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Quick Hits: Seager, Rangers, Young, Morse

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Corey Seager won’t be in the Dodgers starting lineup for what could be several games due to a mild right hamstring strain, as reported by Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times and other media.  Seager suffered a Grade 1 strain, the lowest level of hamstring injury, and the team is hopeful Seager can avoid a DL stint; Seager said that this current issue isn’t nearly as bad as hamstring injuries he has suffered in the past.  Manager Dave Roberts suggested Seager could be available for key pinch-hitting situations, and the team will wait until Tuesday or Wednesday before deciding if the disabled list is necessary for the star shortstop.

Here’s more from around baseball….

  • Relief pitching will be a deadline priority for the Rangers at the deadline, though the team is still committed to Matt Bush as the closer, MLB.com’s T.R. Sullivan writes.  “We’ve got to continue to develop Matt in that spot.  One of the challenges is finding him consistent work in different situations,” manager Jeff Banister said, noting that Bush is still pretty new to pitching in his professional career.  The Rangers also want to see what they have in Ernesto Frieri and Tanner Scheppers before deciding on their specific deadline needs for the bullpen.
  • Veteran right-hander Chris Young tells MLB.com’s Jeffrey Flanagan that he intends to continue his career after being released by the Royals.  “Physically, I feel good,” Young said. “My arm feels good. I don’t foresee this being the end. I’m still capable of competing at a high level. Possibly a change of scenery might help.”  Young, who turned 38 last month, has suffered through a pair of rough seasons in 2016-17, posting a 6.52 ERA over 118 2/3 IP.  Young also praised the K.C. fans and the Royals organization, noting that GM Dayton Moore told him the news of his release in person.
  • Mike Morse is still suffering from lingering symptoms almost a month after going on the seven-day concussion DL, the veteran slugger tells Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle.  Morse has openly talked about this stint with the Giants being something of a last ride in his career, though what could potentially be his final season has been hampered by a hamstring injury and now this concussion.  Morse has a .556 OPS over 40 PA for the Giants this year, and he isn’t sure when he’ll be healthy enough to return to action.

Giants Select Contract Of Michael Morse, Place Denard Span On DL

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5:21pm: The Giants have moved Parker to the 60-day disabled list to create a spot on the 40-man roster for Morse. Additionally, center fielder Denard Span has been placed on the 10-day disabled list. Brandon Crawford, meanwhile, has been placed on the bereavement list, and Kelby Tomlinson has been recalled from Triple-A.

5:02pm: The Giants have selected the contract of first baseman/outfielder Michael Morse, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (Twitter link). There’s no word on a corresponding move for Morse just yet, though the 40-man roster is currently full. One obvious solution would be to move Madison Bumgarner or Jarrett Parker the 60-day disabled list, as each could be out for two months or more following their recent injuries.

The 35-year-old Morse saw just eight plate appearances in the Majors in 2016 and hasn’t hit much since the 2014 campaign — a season which he spent with the Giants en route their most recent World Series victory. Morse slugged at a .276/.339/.475 clip for the Giants in ’14, which led to a two-year deal with the Marlins. However, Morse was unable to live up to that $16MM price tag, hitting a combined .224/.303/.325 in the 2015-16 seasons combined.

Morse had a nice Spring Training with the Giants, though, hitting .258/.343/.516 through 14 games before a hamstring injury sidelined him near the end of camp. He’s only appeared in six minor league games with the Giants thus far, but he’ll seemingly be added to the roster in hopes of bolstering the big league club’s left field production (either by manning left field himself or by handling first-base duties while Brandon Belt shifts to the outfield grass). To date, Giants left fielders are hitting a combined .131/.207/.205 on the season, and the Opening Day starter, Parker, will be out upwards of eight weeks after suffering a broken clavicle.

West Notes: Dipoto, Richards, Cashner, Bush, Morse, Bradley

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Mark Feinsand of MLB.com provides an interesting interview with Mariners GM Jerry Dipoto that’s well worth a full read. The topics range from the impact of Statcast to Dipoto’s seemingly insatiable appetite for trades.

Here’s more from the game’s western divisions:

  • We checked in earlier tonight on Angels righty Garrett Richards, and there’s more news on that front. GM Billy Eppler says that the current concern is an ongoing lack of strength in Richards’s biceps, as Pedro Moura of the Los Angeles Times reports (Twitter links). Though cervical disc issues apparently aren’t at the root — an MRI came back clean — it seems that’ll need to be resolved before Richards can return to the hill.
  • The Rangers will finally get a chance to see what they have in righty Andrew Cashner. He’s slated to make his first start for the team tomorrow, as Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News tweets. Cashner, who signed a one-year make-good deal over the winter, was set back by biceps tendinitis in camp.
  • There was other good news on the injury front for the Rangers. As Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram writes, key reliever Matt Bush could return to action as soon as this weekend. He has seemingly responded well to a cortisone shot in his shoulder, though the club is waiting a bit longer to make sure he’s pain free before putting him back on the rubber.
  • Giants outfielder Michael Morse is nearly ready to take the field at Triple-A after rehabbing his hamstring, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports on Twitter. Indeed, Morse may be prepared for MLB action in just ten days, per the report. It’s unclear as yet what San Francisco’s plans are for the veteran, but he’d clearly represent an alternative to Chris Marrero if the club decides to make a change. Though Marrero has had a productive game tonight, including his first big league homer, he has struggled out of the gates.
  • The Diamondbacks are still weighing just how to use Archie Bradley, who has shown resurgent form this year, as Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports. Bradley’s outstanding early work from the bullpen — no runs, ten strikeouts, and just two walks over 6 2/3 frames — has manager Torey Lovullo wondering how best to maximize the former top starting prospect. For now, it seems, Bradley is likely to continue working as a longman, but the skipper suggested that the young righty could begin to enter in higher-leverage spots. It’s worth noting that Bradley is now averaging 95.7 mph with his fastball after sitting just over 92 in his prior two MLB campaigns, though of course that’s probably aided in part by his move to a relief role.

Injury Notes: Lagares, Rodon, Gray, Morse

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Here are some updates on some injury situations throughout baseball…

  • Juan Lagares left today’s Spring Training game with a left oblique strain, according to Newsday’s Marc Carig and other reporters.  The former Gold Glove winner is slated is slated to play a valuable reserve role for the Mets this season, particularly since Curtis Granderson is a defensive question mark in center field.  While the severity of his strain isn’t yet known, oblique issues can tend to linger, putting his Opening Day status in jeopardy.  If Lagares has to miss time, the Mets would be left with inexperienced center field options like Michael Conforto and Jose Reyes backing up Granderson.
  • White Sox lefty Carlos Rodon, suffering from bicep tightness, got some good news when an MRI revealed no structural damage, CSN Chicago’s Dan Hayes tweets.  Rodon will still visit Dr. Neal ElAttrache to get a second opinion and hopefully confirm that the injury isn’t serious.  Sox GM Rick Hahn said yesterday that Rodon will likely begin the season on the DL since the team wants to be as cautious as possible with their young southpaw.
  • An MRI on Jon Gray’s toe didn’t reveal any bad news, and the Rockies right-hander tells media (including Nick Groke of the Denver Post) that the injury that forced him to leave Friday’s game is a minor one.  Gray said he expects to make his Opening Day start.
  • Michael Morse isn’t yet planning to retire, as the veteran tells The San Francisco Chronicle’s Henry Schulman and other reporters that he’ll stay in camp to rehab his hamstring injury and then report to the Giants’ Triple-A affiliate.  Morse had stated earlier this winter that he’d hang up his spikes if he didn’t break camp with the Giants, and he indeed seemed likely to make the roster before getting hurt.  “I’m going to get healthy.  I’m going to play games with the mentality of getting ready for the big leagues,” Morse said.  “At that point, if the team is 20-0, I know I probably won’t get called up and then it’s see ya’.  If they need me, great.”

NL West Notes: Morse, Dahl, Rockies, Padres

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Mike Morse suffered a hamstring strain that will keep him out of action for at least two weeks, Giants manager Bruce Bochy told reporters (including CSNBayArea.com’s Alex Pavlovic).  That timeline essentially eliminates Morse’s chances of making the Giants’ Opening Day roster, bringing a sour end to what had been an impressive spring for the veteran.  After signing a minor league deal with the Giants this offseason, Morse spoke openly about retirement if he didn’t make the team, though he isn’t yet sure if he’ll now pursue a Triple-A rehab assignment.  “If it gets to that point, I’ll think about it, but right now it’s (about) how I feel every day. I don’t want to get ahead of myself,” Morse said.  With Morse and Mac Williamson both sidelined with injuries, Jarrett Parker is now the clear favorite for the starting left field job and the Giants’ extensive battle for bench jobs has somewhat narrowed.

Here’s more from around the NL West…

  • David Dahl is still around 10 days away from resuming baseball activities after an MRI revealed that his right rib was still healing, Rockies manager Bud Black told media (including Nick Groke of the Denver Post).  Dahl was revealed to have a stress fracture in his ribcage earlier this month, already leaving him questionable for the start of the season and the latest news should all but confirm Dahl for the 10-day DL come Opening Day.  The 22-year-old was expected to be Colorado’s starting left fielder this season, though Gerardo Parra is slated to handle the job in Dahl’s absence.
  • Could the Rockies go from arguably the league’s worst bullpen in 2016 to a potentially dominant pen in 2017?  Fangraphs’ Jeff Sullivan thinks it could happen, though Colorado will clearly need a lot of bounce-backs and good health from Adam Ottavino, Greg Holland, and Jake McGee.  All three pitchers have high ceilings, however, and with Carlos Estevez, Mike Dunn and others in the mix, the Rockies could make a big turnaround in their relief corps.
  • There’s a small, if unlikely, possibility that the Padres will open the season with four catchers on the roster, MLB.com’s AJ Cassavell writes.  Austin Hedges is San Diego’s starter behind the plate, and Christian Bethancourt (who is out of options) is being tested out as a hybrid utility player able to catch, play some outfield, and pitch in relief.  With Bethancourt being used differently than a normal backup catcher, that opens the door for Rule 5 pick Luis Torrens or Spring Training star Hector Sanchez to receive some playing time.

NL Notes: Cardinals, Giants, Braves, Rockies

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Right-hander Luke Weaver entered spring training with a chance to win the last spot in the Cardinals’ rotation, but that bid officially ended when they optioned him to Triple-A on Saturday. Weaver dealt with back spasms earlier this month and performed poorly when on the mound.  In five spring innings, the 23-year-old allowed seven earned runs on seven hits and eight walks, and struck out only one hitter. Michael Wacha has fared much better, meanwhile, and taken hold of the No. 5 role as a result, according to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. It seems Trevor Rosenthal will begin the year in the bullpen, then, though the Cards aren’t yet sure how they’ll use him. Both a long relief role and a “hybrid high-leverage job” are on the table for the former closer, per Goold.

More on St. Louis and three other National League clubs:

  • After sitting out nearly all of last season and then settling for a minor league contract with the Giants in December, Michael Morse could be hitting his way to a job as a bench player with the team. Regarding Morse, who has slashed .308/.400/.615 in 26 spring at-bats, manager Bruce Bochy said Friday (via Chris Haft of MLB.com), “If the bat plays, you find a place for him.” Morse had only lined up at first base this spring until he manned left field Friday, leading Bochy to note that “he needs more time out there.” It’s possible the right-handed Morse will end up platooning with lefty-swinging left fielder Jarrett Parker, writes Haft. The 34-year-old Morse realizes he’s not exactly an ideal fit for the outfield, though. “It was fun. It was like riding a bike … with two flat tires,” he quipped after playing left Friday (Twitter link via Alex Pavlovic of CSN Bay Area).
  • Although the Cardinals’ Matt Adams has only seen action at first base since debuting in 2012, the club will give him some left field work on the back fields of its minor league complex Saturday, tweets Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com. St. Louis is “curious” to see how Adams will look in the outfield, adds Langosch. With Matt Carpenter taking over at first, Adams doesn’t appear likely to receive much playing time at his typical position this season. The fact that Adams slimmed down over the winter could help make him an outfield candidate, though the Redbirds already have everyday-caliber corner options in Stephen Piscotty and Randal Grichuk.
  • There’s “nothing happening” right now between the Braves and free agent outfielder Angel Pagan, according to David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Twitter link). The Braves have reportedly made “multiple” attempts to sign Pagan, who’s among the best free agents still on the board, though he’s holding out for a higher offer.
  • Rockies left fielder David Dahl is making progress in his recovery from a ribcage injury and could “increase activity” soon, manager Bud Black told Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post (Twitter link). Dahl was diagnosed with a stress reaction in his sixth rib 12 days ago, and the Rockies said at the time they’d re-evaluate him in two weeks. The highly promising 22-year-old has only taken four at-bats this spring.

NL West Notes: Gonzalez, Hill, Arroyo, Morse, Hwang, Stewart

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Dodgers first baseman Adrian Gonzalez is dealing with what he has described as a case of tennis elbow, as Andy McCullough of the Los Angeles Times reports. The veteran says that he suffered the malady due to an active offseason workout program. While he’s set to be shut down for about two weeks, Gonzalez says he expects to be back to full strength after some rest. Chase Utley is expected to see some time in camp at first, McCullough notes, as the team prepares in the event that Gonzalez does end up missing some time early.

Here’s more from the NL West:

  • The Giants may have the game’s most interesting aggregation of veterans competing for limited bench roles in camp, as Andrew Baggarly of the Mercury News writes. “No promises, no guarantees,” GM Bobby Evans said of the signing of Aaron Hill. “Just creating competition. We’ll see how it plays out.” If there is a drawback to the large number of competitors, it’s probably the lack of reps available to young players — particularly top prospect Christian Arroyo. However, as Alex Pavlovic of CSN Bay Area writes, GM Bobby Evans says that the organization already feels confident that Arroyo is capable of handling the bat at the major league level, suggesting that the club doesn’t need a long look this spring to determine his timeline.
  • As Baggarly notes, the right-handed-hitting Hill is competing to some extent not only with the array of infielders, but also players such as Michael Morse for a role as a righty bench bat. Morse returned to San Francisco after unexpectedly hammering out a deal at Hunter Pence’s wedding — an interesting story that also comes via Baggarly. Perhaps the single most intriguing player in camp, though, is Korean infielder Jae-gyun Hwang. As Baggarly also writes, agent Han Lee says that the KBO star is committed to pitting himself against MLB pitching. “A lot of people assume if he doesn’t make it, he’s just going to run back to Korea, but that’s not his mentality,” says Lee. “I’ve told him it’s very much possible he could start at Sacramento, and if that’s the case, he’ll just have to work his way up.”
  • Former Diamondbacks GM Dave Stewart discussed his tenure in a recent appearance on MLB Network Radio on Sirius XM (audio link). Stewart expressed disappointment with the fact that he wasn’t given a longer leash in Arizona, suggesting he hadn’t received a “true opportunity to do the job.” That said, he acknowledged the error behind one of the moves that perhaps helped spell the end of his time in Arizona — the infamous deal that sent Dansby Swanson, Ender Inciarte, and Aaron Blair to the Braves for Shelby Miller. “My gut that whole time said that I should not move Dansby Swanson,” he said, though he stressed that he still believes in Miller. “If anything, maybe substituting [him] with another player” would have been something he would like to “have a redo” on, said Stewart.

Giants Notes: Posey, Hundley, Left Field, Hwang

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Following the Giants’ signing of veteran catcher Nick Hundley to a one-year deal earlier today, San Francisco GM Bobby Evans suggested that Buster Posey’s playing time behind the plate won’t decrease with Hundley on board (via John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle). Evans called 120 games behind the plate a “fair target” for Posey, whose time at first base in 2017 figures to be fairly minimal, as was the case in 2016 when he appeared there on 15 occasions. “The more we can keep Buster behind the plate and healthy, the stronger our team is,” said Evans. “The ideal is to keep him back there as much as possible.” Though he’ll turn 30 in March and has long carried a heavy workload, Posey remains one of the most productive offensive catchers and best defensive catchers in all of Major League Baseball. Of Hundley, Evans spoke highly of the experience that the 33-year-old veteran will bring to the Giants in 2017.

A bit more on the Giants…

  • Evans also said this afternoon that the Giants’ hope in left field is that either Mac Williamson or Jarrett Parker will separate himself from those in competition for the spot and win the job this spring, as Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News writes. “In a perfect world, one guy would win the job,” said the GM. “You’re not necessarily looking for a platoon. Then out of our non-roster invitees, someone would emerge as a fifth outfielder who could be a bat off the bench.” As Baggarly notes, the Giants’ list of non-roster invitees includes former Giants left fielder Mike Morse and veteran Justin Ruggiano — either of whom would satisfy the team’s desire for some right-handed pop off the bench. Evans’ comments are especially interesting given the fact that the 28-year-old Parker is out of minor league options. If Williamson has the clearly superior Spring Training and wins the job, Parker would have to be exposed to waivers before the Giants could send him back to the minors. Williamson, on the other hand, has two minor league options remaining. (You can see the option count for each player, and others, on the Giants’ depth chart at Roster Resource).
  • KBO star Jae-gyun Hwang met with the Korean media to discuss his minor league agreement with the Giants earlier today, and Jee-ho Yoo of Korea’s Yonhap News Agency was on hand to get the 29-year-old’s thoughts. Hwang told reporters that he’s been studying English for more than a year now in order to make the transition process between cultures a bit smoother, and he said he’s also made some mechanical tweaks to his swing to better prepare himself for the harder fastballs he’ll be seeing in American ball. He also added that he decided to eliminate bat flips following his home runs in 2016 (and Hwang had a penchant for unleashing some epic flips) to avoid controversy with opposing clubs. While the Giants haven’t made a formal announcement of the move yet, Evans acknowledged (via Baggarly in the above-linked column) that Hwang’s market “was one that he could have taken a number of different deals.” Evans added that the Giants feel fortunate that Hwang accepted their offer and cited the infielder’s improved strikeout and walk rates as factors that intrigued Giants scouts. Hwang hit .335/.394/.570 with 27 home runs and 25 stolen bases in the KBO last year.

NL Notes: Giants, Mets, Rockies, Cardinals

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Giants GM Bobby Evans tells Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle that Mike Morse was the one to reach out to the team about a possible minor league contract, and not vice versa. As Schulman notes, Morse spent much of the 2016 season in apparent retirement after being cut loose by the Pirates, but it seems he’s not quite ready to call it quits just yet. Morse is somewhat of a long shot to make the roster in Spring Training, and Schulman writes that Evans did not receive an indication of whether Morse would be willing to go to Triple-A if he doesn’t make the Opening Day roster. As it stands, he’ll compete with Jarrett Parker and Mac Williamson for an outfield role. The Giants make plenty of sense as a landing spot for a corner outfielder right now, but Evans suggested to Schulman that he doesn’t plan to sign a big bat for the outfield. San Francisco will monitor what is a buyers’ market for corner outfielders in the months leading up to Spring Training, though, Schulman adds.

A few more notes from around the National League…

  • Mets GM Sandy Alderson tells Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News that he doesn’t envision beginning extension talks with any of the team’s young rotation arms until Spring Training begins. “We’re not thinking about it now, it really hasn’t been our focus,” said Alderson. “It’s probably not something that is going to happen before we head to spring training.” Among Mets starters, Matt Harvey is in his second year of arbitration and is controlled through 2018, while Jacob deGrom is in his first trip through arbitration (as a Super Two player) and is controlled through 2020. However, both pitchers underwent season-ending surgery in 2016 — thoracic outlet syndrome for Harvey and an ulnar nerve repair for deGrom — so the Mets may want to see how they rebound from a medical perspective before engaging in talks. Noah Syndergaard and Steven Matz both stand out as logical extension candidates as well, as neither has reached arbitration yet, which could give a bit of extra incentive to talk long-term. Both pitchers are controlled through the 2021 season.
  • MLB.com’s Thomas Harding runs down a number of roster questions for the Rockies in his later Inbox column, noting within that he still expects GM Jeff Bridich to add another reliever either via trade or free agency. Harding also writes that Bridich is considering the possibility of adding a veteran catcher prior to Spring Training as well. The Rox have been asking for potential front-of-the-rotation pitchers in trade talks for Charlie Blackmon, Harding adds, which explains to some degree why the Rockies don’t appear to have had much in the way of advanced trade talks regarding Blackmon. MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projects a $9MM salary for Blackmon next year. He’s controlled through 2018 via arbitration and is fresh off a career year in which he slashed .324/.381/.552 with 29 homers and 17 steals.
  • While some Cardinals fans were frustrated that the team didn’t make a big play for Edwin Encarnacion, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch dispels the notion that St. Louis’ lack of a push for Encarnacion was due to financial reasons. Goold reports that the Cardinals’ upcoming increase in television revenue — the team agreed to a $1.1 billion television contract in July 2015 — will give the team about $20MM more in rights fees in 2018 than it will earn in 2017. The column provides an excellent breakdown of the Cardinals’ payroll, noting that just under $46MM is coming off the books from 2016 while just over $47MM has been added to the 2017 ledger. The Cardinals certainly have the capacity to increase spending, Goold writes, but in the case of Encarnacion they simply weren’t all that interested in him as a player (at least not at his price tag). Per Goold, St. Louis’ interest in Encarnacion was only “mild.” (It doesn’t seem that the Cards are abandoning the idea of adding some right-handed pop to the lineup, though, as they were rumored to be “very much” in the mix for Twins second Brian Dozier earlier this afternoon.)

Giants To Sign Michael Morse, Justin Ruggiano

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The Giants have struck minor-league deals with veteran slugger Michael Morse and outfielder Justin Ruggiano, according to Matt Eddy of Baseball America (via Twitter). Details of their arrangements are not yet known.

It’s particularly interesting that the Giants have brought back the 34-year-old Morse, whose last productive, full-season stint came with the San Francisco organization. Since wrapping up a 2014 season in which he slashed .279/.336/.475 and hit 16 home runs over 482 plate appearances, Morse has taken just 264 total trips to the plate.

After helping the Giants to a World Series title, Morse joined the Marlins on a two-year, $16MM pact that didn’t work out for either party. He bounced from the Dodgers (without suiting up) and then on to the Pirates in 2015, and did provide Pittsburgh with 45 games of useful offense — driven, out of his usual character, but a high-OBP/low-power blend (.275/.390/.391).

Morse didn’t last long with the Bucs in 2016, however, appearing in just six contests before being designated and then released. He never ended up signing with another organization over the rest of the season, leaving an open question as to whether he’d attempt a return.

It remains to be seen just how much of a chance Morse will have at cracking the roster. He’s listed by Eddy as a first baseman, which doesn’t seem to be a terribly likely route to playing time with the Giants, who utilize Brandon Belt there and may also use the position to rest catcher Buster Posey while keeping his bat in the lineup. But Morse could conceivably function as a bench bat and still see time in the outfield, where he is among the game’s worst fielders.

As things stand, San Francisco looks to be in search of a solution in left field, where Morse last played. Unproven but well-regarded youngsters Mac Williamson and Jarrett Parker could be first in line, with Gorkys Hernandez also presenting an option. The club has already added Kyle Blanks and Chris Marrero on minor-league pacts as well, suggesting that some camp competition may be in order.

Joining that mix, too, is Ruggiano, who is also 34 years of age. He saw minimal time in the majors last year, with a late-season stint with the Mets cut short by hamstring issues. Ruggiano has been productive in brief stretches in recent years, though, and has a track record of solid production against left-handed pitching. Despite largely struggling against same-handed pitching, Ruggiano has slashed a robust .275/.338/.527 in his career when he has the benefit of the platoon advantage.

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