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Archives for June 2023
Cardinals Place Tres Barrera On Waivers
8:15PM: As noted by Denton, Goold, and several others on Twitter, prospect Luken Baker isn’t playing for Triple-A Louisville tonight, and could be on his way to the majors as Berrera’s replacement on both the 40-man and active roster. A second-round pick for the Cards in the 2018 draft, the 26-year-old Baker has broken out with a huge season at Triple-A, hitting .313/.434/.641 with 18 homers over 244 PA. Since Baker is a first base-only player, Paul Goldschmidt is blocking him from his natural position in St. Louis, so Baker would serve as a DH (probably against left-handed pitching, since Baker swings from the right side).
7:40PM: The Cardinals have placed catcher Tres Barrera on waivers, as the catcher himself told reporters (including the St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s Derrick Goold and MLB.com’s John Denton). According to Goold, the Cards will be replacing Barrera on the active roster with another position player.
Barrera signed a minor league deal with St. Louis during the offseason, and his contact was selected in early May when the Cardinals made the decision to temporarily limit Willson Contreras to DH duty. When Contreras was returned to the catcher role just over a week later, it basically ended any chance Barrera had of significant playing time, since Andrew Knizner had already won the backup job out of Spring Training. All in all, Barrera appeared in six games with the Cardinals as a late-game sub, only receiving two plate appearances.
The 28-year-old Barrera has now appeared in parts of four MLB seasons since 2019, though with only 57 games and 164 PA on his big league resume. A longtime member of the Nationals’ farm system, Barrera’s previous Major League experience came in limited action in Washington, and the Nats outrighted him off their 40-man roster after last season. Given the lack of catching depth around baseball, it seems likely that some team will take a look at Barrera on another minor league contract.
Cubs Place Justin Steele On 15-Day Injured List
The Cubs placed left-hander Justin Steele on the 15-day injured list due to a left forearm strain. The placement is retroactive to June 1. Taking Steele’s spot on the active roster is catcher Miguel Amaya, who was called up from Triple-A Iowa.
As detailed in reports earlier today, the MRI on Steele’s forearm revealed no structural damage, leaving even some possibility that Steele might miss a start but avoid doing on the injured list altogether. However, it appears as though the Cubs have decided to err on the side of caution, which is understandable given the larger-scale injuries that can be associated with forearm problems. For now, it would seem possible that Steele might be able to return after the minimum 15 days, making this IL stint perhaps just a blip in what has been an otherwise excellent season for the 27-year-old southpaw.
Steele has a 2.65 ERA over 12 starts and 68 innings, along with a strong 5.9% walk rate and an elite 28% hard-hit ball rate. Steele’s 21.4% strikeout rate is well below average, but his ability to both keep the ball on the ground (48.4% grounder rate) and induce soft contact has been a winning recipe for success, and even a step up from his quality numbers in 2021-22.
The forearm problem arose during Steele’s start on Wednesday, as he was perfect over three innings against the Pirates before being removed from the game. Hayden Wesneski is slated to take Steele’s spot in the rotation, and Wesneski is scheduled to start on Tuesday against the Angels.
Amaya made his MLB debut by playing in six games for Chicago earlier this season, and the former top-100 prospect will now get another look at the big league level. With Yan Gomes and Tucker Barnhart taking up the catching duties, it remains to be seen how much playing time Amaya might get during this latest stint in the Show, and it might end up being a relatively brief stay until the Cubs feel the need to call up a fresh arm.
Brewers Place Tyrone Taylor, Darin Ruf On 10-Day Injured List
Prior to today’s 10-8 win over the Reds, the Brewers placed outfielders Tyrone Taylor and Darin Ruf on the 10-day injured list. Taylor (whose placement is retroactive to June 2) is dealing with a right elbow sprain, while Ruf has a laceration on his right knee. In corresponding moves, Milwaukee called up Blake Perkins from Triple-A, and as reported yesterday, Jon Singleton’s contract was selected from Triple-A.
The new faces delivered today, as Perkins hit a grand slam to help the Brewers score the victory in Cincinnati. However, losing Taylor and Ruf further thins the Brewers’ depth, as the club now has 14 players (six of them position players) on the injured list. It isn’t yet known when either player could be back, as Bally Sports’ Sophia Minnaert notes, since Ruf’s laceration is quite severe and Taylor will undergo tests to determine the nature of his elbow problem.
Taylor first sprained his right elbow in late February, which kept him out of action for Spring Training and delayed his 2023 debut until May 2. Whether due to the lost spring prep time, lingering elbow soreness, or both, Taylor has badly struggled at the plate, hitting only .160/.179/.240 over 78 plate appearances. It’s a big dropoff for a player who had a solid .241/.303/.453 slash line over 729 PA of part-time duty in 2019-22, and it seemed like Taylor might have been in line for a larger role given the rather unsettled nature of Milwaukee’s outfield.
Ruf just signed the Brew Crew in the middle of May, coming to Milwaukee after he elected free agency rather than accept an outright assignment to the Giants’ Triple-A affiliate. Stepping into a first base platoon as the right-handed hitting complement to Rowdy Tellez, Ruf also wasn’t hitting much (.531 OPS) over his first 30 PA for Milwaukee before he badly cut his knee during Friday’s game. Ruf was chasing a foul ball when he collided with the tarp rolled up on the sidelines at the Great American Ballpark.
Dodgers Activate Michael Grove, Place Phil Bickford On 15-Day IL
The Dodgers shuffled up their pitching ranks with a few transactions today, including Michael Grove’s activation from the 15-day injured list. Los Angeles also called right-hander Tayler Scott up from Triple-A Oklahoma City. In the corresponding moves, southpaw Justin Bruihl was optioned to Triple-A, and righty Phil Bickford was placed on the 15-day IL due to lower back tightness.
Grove will start today’s game against the Yankees, which will mark his fifth start of the season. One of the Dodgers’ top pitching prospects over the last few years, Grove made his MLB debut with 29 1/3 innings in 2022, and has 16 frames under his belt thus far in 2023. The results haven’t been there, as Grove has a 5.96 ERA over his 45 1/3 innings in the bigs, including an 8.44 number this season. Grove’s struggles were then compounded by a groin strain that has kept him on the IL since April 21.
The righty will get another look in the rotation for at least one more start, though the Dodgers’ ongoing battle with pitching injuries could very well mean that plans change yet again. Some notable reinforcements could be coming in the form of Julio Urias, as manager Dave Roberts told reporters (including Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times) that Urias had a bullpen session today that involved around 30 pitches. Urias has been out until May 19 due to a hamstring strain, but might be in line to return next weekend if all goes well with a live batting practice session slated for Tuesday.
Noah Syndergaard will start Wednesday’s game, with Roberts telling the L.A. Times’ Mike DiGiovanna and other media that despite Syndergaard’s struggles, “we want to continue to bet on him.” With a 6.54 ERA over 11 starts and 52 1/3 innings, Syndergaard hasn’t been at all what the Dodgers expected after signing him to a one-year, $13MM free agent contract. Roberts’ statement might well indicate the club’s continued faith that Syndergaard might turn things around, yet the other issue is that L.A. doesn’t really have any ready-made replacements on hand, due to all of the injuries. If Urias returns as planned and Grove can impress in his next start or two, the Dodgers could potentially give Grove a longer look at Syndergaard’s expense.
Bickford has a 7.33 ERA over 27 innings out of the Dodgers’ bullpen, though his much more palatable 3.70 SIERA indicates that Bickford has been somewhat unlucky. His .362 BABIP and a 56.8% strand rate haven’t been in his favor, but Bickford’s 52.7% hard-hit ball rate and 13.5% barrel rate are both amongst the highest in the league, so it isn’t as though the righty has simply been the victim of some batted-ball luck.
Rangers Activate Ezequiel Duran, Place Brad Miller On 10-Day IL
The Rangers activated utilityman Ezequiel Duran from the 10-day injured list, with Duran taking Brad Miller’s place on the active roster. Miller is headed to the 10-day IL himself due to a right oblique strain, and his placement is retroactive to May 31.
Miller signed a two-year, $10MM deal with the Rangers during the 2021-22 offseason, but the veteran’s stint in Arlington hasn’t gone well. After hitting .212/.270/.320 over 241 plate appearances in 2022, Miller hasn’t fared much better with a .208/.304/.333 slash line in 56 PA this season. The left-handed hitting Miller had long found success against right-handed pitching, but his numbers against righties have cratered since coming to Texas.
Between these struggles and the fact that so many other Rangers hitters are doing well, Miller’s playing time has been reduced, and he’ll now miss time altogether on the injured list. The severity of the oblique strain isn’t yet known, and even a Grade 1 (the lowest level) strain could mean at least three or four weeks on the sidelines for the veteran utilityman.
Duran has been on the IL since May 24 due to an oblique issue of his own, but fortunately for Duran, his injury was deemed as discomfort rather than an actual strain. Duran will now return after a relatively short IL stint and look to continue what has been a nice breakout for the 24-year-old in his second MLB season. Over 144 PA, Duran has hit .301/.340/.515 with seven home runs. He got a lot of work at shortstop when Corey Seager was injured, but Duran now looks to get a lot of playing time as a DH and in left field.
Yankees Place Ryan Weber, Greg Allen On Injured List
The Yankees placed two players on the injured list, with right-hander Ryan Weber heading to the 15-day IL due to a right forearm strain, and outfielder Greg Allen going to the 10-day IL due to a right hip flexor strain. Utility man Oswaldo Cabrera and left-hander Nick Ramirez were called up from Triple-A to fill the spots on the active roster.
Weber told the New York Post’s Greg Joyce that he other reporters that he felt soreness last night during his two innings of work in the Yankees’ 8-4 loss to the Dodgers. An MRI will reveal what exactly could be wrong with Weber’s forearm and elbow area, and he and the Yankees can only hope that the worst-case scenario of a Tommy John surgery isn’t the outcome.
Now in his ninth MLB season, Weber has spent the last two seasons in the Bronx on minor league deals. The 2022 season saw Weber constantly sent up and down to Triple-A in a flurry of DFAs and outrights, though 2023 has at least seen a bit more stability, as the Yankees didn’t select him to the big league roster until May 11, and Weber has remained on the 26-man until today.
Though Weber has tossed only 25 MLB innings between all of his moves on and off the roster, he has performed well when wearing the pinstripes, delivering a 2.16 ERA over those 25 relief frames. Never a big strikeout pitcher, Weber has only a 10.3% K% as a Yankee, but also a 51.8% grounder rate and a tiny 2.1% walk rate. While a small sample size, it does represent a nice big step up from Weber’s 5.28 ERA over 167 innings in his first seven seasons, and why Weber has continued to get looks from the Yankees despite the lack of missed bats.
Allen previously played for the Yankees in 2021, and he only made his return two weeks ago after a trade from the Red Sox. Allen’s encore in the Bronx has thus far seen him hit .214/.313/.571 over 17 plate appearances, as his three hits have included a home run and a triple.
It’s a nice start for a player acquired as outfield depth, but with Allen now on the IL, the Yankees will again turn to Cabrera to help out in their troubled left field position. While Aaron Judge is having his typically excellent season and Harrison Bader has been very good when healthy, left field has been a revolving door for New York, with seven different players already seeing at least some time in left this season. With Bader now on the injured list due to a hamstring strain, the Yankees’ outfield depth is further tested.
Bartolo Colon Is Not Retiring
4:17PM: Colon isn’t retiring, MLB Trade Rumors has learned from the pitcher’s agents at Wasserman.
12:33PM: 2005 AL Cy Young award winner and four-time All Star Bartolo Colon is officially hanging up his glove, reports MLB Insider Hector Gomez. Now age 50, “Big Sexy” hasn’t pitched in the majors since the end of the 2018 season, though he pitched in the independent Mexican League as recently as the 2021 season.
Colon’s MLB career began in Cleveland in 1997. Though he struggled to a 5.65 ERA in 94 innings as a rookie, he would quickly become the club’s reliable workhorse, pitching to a 3.91 ERA (122 ERA+) with a 4.00 FIP over 819 innings during the 1998-2001 campaigns. He got off to a phenomenal start in 2002, with a 2.55 ERA that was 72% better than league average, before being shipped to Montreal in a deal that spawned a trade tree in Cleveland that includes players like Cliff Lee, Carlos Carrasco, and Andres Gimenez. Colon pitched well with the Expos, posting a 3.31 ERA in 117 innings before the club dealt him to the White Sox.
Colon pitched a career-high 242 innings during his 2003 season on the South Side, posting 3.87 ERA (120 ERA+) before departing for free agency the following offseason. He landed a four-year deal with the Angels in free agency, and after struggling to a 5.01 ERA in his first season with the club delivered a phenomenal 2005 season that earned him his second career All Star appearance and a Cy Young award. During the campaign, Colon racked up a league-leading 21 wins in 33 starts as he posted a strong 3.48 ERA in 222 2/3 innings of work.
Unfortunately, Colon’s final two seasons in Anaheim would be tainted by injury, as he struggled to a 5.90 ERA in just 155 2/3 innings across the two campaigns. After departing Anaheim, Colon would pitch just 101 1/3 innings over the next three years, suiting up for the Red Sox in 2008 and returning to the White Sox in 2009 before missing the entire 2010 season due to shoulder injuries.
His return to a major league mound came in 2011 after he signed a minor league deal with the Yankees. In the Bronx, Colon posted a solid 4.00 ERA in 164 1/3 innings of work with a FIP of 3.71. The 2011 season represented a new beginning for Colon, now 38, as he would go on to pitch more than 150 innings in each of the following five seasons for the A’s and the Mets. This stretch included Colon’s third All Star appearance, which came in Oakland as he posted a phenomenal 2.65 ERA in 190 1/3 innings of work en route to a sixth-place finish in AL Cy Young award voting.
It also included his fourth and final All Star appearance, which came at the age of 43 with the Mets in 2016. After making it to the World Series with the Mets in 2015, Colon posted a 3.43 ERA that was 17% better than league average by measure of ERA+ in 191 2/3 innings of work as the Mets returned to the playoffs, though Colon ultimately did not pitch for the club in the postseason as New York lost the NL Wild Card game to the Giants. Colon pitched in the majors for two more seasons after leaving the Mets, posting a 6.13 ERA in 289 1/3 innings split between the Braves, Twins, and Rangers before making his final MLB appearance at the age of 45.
In all, Colon pitched 3,461 2/3 innings across 565 appearances in his career, which spanned more than twenty seasons. The big right-hander finishes his career with an above-average 4.12 ERA and 4.15 FIP for his career with 2,535 strikeouts. MLBTR wishes Colon all the best as he officially moves into his post-playing career.
Orioles Select Josh Lester
The Orioles announced that they have selected the contract of infielder/outfielder Josh Lester from Triple-A. In corresponding moves, righty Dillon Tate was moved to the 60-day injured list, and left-hander Danny Coulombe was placed on the bereavement list.
Lester was a 13th-round pick for the Tigers in the 2015 draft, and he spent his entire career in Detroit’s organization until this past offseason, when he elected to become a minor league free agent rather than an accept an outright assignment to Triple-A Toledo. Lester’s stint in Motown at least culminated in his Major League debut, as he appeared in two games for the Tigers last season.
After catching on with Baltimore on a minor league deal, Lester has been crushing Triple-A pitching, hitting .282/.339/.549 with 14 homers over 231 plate appearances at Norfolk. Even with all of the star prospects in the Orioles’ farm system, it could be that the O’s prefer giving what might be a brief stint in the majors to a more experienced player, rather than interrupt the development of a more long-term asset. It’s hard to argue that Lester’s slash line wasn’t worth at least another cup of coffee in the Show, and he’ll provide some depth as a corner infielder and corner outfielder.
Tate suffered a flexor strain back in November and hasn’t yet pitched in the majors in 2023, but he has logged 10 appearances in the minors as he works his way back. The move to the 60-day IL doesn’t impact Tate’s timetable, as the 60-day placement retroactively applies to his initial 15-day placement on Opening Day.
Rays Activate Shawn Armstrong, Designate Joe La Sorsa
The Rays have made some moves in between games of their double-header with the Red Sox today, as reported by Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times (via Twitter). Left-hander Joe La Sorsa was designated for assignment and righty Trevor Kelley was optioned to Triple-A. Taking their places in the bullpen are the newly-acquired Robert Stephenson, as well as another right-hander in Shawn Armstrong. For Armstrong, he is set to make his 2023 debut after being activated from the 60-day injured list, as he has been sidelined due to a neck injury.
Armstrong’s neck problem surfaced in early March, so he missed quite a bit of Spring Training and thus needed a good amount of ramp-up time once he was healthy enough to pitch. The veteran reliever made seven appearances with Triple-A Durham and performed well, with a 2.00 ERA over his even nine innings of work.
Tampa Bay’s bullpen has always been something of a revolving door due to the team’s penchant for shuttling fresh arms up and down from Triple-A, but injuries and an overall so-so performance from the relief corps (who rank 22nd in bullpen ERA) has led to a bit more shuffling than usual. The Rays hope that Armstrong and Stephenson can help provide some stability, as the bullpen has been basically the only relative weak link on a team that otherwise looks like a World Series contender.
That said, injuries within the rotation are also a major concern, with Drew Rasmussen out until around August and Jeffrey Springs done for the season due to Tommy John surgery. In addition to those sidelined pitchers, Josh Fleming is now also set to miss “at least several weeks,” Topkin writes, due to an elbow problem. Fleming said he felt “discomfort on the outside of the elbow and near his triceps,” and is undergoing an MRI and CT scan today to determine the nature of the injury.
Fleming has a 4.62 ERA over 48 2/3 innings this season, starting three of his 11 games. While the results have been inconsistent for the groundball specialist, Fleming’s ability to work as a swingman has been helpful to the Rays as they navigate these injuries, though now Fleming himself is looking at a lengthy absence. Topkin suggests that Tampa might call up Yonny Chirinos to work as a regular starter, and of course Tampa Bay could conceivably turn to their past strategy of openers and bulk pitchers rather than a traditional starter.
La Sorsa’s contract was selected last week, and the southpaw’s brief stint in the big leagues resulted in his MLB debut — two scoreless innings in the Rays’ 1-0 loss to the Cubs on May 29. The 25-year-old La Sorsa also pitched at the Triple-A level for the first time in 2023, posting a 3.86 ERA over 21 innings in Durham. La Sorsa has some decent but not standout numbers over his four career minor league seasons, so it’s possible the Rays might be able to sneak him through the waiver wire before outrighting him back to Triple-A.
