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Nationals Designate Aaron Sanchez For Assignment

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The Nationals designated starter Aaron Sanchez for assignment, the team announced after today’s doubleheader against the Rockies. Andres Machado, up as an extra man for the twin bill, will remain on the active roster. By DFA’ing Sanchez, the Nationals have opened a spot on their 40-man roster, which now sits at 39.

Given the options available to the Nats, Sanchez seemed a good bet to take on some of the innings load, but they’re moving on after six starts, 27 2/3 innings, and a 7.16 ERA/5.53 FIP. Those numbers don’t even include today’s start, in which Sanchez was pelted for seven runs over 3 2/3 innings, ballooning his ERA to 8.33. The 29-year-old could remain in the organization if he goes unclaimed by another organization.

To replace him in the rotation, the Nats could turn to an old stand-by in Paolo Espino or Josh Rogers. The more exciting option for Nats fans would be Cade Cavalli, the club’s top pitching prospect, who threw seven scoreless frames tonight in Triple-A, lining him up to take Sanchez’s spot in the rotation. The rotation has been a particular area of need for Washington. Erick Fedde is currently their only starter with a sub 5.00 ERA.

Machado, 29, has a 2.45 ERA/3.32 FIP in ten outings spanning 11 innings with the big league club this year. He emerged as one of manager Dave Martinez’s more reliable arms last season, posting a 3.53 ERA/4.63 FIP over 35 2/3 innings.

Diamondbacks Transfer Luke Weaver To 60-Day Injured List, Reinstate Kyle Nelson, Option Tyler Holton

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The Diamondbacks made a number of roster moves today. They reinstated southpaw Kyle Nelson from the injured list, optioned Tyler Holton to Triple-A, and transferred Luke Weaver to the 60-day injured list, per the team.

Weaver faced just five batters this year before hitting yet another injury roadblock. He worked through blister issues in the spring, returning to find a spot on the active roster. But after just two thirds of an inning in relief, he was placed on the 10-day injured list with right elbow inflammation. At this stage, the change in designation means Weaver won’t be able to return before June 7, though his long-term outlook remains unclear at this point.

Nelson, meanwhile, returns from the COVID injured list. The 25-year-old has a 1.23 ERA/1.57 FIP in 15 appearances covering 14 2/3 innings so far this season. Nelson was selected off waivers from the Guardians this past November. The former 15th-round pick had made just 11 career appearances for the Guardians without much success, yielding 14 earned runs in just 10 1/3 innings. Needless to say, Nelson is off to a better start in Arizona.

As for Holton, the 25-year-old southpaw made two appearances, tossing three scoreless innings for the Snakes. He’ll head back to Triple-A for now, where he owns a 5.65 ERA over 14 1/3 innings of work.

Angels Place Anthony Rendon On 10-Day Injured List Due To Wrist Inflammation

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5:45 PM: The Angels have officially announced the move, placing Rendon on the 10-day injured list with the designation of right wrist inflammation. In a corresponding move, Janson Junk was recalled from Triple-A and placed on the active roster.

7:42 AM: Angels third baseman Anthony Rendon will be placed on the 10-day injured list prior to today’s game against the Blue Jays, manager Joe Maddon said last night.  An MRI revealed the issue in Rendon’s wrist, but there was otherwise no structural damage.

Rendon suffered the injury while taking a swing in Thursday’s game, and he didn’t play in last night’s contest between the Jays and Angels.  Tyler Wade stepped in as the starting third baseman, and with Rendon sidelined, it would seem like Wade and Matt Duffy would form a platoon at the hot corner until Rendon is ready to return.  In the minors, Jack Mayfield is at Triple-A and on the 40-man roster, so he is probably the likeliest candidate to receive a call-up so the Halos can replenish their infield depth.

After missing much of the 2021 season due to hamstring, groin, and knee problems, Rendon has bounced back this year to hit .242/.335/.403 with five home runs over his first 173 plate appearances.  This production translates to a 116 OPS+ and 118 wRC+ — still solidly above average, if below the superstar numbers Rendon posted with the Nationals and in his first season (2020) in Anaheim.  It could be that the best is yet to come for Rendon this season, as his .358 xwOBA is well ahead of his .329 wOBA.

The Angels have been one of the league’s better-hitting teams, though the injury bug has started to bite some key bats.  Rendon’s trip to the IL is the most impactful of these injuries, as Taylor Ward returned to the lineup yesterday after missing a few games with a stringer.  Shohei Ohtani wasn’t in last night’s lineup due to a sore back, though the two-way star was able to pinch-hit.

Cubs Activate Clint Frazier, Place Michael Hermosillo On The 10-Day Injured List

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The Cubs activated Clint Frazier from the 10-day injured list today, sending Michael Hermosillo back to the injured list to create space on the active roster, per Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune (via Twitter).

Brandon Hughes has also been sent back to Triple-A after being an emergency call-up because of the club’s COVID issues. Hughes. 26, was not on the 40-man roster. He made five appearances since May 17th, tossing seven innings while yielding just two earned runs on four hits with a 9-to-1 strikeout to walk ratio.

The Cubs outfield situation, meanwhile, will continue to be a dynamic group for the foreseeable future. Seiya Suzuki, for instance, is out of the lineup today with a sprained left finger, but he’s not expected to be out for long. Jason Heyward, meanwhile, is cleared for baseball activities and “ramping up” to return to the team, per Montemurro. Another move will be required when Heyward officially returns.

Frazier was a low-risk gamble for the Cubs this winter, but he has not been able to get going as of yet. In just 10 games, Frazier hit .143/.250/.238 in 24 plate appearances with intermittent playing time. Now that he’s returned, Frazier should at least return to his role as a short-side platoon player.

In the long run, that may be a role that Frazier and Hermosillo will compete for. Hermosillo is the stronger defender of the two, but Frazier, theoretically, has more upside. In 17 games so far, Hermosillo has slashed .071/.257/.107 across 35 plate appearances with the big league club. Regardless, the Cubs have to be intrigued by Hermosillo after he hit ..306/.446/.592 with their Triple-A club last season.

Mets Promote Nick Plummer, Option Yoan Lopez

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The Mets are calling up outfielder Nick Plummer from Triple-A today, creating space on the active roster by optioning Yoan Lopez, per MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo (via Twitter).

Lopez was only just coming back from suspension. Despite spending a fair amount of time in the news this season, Lopez has been a surprisingly small-time contributor on the diamond, with just two appearances spanning three innings on the season.

Plummer, meanwhile, takes on a somewhat important role as the Mets’ fourth outfielder in the wake of Travis Jankowski’s injury. Plummer was brought in this offseason for this exact contingency, of course. The southpaw-swinging outfielder has slashed .250/.313/.511 across 99 plate appearances in Triple-A so far this season, his first year with the Mets organization after spending the rest of his career as a Cardinals’ farmhand.

The Mets could give Plummer decent run as a fourth outfielder backing up Starling Marte, Brandon Nimmo, and Mark Canha, especially given that Nimmo is currently dealing with a sore wrist. Nimmo is expected to be out until Monday, per DiComo. The Mets might take these couple of days to get Plummer’s feet wet, but they could also turn to Jeff McNeil or Dominic Smith in the grass.

Twins Place Danny Coulombe On 15-Day IL, Select Juan Minaya

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The Twins placed left-hander Danny Coulombe on the 15-day injured list, while also optioning right-hander Yennier Cano to Triple-A.  In corresponding moves, the Twins called up left-hander Jovani Moran and selected the contract of veteran righty Juan Minaya.  (Minnesota had room on its 40-man roster, so no further moves were required to create space for Minaya.)

Coulombe heads back to the IL with the same left hip impingement that sidelined him back on May 11. The Twins only just activated Couloumbe from that previous IL stint yesterday, but he re-aggravated the injury in an appearance against the Royals. Playing on three separate minor leagues contracts with Minnesota over the last three seasons, Couloumbe has a 2.92 ERA over 49 1/3 big league innings with the Twins over the last three years.

Moran slides into Coulombe’s spot as a southpaw available out of the bullpen. The 25-year-old tossed 2 2/3 innings of scoreless ball for the Twins earlier this season, but he has been an active piece of the Triple-A roster, covering 12 1/3 innings in 10 appearances with a 4.38 ERA and a 19-to-9 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Moran’s importance in the short-term can’t be understated, as he joins Caleb Thielbar as the only two lefties in the bullpen.

The 31-year-old Minaya spent four seasons with the White Sox, making 125 appearances out of the bullpen between 2016 and 2019. In that time, he pitched to a 3.93 ERA/4.18 FIP over 128 1/3 total innings. He did not pitch in 2020, but came back with the Twins last season to post a 2.48 ERA/3.97 FIP in 40 innings spanning 29 appearances. Minnesota non-tendered Minaya last fall but re-signed the right-hander to a minor league deal after the lockout.

Dodgers Place Max Muncy On 10-Day IL, Select Kevin Pillar

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The Dodgers have placed infielder Max Muncy on the 10-day injured list due to left elbow inflammation.  Kevin Pillar’s contract was selected from Triple-A to take Muncy’s spot on the active roster, and Los Angeles moved Tommy Kahnle to the 60-day IL to open up a 40-man place for Pillar.  In another move, right-hander Michael Grove was called up to the active roster, while right-hander Ryan Pepiot was optioned to Triple-A.

Muncy knocked his elbow into a wall while chasing a foul ball on Wednesday, and he has missed the Dodgers’ last two games.  However, Muncy’s elbow has been an ongoing concern since he partially tore his UCL in the final game of the 2021 regular season.  Muncy opted against any type of surgery, but clearly hasn’t been his usual self at the dish, batting only .150/.327/.263 over his first 168 plate appearances.

“We all know he’s been grinding with the arm issue,” manager Dave Roberts told Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times and other reporters on Thursday.  Roberts implied at the time that a IL stint would be necessary, saying “I’m going to give him some time off to kind of reset the arm…I don’t know if there’s an aggravation in there. But we just have to kind of temper back a little bit.”

Given the lingering nature of Muncy’s elbow problems, it seems likely that he’ll miss more than just the minimum 10 days, as both the infielder and the Dodgers surely want to make sure he’s properly ready before a return to action.  It isn’t known if surgery is being considered as a possibility to correct the issue once and for all, as Muncy said back in March that he was told by doctors that surgery wasn’t necessary.

It is a testament to the Dodgers’ depth and overall quality that L.A. is still dominating the league without much contribution from such key players as Muncy, Justin Turner, Cody Bellinger, and with several pitchers (including Clayton Kershaw) on the injured list.  However, for Los Angeles to capture another World Series title, they’ll surely need some help from some of these names come October.

Muncy has been mostly splitting time between second and third base.  Turner and the hot-hitting Edwin Rios can handle third base, while Muncy’s absence could mean more time for Gavin Lux and Hanser Alberto at the keystone.  Chris Taylor has been exclusively used as an outfielder this season, but the longtime utilityman figures to factor into the infield picture as well, especially with Pillar now on the roster to provide outfield depth.

A veteran of nine MLB seasons, Pillar hit .231/.277/.415 over 347 PA with the Mets last season, and both sides declined their ends of options on Pillar’s services for the 2023 season.  Pillar had wait until after the lockout to find his next contract and had to settle for a minor league deal, but he’ll now receive a $2.5MM guaranteed salary for making the Dodgers’ active roster.

Pillar had two opportunities to opt out of his minors deal since the Dodgers hadn’t yet called him up to the majors, and a third opt-out date was set for June 1.  Beyond the contractual details, Pillar was also doing a lot to force the Dodgers’ hand by ripping up Triple-A pitching — the outfielder has hit .315/.412/.622 over 153 PA with Oklahoma City this season.  It’s probably safe to assume that Pillar (career 88 wRC+) won’t keep up that kind of production in the big leagues, but the Dodgers only need him to handle part-time outfield duty while they figure out the position player mix.

Injured List Transactions: Perez, Perdomo, McGee, Casali

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The Royals reinstated catcher Salvador Perez from the 10-day injured list, and optioned catcher Sebastian Rivero to Triple-A in the corresponding move.  Perez missed only 11 days while recovering from a sprained left thumb suffered in the first game of a doubleheader on May 17, and the short turnaround time led the Royals to place Perez on the IL in between the two games.  Speaking with The Kansas City Star’s Lynn Worthy and other reporters, Perez said that he could be ready to resume catching duties tomorrow, as Perez will be in the DH role for today’s game with the Twins.

Following his huge 48-homer season in 2021, Perez has six homers and an underwhelming .206/.239/.397 slash line over 142 plate appearances to begin the 2022 campaign.  Perez has been making some hard contact but with little to show for it, and the longtime Royals backstop hasn’t been helping his cause with one of the lowest walk rates of any hitter in the league.

More on other players coming and going from the injured list…

  • The Brewers placed right-hander Luis Perdomo on the 15-day injured list with a right elbow effusion.  Righty Miguel Sanchez was recalled from Triple-A to take Perdomo’s spot on the active roster.  Milwaukee selected Perdomo’s contract earlier this month and he delivered a 1.74 ERA over 10 1/3 relief innings, but now faces another IL stint.  Since Perdomo missed the entire 2021 season recovering from Tommy John surgery, another elbow problem seems ominous, but Brewers manager Craig Counsell told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Todd Rosiak and other reporters that the injury doesn’t appear to be too serious.
  • The Giants reinstated left-hander Jake McGee from the 15-day injured list on Friday, though his actual return to the field was delayed by a clerical error.  McGee was called into yesterday’s game during the eighth inning, except he couldn’t pitch after the Reds told the umpiring crew that McGee wasn’t listed on the Giants’ official pregame lineup card.  As a result, Jose Alvarez was instead brought in to pitch, and Alvarez allowed two runs (one earned) to put the Giants into a deeper hole in an eventual 5-1 loss.  While not the wildest thing to happen to the Reds and Giants on Friday, it was the latest odd twist in what has been a rough season for McGee, who posted a 9.58 ERA in 10 1/3 innings out of San Francisco’s bullpen before back tightness sidelined him on May 11.
  • In another Giants move from today, the club reinstated catcher Curt Casali from the seven-day concussion IL and optioned Michael Papierski to Triple-A.  Casali was thankfully able to return in a minimal amount of time after taking a foul tip off his mask during a May 20 game.  This opened the door for Papierski to make his MLB debut, as the catcher appeared in five games while filling in for Casali.

Athletics Designate Justin Grimm, Select Austin Pruitt

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The Athletics announced that right-hander Justin Grimm has been designated for assignment.  Right-hander Austin Pruitt’s contract has been selected from Triple-A, and Pruitt will replace Grimm on the active roster.

After signing a minor league contract with the A’s during the winter, Grimm made the Opening Day roster and posted a 4.11 ERA, 15.5% strikeout rate, and 9.9% walk rate over 15 1/3 innings out of Oakland’s bullpen.  While an unspectacular stat line, it did represent a big step up for Grimm after he posted a 7.33 ERA over 77 1/3 innings from 2017-2020.  Grimm didn’t pitch in the majors at all in 2019 or 2021, and in between tossed only 4 2/3 MLB innings with the Brewers in 2020.

Should Grimm clear DFA waivers, he could opt to accept an outright assignment to Triple-A and remain in the Athletics organization.  If not, the 33-year-old will hit the open market once more and look for another landing spot in his ninth Major League season.  Grimm spent parts of five of those seasons pitching with the Cubs, at times providing some very solid relief out of Chicago’s bullpen, and he was part of the 2016 World Series championship team.

Pruitt was another minor league signing, and he’ll now get another opportunity in the Show after tossing 7 1/3 combined innings with the Astros and Marlins in 2021.  A fractured elbow sidelined Pruitt for the entire 2020 season and half of the 2021 season, but he has performed well with Triple-A Las Vegas this year, with a 3.27 ERA and a 20-to-2 strikeout-to-walk ratio over 22 frames of relief work.

The A’s might simply see more upside in Pruitt than in Grimm going forward, plus Pruitt also brings some length as a swingman, long reliever, or piggyback starter.  Pruitt made 10 starts over his 67 appearances with the Rays from 2017-19.

Cardinals Release T.J. Zeuch

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TODAY: Zeuch has been released, the Cardinals announced.

MAY 21: The Cardinals announced a handful of roster moves prior to tonight’s game. Left-hander Matthew Liberatore, whose imminent promotion was reported yesterday, has now officially had his contract selected. To make room on the active roster, righty Jake Walsh has been optioned to Triple-A Memphis. Fellow righty T.J. Zeuch has been designated for assignment to open up a spot for Liberatore on the 40-man roster.

The Blue Jays selected Zeuch 21st overall in the 2016 draft, with Zeuch then landing at #8 among Toronto prospects the next year, according to Baseball America. However, his prospect stock faded as he climbed the ranks of the minors, dropping to #12 in the system in 2018 and #24 in 2019. BA’s reports on Zeuch noted that his primary pitch, a sinker, was good at generating ground balls, but that Zeuch lacked a strikeout pitch, as his curveball and slider were mediocre.

Those reports have largely proved astute as Zeuch has faced more talented hitters. Over 2019-2021 with the Blue Jays, he threw 49 innings at the big league level, generating worm burners at a decent 50.9% clip but a paltry 14.1% strikeout rate. The blue birds designated him for assignment in July of last year and traded him to the red birds for cash considerations.

After the trade last year, Zeuch threw 38 1/3 innings for Memphis with a 4.93 ERA, 65.7% grounder rate and 21.6% strikeout rate. Unfortunately, things have soured so far this year, as Zeuch has an unsightly 11.64 ERA through 19 1/3 frames. He hasn’t even been getting ground balls at his customary pace, slipping to 36.8%.

The Cardinals will now have a week to trade him or expose him to waivers. It’s possible that a team in need of pitching depth could write off this year’s struggles as a small sample blip and take a shot on him, given his former first-round pedigree. He’s still  just 26 years old and is in his final option year, meaning he could be stashed in Triple-A for emergencies.

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