Archives for June 2024

AL East Notes: Duran, Romano, Orioles, Abreu

By Mark Polishuk | June 22, 2024 at 3:11pm CDT

The Red Sox haven’t yet discussed a contract extension with Jarren Duran, the outfielder told MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo earlier this week, though Duran doesn’t seem bothered by the lack of talks. “I’m just here to play baseball. If they come talk to me, then they come talk to me, but I’m just enjoying playing baseball with this team,” Duran said. The Sox aren’t exactly on a ticking clock, as Duran doesn’t reach arbitration eligibility until this coming winter, though he will likely qualify for Super Two status and thus earn a fourth arbitration year.

That extra arb year could make things very lucrative for Duran, given how has continued to up his game in 2024. He has hit .280/.347/.478 over 350 plate appearances this season, just about matching the numbers he posted over 362 PA in 2023. When combined with his excellent baserunning and solid defense in left and center field, Duran has generated 3.1 fWAR, a number topped by only eight players this season.

Considering how Duran struggled in his first two big league seasons, it isn’t surprising that the Red Sox wanted a little more data beyond just 2023 to make sure that Duran’s breakout was for real. Signing Duran to an extension will be a lot more expensive now than it would’ve been last winter, yet it still might allow the Red Sox to gain some certainty over Duran’s escalating arb salaries, and add another year of control or two over a player they might now view as a longer-term building block. That said, Duran’s age could also be a factor, as he turns 28 in September, and so Boston already has him arb-controlled through his age-31 season.

Rockies Select Austin Kitchen

By Nick Deeds | June 22, 2024 at 3:08pm CDT

The Rockies announced this afternoon that they’ve selected the contract of left-hander Austin Kitchen. Right-hander Geoff Hartlieb was designated for assignment in order to make room for Kitchen on both the 40-man and active rosters in Colorado.

Kitchen, 27, will make his big league debut the first time he gets into a game with the Rockies. The southpaw went undrafted out of Coastal Carolina University back in 2019 and spent the 2020 season pitching for the independent Washington League as a member of the Steel City Slammin’ Sammies. After impressing with a 1.50 ERA and 11 strikeouts in 12 innings of work as a reliever in indy ball that year, the Rockies decided to bring Kitchen into the fold and assigned him to Single-A Fresno during the 2021 season.

Kitchen’s first season in affiliated ball left something to be desired, as he struggled to a 4.97 ERA while striking out just 16.6% of batters faced across 50 2/3 innings of work split between the rotation and bullpen. From 2022 onward, Kitchen moved into something closer to a full-time relief role and saw his results improve noticeably. That first season after moving out of the rotation saw Kitchen strike out a far more respectable 21.2% of batters faced while surrendering an ERA of just 3.32 between the High-A and Double-A levels, and the following season saw him return to Double-A with similar numbers across 59 2/3 relief frames. Kitchen got a taste of Triple-A action at the end of last year but was blown up for six runs in a single inning of work across two appearances.

This year, the southpaw has made 18 relief appearances at the Triple-A level that have gone much better. Kitchen sports a 3.00 ERA that’s all the more impressive given the fact that he plays in the inflated offensive environment of the Pacific Coast League, although his strikeout rate has dipped to a somewhat worrying 17.6% figure in 33 innings of work this year. Nonetheless, Kitchen’s performance has been enough to get him an opportunity in the majors with the Rockies, who could certainly use all the help they can get given their disastrous 5.75 ERA out of the bullpen this year, good for dead last among all big league clubs.

Making room for Kitchen on the active and 40-man rosters is Hartlieb, a 30-year-old righty who has pitched in parts of five big league seasons since making his debut with the Pirates back in 2019. Hartlieb’s big league opportunities have been relatively few and far between since the end of the 2020 season, as he’s appeared in just 14 big league games over the past four years. He’s not exactly impressed in those 22 innings of work, however, surrendering an ERA of 8.59 and striking out just 17.2% of batters faced. That includes a rough stint with Colorado this year, where he’s allowed ten runs (nine earned) on 13 hits and five walks while striking out seven in nine innings of work.

The Rockies will now have one week to either work out a trade involving Hartlieb or attempt to pass him through waivers. If Hartlieb clears waivers, the Rockies can attempt to outright him to the minor leagues, although the right-hander would have the right to reject that assignment in favor of free agency after being outrighted previously in his career.

Marlins Outright Kent Emanuel

By Steve Adams | June 22, 2024 at 2:47pm CDT

TODAY: The Marlins have outrighted Emanuel to Triple-A after he cleared waivers, as per Emanuel’s MLB.com profile page. There isn’t yet any word as to whether or not Emanuel has accepted the assignment.

JUNE 19: The Marlins announced Wednesday morning that left-hander Kent Emanuel has been designated for assignment. His spot on the roster will go to right-hander Yonny Chirinos, whose previously announced promotion to the big league roster is now official. Chirinos will start today’s game for the Fish.

Emanuel, 32, was selected to the Marlins’ big league roster for a second time this season over the weekend. He tossed 2 1/3 shutout innings across two appearances during this most recent stint. The former Astros, Phillies and Pirates farmhand made two more appearances with Miami back in April and was hit hard. Overall, he’s surrendered seven earned runs in 8 1/3 major league innings this season. That’s a far cry from the 2.55 ERA he notched in a 17 2/3-inning big league debut with the 2021 Astros (the team that originally selected him in the third round of the 2013 draft).

Things haven’t gone much better for Emanuel in Triple-A Jacksonville. He’s made nine appearances, four of them starts, and totaled 30 innings of 6.60 ERA ball. The 6’4″ UNC product has fanned 19% of his opponents against a tidy 5.8% walk rate in that time. It’s the sixth season in which Emanuel has logged time at the Triple-A level. Overall, he owns a 5.18 ERA, a 20% strikeout rate and a 6.1% walk rate in 391 frames there.

Within the next week, Emanuel will either be traded, placed on outright waivers or released. He’s been outrighted in the past, so if he goes unclaimed on waivers he’d have the right to reject an outright assignment in favor of free agency.

Steven Matz Has Rehab Setback, Won’t Return For At Least 4-6 Weeks

By Mark Polishuk | June 22, 2024 at 2:25pm CDT

Steven Matz’s time on the injured list has been extended after the left-hander hit a setback in his rehab work. As Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol told The Athletic’s Katie Woo (links to X) and other reporters, Matz came out his Double-A rehab start last Sunday with more tightness in his back, and the starter has now been shut down for two weeks. Marmol gave a 4-6 week timeline as a projected best-case scenario for Matz to return to the active roster, as Matz’s throwing program will have to more or less be started from scratch after his shutdown period.

It’s a tough break for Matz, who had banked three rehab starts already and was seemingly on track to be activated from the injured list around the start of July. Instead, he’ll now be sidelined for another month at the very least, and more realistically probably won’t be back until some time in August.

Matz made six starts and posted a 6.18 ERA over 27 2/3 innings before going on the IL in early May with a lower back strain, so it has been a rough season all around for the 33-year-old. All told, not much has gone right for Matz since signing his four-year, $44MM free agent deal with St. Louis in November 2021, as various injuries have limited the southpaw to 180 2/3 innings since Opening Day 2022. He looked to be turning things around with a solid 3.86 ERA over 105 innings last year, but neither the production or the good health has been there for Matz this year.

Since it doesn’t seem like Matz will make it back prior to the July 30 trade deadline, it only exacerbates the Cardinals’ need for rotation help. The club’s top four of Sonny Gray, Lance Lynn, Kyle Gibson, and Miles Mikolas has been more solid than outstanding, but the quartet has at least been reliably able to take the ball and eat innings. Finding a fifth starter has been an issue for the Cards, as none of Matz, Matthew Liberatore, Andre Pallante, or Zack Thompson have provided much help in what has become a bit of a revolving door of a rotation spot.

Like pretty much the entire National League, the Cardinals are in something of a holding pattern with more than a month to do before the trade deadline. St. Louis is an even 37-37 on the season, but the Cards are out of the last wild card spot on percentage points alone due to a lot of parity in the Senior Circuit — only four NL teams entered Saturday’s action with records above .500.

If this uncertainty continues over the next month, it will leave St. Louis and many other teams unclear about how aggressive they should be with their deadline shopping, and it wouldn’t be a shock to see the Cardinals explore selling if they hit a slump and fall out of the race. Given how the Cards are coming off a rare losing season, president of baseball operations John Mozeliak could possibly feel more pressure to “go for it” in order to get the team back to its customary dose of October baseball, though Mozeliak has traditionally made more mid-level deadline moves rather than true blockbusters during his tenure in the St. Louis front office.

Mariners Outright Seby Zavala

By Steve Adams | June 22, 2024 at 2:10pm CDT

TODAY: Zavala cleared waivers and has been outrighted to Triple-A Tacoma, the Mariners announced.

JUNE 18: The Mariners have designated catcher Seby Zavala for assignment, per a team announcement. His spot on the roster will go to first baseman Ty France, who’s been reinstated from the 10-day injured list. Seattle’s 40-man roster is now down to 37 players.

Acquired alongside flamethrowing relief prospect Carlos Vargas in the offseason trade sending Eugenio Suarez and his remaining salary to the D-backs, Zavala entered the 2024 season as the primary backup to catcher Cal Raleigh. He’s only appeared in 18 games and taken 43 plate appearances, however, in part due to Raleigh’s iron-man workload — his 503 innings behind the dish rank second in MLB to William Contreras — and also due to some pronounced struggles in that limited playing time. Zavala is batting just .154/.214/.282 with a 37.2% strikeout rate thus far.

The Mariners signed former Twins and Rangers catcher/designated hitter Mitch Garver to a two-year pact over the winter, with the idea that Garver would serve as the full-time designated hitter. But as Garver has begun to heat up after a dreadful start at the plate (.229/.413/.571 over his past 46 plate appearances), the Mariners have begun using him at catcher more frequently. He’s still only made four appearances at the position, but they’ve all come in the past two weeks. And whether it’s coincidence or not, Garver’s turnaround at the plate has dovetailed with the team’s decision to begin plugging him back into the catcher’s spot on occasion.

With Garver now factoring into the catching equation, Zavala’s grip on a roster spot appeared increasingly tenuous. He’s a glove-first, light-hitting backup who’s always been prone to whiffs, as evidenced by a career 35.9% strikeout rate. The Mariners have been seeking ways to inject some life into a lackluster offense that has thus far been supported by a dominant pitching staff. Plugging Garver into that backup catcher role is one logical way to do that.

Though Zavala is highly prone to punchouts and carries an unsightly .205/.271/.342 batting line in 557 big league plate appearances, he’s a premium defender with particularly strong marks for his framing and ability to block balls in the dirt. Zavala is out of minor league options, so the Mariners didn’t have the ability to simply send him to the minors.

As such, Zavala will now be traded or placed on outright waivers within the next five days. Waivers themselves would be a 48-hour process. Within a week’s time, Zavala will know whether he’s cleared waivers or is headed to another team, either via trade or claim. He’s been outrighted previously, so if he goes unclaimed he’d have the right to reject a minor league assignment in favor of free agency.

Astros To Select Bryan King, Designate Alex Speas

By Mark Polishuk | June 22, 2024 at 1:45pm CDT

1:45PM: Right-hander Alex Speas was designated for assignment to create a 40-man roster spot for King. Speas was claimed off waivers from the Athletics last month, and threw two innings in his lone MLB game in an Astros uniform (Houston’s 6-1 loss to the Twins on May 31.)

The hard-throwing Speas’ only other Major League experience came in the form of three appearances for the Rangers in 2023. A second-round pick for Texas in the 2016 draft, Speas has a big 32.73% strikeout rate over 165 1/3 career minor league innings, but also a 5.01 ERA and an ungainly 18.24% walk rate.

12:13PM: Bloss will indeed be placed on the 15-day IL due to shoulder discomfort, manager Joe Espada told the Houston Chronicle’s Matt Kawahara and other reporters.

8:38AM: The Astros will select the contract of left-hander Bryan King from Triple-A, MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart reports (X link), and righty Luis Contreras has also been called back up to the 26-man roster after being optioned to Triple-A on Thursday. Houston optioned right-hander Nick Hernandez to Triple-A, and Contreras’ quick return would indicate that another player is being placed on the injured list, since Contreras wouldn’t have otherwise been eligible for another call-up within 10 days of his demotion.

The injured player is likely Jake Bloss, as the right-hander’s MLB debut was cut short in the fourth inning yesterday due to shoulder discomfort. Bloss described the injury to McTaggart and other reporters as “a little tweak” and that “it doesn’t feel like anything that serious,” but the Astros’ subsequent transactions indicate that a trip to the 15-day injured list could be looming. It makes for a bittersweet birthday present for Bloss since he turns 23 tomorrow, coming on the heels of allowing two runs over 3 2/3 innings in his first game in the Show.

Assuming that Bloss does need to miss time, he’ll join nine other pitchers on Houston’s injured list, as the Astros’ pitching depth has been badly depleted all season long. To cover innings, 26 different players have taken the mound for the Astros this season, and King will be the 27th once he makes his Major League debut. The Astros will need to make another transaction to open up a 40-man roster spot for the 27-year-old King.

The Cubs made King a 30th-round selection in the 2019 draft, and he has a 2.77 ERA over 123 2/3 career minor league innings, all as a reliever. King’s time on the mound has been limited by both the canceled 2020 minor league season and by a Tommy John surgery that sidelined him for the entirety of the 2023 campaign. Fortunately, it seems as though King has returned from rehab in fine form, posting a 1.87 ERA, 51.9% grounder rate, and 29.9% strikeout rate in 33 2/3 innings for Triple-A Sugar Land this season.

A 3.86 xFIP and an 82.9% strand rate indicate some level of good fortune in King’s numbers, and a 10.2% walk rate is still a little high, if an improvement over greater control problems the southpaw endured earlier in his career. That said, if King can show he can hang at the majors, he could get an extended look both because the Astros simply need healthy arms, and because Houston’s bullpen is short of left-handed depth. With Bennett Sousa done for the season due to thoracic outlet syndrome surgery, closer Josh Hader is the only southpaw in Houston’s bullpen.

Marlins Place Jesus Luzardo On 15-Day Injured List

By Mark Polishuk | June 22, 2024 at 12:59pm CDT

12:59PM: The move has been officially announced, with Luzardo’s placement retroactive to June 19. The left-hander’s injury has been termed as a lumbar stress reaction, and Schumaker floated a recovery timeline of 4-6 weeks to De Nicola and other reporters. Though Schumaker was speaking in more general terms about recoveries from similar injuries rather than what can be expected for Luzardo himself, it nevertheless remains unclear if Luzardo will be able to pitch again before the trade deadline.

10:42AM: The Marlins have placed left-hander Jesus Luzardo on the 15-day injured list due to a back injury. The team already announced yesterday that Luzardo was being scratched from his planned start today, and Shaun Anderson is being recalled from Triple-A to take the hill against the Mariners.

Luzardo has been trying to pitch through his back problem “for a couple of weeks,” manager Skip Schumaker told MLB.com’s Christina De Nicola and other reporters, and the team even considered scratching him from his previous start against the Nationals last Sunday. As De Nicola notes, Luzardo’s velocity was down during that outing, though Luzardo still managed five innings of two-run ball against Washington.

“You don’t want to overdo another side of the body or another part of the body because you’re trying not to hurt whatever is being hurt or is hurting,” Schumaker said. “You definitely don’t want to push through something, especially the back, because it could lead to other things. So we’ll see what the results say and what the doctors say, but it’s definitely not something that you push through.”

This is Luzardo’s second IL trip this season, as he also missed just under three weeks dealing with tightness in his throwing elbow. Luzardo has a lengthy and well-documented injury history that also includes a Tommy John surgery, but the 2023 season showed a glimpse of what the southpaw could do when he was finally healthy. Over 32 starts and 178 2/3 innings for Miami last year, Luzardo posted a 3.58 ERA, 28.1% strikeout rate, and 7.4% walk rate to help lead the Marlins to a wild card berth.

The numbers have fallen off in 2024, with health undoubtedly some sort of factor in Luzardo’s 5.00 ERA over 66 2/3 frames. While his 4.20 SIERA is a little more respectable, Luzardo’s strikeout rate has sharply dropped to 21.2%, and his fastball velocity has gone from 96.7mph in 2023 to 95.1mph this year. As per Statcast, Luzardo’s four-seamer was one of the more effective pitches in baseball last season, but is now a below-average offering.

Anderson has already made one spot start for the Marlins since he was acquired in a trade with the Rangers last month, and now might get more opportunities as Miami continues to deal with an injury-plagued rotation. Since the last-place Marlins have long since thrown in the towel on contending this season, much of the focus on Miami has been around on what the team might do at the trade deadline, with Luzardo’s name often mentioned a prime candidate to be moved.

Even considering his shaky 2024 production, Luzardo has been viewed as possibly the Marlins’ best trade chip due to his age (26) and the two-plus years of arbitration control that runs through the 2026 campaign. However, this latest injury creates new doubt that Luzardo will even be back on the mound by the July 30 deadline, given how back problems can tend to linger. There’s no urgency for the Marlins to move Luzardo this summer when other trades could be explored this winter or really at any time during Luzardo’s remaining tenure with the organization, but naturally another injury-marred season will lower his trade value.

Diamondbacks Place Gabriel Moreno On 10-Day Injured List

By Mark Polishuk | June 22, 2024 at 12:41pm CDT

The Diamondbacks announced that catcher Gabriel Moreno has been placed on the 10-day injured list due to a sprained left thumb. Jose Herrera has been called up from Triple-A, and Herrera with team with Tucker Barnhart as Arizona’s catching combo until Moreno has recovered.

Moreno’s injury took place in last night’s game, as the backstop’s glove hand was hit by a Cristian Pache foul ball in the third inning. Moreno tried to stay in the game but the discomfort eventually forced him to make an early exit in the sixth frame. D’Backs manager Torey Lovullo told media (including Alex Weiner of Arizona Sports) after the game that x-rays were negative on Moreno’s thumb, so the catcher at least avoided a more serious structural injury that would’ve cost him more time or even possibly threatened his season.

Heralded as one of baseball’s top prospects during his time in the Blue Jays’ farm system, Moreno and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. were acquired by the D’Backs in exchange for Daulton Varsho during the 2022-23 offseason. Moreno’s first full season saw him win a Gold Glove, hit .284/.339/.408 in 380 plate appearances, and then excel in Arizona’s playoff run to the NL pennant, seemingly cementing his place as one of the sport’s up and coming stars.

However, the sophomore slump seems to have bitten Moreno in his follow-up campaign, as he has hit only .230/.313/.346 with three homers over 217 PA. A .261 BABIP hasn’t helped his efforts, though Moreno isn’t making much hard contact. On the plus side, his strikeout and walk rates are both well above average, and Moreno’s defense remains remains elite.

A’s Place Abraham Toro On 10-Day IL, Select Armando Alvarez

By Mark Polishuk | June 22, 2024 at 11:17am CDT

11:17AM: The Athletics officially announced Toro’s IL placement and Alvarez’s selection.

7:54AM: Abraham Toro made an early exit from the Athletics’ 6-5 win over the Twins Friday, and manager Mark Kotsay told MLB.com’s Martin Gallegos (links to X) and other reporters that Toro will be placed on the 10-day injured list due to a hamstring strain. Gallegos reports that infielder Armando Alvarez will have his contract selected from Triple-A Las Vegas to take Toro’s spot on the active roster, with no other corresponding move required since Oakland has space on its 40-man roster.

The A’s acquired Toro in a trade with the Brewers last November, as while Toro was a non-tender candidate for Milwaukee, he has become basically an everyday player in Oakland. Toro has played mostly third base, while also getting a good dose of DH time, regular second base duty when Zack Gelof was on the IL, and a couple of games as a first baseman and left fielder. In addition to this versatile fielding, Toro has hit .260/.303/.386 with six home runs over 295 plate appearances, translating to an exactly league-average 100 wRC+.

It’s a solid return for a player on a modest $1.275MM salary, and Toro is also under arbitration control through the 2026 season. This cost-effective control could make Toro an interesting trade chip for the Athletics at the deadline, or make him likelier to stick around in Oakland as an inexpensive and useful part of the roster. First things first, of course, Toro will have to return healthy before any consideration can be give to his trade potential, and the severity of his hamstring strain isn’t yet known. Toro also missed a couple of other games earlier this week due to a sore shoulder.

Tyler Nevin and Aledmys Diaz will likely get the bulk of third base duty while Toro is sidelined, though the A’s might take the opportunity to give Alvarez some playing time. Alvarez (who turns 30 next month) is getting his first look in the majors after eight pro seasons.

A 17th-round pick for the Yankees in the 2016 draft, Alvarez spent much of his career in New York’s farm system before joining the Giants on a minors deal in 2023, and then another minor league contract with the Athletics this past winter. Alvarez has played almost all of the last four seasons at Triple-A and has been posting some quality numbers since 2022, including a .311/.401/.528 slash line across 187 PA for Las Vegas this season.

Since Darell Hernaiz and Brett Harris are both recovering from injury themselves, Alvarez became the next man up at third base with Toro hitting the IL. Alvarez has spent the large majority of his career as a third baseman, though he has seen increasingly more time as a second baseman and first baseman over the last two seasons, as this boost in versatility could help him find a niche on a big league roster.

Cardinals Place Ivan Herrera On 10-Day Injured List, Select Nick Raposo

By Mark Polishuk | June 22, 2024 at 10:59am CDT

The Cardinals announced that catcher Ivan Herrera has been placed (retroactive to June 19) on the 10-day injured list due to lower back tightness. Backstop Nick Raposo will replace Herrera on the active roster after St. Louis selected Raposo’s minor league contract. To create a 40-man roster spot for Raposo, the Cardinals moved Keynan Middleton from the 15-day IL to the 60-day IL — Middleton underwent flexor tendon surgery earlier this month and will miss the rest of the season.

With Willson Contreras already on the injured list, the Cardinals have had to dig deeper into the depth chart to replace both their starting catcher and now their top backup option in Herrera. The good news for the Cards is that Contreras might be back in action fairly soon, as he is already on a minor league rehab assignment after undergoing forearm surgery in early May. Contreras was behind the plate yesterday for Triple-A Memphis, and St. Louis manager Oliver Marmol told reporters (including Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat) that Contreras is slated to catch again today, to gauge how well he holds up to catching in consecutive games. A DH day is scheduled for Contreras tomorrow, so Monday represents the absolute earliest that he could return to the active roster.

Herrera has capably held the fort with Contreras sidelined, as Herrera has hit .279/.340/.378 over 192 plate appearances for a 108 wRC+. While his Statcast numbers don’t stand out on the whole, Herrera’s .359 xwOBA is well above his .319 wOBA, even if that number is somewhat balanced out by a .346 BABIP. St. Louis had been trying to find playing time for both Herrera and (as a DH) Contreras even when both were healthy, though the team’s attempts to use both in the lineup will have to wait at least until Herrera recovers from his back problems.

Pedro Pages has been working as Herrera’s backup and will now likely get the majority of starts until one of the Cardinals top two catchers gets healthy. Backing up Pages is Raposo, who will be making his Major League debut the first time he appears in a game. Raposo began his pro career by signing with the Cardinals in 2020, and went undrafted due to the pandemic-shortened five-round nature of the 2020 draft.

From there, Raposo made a pretty quick rise through the St. Louis farm system, playing at Triple-A Memphis in each of the last two years. He has batted a modest .204/.274/.340 over 275 PA at the Triple-A level, but the Cardinals aren’t expecting much from Raposo’s bat over what might be a cup of coffee stint in the majors if Contreras is able to return this week.

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