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Archives for April 2024

Zack Gelof Placed On IL With Oblique Strain

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April 25: The A’s have now made it official, placing Gelof on the IL and recalling Hernaiz as the corresponding move.

April 24: A’s second baseman Zack Gelof has been diagnosed with a left oblique strain, tweets Martín Gallegos of MLB.com. The second-year infielder is likely headed to the 10-day injured list.

Oakland hasn’t provided a specific timetable for Gelof’s return, nor have they announced the variety of the strain. Even Grade 1 strains (the lowest severity) usually require multiple weeks to recover. The A’s will be hoping for a relatively quick return for one of their most talented hitters.

Gelof, a second-round pick out of UVA in 2021, was arguably the A’s best player as a rookie. He earned his first MLB call around the All-Star Break. Gelof popped 14 homers with a .267/.337/.504 batting line in his first 300 plate appearances. While he’ll need more than a half-season of strong play to establish himself as an organizational building block, his performance was a rare bright spot for a team that limped to a 50-112 record.

The right-handed hitter has started this year slowly. He’s fanned 33 times in his first 101 plate appearances, hitting .196/.260/.337. Gelof drilled a two-run homer to break a scoreless tie in the ninth and secure a 2-0 win over the Yankees on Monday before an 0-4 showing yesterday. Abdominal soreness led the A’s to scratch him from tonight’s lineup and send him for testing that apparently revealed the strain.

Gelof had started all 24 games at second base before tonight. Manager Mark Kotsay went with Abraham Toro at the keystone this evening. Toro had otherwise played either third base or designated hitter this season. If the A’s stick with Toro at second base, they could turn to Tyler Nevin at the hot corner. They recently optioned 22-year-old infielder Darell Hernaiz, who hit .103/156/.103 in his first look at MLB pitching. He seems the most logical candidate to be called back up if the A’s want to add another infielder to the big league roster. Jessica Kleinschmidt tweets that Hernaiz was removed from tonight’s Triple-A contest, seemingly in preparation for a promotion.

Brewers Place Wade Miley On Injured List With Elbow Inflammation

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April 25: The initial wave of imaging on Miley was inconclusive, manager Pat Murphy tells the team’s beat (X link via Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel). He’s headed for further testing — an arthrogram, specifically — to determine if there’s any ligament damage in his elbow.

April 22: The Brewers announced a series of transactions today, most notably placing left-hander Wade Miley on the 15-day injured list due to left elbow inflammation, retroactive to April 19. Right-hander Tobias Myers was recalled in a corresponding move. Also, first baseman Jake Bauers was reinstated from the bereavement list with infielder Andruw Monasterio optioned to Triple-A Nashville.

At this point, it’s unclear if the Brewers expect the injury to be serious, but there’s always some level of concern when a pitcher’s throwing elbow is involved. Per Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, the left-hander is going to get some imaging done tomorrow and Miley says he is trying to fight back the negative thoughts in his head. “I don’t want to be concerned,” he says at the end of the clip in the link from Hogg. “Obviously, the ugly thought probably ends it for me, so I’m trying not to take myself there right now. I don’t know if I’d be willing to go through something like that and I’m hoping it’s nothing to that extent. But like I said, without imaging, we won’t know.”

Miley, 37, has had plenty of injury scares in recent years, only twice getting to 125 innings since 2017. In 2022, he missed time both due to elbow inflammation and a shoulder strain in his throwing arm, logging just 37 innings. He got up to 120 1/3 frames last year but also missed time due to a lat strain and some elbow discomfort. Here in 2024, he started the season on the IL due to a shoulder impingement, came back to make two starts and is now heading to the IL again.

The “ugly thought” he alluded to presumably refers to Tommy John surgery, which generally requires something in the range of 14-18 months to recover from. At this point in the calendar, that would wipe out the rest of Miley’s 2024 season and much of the 2025 campaign as well. If he were to go through all that, he would be nearing his 39th birthday by the time he got back to a mound. Based on his comments, it sounds like it’s not a road he wants to go down or even think about right now.

The club will surely provide more information when they have it, but it will be a challenging situation for them regardless due to some other injuries in their rotation. Brandon Woodruff had shoulder surgery last year and won’t be an option until late in 2024 season, if at all. Jakob Junis has been on the IL for a couple of weeks due to a shoulder impingement while DL Hall was placed on the IL just yesterday due to a left knee sprain.

That leaves Milwaukee with a rotation consisting of Freddy Peralta, Colin Rea and Joe Ross for the time being. The recent IL placements of Hall and Miley mean they will have to scramble to fill a couple of spots. Reaching into the minors leagues will also have injury complications as Robert Gasser, one of the club’s top prospects, hasn’t yet pitched in Triple-A due to a bone spur in his left elbow.

Myers, 25, was added to the club’s roster last week but was optioned the next day without getting into a game and is still looking to make his major league debut. He has been pitching multi-inning stints in the minors and could perhaps take on some bulk work for the Brewers. Bryse Wilson has past starting experience and has been throwing multi-inning stints in the big leagues this year, so he’s another option. Aaron Ashby and Janson Junk are also on the 40-man roster and could be recalled to provide some length.

The Brewers are currently 14-6 and sitting atop the National League Central, but the ongoing rotation issues will make it a challenge to hang onto that spot. The team and Miley will obviously be hoping that tomorrow’s imaging doesn’t find anything concerning and that the lefty can rejoin the club after a brief respite.

Blue Jays Place Bowden Francis On Injured List

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The Blue Jays announced today that right-hander Bowden Francis has been played on the 15-day injured list with right forearm extensor tendinitis. Left-hander Brendon Little was recalled in a corresponding move.

At first glance, the loss of Francis might not seem to be too significant since he was operating as the club’s long reliever. However, when combined with other details, it highlights the thin starting depth for the Jays.

The club has a strong five-man rotation at the moment in Kevin Gausman, José Berríos, Chris Bassitt, Yusei Kikuchi and Yariel Rodríguez. The latter is the least established of that bunch but he has looked solid so far, with a 3.86 earned run average through his first three starts, striking out 28.8% of batters faced.

But with Francis now on the shelf, it’s unclear who the club would turn to if any of those five suffered an injury. Mitch White was in the mix earlier this year but he was recently squeezed off the roster and traded to the Giants, so he’s no longer an option.

Alek Manoah is theoretically a possibility, but the Jays likely aren’t too excited about turning to him again. He was a borderline ace in 2021 and 2022 but struggled badly last year, with his ERA ticking up to 5.87. Here in 2024, he started the season on the injured list due to right shoulder inflammation.

He has been on a rehab assignment in the minors in recent weeks but hasn’t looked great, having allowed 18 earned runs in 13 2/3 innings. Reading the stat line on a rehab assignment can’t always tell you everything since a pitcher might simply be focused on getting the ball over the plate and staying healthy while caring less about the results. However, Scott Mitchell of TSN relays that the eye test was also not good during Manoah’s outing for Buffalo last night, with his velocity noticeably down.

Prospect Ricky Tiedemann had been throwing in Triple-A and could have been considered an option until recently, but he was sent for an MRI due to some discomfort in his throwing elbow. It’s still unclear what the next steps are for him but his last appearance was two weeks ago.

For now, the rotation is in okay shape but injuries are fairly inevitable. Even if everyone stays healthy, Rodríguez might hit a wall at some point. He didn’t pitch at all last year after the World Baseball Classic, as he didn’t return to his team in Japan while trying to be declared a free agent. Even prior to that mostly dormant season, he was working as a reliever in the NPB and will be challenged to suddenly shoulder a starter’s workload for all of 2024.

With Francis and Tiedemann hurt, White gone and Manoah struggling, the Jays will have to think about who is next up. Paolo Espino is on the 40-man roster but he is a 37-year-old journeyman. Adam Macko is also on the roster but he’s not yet reached Triple-A and only has three Double-A starts on his track record.

Given the sudden subtraction of depth, the Jays will likely keep a close eye on the waiver wire or perhaps make a small trade to add some veteran depth. If they want to turn to free agency, guys like Rich Hill and Noah Syndergaard are still out there, though they would need a few weeks to get into game shape after missing Spring Training.

Mariners Select Leo Rivas, Place J.P. Crawford On Injured List

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The Mariners have placed shortstop J.P. Crawford on the 10-day injured list with a right oblique strain, per a team announcement. Infielder Leo Rivas’ contract has been selected from Triple-A Tacoma, and he’ll take Crawford’s spot on the roster. Righty Gregory Santos was transferred from the 15-day IL to the 60-day IL in a corresponding move. More specifically, Crawford tells Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times that he’s dealing with a Grade 1 strain (X link).

Crawford was scratched from yesterday’s game after experiencing tightness in his right oblique. He was sent for an MRI that revealed the strain. The Mariners haven’t provided a timetable for his return, but even Grade 1 strains — the least severe — of an oblique can sideline players for upwards of a month. Manager Scott Servais said prior to today’s game that utilityman Dylan Moore will be in line for the bulk of the shortstop reps while Crawford is on the shelf (X link via Divish).

The timing of Crawford’s injury is unfortunate. He’d gotten out to a slow start in 2024 but had just begun to turn the tides, hitting safely in nine of his past ten games and batting .275/.383/.360 during that span. He’s still hitting just .198/.296/.302 on the whole but had clearly been trending in the right direction prior to sustaining the injury.

Crawford’s absence will cost the Mariners their everyday leadoff man and shortstop. He’s emerged as a consistent presence atop the lineup, slashing .262/.352/.384 from 2021-23 while playing sound defense at shortstop (where he won a Gold Glove in 2020). Swapping him out for the 31-year-old Moore is likely a downgrade on both sides of the ball.

While Moore has plenty of experience at shortstop — and at nearly every position on the diamond — it’s his weakest position by measure of both Defensive Runs Saved and Outs Above Average. Moore is a .217/.344/.398 hitter since 2022 (118 wRC+), but that production has come with the benefit of being heavily platooned; he won’t have that luxury in an everyday role and figures to face plenty of right-handers, against whom he’s just a .198/.302/.368 hitter.

Rivas, 26, is receiving his first call to the bigs. The Mariners are his third career organization, as he was originally signed by the Angels as a teenager and has also spent time with the Reds. He’s out to a strong start in Triple-A Tacoma, where he’s posted a .308/.422/.462 slash in 66 trips to the plate. Getting on base has never been an issue for Rivas in the minors, where he touts a career .378 OBP. He lacks power, however, evidenced by a career-high of seven homers and a lifetime .106 ISO (slugging minus average). Divish notes that Servais touted Rivas’ defense multiple times as a reason that he was given the call in the wake of Crawford’s injury.

Royals Place Alec Marsh On Injured List, Recall Will Klein For MLB Debut

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The Royals announced Thursday that righty Alec Marsh is headed to the 15-day injured list with a right elbow contusion. Right-handed reliever Will Klein has been recalled to take his spot on the roster and will be making his MLB debut the first time he gets into a game.

Marsh took a comeback liner from Blue Jays rookie Addison Barger off his arm in yesterday’s game and exited the contest (video link). X-rays came back negative, though Anne Rogers of MLB.com tweeted after last night’s game that Marsh had severe bruising and an imprint of the seams was visible on his arm where he’d been struck. He’ll sit down for a couple weeks to let that subside before stepping back into the rotation.

Selected with the 70th overall pick in 2019, Marsh won the Royals’ fifth starter job over veteran Jordan Lyles in spring training and has had a fine start to his season. He’s taken the ball five times and pitched 26 2/3 innings with a 2.70 earned run average. His 15.9% strikeout rate and 36.3% grounder rate are both well below average, but Marsh also touts a strong 6.5% walk rate on the season. He’s not likely to sustain this level of success without upping his whiffs and/or grounders, and he’ll surely wind up seeing more than three percent of his fly-balls leave the yard (which has been his HR/FB rate in 2024). Even with those red flags, he still looks like a viable fifth starter in a vastly improved Kansas City rotation.

The 24-year-old Klein was Kansas City’s final pick in the shortened, five-round 2020 draft. He came off the board with the No.  135 overall selection and has steadily risen through the minor league ranks since. Klein logged a 3.38 ERA and fanned a third of his opponents in Double-A last year before reaching Triple-A and limping to a 5.66 ERA with a bloated 14.4% walk rate in 35 innings down the stretch. He’s opened the 2024 campaign with 11 shutout frames in Triple-A Omaha, however. Klein’s command remains an issue, evidenced by a 13.6% walk rate, but he’s whiffed nearly 28% of his opponents this season and kept the ball on the ground at a solid 44% rate.

Klein entered the season ranked 18th among Royals prospects at both Baseball America and MLB.com. Both outlets credit him with a plus-plus heater (70-grade on the 20-80 scale) that sits in the upper 90s and frequently reaches triple digits. Klein also garners praise for a plus slider/cutter and above-average curveball but unsurprisingly draws below-average reviews for his command of that potent arsenal. He has late-inning potential if he can get to even average command, but he’s thus far walked 16% of his opponents in pro ball.

Cora: Red Sox Will Continue To Use Ceddanne Rafaela As Primary Shortstop

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The Red Sox lost Trevor Story to season-ending shoulder surgery less than two weeks into the 2024 campaign, and they’ve cycled through several options there in the interim. However, infielder/outfielder Ceddanne Rafaela has started the past six games at the position, and manager Alex Cora said today that he’ll remain the everyday option at shortstop moving forward (X link via Ian Browne of MLB.com).

The 23-year-old Rafaela, who just signed an eight-year $50MM extension earlier this season, is regarded as one of the game’s top defensive outfielders but also has plenty of experience in the infield. He’s played all three positions left of first base, including 766 career frames at shortstop between the minors and the big leagues. Story, Vaughn Grissom and Romy Gonzalez are all on the injured list for the Sox, who’ve also tried David Hamilton and Pablo Reyes at shortstop. Rafaela will be the preferred choice moving forward.

It’s been a rough start to the season at the plate for Rafaela, a top-100 prospect who’s torn through upper-minors pitching but has yet to find much offensive success in the big leagues. The righty-swinging speedster hit .241/.286/.386 in 89 plate appearances during last year’s MLB debut effort and carries a dismal .171/.213/.293 slash through the exact same number of plate appearances thus far in 2024. Even with those struggles, Cora saw fit to give the touted young prospect a vote of confidence with today’s announcement.

The health of the rest of the roster could always chance the calculus, of course. The Sox currently figure to run with a primary outfield of Tyler O’Neill, Jarren Duran and Wilyer Abreu for the foreseeable future. An injury to any of that trio could push Rafaela back into the outfield, at least on occasion — particularly if and when Grissom and Gonzalez heal up to replenish some infield depth.

It’s perhaps not ideal to have an elite defensive outfielder operating as the everyday shortstop in the long run, but Rafaela is regarded as a plus defensive second baseman as well and has thus far handled shortstop plenty capably. That versatility is part of the reason the Sox valued him enough to put forth that extension offer in the first place. Even if his long-term home is likely in center field, he can help patch things over in the infield when injuries mount as they have thus far in 2024.

Dodgers Shut Down Brusdar Graterol’s Throwing Program

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The Dodgers have halted right-hander Brusdar Graterol’s throwing program for the time being, manager Dave Roberts announced to the team’s beat last night (X link via Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic). While there’s no new injury or setback of note, Graterol is still feeling discomfort in his arm when throwing and isn’t bouncing back as well as the team had hoped.

Graterol, one of the Dodgers’ top setup options, has been out all season after experiencing shoulder pain during spring training and being diagnosed with inflammation. He’d already been moved to the 60-day IL early in the season, but since the Dodgers opened the season early with their Seoul Series against the Padres, he was still ticketed him for a potential mid-May return. That no longer seems feasible. Roberts didn’t offer an exact timeline but indicated it’d be a “long program” to get Graterol back on a big league mound.

It’s unwelcome news for a Dodger bullpen that ranks 19th in the majors in ERA (4.07), 26th in FIP (4.52) and 16th in SIERA (3.81). Graterol was a major part of the bullpen last season, firing 67 1/3 innings with a pristine 1.20 ERA. The 25-year-old flamethrower picked up 19 holds and seven saves along the way. He fanned just 18.7% of his opponents but also delivered a brilliant 4.7% walk rate and superlative 64.4% ground-ball rate. In four seasons since the Dodgers acquired him from the Twins in exchange for Kenta Maeda, he’s pitched 173 2/3 innings with a 2.69 earned run average.

The Dodgers have a handful of relievers who are throwing well but the rest of the bullpen has struggled extensively. Closer Evan Phillips (0.93 ERA, six saves), setup man Daniel Hudson (2.45 ERA, five holds) and long man Ryan Yarbrough (3.52 ERA, 23 innings) have all had strong starts to their season. Lefty Alex Vesia has allowed only three earned runs in 12 1/3 innings (2.19 ERA), but he’ll be hard-pressed to sustain that pace based on his dismal 19.6% walk rate thus far. Righties Joe Kelly, Ryan Brasier and Michael Grove are the only other L.A. relievers with even nine innings pitched this season; all three have ERAs of 5.59 or worse.

The Dodgers have already used 15 different relievers on the young season. No team in baseball has used more, although both the Mets and Astros are also at 15 apiece. The continuity and stability afforded by a healthy Graterol would be a boon to Roberts’ relief corps, but it seems that’s a ways off from being a realistic possibility. The Dodgers tend to explore the trade market for bullpen help just about every summer — as do most contenders — and if Graterol ends up facing an especially lengthy absence, that’ll only add to their urgency.

The Opener: Pham, Seager, Crawford

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With 15% of the 2024 season in the books, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:

1. Pham opt-out decision:

When the White Sox signed veteran outfielder Tommy Pham to a minor league deal earlier this month, the deal came with a stipulation (per The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal) that Pham, 36, could opt out of his deal with the club if not selected to the major league roster by today. Chicago will have to clear a spot on the 40-man and active rosters to accommodate Pham’s addition. The veteran has made it into just three games in the minor leagues to this point, having gone 3-for-13 with a double and three strikeouts at the Triple-A level.

While he’s had minimal time to build up for the regular season, Pham has been a roughly league average corner bat going back to his 2019 season with the Rays. Over the past five seasons, he’s slashed .247/.337/.407 with a 105 wRC+, including a 2023 campaign that saw him slash .256/.328/.446 with a wRC+ of 110. Should the White Sox decide not to select Pham’s contract today, it’s certainly possible that he could find interest with another big league club that has suffered early-season outfield injuries, such as the Cardinals or Cubs.

2. Seager exits following HBP:

Rangers shortstop Corey Seager exited yesterday’s game prior to the eighth inning after being struck in the shin by a pitch in the seventh. As noted by MLB.com’s injury tracker, club manager Bruce Bochy told reporters following the game that Seager’s shin had “swelled up pretty good” following his removal from the game before indicating that the club intended to check on him today to determine next steps. Seager has hit just .256/.347/.313 (93 wRC+) to this point in the season but stormed to a second-place finish in AL MVP voting last year after an incredible campaign with the bat. Should Seager miss time, utility infielder Ezequiel Duran appears to be the most likely candidate to replace him in the lineup, but it’s not yet clear whether there’s a notable injury for the two-time World Series MVP.

3. Crawford to undergo MRI:

Seager isn’t the only AL West shortstop dealing with something, as J.P. Crawford of the Mariners was scratched from yesterday’s game due to an oblique issue he felt during batting practice prior to the game. Manager Scott Servais told reporters (including Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times) following last night’s loss to the Rangers that the club is not yet certain about the severity of Crawford’s ailment, and that he’s set to be sent for an MRI to before they determine next steps. Crawford, 29, has had a slow start on offense (84 wRC+ in 98 trips to the plate) but has fashioned himself into an above-average all-around shortstop in recent years, hitting .258/.350/.380 (112 wRC+) dating back to 2021. Utilityman Dylan Moore started at shortstop for the club last night in Crawford’s stead and could see more time at the position should he require a stint on the injured list, with Luis Urias and Sam Haggerty among the club’s other possibilities on the 40-man roster. Ryan Bliss, a 2021 second-rounder acquired from the D-backs in last year’s Paul Sewald trade, is top minor league option that’s not on the 40-man roster.

MLBTR Podcast Mailbag: Cardinals’ Troubles, Jazz Chisholm, Bad Umpiring And More

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The latest episode of the MLB Trade Rumors Podcast is now live on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts! Make sure you subscribe as well! You can also use the player at this link to listen, if you don’t use Spotify or Apple for podcasts.

This week, host Darragh McDonald is joined by Anthony Franco of MLB Trade Rumors for a mailbag episode. We spent the entire show answering questions from listeners, including…

  • Which of the division leaders have the most or least staying power? (3:10)
  • What does it look like if the Cardinals are selling at the deadline? (11:20)
  • Do the Cardinals have a problem with coaching or player development? (18:50)
  • When the Braves traded Marco Gonzales and Max Stassi, why did they trade for a player to be named later or cash when they were paying most of the salaries for both players? (22:35)
  • Will the Marlins trade Jazz Chisholm Jr. if they are out of contention in July? (24:45)
  • You’re designing a pitcher in a lab to succeed in today’s game and mitigate the likelihood of an injury. What is their profile and what pitches do they throw? (28:35)
  • Why isn’t there more umpire accountability? (33:30)
  • Why are the Pirates committed to hitting coach Andy Haines? (35:45)
  • Compare the cost of a Falcon 9 launch to the Javier Báez contract. How much could the Tigers save? (38:55)
  • Should the Tigers send Parker Meadows down and should the Giants release Mike Yastrzemski? (40:05)

Check out our past episodes!

The podcast intro and outro song “So Long” is provided courtesy of the band Showoff.  Check out their Facebook page here!

Royals Release Mike Brosseau

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The Royals released infielder Mike Brosseau from his minor league contract last night. The move was announced by Kansas City’s Triple-A club in Omaha this morning.

Brosseau, 30, signed with Kansas City over the offseason. He appeared in 12 games this spring, hitting .156 without an extra-base knock. Those struggles carried into the regular season with Omaha. In 33 plate appearances with the Storm Chasers, he posted a .107/.212/.143 slash.

That’s clearly not the way in which Brosseau wanted to start his season. Still, he has enough of a track record that he might be able to find another minor league deal elsewhere. Brosseau appeared in the majors in each season between 2019-23. He was an above-average hitter off the bench for the Rays over his first two years and produced a solid .255/.344/.418 line in 70 games for the Brewers two seasons ago. Last year was a challenge, as he hit .205/.256/.397 in 29 games before Milwaukee released him. Brosseau subsequently landed with the NPB’s Chiba Lotte Marines but only mustered a .191/.218/.297 slash in Japan.

Despite his recent struggles, Brosseau has a .249/.344/.455 mark over parts of five Triple-A seasons. While he hasn’t hit righties well in the majors, he’s managed a .265/.326/.464 line and 17 homers in 383 MLB plate appearances against left-handed pitching. That could attract attention from teams looking for righty-hitting infield depth.

MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

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