IL Placements: Brubaker, Middleton
Catching up on some injured-list transactions around baseball…
- The Pirates placed right-hander JT Brubaker on the 15-day injured list, retroactive to September 16. Right-hander Luis Ortiz was called up to take Brubaker’s spot on the active roster. Brubaker was officially listed as sidelined due to right arm inflammation, though lat soreness was given as the reason for his early exit from Thursday’s game, when he lasted just three innings. Over 141 1/3 innings and 27 starts for the Bucs this season, Brubaker has a 4.58 ERA and some unimpressive Statcast numbers, though his SIERA is a more favorable 3.95. His ability to eat innings could put him in the conversation for a spot in Pittsburgh’s rotation next season, even if he doesn’t make it back for one more start in 2022.
- The Diamondbacks placed right-hander Keynan Middleton on the 15-day IL due to a sprained left big toe. Righty Luis Frias was called up from Triple-A in the corresponding move. The toe sprain will likely end what has been an injury-plagued season for Middleton, who missed a couple of months due to elbow inflammation and a right ankle sprain. Between the injuries and time in the minor leagues, Middleton was limited to 17 innings in 18 appearances with the D’Backs, and he posted a 5.29 ERA over that rather small sample size. Now in his sixth MLB season, Middleton has yet to regain the early promise of his first two seasons with the Angels, before Tommy John surgery sidelined him in 2018. He inked a minors deal with the D’Backs last winter and probably seems likely to be back on the open market this offseason in search of another non-guaranteed deal.
Minor MLB Transactions: 9/18/22
Catching up on some minor moves from around the game…
- Pirates left-hander Dillon Peters cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A Indianapolis, per Kevin Gorman of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Peters had been designated for assignment on Thursday. The 30-year-old threw 39 1/3 innings for the Bucs this year with a 4.58 ERA, 15.8% strikeout rate, 10.3% walk rate and 43% ground ball rate. He was rehabbing from an elbow issue recently but the club evidently didn’t want him retaking a roster spot. Since he’s out of options, that left designation for assignment as their only option. As he’s been previously outrighted in his career, he is eligible to reject this assignment in favor of electing free agency, though it’s not clear if he has made a decision in that regard.
- Infielder Frank Schwindel has been given his unconditional release from the Cubs after clearing release waivers, per reporter Mark Gonzales. Schwindel had been designated for assignment yesterday. He had an incredible 2021 season where he launched 14 home runs in just 64 games and produced a batting line of .326/.371/.591. Unfortunately, he couldn’t sustain that here in 2022, slashing just .229/.277/.358. Now that he’s been released, he’ll be free to sign with any team.
Giants Claim Jharel Cotton, Designate Willie Calhoun
The Giants announced a series of roster moves, claiming right-handed pitcher Jharel Cotton off waivers from the Twins. In a corresponding move, outfielder Willie Calhoun was designated for assignment. Additionally, infielder Jose Rojas, who was designated for assignment on Friday, cleared waivers and elected free agency. Maria I. Guardado of MLB.com was among those who relayed the full slate of moves.
Cotton, 30, has been on and off the Twins’ roster all year long, having been designated for assignment for the fourth time this year just a few days ago. In the previous three instances, he cleared waivers and was outrighted, later getting re-selected to the roster. However, they couldn’t successfully pass him through waivers a fourth time, with the Giants sneaking in for an interception on this one.
In between all those transactions, Cotton has gotten strong results. In 35 big league innings this year, he has a 2.83 ERA, though there’s probably some good fortune in there. His 21.5% strikeout rate, 11.1% walk rate and 29.5% ground ball rate are all worse than league average, but a .182 batting average on balls in play and an 89.7% strand rate have kept him from allowing too many earned runs. His Triple-A work this season is actually much more impressive, as he has a 2.88 ERA in 25 innings with a 37.1% strikeout rate, 9.5% walk rate and 23.5% ground ball rate. The Giants will take a shot on him and see if he can bring some of those punchouts from the minors up to the majors. There’s just over two weeks remaining here in 2022 but Cotton could be retained for next year via arbitration if the Giants wish.
Calhoun, 27, was designated for assignment by the Rangers in June, clearing waivers and getting outrighted to the minors. A couple of weeks later, he was traded to the Giants, who selected him to the big league roster a week ago. Calhoun hit well for the Sacramento River Cats, slashing .299/.386/.465 for a wRC+ of 115 in 41 games. However, since coming up to join the Giants, he’s hit .125/.222/.125. That’s a tiny sample of just nine plate appearances in four games, but the club has decided to move on regardless. Calhoun will now head out onto the waiver wire a second time this year, though he’d be eligible to reject an outright assignment and elect free agency if he clears again, as is the right of any player who has previously been outrighted in his career.
As for Rojas, 29, he was just claimed off waivers from the Angels a couple of weeks ago and has been in Sacramento since then. In 22 big league games with the Halos before the claim, he hit just .125/.140/.161. He’s fared much better in the minors, hitting .274/.346/.569 between the two organizations this year. Since he was outrighted by the Angels earlier this year before being re-selected to the roster, he now is eligible to elect free agency instead of accepting an outright assignment.
Twins Promote Ronny Henriquez, Designate Dereck Rodriguez
The Twins announced they have recalled right-handed pitcher Ronny Henriquez, with fellow righty Dereck Rodriguez designated for assignment in a corresponding move. This drops the club’s 40-man roster to 39.
Henriquez, 22, began his career with the Rangers and pitched in rookie ball in 2018 and then A-ball in 2019. He pitched well enough down there that he first cracked Baseball America’s list of top Texas farmhands in 2020. After the minor leagues were canceled by the pandemic that year, Henriquez split his 2021 between High-A and Double-A. He appeared in 21 games, 16 starts, throwing 93 2/3 innings with a 4.71 ERA, 27.1% strikeout rate and 6.5% walk rate. Those are strong rate stats, but 17 home runs helped inflate the ERA.
He was added to the Rangers’ 40-man roster in November to protect him from the Rule 5 draft, which ended up getting canceled by the lockout. Once the lockout was over, the Rangers flipped him to the Twins as part of the Mitch Garver and Isiah Kiner-Falefa deal. The Twins have kept Henriquez in Triple-A all year to this point, giving him 14 starts and 10 further bulk appearances. Through 95 1/3 innings, he’s again posted strong rate stats but has seen the long ball contribute to poor results overall. He has a 5.66 ERA on the season with 19 homers, despite striking out 25.7% of batters faced and walking just 8% of them.
The Twins led the AL Central for much of the season but have slipped recently, thanks in part due to mounting injuries. They are now seven games behind the Guardians with the White Sox in between them and even further back in the Wild Card race. With their playoff hopes fading and their roster decimated by injuries, they’ll turn to Henriquez and see how he fares against MLB hitters down the stretch.
As for Rodriguez, this goes down as an exceptionally short stay on the roster as his contract was selected just yesterday. He pitched 3 2/3 innings in the 15-inning nightcap of yesterday’s marathon doubleheader. He didn’t allowed any earned runs but did take the loss thanks to the Manfred man scoring in the bottom of the 15th. As a thank you for that yeoman’s work, he’ll be sent out to the waiver wire. He’s logged 89 2/3 innings in Triple-A this year with a 5.02 ERA, 22.9% strikeout rate, 7.5% walk rate and 30.1% ground ball rate. If he clears waivers, he will be eligible to reject an outright assignment and elect free agency since he has been previously outrighted in his career.
Rockies Select Gavin Hollowell
The Rockies announced that they have selected the contract of right-handed pitcher Gavin Hollowell, while fellow righty Alex Colomé will go to the bereavement list in a corresponding move. The club already had a vacancy on their 40-man roster.
Hollowell, 24, was selected by the Rockies in the sixth round of the 2019 draft. He made an appearance in rookie ball that year before the minor leagues were canceled by the pandemic in 2020. He returned to official games in 2021, though was limited by injury to just 24 innings. He fared well in that limited action, largely in A-ball, putting up a 2.25 ERA with a 34.4% strikeout rate and 7.3% walk rate.
This year, he’s finally been able to have a normal season, throwing 48 2/3 innings out of the bullpen for the Double-A Hartford Yard Goats. In that time, he’s registered a 3.14 ERA with an excellent 34% strikeout rate and a strong 7.4% walk rate. Baseball America had Hollowell on their list of top 30 Colorado prospects both last year and coming into this year, complimenting his 95 MPH fastball and mid-80s power slurve. He’s also currently #40 on the Rockies’ list at FanGraphs.
With the Rox well out of contention and just over two weeks left on the schedule, the club can use that time to take a look at how Hollowell’s stuff plays in the big leagues. He’ll be making his major league debut as soon as he gets into a game.
Thomas Harding of MLB.com tweeted the roster moves prior to the official announcement.
Nick Solak Suffers Season-Ending Foot Fracture
Rangers infielder/outfielder Nick Solak is out for the rest of the season due to a right foot fracture, per Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News. He will be placed on the injured list on Tuesday, due to the club having an off-day tomorrow.
Solak, 27, fouled a fall of his foot a few days ago and has been out of the lineup since then. It appears that the injury is significant enough to prevent him from returning this year, with just over two weeks remaining on the schedule. This will put an end to an uneven season for Solak, who has been shuffled around in a few different ways this year.
Last year, Solak got into 127 games for the Rangers, exclusively at second base. He provided solid glovework and stole seven bases but produced a batting line of .242/.314/.362. That offensive production was 12% below league average by measure of wRC+. This past offseason, the Rangers decided to spend aggressively to start digging themselves out of their rebuild, focusing on the infield in particular. They gave mega deals to Corey Seager and Marcus Semien, which pushed Solak into more outfield work.
This year, he’s only been able to play a single inning at second base at the MLB level, with the rest of his time being spent in left field. He’s also been optioned a few times, spending more of this season in Triple-A than in the majors. He’s fared well with Round Rock, hitting .278/.371/.489 for a wRC+ of 114 in 57 games. But after 35 major league contests, he’ll finish 2022 with a line of .207/.309/.329, wRC+ of 89.
With the breakout of Nathaniel Lowe and the promotion of prospect Josh Jung to take third base, the path to infield playing time seems closed to Solak going forward. An injury could always change that, but it seems like Solak’s best chance at getting a regular MLB gig is in the outfield. Even in the minors this year, the club only used him on the grass. Right now, the majority of the big league playing time in the outfield is going to Adolis Garcia, Leody Taveras and Bubba Thompson, with the club potentially bringing in outside reinforcements this winter. Since Solak will still have one option remaining next year, it’s possible he’s ticketed for another season of depth duty.
Athletics Promote Jordan Diaz, Place Ramón Laureano On IL
Sep. 18: The A’s have announced the promotion of Diaz, with outfielder Ramón Laureano headed to the 10-day injured list with a right hamstring strain in a corresponding move. The severity of the injury isn’t clear, but with just over two weeks remaining on the schedule, it’s possible that Laureano’s season is over. He returned from serving an 80-game PED suspension in May and has hit .211/.287/.376 this year with 13 home runs and 11 stolen bases.
Sep. 17: The Athletics are preparing to call up prospect Jordan Diaz, according to Daniel Alvarez-Montes of El Extrabase (Twitter link). Oakland already added Diaz to the 40-man roster during the offseason, so they’ll just need to make one move to add Diaz to the active roster.
The 22-year-old Diaz will be making his Major League debut, six years after signing with the A’s for a fairly modest $275K bonus during the 2016-17 international signing period. After showing flashes of his potential at the plate in 2017-19, Diaz returned from the lost 2020 minor league season to hit .288/.337/.484 with 13 homers over 365 plate appearances at high-A ball in 2021. Beginning 2022 in Double-A, Diaz has just kept on hitting, with a combined .326/.366/.515 slash line with 19 home runs at Double-A Midland (407 PA) and Triple-A Las Vegas (120 PA).
This hitting prowess has been Diaz’s calling card, with evaluators impressed by his polish and his increasing power, though he doesn’t take walks all that often. Diaz has yet to settle into a defensive role, as he began his career as a third baseman but has increasingly seen more time at first base (plus a handful of games as a second base and left fielder). If Diaz is just a first base/DH-only type, he’ll need to deliver even more at the plate to make up for these defensive limitations. The A’s will probably give him at look at both corner infield spots over the final two weeks of the regular season.
MLB Pipeline ranks Diaz eighth on its list of Oakland’s top prospects, while Baseball America is a bit less bullish in rating Diaz 17th. Also of note, BA’s scouting report writes that “opposing teams have coveted Diaz in trade talks in the past,” so it’s fair to assume that rival scouts will be paying some extra attention to Diaz’s first exposure to Major League pitching. The rebuilding A’s are more in a position to be adding rather than subtracting any quality youngsters from their organization, though Billy Beane’s front office has been known to swing some creative deals.
Twins Place Trevor Megill On COVID-IL, Select Dereck Rodriguez
The Twins placed right-hander Trevor Megill on the COVID-related injury list today, and selected the contract of righty Dereck Rodriguez from Triple-A in the corresponding move.
It isn’t known whether Megill tested positive for the coronavirus or was sidelined for a related reason (i.e. symptoms, or being a close contact to a COVID-positive case). If the latter, Megill can return as early as tomorrow, if he tests negative or his symptoms abate. If he has tested positive, he’ll need to miss a minimum of 10 days, unless he passes three criteria for early return — two negative tests, no fever or visible symptoms, and clearance from three medical professionals, including the team doctors and physicians appointed by both the league and the players’ union.
Minnesota claimed Megill off waivers from the Cubs in late November, then quickly non-tendered the righty and re-signed him to a minor league contract. Selected to the big league roster in May, the hard-throwing Megill has been a solid member of the Twins bullpen, posting a 3.89 ERA and 25.4% strikeout rate over 41 2/3 innings.
Rodriguez has appeared in one MLB game this season, tossing four innings for the Twins on April 13 before being designated for assignment and then outrighted to Triple-A. The righty has decent (22.9% strikeout rate, 7.5% walk rate) secondary numbers with Triple-A St. Paul this season, but also has a 5.02 ERA over 89 2/3 innings. Much of that damage has occurred recently, as Rodriguez has a 10.67 ERA over his last 14 1/3 innings and four outings — prior to these struggles, Rodriguez had a much more respectable 4.16 ERA in 71 1/3 prior Triple-A frames.
His lone appearance on April 13 officially made 2022 Rodriguez’s fourth MLB season, after he pitched with the Rockies’ Triple-A affiliate in 2021 but never saw any action in the bigs. Best known for his impressive 2018 rookie season with the Giants, Rodriguez has struggled just to stay in the majors ever since, with a 5.97 ERA over 107 MLB innings since that seeming breakout year.
Mets Notes: Marte, Megill, Nogosek, Givens
Starling Marte attempted to start some baseball activities a few days ago, but the outfielder told reporters (including MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo) that the hitting and throwing drills were stopped since Marte’s fractured right middle finger “was still bothering me a good amount.” Since Marte’s injured-list placement was retroactive to September 7, he won’t be activated after just the minimum 10 days, and it isn’t yet certain when or even if Marte could be back before the end of the regular season.
For his part, Marte feels he will be able to play again, though manager Buck Showalter was more circumspect about the possibility. Naturally, getting Marte back onto the field as soon as possible would be ideal for all parties, especially if he can get some swings under his belt to ensure that his finger is fully healed heading into the playoffs. But, with a postseason trip all but officially assured, the team isn’t going to rush Marte back, since a re-aggravation of the injury could threaten his availability for October.
The Mets are trying to hold off the Braves for first place in the NL East, and the division crown carries even more importance given the new playoff format. While a late surge from the NL Central-leading Cardinals can’t be ruled out, the NL East winner is likely to finish with the second-best record in the National League, and will thus earn a first-round bye. That bye is valuable for countless reasons, including the fact that getting over a full week off would allow a team more time to get its players (like Marte) rested and recovered from injuries. Of course, not having Marte available will make it all the more difficult for New York to stay ahead of Atlanta down the stretch.
While Marte’s status is still a question mark, the Mets are at least getting some reinforcements back on the pitching side. Max Scherzer is tentatively scheduled to be activated from the 15-day IL in time to start Monday’s game against the Brewers, and Tylor Megill is also slated to be activated from the 60-day IL when the series begins in Milwaukee.
Megill suffered a shoulder strain in mid-June, and after starting all 27 games of his brief MLB career, the righty is being targeted for a bullpen role upon his return. Between his shoulder injury and another long-month IL stint due to biceps inflammation, Megill has barely pitched in 2022, with just 41 1/3 innings over his nine appearances. While his SIERA is an impressive 3.28 and his strikeout and walk rates are both above-average, Megill’s real-world numbers include a 5.01 ERA.
The Mets also welcomed righty reliever Stephen Nogosek back from the 15-day IL today, and played Mychal Givens on the injured list in the corresponding move. There was no stated reason for Givens’ placement, indicating that the right-hander has been placed on the COVID-related version of the IL. It isn’t known if Givens has tested positive for COVID-19, or is just suffering from symptoms.
Nogosek has missed the last four weeks due to an oblique strain. Now in his third MLB season, Nogosek has a career-high 19 1/3 innings, and a solid 2.79 ERA. New York has shuttled Nogosek up and down from Triple-A on multiple occasions this year, but with the Triple-A season almost over, Nogosek figures to stick in the majors and provide more depth in the Mets’ bullpen.
Mariners Place Eugenio Suarez On 10-Day Injured List
The Mariners have placed third baseman Eugenio Suarez on the 10-day injured list due to a fracture in the tip of his right index finger, manager Scott Servais told reporters (including The Athletic’s Corey Brock, The Seattle Times’ Ryan Divish, and MLB.com’s Daniel Kramer). Utilityman Dylan Moore has been activated from the 10-day IL to take Suarez’s roster spot, with Moore returning after about three weeks missed due to an oblique strain.
More will likely be known about Suarez’s timeline after he visits a specialist on Monday, but for now, there is optimism that the fracture is minor enough that he’ll be able to return before the regular season is over. However, he might be limited to designated hitter work if he is able to come back, as throwing is the biggest question mark for the right-handed Suarez.
Losing Suarez is a big setback for a Mariners team that has been on a dream run for the last few months, positioning themselves to win a wild card and reach the postseason for the first time since 2001. Beyond just making the playoffs, the M’s were looking to make a deep run into October, yet that will be a lot more difficult if Suarez is limited or perhaps unable to play whatsoever.
After struggling in both the 2020 and 2021 seasons, Suarez became an expendable piece for the cost-cutting Reds, who dealt Suarez and Jesse Winker to Seattle in March for a package of four younger players. Ironically, Winker was seen as the big get at the time, as Suarez’s inclusion in the deal was largely seen as a contract the Mariners had to absorb in order to pry Winker out of Cincinnati.
As it has turned out, Winker has delivered roughly league-average offense in 2022, while Suarez has bounced back to become one of the Mariners’ top bats. The third baseman has hit .235/.335/.470 with 31 home runs over 594 plate appearances, translating to a 133 OPS+/135 wRC+. Though Suarez has a league-high 183 strikeouts, he has been crushing the ball when he has made contact, and his 12% walk rate is in the 90th percentile of all players. Beyond the offensive production, Suarez has also been something of an unexpected benefit at third base, with positive grades (+1 Outs Above Average, +3 Defensive Runs Saved, +2.1 UZR/150) from several public defensive metrics.
Only 25 position players have a higher fWAR than Suarez’s 4.4 number, making him a difficult player for the Mariners to feasibly replace. If he is able to return as a DH and keep on hitting, the M’s would be more than pleased with that outcome — given how Carlos Santana has been inconsistent as the team’s regular designated hitter, Suarez might even be an upgrade in the role.
Third base is another story, as Moore and Abraham Toro figure to be the top options in the short term. Servais said that Jake Lamb will also get some work at the hot corner, and regular first baseman Ty France also took some grounders at third base today. France has past experience as a third baseman but he hasn’t played the position at all this season, and made only 11 appearances at third base in 2020-21.