Astros Select David Hensley, Designate Jonathan Bermudez
6:00PM: Houston officially announced the selection of Hensley’s contract. In corresponding moves, first baseman J.J. Matijevic was optioned to Triple-A and left-hander Jonathan Bermudez was designated for assignment.
Bermudez was a 23rd-round pick for the Astros in the 2018 draft. The lefty reached Triple-A for the first time in 2021, but has badly struggled at the top minor league level this season, posting an 8.96 ERA over 67 1/3 innings, allowing 16 home runs.
2:30PM: The Astros are calling up utility player David Hensley, reports Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle. Hensley is not currently on Houston’s 40-man roster, meaning a corresponding move of some kind will be required to open a spot for him.
Hensley, 26, has never been a highly-touted prospect, having been selected by the Astros in the 26th round of the 2018 draft. However, he has increased his stock immensely in the past two seasons. Last year, he played 105 games at Double-A, slashing .293/.369/.439, production that amounted to a wRC+ of 118, or 18% better than league average. This year, he’s taken another step forward, slashing .298/.420/.478 in 104 Triple-A games. He’s increased his walk rate to an incredible 17.2% after being at 10.3% last year.
Beyond his work at the plate, Hensley also brings defensive versatility, having played all four infield positions this year, in addition to a brief showing in left field. There’s also the speed element, as he stole 11 bags last year and 20 already this season. All told, he should bring a well-rounded game up to Houston. Baseball America recently ranked him the #11 prospect in the team’s system, which was the first time he cracked one of their top 30 lists.
The Astros placed Aledmys Diaz on the injured list earlier this week, which left Mauricio Dubon as the club’s primary utility player. However, Dubon appeared to injure himself during last night’s game, crashing into the outfield wall while attempting to make a catch. It’s unclear if Dubon will require a stint on the injured list, but it seems the club will add Hensley to the roster for support either way.
Mets Select Rob Zastryzny
The Mets made a few roster moves in between games of their doubleheader with the Phillies, as left-hander Rob Zastryzny‘s contract has been selected from Triple-A Syracuse. In other transactions, left-hander Sam Clay was optioned to Triple-A, while recently-designated right-hander R.J. Alvarez was outrighted to Syracuse after clearing waivers.
Zastryzny pitched 34 2/3 innings for the Cubs over parts of the 2016-18 seasons, and has since bounced around with three other MLB organizations (Dodgers, Orioles, Marlins) and the independent Long Island Ducks before joining the Mets back in May. The 30-year-old has made a solid accounting of himself in Syracuse, with a 3.61 ERA, 28.4% strikeout rate, and 9.1% walk rate in 47 1/3 Triple-A innings, starting six of his 26 games.
While the Mets’ bullpen has been good overall, left-handed batters have found some success against the team, in part due to New York’s lack of southpaw relievers. Joely Rodriguez has been the only left-handed constant in the relief corps all season, so if Zastryzny is able to even come close to his Syracuse numbers, he could earn himself a longer look in his return to the big leagues.
Marlins To Place Braxton Garrett On Injured List, Select Bryan Hoeing
Braxton Garrett was scheduled to start the Marlins’ game against the Dodgers tonight, but instead, the left-hander has been scratched and will be placed on the 15-day injured list, according to Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald (Twitter link). According to Garrett’s MLB.com profile page, he is suffering from a right oblique strain, and his IL placement is backdated to August 17.
The Marlins have selected the contract of right-hander Bryan Hoeing from Triple-A Jacksonville, and Hoeing will make his big league debut filling in for Garrett in a spot start. To create room on the 40-man roster, right-hander Anthony Bender — who will undergo Tommy John surgery — has been moved to the 60-day injured list.
Garrett already missed a month of the Triple-A season due to a shoulder injury, and he’ll now face a possible early end to his 2022 season unless his oblique issue is a mild strain. The quick IL placement might not necessarily be a sign of how severe the injury could be, as even minor oblique problems usually require at least a minimal IL stint, and the Marlins had to create roster space on short notice to add Hoeing to the club.
This is Garrett’s third MLB season, as he was up for a two-game cup of coffee in 2020 and then pitched in eight games (34 innings) in 2021 while being frequently shuttled back and forth from the minors. Since being called up in early June, this has been Garrett’s most extended stretch in the Show, and he has delivered a 3.67 ERA and an above-average walk (5.9%) and strikeout (24.5%) rate over 13 starts and 68 2/3 innings.
Selected seventh overall in the 2016 draft, Garrett’s early potential was hampered by a Tommy John surgery that sidelined him for the entire 2018 season. The left-hander then became a little overlooked amidst the many other up-and-coming arms in Miami’s farm system, though Garrett has kept himself with some solid numbers at Triple-A and now a good performance this season. While injuries have thinned the Marlins’ pitching depth to some extent, Garrett has at least put himself in the conversation for a rotation spot in 2023, and he could yet add to his case if he is able to return from his oblique injury this year.
Hoeing now gets an unexpected opportunity to make his Major League debut in his third season of pro ball. A seventh-round pick for the Marlins in the 2019 draft, Hoeing has a 4.55 ERA over 253 1/3 innings in the minors, including a 5.44 ERA over 84 1/3 frames of work for Triple-A Jacksonville this season. The groundball specialist could very well be headed back to the minors after tonight’s emergency outing, yet Hoeing will get a chance to test himself against the elite competition of the Dodgers lineup.
Jakson Reetz Elects Free Agency
TODAY: Reetz cleared waivers and elected to become a free agent, as McCalvy reports that Reetz declined an outright assignment to the Brewers’ Triple-A team. Because Reetz has been outrighted before in his career, he had the right to decline any further outright assignments in favor of a return to the open market.
AUGUST 18: The Brewers have reinstated right-hander J.C. Mejia from the restricted list and opened a spot on the roster by designating catcher Jakson Reetz for assignment, tweets Adam McCalvy of MLB.com.
Reetz, 26, was signed by the Brewers to a minor league deal in the offseason. Despite having cracked the majors with the Nationals last year, he was sent to the Double-A Biloxi Shuckers to begin this season. He tore the cover off the ball there, hitting 22 homers in just 64 games, getting bumped up to Triple-A in July.
He was added to the club’s 40-man roster in early August but optioned to Triple-A. McCalvy relays that this was because Reetz had an opt-out date in his contract. Reetz has long been considered a glove-first catcher but had that tremendous outburst in Double-A this season, which was tempting enough for the Brewers to give him a roster spot for a time. However, he wasn’t able to sustain that after a bump to Triple-A, as he’s hit just .212/.254/.424 since joining Nashville, which amounts to a 73 wRC+.
Based on that diminished offensive output, Reetz has lost his roster spot to Mejia, who was acquired from the Guardians in March. He was hit with an 80-game suspension in May due to a positive PED test but now returns to the roster after serving his sentence. Prior to the suspension, he was shelled to the tune of six earned runs in 2 1/3 MLB innings, though fared much better in the minors. In 14 1/3 frames between Double-A and Triple-A, he’s registered an ERA of just 0.63. He’s been optioned to Nashville and will serve as depth for the time being.
With Reetz off the roster, the club is in a precarious position behind the plate, at least for now. They now only have two healthy catchers on the 40-man roster in Victor Caratini and Mario Feliciano. They also have Omar Narvaez, who is on the injured list, and Alex Jackson, who is on the minor league injured list. Narvaez began a rehab assignment on Tuesday and should be back in the mix shortly.
Padres Designate Nomar Mazara For Assignment
The Padres announced that outfielder Nomar Mazara has been designated for assignment. In the corresponding move, outfielder Jose Azocar was called up from Triple-A.
Mazara signed a minor league deal with San Diego during the offseason, reuniting the former top Rangers prospect with Padres president of baseball operations (and former Rangers front office member) A.J. Preller. The Padres selected Mazara’s contract in early June, and he has hit .264/.316/.352 with two home runs over 171 plate appearances.
Brought up to add some left-handed depth to San Diego’s bench, Mazara has actually performed better (.777 OPS) in 25 PA against left-handed pitching than over 146 PA against right-handed pitching (.649 OPS). The additions of Juan Soto and Josh Bell added a lot of extra balance to the Padres lineup and made Mazara a little redundant, especially considering that the Padres also have the left-handed hitting Trent Grisham and the switch-hitting Jurickson Profar in their first-choice outfield.
While Mazara’s numbers aren’t anything spectacular, they still represent an improvement over his last two seasons, when he hit .219/.285/.309 over 330 combined PA with the White Sox and Tigers in 2020-21. This could be enough for Mazara to perhaps get a look on the DFA wire from a team in need of outfield depth, or another executive (like Preller) could have memories of Mazara’s potential as a highly-touted minor leaguer.
Twins Place Tyler Mahle On 15-Day Injured List
The Twins have placed right-hander Tyler Mahle on the 15-day injured list (retroactive to August 18) due to right shoulder inflammation. Southpaw Devin Smeltzer has been called up to take Mahle’s spot on the active roster.
The IL placement isn’t a big surprise, after Mahle left Wednesday’s game after only 2 1/3 innings, and the Twins already announced that Mahle’s next turn in the rotation would be skipped. On the brighter side, an MRI didn’t reveal any structural damage, and Mahle also told reporters (including Betsy Helfand of the St. Paul Pioneer Press) yesterday that he was feeling better and was able to left weights two days removed from his early exit.
Ideally, Mahle will be able to return when first eligible to be activated off the 15-day IL. Of course, losing the righty for any amount of time is a tough beat for a Minnesota club that is battling for both the AL Central lead or at least a wild card berth. Mahle was supposed to be a big part of this postseason push, acquired from the Reds in a major deal at the trade deadline — thus far, Mahle has a strong 2.51 ERA over his first 14 1/3 innings in a Twins uniform.
Smeltzer could be the likeliest candidate to fill Mahle’s rotation spot, assuming that the Twins pick one single pitcher to cover those starts. The advanced metrics aren’t fans of Smeltzer’s work this season, but the left-hander has managed to outperform those peripherals and post a 4.02 ERA over 12 starts and 62 2/3 frames. If not Smeltzer, the Twins could also turn to Aaron Sanchez or Cole Sands, or possibly a combination of these pitchers in a piggyback situation.
Athletics Claim Joel Payamps
The A’s announced that they have claimed right-hander Joel Payamps off waivers from the Royals, who designated him for assignment earlier this week. To create room on the 40-man roster, fellow righty Paul Blackburn was transferred to the 60-day injured list.
Payamps, 28, has appeared in the big leagues in each of the past four seasons, spending time with the Diamondbacks, Blue Jays and Royals. With KC this year, he’s logged 42 2/3 innings out of the bullpen with a 3.16 ERA. His 17.6% strikeout rate is a few ticks below league average, but his 53.3% ground ball rate is a few points above.
For the rebuilding A’s, they will take a shot on Payamps, which makes sense for a couple of reasons. His low-strikeout, pitch-to-contact profile could be a good match for the spacious confines of the Coliseum. He’s also yet to reach arbitration, having come into this season with just over a year of service time. If he sticks with the low-spending A’s as a valuable bullpen piece, they can keep him around cheaply for years to come.
As for Blackburn, it was reported earlier this week that he’s been shut down for the remainder of the season. That means today’s transfer is a mere formality.
Dodgers Reinstate Dustin May, Designate Reyes Moronta
The Dodgers announced that right-handed pitcher Dustin May has been reinstated from the 60-day injured list. In a corresponding move, fellow right-hander Reyes Moronta was designated for assignment.
May, 24, has finished his long journey back from Tommy John surgery. It was reported earlier this week that the club was planning to reinstate May to take the hill today. He will jump back into a rotation that certainly has its strengths but also has its concerns. Julio Urias, Tony Gonsolin and Tyler Anderson are all having great seasons, but Walker Buehler is done for the season. Clayton Kershaw is also on the IL, currently working his way back. Andrew Heaney is currently with the club but has only made eight starts on the year between various IL stints.
As for Moronta, 29, he had a tremendous showing with the Giants in 2018 and 2019 but has faced adversity in the subsequent seasons. Over that ’18-’19 stretch, he threw 121 2/3 innings with a 2.66 ERA and 29.3% strikeout rate. That also came with a high 13.8% walk rate, though it was still a very encouraging breakout, with Moronta racking up 27 holds in that stretch.
Since then, shoulder surgery kept him from appearing in the 2020 season before a flexor strain limited him to just four innings last year. He was outrighted by the Giants and elected free agency, signing with the Dodgers on a minor league with a $1.5MM guarantee if he made the active roster.
Moronta did indeed crack the roster, getting selected towards the end of April. Since then, he’s thrown 23 2/3 innings for the Dodgers, though he hasn’t quite returned to his previous form. Through 23 2/3 innings, he has a 4.18 ERA. He’s still getting strikeouts at a healthy 27.6% clip, but is also still giving out walks at a 10.2% rate. The key difference might be the long ball, however, as Moronta has allow five this season after only allowing eight over that two-year stretch with the Giants.
Despite that increase in homers, Moronta could find plenty of interest on the waiver wire, given that he still has the ability to set down batters on strikes. He’s still owed roughly $370K for the remainder of the season, not a huge sum by MLB standards. He could also be retained into the future for any team that believed in him. He came into this year with exactly four years of MLB service time but wasn’t called up until a few weeks into the season. That means he could be retained via arbitration for another two seasons by any club that wanted to give him a shot. Since the trade deadline has now passed, the Dodgers will have no choice but to put him on outright waivers or release waivers in the coming days.
Rays Reinstate Manuel Margot, Designate Ralph Garza Jr.
The Rays announced that they have reinstated outfielder Manuel Margot from the 60-day injured list. To make room on the active roster, fellow outfielder Roman Quinn was placed on the 10-day IL due to a left knee contusion. To open a spot on the 40-man roster, right-hander Ralph Garza Jr. was designated for assignment.
The return of Margot, 27, is certainly welcome news for the Rays on a few fronts. For one thing, Margot seemed to be in the midst of a breakout season before being beset by injuries. For many years, Margot has been a below-average hitter, but still a useful contributor by way of his speed and defense. Coming into this year, he had a career batting line of .251/.306/.388, but burst forth this year to a line of .302/.365/.423. That huge improvement was in a small sample of just 51 games, but Margot was denied the opportunity to stretch it out over a longer sample when he strained the patellar tendon in his right knee.
That injury occurred in late June, with Margot now returning after two months. In that span, the club’s outfield took damage elsewhere, with Kevin Kiermaier undergoing season-ending hip surgery. Harold Ramirez also missed close to a month with a broken thumb. Though he has since been reinstated, he has been acting as the designated hitter in his return to action. Due to the depleted outfield depth, the club traded for Quinn, David Peralta and Jose Siri just before the deadline to improve the situation. With Quinn now heading to the IL, Margot will step into an outfield mix with Siri, Peralta and Randy Arozarena. If Margot can pick up where he left off earlier in the year, he should help the Rays over the final weeks of the season. They are currently in possession of the final Wild Card spot in the American League, but just half a game ahead of the Twins and with three other teams within five games.
As for Garza, 28, he was drafted by the Astros and made his MLB debut with them last year. Since then, he’s been bounced around rosters quite a bit, first being claimed off waivers by the Twins in August of last year. He then landed with the Red Sox in March but quickly went to the Rays in April, both on waiver claims. He’s been optioned and recalled by the Rays all season long, throwing 35 innings at the big league level and 25 1/3 in Triple-A. He’s fared well at both levels, putting up a 2.84 ERA with Durham and a 3.34 ERA in the majors. However, his 11.1% strikeout rate at the major league level is less than half the league average, meaning those results might not be terribly sustainable. xERA, FIP, xFIP and SIERA all place him above 5.00 for the year. Garza has much better strikeout numbers in the minors, though, meaning he could find another gear if he can bring some of those Ks up to the big leagues.
Garza technically still has options remaining, though he’s already been optioned seven times this season. As part of the new collective bargaining agreement that went into effect this year, players can’t be optioned more than five times per season, after being unlimited under previous agreements. In the post-lockout rush to return to action, rosters were temporarily increased and it was agreed that options prior to May 2 wouldn’t count towards this limit. This was to allow teams greater flexibility in rotating arms in and out, in order to avoid overly taxing players after the short ramp-up. Two of Garza’s option were in April but the other five were after that May 2 cutoff date. He will still be optionable for another season beyond this one, however.
Brewers Activate Omar Narvaez, Option Mario Feliciano
The Brewers have activated catcher Omar Narvaez from the injured list, the team announced. To create the open roster spot, fellow backstop Mario Feliciano was optioned to Triple-A.
This is the third season that Narvaez has at least held a share of the Brewers’ primary catching responsibilities, including an All-Star campaign in 2021. This season, his offense has been down a little bit to a 93 wRC+ mark that’s certainly within striking distance of his 101 wRC+ career average. In 60 games, Narvaez is hitting .237/.324/.363 across 216 plate appearances.
Feliciano is the up-and-comer in the Brewers’ catching room, though he has not had much opportunity in the bigs. The 23-year-old appeared in just two games, going 1-for-4 at the plate with a walk and a strikeout. He has posted solid numbers in Triple-A, slashing .288/.346/.382 over 235 plate appearances.