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Archives for August 2021

Pirates Release Gregory Polanco

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3:29PM: The Pirates have actually released Polanco, as the team issued a correction to their initial announcement.

3:03PM: The Pirates have designated outfielder Gregory Polanco for assignment.  According to the team’s official media release, infielder Cole Tucker “is expected” to be called up from Triple-A to take Polanco’s spot on the active roster.

The move comes less than a week after Polanco was placed on outright waivers, though he remained in the organization after no other teams claimed him.  Today’s release officially cuts ties between Polanco and the Bucs, and the team will remain on the hook for the roughly $5.28MM still owed to Polanco — his remaining 2021 salary, and the $3MM buyout of his $12.5MM club option for 2022.

“Gregory has been a true professional throughout his entire Pirates career, including in our conversation with him regarding today’s roster move,” Pirates GM Ben Cherington said.  “He has been a great teammate who always handled himself with class and took a great deal of pride in representing the Pirates and the city of Pittsburgh.  We wish him nothing but success moving forward.”

After rising through the minor league ranks as one of baseball’s top prospects, Polanco had some stops and starts in his efforts to establish himself as a productive Major League regular, though that didn’t stop the Bucs from locking him up on a five-year, $35MM contract extension in April 2016.  Strong seasons in both 2016 and 2018 (the latter a 23-homer, .839 OPS campaign over 535 plate appearances) seemed to indicate that the Pirates had made a wise investment, yet shoulder surgery in September 2018 ended up essentially derailing Polanco’s career.

Recurring shoulder problems limited him to only 42 games in 2019.  In 723 PA since the start of the 2019 season, Polanco has hit only .203/.270/.364 with 24 home runs.  Between this dropoff and increasing annual salaries in the latter years of the extension, Polanco became something of an untradeable albatross as the Pirates entered another rebuilding phase.

Though Polanco is a veteran of eight MLB seasons, he still doesn’t turn 30 years old until September.  It stands to reason that another team will take a flier on Polanco to see if a change of scenery could get his career back on track, since that new team would only owe Polanco the prorated portion of the minimum salary (the Pirates would pay the rest of the money owed).

Red Sox Sign Michael Feliz To Minors Contract

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The Red Sox have signed Michael Feliz to a minor league contract, according to MLB.com’s official transactions page.  The right-hander will report to Triple-A Worcester.  Feliz hit the open market earlier this week after being released by the Reds.

The 28-year-old hasn’t pitched in a big league game since June 6, after a right elbow sprain landed him on Cincinnati’s 60-day injured list.  Between this absence and an earlier IL visit (due to a cracked fingernail) when he was a member of the Pirates organization earlier this season, Feliz has appeared in only 16 games this season, with an 8.79 ERA over 14 1/3 combined innings with the Pirates and Reds.

With an even 30% strikeout rate over 241 innings in The Show, Feliz’s ability to miss bats has never been in question.  Staying healthy, avoiding walks, and delivering consistent results has been another matter entirely, as Feliz has only a 5.38 ERA while appearing in parts of seven MLB seasons.  He began his career with the Astros from 2015-17, so should he make Boston’s active roster, he’ll find a familiar face in former Houston bench coach and current Red Sox manager Alex Cora.

The Sox will become the latest team to see if they can harness Feliz’s prodigious strikeout ability, and for the cost of just a minor league deal, there’s no real risk on Boston’s part.  Despite his 5.38 career ERA, Feliz’s SIERA is over two runs lower at 3.35, so there is some measure of misfortune involved in his performance.  That said, Feliz hasn’t helped his cause with a 9.9% career walk rate and a 15.6% career home run rate.

NL Injury Notes: Moustakas, Lopez, Contreras

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Mike Moustakas left tonight’s game due to right hip tightness, replaced by Asdrubal Cabrera at third base to begin the bottom of the second inning.  Moustakas struck out in his lone plate appearance (in the top of the second) and Bobby Nightengale of The Cincinnati Enquirer noted that Moustakas “hopped on his left leg a couple of times” following a game-opening single from Miguel Rojas.  This was one of four balls hit in Moustakas’ direction during what ended up as a five-run inning for the Marlins en route to their 6-1 win over the Reds.

The severity of the hip problem isn’t known, though the 2021 season has already been an injury-marred campaign for the veteran infielder.  Moustakas has played in only 45 games due to missing more than 11 weeks due to a right heel injury, which eventually necessitated a trip to the 60-day injured list.  The result is a .216/.309/.417 slash line and six home runs through 162 plate appearances, and a 92 wRC+ that would count as the Moose’s lowest since the 2014 season.  Cabrera was claimed off waivers just yesterday to help the Reds’ infield depth, though he could be in line for quite a bit more playing time if Moustakas’ hip issue results in another IL visit.

More injury updates from around the National League…

  • Pablo Lopez was scratched from a scheduled rehab start on Thursday and is now returning to Miami, Marlins manager Don Mattingly told reporters (including MLB.com’s Christina De Nicola).  A right rotator cuff strain sent Lopez to the injured list (retroactively) on July 14, yet even with just over a month remaining in the season, Mattingly didn’t commit to the idea of potentially shutting Lopez down.  “Nothing more than…just slowing him down, making sure we’re careful with him.  Sounded like a minor setback for sure,” Mattingly said.  “Probably not minor to Pablo, who’s wanting to get going.  But I know the medical staff’s going to be careful with him.”  Lopez has posted a 3.03 ERA/3.50 SIERA over 101 innings for Miami this season, with above-average strikeout (27.1%) and walk (6.1%) rates and strong hard-hit ball numbers.
  • Willson Contreras is expected to begin a minor league rehab assignment within a few days’ time, Cubs manager David Ross told The Athletic’s Patrick Mooney and other reporters.  Contreras has been on the 10-day IL since August 12 due to a sprained right knee.  One of the few veterans still on the roster following the Cubs’ trade deadline fire sale, Contreras is enjoying another solid season, hitting .226/.333/.417 with 17 homers over 403 plate appearances.

Phillies Notes: Eflin, Realmuto, Bradley

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Zach Eflin’s season could be in jeopardy following both a positive COVID-19 test and a recurrence of his right knee injury.  Phillies manager Joe Girardi told reporters (including The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Matt Breen) that he doesn’t expect Eflin to be doing much throwing during the right-hander’s mandatory 10-day minimum quarantine period, giving Eflin even less time to get prepared for a return to the mound before the regular season is up.

Eflin hasn’t pitched since July 16 due to patellar tenditis in his right knee.  He was activated from the 10-day IL on Thursday for an expected start, but he was scratched from that outing due to more knee problems.  Eflin was then placed on the COVID-related injury list the next day in the wake of his positive test.

It remains to be seen if Eflin will miss only 10 days recovering from the coronavirus, though he has already been fully vaccinated.  This 10-day break could essentially serve as a shutdown period that may have been required anyway, considering the sudden return of Eflin’s knee issue.  Still, the first step of that knee rehab can’t really begin until Eflin is COVID-free, limiting his chances of returning.

The righty has enjoyed a solid season, posting a 4.17 ERA over 105 2/3 innings and 18 starts in the Philadelphia rotation.  After a career-best 28.6% strikeout rate in 2020, Eflin’s K-rate returned to career norms with a below-average 22.4% mark this season.  However, Eflin has been better at ever at limiting free passes — his 3.6% walk rate is the lowest of any pitcher in baseball with at least 100 innings pitched in 2021.

Eflin’s potential absence for the remainder of the season won’t help the Phils in their attempts to make a late run at a playoff spot.  Philadelphia entered today’s action with an even 64-64 record, 5.5 games back of the Braves in the NL West and six games out of a wild card spot.  Eflin had been a solid No. 3 pitcher behind Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola in the Phillies’ rotation, though trade deadline acquisition Kyle Gibson, Ranger Suarez, and Matt Moore now look to be rounding out the starting five for the remainder of the year if Eflin can’t make a comeback.

The Phillies were further hampered by the loss of Rhys Hoskins to season-ending abdomen surgery earlier this week, and the club plans to use J.T. Realmuto help fill the void at first base.  Getting out from behind the plate could also help Realmuto manage an injury of his own, as the All-Star catcher told MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki and other reporters that he has been battling some soreness in his right shoulder.

Realmuto described the issue as “normal everyday wear and tear,” to the point that he even downplayed the position change as a way to keep him fresh.  “Everybody on the field is feeling some sort of tired or some sort of pain right now,” Realmuto said.  “Mine just happens to be in my shoulder.  I feel it a little bit hitting.  I feel it sometimes throwing, but I don’t think it’s actually affecting my play at all.”

Considering Realmuto has an .874 OPS over 87 plate appearances in August, he certainly doesn’t seem any worse for wear.  For the season, Realmuto is hitting .263/.351/.447 with 14 homers over 422 PA.  Realmuto is no stranger to first base, having played 40 games at the position over the last five seasons.

Archie Bradley is also dealing with right shoulder discomfort, Girardi said, though the problem isn’t considered serious.  Bradley hasn’t pitched since Tuesday, when he allowed two runs in an inning of work against the Rays.  Bradley has a 3.12 ERA over 40 1/3 innings out of the Phillies bullpen this season, with a 54.4% grounder rate helping paper over some unimpressive Statcast metrics.

Cubs Make Five Roster Moves

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6:10PM: Bote’s ankle injury is “significant,” manager David Ross told reporters (including Tim Stebbins of NBC Sports Chicago), and it isn’t out of the question that Bote’s season could be over.  Ross said Bote hurt his right ankle in rather fluky fashion, as he stepped onto a baseball while participating in a pregame baserunning drill.  “You watch the replay, and it’s pretty nasty, how hard he rolled his ankle,” Ross said.

3:37PM: The Cubs announced a flurry of roster moves today, including the news that David Bote has been placed on the 10-day injured list (retroactive to August 26) due to a right ankle sprain.  Chicago also designated right-handers Jake Jewell and Ryan Meisinger for assignment, and selected the contracts of right-hander Scott Effross and infielder Alfonso Rivas from Triple-A.

This is Bote’s second IL placement of the season, after a separated shoulder put him out of action for close to two months.  Bote has seen most of the everyday second base at-bats since returning from that first IL trip, though he is still struggling at the plate, with only a .202/.270/.339 slash line over 268 plate appearances.  The severity of the sprain isn’t yet known, and Cubs radio broadcaster Zach Zaidman (Twitter link) said Bote’s injury occurred yesterday during batting practice.

Both Effross and Rivas are now in line to make their Major League debuts, as the rebuilding Cubs continue to look at younger players.  Effross was a 15th-round pick for the team in the 2015 draft, while Rivas was a fourth-round pick for the A’s in the 2018 draft, and was dealt to Chicago in January 2020 in the trade that sent Tony Kemp to Oakland.

On-base skills have been Rivas’ calling card over his brief pro career, as he has hit .288/.393/.411 over 1037 PA across three minor league seasons.  The left-handed hitting Rivas has done much of that damage against right-handed pitching, and he has played some left field and right field to go along with his customary first base spot.

Effross began the season at Double-A and was then promoted to Triple-A for the first time.  Overall, the 27-year-old has a 3.41 ERA and 27.61% strikeout rate over 60 2/3 combined innings this season, working out of the bullpen for 29 of his 31 appearances.  Effross tends to rely more on grounders than missed bats, as he has consistently topped the 50 percent threshold for groundball percentage during his minor league career.

Jewell and Meisinger each signed minor league contracts with the Cubs during the offseason, and both right-handers were selected to the MLB roster within the last month.  Jewell has a 9.90 ERA over 10 innings, while Meisinger has a 12.27 ERA in 7 1/3 innings.

Tigers Place Erasmo Ramirez On Release Waivers

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4:49PM: Ramirez has been placed on release waivers, the Tigers announced.

2:22PM: The Tigers have designated right-hander Erasmo Ramirez for assignment, per a club announcement. They’ve also reinstated catcher Eric Haase from the 10-day injured list and recalled right-hander Jason Foley from Triple-A Toledo.

It’s been a season of rough results for the 31-year-old Ramirez, who carries a 5.74 ERA through 26 2/3 innings of relief in Detroit. He’s gone through a particularly rough stretch of late, yielding runs in five of his past seven appearances — including a three-run drubbing in two-thirds of an inning at the hands of the Cardinals this week. He’s posted a below-average 18.3 percent strikeout rate this season, although to his credit, Ramirez’s 4.6 percent walk rate is excellent.

The 2020 campaign went much better for Ramirez, who pitched 14 1/3 innings out of the Mets’ bullpen and held opponents to just one run on eight hits and four walks with nine strikeouts. He’s pitched for five big league teams across parts of nine seasons, totaling 681 2/3 frames of 4.37 ERA ball with an 18.4 percent strikeout rate, a strong 6.7 percent walk rate and a solid 44 percent ground-ball rate. He’ll hit outright waivers or release waivers in the coming days, and Ramirez has the service time to reject an outright assignment to Triple-A Toledo if he goes unclaimed on waivers.

Giants Notes: Gausman, Bryant

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4:11PM: Bryant’s MRI came back clean, manager Gabe Kapler told reporters (including Kerry Crowley of the Bay Area News Group).  Bryant could make his return to the lineup tomorrow and Kapler said Bryant might even be available to pinch-hit in today’s game.

11:13AM: Kevin Gausman has had hip discomfort since an incident way back on April 24, per John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle. He tweaked it during a play at first base last night, but managed to stay in the game and work through it. The Giants ace should continue to take his turns in the rotation.

Kris Bryant, meanwhile, was removed from the game after experiencing tightness in his side during his first at-bat of the game. He is going to be evaluated today. For the Giants, they have the depth to be cautious with Bryant, even if it doesn’t result in a stint on the injured list. Bryant has a history of these ticky-tack injuries that aren’t severe enough to make him miss time, even if his productivity can suffer. He has a .268/.318/.549 line in 22 games with the Giants.

At this present moment, they are a little thin, however, with Evan Longoria and Donovan Solano currently out. Still, Wilmer Flores can spend some time at the hot corner while Darin Ruf looks to continue his solid season at first. Flores has put up 1.3 rWAR while moving between first, second, and third base.

Mariners Place Jake Fraley, Anthony Misiewicz On 10-Day Injured List

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The Mariners made a handful of roster moves today. They placed Jake Fraley on the 10-day injured list with right shoulder inflammation. Anthony Misiewicz was also placed on the injured list because of a left forearm strain.

Fraley has made headway this season in making himself a big league outfielder, slashing .213/.359/.388 in 220 plate appearances, making his season thus far worth 1.5 rWAR. Misiewicz, meanwhile, has made 54 appearances covering 46 1/3 innings. He has a 4.08 ERA/3.32 FIP, 24.1 percent strikeout rate, 5.6 percent walk rate, and 44.9 percent groundball rate.

To fill their roster spots, Wyatt Mills was recalled from Triple-A, and Jimmy Yacabonis had his contract selected. To make room on the 40-man roster, Shed Long was transferred to the 60-day injured list. Long went on the injured list on July 30, so he’s very likely done for the year. Keynan Middleton was also outrighted to Triple-A Tacoma.

Yacabonis will make his first appearance in the bigs since last year when he made two appearances with the Mariners. For his career, he owns a 5.71 ERA/6.05 FIP across 104 innings, mostly with the Orioles from 2017 to 2019. The 29-year-old right-hander has been sharp in Triple-A this season, tossing 31 1/3 innings with a 1.74 ERA. He will provide the Mariners with some length out of the bullpen should they need it.

Cardinals Place Andrew Miller On 10-Day Injured List

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The Cardinals have placed Andrew Miller on the 10-day injured list because of a left foot blister, per the team. This will be the second time Miller misses time because of a blister on his foot. He missed the entire month of May because of a similar injury. When healthy, he has a 4.94 ERA/4.54 FIP over 31 innings.

Kodi Whitley has been recalled from Triple-A to take Miller’s roster spot. Whitley has made 12 appearances with the big league club this year, giving up seven earned runs on seven hits and seven walks while striking out eight over 10 1/3 innings.

Additionally, Dakota Hudson will head to Palm Beach for a rehab assignment in Single-A, and Mark Saxon suggests Hudson could pitch out of the Cardinals bullpen soon. Hudson has been out for the entire season recovering from Tommy John surgery. The Cardinals would love to have a healthy Hudson in their rotation next season, but this year they will focus on working his arm back into game shape. Hudson’s one full season resulted in 174 2/3 innings of 3.35 ERA baseball back in 2019.

Indians Option James Karinchak To Triple-A

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The Indians have optioned reliever James Karinchak to Triple-A, per The Athletic’s Zack Meisel (via Twitter). Bobby Bradley will be activated from the injured list to take Karinchak’s roster spot.

Karinchak was a popular breakout candidate this season because of his gaudy strikeout numbers, and for awhile, Karinchak made good on that promise. But it’s been a different story in the second half. After recording an absurd 42.5 percent strikeout rate in the first half, that number has fallen to 12.5 percent in the second half. His FIP has tumbled from 3.12 to 7.64.

Karinchak’s spin rates have plummeted all season long on both his fastball and his curve. His In Zone Swing & Miss Percentages have fallen as well, from 26% on his four-seamer in June to just 9% on that same pitch in August.

As for Bradley, the powerful first baseman slashed .213/.316/.480 over 174 plate appearances, his first real crack at regular playing time in the bigs. He’s been out since August 7 with a knee sprain.

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