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Twins To Place Luis Arraez, Dylan Bundy On COVID List

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Twins infielder Luis Arraez and right-hander Dylan Bundy have both tested positive for COVID-19, bench coach Jayce Tingler told Betsy Helfand of The St. Paul Pioneer Press (Twitter links) and other reporters.  Manager Rocco Baldelli has also tested positive for the virus, so Tingler is serving as the team’s acting manager.

Tingler and GM Thad Levine addressed the media today about the situation, with Levine saying that the club is waiting on the results of several other tests of team personnel.  If this wasn’t enough, outfielder Max Kepler is also under the weather due to another non-COVID illness that is floating around the clubhouse.

It is quite possible that more names could join Arraez and Bundy on the COVID list, but even in the best-case scenario that those are the only positive tests within what may be a minor outbreak, losing even two more players isn’t good for a Twins team that already has several key figures on the regular injured list.  Bundy will join Bailey Ober and Sonny Gray as rotation members on the 10-day IL, though Gray is on the verge of a return.  Utilityman Arraez was already plugging another hole, playing first base while Miguel Sano is out due to knee surgery.

As per the 2022 version of the league’s COVID protocols, Arraez and Bundy will miss at least the next 10 days, though they may make an earlier return if they meet three criteria — two negative PCR tests, at least 24 hours without a fever, and approval from a team doctor and a MLB/MLBPA joint committee of two other physicians.

Cardinals Outright Aaron Brooks

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TODAY: The Cardinals announced that Brooks has been outrighted to Triple-A Memphis, after clearing waivers.

MAY 2: The Cardinals have designated righty Aaron Brooks for assignment, according to Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat.  He notes that the club also optioned Packy Naughton to Triple-A Memphis to get down to the requisite 26 players on the active roster.

Brooks, who recently turned 32, signed a minor league deal with St. Louis after spending two years with the KBO’s Kia Tigers. He broke camp with the team but allowed runs in four of his five appearances. Ultimately, he allowed eight runs in 9 1/3 innings and served up a trio of homers during his first big league exposure since 2019.

A ninth round draft pick of the Royals back in 2011, Brooks and Sean Manaea were traded to the Athletics for Ben Zobrist and cash at the 2015 trade deadline.  During the following spring training, Brooks was shipped to the Cubs for Chris Coghlan.  He then bounced to the Brewers, A’s, and Orioles before heading to South Korea.

Notably, Brooks did show the best velocity of his big league career in his brief time with St. Louis, averaging 93.2 miles per hour on his fastball.  Brooks has always had excellent control, and his ground-ball rate in KBO was through the roof, a big factor in the Cards adding him in the first place. It remains to be seen if his strong KBO numbers and personal-best fastball velocity will lead another team to give him a longer look than St. Louis afforded.

Orioles To Promote Adley Rutschman, DL Hall To Triple-A

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The Orioles are planning to promote two of their top prospects to Triple-A, as The Baltimore Sun’s Andy Kostka reports (Twitter link) that catcher Adley Rutschman and left-hander DL Hall will be on their way to the team’s top minor league affiliate.

Had it not been for a triceps strain suffered during Spring Training, it is quite likely Rutschman would’ve already been in the majors by now, perhaps even as early as Opening Day.  Rutschman already hit .312/.405/.490 over 185 plate appearances with Triple-A Norfolk last season, and he doesn’t seem to have much left to prove in the minors.  Even over 24 PA at the Single-A and Double-A levels thus far, Rutschman has a whopping 1.167 OPS.

Arguably the top prospect in all of baseball, Rutschman has been tabbed for a pretty quick ascension to the majors basically ever since Baltimore made him the first overall pick of the 2019 draft.  Considered both an outstanding hitter and defender, Rutschman is the crown jewel of the Orioles’ rebuilding plan, and he is widely seen as a star in the making.  It seems probable that Rutschman’s MLB debut will take place before May is over, and it might even just be a matter of days if the young catcher continues to tear up Triple-A pitching.

Hall was the 21st overall pick of the 2017 draft, and he has battled some injury problems throughout his pro career, including a stress reaction in his throwing elbow that limited him to 31 2/3 innings last season.  The Orioles were somewhat cautious with Hall to begin the season, but moved him to Double-A after a single outing in high-A ball, and Hall is now heading for Triple-A after only one outing for Double-A Bowie (that start came today, with Hall allowing two runs over 3 2/3 innings).  The focus might still be on getting Hall fully ramped-up, so it remains to be seen if he could be on Baltimore’s radar as a late-season call-up before the 2022 season is out.

Orioles Claim Logan Allen

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The Orioles have claimed left-hander Logan Allen off waivers, as announced by the Guardians.  Allen and first baseman Bobby Bradley were both designated for assignment on May 1, and the Guards announced that Bradley cleared DFA waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A.

Allen has a 4.50 ERA over six relief innings this season, and a 5.80 ERA, 15.7% strikeout rate, and 9.3% walk rate over 94 2/3 total MLB innings with the Padres and Guardians since 2019.  While not the largest of sample sizes, Allen also hasn’t pitched well at the Triple-A level, with only a 5.76 ERA over 156 1/3 frames of work at the top rung on the minor league ladder.  Allen has delivered more strikeouts in the minors than in the majors, but at both levels, keeping the ball in the park has been his most pressing issue.

More was expected from Allen at this point in his career, particularly since he drew top-100 prospect attention prior to the 2019 season.  This made him one of the key pieces involved in a noteworthy three-team swap between Cleveland, San Diego, and Cincinnati at the 2019 trade deadline, and the Guardians clearly eyed Allen as a possible future rotation piece.

With all of this in mind, Allen is still a few weeks away from his 25th birthday.  His entire prime could be ahead of him if a new club is able to harness his stuff, and it isn’t a shock that a rebuilding team like the Orioles quickly made a waiver claim.

Allen has worked mostly as a starter in the minors, while his big league appearances are an even 15-15 split between starts and relief appearances.  It seems likely that Baltimore will continue to explore Allen as a starting pitcher, and he could get some looks in the rotation in the near future given the depleted state of the O’s staff.  Ace John Means and swingman Chris Ellis have both been lost to season-ending injuries, while another swing option in Alexander Wells was also recently sidelined with a UCL injury.

Josh Reddick Signs With Australian Baseball League’s Perth Heat

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The Perth Heat of the Australian Baseball League announced that veteran outfielder Josh Reddick has signed a one-year contract.  Reddick is currently playing in the Mexican League, and he’ll join the Heat later this year closer to the start of the 2022-23 ABL season in November.

Back in February, Reddick inked a deal with the Acereros de Monclova to continue his career south of the border.  He’ll now continue the international sojourn by heading to Australia, and as Reddick noted in the club’s press release, “the main thing is I want to play baseball, I want to play for as long as I can.”

The 35-year-old Reddick has played in each of the last 13 MLB seasons, suiting up with the Red Sox, Athletics, Dodgers, Astros, and Diamondbacks from 2009-21.  While it has been a few years since Reddick has been a league-average hitter, he has a solid .262/.321/.426 slash line (104 wRC+) over 4879 career plate appearances in the majors, as his left-handed swing produced consistent numbers against righty pitching.  Reddick was also one of the game’s better defensive right fielders of the last decade, highlighted by his Gold Glove in 2012.

Reddick is one of the most prominent players to ever play in the ABL, and he’ll join a Perth club that includes such former MLB veterans as Zac Reininger and Warwick Saupold.  The ABL will be resuming operations after canceling their 2021-2022 season due to various logistical complications caused by the pandemic.

Nationals, Franklyn Kilome Agree To Minor League Deal

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The Nationals recently signed right-hander Franklyn Kilome to a minor league contract, according to his transactions tracker at MLB.com. He has been assigned to the team’s Florida complex but will likely head to Triple-A Rochester after spending some time building into game shape.

Kilome is joining his third career organization, all of whom play in the NL East. Signed by the Phillies as an amateur of the Dominican Republic, the 6’6″ hurler developed into one of Philadelphia’s more promising pitching prospects. He drew praise from evaluators for a strong fastball-curveball combination and a projectable frame, but he’s been hampered by control issues throughout his time in pro ball. His stock started to dip as he struggled in Double-A, and Philadelphia sent him to the Mets for veteran infielder Asdrúbal Cabrera at the 2018 trade deadline.

In a seven-start stretch with the Mets’ Double-A affiliate after the trade, Kilome posted the best strikeout and walk marks of his career. Just as it seemed as if he might’ve turned a corner, he underwent Tommy John surgery that October. Kilome spent all of 2019 rehabbing, and he logged the bulk of the 2020 campaign at the alternate training site. He made four MLB appearances with the Mets during the shortened season, allowing 14 runs (including five homers) with 13 strikeouts and nine walks over 11 1/3 innings.

New York designated Kilome for assignment and outrighted him off their 40-man roster last April. He spent the season with Triple-A Syracuse, working to a 3.91 ERA in 46 frames. He started just five of his 21 outings last year, his first season pitching out of the bullpen in the minors. Kilome had a capable run prevention mark in shorter stints, but he only struck out 19.9% of opponents and had an untenable 14.4% walk rate. The Nats are thin in both the rotation and the bullpen, so they could deploy the 26-year-old in either role once he heads to an affiliate.

Athletics Outright Austin Allen

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Catcher Austin Allen has cleared waivers and been outrighted to Triple-A Las Vegas, the Athletics announced. He will remain with the organization but will no longer occupy a spot on the 40-man roster.

Allen originally had his contract selected for the first time when he was a Padre, before the 2019 season. He saw limited big league action that year and then was traded to Oakland as part of the Jurickson Profar deal. He’s appeared in the majors in four seasons now, but only has 57 games on his ledger, hitting .195/.252/.288 in that time.

Having exhausted his option years, Allen could no longer be sent to the minors without clearing waivers first. It seemed possible that a team in need of some help behind the plate could have taken a shot on him, given his .323/.365/.623 line in Triple-A for his career. Instead, he will have to return to that level and try to earn his way back into a roster spot, as he didn’t have the requisite service time to reject an outright assignment.

For the A’s, their catching corps now consists of Sean Murphy and Christian Bethancourt at the big league level. Should either of those two get hurt, Allen will be available as depth. Stephen Vogt is also on the injured list and could re-enter the mix at some point. A’s fans will also be looking forward to the eventual promotion of prospect Shea Langeliers. Acquired in the Matt Olson trade, Langeliers is off to a booming start with his new organization. In 22 Triple-A games this year, he’s hit 10 home runs and is slashing .325/.432/.738 overall, producing a 187 wRC+.

Giants Outright Jason Krizan, Activate Mike Yastrzemski

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The Giants informed reporters (including Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle) that outfielder Jason Krizan has cleared waivers and been outrighted to Triple-A Sacramento. The Giants also activated Mike Yastrzemski from the COVID-19 injured list. San Francisco’s 40-man roster now sits at 39, although they still have three players on the COVID IL who don’t currently count against that tally.

Krizan was selected last week when the Giants lost both Brandon Belt and Dominic Leone to the COVID list. While it came under unfortunate circumstances, it marked a heart-warming culmination of a long journey for the lefty-hitting outfielder. Krizan has played in parts of 11 minor league seasons, and his perseverance was rewarded with an MLB debut a bit shy of his 33rd birthday.

Unsurprisingly, Krizan’s stay on the major league roster proved brief this time around. He appeared in three games and collected his first hit (a single off the Nationals’ Josiah Gray) in eight at-bats. He’ll rejoin the River Cats, where he’s hitting .224/.350/.347 in 60 plate appearances this year, and try to work his way back to the majors.

San Francisco also announced they’ve signed left-hander Darien Núñez to a minor league contract (via Slusser). The Giants claimed Núñez off release waivers from the Dodgers last week. He had just undergone Tommy John surgery and won’t return until some point in 2023. The Giants quickly released him themselves but brought him back on a deal that won’t require dedicating him a 40-man roster spot or paying him a major league salary while he rehabs. Núñez appeared in six major league games with L.A. last season.

Yastrzemski got off to a decent start before landing on the shelf, hitting .267/.340/.356 through his first 50 plate appearances. He’ll slot right back into the lineup, starting in right field and hitting sixth tonight against Dodger starter Tony Gonsolin.

Reds Select Albert Almora, Ronnie Dawson

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The Reds announced this evening that outfielders Nick Senzel and Tyler Naquin have been placed on the COVID-19 injured list. Fellow outfielders Albert Almora Jr. and Ronnie Dawson have been selected to the majors as designated COVID substitutes.

It’s the second time this season that both Senzel and Naquin have gone on the virus list. They join first baseman Joey Votto, who hit the COVID list yesterday. The team didn’t announce whether either player has tested positive, is dealing with symptoms, or has been identified as a close contact.

That the team specified Almora’s and Dawson’s selections as being of the “substitute” variety is notable for their roster status. Under the 2022 health and safety protocols, the commissioner’s office has the sole discretion to determine whether a team has been sufficiently impacted by COVID to call up “substitute” players. If granted permission, the team can then return those substitutes back to Triple-A (and, if he was not previously on the 40-man, off the roster entirely) without utilizing a minor league option or passing the player through waivers.

Neither Almora nor Dawson were previously on the 40-man roster. Almora inked a minor league contract over the offseason, while the Reds plucked Dawson from the Astros in the minor league phase of the Rule 5 draft. Both players can thus be taken off the 40-man and returned to Triple-A Louisville without clearing waivers as the team gets healthier.

Almora is the more familiar name for most fans. A top ten pick of the Cubs in 2012, he spent a few seasons as Chicago’s primary center fielder. Almora played strong defense and hit at a roughly league average level for his first couple years in the majors, but his offensive output turned downwards beginning in 2019. He played in 47 games but only tallied 54 plate appearances for the Mets last season. He has gotten off to a productive if atypical start at Louisville, hitting .380/.392/.460. Almora has walked just once in 51 plate appearances, but he’s also only punched out twice.

Dawson is an Ohio native who played collegiately at Ohio State. He made a brief debut with Houston last season, tallying six plate appearances in three games. The 26-year-old is hitting .283/.377/.435 over 106 plate appearances with the Bats. He has suited up at all three outfield positions but spent the majority of his time in the corners.

Mariners Sign Fernando Abad To Minors Contract

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The Mariners have signed left-hander Fernando Abad, as announced earlier today by Saraperos De Saltillo, Abad’s Mexican League club.  It appears to be a minor league contract, as Triple-A Tacoma broadcaster Mike Curto reported that Abad will pitch for the affiliate tonight.

After not landing a contract with an MLB club over the offseason, Abad’s 2.25 ERA over four innings of Mexican League action was enough to get the Mariners’ attention.  Anthony Misiewicz is the only left-hander in Seattle’s current bullpen, so there’s some opportunity for Abad to win a job if he performs well at Triple-A.

The 36-year-old Abad has suited up for seven different teams over his 10 MLB seasons, plus some stints in independent ball as well as the Mexican League.  There have been plenty of ups and down over Abad’s long career, but he has generally been a pretty solid bullpen arm, able to deliver good results against both left-handed and right-handed batters.

Despite a lack of velocity and big strikeout totals, Abad has a 3.77 ERA over 348 1/3 career innings in the bigs.  However, only 30 2/3 of those frames have come over the last four seasons, as Abad didn’t see any MLB action in either 2018 or 2020.  Most recently, he posted a 5.60 ERA over 17 2/3 innings with the Orioles last season.

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