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AL East Notes: Mata, Mayo, Gausman

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The Red Sox are approaching a crossroads with regards to right-hander Bryan Mata. As noted by Chris Cotillo of MassLive, Mata has begun a rehab assignment as he works his way back from a hamstring strain that he suffered back in February. The 25-year-old was once one of the club’s top pitching prospects but has struggled with injuries and ineffectiveness over the past two seasons, pitching to a combined 6.39 ERA in 31 innings of work across all levels of he minors since the start of the 2023 campaign.

While the rehab assignment for a struggling pitcher who has yet to make his big league debut wouldn’t typically be especially notable, Mata’s rehab assignment is particularly worth noting because the righty is out of options. Given that, the Red Sox will have to make a decision regarding his future in the organization once his rehab clock runs out on June 12. If the club isn’t willing to offer Mata a spot on the active roster, they’ll need to designate him for assignment and risk losing him on waivers to get the chance to outright the young righty to the minor leagues. MassLive’s Sean McAdam reported back in February that the Red Sox expect Mata to be claimed if he’s exposed to waivers, though it’s possible that could change depending on how he looks throughout his rehab assignment.

Losing Mata on waivers would be a frustrating outcome for the Red Sox given the tantalizing talent he flashed prior to injuries sidetracking his career. In his most recent healthy season, the right-hander pitched to a strong 2.49 ERA in 83 innings while advancing through four levels of the minor leagues, including a 1.85 ERA in 10 appearances at the Double-A level and a 3.47 ERA in five starts at Triple-A. That season, Mata struck out a whopping 30.3% of batters faced, albeit with an elevated 13.3% walk rate. If the righty can get anything close to those huge strikeout numbers during his rehab assignment, it could certainly make sense for the club to offer him a role in the bullpen given the number of optionable relief arms they’re currently utilizing.

More from around the AL East…

  • Orioles fans received some tough news from down on the farm on Friday, when the club announced that top third base prospect Coby Mayo suffered a fractured rib and has been placed on the minor league injured list. The Orioles indicated that Mayo will be out for “several weeks” due to the injury. It’s a frustrating setback for the 22-year-old, who is a consensus top-30 prospect in the sport and has impressed with a .291/.359/.605 slash line in 42 games at the Triple-A level this year. It was certainly plausible that the club could turn to Mayo as a starting option at some point in the near future given his fantastic play and the struggles of fellow top prospect Jackson Holliday, though this injury surely represents a setback for Mayo’s timeline to be called up to the majors. Jorge Mateo is currently rounding out the club’s starting infield mix in the majors alongside youngsters Jordan Westburg and Gunnar Henderson.
  • Blue Jays ace Kevin Gausman has been off to a rough start this season, with a 4.89 ERA through nine starts despite a decent 3.50 FIP. Gausman’s struggles this season are particularly surprising given his utter dominance in recent years; from 2021 to ’23, the right-hander pitched to a 3.10 ERA (132 ERA+) with an even better 2.79 FIP. Gausman spoke to reporters (including MLB.com’s Keegan Matheson) yesterday about his frustrating results this season and described the campaign as an “uphill battle” to this point before suggesting that he “probably should have gone on the IL” at the start of the season. The righty battled shoulder soreness throughout Spring Training but nonetheless opened the season in the club’s rotation amid injuries sidelining much of the club’s starting pitching depth, including Alek Manoah and Yariel Rodriguez.

Mets Offered Pete Alonso Seven-Year, $158MM Extension Last Summer

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After the Mets’ record-setting spending failed to bring them even a winning record heading into late July of last season, the team instead generated headlines by selling instead of buying, moving Max Scherzer, Justin Verlander, and several others in a variety of deals prior to the trade deadline.  Since the Mets were reportedly open to considering all options on shorter-term talent, the club even had some discussions about moving Pete Alonso, who is a free agent this coming offseason.  The Brewers and Cubs were among the teams that at least checked in on Alonso’s status, but obviously no deal was struck, and the Polar Bear remains in a Mets uniform to this very day.

The trade explorations came after, however, the Mets made an attempt to lock Alonso up for the remainder of the decade.  Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports that the Mets offered Alonso a seven-year, $158MM extension last June, which would’ve kept him in Queens through his age 29-35 seasons.  According to Sherman, “the sides never got close to a deal,” which is why the Mets then shifted to at least testing the waters to see what Alonso might net on the trade market.

The length and amount of the Mets’ offer exactly matches the final seven years of Matt Olson’s extension with the Braves, signed back in March 2022.  Olson was two years away from free agency at the time of that long-term deal, and the final dollar figure was an eight-year pact worth $168MM in guaranteed money, plus the Braves hold a $20MM club option for the 2030 season.  New York’s offer to Alonso apparently didn’t involve a club option, but it otherwise mirrored Olson’s deal minus the $15MM Olson earned in 2022 (the first year of the extension).  Freddie Freeman’s six-year, $162MM contract with the Dodgers was another comp, as the Mets’ offer gave Alonso more actual money than Freeman due to the deferrals involved in the L.A. first baseman’s contract.

Olson and Freeman were obvious benchmarks for Alonso as fellow star first basemen, and reports from last November suggested that Alonso wants a “much bigger” contract than either of those two deals.  In the least surprising news possible, Alonso’s agent Scott Boras feels the same way, as Boras told Sherman that Alonso’s market stands apart from other recent major first baseman contracts due to Alonso’s age (he’ll be 30 on Opening Day 2025) and because the dynamics of extensions and free agent deals differ.

“The market for consistent 40-homer, durable, infield-capable, true middle-of-the-lineup sluggers is the question,” Boras said.  “Note there are none available in free agency and none coming [in the next few years].  Plus, he’s New York proven, which is an unanswered question for many others — not Pete.  It’s elite-level durability and production at a prime age, which is simply something most MLB teams do not possess.  They will covet the opportunity to have free-agent access to such talent.”

It is worth noting that Alonso was a client of Apex Sports when he and the Mets were negotiating that extension, and Alonso then changed representation to the Boras Corporation after the season.  With a few notable exceptions over the years, Boras clients generally end up heading to the open market rather than signing a contract extension, so it would count as a big surprise if Alonso and the Mets agreed to a new deal this close to Alonso’s arrival on the open market.

Alonso burst onto the scene with a 53-homer season in 2019, earning both NL Rookie of the Year honors and the first of three career All-Star berths (and the first of two Home Run Derby crowns during All-Star festivities).  Naturally this made Alonso an instant star in New York, and he has kept up the power by hitting 202 homers and slashing .249/.340/.524 over his career.  Those 202 homers is the most of any player since the start of the 2019 campaign.

This season has largely been more of the same, as Alonso has hit .226/.307/.458 with 10 homers in his first 189 plate appearances of 2024.  However, Alonso is now in his second consecutive season with a below-average hard-hit ball rate, even if his barrel rate remains outstanding.  Overall, Alonso is still mashing the ball when he makes premium contact, but is having trouble with anything less than a barrel, giving how his batting averages have declined — a .261 average in his first four seasons but only .219 since.  Beyond these numbers, teams could also have the usual concerns attached to giving any first-base only player a big guaranteed deal into his 30’s, and beyond the bat, Alonso’s defense is considered average at best.

Leaving $158MM on the table could loom large for Alonso should he hit an extended slump that drags down his overall production, or if he gets injured.  (Though Alonso has been very durable over his career, with only two minimal trips to the injured list.)  There is also the possibility that this winter’s free agent market could somewhat resemble the staid proceedings of this past offseason, when several top free agents — including several Boras clients — had to settle for smaller deals than expected.  If any of Alonso’s red flags become more glaring over the course of the 2024 campaign, teams might first attempt to see if they can wait out the market to see if Alonso could be had for the kind of short-term, opt-out heavy contracts signed by the “Boras Four” this past winter.

On the other hand, a standard Alonso type of season should provide a very nice platform, and the Polar Bear ranked fourth in MLB’s most recent Power Rankings of the 2024-25 free agent class.  The first baseman’s chances of scoring a deal closer to $200MM than $158MM are also helped by the fact that Mets owner Steve Cohen has expressed his hope that Alonso will remain with the team over the long term, and Cohen hasn’t been shy about spending big to obtain his preferred targets.  President of baseball operations David Stearns will obviously have a way in whatever direction the Mets take with pursuing Alonso, but if Cohen is willing to outbid the market for a particular fan favorite, Alonso might have a particular edge that other free agents don’t, depending on how aggressive the Mets will be on players beyond Alonso.

NL East Notes: Diaz, Walker, Cavalli

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Right-hander Edwin Diaz is in the second-year of his record-breaking five-year contract with the Mets, and the $102MM investment has not gone how either side surely hoped it would to this point. After an otherworldly 2022 campaign that saw Diaz pitch to an incredible 1.31 ERA with a 0.90 FIP while striking out more than 50% of batters faced, the right-hander missed the entire 2023 campaign after suffering a torn tendon in his right knee during the World Baseball Classic that spring.

While Diaz has now been healthy enough to take the field in 2024, the results have left much to be desired. Entering play tonight, the 30-year-old had a somewhat middling 3.57 ERA with an elevated 4.09 FIP in 17 2/3 appearances while going just five-for-eight in save opportunities. His struggles have become particularly pronounced since Cubs slugger Christopher Morel left him on the hook for a loss on April 29 by crushing a two-run homer at Citi Field. In six appearances since that loss, Diaz had converted just one of his four save chances and allowed a 5.14 ERA with a 5.70 FIP in 7 1/3 innings entering the Mets’ game this evening against Miami.

Things went from bad to worse against the Marlins tonight, when Diaz blew a four-run lead while recording just one out in the bottom of the ninth against Miami. After the game, the longtime closer admitted to reporters (as relayed by SNY) that his confidence is down following his recent stretch of tough performances. Even so, club manager Carlos Mendoza stood by Diaz in the aftermath of tonight’s loss, reaffirming to reporters (including the New York Post’s Mike Puma) that Diaz remains the club’s closer. At the same time, Mendoza acknowledged the possibility that the club could look to get Diaz some work in “softer spots” for the time being as he works through his struggles. The rest of the Mets bullpen has been fairly solid in spite of Diaz’s struggles, and the likes of Reed Garrett, Jorge Lopez, and Adam Ottavino could all theoretically step into higher leverage roles if Diaz needs to reset in lower leverage spots.

More from around the NL East…

  • Phillies right-hander Taijuan Walker departed his start on Thursday after taking a hard-hit comebacker off his foot. While testing made clear that he had managed to avoid a break, Walker is nonetheless dealing with a bruise in his left big toe and it’s not yet clear if the veteran will make his next start, which is tentatively scheduled for this coming Wednesday. Alex Coffey of the Philadelphia Inquirer relays that manager Rob Thomson told reporters this afternoon that he’s “optimistic” about Walker’s ability to make that start, though the club won’t be sure until they see how he reacts to a light bullpen session tomorrow. In the event that Walker is unable to return to the rotation for Wednesday’s start, the Phillies figure to slot right-hander Spencer Turnbull back into the rotation mix.
  • The Nationals have been without former top pitching prospect Cade Cavalli since he underwent Tommy John surgery back in March of 2023, but it appears that the 25-year-old hurler is now nearing a huge step in his rehab process. According to Mark Zuckerman of MASN, Cavalli is “ready” to begin a rehab assignment in the Florida Complex League. It will be his first appearance in an official game since his big league debut on August 26, 2022. MLB.com’s Injury Tracker indicates that Cavalli will be built up slowly over the course of his rehab, with two or three innings being the goal for his first appearance. The Nationals have been surprisingly competitive so far this season with a 20-23 record that places them in third place in the NL East, and a healthy and effective return to action from Cavalli later this season could be a huge boost for a rotation that already features exciting youngsters such as MacKenzie Gore and Mitchell Parker.

Rays Notes: Lowe, Pepiot, Poche, Devenski

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The Rays are close to getting a major piece of their lineup back from the injured list, as Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times relays that club manager Kevin Cash told reporters that Brandon Lowe is restarting his rehab assignment this weekend and could return to the big league roster as soon as Monday if all goes well in his final rehab outings.

Lowe made it into just eight games this season before being sidelined by an oblique injury but has been one of the club’s most reliable hitters since he made his debut back in 2018, as evidenced by the career .245/.334/.484 slash line he carried into the 2024 campaign. That includes two monster seasons in 2020 and 2021 that saw him earn downballot MVP consideration, but he’s remained a valuable hitter in recent years even as he’s not regained that elite peak offensive form; in 2023, the then-28-year-old slashed a solid .231/.328/.443 with 21 homers.

The Rays are surely hoping that Lowe can provide the club with a spark offensively, as the AL’s best offense from 2023 has scuffled a bit in 2024. They’ve posted a collective wRC+ of just 101 this year, down 17 points from last year and good for just 14th in the majors to this point in the year. Those relative struggles have been thanks primarily to down seasons from key contributors like Yandy Diaz and Randy Arozarena to this point in the season. Richie Palacios and Amed Rosario have filled in admirably for Lowe in his absence, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Rays look to work both players into the lineup on a semi-regular basis even upon Lowe’s return.

Also nearing a return from the shelf is right-hander Ryan Pepiot, who has been on the shelf since May 8 after being struck by in the leg by a comebacker. Pepiot’s return will be greatly appreciated for the Rays, as he’s pitched to a strong 3.68 ERA and 3.64 FIP through seven starts with the Rays in his first season as a regular in the rotation. Prior to being swapped to the Rays this past winter in the Tyler Glasnow deal, Pepiot had shown flashes of his impressive ability with the Dodgers, for whom he pitched to a 2.76 ERA in 78 1/3 innings split between the 2022 and ’23 seasons.

In Pepiot’s absence, the Rays have relied on Taj Bradley and Tyler Alexander to fill out the club’s rotation alongside Zach Eflin, Aaron Civale, and Zack Littell. Bradley has looked excellent in his two starts since being activated, with a 2.45 ERA and 3.04 FIP in 11 frames. Alexander, on the other hand, has generally struggled while swinging between the rotation and the bullpen with the Rays but carried a perfect game into the eighth innings of his most recent start against the Blue Jays, ultimately throwing 7 1/3 innings of three-run ball on three hits, no walks, and four strikeouts.

Not all the injury news has been positive for the Rays, however. Topkin relays that Cash indicated to reporters today that the Rays still have no clear timeline for return regarding left-hander Colin Poche, who has been on the shelf for nearly a month now due to mid-back tightness. The 30-year-old southpaw was one of Tampa’s most important relievers last year as he pitched to a sterling 2.23 ERA with a 3.34 ERA and a 24.8% strikeout rate in 60 2/3 innings of work. Unfortunately, he struggled badly this season in ten appearances prior to being placed on the injured list, as he allowed seven runs in 9 1/3 frames on 12 hits and three walks while striking out six. Poche’s uncertain return date, according to Cash, contributed to the club’s decision to acquire left-hander Richard Lovelady from the Cubs earlier today in exchange for southpaw Jeff Belge.

While Poche appears to be nowhere near a return, the same isn’t true of veteran right-hander Chris Devenski, who has been on the shelf since late April due to a bout of knee tendinitis. Topkin notes that the veteran right-hander has begun a rehab assignment at Triple-A, though he notes that according to Cash the righty will need “at least” one more rehab appearance before the club considers bringing him back up to the big leagues. Cash also indicated that the Rays have not yet decided whether they’ll have Devenski take a longer rehab assignment in order to stretch him out for multi-inning relief or simply promote him to the majors as soon as he’s ready to contribute in shorter bursts. Devenski pitched to largely average results between the Angels and Rays last year, with a 4.46 ERA in 42 1/3 innings of work despite a solid 3.96 FIP.

Cubs Notes: Swanson, Hoerner, Smyly, Wicks, Hendricks

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The Cubs are expecting to welcome shortstop Dansby Swanson back from the injured list prior to Tuesday’s series opener against the Braves, as noted by Kyle Williams of the Chicago Sun Times. Williams relayed that club manager Craig Counsell told reporters today that Swanson is “heading in a good direction” as he participates in baseball activities in preparation for his return.

Swanson has been on the injured list for just over a week due to a right knee sprain, although he had been playing through the issue since he first suffered the injury back on April 25. In the 13 contests he appeared in from April 25 onward before hitting the shelf, Swanson slashed an anemic .159/.229/.227 at the plate while committed two errors in the field. If those struggles were the result of the injury, the 30-year-old’s return to action figures to offer a huge boost to the Cubs as evidenced by a strong 2023 campaign where he slashed a respectable .244/.328/.416 (104 wRC+) while playing elite defense at shortstop.

The absence of Swanson has been exacerbated by a bout of hamstring tightness that has sidelined second baseman Nico Hoerner, who is an above-average defensive shortstop in his own right and had been handling the position in place of Swanson prior to his own injury. Hoerner, who has impressed with a solid .269/.361/.391 slash line (119 wRC+) to this point in the 2024 campaign, has not yet been placed on the injured list despite the fact that the Cubs aren’t certain when he’ll be able to return to action. Counsell indicated to reporters (including Williams) that if Hoerner isn’t ready to play tomorrow the club will likely wait until Tuesday to make an IL decision regarding Hoerner thanks to their day off on Monday.

The Cubs have missed their typical double play combo dearly, as they’ve been forced to rely on utility infielders Miles Mastrobuoni and Nick Madrigal as their fill-in options at shortstop and second base, respectively. The duo have managed wRC+ figures of just 35 and 62 respectively while offering nowhere near the Gold Glove award-winning skills of Swanson and Hoerner. Shortstop prospect Luis Vazquez has hit fairly well at the Triple-A level this season despite his glove-first reputation and is already on the club’s 40-man roster, making him a possible alternative should Hoerner require a trip to the shelf.

Looking toward the pitching staff, Counsell provided good news to reporters today as he noted that lefties Drew Smyly and Jordan Wicks both threw bullpen sessions on Friday and are nearing rehab assignments. Smyly appears to be slightly further along between the two, as Counsell indicated that he expected the lefty to begin his rehab assignment “early next week” without identifying a specific timeline regarding Wicks. The return of both southpaws figures to significantly bolster Chicago’s starting pitching depth; Wicks had a 4.70 ERA and a strong 3.26 FIP in five starts prior to hitting the shelf with a forearm strain, while Smyly began the season in the bullpen but has made at least 22 starts for the Cubs in each of the past two seasons.

That starting pitching depth figures to be particularly valuable to the Cubs given the deep struggles of veteran right-hander Kyle Hendricks. The 34-year-old soft-tosser was lit up to the tune of a 12.00 ERA and 7.70 FIP in five starts this season before he was sidelined by a low back strain in late April. He returned from the shelf last week and appeared to have potentially turned a corner after throwing five innings of one-run ball against the Pirates, but a start yesterday against those same Pirates proved to be disastrous as he surrendered eight runs (seven earned) on a whopping eleven hits in just 4 2/3 innings of work.

Asked about Hendricks’s deep struggles after yesterday’s game, Counsell made clear to reporters (including Patrick Mooney of The Athletic) that the Cubs need more from the right-hander going forward.

“We certainly need better,” Counsell said of Hendricks’s performance this year. “That’s not going to work. And that’s not going to be good enough.”

When asked if Hendricks will remain in the rotation going forward, Counsell noted that the club is dealing with a number of pitching injuries and is “going to need innings,” but also acknowledged that the club will need to “see what’s going on” regarding the veteran righty. Speculatively speaking, it’s easy to imagine the return of Wicks and Smyly offering the Cubs the sort of healthy pitching depth they’d need, alongside Hayden Wesneski and Ben Brown, to more seriously consider moving on from their longest-tenured player should Hendricks’s results not improve.

Padres Sign David Peralta To Minor League Deal

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The Padres have signed outfielder David Peralta to a minor league deal and assigned him to Triple-A El Paso, per an announcement from the El Paso Chihuahuas (X link). The move comes just days after Peralta opted out of his previous minor league deal with the Cubs.

Peralta, 36, is very familiar with the NL West after spending all but 47 games of his 10-year big league career in the division. The veteran made his MLB debut with the Diamondbacks at the age of 26 back in 2014 and spent the better part of nine years patrolling the outfield in Arizona. A generally solid left-handed bat who could be relied on for production around 5-10% better than the league average, Peralta slashed a respectable .283/.340/.463 with a wRC+ of 111 during his time with Arizona, which included a Silver Slugger award in 2018 and a Gold Glove in left field in 2019.

Peralta’s Dbacks tenure came to an end at the 2022 trade deadline, when he was shipped to Tampa Bay in exchange for catching prospect Christian Cerda. Peralta’s power disappeared down the stretch with the Rays, however, as he failed to hit a home run throughout his Rays tenure and slashed just .255/.317/.335 in 161 trips to the plate with the club. Despite that downturn in production, the Dodgers rolled the dice on Peralta the following offseason and signed him to a one-year deal that guaranteed the veteran $6.5MM. Unfortunately, a return to the NL West did not revive Peralta’s bat as he hit a paltry .259/.294/.381 in 133 games with L.A. last season.

Looking ahead, Peralta figures to offer the Padres veteran depth in the outfield, an area where they’re severely lacking in reliable options. Fernando Tatis Jr. has locked down right field since moving off shortstop last season while journeyman Jurickson Profar is off to an incredible start for the club in left field and top shortstop prospect Jackson Merrill is taking to the center field job quite admirably while learning the position on the fly. Even so, an outfield mix of three converted infielders speaks to the lack of outfield depth in the Padres organization, leaving bench bat Jose Azocar as the only career outfielder on the club’s 40-man roster.

Given that, it’s easy to see Peralta breaking into the club’s outfield mix at the big league level should an injury the team to make a roster move. Until then, Peralta figures to act as non-roster depth for San Diego alongside fellow veterans Oscar Mercado and Tim Locastro at the Triple-A level, where Peralta. The 36-year-old will hope for better results at the Triple-A level in El Paso than he had during his time with the Cubs organization, as he was slashing just .217/.341/.348 in 20 games before he opted out.

Alex Cobb Halts Throwing Program Due To Shoulder Discomfort

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6:51pm: Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle notes that Cobb received a second cortisone shot in his shoulder, though that one was in a different spot. Per Cobb, the second cortisone shot is the reason he’s no longer throwing but he’s feeling better and hopeful the second shot will prove effective.

2:34pm: Alex Cobb has yet to pitch this season, as the veteran righty’s recovery from October hip surgery led to a season-opening stint on the 15-day injured list, and then a move to the 60-day IL on April 20.  The latter move wasn’t necessarily unexpected due to the vagaries involved in returning from a major procedure like a hip labrum repair, yet some shoulder soreness began to develop for Cobb as he continued his workouts in April.

Unfortunately, Cobb’s shoulder issues have continued, as Giants manager Bob Melvin told NBC Bay Area’s Alex Pavlovic (links to X) and other reporters today.  As a result, Cobb’s throwing program has been put on hold, and it appears to be a lock that Cobb will remain on the IL well beyond his first eligible activation date of May 27.

An MRI on Cobb’s shoulder came back clean last month, so there apparently isn’t any structural issue even if his latest setback might lead to another set of tests.  Cobb also received a cortisone shot to help overcome the soreness, but that treatment also didn’t seem to solve the problem.  Until more is known about the situation, it seems like Cobb and the Giants are playing waiting game in the hopes that rest and rehab can get Cobb’s shoulder feeling better, so he can finally properly start to ramp up his preparations to begin his season.

The Giants originally signed Cobb to a two-year, $20MM deal following the 2021 season, and that contract became a three-year pact paying Cobb $28MM once San Francisco exercised its club option on his services last November, even in the wake of the right-hander’s hip surgery.  Despite the injury concerns, Cobb pitched well enough (3.80 ERA over 301 innings) in 2022-23 to quite easily justify the front office’s decision to exercise that option, yet naturally some second-guessing is inevitable if Cobb is now looking like he could miss at least half the season.

Between Cobb and San Francisco’s trade for Robbie Ray this past winter, the Giants were counting on a pair of veteran reinforcements to the rotation during the season — Cobb when he was through his recovery, and Ray around August once his Tommy John rehab was complete.  Between this duo and the signings of Blake Snell and Jordan Hicks, the Giants were hoping to have a deep stable of pitching options around Logan Webb, top prospect Kyle Harrison, and a host of other young arms.

The results have been mixed to date, as the rotation has been quite top heavy.  Webb, Harrison, and Hicks have all looked quite sharp, while Snell, Keaton Winn, and Mason Black have all struggled mightily.  Injuries have also been a factor, as Snell and Winn are both on the 15-day IL but Snell is nearing a return.  The reigning NL Cy Young Award winner is slated to be activated this coming week, with Pavlovic thinking Wednesday is a potential date in order to line Snell up behind Webb in the rotation.

Snell could hardly have gotten off to a worse start to his Giants tenure, posting an 11.57 ERA in 11 2/3 innings and three starts before hitting the IL with an adductor strain.  This came after Snell’s longer-than-expected stint in free agency didn’t end until he signed a two-year, $62MM deal with San Francisco on March 19, and he pitched in only some simulated games in extended Spring Training before making his first MLB start of the year on April 8.

However, Snell looks to have gotten in form during his minor league rehab stint.  The southpaw’s two minor league rehab starts (one in A-ball, one in Triple-A) have been almost literally perfect, as Snell has delivered nine hitless innings and just a single walk, with 17 strikeouts.  A healthy Snell pitching like his 2023 self would be a gigantic boost to the Giants’ staff, and it would help the team dig itself out of a lackluster 21-25 beginning to the season.

Cardinals Notes: Liberatore, Gallegos, Middleton

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Cardinals manager Oli Marmol announced yesterday that left-hander Matthew Liberatore will be taking the ball for tomorrow’s game against the Red Sox, adding to reporters (including Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat) that Liberatore will remain in the rotation “for now” as the team continues to deal with the absence of left-hander Steven Matz, who is on the injured list due to a strained lower back.

The news comes on the heels of a difficult start for Liberatore earlier this week where he allowed four runs on five hits and two walks in 3 1/3 innings of work against the Angels while striking out just one. The lefty threw a season-high 60 pitches during the outing and appears likely to be similarly limited against Boston tomorrow, given the fact that he was moved from short relief in the bullpen to a starting role with minimal time to stretch out. Before moving to the rotation, Liberatore had been among the club’s more valuable relief arms this season, pitching to a 2.76 ERA despite a lackluster 16.4% strikeout rate in 16 1/3 innings of work.

The combination of Liberatore’s limited pitch count, struggles in the rotation, and success out of the bullpen this year make the decision to stick with him as the fifth member of the rotation a somewhat puzzling one. The club has plenty of potential alternatives to take the ball on the 40-man roster at Triple-A, as well: Left-hander Zack Thompson filled in for Sonny Gray in the rotation to open the season, albeit with shaky results of his own, while righty Andre Pallante has plenty of experience swinging between the rotation and the bullpen and has impressed in the minors so far this season. Also off to an impressive start at Triple-A is right-handed prospect Sem Robberse, who the club acquired in the Jordan Hicks trade last summer and sports a 2.64 ERA and 4.05 FIP through eight starts. Should Liberatore’s struggles in the rotation continue, it’s possible that any of those options could replace him as a member of the starting five in St. Louis.

While Liberatore’s move to the rotation has taken a solid relief option out of the equation for the Cardinals, it appears likely that reinforcements are on the way as veteran right-handers Giovanny Gallegos and Keynan Middleton both appear to be making progress toward returns from the injured list. Middleton appears to be further along between the two veterans as Jones relays that he’s scheduled to make three more rehab appearances in the coming days, including back-to-back outings on Tuesday and Wednesday, before the club makes a decision on whether or not he’s ready to return to the big league bullpen.

That timeline could see Middleton make his Cardinals debut by the end of the week after he missed the start of the season due to a forearm strain. The right-hander pitched to a 3.38 ERA and 4.20 FIP in 50 2/3 innings of work between the White Sox and the Yankees last year, including a dominant 14 1/3 inning stretch run in New York that saw him allow just three runs while striking out 30.4% of batters faced. Upon his return, Middleton figures to be in the mix for late inning opportunities alongside the likes of JoJo Romero, Ryan Helsley, and Andrew Kittredge.

Gallegos, on the other hand, was shelved earlier this month due to a shoulder impingement but appears to be on track to return in fairly short order. MLB.com’s John Denton relayed this afternoon that Gallegos is feeling better and threw a bullpen yesterday but, according to Marmol, is still building up his arm strength ahead of a return to big league action. It appears he’ll continue to do that while on a rehab assignment to the minor leagues, as Denton indicates that Gallegos is expected to head out for one in the coming days.

After many years as one of St. Louis’s most reliable set-up men, Gallegos suffered a down season in 2023 as he struggled to a roughly league average 4.42 ERA and 4.36 FIP in 55 innings of work. While even a repeat of that disappointing performance would still make him an adequate middle relief arm, Gallegos’s 2024 season got off to an awful start as he was blown up for 12 runs in just nine innings of work across 14 appearances before he was placed on the IL. While he was striking out a respectable 27.1% of batters faced, Gallegos’s walk rate ballooned to 14.6% and he allowed an whopping five home runs in those nine innings of work. Now that the righty appears to be getting healthier, he’ll look to get his season back on track as he rehabs in hopes of contributing more positively to the Cardinals bullpen upon his return.

Braves Notes: Riley, D’Arnaud, Murphy

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Braves third baseman Austin Riley hasn’t taken the field for the club since Sunday’s game against the Mets due to what was described as left side tightness at the time. While he’s spent nearly a week out of commission at this point, he may still be days away from returning to the lineup. The 27-year-old told reporters (including Justin Toscano of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution) that he has yet to resume swinging a bat since he first suffered the injury, which he added that the Braves’ medical staff later termed intercostal inflammation. Per Toscano, Riley did not commit to returning to the starting lineup in time for the opening game of the club’s three-game set against the Cubs in Chicago, which begins on Tuesday.

Should Riley miss Tuesday’s game, he’ll have been out of commission for nine days at that point. Such a lengthy absence would make the club’s decision not to put the slugger on the injured list, which comes with a minimum stay of ten days, a strange one. Even so, Riley indicated that the club has not discussed the possibility of an IL trip with him. IL trips can only be backdated a maximum of three days, meaning that Riley would have to miss at least a week from the day he’s placed on the shelf before he can return.

Manager Brian Snitker also addressed Riley’s absence with reporters today, telling David O’Brien of The Athletic that the club will have to consider a trip to the shelf for Riley if the soreness he’s feeling doesn’t improve in the coming days. O’Brien added that, per Snitker, the club’s hesitance to place Riley on the shelf to this point stems in part from a lack of strong candidates to replace Riley on the roster in the upper levels of the organization. The only position players currently on the 40-man at Triple-A are outfielders Forrest Wall and J.P. Martinez.

While the club turned to utilityman David Fletcher earlier this season to fill in on the bench, Fletcher is no longer on the 40-man roster and is dealing with off-the-field issues regarding reported illegal bets placed on sports other than baseball during his time in Anaheim. That could leave veteran utilityman Leury Garcia as the club’s best option to fill in for Riley should he end up heading for the injured list. Garcia struggled to a brutal .210/.233/.267 slash line in his last taste of big league action back in 2022, when he appeared in 97 games for the White Sox. Despite those abysmal numbers, Garcia has seen some success at Triple-A with the Braves this year, posting a solid 113 wRC+ in 116 trips to the plate.

Adding to the club’s injury woes is the absence of catcher Travis d’Arnaud, who exited yesterday’s game against the Padres due to dizziness after a foul ball struck his face mask. Braves fans received some good news regarding the veteran catcher today, however, as MLB.com’s Mark Bowman relayed that the 35-year-old is feeling much better today, even as he’s been held out of the starting lineup for tonight’s game. Bowman added that d’Arnaud is available to be used on an emergency basis over the next two days and that, as long as d’Arnaud’s improvement continues, he could return to the lineup for the series finale against San Diego on Monday. In the meantime, the Braves will lean on Chadwick Tromp to cover for d’Arnaud behind the plate.

After being demoted to the role of a backup in deference to Sean Murphy last year, d’Arnaud has resumed regular catching duties for Atlanta this season since Sean Murphy was placed on the injured list with an oblique strain just one game into the 2024 campaign. He’s made the most of the additional playing time to this point, hitting an excellent .255/.336/.500 with five home runs in 116 trips to the plate. That being said, it seems as though Murphy could be nearing a return to action in Atlanta in the near future. MLB.com’s Injury Tracker notes that the Braves are currently planning for Murphy has looked good in offensive and defensive drills during his recovery and is set to begin a rehab assignment during this upcoming week. Widely regarded as among the top catchers in baseball on both sides of the ball, the return of Murphy figures to offer a huge boost to the Braves as they head into the summer 3.5 games behind the Phillies for the NL East crown despite a strong 26-15 record.

Pirates Outright Josh Fleming

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TODAY: The Pirates announced this evening that Fleming has cleared waivers and accepted an outright assignment to Triple-A, as relayed by Noah Hines of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

May 14: The Pirates have recalled right-hander Ryder Ryan and designated left-hander Josh Fleming in a corresponding move. Robert Murray of FanSided reported Fleming’s DFA prior to the official announcement.

It’s an unfortunate early birthday present for Fleming, who will turn 28 years old on Saturday. The southpaw signed a split deal with the Pirates in February and has been primarily working out of the club’s bullpen. He technically made one start but went just 2 1/3 innings as the first guy in a bullpen game on April 24.

The results have not been great for the lefty, who has a 5.68 earned run average in 19 innings over 17 appearances. His 15.1% strikeout rate is subpar but right in line with his career rate of 14.9%. He’s still getting ground balls at a good rate, with his 57.1% mark this year just barely below his 58.9% career clip.

The baseball gods have seemingly played a role, as Fleming has a .344 batting average on balls in play and 56.3% strand rate this year, both of which are on the unlucky side. But he also hasn’t done himself any favors with the free passes, as his 10.5% walk rate is above league average and well beyond the 7.1% rate he carried into this season.

Fleming is out of options, so the Bucs didn’t have much choice but to remove him from the 40-man entirely if he’s worn out his welcome on the active roster. They will now have a week to trade him or pass him through waivers. Fleming’s deal pays him $850K in the majors and $240K in the minors, per the Associated Press.

He has more than three years of service time and would have the right to reject an outright assignment if he were to clear waivers. However, with less than five years of service time, exercising that right would involve walking away from the remaining money on his deal. Per the recent collective bargaining agreement for minor league players that was signed last year, the minimum salary for a Triple-A player is just $35.8K.

That would be a moot point if another club wanted to acquire Fleming. His career numbers aren’t far off what he’s done this year, as he had a 4.88 ERA with the Rays from 2020 to 2023 before being non-tendered by that club and signing with the Pirates.

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