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Archives for May 2023

A’s Acquire Lucas Erceg From Brewers

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The A’s announced this evening they’ve acquired minor league reliever Lucas Erceg from the Brewers for cash. The 28-year-old was not on Milwaukee’s 40-man roster and will not immediately go on the Oakland 40-man.

A San Jose native, Erceg entered the professional ranks as Milwaukee’s second round pick in 2016. He was a third baseman at the time and generated a fair amount of attention from prospect evaluators early in his career. After multiple seasons of offensive struggles in the upper minors, he gradually fell off the prospect radar. He was sitting on a .223/.270/.379 batting line as a 26-year-old in Double-A two seasons ago when he and the organization agreed to transition to pitching.

Erceg has spent the past two and a half seasons pitching in the upper minors. As one might expect, his results have been mixed. Erceg has missed bats around a league average rate but struggled to throw strikes consistently. That’s understandable for someone who’s new to pitching full-time but has translated into a 5.07 ERA over 124 1/3 minor league frames.

The right-hander has allowed 15 runs (11 earned) over 15 1/3 frames with Triple-A Nashville this season. He’s fanned 16, walked ten and induced grounders at an excellent 53.8% rate. While Erceg clearly still isn’t a finished product, Eric Longenhagen of FanGraphs named him the #32 prospect in the Milwaukee farm system last offseason. According to Longenhagen, Erceg’s fastball sits in the 96-99 MPH range. The A’s will take a flier on his power arm and lofty ground-ball totals in spite of the overall performance inconsistency.

As with much of the roster, Oakland’s bullpen has been among the league’s worst. The A’s entered play Wednesday with the highest bullpen ERA (6.64) and lowest strikeout rate (18%). Erceg won’t step immediately into that mix but should have a clearer path to an MLB job than he would’ve in Milwaukee if he can find success in Triple-A.

Red Sox Move Nick Pivetta To Bullpen

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The Red Sox are moving right-hander Nick Pivetta into a multi-inning relief role, manager Alex Cora informed reporters after tonight’s win over the Mariners (relayed by Alex Speier of the Boston Globe). It’ll be his first bullpen work since Boston acquired him from the Phillies during the abbreviated 2020 campaign.

Pivetta has been a durable but somewhat frustrating starter over his two and a half seasons in Boston. He topped 30 starts and 150 innings in both 2021-22, leading the team with 179 2/3 frames last year. He’s flashed decent swing-and-miss stuff but been prone to a few too many walks and plenty of hard contact. His ERA sat just north of 4.50 in both seasons.

It has been more of the same for the 30-year-old to this point in 2023. Pivetta has taken all eight turns through the rotation and logged 40 innings of 6.30 ERA ball. While his 23% strikeout rate and 10.7% swinging strike percentage are respectable, he has issued free passes at an elevated 10.4% clip. Pivetta has surrendered nine home runs and given up hard contact on a massive 51.7% of batted balls. He’s perhaps fortunate to have surrendered “only” a .309 batting average on balls in play in light of that contact quality.

Pivetta hasn’t traditionally dealt with notable platoon splits throughout his career. Left-handed hitters have put together a .268/.361/.592 batting line in 84 trips to the plate this season though. The Red Sox aren’t planning to use him in a strict matchup capacity, although the relief role could afford Cora a little more flexibility in deploying him against more right-handed batters.

The organization obviously hopes Pivetta’s high-octane arsenal can translate more effectively in shorter bursts. He has averaged 93.8 MPH on his fastball out of the rotation. It wouldn’t be a surprise if that ticked up a bit in briefer stints that allow Pivetta to max out his effort, so it’s not hard to envision him finding success in a relief capacity.

Pivetta saw some relief work with the Phillies four years ago. He’s otherwise worked primarily as a starter, opening 144 of his 166 MLB outings. He’s spoken on a few occasions this season of his desire to stick in the rotation. Boston has a number of starting pitching options, though, and Pivetta’s struggles over the past month and a half apparently leave him the odd man out. Pivetta told reporters this evening he understands the club’s decision (via Chris Cotillo of MassLive).

Boston recently activated James Paxton from the injured list. The veteran southpaw joined Chris Sale, Corey Kluber, Brayan Bello, Tanner Houck and Pivetta in the starting staff. Garrett Whitlock is on the 15-day IL and could return by the end of next week. Cora has already announced they’ll keep Whitlock in the rotation, while Sale is a lock for the starting staff. The Red Sox have been reluctant to put Paxton in an unfamiliar relief role in light of his injury history. Kluber hasn’t pitched well this year but he’s a career-long starter who signed a $10MM free agent contract over the offseason. It seemed unlikely Boston would kick him into the bullpen or move on entirely.

That appeared to leave Houck, Bello and Pivetta jockeying for rotation spots. All three carried an ERA north of 5.00. Bello and Houck have comparable strikeout rates to Pivetta with significantly higher ground-ball rates. They’ve been more consistent strike throwers. They’ll each keep their rotation spots for now, though Whitlock’s eventual reinstatement could lead to another change.

Pivetta has surpassed five years of major league service and was out of minor league options regardless. The Red Sox can’t send him to the minors without his approval, leaving a bullpen transfer or DFA as the only options to bump him from the rotation. It’s possible Pivetta gets another look as a starter down the line if future injuries necessitate. He’s making $5.35MM this season and will be eligible for arbitration once more next winter.

Dustin May Expected To Miss 4-6 Weeks With Flexor Pronator Strain

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Dodgers starter Dustin May left this afternoon’s outing against the Twins after one inning with elbow discomfort. After the game, manager Dave Roberts told the team’s beat that testing revealed a flexor pronator strain in his forearm/elbow area (relayed by Fabian Ardaya of the Athletic).

Roberts called a month-long absence “the floor” for the 25-year-old hurler. As first reported by Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times (Twitter link), May will receive a platelet-rich plasma injection. It’s not expected to require surgery, with Ardaya reporting (on Twitter) that May’s ulnar collateral ligament was not affected. Ardaya indicates the team is hoping for a four-to-six week recovery timetable if the rehab process goes as expected.

It’s mixed news for Los Angeles. There’s surely relief that May’s UCL is intact. He underwent Tommy John surgery two years ago, limiting him to 11 combined outings between 2021-22. Renewed ligament damage so quickly after that procedure could’ve raised real questions about May holding up as a starting pitcher. That fortunately won’t be the case.

In the shorter term, though, the Dodgers will now have to navigate at least the next month without one of their top arms. They’ve been without Walker Buehler since last summer’s Tommy John procedure. Depth starters Ryan Pepiot and Michael Grove are on the IL; with May joining them, the Dodgers are down to a top four of Clayton Kershaw, Julio Urías, Tony Gonsolin and Noah Syndergaard.

That’s an excellent top three but Syndergaard has had a rough go in his first season in Dodger blue. The righty has an ERA just under 6.00 through eight starts. He’s showing excellent control but working with a career-low 92 MPH average velocity on his sinker. His 16.5% strikeout rate is a touch worse than last season’s personal-worst mark.

May’s injury seemingly ensures Syndergaard will continue to get regular run out of the rotation. It also presumably sets the stage for the return of top prospect Gavin Stone. The 24-year-old righty made a spot start for his MLB debut two weeks ago. He’s pitched eight times with Triple-A Oklahoma City this year, working to a 4.04 ERA with a quality 27.5% strikeout rate but an alarming 12.8% walk percentage over 35 2/3 frames. Dylan Covey, who soaked up four innings of relief of May this afternoon during his first major league appearance since 2020, has worked out of the Triple-A rotation this year. Non-roster depth options include prospect Bobby Miller and veteran Robbie Erlin.

Manny Machado Day-To-Day With Small Hand Fracture

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Padres star Manny Machado has sat out the past two games after being hit by a Brad Keller pitch on Monday. While initial x-rays came back negative, manager Bob Melvin told reporters this evening that a CT scan revealed a tiny fracture in Machado’s left hand (relayed by Kevin Acee and Annie Heilbrunn of the San Diego Union-Tribune).

For the moment, Machado remains day-to-day. Melvin noted there’s a possibility the third baseman will be able to play through the injury. San Diego has an off day tomorrow and figures to reevaluate Machado prior to Friday’s series opener with the Red Sox. Injured list stints can be retroactive up to three days, so the Friars could put backdate an IL placement to May 16 if it’s determined he’ll need a week or more to recover.

That’s obviously the outcome for which San Diego will hope, though it’d be suboptimal for Machado to play through an issue that could theoretically have an adverse effect on his power. Machado has been off to a middling start even before the injury. Through 170 plate appearances, last year’s NL MVP runner-up is hitting .231/.282/.372 with only five home runs.

Machado’s lack of production has contributed to a disappointing start for the club. San Diego lost two of three against Kansas City, dropping them to 20-24. They’re eight games back of the Dodgers in the NL West and only one win up on the last-place Rockies. The Padres entered play Wednesday 27th in the majors in runs scored and in the bottom half of the league in each of batting average, on-base percentage and slugging. Even in light of their pitcher-friendly home ballpark, that’s a remarkably surprising placement for a lineup that includes Machado, Juan Soto, Xander Bogaerts and, for the past few weeks, Fernando Tatis Jr.

Over the past couple days, San Diego has kicked Ha-Seong Kim over from second to third base. Rougned Odor has picked up the stray starts at the keystone and could see additional playing time if Machado does hit the IL. The veteran infielder is hitting only .154/.254/.250 over 59 plate appearances after breaking camp out of Spring Training following an offseason minor league deal.

Twins To Place Nick Gordon On Injured List With Shin Fracture

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Twins utilityman Nick Gordon was diagnosed with a fractured right shin after fouling a ball off his leg during today’s loss to the Dodgers, tweets Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com. He’ll be placed on the 10-day injured list and seems likely to be out well beyond the minimal stint.

Gordon’s 2023 campaign began with an injury scare. He suffered a right high ankle sprain in Spring Training but recovered quickly enough to avoid a season-opening IL stay. He’s had a slow start from a performance perspective, though, hitting only .176/.195/.319 over 93 trips to the plate. It has been a disappointing follow-up to a productive .272/.316/.427 showing in a career-high 443 plate appearances for the former fifth overall pick.

Manager Rocco Baldelli has bounced Gordon around the diamond. He’s seen a decent number of innings at each of center field, left field and second base. With Byron Buxton working as a designated hitter as part of Minnesota’s efforts to keep him healthy, the lefty-swinging Gordon has gotten the strong side of a platoon arrangement with right-handed Michael A. Taylor in center field of late.

Gordon’s injury figures to open more playing time for the glove-first Taylor in center field. He’s off to a .231/.286/.404 start to his Twins’ tenure. Donovan Solano and Willi Castro can play multi-positional infield roles off the bench. That could take on particular importance considering second baseman Jorge Polanco also came out of today’s game with an injury.

Polanco told reporters postgame he has a mild strain of his left hamstring (relayed by Betsy Helfand of the St. Paul Pioneer-Press). The team will reevaluate after tomorrow’s off day to determine whether he might require an IL stay. The switch-hitting infielder lost some time at the start of the season rehabbing from a 2022 knee issue. He’s been off to a quality .284/.327/.484 start since returning.

Gordon wasn’t the only Minnesota player to foul a ball off his leg this afternoon. Outfielder Joey Gallo had an early departure after hitting one off his own shin. He said after the game that x-rays were negative but noted there was quite a bit of swelling in the area (Helfand link). He’s presently day-to-day and figures to test things out again on Friday. Gallo missed a bit of time due to an intercostal strain but he’s already slugged 10 homers after signing a one-year free agent deal over the winter.

Walker Buehler Targeting September Return From Tommy John Surgery

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Dodgers right-hander Walker Buehler spoke with members of the media this week, including Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic and J.P. Hoornstra of The Orange County Register, saying that he has September 1 as a target date to be back in the club’s rotation.

This makes for quite an aggressive timeline, as he underwent Tommy John surgery August 23 of last year. While some pitchers have returned within 12 months of the surgery in the past, the recovery period has become more cautious in recent years and returning that quickly has become rare. Furthermore, this is Buehler’s second TJS of his career, having first gone under the knife in 2015. A second procedure typically comes with a longer recovery period than the first, making his Buehler’s target all the more noteworthy.

“The day I had surgery, [Dr. Neal ElAttrache] told me it was one of the best surgeries he’s done,” Buehler said. “Maybe that was just him trying to make me feel good, but I’ve really taken it to heart.” As it’s laid out by Buehler, it seems that his ulnar collateral ligament wasn’t actually torn, as is usually the case for a Tommy John procedure. Rather, the culprit was bone chips and fragments in his elbow. While the ligament was still replaced, the overall structural integrity of the elbow wasn’t as bad as it normally would be for this surgery. “I don’t think anything has happened that would tell me that’s not an achievable goal,” Buehler said of his September target. He’s also open to returning in a relief role if he runs out of time but that decision will be made as the situation progresses.

Whether all of this actually leads to Buehler returning by the end of the season remains to be seen, but it would obviously be tremendous for both player and team if it did come to fruition. The righty has established himself as one of the better pitchers in the majors in recent years. From 2018 to 2021, he tossed 564 innings with a 2.82 ERA, 27.7% strikeout rate and 6.1% walk rate. The 14.3 wins above replacement he accrued in that time, per FanGraphs, was seventh among all pitchers in the majors. He wasn’t quite as effective last year, with his ERA spiking to 4.02 over 12 starts, though it’s possible the looming injury was already starting to affect him in that time.

Getting that kind of pitcher back just in time for the stretch run and postseason would be a nice late-season boost for the Dodgers, who are currently leading the National League West but with just a three-game lead over the Diamondbacks. The club currently has a five-man rotation of Clayton Kershaw, Julio Urías, Dustin May, Tony Gonsolin and Noah Syndergaard, though the latter has struggled to a 5.94 ERA so far and May seems bound for the IL due to a flexor pronator strain. Younger pitchers like Michael Grove and Ryan Pepiot have been in the mix but are both currently on the injured list, while Gavin Stone also got a spot start recently. It’s impossible to tell what shape the rotation will be in come September given the potential for other injuries or midseason trades, but there’s no doubt that peak Buehler would be an upgrade.

Buehler is making $8.025MM this year, his third of four arbitration seasons as a Super Two player. He’ll be eligible for one more pass through arbitration for 2024, likely making a similar salary due to missing most of 2023, after which he’s slated to reach free agency at the age of 30.

Dustin May Headed For IL Due To Flexor Pronator Strain

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5:45pm: Manager Dave Roberts tells reporters, including Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic, that May has a flexor pronator strain. His return timeline is still unclear but May is headed for the injured list. Ardaya adds in a subsequent tweet that May’s ulnar collateral ligament didn’t appear to be impacted in early testing.

3:20pm: Dodgers starter Dustin May departed today’s game after just one inning. Several reporters, including Mike Petriello of MLB.com, noticed that May’s velocity was down from his typical range. The club later announced that the righty departed due to elbow pain.

At this point, it’s still unknown exactly what is bothering May or how severe it is. However, an issue with a pitcher’s throwing elbow is always a cause for some concern, and the diminished velocity and quick hook just add to the sense of alarm.

May, 25, has shown the potential to be an excellent pitcher in the big leagues but has been prevented from taking on a significant workload by the pandemic and Tommy John surgery. He debuted in August of 2019, tossing 34 2/3 innings that year with a 3.42 ERA. He followed that up by tossing 56 innings in the shortened 2020 season with a tiny 2.57 ERA. He then made just five starts in 2021 before having to undergo Tommy John, returning to make six more starts late last year. He had a 2.68 ERA through his first eight starts this year, with today’s truncated outing his ninth time taking the ball.

Amid those interruptions, the 56 innings he threw in 2020 are still a career high. He has an excellent 3.12 ERA dating back to 2019 but in only 190 2/3 total frames over that stretch. He and the club will no doubt do some further testing in the days to come to figure out what’s ailing him and hope that he isn’t slated for yet another significant obstacle in his career path.

If May does end up needing to miss some time, the Dodgers would still be in decent shape, but it would deal another blow to their rotation depth. Clayton Kershaw, Julio Urías, Tony Gonsolin and Noah Syndergaard would still give them a solid front four. Syndergaard has a 5.94 ERA on the year but the others are all below 3.65.

Further down the club’s depth chart, Ryan Pepiot and Michael Grove are both on the injured list already and don’t seem to be immediate options to jump back to the big league club. Gavin Stone and Andre Jackson are each on the 40-man roster and could be recalled, if necessary. Prospect Bobby Miller is in Triple-A but has an 8.64 ERA through his first three starts there this year and isn’t on the 40-man roster.

Domingo German Suspended Following Foreign Substance Check

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May 17: As expected, Germán has been given a 10-game suspension and a fine, reports Jon Heyman of The New York Post. Germán will not be appealing.

May 16, 10:11pm: Hoye met with reporters (including MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch and Keegan Matheson). He called Germán’s hand “the stickiest (he) had ever felt” and opined it “was definitely not rosin.”

7:12pm: Yankees starter Domingo Germán was ejected from this evening’s appearance against the Blue Jays following a foreign substance inspection. Germán had completed three perfect innings before being thrown out by home plate umpire James Hoye to start the fourth. Ian Hamilton was called out of the bullpen to replace him.

Germán becomes the second pitcher of the season ejected for a foreign substance violation. Mets star Max Scherzer had been tossed from a game with the Dodgers a few weeks ago. Those ejections carry a corresponding 10-game suspension, so it’s likely Germán will be formally hit with that ban in the next day or two.

It’s also the second time this season Germán himself has been at the center of a sticky stuff controversy. During an April 15 outing against the Twins, umpires twice warned Germán about applying too much rosin to his hand (link via Dan Hayes of the Athletic). The umpiring crew allowed him to continue pitching after washing his hands. That was to the displeasure of Minnesota skipper Rocco Baldelli, who was himself ejected for arguing against Germán being allowed to continue.

While pitchers are permitted to use rosin, MLB pointed as partial justification for Scherzer’s suspension earlier in the year that “when used excessively or otherwise misapplied (i.e., to gloves or other parts of the uniform), rosin may be determined by the umpires to be a prohibited foreign substance, the use of which may subject a player to ejection and discipline.” It isn’t yet clear whether that was the crew’s justification for Germán’s ejection or whether they determined he was using a banned substance altogether.

The league will surely provide more information in the next day or two. That’s largely immaterial to the Yankees, as Germán faces a suspension regardless of the precise justification. He’d have an appellate right, though Scherzer declined to go through that process after being informed that a league official is responsible for hearing the appeal. In all likelihood, Germán will be out for the next ten days.

If that’s the case, the Yankees would have to play with a 25-man roster. Teams cannot fill the roster spot of a player suspended for an on-field rules violation. New York could recall a spot starter or reinstate Luis Severino from the injured list to step into the rotation but they’d have to play a man short in another area to do so.

Nick Lodolo Diagnosed With Stress Reaction In Tibia

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Reds starter Nick Lodolo was diagnosed with a stress reaction in his left tibia earlier this week, writes Bobby Nightengale of the Cincinnati Enquirer. He’ll be in a walking boot and go for another MRI in a couple weeks.

Lodolo was already placed on the 15-day injured list over the weekend. At the time, the club announced his injury as calf tendinitis. The Reds provided a one-month return timetable on Sunday, though it seems likely the revelation of the stress reaction will delay his return further. Manager David Bell told the club’s beat a more definitive recovery timeline won’t be clear until Lodolo’s follow-up imaging two weeks from now.

The 25-year-old southpaw is among the most important players in the organization. Lodolo and fellow top prospect Hunter Greene both made the season-opening rotation in 2022. Each impressed as rookies, enough so in Greene’s case the Reds signed him to the second-largest extension for a pitcher with between one and two years of major league service. Lodolo hasn’t inked the same kind of deal, though his camp reportedly had some conversations with Cincinnati brass about that possibility last month.

It had been a mixed season for Lodolo even prior to the injury. He’s been tagged for a 6.29 ERA over 34 1/3 innings through his first seven starts. That’s largely attributable to a staggering 10 home runs allowed (2.62 HR/9). The home run ball wasn’t an issue for Lodolo during his debut season, though, and he’s shown strong strikeout and walk numbers during year two. The TCU product has fanned 28.3% of opponents behind a strong 12.9% swinging strike percentage while cutting his walk rate from 8.8% to 6%.

Lodolo, Greene and Graham Ashcraft had been locked into rotation spots if healthy. With Lodolo out for a notable chunk of time, Cincinnati called up Brandon Williamson to make his MLB debut yesterday. Lodolo’s college teammate fared well in his first start, throwing 5 2/3 innings of one-run ball at Coors Field. Nightengale writes that Williamson is expected to remain in the rotation, joining Greene, Ashcraft and Luke Weaver.

For the fifth spot, the Reds appear likely to turn to righty Ben Lively. The 31-year-old has come out of the bullpen twice, combining for 5 1/3 frames, since being selected to replace Luis Cessa on the roster a little over a week ago. Nightengale writes that Lively will get the start on Friday against the Yankees, pushing him into the role he manned for Triple-A Louisville. He’d started four of five appearances with the Bats, working to a 2.33 ERA despite a middling 15.2% strikeout rate. His start will be his first at the big league level since 2018, when he took the ball five times for the Phillies.

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