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Rangers Promote A. J. Alexy

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The Rangers announced they’ve recalled right-hander A.J. Alexy to start this evening’s game against the Rockies. It’ll be the 23-year-old’s major league debut. Alexy was already added to the 40-man roster last offseason to keep him from being selected in the Rule 5 draft.

An eleventh-round pick of the Dodgers out of a Pennsylvania high school in 2016, Alexy spent the first year of his career in the Los Angeles system. The Dodgers included him as part of a three-player package to land Yu Darvish at the 2017 trade deadline. Alexy pitched very well at Low-A the following season, but he missed much of 2019 to injury and obviously couldn’t log any minor league action last year.

Despite missing almost two full seasons, Alexy hasn’t shown much sign of rust this year. He’s split the 2021 campaign between Double-A Frisco and Triple-A Round Rock, pitching to a 1.66 ERA over 65 innings. Along the way, Alexy has struck out a whopping 29.8% of batters faced, although he’s partially offset that by issuing walks at a lofty 10.6% clip.

Alexy has been an inconsistent strike-thrower throughout his career. Both Eric Longenhagen of FanGraphs and Baseball America suggest he’s likely to wind up in a bullpen role someday because of those control issues. Nevertheless, both outlets slotted him among the back half of the Rangers’ top 30 prospects thanks to the quality of his arsenal. Each of FanGraphs and BA suggest Alexy has a pair of plus offerings: a mid-high 90s fastball and a sharp 12-6 curveball, in addition to a passable changeup that serves as his third pitch.

The Rangers have almost no certainty in their starting rotation at the moment. Each of Spencer Howard, Dane Dunning and Mike Foltynewicz are on the COVID-19 injured list, forcing Texas to turn to a series of rookies in their place. Alexy becomes the third Rangers starter to make his MLB debut within the past week, joining Jake Latz and Glenn Otto. Amidst a larger-scale retooling effort, Texas figures to give continued chances to younger players over the season’s final five weeks as they look ahead to 2022.

Latz, however, has been returned to Round Rock after one appearance. Because he was selected as a COVID replacement, he needn’t be exposed to waivers to be removed from the 40-man roster. Latz will be eligible for the Rule 5 draft this winter if he’s not re-selected to the big league roster before November.

Red Sox Place Matt Barnes On COVID-19 Injured List

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6:36 pm: Barnes has tested positive for the virus, reports Ian Browne of MLB.com (Twitter link).

5:59 pm: Boston has placed Pérez and Barnes on the injured list, Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe was among those to relay. In corresponding moves, righty Phillips Valdéz has been recalled from Triple-A Worcester while Boston selected righty Raynel Espinal to the big league roster.

Espinal will make his major league debut whenever he first gets into a game. A longtime Yankees farmhand, Espinal signed a minor league deal with Boston over the winter and has spent the entire season with Worcester. He’s been a reliable and generally productive member of the starting rotation there, pitching to a 3.74 ERA across 91 1/3 innings with league average strikeout and walk rates (23.9% and 9.7%, respectively). Because Espinal was selected to replace a player who landed on the COVID IL, he can be removed from the 40-man roster without being exposed to waivers whenever one of the players on the COVID list is ready to return.

5:52 pm: The Red Sox are placing closer Matt Barnes on the COVID-19 injured list, reports Jeff Passan of ESPN (Twitter link). He becomes the fourth Boston player to land on the IL for virus-related reasons in recent days, as each of Kiké Hernández, Christian Arroyo and Martín Pérez tested positive. It isn’t yet clear whether Barnes has also tested positive.

Barnes has had a productive season on the whole, tossing 49 2/3 innings of 3.81 ERA/2.34 SIERA ball. He was absolutely lights-out early in the year, though, but has run into some uncharacteristic struggles in recent weeks. Dating back to the All-Star Break, Barnes has been tagged for a 7.71 ERA over sixteen appearances, allowing a .283/.383/.543 opponents’ slash line.

With Barnes out, Boston figures to lean more heavily on Adam Ottavino, Garrett Whitlock and Josh Taylor in high-leverage situations. With a little less than five weeks to play in the regular season, Boston currently holds a two and a half game advantage over the A’s for the American League’s final playoff spot. They’re beginning a four-game series with the Rays tonight, followed by sets against the Indians, Rays again, and White Sox through next Sunday.

Yankees Activate Corey Kluber, Transfer Zack Britton To 60-Day Injured List

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AUGUST 30, 6:22 pm: Britton is likely to undergo a procedure to remove bone chips from his elbow, reports Jon Heyman of the MLB Network (Twitter link).

AUGUST 30, 6:10 pm: Kluber has officially been reinstated from the 60-day IL, the team announced. Right-hander Albert Abreu was optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre last night to open an active roster spot. To create space on the 40-man roster, New York transferred reliever Zack Britton from the 10-day to the 60-day injured list.

Britton just landed on the 10-day IL on August 23. Today’s transfer rules him out for sixty days from that date — in all likelihood marking an end to his season. That’s a disappointing but not entirely surprising development, as Britton has been dealing with an elbow sprain that might require surgical repair.

AUGUST 26: The Yankees are planning to activate Corey Kluber in time to start Monday’s game. Luis Severino has also been cleared to begin throwing again, per Bryan Hoch of MLB.com (Twitter links).

Getting Kluber back for the stretch run would be a significant boon for a Yankees team that’s definitively trending upward. There will be a ripple effect in the rotation, however. For the short term, Andrew Heaney will likely piggyback with Kluber’s start, adds The Athletic’s Lindsey Adler. The pairing should benefit both hurlers as Kluber works himself up to full speed and Heaney attempts to re-calibrate after a difficult start to his Yankee career.

Kluber has been out since May 26th, but he posted a solid 10 starts prior to going down — most notably, of course, the no-hitter he threw against his former team, the Rangers, on May 19th. Kluber would start just one more game after that effort in Texas, however.

Hoch provided an update on another injured Yankee: Gleyber Torres will look to begin a rehab assignment shortly. The hope is that he could be ready to re-join the team at the start of their home stand on September 3rd.

Blue Jays Activate George Springer From Injured List

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The Blue Jays are reinstating George Springer from the 10-day injured list, general manager Ross Atkins told reporters (including Scott Mitchell of TSN and Shi Davidi of Sportsnet). Fellow outfielder Josh Palacios is being optioned to Triple-A Buffalo to open an active roster spot.

Springer will work as a designated hitter for the time being, according to Atkins, as he continues to progress from the sprained left knee that has kept him out of action. While it’ll hurt not to have Springer patrolling center field in the near-term, getting anything at all this quickly is something of a blessing. The Jays didn’t release any sort of timetable on Springer’s return in the immediate aftermath of his injury, leading to fears it could be an extended absence. Instead, Springer returns to the lineup after fifteen days away.

That was Springer’s third separate IL stint during his first season in Toronto, as nagging quad issues kept him from playing regularly until late June. When healthy, Springer has been incredible. Through 211 plate appearances, the 31-year-old is hitting .269/.362/.610 and has already launched sixteen home runs. On a rate basis, that’s among the best performances of Springer’s career, as his 157 wRC+ matches his single-season high during his time with the Astros (which came in 2019).

Even without any defensive value, Springer performing at that level at the plate would be a huge boon for the Jays. At 68-61, Toronto has fallen to the periphery of the playoff picture, as they enter play tonight five and half games back of the Red Sox for the final postseason spot (with the A’s and Mariners also ahead of them). They’ll need a stellar run of play over the season’s final five weeks to get to the playoffs, but Springer’s return to the lineup increases their odds of pulling that off.

Red Sox Acquire Brad Peacock From Indians

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The Red Sox announced they’ve acquired Brad Peacock from the Indians for cash considerations. Peacock is eligible to be traded even after the July 30 deadline because he hasn’t been on a 40-man roster this season and had joined Cleveland on a minor league deal.

Peacock landed with Cleveland a little more than two months ago. He has since made eleven appearances (ten starts) with their top affiliate in Columbus, where he’s worked to a 7.68 ERA over 34 innings. That’s obviously an unsightly run prevention number, but Peacock’s peripherals are quite a bit better. The 33-year-old has essentially league average marks in strikeout rate (23.8%) and walk percentage (8.8%). His 34.3% ground-ball rate is rather low — contributing to some home run troubles — but he’s also been plagued by an abnormally high .340 opponents’ batting average on balls in play and should strand runners at a better clip than his current 56.5% mark moving forward.

While Peacock hasn’t made it onto a big league roster yet this season, he has plenty of experience under his belt at the highest level. The right-hander broke into the majors with the Nationals in 2011 and saw action with the Astros every season from 2013-20. Peacock was generally productive in a swing role in Houston, where his tenure partially overlapped with Red Sox manager Alex Cora’s stint as the Astros’ bench coach. Between 2017-19, Peacock worked to a 3.46 ERA/3.59 FIP across 288 2/3 frames split between the rotation and the bullpen. He only made three relief appearances in 2020 before suffering a shoulder injury that ultimately required arthroscopic surgery — keeping him out of action until he landed with the Indians in late June.

Because Peacock wasn’t on Cleveland’s 40-man roster, he’ll head to Triple-A Worcester and won’t require an immediate roster spot with the Red Sox. He can remain on hand as high minors depth for either the rotation or long relief over the season’s final few weeks. Players acquired prior to September 1 are eligible for a team’s postseason roster, so Peacock could be a playoff option for Boston if he earns a big league promotion and if the team qualifies. The Red Sox enter play tonight holding a two and a half game advantage over the A’s for the American League’s final playoff spot.

Adding a pitcher capable of working multiple innings of relief took on some added importance for the Red Sox this afternoon. Martín Pérez has tested positive for COVID-19, the team informed reporters (including Rob Bradford of WEEI). That’ll keep the veteran southpaw out of action for at least the next week-plus. Pérez has allowed nine runs (five earned) in seven innings since being moved to the bullpen earlier this month.

Brewers Sign Renato Nunez

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The Brewers announced they’ve signed corner infielder Renato Núñez to a minor league contract. He has been assigned to Triple-A Nashville.

Núñez just reached free agency when he was released by the Tigers last Friday. The 27-year-old had a pair of separate big league stints with Detroit this season, tallying 55 plate appearances and hitting .189/.218/.472 with four home runs. Núñez hit for power but struck out sixteen times while drawing just one walk in that fairly brief look. His past production hasn’t been quite so extreme, but that’s generally in line with his low-OBP, high-power offensive profile.

Between 2019-20, Núñez was a regular in the Orioles’ lineup, seeing time at designated hitter and both corner infield spots. He combined for a .247/.314/.469 line over those two seasons, popping a team-leading 43 homers along the way. But his low walk rates and lack of defensive acumen depressed his overall value, and the O’s let Núñez go over the winter rather than tender him an arbitration contract.

There’s no harm for Milwaukee in adding Núñez to the high minors for depth purposes. The Brewers have the lefty-hitting Rowdy Tellez and Daniel Vogelbach as their primary first base options, so Núñez’s right-handed bat could help balance that mix. As mentioned, he’s also capable of moonlighting at third, where Milwaukee is currently without starter Eduardo Escobar (although Luis Urías is a more than capable fill-in there).

Núñez joined the organization before September 1, so he’ll be eligible for the Brewers’ postseason roster if he earns a big league opportunity. If he’s not selected to the major league club before the end of the season, he’ll qualify for minor league free agency this winter.

Rockies Designate Taylor Motter For Assignment

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The Rockies have designated infielder/outfielder Taylor Motter for assignment and reinstated outfielder Raimel Tapia from the 10-day injured list, tweets Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post. Colorado’s 40-man roster now sits at 38.

Motter was originally selected to the MLB roster — his first big league call in three years — a little less than three weeks ago when Tapia landed on the shelf. The 31-year-old has picked up 22 plate appearances in thirteen games since then, tallying three hits (all singles). That’s not the most inspiring production, but Motter earned the promotion with an incredible season at Triple-A Albuquerque. Motter tallied 265 plate appearances with the Isotopes and hit a monstrous .335/.460/.759. The right-handed hitter popped 24 home runs and had an equal number of walks drawn and strikeouts (49 apiece).

The Rockies will now place Motter on waivers over the coming days. Another club impressed by his minor league performance could place a claim to add some multi-positional depth to their bench. Motter has starts at all four infield positions and both corner outfield spots in the majors, so he’s capable of suiting up almost anywhere he’s needed. If Motter clears waivers, he’d have the right to elect free agency as a player who has previously been outrighted in his career.

Mariners Designate Jimmy Yacabonis For Assignment

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The Mariners announced Monday that they’ve designated right-hander Jimmy Yacabonis for assignment. His spot on the active roster goes to first baseman/outfielder Jose Marmolejos, who has been selected from Triple-A Tacoma.

Yacabonis, 29, hasn’t pitched in the Majors with Seattle this season and only tossed 2 1/3 innings with them last year after coming over in a cash deal with the Padres. He opted for free agency last winter after the Mariners removed him from the roster but ultimately returned to Seattle on a minor league pact. The Mariners selected him to the Major League roster just this weekend, but he didn’t appear in a game prior to being designated.

It’s been a strong season for Yacabonis down in Triple-A, where he’s logged 31 1/3 innings of 1.72 ERA ball with a 23 percent strikeout rate, a 7.1 percent walk rate and a 45.9 percent ground-ball rate. Opponents have batted just .205/.282/.286 against him through 124 plate appearances so far in 2021.

It’s a continuation of a strong Triple-A track record for Yacabonis, who carries a career 2.94 ERA in 192 2/3 innings at that level. He’s had a much tougher go in the Majors, with a 5.71 ERA through 104 frames — nearly all of which have come with the Orioles. Yacabonis hasn’t gotten much of a look with another club in the Majors to date, but it’s possible that with rosters set to expand, his strong work down in Tacoma will earn him a look with another organization once he’s placed on waivers. He’s out of minor league options, so if he does land elsewhere, his new club will have to carry him on the MLB roster or else again expose him to waivers before sending him down.

Marmolejos, 28, was outrighted off the 40-man roster earlier this season after batting .139/.266/.278 in 94 plate appearances. He’s had an absolutely mammoth season down in Tacoma, however, hitting .260/.452/.700 with 23 long balls, 13 doubles and three triples in 303 plate appearances. He’s played himself back onto the 40-man roster with that huge showing and will now have another opportunity to show whether he can carry some of that production over to the big leagues in the season’s final five weeks.

Wilson Ramos Suffers Torn ACL, Sprained MCL

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Indians catcher Wilson Ramos has been diagnosed with a torn ACL and a sprained MCL in his knee, tweets Mandy Bell of MLB.com. He’ll require season-ending surgery.

Ramos sustained the injury yesterday when fielding a weak grounder in front of the plate. He threw out Red Sox designated hitter J.D. Martinez, who was running from first to second on the play, but dropped in a heap upon releasing the ball. Cleveland trainers came out onto the field as Ramos, who remained down and gestured to his left knee. He was helped off the field by a pair of members of the Indians’ training staff. It’s the third ACL tear of Ramos’ career, although the first two tears came in his right knee back in 2012 and in 2016.

The 34-year-old Ramos opened the season in Detroit after signing a one-year, $2MM contract over the winter and promptly homered six times in his first nine games of the season, posting a ridiculous .281/.343/.875 batting line in that tiny sample. His production cratered not long after, however, and Ramos managed just a .178/.198/.216 batting line over his final 91 plate appearances before being designated for assignment, missing time with a back injury along the way. Detroit released him on June 20, and Cleveland signed him to a minor league deal about three weeks later.

Ramos hit well through 16 games with the Indians’ top affiliate in Columbus before having his contract selected to the MLB roster. He’s since appeared in nine games and posted a .226/.286/.419 batting line with a pair of homers.

Another major knee injury is a brutal blow for Ramos at this stage of his career. His glovework behind the plate has been graded with increasing levels of skepticism since that 2016 ACL tear, and he’s also dealt with hamstring and back injuries along the way. The hope will be for as swift a recovery as possible, but it goes without saying that it’d be a tall order for a 34-year-old with a multiple ACL repairs under his belt to handle a sizable workload behind the dish.

The Indians haven’t yet put a timetable on Ramos’ recovery, but he’s a free agent at season’s end, so it’s quite possible this injury will effectively end a very brief tenure with the organization. Presumably, the team will provide more details on his expected rehabilitation process once the surgery has been performed and more information has been gathered.

Nationals Promote Keibert Ruiz

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Aug. 30: The Nationals have formally recalled Ruiz from Triple-A Rochester and optioned Barrera in a corresponding move.

Aug. 29: The Nationals are calling up catching prospect Keibert Ruiz to make his team debut tomorrow, per a team announcement. The 23-year-old is widely-considered one of the team’s best prospects, if not the best. MLB Pipeline and Baseball America have him as the club’s number one, while FanGraphs has him second, behind only Josiah Gray, both of whom just joined the organization as part of the trade that sent Max Scherzer and Trea Turner to the Dodgers.

Ruiz has long been viewed as an impact prospect, having been on Baseball America’s Top 100 list for each of the past four years. However, as he reached the upper levels of the minor leagues, it was difficult for him to get playing time in Los Angeles because the Dodgers already had an excellent catcher in Will Smith. Ruiz played just eight games for the Dodgers between last season and this one, logging only 15 plate appearances. As such, it made sense for the club to use him as a trade chip and bolster other areas of the team. With the Nationals having traded away Yan Gomes, they should be able to give Ruiz the run of playing time he never got in Los Angeles.

In Triple-A this year, Ruiz has put up tremendous numbers to back up that prospect status. In 72 games between the two organizations, he has a line .310/.377/.616, producing a wRC+ of 141. If he can produce anything close to that at the big league level, that would make him one of the best offensive catchers in the game.

Since trading Gomes, the Nats have been splitting the catching duties between Riley Adams and Tres Barrera, both of whom have been playing well. In 18 games since coming to Washington from Toronto in the Brad Hand trade, Adams has put up a line of .349/.451/.581, wRC+ of 177. For Barrera, he has a line of .270/.369/.393, wRC+ of 106 in 29 games this year. Both players have options and could potentially be sent down as the corresponding move for Ruiz, but rosters are expanding from 26 to 28 on September 1st, which could allow the club to carry all three. Since the Nats are out of contention, they can use the final month of the season to evaluate their catching options and determine how to proceed for the future.

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