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Cubs Activate David Robertson From Injured List

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The Cubs announced that right-hander David Robertson has been activated from the injured list.  In corresponding moves, righty Mark Leiter Jr. was optioned to Triple-A Iowa to open a spot for Robertson on the active roster, and a 40-man spot was created when outfielder Michael Hermosillo was moved from the 10-day injured list to the COVID-related injury list, as no designation was given for Hermosillo’s new assignment.

While the Cubs have a long list of injured players in general, Hermosillo joins Jason Heyward and Marcus Stroman as players sidelined without a specific reason, thus indicating an issue related to COVID-19.  Robertson was also the non-designated list, and he’ll return to action after being sidelined on May 9.

After signing a one-year, $3MM deal with Chicago in March, Robertson has looked terrific in the early going, posting a 1.50 ERA over 12 innings for the Wrigleyville nine.  The 37-year-old pitched only 18 2/3 MLB innings total in 2019-21 (largely due to Tommy John surgery rehab), but Robertson has thus far showed some flashes of his old dominance as a reliable shutdown arm with the Yankees and White Sox.

Hermosillo had been on the 10-day IL with a left quad strain, with a retroactive May 8 placement.  The outfielder has seen some starting duty in center field (spelling Heyward when a lefty is on the mound) and has otherwise been used as a backup at all three outfield positions.  While Hermosillo hasn’t hit much over parts of five MLB seasons, he has particularly struggled at the plate thus far in 2022, with only two hits and a .364 OPS to show for 35 plate appearances.

Diamondbacks Place Kyle Nelson, Cooper Hummel On Injured List

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The Diamondbacks announced a series of roster moves, including the placement of left-hander Kyle Nelson and outfielder Cooper Hummel on the injured list.  No designation was specified, which indicates that the placements are related to COVID-19.  With right-hander Edwin Uceta also optioned to Triple-A after yesterday’s game, the D’Backs will fill the three roster vacancies with infielder Yonny Hernandez and right-handers Luis Frias and Jacob Webb.  Frias was called up from Triple-A, while Hernandez and Webb were recalled from the taxi squad.

Nelson has been one of the most effective members of Arizona’s bullpen, posting a 1.23 ERA, 30.2% strikeout rate, and a 3.8% walk rate over his first 14 2/3 innings of the season.  After struggling at both the Triple-A level and in 10 1/3 big league innings with Cleveland in 2019-20, Nelson’s early-season performance could indicate that he has harnessed the big strikeout potential he showed throughout his minor league career.  The Diamondbacks claimed Nelson off waivers from the Guardians back in November.

Hummel is in his rookie season, with a .190/.313/.345 slash line (92 wRC+ and OPS+) to show for his first 99 plate appearances as a big leaguer.  The switch-hitter has seen a lot of DH and pinch-hitting duty, and Hummel has also received some starts in left field when a left-hander is on the mound (thus relegating David Peralta to the bench).  Hernandez is also a switch-hitter, though Jordan Luplow figures to more directly take over Hummel’s role while Hummel is sidelined.

As always with the COVID list, it is possible Nelson or Hummel could be activated as early as tomorrow, if their placement was only due to a close-contact situation or symptoms without a positive test.  If either has tested positive, Nelson/Hummel will miss a minimum of 10 days, unless they meet the criteria (two negative tests, clearance from three physicians, 24 hours without a fever) for early activation.

White Sox Transfer Lance Lynn To 60-Day IL, Activate Lucas Giolito

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The White Sox announced Wednesday that they’ve reinstated righty Lucas Giolito from the Covid-related injured list and opened a spot on the 40-man by transferring righty Lance Lynn to the 60-day injured list. It’s a procedural move that doesn’t impact Lynn’s timetable; he’s eligible to be activated on June 6, as the “60-day” minimum window is retroactive to his original IL placement — not today’s transfer.

Giolito was placed on the Covid list just last week but will return in a matter of days. The brief stint on the IL pushed back his start by a few days, as he’ll be taking the hill for the first time since May 10 when he does so in a few hours against the Royals. Giolito also missed 12 days earlier this season due to an abdominal strain, but he’s been characteristically excellent when on the active roster. In five starts (26 2/3 innings), he’s pitched to a 2.70 ERA with a 35.2% strikeout rate and an 8.6% walk rate. Dating back to his 2019 breakout campaign, Giolito has been Chicago’s most consistent starter, turning in 454 1/3 frames of 3.43 ERA ball and thrice receiving down-ballot Cy Young votes.

Lynn, 35, left his final Spring Training start with knee discomfort, and subsequent evaluations revealed a torn tendon that required surgical repair. He’s yet to embark on a minor league rehab assignment and isn’t even slated to face live hitters for the first time until Friday, so he wasn’t likely to return prior to June 6 anyhow. Assuming all goes well with his live batting practice session and his handful of minor league rehab outings, an early or mid-June return seems realistic.

The Sox inked Lynn to a two-year, $38MM extension with a third-year club option last July. He’d been set to reach the open market following the 2021 campaign and likely would’ve been positioned as one of the market’s top veteran arms, but he opted for the security of a new multi-year deal with a win-now club that’s just a few hours from his hometown in Indiana. Over the past three seasons, Lynn carries a 3.26 ERA with a 27.5% strikeout rate and a 6.9% walk rate in 449 1/3 frames.

With Giolito now back and Lynn perhaps not terribly far behind, the White Sox’ rotation is approaching full strength for the first time this season. They’ll have some decisions to make, barring further injuries, as Giolito and Lynn will join a starting mix that also includes Dylan Cease, Michael Kopech, Dallas Keuchel, Vince Velasquez and Johnny Cueto, who blanked Kansas City over seven frames in an outstanding ChiSox debut this week. Of that group, Keuchel and Velasquez have struggled considerably, though Keuchel’s $18MM salary may earn him some additional leash. Kopech, meanwhile, could have his innings carefully monitored as he embarks on his first full season as a big league starter.

Wes Benjamin Signs With KBO’s KT Wiz

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Wes Benjamin has signed with the KT Wiz of the Korea Baseball Organization, according to reports out of South Korea. He’ll make $331K in salary for the prorated portion of the season and is expected to report to the team early next month.

Benjamin, 28, had been in the White Sox organization after signing a minor league deal in February. The left-hander had started seven games with Triple-A Charlotte, posting a 3.82 ERA with a solid 24.6% strikeout rate across 30 2/3 innings. That seemed to make him a viable rotation depth candidate for a ChiSox club that hasn’t gotten much from back-end starters Vince Velasquez and Dallas Keuchel. It doesn’t appear Benjamin was on the verge of a big league call, though, and the Sox granted him his release to pursue this opportunity in Asia.

While Benjamin didn’t make it to the majors with Chicago, he appeared at the game’s highest level in each of the previous two seasons. Suiting up with the Rangers — the team that selected him out of the University of Kansas back in 2014 — he made 21 appearances from 2020-21. Benjamin tossed 45 frames of 6.80 ERA ball as a swing option in Texas.

KBO teams are capped to three foreign-born players on the active roster. In order to accommodate Benjamin’s addition, the Wiz had to part ways with a foreign player. They released Venezuela native William Cuevas, ending his three-plus year run in Suwon. Cuevas posted a 3.89 ERA in 486 1/3 frames with the Wiz, but he’s only made two starts this year because of an elbow injury (h/t to Jeeho Yoo of Yonhap News). The right-hander pitched in the majors with the Red Sox and Tigers between 2016-18.

Red Sox Release Carlos Martinez

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The Red Sox have released right-hander Carlos Martinez, reports Alex Speier of the Boston Globe (Twitter link). Boston had signed the longtime Cardinals righty to a minor league deal earlier this month.

Martinez has now spent time with both the Giants and Red Sox organizations on minor league deals this year, although he didn’t pitch in a minor league game with the former as he finished up mending the thumb injury that ended his 2021 season. He took the mound for a pair of starts with Boston’s top affiliate in Worcester but was hammered for 10 runs on nine hits and a trio of walks in just 4 1/3 innings. He struck out just four of the 25 batters he faced (16%).

It’ll be the second brief stop for Martinez as he looks to make his way back to the big leagues. He’ll now search for a third organization this season, though it’s hard to imagine any club would place him directly on a big league roster after that showing with the WooSox and after he finished up the 2021 season with a 6.23 ERA, 15.7% strikeout rate and 9.9% walk rate in 82 1/3 frames.

That said, Martinez has a lengthy track record of big league success — and that alone ought to continue intriguing pitching-hungry clubs. From 2015-19 — Martinez’s age-23 through age-27 seasons — he was one of the best young pitchers in the National League. A two-time All-Star with the Cardinals during that run, Martinez compiled 747 innings of 3.22 ERA ball while striking out 23.7% of his opponents against an 8.9% walk rate. Martinez fronted the St. Louis rotation for much of that time but also spent a good portion of the 2019 season as the team’s closer, racking up 24 saves with a career-best 26.5% strikeout rate that season.

Injuries, however, have completely derailed the right-hander’s career in recent years. He only landed in the bullpen in 2019 after a spring shoulder injury delayed his season and led to concerns about his workload as a starter. He missed seven weeks of the shortened 2020 season with a lengthy bout of Covid-19 and suffered a strained oblique muscle quickly after returning to the field. Martinez’s 2021 campaign was a roller coaster when healthy — he fired eight shutout innings in a May 2 start and a month later was rocked for 10 runs in less than one inning — and last year’s season ended for him in July when he suffered a torn ligament in his pitching hand that ultimately required surgery.

Martinez ought to be able to get a look with another organization, but he’ll need to string together some good outings in Triple-A before he’s viewed as an option to return to the Majors.

Dodgers Designate Shane Greene For Assignment

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The Dodgers announced they’ve designated reliever Shane Greene for assignment (via Juan Toribio of MLB.com). The move clears active and 40-man roster space for left-hander David Price, who has been reinstated from the COVID-19 injured list.

Manager Dave Roberts told reporters this morning that Price would be activated between games of today’s twin bill against the Diamondbacks. That move costs Greene his roster spot just two days after he was brought up. The veteran reliever made a lone appearance in Dodger blue this season, tossing two scoreless innings during Sunday’s win over the Phillies.

Greene also made nine appearances for the Dodgers down the stretch last season. The 2021 campaign was a struggle, as the righty never seemed to find his footing after lingering on the free agent market into May. He originally signed with the Braves but posted just a 7.23 ERA in 23 2/3 innings between Atlanta and L.A. Greene had posted a sub-3.00 ERA in three of the prior four seasons, never missing many bats but generally throwing strikes and avoiding hard contact.

The 33-year-old signed a new minor league deal with the Dodgers during Spring Training. He’s made seven appearances with Triple-A Oklahoma City, tossing 7 2/3 frames of five-run ball with nine strikeouts and four walks. The Dodgers will presumably try to outright Greene back to the minors over the coming days, although he has more than enough service time to refuse a minor league assignment and reach free agency if he clears waivers.

Price has been out of action since contracting the virus in late April. The former Cy Young award winner has worked exclusively in relief to this point in the season. Price has appeared in five games, allowing one run in 4 2/3 innings with five strikeouts and a walk.

Rockies Place Antonio Senzatela On Injured List

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The Rockies placed starter Antonio Senzatela on the 15-day injured list because of a low back strain. Colorado also selected catcher Brian Serven to the big league roster, optioned Dom Nuñez to Triple-A Albuquerque and recalled reliever Justin Lawrence.

Senzatela departed yesterday’s outing against the Giants after two innings. The righty came out for the top of the third but left the game during his pre-inning warm-ups in discomfort. The injury will obviously cost him some time, but Danielle Allentuck of the Colorado Springs Gazette tweets the organization is hopeful he can return when first eligible two weeks from now. The Rox are off on Thursday, so they can proceed with the remaining four of Germán Márquez, Kyle Freeland, Chad Kuhl and Austin Gomber on regular rest until next Tuesday.

Through his first seven starts on the year, Senzatela owns a 4.55 ERA. He’s struck out just 11 of the 137 batters he’s faced (a league-low 8%). That’s a concerning mark even for Senzatela, who typically posts one of the lower strikeout numbers in the game. Nevertheless, his blend of strong control and ground-balls has translated to decent enough back-of-the-rotation production. Colorado was clearly pleased with his effort, rewarding him with a five-year extension last September.

Serven, meanwhile, will step onto the roster as the backup to Elias Díaz. That role had fallen to Nuñez to start the year, but he’s struggled in limited playing time. The 27-year-old Serven, meanwhile, is off to a scorching .273/.406/.506 start with the Isotopes. He’s popped five home runs and drawn 16 free passes while going down on strikes just 15 times.

A former 5th-round pick out of Arizona State, Serven is now in line for his first MLB action. The right-handed hitter owns a more modest .245/.318/.429 slash line over parts of six professional seasons, but his hot start earned him a spot on the depth chart. Colorado had previously been carrying only Díaz and Nuñez as catchers on the 40-man roster.

Angels Select Cesar Valdez

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The Angels selected right-hander César Valdez onto the big league roster in advance of tonight’s game against the Rangers. Andrew Wantz has been optioned to Triple-A Salt Lake in a corresponding move. To clear space on the 40-man roster, Anaheim transferred middle infielder David Fletcher from the 10-day to the 60-day injured list.

Valdez agreed to a minor league deal during Spring Training. The 37-year-old reported to Salt Lake, where he’s worked as a starting pitcher. Valdez has averaged north of seven innings per appearance, tossing 35 2/3 frames altogether with an excellent 3.03 ERA. He’s fanned just under a quarter of opponents while walking a microscopic 2.9% of batters faced. Valdez has induced ground-balls at an elite 58.8% clip and only allowed one of 137 batters he’s faced to take him deep.

That’s a very impressive showing, particularly in the context of a move back to the starting staff. Valdez had worked exclusively as a reliever since landing with the Orioles in 2020. He spent a good chunk of last season in the majors, tossing 46 innings over 39 outings. The Dominican Republic native had a very good April for the O’s, eventually pitching his way into the closer role. He stumbled from May onwards, however, managing only a 5.87 ERA in the long run. Because he’s been stretched out as a starter, he’ll offer skipper Joe Maddon a long relief option in the majors.

Fletcher, the club’s primary second baseman in recent years, has been held to just 14 games in 2022. He spent the first few weeks of the season on the injured list owing to a hip strain, returning in late April. Fletcher landed back on the IL a bit more than a week later, and he was forced to undergo adductor surgery last week. That procedure came with a rough recovery timeline of “a couple months,” according to the team, making it unsurprising he heads to the 60-day IL. He’ll likely be out until after the All-Star Break.

Cubs Place Jason Heyward On IL, Select Brandon Hughes

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The Cubs made a series of transactions in advance of tonight’s game against the division-rival Pirates. Most notably, center fielder Jason Heyward is headed to the COVID-19 injured list. He won’t count against the 40-man roster while he’s on the IL, and Chicago selected reliever Brandon Hughes to the majors in his place. The Cubs also optioned Conner Menez to Triple-A Iowa and recalled rookie Christopher Morel from Double-A Tennessee.

The team didn’t specify whether Heyward has tested positive for the virus. Manager David Ross told reporters (including Jordan Bastian of MLB.com) he’d been battling body aches and dehydration but is feeling better at the moment. Under the league’s 2022 health-and-safety protocols, players who test positive are subject to a 10-day absence from the club, though it’s possible to be reinstated in less time if the player has gone 24 or more hours without a fever, received a pair of negative PCR tests, and been given approval from a team physician and the MLB/MLBPA joint committee (a panel of one league-appointed and one union-appointed physician).

Heyward is off to another slow offensive start. He’s hitting just .208/.288/.264, collecting only three extra-base hits (two doubles and a triple) through 80 trips to the plate. That’s not too dissimilar from his .214/.280/.347 showing over 104 games last season. Aside from a resurgence during the truncated 2020 season, Heyward has posted average or worse numbers at the plate throughout his tenure in Chicago. The five-time Gold Glove award winner has continued to play excellent defense in right field, and he’s worked as the team’s primary center fielder this year.

Rafael Ortega will probably hold down center with Heyward out. The left-handed hitter owns a .236/.333/.361 line in 29 games while bouncing between all three outfield spots and designated hitter. Ortega, a depth outfielder for the bulk of his career, posted a career-best .291/.360/.463 showing last season. That strong work was propped up by a .349 batting average on balls in play that has regressed towards his career norms.

Morel could work his way into the center field mix as well. The 22-year-old primarily played on the left side of the infield during his early days in the low minors, but he’s begun to log more time at all three outfield spots of late. The native of the Dominican Republic draws praise from evaluators for his athleticism and arm strength, so he could play a multi-positional role off the bench.

The righty-hitting Morel has been on the Cubs’ 40-man roster since the 2020-21 offseason, but this is his first MLB promotion. He’s posted big numbers with the Smokies in the early going, hitting seven homers with a .306/.380/.565 line over 28 games. He checked in 16th among Cubs’ prospects at FanGraphs and 29th at Baseball America this past offseason. Both outlets suggested Morel’s swing-and-miss propensity is likely to keep him as a utility type but praised his power potential.

Hughes is also in position to make his MLB debut. The left-hander was a 16th-round pick in 2017 coming out of Michigan State. A college center fielder, he converted to pitching in 2018 after a rough season at the plate in A-ball. Hughes took to the mound and has posted excellent minor league numbers, with a 1.96 ERA over 91 2/3 innings of relief. He has fanned 34.3% of career opponents against a manageable 8.6% walk percentage — with that latter mark standing out as particularly impressive control for someone so new to pitching.

This season, Hughes has split the year between Tennessee and Iowa. He’s yet to allow a run over 16 2/3 innings, serving up just five hits and a trio of free passes while punching out 22. Hughes has never appeared on an organizational ranking at FanGraphs or at BA, but that dominance in the upper minors will earn him a big league look.

In other Cubs’ news, Ross provided reporters an update on Marcus Stroman (via Bastian). The offseason signee has been out since May 8 after landing on the COVID list, but he’s been cleared to rejoin the club. Stroman threw a bullpen session today and could make his next start if he responds well to today’s mound work.

Brewers’ J.C. Mejia Suspended 80 Games After Positive PED Test

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Major League Baseball announced this afternoon that Brewers reliever J.C. Mejía has been suspended for 80 games after testing positive for the performance-enhancing substance Stanozolol. He heads to the restricted list, freeing up a 40-man roster spot. Milwaukee selected right-hander Trevor Kelley onto the big league roster in a corresponding move.

Mejía has made just a pair of appearances as a Brewer. Acquired from the Guardians last November after he’d been designated for assignment by Cleveland, he’s allowed six runs through 2 1/3 innings with Milwaukee. He’d been much better with Triple-A Nashville, however, tossing 10 2/3 frames of one-run ball across six outings. Mejía walked six batters with the Sounds, but he also punched out 15 and allowed just four hits.

Milwaukee has deployed the 25-year-old solely in relief this year. Mejía started 11 of his 17 appearances with Cleveland last season, his first crack at the major league level. That didn’t go especially well, as he was thrust into the rotation while the club dealt with various injuries and managed just an 8.25 ERA.

Mejía won’t be paid or receive service time for the next couple months. He’ll be eligible to return in mid-August but won’t be allowed to participate in postseason play this year. Mejía becomes the second player the division-leading Brew Crew have lost to a PED suspension in as many months; catcher Pedro Severino was suspended 80 games on the eve of Opening Day after his own positive test.

Kelley, 28, signed a minor league contract with Milwaukee last November. The right-hander appeared in 14 MLB games with the Red Sox and Phillies between 2019-20, allowing 12 runs in 11 2/3 innings. He spent all of last season with the Braves’ top affiliate in Gwinnett, never getting an MLB call from the eventual World Series champs despite posting an excellent 1.52 ERA over 41 1/3 frames.

Assigned to Nashville to open the year, Kelley has picked up where he’d left off at the minors’ highest level. He has allowed only two runs in 13 innings out of the bullpen, racking up 17 punchouts against four walks. Kelley has a pair of option years remaining, so the team can shuttle him between Milwaukee and Nashville while keeping him on the 40-man roster.

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