the COVID outbreak that has hit the Reds’ clubhouse in recent days.
Red Sox Place James Paxton On 15-Day Injured List
The Red Sox announced that left-hander James Paxton has been place on the 15-day injured list (retroactive to September 7) due to right knee inflammation. In other transactions, Boston called up right-hander Nick Robertson from Triple-A Worcester and activated righty Garrett Whitlock from the bereavement list, while left-hander Joe Jacques has been optioned to Triple-A.
The timing of the IL move means that Paxton’s 2023 campaign is over, as Red Sox manager Alex Cora told The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier and other reporters that Nick Pivetta will take Paxton’s place in the rotation for the remainder of the season. Paxton will finish the year with a 4.50 ERA over 96 innings, as well as a 24.6% strikeout rate and 8.0% walk rate that were both above the league average.
Considering that injuries (including a Tommy John surgery) limited Paxton to only six games and 21 2/3 total innings between the 2020-22 seasons, just getting onto a mound and making it almost the entire way through the 2023 season counts as a significant achievement for the southpaw. A Spring Training hamstring injury delayed Paxton’s debut until May 12, but he pitched well over his first four months before seemingly starting to wear down during August. Paxton was tagged for 16 earned runs over his last three starts and 9 2/3 innings, putting a sour end on what had been a solid year.
The Sox had already planned to push Paxton’s next start back a few days, but since Cora implied that Paxton’s knee had been bothering him, the team has opted to shut the lefty down rather than risk any further injury. While Paxton hadn’t been contributing much in his last few outings anyway, the IL decision also seems to hint how the Red Sox might be slowly turning to look towards 2024 rather than the wild card race, as Cora implied in today’s meeting with reporters. Boston is seven games back of the last AL wild card slot, and with just a 72-70 record, finishing above .500 is no guarantee for the Sox, let alone a playoff berth.
The outcome might lead to some hindsight about Boston’s decision to keep Paxton at the trade deadline, as the Rangers (and likely several other teams) had interest in the left-hander prior to August 1. For the second straight season, Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom opted to both buy and sell at the deadline, though this year’s Red Sox club was closer in the race than the 2022 edition. The very streaky nature of this year’s club also makes it understandable why Bloom didn’t swing too hard in either transactional direction at the deadline, and since the Sox were already hurting for pitching, it makes sense why the team would’ve wanted to keep Paxton as a key piece of whatever late-season push might have been in store.
With Paxton’s 2023 now over, it is possible he has also thrown his last pitch in a Red Sox uniform. He is set to hit free agency this winter, and it will be interesting to see what kind of deal Paxton could land as he enters his age-35 season and on the back of a year that saw mostly good results when healthy. Assuming this knee problem doesn’t develop into anything serious, Paxton could have a case for a multi-year agreement, though teams will likely prefer a one-year deal with vesting/club options (maybe similar to his previous deal with the Red Sox) given his lengthy health history.
Tigers Select Sawyer Gipson-Long
TODAY: The Tigers officially announced the selection of Gipson-Long’s contract. Right-hander Brendan White was optioned to Triple-A in the corresponding move.
SEPTEMBER 8: The Tigers are planning to select the contract of Sawyer Gipson-Long in time for him to start Sunday’s game against the White Sox, manager A.J. Hinch announced to reporters, including Jason Beck of MLB.com. It will be his major league debut. Detroit has an empty spot on the 40-man, although the team will need to make room for the 25-year-old on the active roster.
This will be the second promotion of the season for Gipson-Long, who earned the call to Triple-A in late July. He has made six starts since then, pitching to a 4.35 ERA with an impressive 33.1% strikeout rate. However, he has struggled in two appearances out of the bullpen in September, giving up six runs on seven hits. The Tigers will count on him to get back on track in the majors.
Gipson-Long joined the Tigers organization at last year’s trade deadline, coming over in exchange for Michael Fulmer. As Beck pointed out on Twitter, he was the final trade acquisition of Al Avila’s tenure in Detroit. The young righty currently ranks as the no. 19 prospect in the Tigers system, per MLB Pipeline. Earlier this season, Eric Longenhagen of FanGraphs called attention to his above-average groundball rate and praised his ability to throw strikes. His groundball rate is down since his promotion to Triple-A, but his strikeout rate has never been higher.
The Tigers expect Gipson-Long to pitch out of the rotation for the rest of the season. He’ll be pitching in place of Matt Manning, who fractured his foot on Wednesday, ending his 2023 campaign. Detroit will have a couple of spots up for grabs in the rotation next season (presuming Eduardo Rodriguez exercises his opt-out clause), so these final three weeks will serve as an audition of sorts of Gipson-Long. A good showing could increase his chances of making the Opening Day roster in 2024.
Marlins Select Daniel Castano
The Marlins have selected the contract of left-hander Daniel Castano from Triple-A, according to Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald (X link). Southpaw Enmanuel De Jesus will be optioned to Triple-A Jacksonville in the corresponding transaction.
The move brings a fresh arm into Miami’s bullpen, as De Jesus tossed 4 1/3 innings in yesterday’s 8-4 loss to the Phillies. This marked De Jesus’ Major League debut, as the Fish only selected him to their active roster on Friday. After that cup of coffee in the Show, De Jesus will head back to Triple-A to be replaced by Castano, whose participation in the 2023 season has also consisted of a single game — one inning of work way back on April 7.
Castano saw more significant action with the Marlins in 2020-22, as he tossed 85 2/3 innings while starting 17 of 22 games during that three-season stretch (while posting a 3.89 ERA). Since Miami will be using a bullpen game against the Phillies today, Castano looks to be in line for some multi-inning work, or perhaps will just be on hand to provide some extra depth.
Over 57 2/3 innings with Jacksonville this season, Castano has started eight of 18 appearances, posting a 4.06 ERA, a 22.36% strikeout rate, and 8.94% walk rate while also battling some injuries. The Marlins have also twice designated the lefty for assignment and outrighted him off their 40-man roster in 2023, with Castano foregoing a chance at free agency to accept the outright assignment back in June.
Mariners Designate Luke Weaver For Assignment
The Mariners announced that right-hander Luke Weaver has been designated for assignment. The move clears a roster spot for Eduard Bazardo, as the M’s have called the righty back up from Triple-A Tacoma.
It could be a brief stint in Seattle for Weaver, who only signed a Major League contract with the club on August 22. His tenure with the club has consisted of one start and four relief appearances, and Weaver has delivered only a 6.08 ERA over his 13 1/3 innings in a Mariners uniform. The M’s were hoping that Weaver could eat innings and provide some depth within an overall young rotation that is running into innings-limit problems, yet it seems as though the Mariners are willing to move on from the 30-year-old righty.
Weaver signed a one-year, $2MM free agent deal with the Reds last winter, but his eighth MLB season has been a year to forget. A strained right flexor tendon suffered during Spring Training delayed Weaver’s 2023 debut until April 20, and he hasn’t really gotten on track since, posting a 6.77 ERA in 110 1/3 combined frames with Cincinnati and Seattle. Never a big strikeout pitcher over his career, Weaver’s 18.4% strikeout rate is a career low, and batters have been making a lot of hard and quality contact against his offerings this season. Weaver has allowed 26 homers over his 110 1/3 innings, a huge spike in home run rate compared to Weaver’s past numbers.
While the results haven’t been there, it still seems possible that Weaver will draw some interest on the waiver wire, or could perhaps be signed to a new contract in the event that he clears waivers and is released by Seattle. Any number of teams could use an extra arm down the stretch, whether it’s a non-contender looking to fill innings or a playoff contender (like the Mariners) in search of depth.
Because Weaver has more than five years of MLB service time, he can reject an outright assignment to Triple-A Tacoma if he clears waivers, and then opt for free agency. The Reds are still obligated for what’s left of that $2MM salary, as the Mariners only had to pay Weaver a prorated Major League minimum salary during his time on Seattle’s active roster.
Nationals Place MacKenzie Gore On 15-Day IL
The Nationals placed left-hander MacKenzie Gore on the 15-day injured list earlier today with finger blisters. Fellow lefty Joe La Sorsa was recalled in the corresponding move. As relayed by MLB.com, manager Dave Martinez told reporters this afternoon that Gore is likely done for the season as a result of the injury, though he added that he wasn’t going to rule anything out “right now.”
2023 was Gore’s first full season with the Nationals after coming over from the Padres as a part of the deal that sent Juan Soto to San Diego. Overall, Gore looked like a solid, rotation-caliber arm in 27 starts this season, though his 4.42 ERA clocked in right around league average (96 ERA+) and his peripherals (4.90 FIP, 5.08 xERA) hardly looked like those one would expect from an arm who was once considered the top pitching prospect in all of baseball.
That being said, Gore did post a solid 25.9% strikeout rate along with a perfectly manageable walk rate of 9.8% this year. Most of Gore’s struggles this season stemmed from problems with the long ball; a whopping 18.4% of Gore’s fly balls left the yard for home runs this season, double the 9.2% rate he experienced in 2022 as a member of the Padres.
Digging a little deeper into Gore’s numbers, it seems the 24-year-old hurler may have worn down during his first wire-to-wire big league season as the year went on. Gore made sixteen starts in the first three months of the season, and looked like a quality mid-rotation arm during that time. Despite hitters managing an elevated .341 BABIP against him, Gore posted a 3.89 ERA and 4.07 FIP in 85 2/3 innings of work, with a fantastic 28.5% strikeout rate.
In his final eleven starts of the season from the start of July onward, Gore looked like a completely different pitcher. Despite his BABIP misfortunes from earlier in the season turning around in his favor (.261), he posted a 5.33 ERA and 6.30 FIP across his final 50 2/3 innings of work this year while striking out just 21.7% of batters faced. His home run rate also ballooned, as he allowed more dingers (14) in those final 50-plus innings than he did in the entire first half (13).
Given this downturn in production as the season wore on, it’s hardly surprising that the Nationals would consider pulling the plug on Gore’s season with three weeks left to go. At the same time, it could provide some reason for optimism for Nationals fans as they look to the future, as Gore is sure to be a member of the 2024 rotation alongside the likes of Josiah Gray and Jake Irvin. If Gore’s late-season struggles were a product of working beyond what Martinez indicated the club expected his innings limit to be coming into the year, it’s possible his 2024 season could wind up looking more like his impressive first-half numbers.
As for La Sorsa, the 25-year-old lefty made his MLB debut for the Rays earlier this season. In 23 2/3 innings of work at the big league level this season between the Tampa and Washington bullpens, the lefty sports a 6.08 ERA and 4.74 FIP. Despite those ugly numbers, he’ll nonetheless provide the Nats with an additional lefty out of the bullpen to pair with Jose Ferrer.
Luis Rengifo Suffers Bicep Tendon Rupture, Won’t Return In 2023
The Angels placed infielder Luis Rengifo on the 15-day injured list earlier today with a bicep tendon rupture. As noted by The Athletic’s Sam Blum, Rengifo will not return in 2023 but figures to be ready for Spring Training in 2024, as Rengifo himself told reporters that he hopes to be fully recovered by the end of the calendar year. Right-hander Gerardo Reyes replaced Rengifo on the active roster.
It’s yet another in a long line of brutal injuries for the Angels this season, as virtually every key position player has spent significant time on the injured list except for Shohei Ohtani, who had his season on the mound end prematurely due to a UCL injury. While the Angels have been in a tailspin ever since the calendar flipped to August, Rengifo has been a rare bright spot for the club over the past few weeks. While the 26-year-old entered the month of July slashing a dismal .202/.292/.298 on the season, he’s been on fire ever since with a fantastic .327/.388/.592 slash line in 219 trips to the plate since the start of July. Over that 56-game stretch, Rengifo sports a strikeout rate of just 18.3% and 25 extra base hits including 12 home runs.
Rengifo’s torrid second half has lifted his season numbers up to a respectable .264/.339/.444 that’s 13% better than league average by measure of wRC+. While Rengifo has mostly played second base and shortstop in his career, he was used as something of a swiss-army knife by the Angels this year and received reps at third base and all three outfield spots in addition to his usual positions. While defensive metrics haven’t been kind to Rengifo this season, his breakout with the bat in recent months combined with his ability to play almost anywhere on the diamond makes him a huge asset for the Angels as they look ahead to the 2024 season. Rengifo, who made $2.3MM this year in his first trip through arbitration, is under club control for the next two seasons.
With Rengifo, Gio Urshela, Anthony Rendon, and Zack Neto all on the injured list, the Halos are currently relying on 21-year-old rookie Kyren Paris at shortstop while utilizing Brandon Drury, Eduardo Escobar, Mike Moustakas and 2023 first-round pick Nolan Schanuel to mix and match throughout the rest of the infield. The club’s position player group has been stretched particularly thin in recent days thanks to the absences of Ohtani and outfielder Mickey Moniak, both of whom have been considered day-to-day for several days at this point.
As for Reyes, the 30-year-old righty sports a 7.45 ERA and 6.36 FIP in 9 2/3 innings of work with Anaheim this year, with similarly rough figures at the Triple-A level. In 36 innings of work with the club’s Salt Lake City affiliate, Reyes has mustered a 6.25 ERA with an elevated 12.3% walk rate. Nonetheless, he’ll offer the club pitching depth as they finish out the remainder of the 2023 campaign.