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Archives for May 2019

Mets Place Steven Matz On 10-Day IL

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The Mets announced today that lefty Steven Matz is headed to the 10-day injured list with radial nerve discomfort. He’ll be replaced on the active roster by first baseman Dominic Smith.

While Matz had hoped to avoid a stint on the shelf, it seems he’s not bouncing back quite quickly enough. The Mets already placed Jason Vargas on the IL, replacing him for the time being with just-added righty Wilmer Font.

Fortunately, the outlook is still favorable. Matz is expected to be ready to make a start on Thursday, MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo was among those to tweet. As for Smith, it seems that this’ll only represent a brief return to the majors unless an injury occurs before his roster spot is needed.

MLBTR Poll: Is It Time For Nats To Make A Managerial Change?

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You’re amply familiar by now with the narratives surrounding the Nationals’ managerial situation. Four skippers have presided over the past eight seasons, dating back to the team’s breakout 2012 campaign. The drama goes back further, but it’s most remarkable that the Nats have managed not to stick with a single manager for very long even as they’ve churned out winning campaigns.

For all the disappointing seasons and heartbreaking postseason showings, the Nats have arguably never faced a situation as dire as the present one since they began their winning ways. After barely topping .500 last year, the first under manager Dave Martinez, the team has limped to a 14-22 start in 2019.

It wasn’t long ago that the Nationals sat at an uninspiring 11-11 record — just 1.5 games out of first place in a packed division and hardly cause for concern in and of itself. The bullpen was a mess, but otherwise the club was getting along well enough. The vibe has changed since, as the Nats have managed only two wins out of their past 13 contests while injury issues mount. Martinez’s charges have a negative-34 run differential in that brief span. Pitching coach Derek Lilliquist was canned a week ago.

There are many different ways to interpret these results. It’d be foolish to lay all the blame on Martinez; veteran Ryan Zimmerman said as much today in support of the sophomore-year skipper. President of baseball operations Mike Rizzo has been  unequivocal in his support, saying that Martinez is “doing a great job” in the wake of the Lilliquist firing.

At the same time, it’s hard to deny that the results have fallen well short of expectations since Martinez came aboard. He was hired only after the club parted with Dusty Baker over the failure to advance in the postseason. The premise was that the talented outfit would  thrive all the more under new leadership. For whatever reason, Martinez’s efforts haven’t translated to this point. There are complaints over his bullpen management and strategic decisionmaking, though that’s a common refrain for many managers. Even if Martinez isn’t truly doing a poor job, it’s arguably time for the club to receive a real jolt.

So, readers, where do you come down on the matter? (Link to poll for app users; response order randomized.)

Giants Place Buster Posey, Drew Pomeranz On Injured List

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1:07pm: It does not seem that Posey is dealing with a particularly worrying concussion, though obviously any injury of the sort is inherently concerning. That’s the message the veteran backstop conveyed to reporters including Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area.

“When you’re dealing with the brain, you’ve got to be cautious,” says Posey. “I definitely value who I am and will be as a husband and father, first and foremost. At the same time, I enjoy doing my job and plan on doing my job.” 

11:19am: The Giants made a pair of injured list placements today. Catcher Buster Posey is going to the 7-day concussion IL, while lefty Drew Pomeranz was placed on the 10-day IL with a left lat strain.

Heading onto the active roster to take the open spots are backstop Aramis Garcia and righty Tyler Beede. Presumably, Stephen Vogt will handle the bulk of the duties behind the dish while Posey is down, though Garcia is in the lineup tonight to face a lefty starter. Beede will work from the bullpen upon his arrival but could also step into the rotation if Pomeranz ends up being sidelined for more than a single start.

Details on Posey’s situation aren’t yet clear, but it’s somewhat troubling news for a veteran backstop who has had at least some prior concussion troubles. As Kerry Crowley of the Mercury News notes, Posey was struck by several foul tips in the mask recently, which may be to blame.

White Sox Sign Ross Detwiler

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The White Sox have added veteran lefty Ross Detwiler on a minor-league arrangement. The transaction was announced by the indy ball York Revolution, the club that Detwiler opened the season with.

Detwiler, 33, had turned in three solid starts in Atlantic League action to earn his way back into the affiliated ranks. The former sixth overall draft pick has thrown in parts of ten MLB campaigns.

If he’s to make it back to the bigs, Detwiler will need to earn his way onto the Chicago roster with a good showing at Triple-A. He hasn’t spent substantial time in the majors since 2016, with only one start logged since that time.

Over 584 career innings, Detwiler owns a 4.36 ERA with 5.5 K/9 against 3.3 BB/9. Though he never reached the ceiling suggested by his draft position, he had his moments with the Nats. From 2011-13, Detwiler threw 301 2/3 innings of 3.46 ERA ball while working mostly as a starter.

Pirates Designate Tyler Lyons For Assignment

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The Pirates announced that they’ve designated left-hander Tyler Lyons for assignment. His roster spot will go to right-handed reliever Montana DuRapau, whose previously reported promotion from Triple-A is now official. The Bucs have also recalled righty Clay Holmes, who’ll step into the vacancy created by the placement of Keone Kela on the 10-day injured list (right shoulder inflammation).

Lyons, 31, appeared in just three games for the Pirates, during which time he surrendered five runs on six hits and three walks with five punchouts in four innings of relief. His results dating back to the 2018 campaign are ugly, though they only span a total of 20 2/3 frames.

Prior to that stretch, Lyons enjoyed a three-year stint as a quality bullpen piece with the Cardinals, pitching to a combined 3.33 ERA with 9.7 K/9, 2.7 BB/9 and 1.3 HR/9 over the life of 162 innings of bullpen duty. Lyons’ 2017 season was particularly impressive, featuring a career-best 11.3 strikeouts per nine innings pitched as well as a 2.83 ERA and 2.86 FIP to match. The Pirates had hoped he’d be able to round back into that form but apparently didn’t see enough promise in Lyons’ stuff to look past the ugly, small-sample results.

As noted yesterday at the time DuRapau’s promotion was reported, the 27-year-old righty is a former 32nd-round pick who has been lights out in Triple-A to open the season. Through his first 14 1/3 innings, he’s allowed one run on five hits and five walks with 18 strikeouts and a 46.2 percent ground-ball rate that marks a dramatic improvement over his previous ground-ball tendencies.

Injury/Rehab Notes: Steckenrider, Davis, Strickland, Middleton

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The Marlins placed righty Drew Steckenrider on the 10-day injured list due to inflammation in his right elbow last night, and Andre Fernandez of The Athletic tweets that the 28-year-old righty is undergoing further testing in Miami today. Entering the season, Steckenrider looked poised to hold down a significant role in the Miami relief corps. The offseason addition of Sergio Romo to the bullpen gave him some immediate competition for saves, but Steckenrider was in line for a prominent late-inning gig regardless of what inning he pitched most frequently. Through the first 99 1/3 innings of his big league career in 2017-18, Steckenrider posted a 3.35 ERA with 11.6 K/9, 4.1 BB/9 and 1.0 HR/9. Steckenrider, though, struggled through a rough second half last year and hasn’t looked right this season, pitching to a 6.28 ERA in 14 1/3 frames. After allowing seven homers all of last season and just 11 dating back to 2017, he’s served up six long balls already. His velocity has held up, and he isn’t necessarily having trouble throwing strikes (3.1 BB/9). However, Steckenrider is falling behind hitters more than he has in the past and seems to be struggling to locate within the zone.

Some more injury updates of note…

  • Slugger Khris Davis departed last night’s game due to “lingering effects from the left hip contusion he suffered on Sunday in Pittsburgh,” the Athletics announced. There’s no word on whether Davis will require any additional absence at this point, though he already sat out a pair of games with that issue before last night’s early exit. Last year’s home run leader is hitting .227/.306/.477 with 10 long balls on the season so far. His health status will be worth keeping an eye on, as his availability could directly impact Kendrys Morales’ place on the roster now that Matt Olson has returned from the injured list.
  • Mariners right-hander Hunter Strickland has been cleared to resume throwing, writes Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times. Strickland opened the season as the closer in Seattle and picked up a pair of saves with two perfect outings in his first two appearances. He was torched for three runs in his third appearance of the season, though, and landed on the injured list due to a strained lat that’ll sideline him more than two months when all is said and done. As Divish notes, Strickland had to restart his entire throwing program, so there’s no guarantee that he’ll be ready for activation when his 60-day minimum window is met on June 5. The Mariners have tried out Anthony Swarzak in the ninth inning with Strickland on the shelf, but he’s blown three of his past four save opportunities. Lefty Roenis Elias, too, has been in the mix for saves and has thrown more effectively.
  • Angels righty Keynan Middleton had a minor setback in his rehab from Tommy John surgery last week but has resumed throwing, general manager Billy Eppler told reporters yesterday (link via Mike DiGiovanna of the L.A. Times). Middleton ramped up his throwing a bit too aggressively and had to scale back his rehab for a week, but he’s still on track for a return for a midsummer return (late June or sometime in July). A healthy Middleton would only add to a relief corps that features plenty of quality arms even with Cody Allen struggling. Ty Buttrey has emerged as one of the American League’s most impressive young relievers, and he’s but one of four Halo relievers averaging at least 10.7 K/9 with a sub-3.00 ERA on the season. The flamethrowing Middleton averaged 96.7 mph on his heater and logged a 3.43 ERA with a 15 percent swinging-strike rate in 76 career innings before undergoing surgery last season.

Yankees Select Nestor Cortes Jr., Transfer Dellin Betances To 60-Day Injured List

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May 9: The Yankees announced that Cortes has indeed been added to the Major League roster. In order to open space on the 40-man roster, right-hander Dellin Betances was transferred to the 60-day injured list. Betances has already been on the injured list for 44 days, so transferring him to the 60-day injured list at this point is largely a formality.

May 8, 9:52pm: Right-hander Jake Barrett has been optioned to Triple-A, the Yankees announced following tonight’s loss. The team will still need to make a 40-man move to accommodate Cortes.

9:34pm: The Yankees will select the contract of left-hander Nestor Cortes Jr. from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, reports Conor Foley of the Scranton Tribune-Times (via Twitter). The team has yet to formally announce the move, though Foley suggests that Cortes and his teammates were already informed of the move. A corresponding 40-man roster move will need to be made.

It’ll be the Yankees debut for Cortes, 24, though it won’t be his Major League debut. The Orioles selected him in the 2017 Rule 5 Draft and carried him on the big league roster for the season’s first couple of weeks before returning him to the Yankees. He tossed 4 2/3 innings in Baltimore and allowed four runs in that brief cup of coffee. Since returning to the Yankees organization last season, the 5’11”, 205-pound Cortes has pitched to a 3.90 ERA with 130 strikeouts against 48 walks and a 35.5 percent ground-ball rate in 145 1/3 innings of work at the Triple-A level.

Cortes won’t start for the Yankees tomorrow — that outing will go to J.A. Happ — but he’ll give the Yankees a fresh arm on the heels of a game in which the bullpen needed to cover five innings of work.

Pirates To Select Contract Of Montana DuRapau

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The Pirates are set to select the contract of right-handed reliever Montana DuRapau, Jon Heyman of MLB Network reports (via Twitter). It’ll be the MLB debut for the former 32nd-round pick when he first takes the mound for the Buccos.

DuRapau, 27, will add a fresh arm to the Pirates’ bullpen for their upcoming series against the division-rival Cardinals (and will also continue the storied lineage of Bucco relievers with 80-grade names, following in the footsteps of Arquimedes Caminero and Dovydas Neverauskas). The righty enjoyed a terrific 2017 season between Double-A and Triple-A in the Pirates organization before stumbling between those same two levels last season when posted a combined ERA north of 5.00.

This year, he’s off to a fantastic start in Triple-A, having yielded just one earned run on five hits and five walks (one intentional) with 18 strikeouts in 14 1/3 innings of work. DuRapau has been a pronounced fly-ball pitcher in each of his first two seasons in the upper minors but has worked to an above-average 46.4 percent ground-ball rate thus far in the 2019 campaign as well. Missing bats has never been much of an issue for DuRapau, as evidenced by his career 9.9 K/9 mark in Double-A and an even more impressive 11.4 K/9 in Triple-A.

The Pirates will need to open a spot on the 40-man roster for DuRapau. Depending on when they feel Lonnie Chisenhall will be ready to go out on a minor league rehab assignment, they could just transfer him to the 60-day injured list, as he’s already been on the 10-day IL for a span of 44 days (and a move to the 60-day would not require resetting him back at one). He’s still not quite ready to run the bases, per MLB.com’s Adam Berry, so he’s a logical candidate for that type of move.

Rays Place Michael Perez On IL; Mike Zunino Dealing With Quad Issue

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It’s been a rough 24 hours for the Rays’ catching tandem, as Michael Perez was placed on the 10-day injured list due to a right oblique tightness while Mike Zunino exited Wednesday’s game due to a tight left quadriceps. Tampa Bay had recalled Nick Ciuffo from Triple-A Durham prior to the game, so he was able to step in for Zunino late in today’s game.

But, as Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times points out, Zunino, Perez and Ciuffo are the only three catchers on the Rays’ 40-man roster. With Perez out and Zunino ailing, there’s little in the way of depth on which to call. And, if Zunino ultimately proves to require a stint on the injured list, the situation will be exacerbated, even if only for a short period of time. Topkin suggests that 29-year-old Anthony Bemboom could be added to the 40-man roster if a need arises, but he’s only played eight games in the minors this year since returning from his own injury.

In terms of readily available help outside the organization, there simply isn’t much available. While veteran catchers Travis d’Arnaud, Drew Butera and Jesus Sucre all lost their roster spots recently, none is available on the open market or waivers. The Dodgers signed d’Arnaud after he was released by the Mets, while both Butera (Rockies) and Sucre (Orioles) accepted outright assignments with the clubs that designated them for assignment. Tampa Bay is as active as nearly any club on the trade market, so perhaps they’d swing a deal for a short-term veteran stopgap should Zunino require an absence of any note.

The Rays are off on Thursday, and Zunino will undergo further testing tomorrow with the hope that he won’t need to miss much (or any) time. If he needs to sit out for even a few games, it seems likely the Rays will have a 40-man roster move in the works in the near future.

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