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Nationals Rumors

Nationals, Juan Minaya Agree To Minor League Deal

By Steve Adams | September 14, 2022 at 7:39am CDT

The Nationals and righty Juan Minaya agreed to a minor league pact over the weekend, as first indicated by Rochester Red Wings director of communications Morrie Silver (Twitter link). He’s actually already made a pair of scoreless ppearances after quietly joining the organization. Minaya was passed through waivers by the Twins earlier this summer and accepted an outright at the time, in early July, but he was released back on Sept. 4.

Minaya, 32 next week, spent the first four seasons of his big league career (2016-19) with the White Sox organization and has been with the Twins since 2020. He gave Minnesota 40 sharp innings out of the bullpen in 2021, pitching to a 2.48 ERA with an above-average 25.8% walk rate but a bloated 12% walk rate as well. The Twins and other organizations were apparently somewhat skeptical of that performance, as Minaya was passed through outright waivers unclaimed last winter and returned to Minnesota on a minor league deal.

The 2022 season has been nightmarish for Minaya. The 6’4″ righty has pitched just 9 2/3 innings in the Majors, during which time he’s yielded six runs on eight hits and five walks with 11 strikeouts. Things actually went worse for Minaya with the Twins’ Triple-A affiliate in St. Paul, where he was clobbered for a 6.98 ERA with a 19.3% strikeout rate against a 10.7% walk rate while yielding an average of 1.35 homers per nine frames.

This year’s rocky showing notwithstanding, Minaya carries a 3.69 ERA in 178 big league innings. He’s averaged 94.7 mph on his heater — though that was down to 93.8 mph in 2022 — fanned just over a quarter of his opponents (25.2%) and walked batters at a 10.7% clip. If the Nats select Minaya to the big league roster before season’s end, he’d technically be controllable for several more years via arbitration, although given his struggles to this point in the season, that seems unlikely. Rather, the final stretch of games could serve as a minor league audition for the 2023 campaign, when a rebuilding Nats club will surely need plenty of veteran bullpen depth of this nature to vie for jobs next spring or to stash in the upper minors.

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Minnesota Twins Transactions Washington Nationals Juan Minaya

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Nationals Sign DJ Peters To Minor League Deal

By Mark Polishuk | September 10, 2022 at 6:31pm CDT

The Nationals signed outfielder DJ Peters to a minor league contract, and Peters played his first game with Triple-A Rochester yesterday.  The 26-year-old was a free agent after being waived by the Korea Baseball Organization’s Lotte Giants back in July.

Peters’ time in the KBO League resulted in a .228/.299/.402 slash line over 354 plate appearances, with 13 home runs.  The Giants paid Peters a $600K base salary — well above what the outfielder would’ve earned on a minor league salary, and there was no guarantee Peters would’ve landed a big league deal as a free agent.  Of course, Peters couldn’t have signed anywhere last winter due to the lockout, and thus he opted to take some guaranteed money with the Giants rather than face the unique uncertainty of the 2021-22 offseason.

Power has been Peters’ calling card since the Dodgers selected him in the fourth round of the 2016 draft.  Over his minor league career (and counting last night’s game with Rochester), Peters has hit .266/.359/.488 over 2197 PA, but after the canceled 2020 minors season, he returned and struggled at Triple-A in 2021.  However, Peters also made his MLB debut last season, hitting .197/.242/.422 with 13 homers over 240 combined PA with the Dodgers and Rangers.

The rebuilding Nationals can offer plenty of opportunity for players who might have late-breakout potential, with 30-year-old rookie Joey Meneses serving as a prime example of how unheralded players can unexpectedly blossom.  Peters’ power bat and strong throwing arm give him a couple of plus tools, and the best could be yet to come if he can cut down on his strikeouts and become a more polished overall hitter rather than just an all-or-nothing slugger.

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Transactions Washington Nationals DJ Peters

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Edwin Jackson Announces Retirement

By Anthony Franco | September 9, 2022 at 9:56pm CDT

Former All-Star Edwin Jackson took to Instagram this evening to officially announce his retirement from Major League Baseball. The right-hander pitched parts of 17 seasons in the majors, getting to the highest level every year between 2003-19. Jackson suited up for 14 different MLB teams, setting the all-time record for most uniforms donned.

“19 years ago today I was blessed with an opportunity to tie up my laces and step on the field to make my debut with the Los Angeles Dodgers,” Jackson wrote. “Today I am happily hanging up my cleats and closing a 22-year baseball career.” Jackson went on to thank his wife, parents, sisters, children and the rest of his family before expressing his gratitude to various coaches, trainers and doctors who assisted him. “This game has taught me many life lessons and allowed me to evolve into the person I am today! I will forever have memories that will live within me from the game I love and dedicated my life to. Thank you baseball for an amazing life experience I will never forget,” he concluded.

A sixth-round draftee of the Dodgers out of a Georgia high school in 2001, Jackson emerged as one of the sport’s best pitching prospects not long thereafter. He broke into the big leagues exactly 19 years ago on his 20th birthday, starting three of four appearances down the stretch. He bounced on and off Los Angeles’ active roster for the next couple seasons before being traded to the then-Devil Rays over the 2005-06 offseason.

Jackson worked primarily as a reliever for his first season in Tampa Bay, but he took a full turn of starts by the 2007 campaign. That kicked off a stretch of seven consecutive seasons in which he surpassed 30 starts and 160 innings. Jackson pitched in Tampa Bay through 2008 before being dealt to the Tigers for outfielder Matt Joyce. He tossed a career-best 214 innings the next year, posting a 3.62 ERA. Jackson earned an All-Star nod with a 2.52 mark through that season’s first half.

The next offseason, his nomadic career continued. Detroit flipped Jackson to the Diamondbacks as part of a three-team blockbuster that netted Detroit Max Scherzer and sent Curtis Granderson to the Yankees. His stint in the desert was rather brief — he’d wind up traded again at that summer’s deadline — but it provided one of the more memorable moments of his career. On June 25, 2010, he tossed a no-hitter against his former team at Tropicana Field. He threw a staggering 149 pitches in the outing, striking out six but issuing eight walks. Then-manager A.J. Hinch stuck with Jackson despite his high pitch count, and he completed one of the more remarkable single-game performances by a player in recent memory.

Not long after, the last-place club dealt Jackson to the White Sox in a trade that landed Arizona Daniel Hudson. Jackson pitched well in 11 starts down the stretch, and he got off to another solid start in 2011. The White Sox fell out of contention the latter season, though, and he was on the move again. The Blue Jays acquired Jackson from the White Sox on the morning of July 27, but his stint in Toronto lasted only a few hours. Toronto promptly flipped him to the Cardinals in a deal that sent Colby Rasmus north of the border.

Jackson played in St. Louis for the second half, pitching to a 3.58 ERA through 12 starts. He made four starts in the postseason, and while his playoff numbers weren’t great, the Cardinals secured the World Series title in a dramatic series win over the Rangers. Fresh off winning a title, Jackson signed with the Nationals during his first trip through free agency. He spent the 2012 campaign in the Nats rotation, helping Washington to their first playoff appearance since moving to D.C.

The next winter, Jackson inked a four-year, $52MM pact with the Cubs. He continued to soak up innings but didn’t post especially strong numbers in Chicago. After two and a half seasons, he was released. That kicked off an even more rapid trip around the league, as Jackson suited up with the Braves, Marlins, Padres, Orioles, Nationals (again), A’s, Blue Jays and Tigers (again) over the next four years. He alternated between the rotation and the bullpen throughout that time, generally serving as a depth option.

While Jackson signed a minor league deal with the Diamondbacks in 2020, he didn’t make it back to the majors. He did appear on the U.S. Olympic team last summer and expressed a desire to get back to the big leagues, but he didn’t get another opportunity with an affiliated organization.

Altogether, Jackson pitched in 412 major league games. He tossed 1960 innings with a 4.78 ERA, striking out a bit more than 1500 batters and winning 107 games. According to Baseball Reference, Jackson banked upwards of $66MM in earnings and incredibly logged some action for almost half the league. MLBTR congratulates Jackson on his lengthy, accomplished career and wishes him all the best in retirement.

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Arizona Diamondbacks Athletics Atlanta Braves Baltimore Orioles Chicago Cubs Chicago White Sox Detroit Tigers Los Angeles Dodgers Miami Marlins San Diego Padres St. Louis Cardinals Tampa Bay Rays Toronto Blue Jays Washington Nationals Edwin Jackson Retirement

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Nationals Designate Jake McGee For Assignment

By Steve Adams and Anthony Franco | September 9, 2022 at 3:15pm CDT

The Nationals have designated Jake McGee for assignment, per a team announcement. His spot on the roster will go to catcher Israel Pineda, whose previously reported selection to the big league roster has now been announced by the club. Catcher Keibert Ruiz was placed on the injured list, as expected, after taking an unfortunately placed foul ball to the groin during yesterday’s game. The Nationals announced that Ruiz has a testicular contusion.

It’s the third time this season that McGee has been designated for assignment. He opened the year with the Giants, the second season of a two-year free agent deal. After posting a 2.72 ERA across 59 2/3 innings in year one, the veteran southpaw only managed a 7.17 mark in 21 1/3 frames before being cut loose in mid-July. McGree cleared waivers, leaving the Giants on the hook for the bulk of this year’s $2.5MM salary while giving other teams a chance to add him for only the prorated portion of the $700K league minimum.

The Brewers took that opportunity, signing McGee to a major league deal. He allowed four runs in only 5 2/3 frames with Milwaukee before being DFA, and the last-place Nationals surprisingly added him off waivers. The 36-year-old spent a month in D.C., working 10 innings through 12 outings. He allowed another seven runs, including a pair of homers, while striking out ten and issuing five walks.

It’s been a tough go for McGee at all three stops, and he owns a cumulative 6.81 ERA through 37 innings. His 15.3% strikeout rate and 8.5% swinging strike percentage are each below league average, and they’re markedly down from last year’s respective marks. McGee has continued to average a solid 94.4 MPH on his four-seamer, but his results have taken a major step back.

The Nationals will place McGee on outright or release waivers within the next few days. The veteran would have the right to test the open market if he goes unclaimed, so there’s little distinction between the two in his case.

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Transactions Washington Nationals Jake McGee Keibert Ruiz

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Nationals To Place Keibert Ruiz On Injured List, Select Israel Pineda

By Steve Adams | September 9, 2022 at 9:25am CDT

The Nationals will place catcher Keibert Ruiz on the 10-day injured list Friday and select the contract of fellow catcher Israel Pineda from Triple-A Rochester, as first reported by TalkNats (Twitter links). They’ll also recall righty Jordan Weems from Rochester. The team hasn’t formally announced the moves, though Pineda’s reps at PNY Sports have announced his promotion to the big leagues (Twitter link).

Ruiz was injured behind the plate yesterday when he took a foul ball off his groin. While he initially remained in the game for a few innings, he was eventually lifted and replaced by Riley Adams. Manager Dave Martinez told reporters after the game that Ruiz was headed to a hospital for further evaluation due to swelling in his testicles.

The 24-year-old Ruiz was widely considered one of the top prospects in all of baseball prior to his arrival on the big league scene, and he was one of the headline talents acquired in the blockbuster deal that sent Max Scherzer and Trea Turner from D.C. to L.A. at the 2021 trade deadline. He’s had a solid but unspectacular showing at the plate in his first full year with the Nats, batting .251/.313/.360. That’s 11% worse than the league-average hitter, by measure of wRC+, but right in line with the average production among big league catchers.

The Nats didn’t necessarily need to replace Ruiz with another catcher, as they were already carrying three, with both Adams and Tres Barrera on the big league roster. They’ll stick with that three-catcher arrangement for now, though, and in doing so will get their first look at the 22-year-old Pineda, who’s had a breakout season across three minor league levels.

Pineda hit just .208/.260/.389 in High-A last year but has soared from that level all the way to Triple-A in 2022. He followed up a solid .264/.325/.443 showing in 67 High-A games with an excellent .280/.340/.538 output in 26 games at the Double-A level. He’s just 2-for-21 in his first six Triple-A contests, but Pineda’s combined .258/.325/.458 batting line this year is plenty productive — particularly for a catcher. Pineda has nabbed an impressive 41% of runners who’ve attempted to steal against him in parts of five professional seasons.

Pineda currently checks in as the No. 22 prospect at FanGraphs, No. 23 at Baseball America and No. 26 at MLB.com in what’s obviously considered a much-improved farm system following the complete roster tear-down in Washington. Given his performance in 2022, Pineda would likely have been added to the 40-man roster this winter anyhow, as the Nats would’ve needed to protect him from being selected in the Rule 5 Draft. They’ll now get an early look at him, at least for the next few days.

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Transactions Washington Nationals Israel Pineda Keibert Ruiz

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Injury Notes: Franco, Verlander, Arano

By Darragh McDonald | September 5, 2022 at 12:30pm CDT

Rays shortstop Wander Franco resumed his rehab assignment yesterday, slotting in as the designated hitter for the Triple-A Durham Bulls as he attempts to return from July hamate surgery. The plan, as relayed by Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times, is for Franco to stick with the Bulls for a few more games and rejoin the Rays for their series against the Blue Jays on September 12.

Of course, this is contingent on Franco feeling well in the coming days. He attempted to begin a rehab assignment a few weeks ago but was pulled off due to continued soreness in his hand. It seems like he’s in a better position this time around, however. “This is definitely the best I’ve felt since the injury,” Franco tells Topkin, via interpreter Manny Navarro. “That’s probably the most important thing, if he feels good where he’s at, where we’re at,” manager Kevin Cash said.

Getting Franco back for the final few weeks of the regular season would certainly be a boon for the Rays. They are currently five games back of the Yankees in the battle for the AL East crown and sandwiched between the Mariners and Blue Jays in the Wild Card picture. The club also put second baseman Brandon Lowe on the IL last week, which further subtracted from their infield depth.

Other injury notes from around the league…

  • Astros righty Justin Verlander went on the IL a week ago due to a calf injury, with both Verlander and general manager James Click expressing optimism that a significant absence wouldn’t be necessary. However, Verlander probably won’t return after the 15-day minimum, Click tells Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle. The Astros are fortunate enough to be sitting on a record of 86-48, six games ahead of the Yankees for the best record in the American League and 17 games ahead of the Central-leading Guardians/Twins. That means the club is cruising to a first round bye and can allow Verlander to return at whatever pace is best for his health, as opposed to rushing him back for meaningful games down the stretch. Prior to the injury, the 39-year-old was having an incredible season, especially when considering he effectively missed the previous two years. He’s thrown 152 innings in 2022 with a 1.84 ERA, 26.5% strikeout rate and 4.5% walk rate. By surpassing the 130-inning mark, he has vested a $25MM player option for next year, but would likely be able to do better than that on the open market if he declined the option.
  • The Nationals placed right-hander Victor Arano on the 15-day injured list, retroactive to September 2, due to a right shoulder strain. The club hasn’t released any information about Arano’s timeline, but with only about four weeks left on the schedule, it’s possible that this ailment will end his season. He’s thrown 42 innings so far this year, his first MLB action since 2019. He has a 4.50 ERA, 23.5% strikeout rate, 6.4% walk rate and 51.6% ground ball rate. A 58.9% strand rate is probably inflating that ERA, with advanced metrics like FIP (3.71), xFIP (3.45) and SIERA (3.12) thinking he deserved much better. The 27-year-old will cross three years of MLB service time by season’s end, meaning he will qualify for arbitration for the first time.
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Houston Astros Notes Tampa Bay Rays Washington Nationals Justin Verlander Victor Arano Wander Franco

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Every Team’s Initial September Call-Ups

By Steve Adams and Anthony Franco | September 1, 2022 at 10:59pm CDT

Each season as the calendar flips to September, we see a flurry of transactions around Major League Baseball. Active roster sizes jump from 26 to 28 for the season’s final month, with teams permitted to bring up no more than one additional pitcher. We’ve already covered a host of transactions with 40-man roster implications throughout the day at MLBTR. Here’s a full round-up of teams’ initial September roster moves.

American League West

Houston Astros:

  • Selected contract of RHP Hunter Brown
  • Selected contract of C Yainer Diaz
  • Corresponding moves: IF Niko Goodrum and RHP Peter Solomon designated for assignment

Los Angeles Angels:

  • Selected contract of OF Ryan Aguilar
  • Selected contract of RHP Zack Weiss
  • Corresponding moves: OF Steven Duggar and INF Jose Rojas designated for assignment

Oakland Athletics

  • Selected contract of LHP Ken Waldichuk from Triple-A Las vegas
  • Recalled OF Cody Thomas from Triple-A Las Vegas
  • Corresponding move: RHP David McKay designated for assignment

Seattle Mariners

  • Reinstated LHP Matthew Boyd from 60-day injured list
  • Recalled OF Taylor Trammell from Triple-A Tacoma
  • Corresponding moves: None required

Texas Rangers

  • Selected contract of RHP Jesus Tinoco from Triple-A Round Rock
  • Recalled OF Nick Solak from Triple-A Round Rock
  • Corresponding move: Transferred RHP Josh Sborz to 60-day injured list

American League Central

Chicago White Sox

  • Recalled OF Adam Haseley from Triple-A Charlotte
  • Recalled RHP Matt Foster from Triple-A Charlotte
  • Corresponding move: None required

Cleveland Guardians

  • Recalled SS Ernie Clement from Triple-A Columbus
  • Reinstated RHP Cody Morris from 60-day injured list
  • Corresponding move: Designated RHP Anthony Castro for assignment

Detroit Tigers

  • Recalled 1B Spencer Torkelson from Triple-A Toledo
  • Selected contract of INF Ryan Kreidler from Triple-A Toledo
  • Corresponding move: Transferred RHP Rony Garcia to 60-day injured list

Kansas City Royals

  • Selected contract of RHP Daniel Mengden from Triple-A Omaha
  • Recalled OF Nate Eaton from Triple-A Omaha
  • Corresponding move: None required

Minnesota Twins

  • Added LHP Austin Davis (previously claimed off waivers from Red Sox) to active roster
  • Selected contract of OF Billy Hamilton from Triple-A St. Paul
  • Corresponding move: Transferred OF Trevor Larnach to 60-day injured list

American League East

Baltimore Orioles

  • Selected contract of 1B Jesus Aguilar from Triple-A Norfolk
  • Recalled LHP DL Hall from Triple-A Norfolk
  • Corresponding move: Designated INF Richie Martin for assignment

Boston Red Sox

  • Recalled C Connor Wong from Triple-A Worcester
  • Selected contract of RHP Eduard Bazardo
  • Corresponding moves: None required

New York Yankees

  • Recalled SS Oswald Peraza from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre
  • Activated INF Marwin Gonzalez from paternity list
  • Corresponding moves: None required

Tampa Bay Rays

  • Reinstated RHP Matt Wisler from the 15-day injured list
  • Recalled INF Jonathan Aranda from Triple-A Durham
  • Corresponding moves: None required

Toronto Blue Jays

  • Recalled RHP Casey Lawrence from Triple-A Buffalo
  • Added OF Bradley Zimmer (claimed off waivers from Phillies this week) to active roster
  • Corresponding moves: None required

National League West

Arizona Diamondbacks

  • Selected contract of IF Wilmer Difo from Triple-A Reno
  • Reinstated RHP Keynan Middleton and LHP Kyle Nelson from 15-day injured list
  • Corresponding move: Designated RHP Noe Ramirez for assignment

Colorado Rockies

  • Recalled INF Alan Trejo from Triple-A Albuquerque
  • Recalled RHP Chad Smith from Triple-A Albuquerque
  • Corresponding moves: None required

Los Angeles Dodgers

  • Reinstated LHP Clayton Kershaw from 15-day injured list
  • Recalled 3B Miguel Vargas from Triple-A Oklahoma City
  • Corresponding moves: None required

San Diego Padres

  • Recalled INF Matt Beaty from Triple-A El Paso
  • Recalled RHP Reiss Knehr from Triple-A El Paso
  • Corresponding moves: None required

San Francisco Giants

  • Selected contract of recently-acquired OF Lewis Brinson
  • Recalled IF David Villar from Triple-A Sacramento
  • Corresponding move: Outrighted LHP Jonathan Bermudez to Triple-A Sacramento

National League Central

Chicago Cubs

  • Selected contract of RHP Jeremiah Estrada from Triple-A Iowa
  • Recalled INF David Bote from Triple-A Iowa
  • Corresponding move: Transferred Wade Miley from 15-day injured list to 60-day injured list

Cincinnati Reds

  • Selected contract of 2B/3B Spencer Steer
  • Selected contract of RHP Fernando Cruz
  • Corresponding moves: Transferred INF Mike Moustakas and RHP Jeff Hoffman from 10-day injured list to 60-day injured list

Milwaukee Brewers

  • Recalled RHP Luis Perdomo from Triple-A Nashville
  • Recalled OF Esteury Ruiz from Triple-A Nashville
  • Corresponding moves: None required

Pittsburgh Pirates

  • Recalled RHP Johan Oviedo from Triple-A Indianapolis
  • Recalled OF Calvin Mitchell from Triple-A Indianapolis
  • Corresponding moves: None required

St. Louis Cardinals

  • Selected contract of OF Ben DeLuzio from Triple-A Memphis
  • Recalled RHP James Naile from Triple-A Memphis
  • Corresponding moves: None required

National League East

Atlanta Braves

  • Reinstated IF Orlando Arcia from 10-day injured list
  • Added recently-claimed RHP Jesse Chavez to active roster
  • Corresponding moves: None required

Miami Marlins*

  • To recall OF Bryan De La Cruz
  • To recall RHP Jeff Brigham
  • Corresponding moves: None required

New York Mets

  • Selected contract of INF Deven Marrero from Triple-A Syracuse
  • Recalled RHP Adonis Medina from Triple-A Syracuse
  • Corresponding move: Designated RHP Connor Grey for assignment

Philadelphia Phillies

  • Selected contract of RHP Vinny Nittoli from Triple-A Lehigh Valley
  • Recalled C Donny Sands from Triple-A Lehigh Valley
  • Corresponding moves: None required

Washington Nationals

  • Recalled C Tres Barrera from Triple-A Rochester
  • Recalled RHP Mason Thompson from Triple-A Rochester
  • Corresponding moves: None required

*Marlins moves reported by Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald (Twitter link)

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Arizona Diamondbacks Athletics Atlanta Braves Baltimore Orioles Boston Red Sox Chicago Cubs Chicago White Sox Cincinnati Reds Cleveland Guardians Colorado Rockies Detroit Tigers Houston Astros Kansas City Royals Los Angeles Angels Los Angeles Dodgers Miami Marlins Milwaukee Brewers Minnesota Twins New York Mets New York Yankees Philadelphia Phillies Pittsburgh Pirates San Diego Padres San Francisco Giants Seattle Mariners St. Louis Cardinals Tampa Bay Rays Texas Rangers Toronto Blue Jays Transactions Washington Nationals Adam Haseley Alan Trejo Bradley Zimmer Bryan De La Cruz Cal Mitchell Casey Lawrence Chad Smith David Bote David Villar Donny Sands Ernie Clement Esteury Ruiz Jeff Brigham Jesse Chavez Johan Oviedo Jonathan Aranda Luis Perdomo Marwin Gonzalez Mason Thompson Matt Beaty Matt Boyd Matt Foster Matt Wisler Matthew Boyd Nate Eaton Orlando Arcia Reiss Knehr Rony Garcia Taylor Trammell Tres Barrera Vinny Nittoli Wade Miley

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Cade Cavalli Shut Down For Two Weeks Due To Shoulder Inflammation

By Darragh McDonald | August 30, 2022 at 4:05pm CDT

The Nationals are shutting down right-hander Cade Cavalli for the next two weeks due to shoulder inflammation, tweets Jesse Dougherty of The Washington Post. Cavalli will be placed on the 15-day injured list.

At this point, the issue doesn’t seem to be terribly severe. Dougherty relays that Cavalli felt some discomfort in the day after his start and went for an MRI, which showed inflammation but no structural damage. “Everything looks good, except for he has a little bit of inflammation around the capsule,” manager Dave Martinez tells Jessica Camerato of MLB.com. “But the labrum, tendons, the rotator cuff, everything is very, very clean.” Mark Zuckerman of MASNsports.com relays word from Martinez, who says that they’re not shutting him down for the season because they want him to try to work back to health in the short-term, rather than just focussing on next year’s Spring Training.

The fact that the issue isn’t terribly serious is surely comforting for fans of the club, though the news also has to be at least somewhat deflating. It was just over a year ago that the club kicked off a rebuild by trading away many of their best players, including Max Scherzer and Trea Turner. This year, the club dug themselves even deeper in that hole by trading Juan Soto and Josh Bell. Amid all of that subtraction from the big league roster, one thing for fans to look forward to was the emergence of youngsters, with Cavalli being among the most exciting. Now he’s heading to the IL after just a single big league start and might not even appear again this season. In the long run, Cavalli can hopefully recover and make this minor setback a non-issue.

In the short-term, the club will have to patch over a hole in the rotation. Cory Abbott was optioned when Cavalli was called up and could be a candidate to return. Optioned players normally have to spend at least ten days off the roster before being added back on, though an exception is made when someone is going on the IL. Dougherty reports that Abbott was supposed to throw in Rochester today, the home of Washington’s Triple-A club, but was pulled off.

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Transactions Washington Nationals Cade Cavalli

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NL East Notes: Alvarez, Hernandez, Sanchez

By Mark Polishuk | August 28, 2022 at 8:43am CDT

Star Mets prospect Francisco Alvarez is undergoing evaluation on a sore right ankle, SNY’s Andy Martino reports (Twitter link).  As per other Peter Botte and Mike Puma of the New York Post, the injury isn’t thought to be too severe, though simply given the calendar, there is a possibility that the Mets could shut Alvarez down for what remains of the 2022 season.  More will be known in a few days’ time, after Alvarez has been more fully tested.

One of the top minor leaguers in all of baseball, there has been speculation that the 20-year-old Alvarez might receive a call-up to the majors this season, as the Mets haven’t gotten much from the catching position.  However, even before his ankle injury surfaced, Alvarez wasn’t off to a great start in his first taste of Triple-A action, batting only .180/.340/.378 in 141 plate appearances.  It certainly isn’t the ideal platform to launch a young player into making his MLB debut in the thick of a pennant race, and naturally the Mets want to be as careful as possible with the development of a possible cornerstone player of the future.

Other updates from around the NL East…

  • The Nationals shifted Yadiel Hernandez to the 60-day injured list on Saturday, officially ending the outfielder’s season.  (In a corresponding move, Washington reinstated left-hander Seth Romero from the 60-day IL and assigned him to Double-A.)  Hernandez was retroactively placed on the 10-day IL on August 19 due to a left calf strain, and his third MLB season saw the 34-year-old hit .269/.312/.410 with nine homers over 327 plate appearances.  Hernandez has spent much of his Nats tenure as the left-handed hitting side of an outfield platoon, posting roughly league-average offense since the start of the 2021 campaign.  He is under team control through 2026, but given his age and the Nationals’ rebuild, it is possible the team might consider moving onto a younger option for next season.
  • Sixto Sanchez’s continued shoulder inflammation will result in a cortisone shot on Monday, per Craig Mish of the Miami Herald (via Twitter).  Sanchez made his MLB debut with 39 innings in 2020, but hasn’t since pitched at any level due to shoulder problems, which included surgery in July 2021.  It is becoming increasingly unlikely that Sanchez will get any game action in the majors or minors before 2022 is out, making it another lost year for the Marlins right-hander.
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Miami Marlins New York Mets Notes Washington Nationals Francisco Alvarez Seth Romero Sixto Sanchez Yadiel Hernandez

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Nationals Release Maikel Franco

By Steve Adams and Anthony Franco | August 26, 2022 at 3:20pm CDT

The Nationals have released veteran infielder Maikel Franco, reinstated second baseman Luis Garcia from the injured list, optioned righty Cory Abbott and selected the contract of top pitching prospect Cade Cavalli, per a team announcement. Cavalli’s looming promotion had been announced by the team earlier in the week. Mark Zuckerman of MASNsports.com first noted that Garcia was in the clubhouse and that Franco appeared to be packing up and saying his goodbyes, indicating a move was on the horizon.

Franco, who turns 30 today, has spent the season as Washington’s primary third baseman. The Nats signed the former Phillies top prospect to a minor league deal over the winter, and he broke camp with the team. Franco has gotten 99 starts, with the vast majority of that time coming at his customary position at the hot corner. While he’s been a durable lineup fixture, the right-handed hitter simply hasn’t produced much at the plate. Franco posted a .229/.255/.342 showing across 388 plate appearances, only connecting on nine home runs with a meager 3.1% walk rate.

It’s a second straight well below-average season for Franco, who managed a .210/.253/.355 line with the Orioles last season. Fellow journeyman Ildemaro Vargas, who was selected onto the big league roster at the start of this month, has a far more productive .317/.354/.450 showing in 65 plate appearances. The switch-hitting Vargas has taken hold of the third base job as a result, while Garcia is now in line to pair with top prospect CJ Abrams as the primary middle infield duo. That pushed veteran second baseman Cesar Hernandez to the bench and squeezed Franco off the roster.

A nine-year MLB veteran, Franco finds himself on release waivers. Assuming he goes unclaimed, he’ll hit free agency and be able to explore other opportunities elsewhere. It seems likely he’ll be limited to minor league offers, although he’d technically be eligible for another team’s postseason roster if he signs before the end of this month.

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Transactions Washington Nationals Cade Cavalli Cory Abbott Luis Garcia (infielder) Maikel Franco

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