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Archives for August 2022

Marlins Select Jake Fishman

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Prior to today’s game with the Dodgers, the Marlins selected the contract of left-hander Jake Fishman from Triple-A Jacksonville.  Right-hander Bryan Hoeing was optioned to Triple-A in the corresponding move.

While Fishman wasn’t needed in today’s 2-1 victory thanks to Sandy Alcantara’s complete-game gem, Fishman can provide the Miami bullpen with some length as they navigate a difficult stretch in their schedule.  The southpaw has found a lot of success as a multi-inning reliever this season, with a 2.04 ERA, 23.9% strikeout rate, 8.6% walk rate, and 52.6% grounder rate over 53 innings in Jacksonville.

Fishman made his MLB debut on July 31, allowing one run over 3 1/3 innings of relief work in a 9-3 Miami loss to the Mets.  The southpaw was designated for assignment the next day, then outrighted to Triple-A and off the 40-man roster after clearing waivers.

Originally a 30th-round pick for the Blue Jays in the 2016 draft, Fishman joined the Marlins organization as a selection in the minor league version of the 2020 Rule 5 Draft.  While relievers are generally more under the radar than most prospects, it is perhaps a little surprising that it took Fishman until 2022 to get his first crack at the majors, considering the solid numbers he has posted throughout his minor league career.

A’s Place Dany Jimenez On 60-Day Injured List, Select Austin Pruitt

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Dany Jimenez’s season is over due to a right shoulder strain, as the Athletics have placed the right-hander on the 60-day injured list.  Austin Pruitt’s contract was selected from Triple-A in the corresponding move.

In an overall rough season for the A’s, Jimenez has been a bright spot, posting a 3.41 ERA over 34 1/3 innings and earning a team-high 11 saves.  A .231 BABIP helped Jimenez overcome some dicey advanced metrics like a 12.4% walk rate, but Jimenez’s ERA was also somewhat inflated by a three particularly poor outings out of 34 total appearances.  (In those three bad games, Jimenez allowed 10 earned runs in 1 2/3 innings, and only six runs over his other 32 2/3 frames of work during the season.)  With Lou Trivino struggling in the closer’s role, Jimenez ended up taking over the bulk of save chances.

Unfortunately, Jimenez’s bothersome right shoulder has now ended this solid rookie season.  It is the second time Jimenez has been sent to the IL with a shoulder strain, as a similar injury put him on the shelf for over six weeks, from mid-June to the start of August.

This was Jimenez’s first extended stint in the majors, as his only previous MLB experience was 1 1/3 innings with the Giants in 2020.  Jimenez is a two-time Rule 5 Draft selection, but in both cases was returned to the Blue Jays when neither the Giants (in 2020) or the A’s (in 2021) kept him on their active roster for the entire season.  Jimenez elected free agency this past winter and rejoined Oakland on a minor league deal.

Pruitt will make a quick return to the active roster after being designated for assignment and then outrighted off the 40-man earlier this week.  The right-hander has a 4.78 ERA over 37 2/3 innings out of Oakland’s bullpen, as Pruitt’s excellent control hasn’t overcome his below-average 17.2% strikeout rate.

Trevor Rosenthal Likely To Miss Rest Of 2022 Season

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After thoracic outlet syndrome surgery kept Trevor Rosenthal from pitching in 2021, it looks like the 2022 season will also be a total write-off for the veteran reliever.  Brewers manager Craig Counsell told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Curt Hogg (Twitter links) and other reporters that Rosenthal will “probably” miss the rest of the season due to a lat injury in a recent Triple-A rehab outing.  Counsell compared Rosenthal’s injury to the posterior shoulder issue that kept Freddy Peralta out of action for almost two and a half months of the 2022 campaign.

Rosenthal wasn’t signed during the 2021-22 offseason, but a midseason throwing showcase led to a guaranteed contract with the Giants worth a prorated $4.5MM.  At the time of the signing, Rosenthal was recovering from a hamstring strain, and was still sidelined when the Brewers landed Rosenthal (and his contract) at the trade deadline in a swap with San Francisco.  While Rosenthal was making good progress in working his way back in rehab, Brewers president of baseball ops David Stearns said that the lat problem is “a completely new injury” that only just surfaced.

“He’s been working exceptionally hard to get back here.  He was close, the ball was coming out really good, and now we have a setback,” Stearns said.

The trade with the Giants now looks like a backfired risk for the Brewers, and yet another strange detail in what has been a bizarre five-year stretch for Rosenthal.  Tommy John surgery kept off the mound for the entire 2018 season, and he pitched only 15 1/3 innings in 2019 and then 23 2/3 innings in 2020, appearing for four different teams during that two-season span.  While his 2019 numbers were poor, Rosenthal looked quite good in 2020, leading to a one-year, $11MM free agent deal with the Athletics that resulted in Rosenthal never making an actual appearance for the A’s, due to thoracic outlet syndrome.

The $4.5MM deal was already something of a surprising total for a pitcher with Rosenthal’s recent injury track record, notwithstanding his strong career numbers.  Since it now looks like he’ll go more than two years without throwing a Major League pitch, the right-hander will probably have to settle for a minor league deal this winter.  Some questions might have to be asked about whether or not Rosenthal will continue his career in the face of all these health problems, but he is still only 32 years old.

As for Milwaukee, the team gave up minor league outfield prospect Tristan Peters to the Giants, and the lack of return on Rosenthal will surely bring some fresh criticism of the team’s deadline moves.  Between dealing All-Star closer Josh Hader to the Padres for a trade package that included Taylor Rogers, as well as the swap that brought Matt Bush from the Rangers, it was a bullpen-heavy set of transactions that (with almost four weeks of hindsight) looks to have not been enough.  Milwaukee has struggled to an 8-14 record in August, falling six games back of the Cardinals in the NL Central race and 2.5 games behind in the wild card race.

Mets Activate Eduardo Escobar, Designate Yolmer Sanchez

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The Mets announced a quartet of roster moves, including the activation of Eduardo Escobar from the 10-day injured list.  Left-hander David Peterson was also called up from Triple-A to start tonight’s game against the Rockies, while righty Connor Grey was optioned to Triple-A and infielder Yolmer Sanchez was designated for assignment.

Escobar will return after just the minimum 10 days, though he had been been bothered by his oblique problem for a few games leading up to his eventual IL placement.  Fortunately, Escobar’s strain was pretty minor, and he’ll now get back to the NL East-leading Mets in relatively short order.  He won’t be returning to a starting job, however, as Luis Guillorme (currently on the IL himself) had already eaten into Escobar’s regular playing time at third base, and now top prospect Brett Baty has been called up and is part of the mix at the hot corner.  It seems like Escobar will be part of a platoon with Baty until Guillorme is healthy.

Sanchez was claimed off waivers from the Red Sox last week to address this lack of infield depth in Queens, and the former Gold Glover might well find himself on the move again now that he’s back on the DFA wire.  (Intriguingly, the White Sox might again be a possibility for Sanchez now that Yoan Moncada and Tim Anderson are both on the injured list.)

Over a three-game tenure with the Mets, Sanchez appeared only as a late-game defensive sub, without any plate appearances.  For the season as a whole, Sanchez has only 44 PA and a .322 OPS in limited action with the Red Sox.

Peterson has been up and down from Triple-A Syracuse many times this season, tossing 83 2/3 innings and starting 15 of 19 games filling in for various injured Mets starters.  With Carlos Carrasco on the IL, it has created yet another chance for Peterson to make a spot start or two.  The southpaw has performed admirably, with a 3.44 ERA over his 83 2/3 frames.

Reds Sign Chase Anderson To Minors Deal

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The Reds announced that right-hander Chase Anderson has been signed to a minor league deal, and assigned to the club’s taxi squad.

Cincinnati is Anderson’s third organization of the season, after previously signing minor league deals with the Tigers and Rays.  The righty has a 4.50 ERA over 80 combined innings with the Triple-A affiliates in Durham and Toledo, and opted out of his previous minors contracts in search of a team that might provide him with a better shot of reaching the majors.  Getting to the taxi squad would seemingly indicate that chance is near for Anderson, as the Reds are looking for rotation help with both Hunter Greene and Graham Ashcraft on the 15-day injured list.

If Anderson’s contract is selected and he gets into a game, it will officially mark the 34-year-old’s ninth season in the big leagues.  Anderson is very familiar with the NL Central, as he pitched with the Brewers from 2016-19 and delivered some very solid numbers as a member of the rotation.

Since being traded to the Blue Jays after the 2019 season, Anderson’s career has taken a downturn.  He has a 6.94 ERA over his last 81 2/3 innings in the majors, tossing 33 2/3 frames with Toronto in 2020 and then 48 innings with the Phillies last year.  Home runs were a problem for Anderson even in his prime years, and they were a big contributors to his struggles in 2020-21, as he surrendered 21 homers to opposing batters.  His work in Triple-A this season isn’t especially promising on his front, as Anderson has been tagged for 16 homers over his 80 innings.

However, the veteran should be in line for at least a couple of starts with Cincinnati, and has a chance to finish up his season on a high note.  Barring a really spectacular showing, it’s probably safe to guess that Anderson will have to settle for another minor league deal this winter, but he’ll certainly draw interest as an experienced starter who can eat innings.

Rangers Select Dallas Keuchel’s Contract

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TODAY: The Rangers have officially announced the selection of Keuchel’s contract from Triple-A

AUGUST 26: The Rangers announced that Dallas Keuchel is slated to start tomorrow evening’s game against the Tigers. Texas placed southpaw Cole Ragans on the 15-day injured list, retroactive to August 23, due to a left calf strain. The Rangers already have a vacancy on the 40-man roster, so no additional transaction will be necessary to formally select Keuchel’s contract.

It’s a return to the big leagues for the 2015 AL Cy Young award winner, who will be on his third team of the 2022 season. Keuchel opened the year with the White Sox but was released in May after posting a 7.88 ERA over eight starts. The veteran southpaw signed a minor league deal with the Diamondbacks and made it back to the majors. He was tagged for 22 runs (20 earned) in 18 2/3 frames, however, and Arizona also let him go.

Texas rolled the dice on Keuchel last month, signing him to a minor league pact. He’s spent the past few weeks at Triple-A Round Rock, going 23 1/3 innings over four outings (just under six frames per start) with an excellent 2.31 ERA. Keuchel has walked an elevated 12.1% of batters faced there, but he’s induced ground-balls at a huge 64.9% clip. That’s more in line with the grounder numbers he racked up at his peak with the division-rival Astros than the even 50% rate (a strong but not elite mark) he’s posted with Chicago and Arizona this year.

Keuchel adds a veteran option with a lengthy track record of career success to the Texas rotation for the stretch run. The Rangers will only pay him the prorated portion of the $700K league minimum for any time he spends in the majors, with the White Sox otherwise on the hook for his $18MM salary this year (plus a $1.5MM buyout on a 2023 option in his original contract with Chicago). The 34-year-old will return to the free agent market this offseason, and a strong showing over the season’s final month could aid his efforts to find a big league deal over the winter.

Ragans was called up for his major league debut earlier this month. The former first-rounder has made four starts, allowing ten runs (nine earned) in 18 1/3 frames. Texas hasn’t provided any indication whether he’s expected to return before the end of the season. The 24-year-old is looking to carve out a back-end role in next year’s rotation.

Brewers Select Garrett Mitchell, Place Jonathan Davis On 10-Day IL

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The Brewers have selected the contract of outfielder Garrett Mitchell and placed outfielder Jonathan Davis on the 10-day IL with a right elbow effusion, the team announced. It will be the first taste of the majors for Mitchell, a former UCLA star and Milwaukee’s first-round pick (20th overall) in the 2020 amateur draft. Alex Jackson was transferred to the 60-day injured list in a 40-man roster move.

Mitchell has spent much of his season at the Double-A level this season, hitting .277/.353/.428 over 187 plate appearances.  This earned him a promotion to Triple-A for the first time, with Mitchell responding by delivering even more offense (.343/.435/.466) in 85 PA.  Unfortunately, Mitchell also missed about two months on the injured list due to an oblique strain, but he has made up for lost time with his strong Triple-A performance and now on the verge of his MLB debut.

A leg injury also limited Mitchell’s first pro season to 64 minor league games (roughly split between high-A and Double-A ball) in 2021, so simply staying healthy has been a bit of an issue for the 23-year-old.  His lack of hitting progress was also some concern, as scouting reports for both Baseball America and MLB Pipeline indicated that Mitchell hit too many grounders and didn’t exhibit enough power.  To this end, Mitchell’s offensive numbers could be fueled more by some excellent batted-ball luck — a .378 BABIP at Double-A and a .444 BABIP at Triple-A.

However, Mitchell also has the elite speed that lends itself to high BABIP numbers.  Both Pipeline and BA give him 80-grade speed, and between those wheels and an excellent glove and throwing arm, Mitchell’s defense already seems more than Major League-caliber.  This is good news for a Milwaukee team that has been looking for a regular center fielder, and with Tyrone Taylor also exhibiting some good glovework, the Brewers could use Mitchell and Taylor in a lefty/righty platoon that could at least solidify things defensively up the middle.

White Sox Make Series Of Roster Moves

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The White Sox announced a series of roster moves today, including placing right-hander Lance Lynn on the bereavement list and third baseman Yoan Moncada on the 10-day injured list with a left hamstring strain. To take their places on the active roster, the club reinstated utilityman Leury Garcia from the 10-day IL and recalled right-hander Davis Martin from Triple-A Charlotte.

This is the second hamstring-related IL stint of the season for Moncada, who missed 10 days due to a strain in his right hamstring back in June. That absence followed a longer IL stint at the start of the season due to an oblique strain, which delayed Moncada’s 2022 debut until May. All of these injuries have contributed to a miserable season for the third baseman, who has only a .197/.269/.313 slash line over 324 plate appearances.

The White Sox in general have been hampered by injury absences all year long, and Moncada joins other regulars in Tim Anderson and Yasmani Grandal as current members of the IL. Garcia’s return will help make up some of that depth in the infield, though Garcia is himself struggling through a mediocre year at the plate. Garcia, Josh Harrison, and rookie Romy Gonzalez now figure to split duties between third and second base.

Phillies Activate Brandon Marsh, Designate Bradley Zimmer For Assignment

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The Phillies have activated outfielder Brandon Marsh from the 10-day IL, the team announced today. Outfielder Bradley Zimmer was designated for assignment, opening a spot for Marsh on the active roster.

The 24-year-old second-year outfielder, who arrived in Philadelphia in a deadline deal that sent catching prospect Logan O’Hoppe to the Angels, had hardly had a chanced to get his feet wet in Philly before a sprained left ankle sent him to the IL. The injury was evidently fairly minor, however, as Marsh’s activation comes on his first day of eligibility.

Marsh will likely take over center field duties for the Phils, though he may also share time with the versatile Matt Vierling, who had split time in center with Zimmer in Marsh’s absence. Given yesterday’s return of Bryce Harper to the DH slot, which forces both Kyle Schwarber and Nick Castellanos to play the field to keep their bats in the lineup, center field takes on added importance in Philadelphia.

Fortunately for the Philly faithful, Marsh has rated out as a bit above-average defensively by most metrics, though his offensive production has lagged a bit. For his short career, he owns a .239/.299/.352 batting line (good for an 81 wRC+), including a .228/.285/.349 mark (78 wRC+) in 2022, though playing his home games in Philadelphia’s hitter-friendly Citizen’s Bank Park should help those numbers.

The 29-year-old Zimmer, who also rates out as above-average with the glove but owns a .215/.300/.337 career triple-slash, may opt to stick it out with the Phillies if he goes unclaimed, though he could be picked up by a contender in need of a glove-first reserve outfielder. Still, he’ll likely be looking for his fourth (or fifth) major league team in the offseason. After appearing in parts of five season with Cleveland, he began 2022 with the Blue Jays before he was claimed by the Phillies the same day Marsh hit the IL.

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