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Archives for August 2022

Astros Notes: Pressly, Verlander, Javier

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The Astros placed closer Ryan Pressly on the 15-day injured list this afternoon, retroactive to August 22, with neck spasms. Righty Seth Martinez was recalled to take the vacated active roster spot. Pressly has been unavailable for the past couple games dealing with stiffness in his neck, and the issue is apparently severe enough it’ll take him out of commission for at least a couple weeks. The club hasn’t provided a more specific timetable on his return.

Pressly has excelled again this season, continuing along as one of the sport’s top late-game relievers. Through 37 2/3 innings on the year, the right-hander owns a 3.11 ERA with an excellent 32.2% strikeout percentage and just a 6.3% walk rate. His 44.2% ground-ball rate is the lowest mark in his four full seasons in Houston, but the two-time All-Star has more than offset that with elite swing-and-miss stuff. He’s gotten a whiff on 17.1% of his pitches, the 13th-highest rate among 214 relievers with 30+ innings pitched.

More out of Houston:

  • Justin Verlander chatted with Ken Rosenthal of the Athletic earlier this week, discussing his progression back from the Tommy John surgery that wiped out virtually all of his 2020-21 seasons. The future Hall of Famer has put himself firmly in the conversation for a third career Cy Young award, posting an MLB-best 1.87 ERA over 23 starts. Verlander hasn’t looked at all fazed by his lack of innings over the prior two seasons, as he’s soaked up 149 frames (the 12th most in MLB). He’s already surpassed the 130-inning threshold to vest a player option in his deal that could keep him in Houston for $25MM next season. With how well he’s performed, however, he seems all but certain to forego that provision and retest the open market in search of an annual salary near or above the $43.333MM former teammate Max Scherzer landed from the Mets last offseason. Verlander noted he won’t be able to make a formal decision on the option until after he sees how he finishes the season, but he unsurprisingly tells Rosenthal that “if things continue to go the way they are and knock on wood, everything goes the way I think everybody would hope, then I would probably opt out. I’ve pitched pretty damn well.“
  • There’s a bit of a shake-up alongside Verlander in the starting staff, as skipper Dusty Baker told reporters the club will move from the six-man rotation they’d been deploying to a five-man staff for now (via Danielle Lerner of the Houston Chronicle). Righty Cristian Javier will be the odd man out, at least temporarily. Baker indicated the team would skip the 25-year-old’s scheduled start this weekend, with Javier available out of the bullpen instead. It’s not out of the question they eventually go back to the six-man staff, but with off days scheduled for next Monday and Thursday, there’s room for the club to consolidate the rotation for the time being. Javier’s return to the bullpen certainly isn’t an indictment of his performance. Through 112 1/3 frames, he owns a sterling 2.88 ERA with a 32.4% strikeout rate. Still, with a top five of Verlander, Lance McCullers Jr., Framber Valdez, Luis Garcia and José Urquidy, the Astros have enviable depth (although Garcia has struggled of late). Javier’s willingness to work as a multi-inning relief weapon as needed could forecast his potential role in the postseason, as he has far more recent bullpen experience than any of the other top rotation options on staff.

Mariners Re-Sign Tommy Milone To Minor League Deal

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The Mariners brought back veteran southpaw Tommy Milone on a minor league contract this week, according to his transactions log at MLB.com. Seattle released him on trade deadline day to clear space on the 40-man roster for their acquisitions.

Milone was on the 15-day injured list at the time, having sustained a cervical muscle strain in the preceding days. The 35-year-old has not yet been assigned to an affiliate, so he’s yet to make an appearance since his most recent big league outing on July 29. That was the final of seven MLB outings during his run in the majors with Seattle. Milone worked 16 2/3 innings as a long reliever, posting a 5.40 ERA with six walks, five strikeouts and four home runs allowed.

That’s obviously not a great showing, but Milone excelled over seven starts with Triple-A Tacoma early in the year. He posted a minuscule 1.13 ERA through 32 frames, punching out 24.8% of opponents against a tidy 6.8% walk percentage. He’ll presumably return to that role with the Rainiers at some point as a rotation/long relief depth option.

Despite being one of the game’s softest throwers, Milone has continued to attract interest from myriad teams into his mid-30’s. He’s reached the big leagues in each of the past 12 years, working as a strike-throwing swing option of late. He’ll look to work his way back to the bigs with Seattle before the end of the season.

Phillies Place Zack Wheeler On Injured List

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The Phillies placed starter Zack Wheeler on the 15-day injured list, retroactive to August 22, with tendinitis in his right forearm. Bailey Falter is expected to start tomorrow in his place.

Aside from a brief stay on the COVID list in May, Wheeler has remained on the active roster since signing with Philadelphia heading into the 2020 season. While any mention of forearm discomfort for a pitcher is eyebrow-raising, the Phils don’t seem particularly concerned. President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski told reporters that Wheeler was willing to pitch through the issue, but the club is hopeful that by skipping two starts, he can put it in the rearview mirror (via Alex Coffey of the Philadelphia Inquirer and Todd Zolecki of MLB.com).

Last year’s NL Cy Young runner-up, Wheeler has remained a pivotal part of the starting five this season. Through 23 starts, he owns a 3.07 ERA with a 26.7% strikeout rate. The right-hander’s production isn’t quite at the level it was last year, but he ranks among the top 30 hurlers (minimum 100 innings) in ERA and strikeout percentage. Any downturn in performance is essentially attributable to this month, as Wheeler has a 4.44 ERA over his past four starts after carrying a 2.77 mark into August.

Falter seems likely to plug the rotation gap for a couple turns through the rotation, with the hope that Wheeler returns at full strength for the season’s final month. The Phillies have been one of baseball’s hottest teams, and they carry a 69-55 record into play tonight. Philadelphia is in possession of the second Wild Card spot in the National League, holding a 3 1/2 game cushion over the Brewers (with the Padres in between the two clubs).

Yankees Select Greg Weissert

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5:56pm: New York officially announced Wiessert’s selection, as well as the previously-reported placement of Nestor Cortes on the 15-day IL and the reinstatement of Giancarlo Stanton. In order to create a spot on the 40-man roster, New York transferred center fielder Harrison Bader from the 10-day to the 60-day IL. Bader has already been on the IL since June 27, so the move is procedural and doesn’t affect his return window. Bader, who’s dealing with plantar fasciitis in his right foot, hasn’t yet begun a minor league rehab assignment.

11:57am: The Yankees will select the contract of right-hander Greg Weissert prior to tomorrow’s game with the Athletics, according to Eric Hubbs of Barstool Sports (Twitter link).  A corresponding move will need to be made to officially add Weissert to the 40-man roster, and the New York Post’s Joel Sherman reports that the Yankees will be placing another pitcher on the injured list.

Weissert’s first MLB appearance will be his debut in the Show.  An 18th-round pick out of Fordham in the 2016 draft, Weissert posted solid but unspectacular numbers in his first pro seasons before returning with a flourish after the canceled 2020 minor league season.  The right-hander has been getting better as he has gotten closer to the majors, with a 1.47 ERA over 36 2/3 innings of Double-A ball and a 1.85 ERA in 82 2/3 Triple-A frames.

This season has seen Weissert deliver a 36.8% strikeout rate in 46 innings of Triple-A ball, which is more than enough to counter a more average 10.4% walk rate.  Batters have simply not been able to do much against Weissert this year, with only 22 total hits.  Over his last 23 games and 23 1/3 innings, Weissert also hasn’t allowed a single run, either earned or unearned.

The bullpen went from being a major strength to more of a question mark for the Yankees in recent weeks, as Chad Green and Michael King were both lost to season-ending injuries and the likes of Clay Holmes, Miguel Castro, Albert Abreu, and — just yesterday — trade deadline acquisition Scott Effross were also lost to the injured list.  Weissert will provide some reinforcement, while Holmes, Castro, and Zach Britton are all on the way back, though it remains to be seen which new pitcher (as per Sherman’s report) has now also been sidelined.

Tyler Clippard Elects Free Agency

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AUGUST 25: Clippard has cleared waivers and refused an outright assignment, according to a team announcement. As expected, he’ll return to the open market in search of a new opportunity.

AUGUST 23: The Nationals are designating reliever Tyler Clippard for assignment, tweets Jesse Dougherty of the Washington Post. The move frees an active roster spot for Erick Fedde, who is back from the 15-day injured list. The club also swapped out backup catchers, recalling Riley Adams from Triple-A Rochester while optioning Tres Barrera. Washington’s 40-man roster tally drops to 39.

A two-time All-Star, Clippard has been a durable and effective reliever for the bulk of his 16-year big league career. He spent an extended chunk of that run in the nation’s capital, pitching with the Nats between 2008-14 before bouncing throughout the league. The changeup specialist remained productive through 2020, but he’s had some injury woes over the past couple years. He lost a good chunk of last season with the Diamondbacks due to a capsule sprain. Clippard returned late in the year and posted a solid 3.20 ERA over 25 1/3 innings, but his peripherals weren’t especially impressive.

The 37-year-old returned to Washington on a minor league deal over the winter. He impressed with Rochester, posting a 2.23 ERA with an excellent 31.5% strikeout percentage through 40 1/3 frames. That earned him another big league call last month, but he quickly suffered a groin strain that sent him to the injured list. Clippard returned a couple weeks ago, but the Nats moved on after just four MLB appearances. He tossed five innings of four-run ball with four strikeouts and walks apiece, averaging a career-low 87.5 MPH on his fastball.

Washington will place the veteran on waivers in the next few days. If he goes unclaimed, Clippard would have the right to elect free agency and look for another opportunity elsewhere. If he lands with a new organization by September 1 — either via waiver claim or new free agent deal upon clearing waivers — he’d be eligible for postseason play this season.

James Paxton Diagnosed With Grade 2 Lat Tear, Will Not Pitch This Season

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Red Sox left-hander James Paxton has been diagnosed with a Grade 2 tear in his left lat muscle and will be shut down for the season, manager Alex Cora informed reporters (including Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe). It’ll go down as a completely lost season for the left-hander, who hasn’t pitched in a big league game since April 2021.

Paxton has dealt with numerous injuries throughout his career. He’s spent time on the IL in every year since 2014, including an extended absence for a left lat strain that season. Paxton has also been plagued by hand, forearm, chest, knee and elbow concerns. The arm injuries, in particular, have proven problematic over the past few years. The southpaw missed most of the shortened 2020 campaign trying to rehab from a flexor strain in his forearm. While he avoided undergoing surgery at the time, he blew out in the second inning of his first start the following year and required Tommy John surgery.

That procedure ended Paxton’s reunion tour with the Mariners last year before it got far off the ground, but the Red Sox nevertheless signed him to a $10MM guarantee this past offseason. That rather complex arrangement paid him a $6MM salary for this season and contained a pair of successive $13MM club options — essentially a two-year, $26MM deal — for the Sox to decide upon in conjunction this winter. If the team declines the options, Paxton would receive a $4MM player option for 2023 alone.

On the heels of a third straight injury-wrecked season, there’s essentially no chance the Red Sox commit $13MM salaries for the upcoming two years. It seems likely that Paxton will accept his $4MM option, although there’s at least a small possibility he foregoes that figure in search of an incentive-laden pact on the open market. If Paxton declines the player option, the Sox would’ve committed him $6MM for no return on their investment.

That’s not to say it was an entirely illogical bet for chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom and his staff to take last winter. At the time of Paxton’s signing in December, the club anticipated he’d contribute for the second half and a possible playoff push. Despite a minor delay as he dealt with elbow soreness in May, he indeed seemed on track to get on the mound for the season’s final month. Paxton had ramped up a throwing program and begun a rehab assignment last Thursday, but he faced just two batters before suffering the lat injury.

It has now been three years since Paxton was healthy, but he was an effective starter for the Yankees during his last extended stretch of action. He made 29 appearances in 2019, tossing 150 2/3 frames with a 3.82 ERA and an excellent 29.4% strikeout rate. A trio of teams (New York, Seattle and Boston) have taken successive shots to see if he can replicate that well above-average production in the years since then, but the series of injuries has unfortunately kept that from happening.

Boston is facing a fair bit of potential turnover in the rotation this offseason. Paxton has the aforementioned dual team/player options, while Nathan Eovaldi, Michael Wacha and Rich Hill will all be free agents. Chris Sale is under contract through 2024 but coming off another injury-plagued season of his own. Aside from Nick Pivetta — whose 4.24 ERA this season is a career-low — there isn’t much rotation certainty moving forward. Bloom and his staff will have their work cut out for them in overhauling much of that group, regardless of whether Paxton elects to return.

Phillies To Activate Bryce Harper From Injured List On Friday

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Reigning NL MVP Bryce Harper will return to the Phillies’ active roster prior to their game with the Pirates on Friday, Philadelphia manager Rob Thomson told reporters (including MLB.com’s Todd Zelecki).  The initial plan for Harper’s minor league rehab assignment planned for activation from the 60-day injured list on Monday, but Harper will instead return a bit earlier, as suggested by MLB Network’s Jon Morosi earlier today.

The Phillies first placed Harper on the 10-day IL due to his fractured left thumb back on June 26, so he’ll end up missing only slightly beyond the 60-day minimum.  Harper has been making steady progress with his recovery ever since undergoing thumb surgery, and he will now again get to contribute to a Phillies team that has become one of baseball’s hottest teams.

The firing of Joe Girardi and Thomson’s installation as interim manager was the obvious turning point in Philadelphia’s season, as the Phils went 22-29 under Girardi and are currently 47-26 under Thomson.  Not even losing one of the sport’s best hitters slowed down the Phillies, since they have a 31-20 record since Harper was sidelined.

Harper’s thumb was broken by a Blake Snell pitch on June 25, interrupting an unusual but still highly successful season for the 29-year-old.  Due to a small UCL tear in his right elbow, Harper hasn’t played a game in the field since April 16, but his bat hasn’t been impacted by his new role as a full-time DH.  Harper has 21 home runs and a .318/.385/.599 slash line over his first 275 plate appearances, with that .985 OPS standing as the fourth-highest of Harper’s career.

2022 will go down as another Harper season cut short by injury, but that will be a footnote if he is able to help the Phillies reach their first postseason since 2011.  Philadelphia holds the second NL wild card slot, well back of the Braves for the first wild card but with a 3.5-game cushion over the Brewers (the top team outside the playoff picture).

Twins Sign Billy Hamilton To Minor League Deal

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The Twins have signed veteran outfielder Billy Hamilton to a minor league contract, according to multiple reporters (including The Athletic’s Dan Hayes).  Hamilton elected to become a free agent earlier this month, rejecting an outright assignment to the Marlins’ Triple-A team.

Minnesota becomes the 11th different big league organization of Hamilton’s 10-year MLB career, and he has been action at the big league level with seven of those teams.  Hamilton’s stint in Miami lasted 20 games and consisted of 15 plate appearances, as the Marlins mostly used him as a pinch-runner and late-game defensive replacement.

It’s safe to assume that Hamilton will be utilized in similar fashion with the Twins if he reaches their active roster, and the 31-year-old will at least provide some center field depth now that Byron Buxton has been placed on the 10-day injured list.  Hamilton’s lack of hitting has turned him into a bench player in recent years, but he still brings plenty of his signature speed and excellent defense, making him a sought-after player by multiple teams.

Outfelders Buxton, Kyle Garlick, Trevor Larnach, Alex Kirilloff, and Royce Lewis are all on Minnesota’s IL, with Garlick perhaps only a few days away from a return and Kirilloff and Lewis both already done for the season.  Max Kepler, Nick Gordon, Jake Cave, Gilberto Celestino, and utilityman Tim Beckham comprise the Twins’ outfield options on the active roster.

Florida Notes: Marlins, Rays, Lopez, Rojas, Yankees, Franco, Baz, Cooper

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The Yankees were known to be targeting Pablo Lopez prior to the trade deadline, and reports suggested that Gleyber Torres was involved in the talks between New York and Miami.  One trade proposed by the Marlins would’ve seen Lopez and Miguel Rojas head to the Bronx in exchange for Torres and infield prospect Oswald Peraza, The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal reports, but the Yankees rejected the offer.

Anthony Volpe is considered one of the top prospects in all of baseball, so while Peraza is a top-100 staple in his own right, he could’ve been more of an expendable piece in trade talks.  New York was still resistant to moving Peraza, and while the club was reportedly open to moving him in a possible Frankie Montas trade, the Yankees ended up landing Montas from the Athletics for another trade package that didn’t involve Peraza.  The inclusion of longtime Miami staple Rojas is an interesting wrinkle, as presumably the Marlins offered Rojas as a replacement for Torres in the Yankees’ infield mix, and perhaps sought to give the veteran a chance at winning a ring with a contender.  It makes for an interesting deadline what-if, and any of these players could potentially be part of different trade talks should the two teams rekindle negotiations this winter.

Some rumblings from the Marlins and Rays, as we check in on both Sunshine State teams…

  • After some fielding drills and batting practice on Wednesday, Wander Franco told reporters (including Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times) that “I feel super good right now and [am] getting better,” in regards to his injured right hand.  Soreness in that hand led Franco to be taken off his rehab assignment earlier this week, and the Rays will continue to monitor Franco’s injury before deciding when to restart his minor league work.  Speaking with Topkin and company today, Rays manager Kevin Cash said Saturday would be the earliest date for Franco to resume his rehab assignment.  Franco has played in only 58 games this season due to a quad strain and then hamate-bone surgery, and his return would be a big boost to a Rays club that is trying to secure a wild card berth.
  • In other Rays injury updates from Topkin, Josh Fleming and Matt Wisler each started minor league rehab assignments within the last two days, while J.P. Feyereisen will throw a live batting practice session before the team decides on his rehab assignment.  This is a good development for Feyereisen, who had a brief setback due to shoulder soreness earlier this month.  Shane Baz also told Topkin and other reporters that he’ll start a throwing program on Monday, but it remains to be seen if Baz can get fully ramped up in time to return to big league game action before the season is over.  An elbow sprain sent Baz to the 15-day IL and then the 60-day IL retroactive to July 14, so it will still be a few weeks before he is even eligible to be activated.
  • Garrett Cooper is two games into a minor league rehab assignment and could be back on the Marlins’ active roster as soon as Friday.  Manager Don Mattingly told reporters that Cooper was slated to play three games as part of his recovery from a stint on the seven-day concussion IL, and Cooper is no longer experiencing any symptoms.  Cooper’s IL placement was retroactive to August 17, and it doesn’t look like he’ll miss much more time beyond the seven-day minimum.

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